A General Mechanism for Network-Dosage Compensation in Gene Circuits

Abstract

Invariant in the Face of Change The number of copies of a gene network in a cell, or network dosage, is altered in a variety of situations, including switching between haploid and diploid states, and during cell cycle progression. Combining experimental and computational approaches, Acar et al. (p. 1656 ) explore how the activity of a gene network can be invariant despite alterations in network dosage. A two-component genetic circuit with elements of opposite regulatory activity (that is, an activator and an inhibitor) was revealed as a minimal requirement. Specific network topologies and a 1-to-1 interaction stoichiometry between the activating and inhibiting agents also represented essential elements for network-dosage compensation.