https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2011-10911-x
Regular Article
Simulating feedback and reversibility in substrate-enzyme reactions
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of
Technology, P.O. Box
513, 5600 MB,
Eindhoven, The
Netherlands
2
School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State
University, Tempe,
85287-1804
AZ,
USA
3
Department of Life Sciences, Scottsdale Community
College, 9000 E. Chaparral
Rd., Scottsdale,
85256
Arizona,
USA
a e-mail: armbruster@asu.edu
Received:
22
November
2010
Received in final form:
9
June
2011
Published online:
5
August
2011
We extend discrete event models (DEM) of substrate-enzyme reactions to include regulatory feedback and reversible reactions. Steady state as well as transient systems are modeled and validated against ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. The approach is exemplified in a model of the first steps of glycolysis with the most common regulatory mechanisms. We find that in glycolysis, feedback and reversibility together act as a significant damper on the stochastic variations of the intermediate products as well as for the stochastic variation of the transit times. This suggests that these feedbacks have evolved to control both the overall rate of, as well as stochastic fluctuations in, glycolysis.
© The Author(s) 2011
