Probing pathways periodically

Abstract

Signal transduction pathways are used by cells to process and transmit information about their external surroundings. These systems are dynamic, interconnected molecular networks. Therefore, full characterization of their behavior requires a systems-level analysis. Investigations with temporally oscillating input signals probed the dynamic properties of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These studies shed light on how the network functions as a whole to respond to changing environmental conditions.