Structures in systems biology
Structures in systems biology
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DOI：
10.1016/j.sbi.2007.05.005
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发表时间：
2007-06-01
影响因子：
6.8
通讯作者：
Serrano, Luis
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Beltrao, Pedro;Kiel, Christina;Serrano, Luis
油和水通常不相溶，显然结构生物学和系统生物学看起来像两个不同的领域。可以说结构生物学在系统生物学中能够发挥非常重要的作用。尽管在理解一个信号转导通路、一个细胞、一个器官或一个生命系统的最后阶段，结构可能是不必要的，但我们需要它们才能达到那个阶段。大分子的结构，尤其是分子机器的结构，可以提供定量参数，有助于阐明功能网络，或者为逆向工程进行合理设计的扰动实验。结构生物学在系统生物学中的作用应该是提供足够的理解，以便大分子能够被转化为点，甚至转化为没有原子的方程式。
Oil and water do not normally mix, and apparently structural biology and systems biology look like two different universes. It can be argued that structural biology could play a very important role in systems biology. Although at the final stage of understanding a signal transduction pathway, a cell, an organ or a living system, structures could be obviated, we need them to be able to reach that stage. Structures of macromolecules, especially molecular machines, could provide quantitative parameters, help to elucidate functional networks or enable rational designed perturbation experiments for reverse engineering. The role of structural biology in systems biology should be to provide enough understanding so that macromolecules can be translated into dots or even into equations devoid of atoms.