Analysis and modelling of respiratory metabolism in Neisseria meningitidis

The bacterium Neisseria meningitidis is capable of respiration in both aerobic and microaerobic environments by reduction of oxygen and nitrite respectively. The respiratory chain and genetic regulation of this system are already well understood, but there are complex interactions between components which make predicting which respiratory path will be used difficult. To predict the respiratory behaviour of N. meningitidis a mathematical model has been constructed which describes the behaviour of the respiratory system using a set of differential equations. A novel combination of experimental data gathering and successive Bayesian fitting was then used to populate and parameterise the model.
The resulting model and parameter probability distributions represent a working system for predicting respiratory behaviour in N. meningitidis. These parameter distributions represent new knowledge in the field as almost none of the values had been previously determined. The model also gives access to otherwise inaccessible information regarding the flux of electrons through the respiratory chain in addition to the reduction states of the respiratory enzymes during aerobic and microaerobic respiration.