Optimal phenotypic adaptation in fluctuating environments.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic adaptation is a universal feature of biological systems navigating highly variable environments. Recent empirical data support the role of memory-driven decision making in cellular systems navigating uncertain future nutrient landscapes, wherein a distinct growth phenotype emerges in fluctuating conditions. We develop a simple stochastic mathematical model to describe memory-driven cellular adaptation required for systems to optimally navigate such uncertainty. In this framework, adaptive populations traverse dynamic environments by inferring future variation from a memory of prior states, and memory capacity imposes a fundamental trade-off between the speed and accuracy of adaptation to new fluctuating environments. Our results suggest that the observed growth reductions that o

SUBMITTER: George JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10698328 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature