Epigenetic and conventional regulation is distributed among activators of FLO11 allowing tuning of population-level heterogeneity in its expression.
Epigenetic switches encode their state information either locally, often via covalent modification of DNA or histones, or globally, usually in the level of a trans-regulatory factor. Here we examine how the regulation of cis-encoded epigenetic switches controls the extent of heterogeneity in gene expression, which is ultimately tied to phenotypic diversity in a population. We show that two copies of the FLO11 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae switch between a silenced and competent promoter state in a random and independent fashion, implying that the molecular event leading to the transition occurs locally at the promoter, in cis. We further quantify the effect of trans regulators both on the slow epigenetic transitions between a silenced and competent promoter state and on the fast promoter transitions associated with conventional regulation of FLO11. We find different classes of regulators affect epigenetic, conventional, or both forms of regulation. Distributing kinetic control of epigenetic silencing and conventional gene activation offers cells flexibility in shaping the distribution of gene expression and phenotype within a population.
Computational and Systems Biology Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Leah M
LM
Octavio
Kamil
K
Gedeon
Narendra
N
Maheshri
D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
C110690:FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors