Genome scale metabolic network reconstruction of the pathogen Enterococcus faecalis

Since the metabolic network reconstruction of Haemophilus influenzae was published in 1999, many other researchers have followed this trend. The possibilities and potential of having an in silico metabolic network for a specific organism is gaining emphasis among researchers that see the promise that the new era of genome-scale metabolic models could bring to the scientific scene.Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram positive bacterium from the lactic acid group that inhabits commensally the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals. However, it acquired a relevant position in the medical scenery as the main cause of nosocomial infections in hospital environments and the reason behind multiple diseases, namely urinary tract infections, endocarditis, meningitis, to name a few.In this work the first genome-scale model of E. faecalis, has been reconstructed to serve as a valuable tool to predict and better understand the phenotypic behaviour and its metabolism. The reconstruction process resulted in a network with 603 reactions and 576 metabolites. From the annotated genome it was possible to identify 366 genes with enzymatic activity. Performed simulations allowed us to validate the formation of end-products, as well as determine critical genes involved in the metabolism of this pathogen.