Open AccessA mathematical model of theWarburg Effect: Effects of cell size, shape and substrate availability on growth and metabolism in bacteria
Author(s) -
Anshuman Swain,
William F. Fagan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
mathematical biosciences and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.451
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1551-0018
pISSN - 1547-1063
DOI - 10.3934/mbe.2019009
Subject(s) - cellular respiration , respiration , bacteria , fermentation , biology , metabolism , biomass (ecology) , microbial metabolism , yeast , biological system , yield (engineering) , bacterial growth , ecosystem , biochemical engineering , growth rate , aerobic bacteria , biophysics , cell growth , substrate (aquarium) , ecology , biochemistry , botany , genetics , mathematics , physics , geometry , engineering , thermodynamics
The Warburg effect refers to a curious behavior observed in many organisms and cell types including cancer cells, yeast and bacteria, wherein both the efficient aerobic pathway and the inefficient fermentation pathway are utilized for respiration, despite the presence of ample oxygen. Also termed as overow metabolism in bacteria, this phenomena has remained an enigmatic and poorly understood phenomenon despite years of experimental work. Here, we focus on bacterial cells and build a model of three trade offs involved in the utilization of aerobic and anaerobic respiration pathways (rate versus yield, surface area versus volume, and fast versus slow biomass production) to explain the observed behavior in cellular systems. The model so constructed also predicts changes in the relative usage of both pathways in terms of size and shape constraints of the cell, and identies how substrate availability inuences growth rate. Additionally, we use the model to explain certain complex phenomena in modern- and paleo-ecosystems, via the concept of overow metabolism.