Skip to main content

Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tanouchi, Y; Tu, D; Kim, J; You, L
Published in: PLoS Comput Biol
August 29, 2008

Cellular interactions are subject to random fluctuations (noise) in quantities of interacting molecules. Noise presents a major challenge for the robust function of natural and engineered cellular networks. Past studies have analyzed how noise is regulated at the intracellular level. Cell-cell communication, however, may provide a complementary strategy to achieve robust gene expression by enabling the coupling of a cell with its environment and other cells. To gain insight into this issue, we have examined noise regulation by quorum sensing (QS), a mechanism by which many bacteria communicate through production and sensing of small diffusible signals. Using a stochastic model, we analyze a minimal QS motif in Gram-negative bacteria. Our analysis shows that diffusion of the QS signal, together with fast turnover of its transcriptional regulator, attenuates low-frequency components of extrinsic noise. We term this unique mechanism "diffusional dissipation" to emphasize the importance of fast signal turnover (or dissipation) by diffusion. We further show that this noise attenuation is a property of a more generic regulatory motif, of which QS is an implementation. Our results suggest that, in a QS system, an unstable transcriptional regulator may be favored for regulating expression of costly proteins that generate public goods.

Duke Scholars

Published In

PLoS Comput Biol

DOI

EISSN

1553-7358

Publication Date

August 29, 2008

Volume

4

Issue

8

Start / End Page

e1000167

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stochastic Processes
  • Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional
  • Quorum Sensing
  • Models, Biological
  • Kinetics
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Gene Expression
  • Feedback, Physiological
  • Down-Regulation
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Tanouchi, Y., Tu, D., Kim, J., & You, L. (2008). Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif. PLoS Comput Biol, 4(8), e1000167. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000167
Tanouchi, Yu, Dennis Tu, Jungsang Kim, and Lingchong You. “Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif.PLoS Comput Biol 4, no. 8 (August 29, 2008): e1000167. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000167.
Tanouchi Y, Tu D, Kim J, You L. Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif. PLoS Comput Biol. 2008 Aug 29;4(8):e1000167.
Tanouchi, Yu, et al. “Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif.PLoS Comput Biol, vol. 4, no. 8, Aug. 2008, p. e1000167. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000167.
Tanouchi Y, Tu D, Kim J, You L. Noise reduction by diffusional dissipation in a minimal quorum sensing motif. PLoS Comput Biol. 2008 Aug 29;4(8):e1000167.

Published In

PLoS Comput Biol

DOI

EISSN

1553-7358

Publication Date

August 29, 2008

Volume

4

Issue

8

Start / End Page

e1000167

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stochastic Processes
  • Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional
  • Quorum Sensing
  • Models, Biological
  • Kinetics
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Gene Expression
  • Feedback, Physiological
  • Down-Regulation