The stochastic behavior of a molecular switching circuit with feedback.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Using a statistical physics approach, we study the stochastic switching behavior of a model circuit of multisite phosphorylation and dephosphorylation with feedback. The circuit consists of a kinase and phosphatase acting on multiple sites of a substrate that, contingent on its modification state, catalyzes its own phosphorylation and, in a symmetric scenario, dephosphorylation. The symmetric case is viewed as a cartoon of conflicting feedback that could result from antagonistic pathways impinging on the state of a shared component.

Results

Multisite phosphorylation is sufficient for bistable behavior under feedback even when catalysis is linear in substrate concentration, which is the case we consider. We compute the phase diagram, fluctuation spectrum and large-

SUBMITTER: Krishnamurthy S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1904185 | biostudies-literature | 2007 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature