Genome-wide Metabolic Reconstruction and Flux Balance Analysis Modeling of Haloferax volcanii

Abstract

The Archaea are an understudied domain of the tree of life, and consist of single-celled microorganisms possessing rich metabolic diversity. Archaeal metabolic capabilities are of interest for industry and basic understanding of the early evolution of metabolism. However, archaea possess many unusual pathways that remain unknown or unclear. To address this knowledge gap, here I built a whole-genome metabolic reconstruction of a model archaeal species, Haloferax volcanii, which included several atypical reactions and pathways in this organism. I then use flux balance analysis to predict fluxes through central carbon metabolism during growth on minimal media containing two different sugars. This establishes a foundation for the future study of the regulation of metabolism in H. volcanii and evolutionary comparison with other archaea.