Title:In Silico Analysis of Heavy Metal Assimilation Behaviors in the Genome of Methanosarcina barkeri str. Fusaro
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Author(s): P. Chellapandi
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Cell behavior, heavy metal assimilation, metals detoxification, methanogens, molecular evolution, pathway model,
protein function, transporters.
Abstract: A computational systems biology representation was utilized for understanding the
molecular and metabolic behaviors of heavy metal assimilation system in the genome
Methanosarcina barkeri str. Fusaro. A known functional protein of this system was identified by
text mining. A combined functional annotation approach was employed to discover the missing
proteins with unknown function. Herein, assimilation systems of cadmium, nickel and copper ions
have been predicted by using bioinformatics resources. Metabolic flux balances of each pathway
model have been optimized for its cellular behaviors in response to excessive heavy metal ions in the
environment. Many heavy metals have been utilized by a typical assimilation system on producing
the precursors required for methane biosynthesis, and other energy driven processes of this genome.
Metal transporter and accessory proteins of methanogens were phylogenetically corresponded with similar proteins in the
members of proteobacteria, but metal-containing enzymes are very exclusive to closely related methanogenic archaea. The
evolutionary and metabolic relationships of heavy metal transporter system have been observed among archaea and some
members in the proteobacteria. Thus, the metabolic models obtained from this study will optimistically be useful in
understanding the heavy metal assimilation mechanism of this genome for producing methane, and applying in
bioremediation process.
