title: Epigenetic feedback regulation accelerates adaptation and evolution.
abstract: A simple cell model consisting of a gene regulatory network with epigenetic feedback regulation is studied to evaluate the effect of epigenetic dynamics on adaptation and evolution. We find that, the type of epigenetic dynamics considered enables a cell to adapt to unfamiliar environmental changes, for which no regulatory program has been prepared, through noise-driven selection of a cellular state with a high growth rate. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the inclusion of epigenetic regulation promotes evolutionary development of a regulatory network that can respond to environmental changes in a fast and precise manner. These results strongly suggest that epigenetic feedback regulation in gene expression dynamics provides a significant increase in fitness by engendering an increase in cellular plasticity during adaptation and evolution.
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Biology Center-QBiC, RIKEN, Suita, Osaka, Japan. chikara.furusawa@riken.jp
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furusawa
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004777:Environment; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological