Quantifying elasticity analysis: how external effectors cause changes to metabolic systems

The sites of action of external effectors, such as inhibitors or hormones, on metabolic systems can be described qualitatively by elasticity analysis, or quantitatively by regulation analysis. The use of the latter approach has been limited, due to its practical complexity. In this study, we report mathematical relationships that relate the finite changes in system variables (fluxes and metabolite concentrations) to changes in activity of metabolic processes brought about by a single step addition of an effector. The activation or inhibition of a process by an effector is measured from changes in flux and intermediate levels. The changes in activity of each process can be used to describe, semi-quantitatively, which activations or inhibitions of the system processes are important in bringing about the observed levels of system variables.