Functional Potential of the Core Phosphorelay Architecture

In this chapter, we ask how multiple phosphorelay inputs affect its bandpass characteristics, and, at a more basic level, how phosphotransfer reactions modulate signaling properties inside cells. We address these questions using simple computational models of two-component system architectures. Our results show that the two different types of phosphorelay inputs can be used to independently tune the two bandpass thresholds. Further, we note how the basic phosphotransfer reaction can be used as a building block for linear amplifier-like responses. These results provide broad correlations with design choices in electrical circuits, suggesting that similar considerations have governed the evolution of this architectural diversity.