title: Cellulat: an agent-based intracellular signalling model.
abstract: The theory of behaviour-based systems (or autonomous agents) constitutes a useful approach for the modelling of intracellular signalling networks. In this sense, a cell can be seen as an adaptive autonomous agent or as a society of such agents, where each can exhibit a particular behaviour depending on its cognitive capabilities. We present an intracellular signalling model obtained by integrating several computational techniques into an agent-based paradigm. Cellulat, the model, takes into account two essential aspects of the intracellular signalling networks: (1) cognitive capacities, which are modelled as the agent abilities to interact with the surrounding medium and (2) a spatial organisation, this last obtained using a shared data structure through which the agents communicate between them. We propose a methodology for the modelling of intracellular signalling pathway using Cellulat and we discuss the goal of a virtual laboratory based on our model and presently under development.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, DF, Mexico. ppgp@servidor.unam.mx
authors.forename: Pedro Pablo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franyuti
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lagúnez-Otero
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors