Abstract
In biochemical signaling, information is often encoded in oscillatory signals. However, the advantages of such a coding strategy over an amplitude-encoding scheme of constant signals remain unclear. Here we study the dynamics of a simple model gene promoter in response to oscillating and constant transcription factor signals. We find that in biologically relevant parameter regimes an oscillating input can produce a more constant protein level than a constant input. Our results suggest that oscillating signals may be used to minimize noise in gene regulation.
- Received 4 May 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.108104
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Published by the American Physical Society
Synopsis
Biological Oscillations Improve Fidelity
Published 8 March 2012
Calculations show that a time-varying molecular input signal can induce a more predictable biological response than a constant input.
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