Environmental variability and modularity of bacterial metabolic networks

Background. Biological systems are often modular: they can be decomposed into nearly-independent structural units that perform specific functions. The evolutionary origin of modularity is a subject of much current interest. Recent theory suggests that modularity can be enhanced when the environment changes over time. However, this theory has not yet been tested using biological data. Results. To address this, we studied the relation between environmental variability and modularity in a natural and well-studied system, the metabolic networks of bacteria. We classified 117 bacterial species according to the degree of variability in their natural habitat. We find that metabolic networks of organisms in variable environments are significantly more modular than networks of organisms that evolved under more constant conditions. Conclusion. This study supports the view that variability in the natural habitat of an organism promotes modularity in its metabolic network and perhaps in other biological systems.