Reconstructing Signal Transduction from Raw Genomic Data

Signal transduction systems are information-processing pathways that link extracellular and intracellular signals to appropriate cellular responses. These systems control most cellular functions in living cells ranging from regulation of gene expression to fine-tuning enzymatic activity. Signal transduction proteins display an extreme sequence variability and extensive domain shuffling. Thus, their reconstruction from raw genomic data is a serious challenge. I will discuss a computational genomic approach to this problem staring from fundamental biological aspects to application of bioinformatics tools and development of an electronic knowledge environment.