A cellular automaton model of cellular signal transduction.

On the basis of cellular automata models, a software specifically tailored to model biochemical reactions involved in cellular signal transduction was implemented on a personal computer. Recent data regarding desensitization processes in mouse Leydig cells are used to simulate the underlying reactions of signal transduction. Pretreatment of real Leydig cells with different molecules results in a modification of the signal transduction cascade leading to a diminished response of the cells during subsequent stimulations. The model is capable of simulating the complex behavior of this intracellular second messenger production in a qualitative and semi-quantitative way. The results indicate that quantitative simulations on a molecular level will be possible once appropriate computer hardware is available. The simulations and results of the cellular automaton presented are easily described and comprehended, which make it a useful tool that will facilitate research in cellular signal transduction and other fields covering complex reaction networks.