Proteome allocation constraints determine cellular growth rates and demand fitness trade-offs

Protein synthesis is costly and the proteome size is constrained. Using a genome-scale computational model of proteome allocation together with absolute proteomics data sets from many growth environments, we determine how these fundamental limitations constrain growth and fitness in Escherichia coli. First, we show that the observed variation in growth rates across environments is largely determined by the expression of protein not utilized for growth in a given environment. We then elucidate the overall transcriptional regulatory logic that underlies the expression of unused protein. We systematically classify the unused proteome into segments devoted to environmental readiness and stress resistance functions. While expression of these proteome segments incurs a fitness cost of decreased growth in a fixed environment, they provide fitness benefits in a changing environment. Thus, the systems biology of the prokaryotic proteome can be quantitatively understood based on resource allocation to growth, environmental readiness, and stress resistance functions. Overall design: nitrogen-limited and carbon-limited chemostats both at 2 different growth rates