MetaboNetworks, an interactive Matlab-based toolbox for creating, customizing and exploring sub-networks from KEGG

Area of Science:

• Systems biology
• Metabolomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Metabolomics studies generate complex datasets requiring advanced analytical tools.
• Understanding metabolic pathways and transgenomic interactions is crucial for biological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce MetaboNetworks, a MATLAB-based tool for constructing and exploring metabolic sub-networks.
• To enable visualization of metabolite connectivity and facilitate the study of interactions between different species' metabolic networks.

Main Methods:

• MetaboNetworks utilizes main reaction pairs from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).
• It calculates shortest paths between user-defined metabolites (e.g., biomarkers).
• The tool generates interactive network graphs where nodes and edges link to KEGG databases.

Main Results:

• The software allows for the creation of custom metabolic sub-networks.
• It provides interactive visualization of metabolite connectivity.
• Facilitates exploration of transgenomic interactions, such as mammalian and bacterial associations.

Conclusions:

• MetaboNetworks is a valuable tool for researchers in metabolomics and systems biology.
• It enhances the exploration of metabolic networks and transgenomic interactions.
• The tool integrates seamlessly with KEGG for detailed compound and reaction information.