title: Asymptotic states and topological structure of an activation-deactivation chemical network.
abstract: The influence of the topology on the asymptotic states of a network of interacting chemical species has been studied by simulating its time evolution. Random and scale-free networks have been designed to support relevant features of activation-deactivation reactions networks (mapping signal transduction networks) and the system of ordinary differential equations associated to the dynamics has been numerically solved. We analysed stationary states of the dynamics as a function of the network's connectivity and of the distribution of the chemical species on the network; we found important differences between the two topologies in the regime of low connectivity. In particular, only for low connected scale-free networks it is possible to find zero activity patterns as stationary states of the dynamics which work as signal off-states. Asymptotic features of random and scale-free networks become similar as the connectivity increases.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy. carlotta.martelli@romal.infn.it
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giansanti
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arisi
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rosato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins