Acetate & Biosynthesis

Acetate can be synthesized in several ways:

Pyruvate decarboxylation: In many organisms, Pyruvate decarboxylase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase convert pyruvate to acetyl-CoA and acetate. This pathway is common under anaerobic conditions.

Acetate fermentation: Certain bacteria and archaea produce acetate as the primary end product of fermentation. This process is essential in anaerobic environments where other organisms can accumulate and use acetate.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) produces acetate by fermentation of glucose Araújo et al. 2020 Cell Host & Microbe 27: 358-375

As the most abundant Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), acetate is mostly formed from Phosphoenolpyruvate / Phosphoenolpyruvic acid through the Succinate pathway by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, such as Phascolarctobacterium succinates and Veillonella spp., and via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway by acetogens
Louis et al. 2014 Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 12: 661-672
Koh et al. 2016 Cell 165: 1332

see also:
Acetate-producing bacteria