{
  "abstract": "Translation frequency in bacteria depends on how ribosomes, mRNAs, and initiation factors are allocated across growth conditions. Here, we developed a mechanistic ODE-based model of Escherichia coli translation that represents initiation, elongation, termination, and coupled auxiliary processes. Growth-dependent abundances were derived from physiological relationships and reprocessed omics data, and simulated outputs were compared with translation-frequency and active-ribosome references. The model predicts a continuous shift from complex-formation-limited toward ribosome-limited behavior as growth increases. This shift is characterized by a decline in free-ribosome abundance, whereas initiation-factor pools remain largely unbound and do not become depleted in parallel. Together with the implemented IF-dependent kinetic term, this preserved availability provides a model-internal route through which productive initiation can be maintained despite increasing ribosome utilization. Consistently, transcript-wide ribosome loading remains below its theoretical maximum, while COG-level simulations reveal distinct sector-specific translation-frequency trajectories. The study therefore provides a resource-allocation framework for interpreting how mRNA--ribosome interactions shape bacterial translation across growth conditions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Professorship for Systems Biotechnology"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. Qin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Kremling"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a9nj4e533m084.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.08.31.748211",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748211v1.full",
  "id": "a9nj4e533m084",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748211v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "systems biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7207599299",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748211v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-31",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a9nj4e533m084.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:59Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.08.31.748211",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748211v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:systems biology",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Mechanistic modeling of bacterial translation initiation across growth conditions",
  "title_text": "Mechanistic modeling of bacterial translation initiation across growth conditions",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:59Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a9nj4e533m084",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}