Advancements in 13C isotope tracking of synergistic substrate co-utilization in Pseudomonas species and implications for biotechnology applications.

Pseudomonads are well-known to thrive in diverse and complex nutritional habitats, and these capabilities make Pseudomonas species attractive as whole-cell biocatalysts. Industrial bioconversion processes often rely on complex uptake and synergistic metabolic systems due to the presence of varied carbon substrates in nutrient feedstocks. Isotope labeling experiments (ILEs) are emerging techniques used to elucidate cell metabolism following feeding on isotopically enriched substrates and are pivotal to the understanding of carbon partitioning during co-utilization. In this review, we highlight the applications of ILEs to decipher the metabolic networks in Pseudomonas species and evaluate their relevance in optimizing biocatalytic platforms.