Using noise to probe and characterize gene circuits.
Stochastic fluctuations (or "noise") in the single-cell populations of molecular species are shaped by the structure and biokinetic rates of the underlying gene circuit. The structure of the noise is summarized by its autocorrelation function. In this article, we introduce the noise regulatory vector as a generalized framework for making inferences concerning the structure and biokinetic rates of a gene circuit from its noise autocorrelation function. Although most previous studies have focused primarily on the magnitude component of the noise (given by the zero-lag autocorrelation function), our approach also considers the correlation component, which encodes additional information concerning the circuit. Theoretical analyses and simulations of various gene circuits show that the noise regulatory vector is characteristic of the composition of the circuit. Although a particular noise regulatory vector does not map uniquely to a single underlying circuit, it does suggest possible candidate circuits, while excluding others, thereby demonstrating the probative value of noise in gene circuit analysis.
Cox
Chris D
CD
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2010, USA. ccox9@utk.edu
McCollum
James M
JM
Allen
Michael S
MS
Dar
Roy D
RD
Simpson
Michael L
ML
D003198:Computer Simulation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013269:Stochastic Processes