{"title":"Stochastic simulation algorithms for computational systems biology: Exact, approximate, and hybrid methods.","authors":"Giulia Simoni, Federico Reali, Corrado Priami, Luca Marchetti","doi":"10.1002/wsbm.1459","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nowadays, mathematical modeling is playing a key role in many different research fields. In the context of system biology, mathematical models and their associated computer simulations constitute essential tools of investigation. Among the others, they provide a way to systematically analyze systems perturbations, develop hypotheses to guide the design of new experimental tests, and ultimately assess the suitability of specific molecules as novel therapeutic targets. To these purposes, stochastic simulation algorithms (SSAs) have been introduced for numerically simulating the time evolution of a well-stirred chemically reacting system by taking proper account of the randomness inherent in such a system. In this work, we review the main SSAs that have been introduced in the context of exact, approximate, and hybrid stochastic simulation. Specifically, we will introduce the direct method (DM), the first reaction method (FRM), the next reaction method (NRM) and the rejection-based SSA (RSSA) in the area of exact stochastic simulation. We will then present the τ-leaping method and the chemical Langevin method in the area of approximate stochastic simulation and an implementation of the hybrid RSSA (HRSSA) in the context of hybrid stochastic-deterministic simulation. Finally, we will consider the model of the sphingolipid metabolism to provide an example of application of SSA to computational system biology by exemplifying how different simulation strategies may unveil different insights into the investigated biological phenomenon. This article is categorized under: Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":49254,"journal":{"name":"Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Systems Biology and Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9000,"publicationDate":"2019-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/wsbm.1459","citationCount":"14","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Systems Biology and Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsbm.1459","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2019/7/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 14
Abstract
Nowadays, mathematical modeling is playing a key role in many different research fields. In the context of system biology, mathematical models and their associated computer simulations constitute essential tools of investigation. Among the others, they provide a way to systematically analyze systems perturbations, develop hypotheses to guide the design of new experimental tests, and ultimately assess the suitability of specific molecules as novel therapeutic targets. To these purposes, stochastic simulation algorithms (SSAs) have been introduced for numerically simulating the time evolution of a well-stirred chemically reacting system by taking proper account of the randomness inherent in such a system. In this work, we review the main SSAs that have been introduced in the context of exact, approximate, and hybrid stochastic simulation. Specifically, we will introduce the direct method (DM), the first reaction method (FRM), the next reaction method (NRM) and the rejection-based SSA (RSSA) in the area of exact stochastic simulation. We will then present the τ-leaping method and the chemical Langevin method in the area of approximate stochastic simulation and an implementation of the hybrid RSSA (HRSSA) in the context of hybrid stochastic-deterministic simulation. Finally, we will consider the model of the sphingolipid metabolism to provide an example of application of SSA to computational system biology by exemplifying how different simulation strategies may unveil different insights into the investigated biological phenomenon. This article is categorized under: Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods.
期刊介绍:
Journal Name:Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Systems Biology and Medicine
Focus:
Strong interdisciplinary focus
Serves as an encyclopedic reference for systems biology research
Conceptual Framework:
Systems biology asserts the study of organisms as hierarchical systems or networks
Individual biological components interact in complex ways within these systems
Article Coverage:
Discusses biology, methods, and models
Spans systems from a few molecules to whole species
Topical Coverage:
Developmental Biology
Physiology
Biological Mechanisms
Models of Systems, Properties, and Processes
Laboratory Methods and Technologies
Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine