Oxygen isotopes indicate most intracellular water in log-phase Escherichia coli is derived from metabolism
Open accessAbstract
The transport of water into and out of unicellular organisms is a seemingly simple process in which water diffuses either through pores or directly across the membrane. Because of the rates at which water can theoretically diffuse, it is generally accepted that intracellular water is indistinguishable from extracellular water. Using stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry, we directly tested this assumption. Here we demonstrate that under active growth, up to 70% of the intracellular water in log-phase Escherichia coli cells was actually generated during metabolism and was isotopically distinct from extracellular water. The contribution of metabolism to intracellular water was substantially less in stationary-phase or quiescent cells.
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Water is obtained from the environment, but a significant fraction of cytosolic water can be generated by microbial catabolism, at least during rapid growth.
“Water is obtained from the environment, but a significant fraction of cytosolic water can be generated by microbial catabolism, at least during rapid growth.39”
From Metals in Motion: Understanding Labile Metal Pools in Bacteria (2025) · cites this paper as [39]
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Aerobic Respiration Metabolism in Lactic Acid Bacteria and Uses in Biotechnology
Pedersen, M. B., Gaudu, P., Lechardeur, D., Petit, M.-A., & Gruss, A. (2012) · Annual Review of Food Science and Technology · doi:10.1146/annurev-food-022811-101255 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Metals in Motion: Understanding Labile Metal Pools in Bacteria
Helmann, J. D. (2025) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00726 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
- Authors
- Kreuzer-Martin, H. W., Ehleringer, J. R., & Hegg, E. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2005-11-21
- Volume
- 102
- Issue
- 48
- Pages
- 17337-17341
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC1297667
- OpenAlex
- W2099925786
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM66236, R01GM066236)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Chemical and Physical Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Keywords
- intracellular water, water metabolism, oxygen isotopes, Escherichia coli, water transport, log phase growth, stationary phase, quiescent cells, water diffusion, isotope fractionation
- MeSH terms
- Energy Metabolism, Escherichia coli, Intracellular Fluid, Oxygen Isotopes, Mass Spectrometry, Water
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