The Cell Cycle Switch Computes Approximate Majority

Luca Cardelli, Attila Csikasz-Nagy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

109 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Both computational and biological systems have to make decisions about switching from one state to another. The 'Approximate Majority' computational algorithm provides the asymptotically fastest way to reach a common decision by all members of a population between two possible outcomes, where the decision approximately matches the initial relative majority. The network that regulates the mitotic entry of the cell-cycle in eukaryotes also makes a decision before it induces early mitotic processes. Here we show that the switch from inactive to active forms of the mitosis promoting Cyclin Dependent Kinases is driven by a system that is related to both the structure and the dynamics of the Approximate Majority computation. We investigate the behavior of these two switches by deterministic, stochastic and probabilistic methods and show that the steady states and temporal dynamics of the two systems are similar and they are exchangeable as components of oscillatory networks.

Original languageEnglish
Article number656
Pages (from-to)-
Number of pages9
JournalScientific Reports
Volume2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Sept 2012

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