Stochastic gene expression in a single cell

Science. 2002 Aug 16;297(5584):1183-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1070919.

Abstract

Clonal populations of cells exhibit substantial phenotypic variation. Such heterogeneity can be essential for many biological processes and is conjectured to arise from stochasticity, or noise, in gene expression. We constructed strains of Escherichia coli that enable detection of noise and discrimination between the two mechanisms by which it is generated. Both stochasticity inherent in the biochemical process of gene expression (intrinsic noise) and fluctuations in other cellular components (extrinsic noise) contribute substantially to overall variation. Transcription rate, regulatory dynamics, and genetic factors control the amplitude of noise. These results establish a quantitative foundation for modeling noise in genetic networks and reveal how low intracellular copy numbers of molecules can fundamentally limit the precision of gene regulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Culture Media
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins*
  • Fluorescence
  • Gene Dosage
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Isopropyl Thiogalactoside / metabolism
  • Isopropyl Thiogalactoside / pharmacology
  • Lac Repressors
  • Luminescent Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics*
  • Plasmids
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Stochastic Processes
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Culture Media
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Lac Repressors
  • LacI protein, E coli
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Isopropyl Thiogalactoside