Bacterial glycolytic pathway (EMP pathway)

The bacterial glycolytic pathway, primarily the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway, is a fundamental metabolic sequence that converts glucose into pyruvate, generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) [3, 16]. It serves as the primary energy-producing pathway in many bacteria and provides essential carbon intermediates for the biosynthesis of amino acids, lipids, and nucleic acids [3, 8]. In pathogenic bacteria, glycolytic enzymes often exhibit moonlighting functions, such as binding to host proteins like plasminogen to facilitate tissue invasion and immune evasion [3, 12]. Targeting this pathway is a strategy for developing new antimicrobials, particularly against multidrug-resistant strains like MRSA and Mycobacterium tuberculosis [1, 4]. However, the high degree of structural conservation between bacterial and human glycolytic enzymes poses a significant challenge for achieving selective toxicity [6, 11]. Current therapeutic strategies involve identifying specific inhibitors for bacterial-specific isoforms or regulatory pockets within these enzymes [3, 10].

Other names

Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathwayGlycolysisBacterial glucose metabolismCentral carbon metabolism

Inhibition of specific enzymes within the glycolytic pathway (e.g., GAPDH, Enolase, Pyruvate kinase) to deplete cellular ATP and metabolic intermediates, leading to growth arrest and reduced virulence.