Systems analysis of the metabolism of halophilic archaea

Halophilic archaea share both a common environment environment and a close phylogenetic relation. However, they differ significantly in their nutritional demands and metabolic capabilities. This diversity, together with the marked differences between archaea and the better studied domains: Bacteria and Eukarya, calls for novel approaches to achieve an overview of haloarchaeal metabolism.

The integration of experimental information from the literature, predictions from genomic analysis and comprehensive databases like KEGG have yielded accurate large-scale metabolic networks for two halophilic archaea: Halobacterium salinarum and Natronomonas pharaonis. Using Flux Balance Analysis together with a dynamic layer, these networks have been used as the basis to design and interpret experiments. Such studies have proved to be an effective way to link the physiology of these organisms, severely constrained by a harsh habitat, with its underlying molecular mechanisms. Altogether, the systems approach offers a systematic and comprehensive way to better understand the adaptive strategies adopted by halophilic archaea.