An investigation of signal transduction and irreversible decision making through monostable and bistable switches

Abstract

Highly nonlinear signal transduction is ubiquitous in cell signalling pathways with switch-like behaviour encountered repeatedly. Monostable and bistable switches represent distinct basic switches which are encountered. A number of contexts in cellular signalling (e.g. apopotosis and cell cycle) involve essentially irreversible transitions and decision making. In this article we examine signal transduction through prototypical monostable and bistable switches with a view towards understanding how irreversible signal transduction may occur through them and also examine the similarities and differences in signal transduction and decision making to classes of experimentally employed inputs. The study provides insights into how irreversible transitions may be orchestrated through different switches in cell signalling, the underlying design characteristics, capabilities and constraints involved, and the extent to which these switches can be distinguished based on irreversible decision making to experimentally available classes of inputs.