Low degree metabolites explain essential reactions and enhance modularity in biological networks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recently there has been a lot of interest in identifying modules at the level of genetic and metabolic networks of organisms, as well as in identifying single genes and reactions that are essential for the organism. A goal of computational and systems biology is to go beyond identification towards an explanation of specific modules and essential genes and reactions in terms of specific structural or evolutionary constraints.

Results

In the metabolic networks of Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Staphylococcus aureus, we identified metabolites with a low degree of connectivity, particularly those that are produced and/or consumed in just a single reaction. Using flux balance analysis (FBA) we also determined reactions essential for growth in these meta

SUBMITTER: Samal A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1434774 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature