Determining important regulatory relations of amino acids from dynamic network analysis of plasma amino acids

Amino Acids. 2010 Jan;38(1):179-87. doi: 10.1007/s00726-008-0226-3. Epub 2009 Jan 3.

Abstract

The changes in the concentrations of plasma amino acids do not always follow the flow-based metabolic pathway network. We have previously shown that there is a control-based network structure among plasma amino acids besides the metabolic pathway map. Based on this network structure, in this study, we performed dynamic analysis using time-course data of the plasma samples of rats fed single essential amino acid deficient diet. Using S-system model (conceptual mathematical model represented by power-law formalism), we inferred the dynamic network structure which reproduces the actual time-courses within the error allowance of 13.17%. By performing sensitivity analysis, three of the most dominant relations in this network were selected; the control paths from leucine to valine, from methionine to threonine, and from leucine to isoleucine. This result is in good agreement with the biological knowledge regarding branched-chain amino acids, and suggests the biological importance of the effect from methionine to threonine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / blood*
  • Amino Acids / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Male
  • Models, Statistical
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Amino Acids