Confinement and diffusion modulate bistability and stochastic switching in a reaction network with positive feedback

• DOI: 10.1063/1.4939219
• Publication Date: 2016-01-05T21:10:18Z
• Authors: Paul J. Mlynarczyk; Robert H. Pullen; Steven M. Abel
• Keywords: Bistability; Positive feedback; Negative feedback; SIGNAL (programming language); Feedback loop; Collective Behavior

Positive feedback is a common feature in signal transduction networks and can lead to phenomena such as bistability propagation by domain growth. Physical features of the cellular environment, spatial confinement mobility proteins, play important but inadequately understood roles shaping behavior signaling networks. Here, we use stochastic, spatially resolved kinetic Monte Carlo simulations explore positive network function system size, shape, molecules. We show that these physical properties markedly alter characteristics stochastic switching when compared with well-mixed simulations. Notably, systems equal volume different shapes exhibit qualitatively behaviors under otherwise identical conditions. state maintained occurs cluster formation Additionally, frequency at which depends nontrivially on diffusion coefficient, promote or suppress relative limit. Taken together, results provide framework for understanding how protein influence emergent modulating molecular concentrations, diffusion-influenced rate parameters, spatiotemporal correlations between