Skip to main content
Figure 1 | BMC Systems Biology

Figure 1

From: Using in silico models to simulate dual perturbation experiments: procedure development and interpretation of outcomes

Figure 1

Simplification of a network to aggregate pooled variables. Schematic diagram of the human red cell network that includes 34 metabolites and 44 reaction fluxes. The network can be simplified into biologically relevant pooled variables and metabolite ratios, such as cofactor pools. Further simplification will result in classification of the network functional states based on changes in transport fluxes. The network is coarse-grained here in order to highlight the ability to characterize different functional states based only on the lumped aggregate variables representing physiological states (redox potential and phosphate potential) and key transporters (HX, ADE, and ADO). When the cell needs to increase its redox potential in order to counteract an oxidative stress, ADE uptake and HX secretion are increased, while ADO and INO uptake are decreased. The reverse trends occur with increased energy loads. The relative magnitudes of the changes tend to be larger with ADE and ADO than INO and HX. Abbreviations: GLC: glucose, PYR: pyruvate, LAC: lactate, Na: sodium, K: potassium, HX: hypoxanthine, INO: inosine, ADE: adenine, ADO: adenosine.

Back to article page