regulation1.htm

Regulation

We will examine regulation at several levels in an in several contexts.

Levels of regulation

metabolic time scale - regulation of enzyme activity

growth time scale - regulation of protein synthesis

interaction of regulation at these two levels (the two component model)

epigenetic time scale - differentiation (such as formation of heterocysts or stress responses)

population time scales (multiple generations, but less than evolution) - intra-clonal variability

Context of regulation

competition - metabolic and genetic regulation that leads to optimization of physiological components

competition - regulation in a variable environment for optimal growth rates

survival - regulation in variable environments for survival of the "species"

Mechanisms of regulation

simple: (mechanistic, cause and effect)

activation or inactivation of enzymes

repression, induction of gene expression

simple (dynamic): time course of response and interaction, secondary responses

systems: multiple interacting elements (not cause and effect)

descriptive:rich description of the behavior in the linguistics of regulation

complex: basins and "switches" in behaviors