Novel Systems Modeling Methodology in Comparative Microbial Metabolomics: Identifying Key Enzymes and Metabolites Implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Author(s)Heberling, Colin
Author(s)Dhurjati, Prasad
Ordered AuthorColin Heberling and Prasad Dhurjati
UD AuthorHeberling, Colinen_US
UD AuthorDhurjati, Prasaden_US
Date Accessioned2016-01-14T16:35:24Z
Date Available2016-01-14T16:35:24Z
Copyright DateCopyright © 2015 by the authorsen_US
Publication Date2015-04-22
DescriptionPublisher's PDFen_US
AbstractAutism spectrum disorders are a group of mental illnesses highly correlated with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that there may be one or more microbial “fingerprints” in terms of the composition characterizing individuals with autism, which could be used for diagnostic purposes. This paper proposes a computational approach whereby metagenomes characteristic of “healthy” and autistic individuals are artificially constructed via genomic information, analyzed for the enzymes coded within, and then these enzymes are compared in detail. This is a text mining application. A custom-designed online application was built and used for the comparative metabolomics study and made publically available. Several of the enzyme-catalyzing reactions involved with the amino acid glutamate were curiously missing from the “autism” microbiome and were coded within almost every organism included in the “control” microbiome. Interestingly, there exists a leading hypothesis regarding autism and glutamate involving a neurological excitation/inhibition imbalance; but the association with this study is unclear. The results included data on the transsulfuration and transmethylation pathways, involved with oxidative stress, also of importance to autism. The results from this study are in alignment with leading hypotheses in the field, which is impressive, considering the purely in silico nature of this study. The present study provides new insight into the complex metabolic interactions underlying autism, and this novel methodology has potential to be useful for developing new hypotheses. However, limitations include sparse genome data availability and conflicting literature experimental data. We believe our software tool and methodology has potential for having great utility as data become more available, comprehensive and reliable.en_US
DepartmentUniversity of Delaware. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.en_US
CitationHeberling, Colin, and Prasad Dhurjati. "Novel Systems Modeling Methodology in Comparative Microbial Metabolomics: Identifying Key Enzymes and Metabolites Implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorders." International journal of molecular sciences 16.4 (2015): 8949-8967.en_US
DOI10.3390/ijms16048949en_US
ISSN1661-6596 ; e-1422-0067en_US
URLhttp://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/17388
Languageen_USen_US
PublisherMDPI AG, Basel, Switzerlanden_US
dc.rightsCC-BYen_US
dc.sourceInternational Journal of Molecular Sciencesen_US
dc.source.uriwww.mdpi.com/journal/ijmsen_US
TitleNovel Systems Modeling Methodology in Comparative Microbial Metabolomics: Identifying Key Enzymes and Metabolites Implicated in Autism Spectrum Disordersen_US
TypeArticleen_US
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