Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane

Details Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane

2009-06-29

arxiv.org/abs/0906.5280v1

Physics

Condensed Matter

Soft Condensed Matter

37 pages, 8 figures. Journal of Chemical Physics (in press)

Scientific paper

Positive feedback regulation is ubiquitous in cell signaling networks, often leading to binary outcomes in response to graded stimuli. However, the role of such feedbacks in clustering, and in spatial spreading of activated molecules, has come to be appreciated only recently. We focus on the latter, using a simple model developed in the context of Ras activation with competing negative and positive feedback mechanisms. We find that positive feedback, in the presence of slow diffusion, results in clustering of activated molecules on the plasma membrane, and rapid spatial spreading as the front of the cluster propagates with a constant velocity (dependent on the feedback strength). The advancing fronts of the clusters of the activated species are rough, with scaling consistent with the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation in one dimension. Our minimal model is general enough to describe signal transduction in a wide variety of biological networks where activity in the membrane-proximal region is subject to feedback regulation.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Positive Feedback Regulation Results in Spatial Clustering and Fast Spreading of Active Signaling Molecules on a Cell Membrane will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-247883