Dynamics of transcriptional and translational processes in hepatocytes cultured in a collagen sandwich.

A mathematical model which simulates the dynamic behavior of the hepatocytes cultured in a collagen sandwich is presented. Using several independently determined experimental parameters (e.g., albumin gene nuclear runoff activity, the level of albumin mRNA, and the albumin secretion rate), we have used this model to calculate the in vivo albumin gene transcriptional rate (0.27 molecules per second per hepatocyte), the half-life of albumin mRNA (3.3 days) in cultured hepatocytes, and the albumin polypeptide elongation rate (10 amino acids per second). In addition, the characteristic time constants for the transient increases in transcription (5 days) and in translation (10 days) were also obtained. These best fit parameters were used to predict the rate of albumin secretion in rescued hepatocytes. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.