co-worker(s): Ryuzo Azuma, Riken GSC
The signal tralsduction system (STS) is highly complex molecular system in
a cell. Although it is one of the major topics in cell biology and a lot of
theoretical works are done, we are interested in its dynamical and informatic
features.
To investigate dynamical aspect of STS, we aim qualitative understanding of
STS dynamics in a broader sense, including artificial networks and parameter
ranges. While we do not necessarily concern about exact correspondence to experimental
results, we believe understanding of dynamics has more signifiance in a long
term.
Majority of theoretical studies on STS employs ODE. However, this method assumes
there are sufficiently large number of molecules. We should mention that reactions
around the membrane are not necessarily employs sufficient number of molecules
and finite size effect may nog neglected. Then we are also working on a model
based on Monte-Carlo method to evaluate fluctuation (or any other finite-size
effects) explicitly.
So far we have shown that fluctuation obtained Monte-Carlo simulation corresponds
to experimental fluctuation of mos response of Xenupus oocyte by Ferrell et.
al. [1]. Other models are being developed.
[1]J.E.Ferrell and M.Machleder Science 280 (1998) pp.895-898
publications:
1 submitted
Ryuzo Azuma, Tomoyuki Yamamoto and Akihiko Konagaya
Spatiotemporal dynamics in the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade
submitted to Proceedings of National Academic of Sciences, USA