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Quantification of Protein Interaction Network Dynamics using Multiplexed Co-Immunoprecipitation
Published on: August 21, 2019
Mathematical models of specificity in cell signaling
Lee Bardwell1, Xiufen Zou, Qing Nie
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-2300, USA. bardwell@uci.edu
Biophysical Journal
|February 28, 2007
Summary
Cells use insulating mechanisms to prevent unwanted cross talk between signaling pathways. This study mathematically models these mechanisms, revealing trade-offs between specificity and network constraints, with applications to yeast signaling.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Systems biology
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Cellular signaling pathways are interconnected networks that transmit extracellular signals.
- Pathway interconnectedness can lead to undesirable cross talk, prompting the evolution of cellular insulating mechanisms.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending cellular responses and network behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mathematically characterize cross talk in simple signaling networks.
- To derive analytical expressions for specificity and fidelity.
- To evaluate the performance of various insulating mechanisms and the impact of noise.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling of signaling networks.
- Derivation of exact analytical expressions for specificity and fidelity.
- Evaluation of insulating mechanisms including combinatorial signaling, compartmentalization, inhibition, and scaffold protein activation.
- Analysis of noise effects.
Main Results:
- Exact analytical expressions for specificity and fidelity were obtained.
- The performance of different insulating mechanisms was quantified, highlighting trade-offs between specificity and network constraints.
- The study identified how noise affects pathway performance.
- Insights were applied to the yeast mating and invasive growth MAP kinase signaling network.
Conclusions:
- Cellular insulating mechanisms effectively manage cross talk in signaling networks.
- Mathematical modeling provides a framework for understanding the trade-offs inherent in these mechanisms.
- The findings offer valuable insights into the specificity of biological signaling, exemplified by the yeast MAP kinase network.
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