Eashant Thusoo

Abstract Thermodynamically constrained reactions and pathways are hypothesized to impose greater protein demands on cells, requiring higher enzyme amounts to sustain a given flux compared to those with stronger thermodynamics. To test this, we quantified the absolute concentrations of glycolytic enzymes in three bacterial species -Zymomonas mobilis, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium thermocellum- which employ distinct glycolytic pathways with varying thermodynamic driving forces.