title: Entropy, Ergodicity, and Stem Cell Multipotency.
abstract: Populations of mammalian stem cells commonly exhibit considerable cell-cell variability. However, the functional role of this diversity is unclear. Here, we analyze expression fluctuations of the stem cell surface marker Sca1 in mouse hematopoietic progenitor cells using a simple stochastic model and find that the observed dynamics naturally lie close to a critical state, thereby producing a diverse population that is able to respond rapidly to environmental changes. We propose an information-theoretic interpretation of these results that views cellular multipotency as an instance of maximum entropy statistical inference.
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sonya J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ridden
authors.affiliation: 5AM Ventures, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, USA.
authors.forename: Hannah H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Konstantinos C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Zygalakis
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.|Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ben D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: MacArthur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000067696:Ataxin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019277:Entropy; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000067696:Ataxin-1; C000593750:Atxn1 protein, mouse