MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models

Abstract Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs) are used to predict metabolic fluxes, with applications ranging from identifying novel drug targets to engineering microbial metabolism. Erroneous or missing reactions, scattered throughout densely interconnected networks, are a limiting factor in these...

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Main Authors: Devlin C. Moyer, Justin Reimertz, Daniel Segrè, Juan I. Fuxman Bass
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Genome Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03533-6
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author Devlin C. Moyer
Justin Reimertz
Daniel Segrè
Juan I. Fuxman Bass
author_facet Devlin C. Moyer
Justin Reimertz
Daniel Segrè
Juan I. Fuxman Bass
author_sort Devlin C. Moyer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs) are used to predict metabolic fluxes, with applications ranging from identifying novel drug targets to engineering microbial metabolism. Erroneous or missing reactions, scattered throughout densely interconnected networks, are a limiting factor in these applications. We present Metabolic Accuracy Check and Analysis Workflow (MACAW), a suite of algorithms that helps to identify and visualize errors at the level of connected pathways, rather than individual reactions. We show how MACAW highlights inaccuracies of varying severity in manually curated and automatically generated GSMMs for humans, yeast, and bacteria and helps to identify systematic issues to be addressed in future model construction efforts.
format Article
id doaj-art-f89b6bbfb0d94bdcaf95da5f22bc59e9
institution DOAJ
issn 1474-760X
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMC
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series Genome Biology
spelling doaj-art-f89b6bbfb0d94bdcaf95da5f22bc59e92025-08-20T02:49:30ZengBMCGenome Biology1474-760X2025-03-0126112610.1186/s13059-025-03533-6MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic modelsDevlin C. Moyer0Justin Reimertz1Daniel Segrè2Juan I. Fuxman Bass3Bioinformatics Program, Boston UniversityBioinformatics Program, Boston UniversityBioinformatics Program, Boston UniversityBioinformatics Program, Boston UniversityAbstract Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs) are used to predict metabolic fluxes, with applications ranging from identifying novel drug targets to engineering microbial metabolism. Erroneous or missing reactions, scattered throughout densely interconnected networks, are a limiting factor in these applications. We present Metabolic Accuracy Check and Analysis Workflow (MACAW), a suite of algorithms that helps to identify and visualize errors at the level of connected pathways, rather than individual reactions. We show how MACAW highlights inaccuracies of varying severity in manually curated and automatically generated GSMMs for humans, yeast, and bacteria and helps to identify systematic issues to be addressed in future model construction efforts.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03533-6Metabolic networksMicrobial metabolismHuman metabolismFlux balance analysisGenome-scale metabolic modelsMetabolic pathway analysis
spellingShingle Devlin C. Moyer
Justin Reimertz
Daniel Segrè
Juan I. Fuxman Bass
MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
Genome Biology
Metabolic networks
Microbial metabolism
Human metabolism
Flux balance analysis
Genome-scale metabolic models
Metabolic pathway analysis
title MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
title_full MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
title_fullStr MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
title_full_unstemmed MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
title_short MACAW: a method for semi-automatic detection of errors in genome-scale metabolic models
title_sort macaw a method for semi automatic detection of errors in genome scale metabolic models
topic Metabolic networks
Microbial metabolism
Human metabolism
Flux balance analysis
Genome-scale metabolic models
Metabolic pathway analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03533-6
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