4 April 2008
David Miguez
Silver Lab
Department of Systems Biology
Harvard Medical School
Dynamical models for cellular ligand-receptor systems are among the most successful examples of mathematical approaches in systems biology. In this theory lunch we will present a general kinetic and mechanistic model for chimeric ligands and systems with a 1:2 ligand-receptor interaction ratio, such as erythropoitein and growth hormone systems. We will discuss the role of the two binding affinities in the ligand, the autoinhibition that occurs at high ligand concentration and the effect of ligand homodimers.