Tradeoffs in simple biomolecular signaling systems

Tradeoffs in system properties are fundamental aspects of engineering design, and are very likely to be important in the analysis and design of biomolecular systems. However, the role of tradeoffs in constraining behavior of biomolecular systems is generally unclear. Here, we investigate the presence of tradeoffs in the input–output responses of an amplifier and a switch using simple analytical models. For an amplifier, we find a tradeoff in the magnitude of gain and its range. We find a similar tradeoff in a switch, between the gain and threshold point. Such tradeoffs also persist in a generalized switch model. These results illustrate simple, yet fundamental, tradeoffs that are present in broad classes of biomolecular signaling systems.