Methods for and results from the study of design principles in molecular systems
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2011Author
Salvadó López, Baldiri
Omholt, Stig
Suggested citation
Salvadó López, Baldiri;
Karathia, Hiren;
Usié Chimenos, Anabel;
Vilaprinyo Terré, Ester;
Omholt, Stig;
Sorribas Tello, Albert;
Alves, Rui;
.
(2011)
.
Methods for and results from the study of design principles in molecular systems.
Mathematical Biosciences, 2011, vol. 231, núm. 3-18.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2011.02.005.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Most aspects of molecular biology can be understood in terms of biological design principles. These principles
can be loosely defined as qualitative and quantitative features that emerge in evolution and recur
more frequently than one would expect by chance alone in biological systems that perform a given type
of process or function. Furthermore, such recurrence can be rationalized in terms of the functional advantage
that the design provides to the system when compared with possible alternatives. This paper focuses
on those design features that can be related to improved functional effectiveness of molecular and regulatory
networks. We begin by reviewing assumptions and methods that underlie the study of such principles
in molecular networks. We follow by discussing many of the design principles that have been
found in genetic, metabolic, and signal transduction circuits. We concentrate mainly on results in the
context of Biochemical Systems Theory, although we also briefly discuss other work. We conclude by discussing
the importance of these principles for both, understanding the natural evolution of complex networks
at the molecular level and for creating artificial biological systems with specific features.