Time-dependent information transmission in a model regulatory circuit

Many biological regulatory systems respond with a physiological delay when processing signals. A simple model of regulation which respects these features shows how the ability of a delayed output to transmit information is limited: at short times by the time scale of the dynamic input, at long times by that of the dynamic output. We find that topologies of maximally informative networks correspond to commonly occurring biological circuits linked to stress response and that circuits functioning out of steady state may exploit absorbing states to transmit information optimally.