%0 Journal Article
%T An investigation of spatial signal transduction in cellular networks
%A Aiman Alam-Nazki
%A J Krishnan
%J BMC Systems Biology
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1752-0509-6-83
%X In this work we examine spatial signal transduction in a series of standard motifs/networks. These networks include coherent and incoherent feedforward, positive and negative feedback, cyclic motifs, monostable switches, bistable switches and negative feedback oscillators. In all these cases, the driving signal has spatial variation. For each network we consider two cases, one where all elements are essentially non-diffusible, and the other where one of the network elements may be highly diffusible. A careful analysis of steady state signal transduction provides many insights into the behaviour of all these modules. While in the non-diffusible case for the most part, spatial signalling reflects the temporal signalling behaviour, in the diffusible cases, we see significant differences between spatial and temporal signalling characteristics. Our results demonstrate that the presence of diffusible elements in the networks provides important constraints and capabilities for signalling.Our results provide a systematic basis for understanding spatial signalling in networks and the role of diffusible elements therein. This provides many insights into the signal transduction capabilities and constraints in such networks and suggests ways in which cellular signalling and information processing is organized to conform to or bypass those constraints. It also provides a framework for starting to understand the organization and regulation of spatial signal transduction in individual processes.Cells consist of highly complex genetic and protein networks which allow them to respond to a variety of cues and make appropriate decisions. Thus much of the decision making in response to external cues, as well as the regulation and control of intracellular processes is achieved through complex, non-linear, and often sophisticated and subtle chemical signal processing [1]. A considerable body of work has focussed on the understanding of signal transduction and gene regulatory networks und
%K Cellular signal processing
%K Spatial signalling
%K Signalling motifs
%K Global regulation
%K Diffusion
%K Non-linear dynamics
%K Networks
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1752-0509/6/83