Modularized study of human calcium signalling pathway

Abstract

Signalling pathways are complex biochemical networks responsible for regulation of numerous cellular functions. These networks function by serial and successive interactions among a large number of vital biomolecules and chemical compounds. For deciphering and analysing the underlying mechanism of such networks,a modularized study is quite helpful. Here we propose an algorithm for modularization of calcium signalling pathway of H. sapiens . The idea that "a node whose function is dependent on maximum number of other nodes tends to be the center of a sub network" is used to divide a large signalling network into smaller sub networks. Inclusion of node(s) into sub networks(s) is dependent on the outdegree of the node(s). Here outdegree of a node refers to the number of relations of the considered node lying outside the constructed sub network. Node(s) having more than c relations lying outside the expanding sub network have to be excluded from it. Here c is a specified variable based on user preference, which is finally fixed during adjustments of created sub networks, so that certain biological significance can be conferred on them.