Related papers: Enzyme localization can drastically affect signal …
Cells rely on the ability to sense and respond to small spatial differences in chemoattractant concentrations for survival. There is growing evidence that this is accomplished by setting the signaling system near the threshold for…
The spread of ideas, behaviors, and technologies generally depends on feedback mechanisms operating across multiple scales. Previous studies have extensively examined pairwise transmission and local reinforcement. However, the role of…
Network densification and heterogenisation through the deployment of small cellular access points (picocells and femtocells) are seen as key mechanisms in handling the exponential increase in cellular data traffic. Modelling such networks…
Spatial organization in metabolic pathways can arise from the interplay between enzymatic reaction kinetics and diffusion-driven instabilities. In this work we investigate how reversible enzyme--substrate binding influences pattern…
Liquid cellular compartments spatially segregate from the cytoplasm and can regulate aberrant protein aggregation, a process linked to several medical conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Yet the mechanisms by which…
The subcellular location of a protein can provide valuable information about its function. With the rapid increase of sequenced genomic data, the need for an automated and accurate tool to predict subcellular localization becomes…
Quantum transport through disordered structures is inhibited by (Anderson) localization effects. The disorder can be either topological as in random networks or energetical as in the original Anderson model. In both cases the eigenstates of…
Membrane protein transporters alternate their substrate-binding sites between the extracellular and cytosolic side of the membrane according to the alternating access mechanism. Inspired by this intriguing mechanism devised by nature, we…
Cells continuously sense their surroundings to detect modifications and generate responses. Very often changes in extracellular concentrations initiate signaling cascades that eventually result in changes in gene expression. Increasing…
Cell division site positioning is precisely regulated to generate correctly sized and shaped daughters. We uncover a novel strategy to position the FtsZ cytokinetic ring at midcell in the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. PomX, PomY and…
Many functional units in biology, such as enzymes or molecular motors, are composed of several subunits that can reversibly assemble and disassemble. This includes oligomeric proteins composed of several smaller monomers, as well as protein…
Many foraging microorganisms rely upon cellular transport networks to deliver nutrients, fluid and organelles between different parts of the organism. Networked organisms ranging from filamentous fungi to slime molds demonstrate a…
From the vasculature of animals to the porous media making up batteries, the core task of flow networks is to transport solutes and perfuse all cells or media equally with resources. Yet, living flow networks have a key advantage over…
We study by simulation the effect of the diffusive motion of repressor molecules on the noise in mRNA and protein levels in the case of a repressed gene. We find that spatial fluctuations due to diffusion can drastically enhance the noise…
This paper deals with temporal enzyme distribution in the activation of biochemical pathways. Pathway activation arises when production of a certain biomolecule is required due to changing environmental conditions. Under the premise that…
A qualitative model is presented, suggesting gravitational information is transduced into biological systems primarily by its effect on spatially organised membrane and cytoplasmic flows. Continuous low affinity interactions between…
During embryonic development, differentiating cells respond via gene expression to positional cues from morphogen gradients. While gene expression is often highly erratic, embryonic development is precise. We show by theory and simulations…
Signaling pathways serve to communicate information about extracellular conditions into the cell, to both the nucleus and cytoplasmic processes to control cell responses. Genetic mutations in signaling network components are frequently…
Intercellular signaling has an important role in organism development, but not all communication occurs using the same mechanism. Here, we analyze the energy efficiency of intercellular signaling by two canonical mechanisms: diffusion of…
We study a model for a protein searching for a target, using facilitated diffusion, on a DNA molecule confined in a finite volume. The model includes three distinct pathways for facilitated diffusion: (a) sliding - in which the protein…