Cis-Regulatory Modules Drive Dynamic Patterns of a Multicellular System

TL;DR

This paper introduces a synthetic cis-regulatory module capable of performing various logic operations on signals, which can generate diverse dynamic patterns in multicellular systems, advancing understanding of cellular communication and pattern formation.

Contribution

It presents a novel, experimentally feasible CRM design that performs multiple logic functions and demonstrates their impact on multicellular dynamic behaviors.

Findings

Different CRMs induce distinct dynamic patterns like synchronization and clustering.

Theoretical and numerical analyses confirm the CRM's ability to control cellular patterns.

The proposed CRMs can be used to engineer complex multicellular behaviors.

Abstract

How intracellular and extracellular signals are integrated by transcription factors is essential for understanding complex cellular patterns at the population level. In this Letter, by using a synthetic genetic oscillator coupled to a quorum-sensing apparatus, we propose an experimentally feasible cis-regulatory module (CRM) which performs four possible logic operations (ANDN, ORN, NOR and NAND) of input signals. We show both numerically and theoretically that these different CRMs drive fundamentally different dynamic patterns, such as synchronization, clustering and splay state.