Negative autoregulation speeds the response times of transcription networks.
Cells regulate gene expression using networks of transcription interactions; it is of interest to discover the principles that govern the dynamical behavior of such networks. An important characteristic of these systems is the rise-time: the delay from the initiation of production until half maximal product concentration is reached. Here we employ synthetic gene circuits in Escherichia coli to measure the rise-times of non-self-regulated and of negatively autoregulated transcription units. Non-self-regulated units have a rise-time of one cell-cycle. We demonstrate experimentally that negative autoregulation feedback (also termed autogenous control) reduces the rise-time to about one fifth of a cell-cycle. This agrees with an analytical solution of a mathematical model for negative autoregulation. This may help in understanding the function of negative autoregulation, which appears in over 40% of known transcription factors in E.coli.
Rosenfeld
Nitzan
N
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Elowitz
Michael B
MB
Alon
Uri
U
D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006706:Homeostasis; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors