title: The organization of the microbial biodegradation network from a systems-biology perspective.
abstract: Microbial biodegradation of environmental pollutants is a field of growing importance because of its potential use in bioremediation and biocatalysis. We have studied the characteristics of the global biodegradation network that is brought about by all the known chemical reactions that are implicated in this process, regardless of their microbial hosts. This combination produces an efficient and integrated suprametabolism, with properties similar to those that define metabolic networks in single organisms. The characteristics of this network support an evolutionary scenario in which the reactions evolved outwards from the central metabolism. The properties of the global biodegradation network have implications for predicting the fate of current and future environmental pollutants.
authors.affiliation: ALMA Bioinformatics, Centro Empresarial Euronova, Ronda de Poniente 4, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Florencio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pazos
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Lorenzo
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013598:Systems Theory
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D004798:Enzymes; D015386:Hazardous Substances