초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Tryptophan (<B>TRP</B>) is an aromatic non-polar α-amino-acid essential, whose biosynthesis maximization is of high practical importance in industry, and medicine. On one hand, it is to underline that <B>TRP</B> synthesis is an oscillatory process strongly connected to the glycolysis through the <B>PEP</B> (phosphoenolpyruvate) node. On the other hand, it is well-known that glycolysis, under certain environmental conditions, displays autonomous oscillations of the glycolytic intermediates’ concentrations thus reflecting the dynamics of the control and regulation of this major catabolic pathway with a major role in the cell central carbon metabolism (<B>CCM</B>) in living cells. Consequently, glycolysis model is the ‘core’ module of any systematic and structured model-based analysis of most of metabolic sub-process. By coupling two adequate reduced kinetic models for the glycolysis and <B>TRP</B> synthesis in the <B> <I>E. coli</I> </B> cells, adopted from literature, with the model of a semi-continuous bioreactor, this paper derives, for the first time, an <B> <I>in silico</I> </B> analysis of the optimal operating conditions of the bioreactor used for tryptophan synthesis, with accounting for the two interfering oscillatory processes.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Oscillatory glycolysis has been reported in a broad range of bacteria. </LI> <LI> Tryptophan synthesis is an oscillatory metabolic process of high practical interest. </LI> <LI> Tryptophan synthesis is connected to glycolysis through the phosphoenolpyruvate node. </LI> <LI> Adequate dynamic models of these processes have been used for an <I>in silico</I> analysis. </LI> <LI> Analysis allows tryptophan production maximization in a bioreactor with <I>E. coli</I> cells. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>