title: Robustness in simple biochemical networks.
abstract: Cells use complex networks of interacting molecular components to transfer and process information. These "computational devices of living cells" are responsible for many important cellular processes, including cell-cycle regulation and signal transduction. Here we address the issue of the sensitivity of the networks to variations in their biochemical parameters. We propose a mechanism for robust adaptation in simple signal transduction networks. We show that this mechanism applies in particular to bacterial chemotaxis. This is demonstrated within a quantitative model which explains, in a unified way, many aspects of chemotaxis, including proper responses to chemical gradients. The adaptation property is a consequence of the network's connectivity and does not require the 'fine-tuning' of parameters. We argue that the key properties of biochemical networks should be robust in order to ensure their proper functioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barkai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leibler
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D008954:Models, Biological; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C489103:CheW protein, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C051236:CheW protein, Bacteria