Dynamic modeling of biochemical reactions with application to signal transduction: principles and tools using Mathematica

Modeling of biochemical phenomena is based on formal reaction kinetics. This requires the translation of the original reaction systems into sets of differential equations expressing the effects of the various reaction steps. The temporal behavior of the system is obtained by solving the differential equations. We present the main concepts on which the formal approach of these two problems is based and we show how the amount of work needed to treat them can be significantly reduced by using a mathematical program package (Mathematica). Symbolic and numerical calculations can be performed with the programs presented and graphic presentations of the behavior of the system be obtained. The basic ideas are illustrated with three examples taken from the area of signal transduction and ion signaling.