PoMeLo: a systematic computational approach to predicting metabolic loss in pathogen genomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Genome streamlining, the process by which genomes become smaller and encode fewer genes over time, is a common phenomenon among pathogenic bacteria. This reduction is driven by selection for minimized energy expenditure in a nutrient-rich environment. As pathogens evolve to become more reliant on the host, metabolic genes and resulting capabilities are lost in favor of siphoning metabolites from the host. Characterizing genome streamlining, gene loss, and metabolic pathway degradation can be useful in assessing pathogen dependency on host metabolism and identifying potential targets for host-directed therapeutics.

Results

PoMeLo (Predictor of Metabolic Loss) is a novel evolutionary genomics-guided computational approach for identifying metabolic gaps in the genome

SUBMITTER: Glascock A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10829301 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature