A mathematical model reveals long-distance cell communication mechanism

Science Daily  October 15, 2019
Cells often communicate using signaling molecules, which can travel only a short distance. Nevertheless, the cells can also communicate over large distances to spur collective action. An international team of researchers (USA – UT Houston, South Korea) used an engineered transcriptional circuit of combined positive and negative feedback loops in E. coli, which can periodically release two types of signaling molecules: activator and repressor. As the signaling molecules travel over a short distance, cells can only talk to their nearest neighbors. However, cell communities synchronize oscillatory gene expression in spatially extended systems if the transcriptional circuit contains a positive feedback loop for the activator. It turns out the positive feedback loop reduces the distance between moving points and finally makes them move all together…read more.
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