Synchronization and clustering of synthetic genetic networks: A role for cis-regulatory modules

TL;DR

This study investigates how cis-regulatory modules influence synchronization and clustering in synthetic genetic networks, revealing that different CRMs lead to diverse cellular patterns through theoretical and simulation analyses.

Contribution

It demonstrates the significant role of CRMs in controlling synchronization and clustering in genetic oscillators, introducing analysis of six CRIFs in different communication modes.

Findings

CRMs significantly affect synchronization and clustering patterns.

Different CRIFs produce diverse cellular synchronization states.

Theoretical and numerical methods confirm CRM-driven pattern diversity.

Abstract

The effect of signal integration through cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) on synchronization and clustering of populations of two-component genetic oscillators coupled by quorum sensing is in detail investigated. We find that the CRMs play an important role in achieving synchronization and clustering. For this, we investigate 6 possible cis-regulatory input functions (CRIFs) with AND, OR, ANDN, ORN, XOR, and EQU types of responses in two possible kinds of cell-to-cell communications: activator-regulated communication (i.e., the autoinducer regulates the activator) and repressor-regulated communication (i.e., the autoinducer regulates the repressor). Both theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that different CRMs drive fundamentally different cellular patterns, such as complete synchronization, various cluster-balanced states and several cluster-nonbalanced states.