A brief note on the properties of linear pathways

Abstract

Linear metabolic pathways are the simplest network architecture we find in metabolism and are a good starting point to gain insight into the operating principles of metabolic control. Linear pathways possess some well-known properties, such as a bias of flux control towards the first few steps of the pathway as well as the lack of flux control at reactions close to equilibrium. In both cases, a rationale for these behaviors is given in terms of how elasticities transmit changes through a pathway. A discussion is given on the fundamental role that two reaction step sections play in a linear pathway when transmitting changes. For a pathway with irreversible steps, the deconstruction is straight forward and includes a product of local response coefficients that cascade along the pathway. When reversibility is included, the picture became more complex but a relationship in terms of the local response coefficients if derived that includes the reverse response coefficients and highlights the interplay between the forward and backward transmission of changes during a perturbation.