The Number of Catalytic Elements Is Crucial for the Emergence of Metabolic Cores
Figure 1
Dissipative metabolic network with only two metabolic subsystems.
DMN formed by two subsystems (MSb1 and MSb2) and two feedback loops of regulatory signals. Each metabolic subsystem represents a discrete module of several functionally associated enzymes, which may operate in far from equilibrium conditions, and consequently may present both steady states and oscillatory catalytic patterns. The MSb1 receives an outer input flux of substrate and is activated by the second subsystem (+) in which there is an allosteric enzyme of positive modulation. In the MSb1 there is a regulatory enzyme of covalent modulation and the MSb2 may be totally inhibited by the first subsystem (-T).