Role of the particle's stepping cycle in an asymmetric exclusion process: A model of mRNA translation

Messenger RNA translation is often studied by means of statistical-mechanical models based on the Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process (ASEP), which considers hopping particles (the ribosomes) on a lattice (the polynucleotide chain). In this work we extend this class of models and consider the two fundamental steps of the ribosome's biochemical cycle following a coarse-grained perspective. In order to achieve a better understanding of the underlying biological processes and compare the theoretical predictions with experimental results, we provide a description lying between the minimal ASEP-like models and the more detailed models, which are analytically hard to treat. We use a mean-field approach to study the dynamics of particles associated with an internal stepping cycle. In this framework it is possible to characterize analytically different phases of the system (high density, low density or maximal current phase). Crucially, we show that the transitions between these different phases occur at different parameter values than the equivalent transitions in a standard ASEP, indicating the importance of including the two fundamental steps of the ribosome's biochemical cycle into the model.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

TASEPy: a Python-based package to iteratively solve the inhomogeneous exclusion process

The totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) is a paradigmatic lattice model for one-dimensional particle transport subject to excluded-volume interactions. Solving the inhomogeneous TASEP in which particles' hopping rates vary across the lattice is a long-standing problem. In recent years, a power series approximation (PSA) has been developed to tackle this problem, however no computer algorithm currently exists that implements this approximation. This paper addresses this issue by providing a Python-based package TASEPy that finds the steady state solution of the inhomogeneous TASEP for any set of hopping rates using the PSA truncated at a user-defined order.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, submission to SciPos

Feedback topology and XOR-dynamics in Boolean networks with varying input structure

We analyse a model of fixed in-degree Random Boolean Networks in which the fraction of input-receiving nodes is controlled by a parameter gamma. We investigate analytically and numerically the dynamics of graphs under a parallel XOR updating scheme. This scheme is interesting because it is accessible analytically and its phenomenology is at the same time under control, and as rich as the one of general Boolean networks. Biologically, it is justified on abstract grounds by the fact that all existing interactions play a dynamical role. We give analytical formulas for the dynamics on general graphs, showing that with a XOR-type evolution rule, dynamic features are direct consequences of the topological feedback structure, in analogy with the role of relevant components in Kauffman networks. Considering graphs with fixed in-degree, we characterize analytically and numerically the feedback regions using graph decimation algorithms (Leaf Removal). With varying gamma, this graph ensemble shows a phase transition that separates a tree-like graph region from one in which feedback components emerge. Networks near the transition point have feedback components made of disjoint loops, in which each node has exactly one incoming and one outgoing link. Using this fact we provide analytical estimates of the maximum period starting from topological considerations

Multiple phase transitions in a system of exclusion processes with limited reservoirs of particles and fuel carriers

The TASEP is a paradigmatic model from non-equilibrium statistical physics, which describes particles hopping along a lattice of discrete sites. The TASEP is applicable to a broad range of different transport systems, but does not consider the fact that in many such systems the availability of resources required for the transport is limited. In this paper we extend the TASEP to include the effect of a limited number of two different fundamental transport resources: the hopping particles, and the "fuel carriers", which provide the energy required to drive the system away from equilibrium. As as consequence, the system's dynamics are substantially affected: a "limited resources" regime emerges, where the current is limited by the rate of refuelling, and the usual coexistence line between low and high particle density opens into a broad region on the phase plane. Due to the combination of a limited amount of both resources, multiple phase transitions are possible when increasing the exit rate beta for a fixed entry rate alpha. This is a new feature that can only be obtained by the inclusion of both kinds of limited resources. We also show that the fluctuations in particle density in the LD and HD phases are unaffected by fluctuations in the number of loaded fuel carriers, except by the fact that when these fuel resources become limited, the particle hopping rate is severely reduced

The Dynamics of Supply and Demand in mRNA Translation

We study the elongation stage of mRNA translation in eukaryotes and find that, in contrast to the assumptions of previous models, both the supply and the demand for tRNA resources are important for determining elongation rates. We find that increasing the initiation rate of translation can lead to the depletion of some species of aa-tRNA, which in turn can lead to slow codons and queueing. Particularly striking “competition” effects are observed in simulations of multiple species of mRNA which are reliant on the same pool of tRNA resources. These simulations are based on a recent model of elongation which we use to study the translation of mRNA sequences from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. This model includes the dynamics of the use and recharging of amino acid tRNA complexes, and we show via Monte Carlo simulation that this has a dramatic effect on the protein production behaviour of the system

Storia di carte. Mostra documentaria sull'archivio del Genio Civile di Pavia: un contributo alla storia del territorio pavese

Catalogo della mostra documentaria sull'archivio del Genio Civile di Pavia intitolata "Storia di carte

Efficient Modelling of the Near Field Coupling Between Phased Array Antennas

In this contribution we present an accurate modelling of the coupling between two patch array structures which act as transmitting and receiving antenna in a 24GHz near range sensor system. the EM analysis is performed by means of the efficient transmission line matrix-integral equation (TLM-IE) method which permits to model exact radiating boundary conditions. The calculated return-loss and mutual near field coupling between the antennas is investigated and compared to measured result

Analysis of Sensitivity for Low-Pass Multilayer Optical Filters

Integrated optical and millimetric circuits produced by standard thin film-based technology suffer from manufacturing imperfections resulting in degradation of the absorption/diffraction response. Deposition through rf-bias sputtering is of particular interest in order to design an optical multilayered (Si and SiO2) filter. Geometrical imperfections like roughness at layer boundaries however gradually increase with the number of deposited layers. The low-pass filter specifications present high sensitivity to the errors of the exact values of ideal thickness and of ideal refractive indices. In this contribution, we evaluate the sensitivity of the specifications with respect to deviation from the exact values of refractive indices and thicknesses