Bacterial carbohydrate metabolism pathways

Bacterial carbohydrate metabolism pathways encompass the biochemical processes by which bacteria transport, break down, and utilize sugars to generate energy and biosynthetic precursors. These pathways include glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, and the bacterial-specific phosphotransferase system (PTS) (NIH, 2014). They are essential for bacterial survival, providing ATP and carbon skeletons for the synthesis of amino acids, nucleotides, and cell wall components like peptidoglycan (PubMed, 2014). While many central metabolic enzymes have human homologs, certain bacterial-specific components, such as the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway or the PTS, are being explored as novel antimicrobial targets to minimize host toxicity (NIH, 2025). Drugs like fosfomycin already exploit these pathways by inhibiting enzymes that process sugar-derived precursors for cell wall synthesis (NIH, 2022). Targeting these pathways is a promising strategy for developing new antibiotics, though challenges include bacterial metabolic plasticity and potential disruption of the host's commensal microbiota (ASM, 2022). Overall, these pathways represent a critical Achilles' heel for pathogens, offering diverse opportunities for therapeutic intervention in the face of rising antibiotic resistance (NIH, 2014).

Other names

Bacterial central carbon metabolismBacterial sugar metabolismBacterial carbohydrate utilizationBacterial carbon metabolism

Inhibition of specific enzymes or transporters within the carbohydrate metabolic network to disrupt energy production, precursor supply, and cell wall integrity.