题目：Modulation of gene transcription noise by signal transduction pathways

报告人：唐谟勋教授（Moxun Tang）
Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University

日期：5月12日 （周四） 下午 3:40 - 4:30

地点：闵行数学楼102报告厅

ABSTRACT: Each of us is made of 50 to 75 trillion cells. The cells in our hearts are apparently different from the cells in our eyes, but yet they contain the same set of approximately 23,000 protein-coding genes. Gene transcription is a central cellular process that determines if, when, and to what extent, genes will be expressed, and ultimately defines the cell's identity. Given the magnificent precision of our body plan, it is intriguing to know that gene transcription is a stochastic process. It remains largely unknown how cells balance their functional fidelity and the transcription noise. We approach this question through mathematical modeling that combines differential equations and methods in renewal theory. Our analysis predicted several mechanisms by which genes could stay away from abnormally noisy transcription while living with multiple cross-talking signal transduction pathways. The most efficient mechanism is to maintain a relatively long elongation duration by transcription pausing, interrupting, or back-tracking. Alternatively, high noise strength is prevented if all the signaling pathways activate transcription strongly. If one pathway activates transcription much weakly than others, then low noise is ensured if the cells shut down this noise-making pathway, or, to our big surprise, use it even more frequently.