Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2010 Oct;21(5):677-82. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.08.006. Epub 2010 Sep 9.
Systems biology modeling of signal transduction pathways traditionally employs ordinary differential equations, deterministic models based on the assumptions of spatial homogeneity. However, this can be a poor approximation for certain aspects of signal transduction, especially its initial steps: the cell membrane exhibits significant spatial organization, with diffusion rates approximately two orders of magnitude slower than those in the cytosol. Thus, to unravel the complexities of signaling pathways, quantitative models must consider spatial organization as an important feature of cell signaling. Furthermore, spatial separation limits the number of molecules that can physically interact, requiring stochastic simulation methods that account for individual molecules. Herein, we discuss the need for mathematical models and experiments that appreciate the importance of spatial organization in the membrane.
信号转导途径的系统生物学建模传统上采用常微分方程，这是基于空间均一性假设的确定性模型。然而，对于信号转导的某些方面，尤其是其初始步骤，这种方法可能并不准确：细胞膜表现出显著的空间组织，扩散速率比细胞质中的扩散速率大约慢两个数量级。因此，为了揭示信号通路的复杂性，定量模型必须将空间组织视为细胞信号传递的一个重要特征。此外，空间分离限制了可以物理相互作用的分子数量，这就需要使用能够考虑单个分子的随机模拟方法。在此，我们讨论了需要数学模型和实验来认识到膜中空间组织的重要性。
