Communications: Hamiltonian regulated cell signaling network.

Cell signaling is fundamental to cell survival and disease progression. Traditional approaches to study these networks have focused largely on probabilistic approaches, with a large number of ad hoc assumptions. In this paper, we develop a linear Hamiltonian model to study the integrin signaling network. The integrin signaling network is central to cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation, but has not been studied in the same detail as other cell cycle networks. In this study, the integrin signaling network with 16 nodes in thermal fluctuations is analyzed through ensemble averages on the linear Hamiltonian model. This new and analytically rigorous approach offers a quick method to find out the dominant nodes in the complex network, which operate in the thermal noise regime. The robust on/off transitions due to the different initial inputs also reflect the inherent structure in the network, providing new insights into structure and function of the network.