Bistability, Epigenetics, and Bet-Hedging in Bacteria

Clonal populations of microbial cells often show a high degree of phenotypic variability under homogeneous conditions. Stochastic fluctuations in the cellular components that determine cellular states can cause two distinct subpopulations, a property called bistability. Phenotypic heterogeneity can be readily obtained by interlinking multiple gene regulatory pathways, effectively resulting in a genetic logic-AND gate. Although switching between states can occur within the cells' lifetime, cells can also pass their cellular state over to the next generation by a mechanism known as epigenetic inheritance and thus perpetuate the phenotypic state. Importantly, heterogeneous populations can demonstrate increased…

• EC
  European Commission
• NO
  Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
• DF
  Directorate for Biological Sciences
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council