Physics of Cell Differentiation from Landscape Perspective(Research)

Abstract

We have studied the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell (ES cell) into either trophectoderm or primitive endoderm by simulating the relevant gene regulation network in silico. Our results suggest that the slowness of the transcriptional apparatus formation/dissolution for Nanog gene is critical for the heterogeneity of Nanog protein expression, as well as the discreteness of the cell state, which discriminates ES cell, trophectoderm and primitive endoderm.