Enzyme-constrained metabolic model of <i>Treponema pallidum</i> identified glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as an alternate electron sink.

ABSTRACT: Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, poses a significant global health threat. Its strict reliance on host-derived nutrients and difficulties in in vitro cultivation have impeded detailed metabolic characterization. In this study, we present iTP251, the first genome-scale metabolic model of T. pallidum, reconstructed and extensively curated to capture its unique metabolic features. These refinements included the curation of key reactions such as pyrophosphate-dependent phosphorylation and pathways for nucleotide synthesis, amino acid synthesis, and cofactor metabolism. The model demonstrated high predictive accuracy, validated by a MEMOTE score of 92%. To further enhance its predictive capabilities, we developed ec-iTP251, an enzyme-constrained version

SUBMITTER: Shahreen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12097511 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature