Simulating the G-protein cAMP pathway with a two-compartment reactive lattice gas

We find that localization increases the robustness of the translocation mechanism only above a density threshold. For homogeneous settings, by increasing the concentration above a critical value, the translocation is obstructed by mere physical occupation constraints of the signal-carrying molecule. This conclusion is in line with previous findings, according to which in highly dense regions of the cytosol, convection by autocatalytic activation of adjacent molecules might be more efficient than diffusion as a main signal propagation mechanism.