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In silico method for modelling metabolism and gene product expression at genome scale

2012; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 3; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/ncomms1928

2041-1723

Joshua A. Lerman, Daniel R. Hyduke, Haythem Latif, Vasiliy A. Portnoy, Nathan E. Lewis, Jeffrey D. Orth, Alexandra C. Schrimpe‐Rutledge, Richard Smith, Joshua Adkins, Karsten Zengler, Bernhard Ø. Palsson,

Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies

Transcription and translation use raw materials and energy generated metabolically to create the macromolecular machinery responsible for all cellular functions, including metabolism. A biochemically accurate model of molecular biology and metabolism will facilitate comprehensive and quantitative computations of an organism's molecular constitution as a function of genetic and environmental parameters. Here we formulate a model of metabolism and macromolecular expression. Prototyping it using the simple microorganism Thermotoga maritima, we show our model accurately simulates variations in cellular composition and gene expression. Moreover, through in silico comparative transcriptomics, the model allows the discovery of new regulons and improving the genome and transcription unit annotations. Our method presents a framework for investigating molecular biology and cellular physiology in silico and may allow quantitative interpretation of multi-omics data sets in the context of an integrated biochemical description of an organism. To describe the biochemical composition of an organism multiple data sets must be combined and this information can then be used forin silico analysis. By combining metabolism and transcription data, Lerman et al. discovered new regulons and improved the gene annotation for the simple organism Thermotoga maritima.