Genomic Reconstruction and Experimental Validation of Catabolic Pathways in Shewanella Species

Project Goals: This project is a component of the Shewanella Federation and as such contributes to the overall goal of applying the tools of genomics, leveraging the availability of genome sequence for 18 additional strains of Shewanella, to better understand the ecophysiology and speciation of respiratory-versatile members of this important genus. To understand these systems the SF is using genome-based approaches to investigate Shewanella as a system of integrated networks; first describing key cellular subsystems— those involved in signal transduction, regulation, and metabolism—then building towards understanding the function of whole cells and, eventually, cells within populations. As a general approach, the SF is collectively employing complimentary “top-down”—bioinformatics-based genome functional predictions, highthroughput expression analyses, and functional genomics approaches to uncover key genes as well as metabolic and regulatory networks. The “bottom-up” component employs more traditional approaches including genetics, physiology and biochemistry to test or verify predictions. This information will ultimately be linked to analyses of signal transduction and transcriptional regulatory systems and used to develop a linked model that will contribute to understanding the ecophysiology of Shewanella in redox stratified environments.