UAEU Scientists Reveal How Cells Positively Regulate Metabolism Via Pathway Crosstalk

A research team from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has made a significant breakthrough in understanding how cells positively regulate their metabolism. The study offers new insight into the complex mechanisms that enable cells to adapt and respond to changing environmental conditions.

The research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Mohammad Tauqeer Alam, associate professor in the Department of Biology, College of Science, in collaboration with Prof. Markus Ralser from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, and Dr. Richard Notebaart from Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands. The study was published in the journal Molecular Systems Biology.

Master’s student Sultana Mohammed Al Zubaidi and PhD student Muhammad Ibtisam Nasar were the first co-authors of the study.

Dr. Alam explained that the research provided a comprehensive network of intracellular enzyme–metabolite activator interactions by integrating the yeast metabolic network with enzyme data from multiple species. The findings revealed that most metabolic pathways include activatory interactions often linking across different pathways, highlighting extensive regulatory crosstalk within the cell’s metabolic network.

One key discovery is that the early steps in many metabolic pathways are positively regulated, effectively priming downstream reactions for more efficient execution. This enhances overall metabolic performance. The study also found that the most highly catalytic enzymes are often involved in secondary pathways, which are activated under specific environmental conditions. Meanwhile, macromolecules play an essential role in cell survival.

Dr. Alam emphasized that these findings represent a major step forward in understanding how cells regulate internal processes. The insights open new avenues for research in metabolic engineering, biotechnology, and disease biology.