Applications of Kinetic Modeling to Plant Metabolism

The importance of kinetic modeling for understanding the control and regulation of complex metabolic networks is increasingly being recognized. Kinetic models encapsulate the available kinetic information of all the enzymes in a pathway, and then calculate the complex behavior that emerges from the interactions between these network components. Kinetic models are particularly useful because they can simulate untested scenarios and thus explore pathway behavior beyond the realm of what is experimentally available or currently feasible. Models can also suggest new experiments in a directed approach.This chapter provides a brief introduction to kinetic modeling and its application to plant metabolic pathways. A two-pronged strategy is followed: first, a method is presented for further analysis of existing published models, with references to the relevant databases housing such models and instructions on how to load the models into simulation software. Next, the requirements for and processes of constructing and validating a kinetic model from scratch are outlined. To conclude, potential applications of models are summarized.