To lyse or not to lyse: transient-mediated stochastic fate determination in cells infected by bacteriophages.

ABSTRACT: Cell fate determination is usually described as the result of the stochastic dynamics of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) reaching one of multiple steady-states each of which corresponds to a specific decision. However, the fate of a cell is determined in finite time suggesting the importance of transient dynamics in cellular decision making. Here we consider cellular decision making as resulting from first passage processes of regulatory proteins and examine the effect of transient dynamics within the initial lysis-lysogeny switch of phage λ. Importantly, the fate of an infected cell depends, in part, on the number of coinfecting phages. Using a quantitative model of the phage λ GRN, we find that changes in the likelihood of lysis and lysogeny can be driven by changes in phage co-infection

SUBMITTER: Joh RI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3053317 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature