Introduction to Metabolic Control Analysis by a Simple and Low-Cost Laboratory Activity

Abstract

Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) is a systems biology approach that measures the control of a metabolic step on the overall flux of a metabolic pathway. In undergraduate courses in biochemistry, learning of MCA can be encouraged by experimental activities demonstrating practical applications of the MCA theory. In this work, we present a laboratory activity designed to measure the glycolytic flux of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by quantifying the CO2 generation in hermetically sealed syringes. Glycolytic flux was measured at different concentrations of povidone-iodine, an inhibitor of glycolysis. Then, the students analyzed the experimental results to calculate the response coefficient and sensitivity of the glycolytic flux to the inhibitor povidone-iodine. The activity was satisfactorily carried out by 88 undergraduate students in 2022 who submitted a laboratory report for revision. Evaluation of students’ reports indicated that the activity encouraged the learning of technical procedures required for MCA and facilitated the identification of misconceptions frequently held by students. The simplicity of the experimental approach and the availability of harmless and low-cost reagents allow students to focus on the application of theoretical concepts within the MCA framework.