Logic-Based Steady-State Analysis and Revision of Metabolic Networks with Inhibition

This paper presents a qualitative logic-based method for the steady-state analysis and revision of metabolic networks with inhibition. The approach is able to automatically revise an initial metabolic model - through the addition and removal of whole reactions or individual substrates, products and inhibitors - in order to ensure the existence of a steady-state behaviour consistent with a set of experimental observations. We show how this can be done in a nonmonotonic logic programming setting and discuss the challenges that arise when metabolic cycles or mutual inhibitions occur in the underlying network.