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Bimodality in E. coli gene expression: Sources and robustness to genome-wide stresses
Ines S C Baptista1, Suchintak Dash1, Amir M Arsh1
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Plos Computational Biology
|February 13, 2025
Summary
Bacterial genes exhibit bimodal expression, allowing cells to adapt to changing environments. This dynamic gene expression is robust and tunable, offering potential for synthetic biology applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Systems Biology
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Bacteria utilize gene expression variability for environmental adaptation.
- Bimodal gene expression, with distinct low and high states, is observed in some bacterial genes.
- Understanding the regulation and dynamics of bimodal gene expression is crucial for comprehending cellular responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize bimodal gene expression in E. coli under standard and stressed conditions.
- To investigate the impact of environmental and antibiotic stresses on bimodal gene expression dynamics.
- To develop and analyze models predicting the robustness and tunability of bimodal transcription.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell expression analysis of seven identified bimodal genes in E. coli.
- Perturbation studies using environmental and antibiotic stresses.
- Mathematical modeling of bimodal transcription dynamics and parameter exploration.
Main Results:
- Seven E. coli genes showed bimodal expression under standard conditions.
- Bimodality was lost under certain stresses but could reemerge upon return to standard conditions.
- Models predicted that bimodality is robust and tunable via transcription initiation, degradation rates, and promoter availability.
Conclusions:
- Bimodal gene expression in bacteria is a dynamic and adaptable trait.
- These genes can switch between expression states, suggesting potential for synthetic circuit design.
- Bimodality originates during transcription initiation, making it an evolvable and targetable feature.
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