<< In cells, genes are expressed through transcription, a process where genetic information encoded in DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA is then translated to make protein molecules, the workhorses of cells. This entire process is subject to bursts of natural stochasticity—or randomness—which can impact the outcome of biological processes that proteins carry out. >>
<< This work for the first time identifies the role of randomness in altering the outcome of a developmental process.>> Madhav Mani.
<< By analyzing experimental perturbations of Drosophila's senseless gene against mathematical models, the team determined the sources of the gene's stochasticity, and found that the randomness appears to be leveraged in order to accurately determine sensory neuron fates. >>
<< Let's say you are quickly flipping a light switch on and off, but you want more brightness out of your bulb. You could either get a brighter bulb that produced more photons per unit time, or you could leave the switch 'on' more than 'off,' (..) What we found is that organisms control the amount of gene expression by regulating how often the gene is permitted to switch on, rather than making more mRNAs when it is on. >> Madhav Mani.
<< From these studies, we are learning rules for how genes can be made more or less noisy, (..) Sometimes cells want to harness the genetic noise—the level of variation in gene expression—to make randomized decisions. Other times cells want to suppress the noise because it makes cells too variable for the good of the organism. Intrinsic features of a gene can imbue them with more or less noise. >> Richard Carthew.
Alex Gerage. Toward principles of gene regulation in multicellular systems. Northwestern University. Jul 1, 2020.
Rachael Bakker, Madhav Mani, Richard W Carthew. The Wg and Dpp morphogens regulate gene expression by modulating the frequency of transcriptional bursts. eLife. doi: 10.7554/eLife.56076. Jun 22, 2020.
