| Speaker | Stefanie Widder |
| Title | Selfregulating Gene Switches and Molecular Evolution |
Networks are common themes of molecular evolution. Interacting circuitries of regulatory genes manage the smooth execution of organisms' functions at very high complexity levels. The understanding of such networks relies on the analysis of simpler sub-modules. In the framework of the presented study we developed a model for such a potential building block, an auto-regulatory, minimal gene switch consisting of two mutually activating and inhibiting genes and their products. Its dynamic in parameter space was mathematically analyzed.
Furthermore, we developed a software called RegNet representing an in silico flowreactor, specifically useful for the simulation of molecular evolution of network populations. For the simulations performed, we used populations consisting of network individuals with the described gene switch architecture, whereby specific attention was payed to dynamical aspects. Experiments focusing on the role of noise in the adaptation and evolution of populations and their respective robustness were carried out. The numerical results of such in silico evolution were presented. Particularly the noise-dependent effects causing an enhanced genetic variability in the population and the evolution of noise tolerance via co-evolution of dynamic subspecies were emphasized.