arXiv subjects

Jasmine Nirody

Publications and source records attributed to Jasmine Nirody.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Biophysics at the coffee shop: lessons learned working with George Oster

Over the past 50 years, the use of mathematical models, derived from physical reasoning, to describe molecular and cellular systems has evolved from an art of the few to a cornerstone of biological inquiry. George Oster stood out as a pioneer of this paradigm shift from descriptive to quantitative biology not only through his numerous research accomplishments, but also through the many students and postdocs he mentored over his long career. Those of us fortunate enough to have worked with George agree that his sharp intellect, physical intuition and passion for scientific inquiry not only inspired us as scientists but also greatly influenced the way we conduct research. We would like to share a few important lessons we learned from George in honor of his memory and with the hope that they may inspire future generations of scientists.

q-bio.OT↗

arXiv2016

An introduction to linear stability analysis for deciphering spatial patterns in signaling networks

Mathematical modeling is now used commonly in the analysis of signaling networks. With advances in high resolution microscopy, the spatial location of different signaling molecules and the spatio-temporal dynamics of signaling microdomains are now widely acknowledged as key features of biochemical signal transduction. Reaction-diffusion mechanisms are commonly used to model such features, often with a heavy reliance on numerical simulations to obtain results. However, simulations are parameter dependent and may not be able to provide an understanding of the full range of the system responses. Analytical approaches on the other hand provide a framework to study the entire phase space. In this tutorial, we provide a largely analytical method for studying reaction-diffusion models and analyzing their stability properties. Using two representative biological examples, we demonstrate how this approach can guide experimental design.

q-bio.SC↗

arXiv2014

ATP concentration regulates enzyme kinetics

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is the nearly ubiquitous "energy currency" of living organisms, and thus is a crucial participant in the majority of enzymatic reactions. The standard models in enzyme kinetics generally ignore the temporal dynamics of ATP because it is assumed to be present in large excess. However, this assumption may not hold in many situations of cellular stress where ATP concentrations may be comparable to substrate levels. Here, we demonstrate the importance of ATP concentration on the dynamics of multi-enzyme reactions by explicit consideration of ATP as a secondary substrate for an enzyme. We apply our model to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade, which is involved in the regulation of a vast range of cellular activities. We show that three fundamental features of this signaling network --- (i) duration of response, (ii) signal amplification, and (iii) ultrasensitivity to stimulus concentration --- are all dependent on ATP concentration. Our results indicate that the concentration of ATP regulates the response of the MAP kinase activation network, and potentially suggests another possible mechanism for disruption of the cascade in pathogenic states.

q-bio.MN↗