Exploring the pathway structure of metabolism: decomposition into subnetworks and application to <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i>

Abstract

A decomposition algorithm for metabolic networks based on the local connectivity of metabolites is presented. Interrelations of this algorithm with alternative methods proposed in the literature and the theory of small world networks are discussed. The applicability of our method is illustrated by an analysis of the metabolism of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is an organism of considerable medical interest. The decomposition gives rise to 19 subnetworks. Three of these are here discussed in biochemical terms: arginine degradation, the tetrahydrofolate system, and nucleotide metabolism. The interrelations of pathway analysis of biochemical networks with Petri net theory are outlined.