A quantitative molecular model of the lymphocyte death timer

A threshold-based protein ensemble model predicts the time to death of stimulated B and T lymphocytes, using single-cell BCL-2 family protein levels and a critical cutoff.

• Why it matters: The work addresses how lymphocytes set inherited timing for division and death, and how molecular signal integration determines when apoptosis proceeds.
• What they did: The authors compared protein levels in control versus apoptosis-disabled B and T lymphocytes and built a threshold mechanism where death is predicted by BCL-2 family proteins dropping below a critical level.
• The result: Single-cell measurements yield a simple death-time formula, and added inhibition factors account for accelerated death from BH3 mimetic compounds, enabling modular, heritable timer predictions in complex environments.

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