Memorizing environmental signals through feedback and feedforward loops. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jiang, Yanfei; Hao, Nan
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in cell biology. Volume 69(2021)
• Page Start: 96
• Page End: 102
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Cellular memory -- Network motifs -- Systems biology -- Computational modeling -- Feedback loops -- Desensitization -- Priming -- Phase separation -- Messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) granules; Cells -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Cell Biology -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Cells -- Periodicals; Review Literature -- Periodicals; Cell Biology; Biology; Cells; Review Literature; Cellules -- Périodiques; Cytologie -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.11.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-0674

Abstract

Abstract: Cells in diverse organisms can store the information of previous environmental conditions for long periods of time. This form of cellular memory adjusts the cell's responses to future challenges, providing fitness advantages in fluctuating environments. Many biological functions, including cellular memory, are mediated by specific recurring patterns of interactions among proteins and genes, known as 'network motifs.' In this review, we focus on three well-characterized network motifs — negative feedback loops, positive feedback loops, and feedforward loops, which underlie different types of cellular memories. We describe the latest studies identifying these motifs in various molecular processes and discuss how the topologies and dynamics of these motifs can enable memory encoding and storage.