Dose-to-Duration Encoding and Signaling beyond Saturation in Intracellular Signaling Networks
2008
How Yeast Cells Encode Pheromone Signals
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Behar Marcelo, Hao Nan, Dohlman Henrik G., Elston Timothy C.
Primary Institution: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Hypothesis
Yeast cells encode pheromone concentration as the duration of the transmitted signal.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that yeast cells use dose-to-duration encoding to process pheromone signals, allowing them to respond effectively to varying concentrations.
Supporting Evidence
- The study shows that modulation of signal duration increases the range of stimulus concentrations for which dose-dependent responses are possible.
- Experimental data supports the idea that Fus3 and Kss1 phosphorylation is driven by an upstream signal converted to signal duration.
- Mathematical models align well with experimental results, indicating the effectiveness of dose-to-duration encoding.
Takeaway
Yeast cells can tell how strong a pheromone signal is by how long they keep responding to it, not just how strong the signal is.
Methodology
Mathematical modeling and experimental analysis of yeast pheromone response pathways.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on yeast and may not directly apply to other organisms.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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