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High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression

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Published on: April 18, 2021

Positive feedback, stochasticity and genetic competence.

Rajesh Karmakar¹, Indrani Bose

¹Department of Physics, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India.

Physical Biology

|April 5, 2007

Summary

Gene autoregulation in B. subtilis can lead to two distinct cellular states, low and high ComK expression. Stochasticity and bistability explain these bimodal protein distributions in bacterial populations.

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Systems Biology
Microbiology

Background:

Positive feedback loops are common in gene regulatory networks.
Autoregulation by a single gene can create distinct cellular states.
Bacterial competence development in B. subtilis involves the master regulator ComK.

Purpose of the Study:

To explain the bimodal protein distributions observed in B. subtilis cell populations.
To investigate the role of bistability and stochasticity in gene expression.
To analyze three scenarios for the emergence of two cellular states.

Main Methods:

Mathematical modeling of gene regulatory networks.
Analysis of autoregulatory genetic modules.
Framework for explaining bimodal protein distributions.

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Main Results:

Autoregulation of ComK can lead to bistable gene expression (low and high states).
Stochasticity in gene expression drives transitions between stable states.
Three scenarios were proposed: two involving bistability, one relying solely on stochasticity.

Conclusions:

Bistability provides a basis for binary gene expression in two scenarios.
Stochasticity alone can explain bimodal distributions in monostable systems.
Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for gene regulatory network dynamics.