AUTHOR=Díaz-Hernández Orlando , Santillán Moisés 

TITLE=Bistable Behavior of the Lac Operon in E. Coli When Induced with a Mixture of Lactose and TMG

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=1

YEAR=2010

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2010.00022

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2010.00022

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>In this work we investigate multistability in the <italic>lac</italic> operon of <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> when it is induced by a mixture of lactose and the non-metabolizable thiomethyl galactoside (TMG). In accordance with previously published experimental results and computer simulations, our simulations predict that: (1) when the system is induced by TMG, the system shows a discernible bistable behavior while, (2) when the system is induced by lactose, bistability does not disappear but excessively high concentrations of lactose would be required to observe it. Finally, our simulation results predict that when a mixture of lactose and TMG is used, the bistability region in the extracellular glucose concentration vs. extracellular lactose concentration parameter space changes in such a way that the model predictions regarding bistability could be tested experimentally. These experiments could help to solve a recent controversy regarding the existence of bistability in the <italic>lac</italic> operon under natural conditions.</p>