Emergent Criticality in Coupled Boolean Networks

Early embryonic development involves forming all specialized cells from a fluid-like mass of identical stem cells. The differentiation process consists of a series of symmetry-breaking events, starting from a high-symmetry state (stem cells) to a low-symmetry state (specialized cells). This scenario...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-01, Vol.25 (2), p.235
Main Authors: Kang, Chris, McElroy, Madelynn, Voulgarakis, Nikolaos K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algebra, Boolean
Analysis
Boolean
Boolean functions
Broken symmetry
cell differentiation
Cell division
Connectivity
coupled Boolean networks
Differentiation (biology)
Embryonic stem cells
Fuzzy sets
Gene expression
Ising model
multilayer Ising model
Multilayers
Phase transitions
self-tuned criticality
Set theory
Statistical analysis
Statistical mechanics
Steady state
Stem cells
Symmetry
symmetry breaking
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Summary:Early embryonic development involves forming all specialized cells from a fluid-like mass of identical stem cells. The differentiation process consists of a series of symmetry-breaking events, starting from a high-symmetry state (stem cells) to a low-symmetry state (specialized cells). This scenario closely resembles phase transitions in statistical mechanics. To theoretically study this hypothesis, we model embryonic stem cell (ESC) populations through a coupled Boolean network (BN) model. The interaction is applied using a multilayer Ising model that considers paracrine and autocrine signaling, along with external interventions. It is demonstrated that cell-to-cell variability can be interpreted as a mixture of steady-state probability distributions. Simulations have revealed that such models can undergo a series of first- and second-order phase transitions as a function of the system parameters that describe gene expression noise and interaction strengths. These phase transitions result in spontaneous symmetry-breaking events that generate new types of cells characterized by various steady-state distributions. Coupled BNs have also been shown to self-organize in states that allow spontaneous cell differentiation.
ISSN:1099-4300
1099-4300
DOI:10.3390/e25020235