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Reversible and noisy progression towards a commitment point enables adaptable and reliable cellular decision-making.
Anna Kuchina1, Lorena Espinar, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo
1Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America.
Plos Computational Biology
|November 22, 2011
Summary
Cells use reversible and irreversible processes for decision-making, balancing adaptability to environmental changes with reliable commitment to cell fate choices like spore formation.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Cells must balance reliable decision-making with adaptability to environmental fluctuations.
- The dynamics of cellular decision-making under changing conditions are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how cells reconcile reliability and adaptability in decision-making.
- Analyze the role of reversible and irreversible dynamics in cellular fate choices.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative measurement of gene expression and protein localization in single Bacillus subtilis cells.
- Mathematical modeling of cellular decision-making dynamics.
- Evaluation of reversibility's impact on reliability and adaptability.
Main Results:
- Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis involves noisy, reversible steps leading to an irreversible commitment point.
- Reversible progression enhances responsiveness to long-term environmental changes.
- Irreversible commitment ensures robust cell fate decisions against short-term stress fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- A hybrid strategy combining reversible and irreversible dynamics optimizes both adaptability and reliability in cellular decision-making.
- This strategy allows cells to effectively cope with unpredictable environmental conditions.
- Findings suggest a general principle for biological decision-making systems.
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