The membrane environment can promote or suppress bistability in cell signaling networks.

ABSTRACT: Many key biochemical reactions that mediate signal transduction in cells occur at the cell membrane, yet how the two-dimensional membrane environment influences the collective behavior of signaling networks is poorly understood. We study models of two topologically different signaling pathways that exhibit bistability, examining the effects of reduced protein mobility and increased concentration at the membrane, as well as effects due to differences in spatiotemporal correlations between the membrane environment and three-dimensional cytoplasm. The two model networks represent the distributive enzymatic modification of a protein at multiple sites and the positive feedback-mediated activation of a protein. In both cases, we find that confining proteins to a membrane-like environment can mar

SUBMITTER: Abel SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3321252 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature