Metabolic division of the labour of organic matter decomposition into several steps carried out by different types of microbes is typical for many anoxic - but not oxic environments. An explanation of this well-known pattern is proposed based on the combination of three key insights: (i) well-studied anoxic environments are high flux environments: they are only anoxic because their high organic matter influx leads to oxygen depletion; (ii) shorter, incomplete catabolic pathways provide the capacity for higher flux, but this capacity is only advantageous in high flux environments; (iii) longer, complete catabolic pathways have energetic happy ends but only with high redox potential electron acceptors. Thus, aerobic environments favour longer pathways. Bioreactors, in contrast, are high flux environments and therefore favour division of catabolic labour even if aeration keeps them aerobic; therefore, host strains and feeding strategies must be carefully engineered to resist this pull.

中文翻译：

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代谢分工的进化原因和后果：为什么厌氧菌会这样做而需氧菌不会。

将有机物分解为由不同类型的微生物执行的几个步骤的代谢分工对于许多缺氧但不是好氧环境来说是典型的。基于三个关键见解的结合，提出了对这种众所周知的模式的解释：（i）经过充分研究的缺氧环境是高通量环境：它们只是缺氧的，因为它们的高有机物流入会导致氧气耗尽；(ii) 较短、不完整的分解代谢途径提供了更高通量的能力，但这种能力仅在高通量环境中才有优势；(iii) 更长、完整的分解代谢途径具有充满活力的快乐结局，但只有具有高氧化还原电位的电子受体。因此，有氧环境有利于更长的路径。相比之下，生物反应器 是高通量环境，因此有利于分解代谢劳动的分工，即使曝气使它们保持有氧；因此，必须仔细设计宿主菌株和喂养策略以抵抗这种拉动。