Costs and Benefits of Biochemical Noise
Author Information
Author(s): Tănase-Nicola Sorin ten Wolde, Pieter Rein
Primary Institution: Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hypothesis
How do protein concentration fluctuations affect the growth rate of a population of genetically identical cells?
Conclusion
The study predicts that fluctuations in protein concentration can either reduce or enhance the growth rate of a cell population depending on the average concentration relative to the optimal level.
Supporting Evidence
- The model predicts that when the average concentration of a protein is close to the value that maximizes the growth rate, fluctuations reduce the growth rate.
- When the average protein concentration deviates from the optimal level, fluctuations can enhance the growth rate.
- The analysis predicts that the optimal expression level of a gene regulatory protein is determined by the trade-off between the cost of synthesizing the regulatory protein and the benefit of minimizing fluctuations.
Takeaway
Sometimes, when proteins in cells are not at the perfect level, their ups and downs can actually help the cells grow faster instead of slower.
Methodology
A mathematical model was developed to quantify the effects of protein concentration fluctuations on cell growth rates.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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