Open AccessTemporal competition between differentiation programs determines cell fate choice
Author(s) -
Kuchina Anna,
Espinar Lorena,
Çağatay Tolga,
Balbin Alejandro O,
Zhang Fang,
Alvarado Alma,
GarciaOjalvo Jordi,
Süel Gürol M
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
molecular systems biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.523
H-Index - 148
ISSN - 1744-4292
DOI - 10.1038/msb.2011.88
Subject(s) - biology , competition (biology) , cell fate determination , cellular differentiation , evolutionary biology , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , transcription factor , ecology , gene
Multipotent differentiation, where cells adopt one of several possible fates, occurs in diverse systems ranging from bacteria to mammals. This decision‐making process is driven by multiple differentiation programs that operate simultaneously in the cell. How these programs interact to govern cell fate choice is poorly understood. To investigate this issue, we simultaneously measured activities of the competing sporulation and competence programs in single Bacillus subtilis cells. This approach revealed that these competing differentiation programs progress independently without cross‐regulation before the decision point. Cells seem to arrive at a fate choice through differences in the relative timing between the two programs. To test this proposed dynamic mechanism, we altered the relative timing by engineering artificial cross‐regulation between the sporulation and competence circuits. Results suggest a simple model that does not require a checkpoint or intricate cross‐regulation before cellular decision‐making. Rather, cell fate choice appears to be the outcome of a ‘molecular race’ between differentiation programs that compete in time, providing a simple dynamic mechanism for decision‐making.