Detailed model of the translation machinery published

A new publication in Molecular Systems Biology includes a detailed model of translation (the protein synthesis machinery) constructed in our group.

Posted on: Jan 25, 2013

The article "An in vivo control map for the eukaryotic mRNA translation machinery" recently published in the journal Molecular Systems Biology includes a detailed kinetic model of the translation machinery synthesizing a 20-amino acid long peptide.

The novelty in this model is that it includes the three stages of protein synthesis (initiation, elongation and termination) and simulates the synthesis of a 20-amino acid long peptide. In addition the model has been calibrated with an extensive data set of perturbations of translation factor concentrations, which is also communicated in this article.

The model, together with the experimental data, are able to eliminate a previous hypothesis that initiation factors 4A and 4B would form a dimer before binding the nascent complex around the mRNA cap. The only way that the model could fit the data was if these factors bind the nascent complex separately. The model has also been useful to predict several properties of the system, and is being used to design further experiments.

The model was constructed initially by Shichina Kannambath and Juergen Pahle, and the parameter estimation was carried out by Pedro Mendes. Pahle and Mendes are now working on further refining this model.

The model is available in SBML format from the Journal's web site and has been deposited in the BioModels database, where it will be available soon.

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