Robustness and coherence of a three-protein circadian oscillator: landscape and flux perspectives.
Three-protein circadian oscillations in cyanobacteria sustain for weeks. To understand how cellular oscillations function robustly in stochastic fluctuating environments, we used a stochastic model to uncover two natures of circadian oscillation: the potential landscape related to steady-state probability distribution of protein concentrations; and the corresponding flux related to speed of concentration changes which drive the oscillations. The barrier height of escaping from the oscillation attractor on the landscape provides a quantitative measure of the robustness and coherence for oscillations against intrinsic and external fluctuations. The difference between the locations of the zero total driving force and the extremal of the potential provides a possible experimental probe and quantification of the force from curl flux. These results, correlated with experiments, can help in the design of robust oscillatory networks.
Wang
Jin
J
State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China. jin.wang.1@stonybrook.edu
Xu
Li
L
Wang
Erkang
E
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D056925:Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D011336:Probability; D013269:Stochastic Processes
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D056925:Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C114269:KaiA protein, cyanobacteria; C114270:KaiB protein, cyanobacteria; C114271:KaiC protein, cyanobacteria