In this section
@article{Maretvadakethope:2026:10.1016/j.coisb.2026.100587,
author = {Maretvadakethope, S and Perez-Carrasco, R},
doi = {10.1016/j.coisb.2026.100587},
journal = {Current Opinion in Systems Biology},
title = {Simple systems, complex dynamics: Lessons from minimal gene regulatory networks},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coisb.2026.100587},
volume = {44},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Small gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are well-established biological modules that underpin cellular decisions and dynamical function. Their theoretical understanding has largely been shaped by the motif idea, which links simple network wiring patterns to behaviours. This approach has been extremely influential, providing a clear and widely used language for regulatory logic, facilitating the understanding of behaviours such as bistability, ultra-sensitivity, or oscillations. However, a growing body of theoretical and experimental work now challenges the idea that circuit behaviour is fully determined by topology alone, revealing that even very small GRNs can exhibit much richer dynamics once molecular implementation, stochasticity, and upstream modulation are taken into account. Recent advances show that the timing, precision, and reversibility of cell-fate decisions depend critically on signal history, noise structure, and molecular context, even in minimal circuits. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that small GRNs support a wide range of non-canonical dynamical behaviours including mushroom and isola bifurcations, hybrid oscillatory–switching regimes, and pronounced critical slowing down, substantially expanding their functional repertoire without increasing topological complexity. Crucially, these behaviours are highly sensitive to how regulation is implemented at the molecular level: distinct promoter architectures, regulatory logics, and stochastic mechanisms—often hidden by standard Hill-function descriptions—can qualitatively reshape circuit dynamics, requiring an explicit link between abstract network structure and specific biophysical processes. Together, these results expose fundamental limits to inferring function from topology alone or to reconstructing mechanisms from expression data. Rather than simplified motifs, Small GRNs still provide a uniquely powerful setting in which to explore these open questions in order to progress
AU - Maretvadakethope,S
AU - Perez-Carrasco,R
DO - 10.1016/j.coisb.2026.100587
PY - 2026///
TI - Simple systems, complex dynamics: Lessons from minimal gene regulatory networks
T2 - Current Opinion in Systems Biology
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coisb.2026.100587
VL - 44
ER -
Interested in studying a PhD at the Department of Life Sciences? Find out more about postgraduate research opportunties.