scholarly journals Design of a biochemical circuit motif for learning linear functions

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (101) ◽  
pp. 20140902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Lakin ◽  
Amanda Minnich ◽  
Terran Lane ◽  
Darko Stefanovic

Learning and adaptive behaviour are fundamental biological processes. A key goal in the field of bioengineering is to develop biochemical circuit architectures with the ability to adapt to dynamic chemical environments. Here, we present a novel design for a biomolecular circuit capable of supervised learning of linear functions, using a model based on chemical reactions catalysed by DNAzymes. To achieve this, we propose a novel mechanism of maintaining and modifying internal state in biochemical systems, thereby advancing the state of the art in biomolecular circuit architecture. We use simulations to demonstrate that the circuit is capable of learning behaviour and assess its asymptotic learning performance, scalability and robustness to noise. Such circuits show great potential for building autonomous in vivo nanomedical devices. While such a biochemical system can tell us a great deal about the fundamentals of learning in living systems and may have broad applications in biomedicine (e.g. autonomous and adaptive drugs), it also offers some intriguing challenges and surprising behaviours from a machine learning perspective.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisaya Tanioka ◽  
Sayaka Tanioka

AbstractAlthough the otolith and otolith organs correlate with vertigo and instability, there is no method to investigate them without harmful procedures. We will create the technique for 3D microanatomical images of them, and investigate the in vivo internal state and metabolisms. The otolith and otolith organs images were reconstructed from a texture synthesis algorithm under the skull volume rendering algorithm using a cutting-plane method. The utricular macula was elongated pea-shaped. The saccular macula was almost bud-shaped. The changes in the amount of CaCO3 in the maculae and the endolymphatic sac showed various morphologies, reflecting the balance status of each subject. Both shapes and volumes were not always constant depending on time. In Meniere’s disease (MD), the saccular macula was larger and the utricular macula was smaller. In benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the otolith increased in the utricular macula but did not change much in the saccular macula. The saccule, utricle, and endolymphatic sac were not constantly shaped according to their conditions. These created 3D microanatomical images can allow detailed observations of changes in physiological and biological information. This imaging technique will contribute to our understanding of pathology and calcium metabolism in the in vivo vestibulum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangfan Xu ◽  
Xianqun Fan ◽  
Yang Hu

AbstractEnzyme-catalyzed proximity labeling (PL) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a revolutionary approach to reveal the protein-protein interaction networks, dissect complex biological processes, and characterize the subcellular proteome in a more physiological setting than before. The enzymatic tags are being upgraded to improve temporal and spatial resolution and obtain faster catalytic dynamics and higher catalytic efficiency. In vivo application of PL integrated with other state of the art techniques has recently been adapted in live animals and plants, allowing questions to be addressed that were previously inaccessible. It is timely to summarize the current state of PL-dependent interactome studies and their potential applications. We will focus on in vivo uses of newer versions of PL and highlight critical considerations for successful in vivo PL experiments that will provide novel insights into the protein interactome in the context of human diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan J. VanDusen ◽  
Julianna Y. Lee ◽  
Weiliang Gu ◽  
Catalina E. Butler ◽  
Isha Sethi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe forward genetic screen is a powerful, unbiased method to gain insights into biological processes, yet this approach has infrequently been used in vivo in mammals because of high resource demands. Here, we use in vivo somatic Cas9 mutagenesis to perform an in vivo forward genetic screen in mice to identify regulators of cardiomyocyte (CM) maturation, the coordinated changes in phenotype and gene expression that occur in neonatal CMs. We discover and validate a number of transcriptional regulators of this process. Among these are RNF20 and RNF40, which form a complex that monoubiquitinates H2B on lysine 120. Mechanistic studies indicate that this epigenetic mark controls dynamic changes in gene expression required for CM maturation. These insights into CM maturation will inform efforts in cardiac regenerative medicine. More broadly, our approach will enable unbiased forward genetics across mammalian organ systems.


Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 725
Author(s):  
Saeyeong Jeon ◽  
Youjin Lee ◽  
Daeho Ryu ◽  
Yoon Kyung Cho ◽  
Yena Lee ◽  
...  

During the last decade, optogenetics has become an essential tool for neuroscience research due to its unrivaled feature of cell-type-specific neuromodulation. There have been several technological advances in light delivery devices. Among them, the combination of optogenetics and electrophysiology provides an opportunity for facilitating optogenetic approaches. In this study, a novel design of an optrode array was proposed for realizing optical modulation and electrophysiological recording. A 4 × 4 optrode array and five-channel recording electrodes were assembled as a disposable part, while a reusable part comprised an LED (light-emitting diode) source and a power line. After the characterization of the intensity of the light delivered at the fiber tips, in vivo animal experiment was performed with transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin, showing the effectiveness of optical activation and neural recording.


2013 ◽  
Vol 200 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mini Jose ◽  
Sylvain Tollis ◽  
Deepak Nair ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Sibarita ◽  
Derek McCusker

Formation of a stable polarity axis underlies numerous biological processes. Here, using high-resolution imaging and complementary mathematical modeling we find that cell polarity can be established via the spatial coordination of opposing membrane trafficking activities: endocytosis and exocytosis. During polarity establishment in budding yeast, these antagonistic processes become apposed. Endocytic vesicles corral a central exocytic zone, tightening it to a vertex that establishes the polarity axis for the ensuing cell cycle. Concomitantly, the endocytic system reaches an equilibrium where internalization events occur at a constant frequency. Endocytic mutants that failed to initiate periodic internalization events within the corral displayed wide, unstable polarity axes. These results, predicted by in silico modeling and verified by high resolution in vivo studies, identify a requirement for endocytic corralling during robust polarity establishment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Kosarwal ◽  
Don Kulasiri ◽  
Sandhya Samarasinghe

Abstract Background Numerical solutions of the chemical master equation (CME) are important for understanding the stochasticity of biochemical systems. However, solving CMEs is a formidable task. This task is complicated due to the nonlinear nature of the reactions and the size of the networks which result in different realizations. Most importantly, the exponential growth of the size of the state-space, with respect to the number of different species in the system makes this a challenging assignment. When the biochemical system has a large number of variables, the CME solution becomes intractable. We introduce the intelligent state projection (ISP) method to use in the stochastic analysis of these systems. For any biochemical reaction network, it is important to capture more than one moment: this allows one to describe the system’s dynamic behaviour. ISP is based on a state-space search and the data structure standards of artificial intelligence (AI). It can be used to explore and update the states of a biochemical system. To support the expansion in ISP, we also develop a Bayesian likelihood node projection (BLNP) function to predict the likelihood of the states. Results To demonstrate the acceptability and effectiveness of our method, we apply the ISP method to several biological models discussed in prior literature. The results of our computational experiments reveal that the ISP method is effective both in terms of the speed and accuracy of the expansion, and the accuracy of the solution. This method also provides a better understanding of the state-space of the system in terms of blueprint patterns. Conclusions The ISP is the de-novo method which addresses both accuracy and performance problems for CME solutions. It systematically expands the projection space based on predefined inputs. This ensures accuracy in the approximation and an exact analytical solution for the time of interest. The ISP was more effective both in predicting the behavior of the state-space of the system and in performance management, which is a vital step towards modeling large biochemical systems.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Schmelzer ◽  
Mitsuaki Kitano ◽  
Gerald Rimbach ◽  
Petra Niklowitz ◽  
Thomas Menke ◽  
...  

MicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in key biological processes via suppression of gene expression at posttranscriptional levels. According to their superior functions, subtle modulation of miR expression by certain compounds or nutrients is desirable under particular conditions. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces a reactive oxygen species-/NF-κB-dependent pathway which increases the expression of the anti-inflammatory miR-146a. We hypothesized that this induction could be modulated by the antioxidant ubiquinol-10. Preincubation of human monocytic THP-1 cells with ubiquinol-10 reduced the LPS-induced expression level of miR-146a to 78.9±13.22%. In liver samples of mice injected with LPS, supplementation with ubiquinol-10 leads to a reduction of LPS-induced miR-146a expression to 78.12±21.25%. From these consistent in vitro and in vivo data, we conclude that ubiquinol-10 may fine-tune the inflammatory response via moderate reduction of miR-146a expression.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp S. Lienemann ◽  
Stéphanie Metzger ◽  
Anna-Sofia Kiveliö ◽  
Alain Blanc ◽  
Panagiota Papageorgiou ◽  
...  

Abstract Over the last decades, great strides were made in the development of novel implants for the treatment of bone defects. The increasing versatility and complexity of these implant designs request for concurrent advances in means to assess in vivo the course of induced bone formation in preclinical models. Since its discovery, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has excelled as powerful high-resolution technique for non-invasive assessment of newly formed bone tissue. However, micro-CT fails to provide spatiotemporal information on biological processes ongoing during bone regeneration. Conversely, due to the versatile applicability and cost-effectiveness, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) would be an ideal technique for assessing such biological processes with high sensitivity and for nuclear imaging comparably high resolution (<1 mm). Herein, we employ modular designed poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels that release bone morphogenetic protein to guide the healing of critical sized calvarial bone defects. By combined in vivo longitudinal multi-pinhole SPECT and micro-CT evaluations we determine the spatiotemporal course of bone formation and remodeling within this synthetic hydrogel implant. End point evaluations by high resolution micro-CT and histological evaluation confirm the value of this approach to follow and optimize bone-inducing biomaterials.


Author(s):  
Shawn Regis ◽  
Manisha Jassal ◽  
Sina Youssefian ◽  
Nima Rahbar ◽  
Sankha Bhowmick

Fibronectin plays a crucial role in adhesion of several cell types, mainly due to the fact that it is recognized by at least ten different integrin receptors. Since most cell types can bind to fibronectin, it becomes involved in many various biological processes. The interaction of cells with ECM proteins such as fibronectin provides the signals affecting morphology, motility, gene expression, and survival of cells [1]. Fibronectin exists in both soluble and insoluble forms; soluble fibronectin is secreted by cells and exits in cell media or body fluids, whereas insoluble fibronectin exists in tissues or the extracellular matrix of cultured cells [2]. The ability to control adsorption of fibronectin on tissue engineering scaffolds would therefore play a huge role in controlling cell attachment and survival in vivo. This can be achieved through surface functionalization of the scaffolds. The goal of these studies is to use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to mechanistically understand how fibronectin adsorption is enhanced by surface functionalization of submicron scaffolds.


2018 ◽  
Vol 399 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weifeng Yang ◽  
Houting Zhang ◽  
Lin Xin

AbstractNanoparticles (NPs) are recognized as an attractive vehicles for cancer treatment due to their targeted drug release. Gastric cancer is an important killer disease, and its therapy methods still need improvement. The NPs were prepared using a precipitation method, and were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MTT and Transwell assays were used to determine cell viability and apoptosis.In vivoexperiments were performed to validate the effects of NPs on tumor growth. Methioninase (METase)/5-Fu co-encaspulated NPs showed highest ζ size and lowest ζ potential than other NPs. The migration and tumorsphere formation ability of CD44(+) was stronger than CD44(−). The effects of METase/5-Fu co-encaspulated NPs on inhibition cell growth was stronger than that of 5-Fu encaspulated NPs, while HA coated NPs showed significant target ability than that NPs without HA. METase supplementation promoted the inhibition effect of 5-Fu on thymidylate synthetase (TS), as well as cell apoptosis. Thein vivoexperiments demonstrated that HA coated NPs significantly inhibited tumor growth. It was concluded that HA-coated NPs enhance the target ability, while METase/5-Fu co-encaspulated NPs promote the inhibition effects on tumor growth in gastric cancer.


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