Stochastic Modelling of the Interface between Regulatory Enzymes and Transcription Initiation at Inducible Genes
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Biological switches that control transcription of inducible genes can be thought of either as two-state or as continuously variable switches. We are developing a novel stochastic model of the interface between signal transduction and transcription initiation which accommodates both possibilities in order to compare both switching mechanisms in the context of immediate early (IE) gene induction. IE genes display quantitatively regulated expression linked to external stimuli via intracellular signalling pathways. The main modelling challenge lies at the interface between the large population of signalling molecules and a single copy of each gene. Our approach dissects the characteristics of the interface for the two types of switches. The model provides a range of reasonable predictions for transcriptional initiation and enables us to see IE gene inductio as a dynamically regulated quantitative process in which the turnover of phosphorylation of transcription factors (TF) may play a key role. This promises to support further experimental investigation and helps to elucidate quantitative understanding of this mechanism. |
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