scholarly journals Dynamic Network-Based Relevance Score Reveals Essential Proteins and Functional Modules in Directed Differentiation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Chou Wu ◽  
Che Lin ◽  
Bor-Sen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Directed Differentiation ◽  
Functional Modules ◽  
Relevance Score ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Function Modules ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

The induction of stem cells toward a desired differentiation direction is required for the advancement of stem cell-based therapies. Despite successful demonstrations of the control of differentiation direction, the effective use of stem cell-based therapies suffers from a lack of systematic knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying directed differentiation. Using dynamic modeling and the temporal microarray data of three differentiation stages, three dynamic protein-protein interaction networks were constructed. The interaction difference networks derived from the constructed networks systematically delineated the evolution of interaction variations and the underlying mechanisms. A proposed relevance score identified the essential components in the directed differentiation. Inspection of well-known proteins and functional modules in the directed differentiation showed the plausibility of the proposed relevance score, with the higher scores of several proteins and function modules indicating their essential roles in the directed differentiation. During the differentiation process, the proteins and functional modules with higher relevance scores also became more specific to the neuronal identity. Ultimately, the essential components revealed by the relevance scores may play a role in controlling the direction of differentiation. In addition, these components may serve as a starting point for understanding the systematic mechanisms of directed differentiation and for increasing the efficiency of stem cell-based therapies.

scholarly journals Network Pharmacology-based Systematic Analysis of Molecular Mechanisms of Dingji Fumai Decoction for Ventricular Arrhythmia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Liang ◽  
Bo Liang ◽  
Rui Xin Wu ◽  
Wen Chen ◽  
Li-zhi ZHAO
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Ventricular Arrhythmia ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Ppi Network ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Function Modules ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background: Dingji Fumai decoction (DFD), a traditional herbal mixture, has been widely used to ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in clinical practice in China. However, research on the bioactive components and underlying mechanisms of DFD in VA is still scarce. Methods: Components of DFD were collected from TCMSP, ETCM, and literature. Then, the chemical structures of each component were obtained from PubChem. Next, SwissADME and SwissTargetPrediction were applied for compounds screening and targets prediction of DFD, meanwhile, targets of VA were collected from DrugBank and OMIM. Then, the H-C-T-D network as well as the PPI network were constructed based on the data obtained above. CytoNCA was utilized to filter hub genes and VarElect was used to analyze the relationship between genes and diseases. At last, Metascape was employed for systematic analysis on the potential targets of herbals against VA, and AutoDock was applied for molecular docking to verify the results.Results: A total of 434 components were collected, 168 of which were qualified, and there were 28 shared targets between DFD and VA. Three function modules of DFD were found from the PPI network. Further systematic analysis of shared genes and function modules explained the potential mechanism of DFD in the treatment of VA, molecular docking has verified the interactions. Conclusions: DFD could be employed for VA through mechanisms, including complex interactions between related components and targets, as predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking. This work confirmed DFD could apply for the treatment of VA and promoted the explaining of DFD for VA in the molecular mechanisms.

Enhanced Structure and Function of Stem Cell-Derived Beta-Like Cells Cultured on Extracellular Matrix

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reena Singh ◽  
Richard Tan ◽  
Clara Tran ◽  
Thomas Loudovaris ◽  
Helen E. Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
Cells Cultured

scholarly journals Characterization of the Survival Influential Genes in Carcinogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4384
Author(s):  
Divya Sahu ◽  
Yu-Lin Chang ◽  
Yin-Chen Lin ◽  
Chen-Ching Lin
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Monte Carlo Algorithm ◽  
Functional Modules ◽  
Protective Genes ◽  
Cancer Types ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Patient Prognosis ◽  
Pan Cancer

The genes influencing cancer patient mortality have been studied by survival analysis for many years. However, most studies utilized them only to support their findings associated with patient prognosis: their roles in carcinogenesis have not yet been revealed. Herein, we applied an in silico approach, integrating the Cox regression model with effect size estimated by the Monte Carlo algorithm, to screen survival-influential genes in more than 6000 tumor samples across 16 cancer types. We observed that the survival-influential genes had cancer-dependent properties. Moreover, the functional modules formed by the harmful genes were consistently associated with cell cycle in 12 out of the 16 cancer types and pan-cancer, showing that dysregulation of the cell cycle could harm patient prognosis in cancer. The functional modules formed by the protective genes are more diverse in cancers; the most prevalent functions are relevant for immune response, implying that patients with different cancer types might develop different mechanisms against carcinogenesis. We also identified a harmful set of 10 genes, with potential as prognostic biomarkers in pan-cancer. Briefly, our results demonstrated that the survival-influential genes could reveal underlying mechanisms in carcinogenesis and might provide clues for developing therapeutic targets for cancers.

scholarly journals Cadherins in early neural development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Punovuori ◽  
Mattias Malaguti ◽  
Sally Lowell
Keyword(s):  
Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Directed Differentiation ◽  
Culture Dish ◽  
Cell Identity ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Neural Tissues ◽  
And Function

AbstractDuring early neural development, changes in signalling inform the expression of transcription factors that in turn instruct changes in cell identity. At the same time, switches in adhesion molecule expression result in cellular rearrangements that define the morphology of the emerging neural tube. It is becoming increasingly clear that these two processes influence each other; adhesion molecules do not simply operate downstream of or in parallel with changes in cell identity but rather actively feed into cell fate decisions. Why are differentiation and adhesion so tightly linked? It is now over 60 years since Conrad Waddington noted the remarkable "Constancy of the Wild Type” (Waddington in Nature 183: 1654–1655, 1959) yet we still do not fully understand the mechanisms that make development so reproducible. Conversely, we do not understand why directed differentiation of cells in a dish is sometimes unpredictable and difficult to control. It has long been suggested that cells make decisions as 'local cooperatives' rather than as individuals (Gurdon in Nature 336: 772–774, 1988; Lander in Cell 144: 955–969, 2011). Given that the cadherin family of adhesion molecules can simultaneously influence morphogenesis and signalling, it is tempting to speculate that they may help coordinate cell fate decisions between neighbouring cells in the embryo to ensure fidelity of patterning, and that the uncoupling of these processes in a culture dish might underlie some of the problems with controlling cell fate decisions ex-vivo. Here we review the expression and function of cadherins during early neural development and discuss how and why they might modulate signalling and differentiation as neural tissues are formed.

scholarly journals Targeting Pin1 for Modulation of Cell Motility and Cancer Therapy

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Hsiang-Hao Chuang ◽  
Yen-Yi Zhen ◽  
Yu-Chen Tsai ◽  
Cheng-Hao Chuang ◽  
Ming-Shyan Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Tumor Suppressors ◽  
Protein Conformation ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Cancer Hallmarks ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (Pin1) specifically binds and isomerizes the phosphorylated serine/threonine-proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) motif, which leads to changes in protein conformation and function. Pin1 is widely overexpressed in cancers and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Mounting evidence has revealed that targeting Pin1 is a potential therapeutic approach for various cancers by inhibiting cell proliferation, reducing metastasis, and maintaining genome stability. In this review, we summarize the underlying mechanisms of Pin1-mediated upregulation of oncogenes and downregulation of tumor suppressors in cancer development. Furthermore, we also discuss the multiple roles of Pin1 in cancer hallmarks and examine Pin1 as a desirable pharmaceutical target for cancer therapy. We also summarize the recent progress of Pin1-targeted small-molecule compounds for anticancer activity.

scholarly journals DNA-based constitutional dynamic networks as functional modules for logic gates and computing circuit operations

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 5473-5483
Author(s):  
Zhixin Zhou ◽  
Jianbang Wang ◽  
R. D. Levine ◽  
Francoise Remacle ◽  
Itamar Willner
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Dynamic Networks ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Logic Gates ◽  
Functional Modules ◽  
Logic Operations

A nucleic acid-based constitutional dynamic network (CDN) provides a single functional computational module for diverse input-guided logic operations and computing circuits.

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