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Qualitative Analysis of Genetic Regulatory Networks in Bacteria

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Abstract

The adaptation of the bacterium Escherichia coli to carbon starvation is controlled by a large network of biochemical reactions involving genes, mRNAs, proteins, and signalling molecules. The dynamics of this network is difficult to analyze, notably due to a lack of quantitative information on parameter values. To overcome these limitations, the application of model reduction approaches based on QSS and PL approximations may result in models that are easier to handle mathematically and computationally. In particular, PL models allow the analysis of the qualitative dynamics of the network using only weak information on the ordering of parameters rather than their exact numerical values.We illustrate the use of these techniques, implemented in the computer tool Genetic Network Analyzer (GNA), in the case of the E. coli network.

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Acknowledgment

VB, DR, JG, HdJ were supported by the European commission under project EC-MOAN (FP6-2005-NEST-PATH-COM/043235). PM was partially supported by FCT program (PhD grant SFRH/BD/32965/2006 to PTM) and PDTC program (project PTDC/EIA/71587/2006).

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  1. INRIA Grenoble – Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France

    Valentina Baldazzi

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  1. Valentina Baldazzi
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  2. Pedro T. Monteiro
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  3. Michel Page
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  4. Delphine Ropers
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  5. Johannes Geiselmann
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  6. Hidde de Jong
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Correspondence to Valentina Baldazzi .

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  1. Nano Systems Biology Research Group, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, United Kingdom

    Werner Dubitzky

  2. Jack Birch Unit of Molecular Carcinogene, Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom

    Jennifer Southgate

  3. Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Cromore Rd., Coleraine, BT52 1SA, United Kingdom

    Hendrik Fuß

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Baldazzi, V., Monteiro, P.T., Page, M., Ropers, D., Geiselmann, J., de Jong, H. (2011). Qualitative Analysis of Genetic Regulatory Networks in Bacteria. In: Dubitzky, W., Southgate, J., Fuß, H. (eds) Understanding the Dynamics of Biological Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7964-3_6

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