Ranking network mechanisms by how they fit diverse experiments and deciding on E. coli\u27s ammonium transport and assimilation network

The complex ammonium transport and assimilation network of E. coli involves the ammonium transporter AmtB, the regulatory proteins GlnK and GlnB, and the central N-assimilating enzymes together with their highly complex interactions. The engineering and modelling of such a complex network seem impossible because functioning depends critically on a gamut of data known at patchy accuracy. We developed a way out of this predicament, which employs: (i) a constrained optimization-based technology for the simultaneous fitting of models to heterogeneous experimental data sets gathered through diverse experimental set-ups, (ii) a ‘rubber band method’ to deal with different degrees of uncertainty, both in experimentally determined or estimated parameter values and in measured transient or steady-state variables (training data sets), (iii) integration of human expertise to decide on accuracies of both parameters and variables, (iv) massive computation employing a fast algorithm and a supercomputer, (v) an objective way of quantifying the plausibility of models, which makes it possible to decide which model is the best and how much better that model is than the others. We applied the new technology to the ammonium transport and assimilation network, integrating recent and older data of various accuracies, from different expert laboratories. The kinetic model objectively ranked best, has E. coli\u27s AmtB as an active transporter of ammonia to be assimilated with GlnK minimizing the futile cycling that is an inevitable consequence of intracellular ammonium accumulation. It is 130 times better than a model with facilitated passive transport of ammonia

Toward a quantitative in silico model for the E. coli ammonium assimilation system

The Third BMIRC International Symposium for Virtual Physiological Human, March 5-6, 2015, Iizuka, Japa

RCGAToolbox: A Real-coded Genetic Algorithm Software for Parameter Estimation of Kinetic Models

Kinetic modeling is essential for understanding the dynamic behavior of biochemical networks, such as metabolic and signal transduction pathways. However, parameter estimation remains a major bottleneck in kinetic modeling. Although several software tools have been developed to address this issue, they are meant to be used by experts, and their lack of user-friendliness hampers their general usage by capable yet inexperienced scientists. One of the difficulties is the lack of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which means that users must learn how to write scripts for parameter estimation. In this study, we present RCGAToolbox, a user-friendly parameter estimation software that provides real-coded genetic algorithms (RCGAs). The RCGAToolbox has two RCGAs: the unimodal normal distribution crossover with minimal generation gap (UNDX/MGG) and the real-coded ensemble crossover star with just generation gap (REXstar/JGG). To facilitate parameter estimation, RCGAToolbox offers straightforward access to powerful RCGAs, such as GUIs, an easy-to-use installer, and a comprehensive user guide. Moreover, the RCGAToolbox supports systems biology standards for better usability and interoperability. The RCGAToolbox is available at https://github.com/kmaeda16/RCGAToolbox under GNU GPLv3, along with the user guide and application examples. The RCGAToolbox runs on MATLAB (R2016a or later) in Windows, Linux, and Mac

libRCGA: a C library for real-coded genetic algorithms for rapid parameter estimation of kinetic models

Kinetic modeling is a powerful tool to understand how a biochemical system behaves as a whole. To develop a realistic and predictive model, kinetic parameters need to be estimated so that a model fits experimental data. However, parameter estimation remains a major bottleneck in kinetic modeling. To accelerate parameter estimation, we developed a C library for real-coded genetic algorithms (libRCGA). In libRCGA, two real-coded genetic algorithms (RCGAs), viz. the Unimodal Normal Distribution Crossover with Minimal Generation Gap (UNDX/MGG) and the Real-coded Ensemble Crossover star with Just Generation Gap (REX star/JGG), are implemented in C language and paralleled by Message Passing Interface (MPI). We designed libRCGA to take advantage of high-performance computing environments and thus to significantly accelerate parameter estimation. Constrained optimization formulation is useful to construct a realistic kinetic model that satisfies several biological constraints. libRCGA employs stochastic ranking to efficiently solve constrained optimization problems. In the present paper, we demonstrate the performance of libRCGA through benchmark problems and in realistic parameter estimation problems. libRCGA is freely available for academic usage at http://kurata21.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/maeda/index.html