A Model of the Quorum Sensing System in Vibrio fischeri Using P Systems

Quorum sensing is a cell density dependent gene regulation system that allows an entire population of bacterial cells to communicate in order to regulate the expression of certain or specific genes in a coordinated way depending on the size of the population. In this paper we present a model of the Quorum Sensing System in Vibrio fischeri using a variant of membrane systems called P systems. In this framework each bacterium and the environment are represented by membranes and the rules are applied according to an extension of Gillespie's Algorithm called Multicompartmental Gillespie's Algorithm. This algorithm runs on more than one compartment and takes into account the disturbance produced when chemical substances diffuse from one compartment or region to another. Our approach allows us to examine the individual behaviour of each bacterium as an agent as well as the emergent behaviour of the colony as a whole and the processes of swarming and recruitment. Our simulations sho...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: ALIFE
• Authors: Francisco José Romero-Campero, Mario J. Pérez-Jiménez
• Keywords: ALIFE 2008, Cell Densities, Density Dependent Gene, Modeling And Simulation, Quorum Sensing System