Mapping the environmental fitness landscape of a synthetic gene circuit.

ABSTRACT: Gene expression actualizes the organismal phenotypes encoded within the genome in an environment-dependent manner. Among all encoded phenotypes, cell population growth rate (fitness) is perhaps the most important, since it determines how well-adapted a genotype is in various environments. Traditional biological measurement techniques have revealed the connection between the environment and fitness based on the gene expression mean. Yet, recently it became clear that cells with identical genomes exposed to the same environment can differ dramatically from the population average in their gene expression and division rate (individual fitness). For cell populations with bimodal gene expression, this difference is particularly pronounced, and may involve stochastic transitions between two cellu

SUBMITTER: Nevozhay D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3325171 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature