Biomolecular resource utilization in elementary cell-free gene circuits

TL;DR

This paper develops a dynamical model of cell-free gene circuits that explicitly accounts for molecular resource limitations, demonstrating how resource competition causes crosstalk affecting circuit behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed dynamical model that explicitly incorporates resource limitations and validates it with simple test circuits in a cell-free system.

Findings

Confirmed the existence of biomolecular crosstalk due to resource competition

Identified specific sources of crosstalk in gene circuits

Discussed implications for circuit design and function

Abstract

We present a detailed dynamical model of the behavior of transcription-translation circuits in vitro that makes explicit the roles played by essential molecular resources. A set of simple two-gene test circuits operating in a cell-free biochemical 'breadboard' validate this model and highlight the consequences of limited resource availability. In particular, we are able to confirm the existence of biomolecular 'crosstalk' and isolate its individual sources. The implications of crosstalk for biomolecular circuit design and function are discussed.