Towards the Reconstruction of the Genome-Scale Metabolic Model of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14

Abstract

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic lactic acid bacterium used in food and dietary supplements for many years. However, despite its importance for industrial development and recognized health-promoting effects, no genomescale metabolic model has been reported. A GSM model for L. acidophilus La-14 was developed, accounting 494 genes and 783 reactions. A genome annotation was performed to identify the metabolic potential of the bacterium. The biomass composition was determined based on information available in literature and previously published models. The model was validated by comparing in silico simulations with experimental data, regarding the aerobic and anaerobic growth. The reconstruction of the metabolic model has confirmed the fastidious requirements of L. acidophilus for amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins. This model can be used for a better understanding of the metabolism of this bacterium and identification of industrially desirable compounds.

merlin v4.0: an updated platform for the reconstruction of high-quality genome-scale metabolic models

“…The scientific community has extensively used merlin , as corroborated by the multiple published works (32–35, 42, 81, 82) and considerable user-base expansion. The scalability and reliability of merlin 4.0 have been showcased with the reconstruction of multiple models, but particularly with the Quercus suber’ s, which is the first GSMM of a ligneous tree.…”