Specific characters of objects under modeling

1. Even the simplest gene networks comprise dozens of physical components and interactions between them. Typically, gene networks are composed of hundreds of elements and more. Structure- function organizations of many gene networks have been clarified in sufficient detail. Of the utmost importance is the fact that the structure- function organization of gene networks permits, despite their great diversity, to be directly graphically represented using chemical kinetic description of elementary events constituting the gene network function.

2. Gene networks as actual objects exist simultaneously in a variety of different physical (material) forms due to such natural phenomena as gene polyallelism, genetic rearrangements, performance of similar functions in different organisms, etc. The more complex is a gene network, the wider is the permissible diversity range of its variants. The number of variants is increased considerably by construction of artificial systems (such as expression vectors). In addition, gene networks themselves are elements of more complex biological systems.

Thus, the methods used for formalization should allow not only the initial gene networks and their minor modifications (mutations) to be analyzed, but also the dynamics of virtually any genetic variants constructed from them to be calculated. In other words, any model of a gene network should potentially contain models of many gene networks, including those drastically different from the initial one. A generalized chemical kinetic method, developed earlier and already applied for simulating different gene networks [Bazhan et al., 1995; Belova et al., 1995], meets all these requirements. This method provides a precise and effective portrait simulation of the gene network performance patterns, as its computer realization reflects adequately the basic properties of biological systems.

Bibliography

Bazhan S.I., Likhoshvai V.A., Belova O.E. Theoretical analysis of the regulation of interferon expression during priming and blocking. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1995, V.175, p149-160.
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Belova O.E., Likhoshvai V.A., Bazhan S.I., Kulichkov V.A. Computer system for investigation and integrated description of molecular-genetic system regulation of interferon induction and action. CABIOS, 1995, V.11, No. 2, p.213-218.
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