CyanoPATH

CyanoPATH curates and analyzes the genomic functional repertoire associated with cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) in eutrophic water bodies.

Key Features:

• Functional Pathway Reconstruction: Reconstructs 19 pathways involved in cyanobacterial utilization of macronutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur), micronutrients (zinc, magnesium, iron, etc.), light and vitamins, and stress resistance to heavy metals such as lead and copper.
• Hierarchical Pathway Organization: Organizes pathways hierarchically into subpathways, protein/enzyme complexes, and constituent proteins for detailed biochemical context.
• Customized Visualization Maps: Provides pathway maps that visualize transport and biochemical reactions using protein data from NCBI and reaction data from KEGG.
• Genomic Annotation and Comparison: Enables annotation and visualization of new cyanobacterial genomes against established pathways to compare genomic content across species.
• Ecological Linkage: Links genomic data to ecological phenomena and supports analysis of aquatic metagenomes and metatranscriptomes to study CyanoHAB dynamics.

Scientific Applications:

• Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analysis: Identifies key functional genes and pathways active in environmental samples during bloom events.
• Ecological Studies: Associates genomic functions with environmental conditions to investigate ecological impacts of cyanobacterial blooms.
• Biotechnological Applications: Provides genomic and pathway information that can inform strategies to mitigate harmful algal blooms or harness cyanobacterial functions.

Methodology:

Integrates empirical literature and genome/protein databases; reconstructs 19 pathways and organizes them into subpathways, enzyme complexes, and proteins; generates pathway maps using NCBI protein data and KEGG reaction data; and supports annotation and comparative visualization of cyanobacterial genomes and analysis of aquatic metagenomes and metatranscriptomes.