Many scenarios in cellular communication require cells to interpret multiple dynamic signals. It is unclear how exposure to inflammatory stimuli alters transcriptional responses to subsequent stimulus. Using high-throughput microfluidic live-cell analysis, we systematically profile the NF-κB response to different signal sequences in single cells. We find that NF-κB dynamics store the short-term history of received signals: depending on the prior pathogenic or cytokine signal, the NF-κB response to subsequent stimuli varies from no response to full activation. Using information theory, we reveal that these stimulus-dependent changes in the NF-κB response encode and reflect information about the identity and dose of the prior stimulus. Small-molecule inhibition, computational modeling, and gene expression profiling show that this encoding is driven by stimulus-dependent engagement of negative feedback modules. These results provide a model for how signal transduction networks process sequences of inflammatory stimuli to coordinate cellular responses in complex dynamic environments.
Keywords: CP: Immunology; NF-κB; cellular memory; inflammation; information theory; innate immune signaling; live-cell imaging; mathematical modeling; microfluidics; pathogen-associated molecular patterns; signaling dynamics.
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