Fundamentals of Systems Biology

Chapter 8Signal Transduction

Learning Objectives

• Derive the equations for receptor-ligand binding
• Extend the receptor-ligand system to larger complexes
• Adapt the equations to incorporate localization
• Understand how model parameters are determined from raw data

Signal transduction is the mechanism by which cells sense and react to factors in the external environment. To model signal transduction, we must mathematically describe three new aspects of the underlying networks (Figure 8.1): (1) the binding of ligands to receptors, (2) the formation of larger protein complexes, and (3) localization within cellular compartments. After covering these three areas, I’ll introduce you to one of the first larger-scale models of cellular signaling, which ...