Reconstruction and analysis of the genetic and metabolic regulatory networks of the central metabolism of Bacillus subtilis.
BACKGROUND
Few genome-scale models of organisms focus on the regulatory networks and none of them integrates all known levels of regulation. In particular, the regulations involving metabolite pools are often neglected. However, metabolite pools link the metabolic to the genetic network through genetic regulations, including those involving effectors of transcription factors or riboswitches. Consequently, they play pivotal roles in the global organization of the genetic and metabolic regulatory networks.


RESULTS
We report the manually curated reconstruction of the genetic and metabolic regulatory networks of the central metabolism of Bacillus subtilis (transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulations and modulation of enzymatic activities). We provide a systematic graphic representation of regulations of each metabolic pathway based on the central role of metabolites in regulation. We show that the complex regulatory network of B. subtilis can be decomposed as sets of locally regulated modules, which are coordinated by global regulators.


CONCLUSIONS
This work reveals the strong involvement of metabolite pools in the general regulation of the metabolic network. Breaking the metabolic network down into modules based on the control of metabolite pools reveals the functional organization of the genetic and metabolic regulatory networks of B. subtilis.
Goelzer
Anne
A
Unité Mathématique, Informatique et Génomes, Institut National Recherche Agronomique, UR1077, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France. Anne.Goelzer@jouy.inra.fr
Bekkal Brikci
Fadia
F
Martin-Verstraete
Isabelle
I
Noirot
Philippe
P
Bessières
Philippe
P
Aymerich
Stéphane
S
Fromion
Vincent
V
D000465:Algorithms; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000502:physiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
D014157:Transcription Factors