Effect of cysteine transport on the molecular weight and synthesis of hyaluronic acid in Streptococcus zooepidemicus.
Summary
Deleting ldh unexpectedly reduced HA molecular weight in S. zooepidemicus, prompting transcriptomics that implicated cysteine transporters (fliY1/2/3). Genetic perturbations confirmed their role, with fliY1 overexpression further lowering HA MW, revealing a previously unrecognized lever to tune cosmetic-grade HA properties.
Key Findings
- ldh knockout to increase yield unexpectedly reduced hyaluronic acid molecular weight.
- Transcriptomics identified altered expression of cysteine transporter genes fliY1/2/3 linked to HA MW changes.
- Targeted knockouts/overexpression validated functional roles; fliY1 overexpression further decreased HA MW.
Clinical Implications
Not directly clinical; findings inform manufacturing of HA with tailored molecular weight for injectables, dermal fillers, and topical formulations, potentially improving consistency and performance.
Why It Matters
Identifies cysteine transport as a mechanistic determinant of HA molecular weight, offering actionable targets to control HA quality—a key parameter for rheology and performance in cosmetic and medical applications.
Limitations
- Abstract provides incomplete quantitative details and lacks scale-up validation
- Functional mechanism linking cysteine transport to HA polymerization kinetics remains to be fully elucidated
Future Directions
Quantify MW distributions under controlled cysteine flux, perform bioreactor-scale validation, assess rheology and end-use performance, and integrate metabolic flux modeling to optimize yield–MW trade-offs.
Study Information
- Study Type
- Basic/Mechanistic research
- Research Domain
- Pathophysiology
- Evidence Level
- V - Laboratory mechanistic study in industrial microorganism
- Study Design
- OTHER