title: An in silico platform for the design of heterologous pathways in nonnative metabolite production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microorganisms are used as cell factories to produce valuable compounds in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other industrial processes. Incorporating heterologous metabolic pathways into well-characterized hosts is a major strategy for obtaining these target metabolites and improving productivity. However, selecting appropriate heterologous metabolic pathways for a host microorganism remains difficult owing to the complexity of metabolic networks. Hence, metabolic network design could benefit greatly from the availability of an in silico platform for heterologous pathway searching.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed an algorithm for finding feasible heterologous pathways by which nonnative target metabolites are produced by host microorganisms, using Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as templates. Using this algorithm, we screened heterologous pathways for the production of all possible nonnative target metabolites contained within databases. We then assessed the feasibility of the target productions using flux balance analysis, by which we could identify target metabolites associated with maximum cellular growth rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This in silico platform, designed for targeted searching of heterologous metabolic reactions, provides essential information for cell factory improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Sunisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatsurachai
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furusawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D048230:Corynebacterium glutamicum / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism