The response of the cytoskeleton to a shear stress: a qualitative approach

An environment for qualitative modelling has been set up which is being used to model qualitatively cytoskeleton function, with special reference to focal adhesion and to cytoskeletal changes in response to shear stress. Following the natural language description, a formal analysis can be performed which evidentiates the main individuals which are involved and the important values relating to them. The individuals which have so far singled out are: focal contact, shear stress, filament, g-actin, f-actin, growth factors, pi-3-kinase, RAC, EGF, raffling, substrate, distance between filament and membrane, talin, vinculin, focal adhesion, macro tubules, phospholipids, calcium. Examining the combination of individuals above and the consequences deriving from these combinations the following processes have been formally described: focal contact disruption, actin filament (construction, disruption, orientation), filament polymerization (lag period, fast growth with and without f-actin, steady state), membrane raffling (with and without EGF), focal adhesion initial formation, focal adhesion maturation, protein kinase-c (with phospholipid and calcium). The present qualitative model has been set up on an environment working in any LISP platform with OPS5 motor. The main implementation aspect of this environment is the adoption of a depth first strategy for the search of possible behaviour of the system during simulation