Can bacteria metabolize fatty acids for fuel?

Question

I'm not a microbiologist, but rather a physiologist curious about microbial metabolism. Much like humans bacteria can utilize glucose, but when it comes to long chain, medium chain, or short chain fatty acids, what are the pathways that microbes use to break these compounds down for fuel? \n\nIt seems plausible that bacteria can take up short chain fatty acids, but with longer chain species are there impediments to uptake? Are the oxidative enzymes similar between bacteria and humans?

Answer 1

Glucose and in special situation lactose is the main energy source (i.e. Lac Operon). Fatty acid are utilized mostly for structure/markers in bacteria. As for B-oxidation, the metabolism of fatty acids in some species of prokaryotes is regulated by the FadR protein (i.e. E.coli) . It is protein that can repress β-oxidation of fatty acids and activate of unsaturated fatty acid synthesis. So, although fatty acid synthesis occurs in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, most prokaryotic species repress fatty acid breakdown as the energy source (B-oxidation).