Stochastic receptor expression allows sensitive bacteria to evade phage attack. Part II: theoretical analyses.

ABSTRACT: Stochastic gene expression in bacteria can create a diverse protein distribution. Most of the current studies have focused on fluctuations around the mean, which constitutes the majority of a bacterial population. However, when the bacterial population is subject to a severe selection pressure, it is the properties of the minority cells that determine the fate of the population. The central question is whether phenotype heterogeneity, such as a spread in the expression level of a critical protein, is sufficient to account for the persistence of the bacteria under the selection. A related question is how long such persistence can last before genetic mutation becomes significant. In this work, survival statistics of a bacterial population with a diverse phage-receptor number distribution is

SUBMITTER: Chapman-McQuiston E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2480678 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature