Modeling and Simulation of IRES - Engagement during the process of mRNA Translation in Cells infected with Hepatitis C Virus
Isaac Barjis, Ajmal Zemmar, Faisal Mohammad and Fakhreldin A. Sabel Sabel
Summer Computer Simulation Conference 2007 (SCSC 2007)
San Diego, California (USA), July 15-18, 2007
Abstract
Transcription and translation are central and multi-step process where the information coded within a gene is transformed into a protein. Understanding the process of transcription and translation are very important in medical applications such as interaction of initiation factors with the virus. This process requires diverse sets of proteins, transcription factors and initiation factors such as eIF3. In this paper we made some extensions to the graphical notation of ordinary Petri nets. Than we used the extended Petri net to model, simulate and analyze the mRNA translation and the initiation factor (eIF3) interaction with hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES. This initiation factor controls the assembly of ribosomal subunit (40S) on mRNA during the process of mRNA translation. Our model shows assembly of eIF3 with mRNA, and its interaction with hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES RNA. Analysis of mRNA translation model can provide an unprecedented opportunity in understanding the interaction of factors that are contributing to the process of protein production.