Computational analysis of SOS response in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli

摘要

The SOS response is a complex mechanism that is induced following DNA damage caused by UV irradiation. This system includes protein interactions and coordinated activation of a large number of diverse unlinked genes involved in DNA repair, error-prone DNA replication, etc. In this study, we demonstrate the mathematical modeling for the early stage of the SOS regulatory system taking account of protein and mRNA levels. The simulation results show that the behavior of the system changes according to the severity of DNA damages, the basal level of expressions and the binding properties of the represser protein. This provides some elemental principles of gene regulatory systems controlled by protein interactions together with operators.