Bifurcation dynamics and determination of alternate cell fates in bipotent progenitor cells

The gene regulatory networks in which two lineage-affiliated transcription factors, such as GATA1 and PU.1, inhibit each other but activate themselves so as to regulate the choice between alternative cell fates have been extensively studied. These simple networks can generate bistability and explain the transitions between the alternative cell fates. The commitment of a progenitor cell to a new fate corresponds to the occurrence of different types of bifurcations, depending on if a system is symmetrical and how perturbations affect the system. Here we take a general modeling and analyzing approach and show that the lateral inhibition with symmetry and asymmetry can lead to different bifurcation dynamics. Especially, if cell fate decision-making is initiated with asymmetry or symmetry-breaking perturbations, a progenitor cell pre-patterns itself into a polarized cell, depending on the asymmetry or symmetry-breaking perturbations. This study may help us understand the fundamental features of binary cell fate decisions more clearly and further apply to a wider range of decision-making processes.