Mathematical Modeling of p27-Regulated Quiescent-to-Proliferative Transition: Parameter Uncertainty Quantification,...

The cellular transition from quiescence to proliferation is a tightly regulated process orchestrated primarily by activated CyclinD- and CyclinE-associated kinase complexes. However, the p27-mediated activation mechanism of these complexes, particularly in the context of governing this quiescent-to-proliferative switch, remains incompletely characterized. To tackle this challenge, we established an ordinary differential equation (ODE) model to characterize p27-regulated activation of CyclinD- and CyclinE-associated kinase complexes. Model parameters were estimated via the quantile-based PINN method by fitting to experimental data from the existing literature. The associated uncertainty of estimated parameters and outputs were then quantified. Parameters displayed distinct modal values alongside variations in the width of kernel density estimation (KDE) curves, which was likely attributable to the interplay between model structure and the quality of experimental data. Variable- and time-dependent predictive uncertainty was propagated from parameter uncertainties through a combination of independent and correlated pathways. Consequently, this establishes reliable ranges for parameters and predictions, thereby enhancing the suitability of the model results for real-world scenarios. Our study has advanced our quantitative understanding of p27-mediated cell cycle control mechanisms and provides an interpretable quantitative framework to potentially guide future investigations into tumor-targeted intervention strategies, thereby facilitating the rational design of therapeutic approaches targeting cell cycle dysregulation in cancer.