Lambda-prophage induction modeled as a cooperative failure mode of lytic repression

TL;DR

This paper models lambda-phage induction in E. coli as a cooperative failure of repression, using reliability theory to predict induction rates consistent with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a system-level reliability model incorporating biochemical mechanisms, providing new insights into prophage induction as a failure mode.

Findings

Model accurately predicts UV-induced prophage induction rates.

Repressor circuit has 4 redundant components whose failure causes induction.

Biochemical mechanisms like cooperative binding are integral to the model.

Abstract

We analyze a system-level model for lytic repression of lambda-phage in E. coli using reliability theory, showing that the repressor circuit comprises 4 redundant components whose failure mode is prophage induction. Our model reflects the specific biochemical mechanisms involved in regulation, including long-range cooperative binding, and its detailed predictions for prophage induction in E. coli under ultra-violet radiation are in good agreement with experimental data.