Time-dependent information transmission in a model regulatory circuit

TL;DR

This paper investigates how biological regulatory circuits transmit information over time, revealing limitations imposed by dynamic timescales and identifying circuit topologies that optimize information transfer, especially out of steady state.

Contribution

It introduces a simple model capturing time-dependent information transmission and links maximally informative network topologies to biological circuits involved in stress response.

Findings

Transmission limited by input and output timescales

Maximally informative networks resemble biological stress circuits

Out-of-steady-state circuits can use absorbing states for optimal information transfer

Abstract

Many biological regulatory systems process signals out of steady state and respond with a physiological delay. A simple model of regulation which respects these features shows how the ability of a delayed output to transmit information is limited: at short times by the timescale of the dynamic input, at long times by that of the dynamic output. We find that topologies of maximally informative networks correspond to commonly occurring biological circuits linked to stress response and that circuits functioning out of steady state may exploit absorbing states to transmit information optimally.