A reversible process calculus and the modelling of the ERK signalling pathway

Abstract

We introduce a reversible process calculus with a new feature of execution control that allows us to change the direction and pattern of computation. This feature allows us to model a variety of modes of reverse computation, ranging from strict backtracking to reversing which respects causal ordering of events, and even reversing which violates causal ordering. The SOS rules that define the operators of the new calculus employ communication keys to handle communication correctly and key identifiers to control execution. As an application of our calculus, we model the ERK signalling pathway which delivers mitogenic and differentiation signals from the membrane of a cell to its nucleus. The proteins participating in the pathway are represented by reversible processes in such a way that the pathway's bio-chemical reactions are simply interactions between the processes. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.