Effect of binding in cyclic phosphorylation–dephosphorylation process and in energy transformation

The effects of binding on the phosphorylation–dephosphorylation cycle (PDPC) – one of the key components of the signal transduction processes – is analyzed based on a mathematical model. The model shows that binding of proteins, forming a complex, diminishes the ultrasensitivity of the PDPC to the differences in activity between kinase and phosphatase in the cycle. It is also found that signal amplification depends upon the strength of the binding affinity of the protein (phosphorylated or dephosphorylated) to other proteins . It is also observed that the amplification of signal is not only dependent on phosphorylation potential but also on binding properties and resulting adjustments in binding energies.