Individual cells are smarter than scientists previously thought

Cells make choices not only based on external signals such as growth factors, but also based on information received from within the cell

Every day, humans make choices for themselves

When making selections, cells consider their state

In this respect, individual cells are no different from humans

"Sufficient decision-making in a single cell uses multimodal perception, allowing the cell to integrate external signals, such as growth factors, with information inside the cell, such as the number of organelles,

Sometimes such internal cues can override external stimuli: in tumors, for example, the actual state of specific cells overrides treatment with antiproliferative drugs, making them therapeutically resistant

Simultaneous analysis of dozens of proteins in millions of cells

To test whether cells make decisions based on contextual, multimodal perception like humans do, scientists must simultaneously measure the activity of multiple signaling nodes (the cells' external sensors), as well as several potential cues from inside the cell, such as the local environment and the number of organelles

The researchers found that variability in the activity of individual sensors across cells was closely related to changes in internal cues

Cells make smart decisions

"For any particular decision by a cell, all external signals and internal cues must be viewed in unison

Reference: Multimodal perception links cellular state to decision-making in single cells