MetaCyc

Definition

MetaCyc is a comprehensive database that provides detailed information about metabolic pathways and enzymes from various organisms. It serves as a critical resource for understanding the biochemical networks that govern cellular metabolism and facilitates the analysis of metabolic data in a variety of contexts, including systems biology and metabolic engineering.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. MetaCyc covers metabolic pathways from over 2,000 organisms, making it one of the largest databases of its kind.
2. The database includes information on more than 1,800 unique metabolic pathways and over 5,600 enzymes involved in these pathways.
3. MetaCyc provides curated data that helps researchers visualize and analyze metabolic networks, aiding in both basic research and applied sciences.
4. Users can access MetaCyc through its website, where they can search for specific pathways, enzymes, or compounds to retrieve detailed information.
5. The data in MetaCyc is continuously updated to reflect new discoveries in metabolic research and advancements in bioinformatics.

Review Questions

• How does MetaCyc enhance our understanding of metabolic pathways and their significance in cellular processes?
  • MetaCyc enhances our understanding of metabolic pathways by providing comprehensive information about the reactions, enzymes, and metabolites involved in these pathways. By cataloging this data from a wide range of organisms, researchers can analyze similarities and differences in metabolism across species. This comparative analysis is crucial for identifying conserved pathways that are fundamental to cellular processes and can also highlight unique adaptations in different organisms.
• In what ways can MetaCyc be utilized in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology?
  • MetaCyc can be utilized in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology by providing the necessary knowledge of existing metabolic pathways that can be manipulated to produce desired compounds. Researchers can identify target pathways for modification or optimization based on the detailed information found in MetaCyc. This can lead to the design of engineered organisms with enhanced capabilities for producing biofuels, pharmaceuticals, or other valuable metabolites through altered metabolic networks.
• Evaluate the impact of MetaCyc on advancing research in systems biology and its role in modern biological studies.
  • MetaCyc has significantly advanced research in systems biology by providing an extensive and curated database that facilitates the integration of experimental data with computational models. Its detailed descriptions of metabolic pathways allow researchers to construct dynamic models that simulate cellular metabolism under various conditions. By enhancing our ability to model complex biological systems, MetaCyc plays a vital role in modern biological studies, enabling scientists to predict the behavior of metabolic networks and explore novel therapeutic strategies.

Related terms

Metabolic Pathway: A series of chemical reactions within a cell that lead to the conversion of a substrate into a product, involving enzymes and intermediates.

Enzyme: A biological catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.

Systems Biology: An interdisciplinary field that focuses on complex interactions within biological systems, often utilizing computational models to understand how these systems function as a whole.