title: Epigenesis and dynamic similarity in two regulatory networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
abstract: Mucoidy and cytotoxicity arise from two independent modifications of the phenotype of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa that contribute to the mortality and morbidity of cystic fibrosis. We show that, even though the transcriptional regulatory networks controlling both processes are quite different from a molecular or mechanistic point of view, they may be identical from a dynamic point of view: epigenesis may in both cases be the cause of the acquisition of these new phenotypes. This was highlighted by the identity of formal graphs modelling these networks. A mathematical framework based on formal methods from computer science was defined and implemented with a software environment. It allows an easy and rigorous validation and certification of these models and of the experimental methods that can be proposed to falsify or validate the underlying hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de microbiologie du froid, EA 2123, Université de Rouen, F-76 821 Mt St Aignan, France. janine.guespin@univ-rouen.fr
authors.forename: Janine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Guespin-Michel
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernot
authors.forename: Jean Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Comet
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mérieau
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hulen
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Polack
mesh_terms: D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic