The role of small RNA in regulating key processes in all kingdoms of life is one of the most important discoveries of this decade. In bacteria, gene regulation by small RNA has been implicated in stress response and virulence; In animals microRNAs are involved in development and disease. How does post-transcriptional regulation by RNA complement, rather than overlap, protein-mediated transcriptional regulation? Here we take a quantitative approach to answer this functional question. Based on dynamical modeling and quantitative experiments in E.coli we demonstrate that RNA regulation has unique properties, which make it extremely suitable for controlling cellular response. On the other hand, this mechanism has the potential to exhibit anomalous fluctuations that may have physiological consequences. We propose how these properties may be brought into play during embryonic development of higher organisms.
Coffee and cookies before the presentation at 3:15 pm, and refreshments after the presentation will both be served in Room 128.