Signaling in small subcellular volumes. I. Stochastic and diffusion effects on individual pathways.

ABSTRACT: Many cellular signaling events occur in small subcellular volumes and involve low-abundance molecular species. This context introduces two major differences from mass-action analyses of nondiffusive signaling. First, reactions involving small numbers of molecules occur in a probabilistic manner which introduces scatter in chemical activities. Second, the timescale of diffusion of molecules between subcellular compartments and the rest of the cell is comparable to the timescale of many chemical reactions, altering the dynamics and outcomes of signaling reactions. This study examines both these effects on information flow through four protein kinase regulatory pathways. The analysis uses Monte Carlo simulations in a subcellular volume diffusively coupled to a bulk cellular volume. Diffusion

SUBMITTER: Bhalla US 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1304483 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature