Bayesian inference of the kinetic parameters of a realistic MAPK/ERK pathway

Background All cellular activations are regulated by various signal transduction pathways, which are the network of interacting proteins used to carry over signals in the cell's environment for producing associate responses. The MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) or its synonymous ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase) pathway is one of the major signal transduction systems which regulates the cellular growth control of all eukaryotes like cell proliferation or apoptosis. The complex structure of this regulatory mechanism whose main components are Ras, Raf, and MEK proteins (see Figure 1) includes a number of phosphorylations on the protein level. The functionality of these proteins is stochastic in nature and directed by positive and negative feedback loops that cause either activation or inhibition of other proteins.