Quantitative Modeling of Bacterial Chemotaxis: Signal Amplification and Accurate Adaptation

Abstract

We review the recent developments in understanding the bacterial chemotaxis signaling pathway by using quantitative modeling methods. The models developed are based on structural information of the signaling complex and the dynamics of the underlying biochemical network. We focus on two important functions of the bacterial chemotaxis signaling pathway: signal amplification and adaptation. We describe in detail the structure and the dynamics of the mathematical models and how they compare with existing experiments, emphasizing the predictability of the models. Finally, we outline future directions for developing the modeling approach to better understand the bacterial chemosensory system.