Biology – Quantitative Biology – Molecular Networks
Scientific paper
2011-08-24
BMC Systems Biology, 5:135 (2011)
Biology
Quantitative Biology
Molecular Networks
34 pages, 4 main figures, 7 additional figures, 2 additional tables
Scientific paper
The ubiquity of modules in biological networks may result from an evolutionary benefit of a modular organization. For instance, modularity may increase the rate of adaptive evolution, because modules can be easily combined into new arrangements that may benefit their carrier. Conversely, modularity may emerge as a by-product of some trait. We here ask whether this last scenario may play a role in genome-scale metabolic networks that need to sustain life in one or more chemical environments. For such networks, we define a network module as a maximal set of reactions that are fully coupled, i.e., whose fluxes can only vary in fixed proportions. This definition overcomes limitations of purely graph based analyses of metabolism by exploiting the functional links between reactions. We call a metabolic network viable in a given chemical environment if it can synthesize all of an organism's biomass compounds from nutrients in this environment. An organism's metabolism is highly versatile if it can sustain life in many different chemical environments. We here ask whether versatility affects the modularity of metabolic networks.
Martin Olivier C.
Samal Areejit
Wagner Andreas
No associations
LandOfFree
Environmental versatility promotes modularity in genome-scale metabolic networks does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Environmental versatility promotes modularity in genome-scale metabolic networks, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Environmental versatility promotes modularity in genome-scale metabolic networks will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-318324