RESUMO
Computational models of biological processes provide one of the most powerful methods for a detailed analysis of the mechanisms that drive the behavior of complex systems. Logic-based modeling has enhanced our understanding and interpretation of those systems. Defining rules that determine how the output activity of biological entities is regulated by their respective inputs has proven to be challenging. Partly this is because of the inherent noise in data that allows multiple model parameterizations to fit the experimental observations, but some of it is also due to the fact that models become increasingly larger, making the use of automated tools to assemble the underlying rules indispensable. We present several Boolean function metrics that provide modelers with the appropriate framework to analyze the impact of a particular model parameterization. We demonstrate the link between a semantic characterization of a Boolean function and its consistency with the model's underlying regulatory structure. We further define the properties that outline such consistency and show that several of the Boolean functions under study violate them, questioning their biological plausibility and subsequent use. We also illustrate that regulatory functions can have major differences with regard to their asymptotic output behavior, with some of them being biased towards specific Boolean outcomes when others are dependent on the ratio between activating and inhibitory regulators. Application results show that in a specific signaling cancer network, the function bias can be used to guide the choice of logical operators for a model that matches data observations. Moreover, graph analysis indicates that commonly used Boolean functions become more biased with increasing numbers of regulators, supporting the idea that rule specification can effectively determine regulatory outcome despite the complex dynamics of biological networks.
Assuntos
Benchmarking , Transdução de Sinais , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , LógicaRESUMO
The YEASTRACT+ information system (http://YEASTRACT-PLUS.org/) is a wide-scope tool for the analysis and prediction of transcription regulatory associations at the gene and genomic levels in yeasts of biotechnological or human health relevance. YEASTRACT+ is a new portal that integrates the previously existing YEASTRACT (http://www.yeastract.com/) and PathoYeastract (http://pathoyeastract.org/) databases and introduces the NCYeastract (Non-Conventional Yeastract) database (http://ncyeastract.org/), focused on the so-called non-conventional yeasts. The information in the YEASTRACT database, focused on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was updated. PathoYeastract was extended to include two additional pathogenic yeast species: Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis. Furthermore, the NCYeastract database was created, including five biotechnologically relevant yeast species: Zygosaccharomyces baillii, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Yarrowia lipolytica and Komagataella phaffii. The YEASTRACT+ portal gathers 289 706 unique documented regulatory associations between transcription factors (TF) and target genes and 420 DNA binding sites, considering 247 TFs from 10 yeast species. YEASTRACT+ continues to make available tools for the prediction of the TFs involved in the regulation of gene/genomic expression. In this release, these tools were upgraded to enable predictions based on orthologous regulatory associations described for other yeast species, including two new tools for cross-species transcription regulation comparison, based on multi-species promoter and TF regulatory network analyses.
Assuntos
Biologia Computacional/métodos , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Genoma Fúngico , Genômica , Leveduras/genética , Sítios de Ligação , Candida tropicalis/genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Kluyveromyces/genética , Filogenia , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Software , Especificidade da Espécie , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Transcrição Gênica , Yarrowia/genética , Zygosaccharomyces/genéticaRESUMO
Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii share more than 95% genome sequence homology, only S. cerevisiae var. boulardii displays probiotic activity. In this study, the transcriptomic differences exhibited by S. cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii in intestinal like medium were evaluated. S. cerevisiae was found to display stress response overexpression, consistent with higher ability of S. cerevisiae var. boulardii to survive within the human host, while S. cerevisiae var. boulardii exhibited transcriptional patterns associated with probiotic activity, suggesting increased acetate biosynthesis. Resorting to the creation of a S. cerevisiae var. boulardii genomic database within Yeastract+, a possible correlation between loss or gain of transcription factor binding sites in S. cerevisiae var. boulardii promoters and the transcriptomic pattern is discussed. This study suggests that S. cerevisiae var. boulardii probiotic activity, when compared to S. cerevisiae, relies, at least partially, on differential expression regulation, based on promoter variability.
Assuntos
Polimorfismo Genético , Probióticos , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Transcriptoma , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Ativação TranscricionalRESUMO
Numerous genomes are sequenced and made available to the community through the NCBI portal. However, and, unlike what happens for gene function annotation, annotation of promoter sequences and the underlying prediction of regulatory associations is mostly unavailable, severely limiting the ability to interpret genome sequences in a functional genomics perspective. Here we present an approach where one can download a genome of interest from NCBI in the GenBank Flat File (.gbff) format and, with a minimum set of commands, have all the information parsed, organized and made available through the platform web interface. Also, the new genomes are compared with a given genome of reference in search of homologous genes, shared regulatory elements and predicted transcription associations. We present this approach within the context of Community YEASTRACT of the YEASTRACT + portal, thus benefiting from immediate access to all the comparative genomics queries offered in the YEASTRACT + portal. Besides the yeast community, other communities can install the platform independently, without any constraints. In this work, we exemplify the usefulness of the presented tool, within Community YEASTRACT, in constructing a dedicated database and analysing the genome of the highly promising oleaginous red yeast species Rhodotorula toruloides currently poorly studied at the genome and transcriptome levels and with limited genome editing tools. Regulatory prediction is based on the conservation of promoter sequences and available regulatory networks. The case-study examined is focused on the Haa1 transcription factor-a key regulator of yeast resistance to acetic acid, an important inhibitor of industrial bioconversion of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The new tool described here led to the prediction of a RtHaa1 regulon with expected impact in the optimization of R. toruloides robustness for lignocellulosic and pectin-rich residue biorefinery processes.
Assuntos
Regulon , Leveduras , Anotação de Sequência Molecular , Rhodotorula , Fatores de Transcrição , Leveduras/genéticaRESUMO
Responding to the recent interest of the yeast research community in non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae species of biotechnological relevance, the N.C.Yeastract (http://yeastract-plus.org/ncyeastract/) was associated to YEASTRACT + (http://yeastract-plus.org/). The YEASTRACT + portal is a curated repository of known regulatory associations between transcription factors (TFs) and target genes in yeasts. N.C.Yeastract gathers all published regulatory associations and TF-binding sites for Komagataellaphaffii (formerly Pichia pastoris), the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the lactose fermenting species Kluyveromyces lactis and Kluyveromyces marxianus, and the remarkably weak acid-tolerant food spoilage yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii. The objective of this review paper is to advertise the update of the existing information since the release of N.C.Yeastract in 2019, and to raise awareness in the community about its potential to help the day-to-day work on these species, exploring all the information available in the global YEASTRACT + portal. Using simple and widely used examples, a guided exploitation is offered for several tools: (i) inference of orthologous genes; (ii) search for putative TF binding sites and (iii) inter-species comparison of transcription regulatory networks and prediction of TF-regulated networks based on documented regulatory associations available in YEASTRACT + for well-studied species. The usage potentialities of the new CommunityYeastract platform by the yeast community are also discussed.
Assuntos
Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Yarrowia , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Genômica , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Leveduras/genéticaRESUMO
The YEAst Search for Transcriptional Regulators And Consensus Tracking (YEASTRACT-www.yeastract.com) information system has been, for 11 years, a key tool for the analysis and prediction of transcription regulatory associations at the gene and genomic levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Since its last update in June 2017, YEASTRACT includes approximately 163000 regulatory associations between transcription factors (TF) and target genes in S. cerevisiae, based on more than 1600 bibliographic references; it also includes 247 specific DNA binding consensus recognized by 113 TFs. This release of the YEASTRACT database provides new visualization tools to visualize each regulatory network in an interactive fashion, enabling the user to select and observe subsets of the network such as: (i) considering only DNA binding evidence or both DNA binding and expression evidence; (ii) considering only either positive or negative regulatory associations; or (iii) considering only one set of related environmental conditions. A further tool to observe TF regulons is also offered, enabling a clear-cut understanding of the exact meaning of the available data. We believe that with this new version, YEASTRACT will improve its role as an open web resource instrumental for Yeast Biologists and Systems Biology researchers.
Assuntos
Bases de Dados Genéticas , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Transcrição Gênica , Regulon , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Bifurcation theory provides a powerful framework to analyze the dynamics of differential systems as a function of specific parameters. Abou-Jaoudé et al. (2009) introduced the concept of logical bifurcation diagrams, an analog of bifurcation diagrams for the logical modeling framework. In this work, we propose a formal definition of this concept. Since logical models are inherently discrete, we use the piecewise differential (PWLD) framework to introduce the underlying bifurcation parameters. Given a regulatory graph, a set of PWLD models is mapped to a set of logical models consistent with this graph, thereby linking continuous changes of bifurcation parameters to sequences of valuations of logical parameters. A logical bifurcation diagram corresponds then to a sequence of valuations of the logical parameters (with their associated set of attractors) consistent with at least one bifurcation diagram of the set of PWLD models. Necessary conditions on logical bifurcation diagrams in the general case, as well as a characterization of these diagrams in the Boolean case, exploiting a partial order between the logical parameters, are provided. We also propose a procedure to determine a logical bifurcation diagram of maximum length, starting from an initial valuation of the logical parameters, in the Boolean case. Finally, we apply our methodology to the analysis of a biological model of the p53-Mdm2 network.
Assuntos
Algoritmos , Simulação por Computador , Modelos GenéticosRESUMO
The identification of large regulatory and signalling networks involved in the control of crucial cellular processes calls for proper modelling approaches. Indeed, models can help elucidate properties of these networks, understand their behaviour and provide (testable) predictions by performing in silico experiments. In this context, qualitative, logical frameworks have emerged as relevant approaches, as demonstrated by a growing number of published models, along with new methodologies and software tools. This productive activity now requires a concerted effort to ensure model reusability and interoperability between tools. Following an outline of the logical modelling framework, we present the most important achievements of the Consortium for Logical Models and Tools, along with future objectives. Our aim is to advertise this open community, which welcomes contributions from all researchers interested in logical modelling or in related mathematical and computational developments.
Assuntos
Células/metabolismo , Simulação por Computador , Modelos Teóricos , Software/normas , Animais , Humanos , Redes e Vias Metabólicas , Sociedades Científicas , Biologia de Sistemas/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: With the decrease of DNA sequencing costs, sequence-based typing methods are rapidly becoming the gold standard for epidemiological surveillance. These methods provide reproducible and comparable results needed for a global scale bacterial population analysis, while retaining their usefulness for local epidemiological surveys. Online databases that collect the generated allelic profiles and associated epidemiological data are available but this wealth of data remains underused and are frequently poorly annotated since no user-friendly tool exists to analyze and explore it. RESULTS: PHYLOViZ is platform independent Java software that allows the integrated analysis of sequence-based typing methods, including SNP data generated from whole genome sequence approaches, and associated epidemiological data. goeBURST and its Minimum Spanning Tree expansion are used for visualizing the possible evolutionary relationships between isolates. The results can be displayed as an annotated graph overlaying the query results of any other epidemiological data available. CONCLUSIONS: PHYLOViZ is a user-friendly software that allows the combined analysis of multiple data sources for microbial epidemiological and population studies. It is freely available at http://www.phyloviz.net.
Assuntos
Filogenia , Análise de Sequência de DNA/métodos , Software , Algoritmos , Repetições Minissatélites , Tipagem de Sequências Multilocus/métodos , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Streptococcus pneumoniae/classificação , Streptococcus pneumoniae/genéticaRESUMO
The ability of living organisms to survive changing environmental conditions is dependent on the implementation of gene expression programs underlying adaptation and fitness. Transcriptional networks can be exceptionally complex: a single transcription factor (TF) may regulate hundreds of genes, and multiple TFs may regulate a single gene-depending on the environmental conditions. Moreover, the same TF may act as an activator or repressor in distinct conditions. In turn, the activity of regulators themselves may be dependent on other TFs, as well as posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation. These traits greatly contribute to the intricate networks governing gene expression programs.In this chapter, a step-by-step guide of how to use PathoYeastract, one of several interconnecting databases within the YEASTRACT+ portal, to predict gene and genomic regulation in Candida spp. is provided. PathoYeastract contains a set of analysis tools to study regulatory associations in human pathogenic yeasts, enabling: (1) the prediction and ranking of TFs that contribute to the regulation of individual genes; (2) the prediction of the genes regulated by a given TF; and (3) the prediction and ranking of TFs that regulate a genome-wide transcriptional response. These capabilities are illustrated, respectively, with the analysis of: (1) the TF network controlling the C. glabrata QDR2 gene; (2) the regulon controlled by the C. glabrata TF Rpn4; and (3) the regulatory network controlling the C. glabrata transcriptome-wide changes induced upon exposure to the antifungal drug fluconazole. The newest potentialities of this information system are explored, including cross-species network comparison. The results are discussed considering the performed queries and integrated with the current knowledge on the biological data for each case-study.
Assuntos
Candida , Genômica , Candida/genética , Candida/metabolismo , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Genômica/métodos , Regulon , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Unipotent male germline stem (GS) cells can undergo spontaneous reprogramming to germline pluripotent stem (GPS) cells during in vitro culture. In our previous study, we proposed a Boolean logical model of gene regulatory network (GRN) during reprogramming of GS cells to GPS cells. This study was designed to predict and model synergistic microRNA (miRNA) regulatory network during reprogramming of GS cells into GPS cells. The miRNAs targeting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among GS and GPS cells were predicted by a novel Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis to construct miRNA synergistic networks (MSN) and identify regulatory miRNA modules. Qualitative Boolean logical model of synergistic miRNAs and its regulated genes was then constructed by considering discrete, asynchronous, multivalued logical formalism using the GINsim modeling and simulation tools. Topology, functional and community overlap studies revealed that mmu-miR-200b-3p, mmu-miR-429-3p and mmu-miR-141-3p, mmu-miR-200a-3p and mmu-miR-200c-3p in MSN belongs to the family of miR-200/429/141 and conjectured to control the pluripotency and reprogramming by promoting Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition (MET). Synergistic network involving mmu-miR-20b-5p, mmu-miR-20a-5p, mmu-miR-106a-5p, mmu-miR-106b-5p, and mmu-miR-17-5p were found to be essential for the maintenance of GS cells. Logical miRNA regulatory network modelling showed that synergistic miRNAs regulates the gene dynamics of MET during GS-GPS reprogramming, as confirmed by perturbation analysis. Taken together, our study predicted novel synergistic miRNAs involved in the regulation of reprogramming and pluripotency in GPS cells. The Boolean logical model of synergistic miRNAs regulatory network further confirms our previous study that gene dynamics of MET regulates GS-GPS reprogramming.
Assuntos
Reprogramação Celular/fisiologia , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/fisiologia , Células Germinativas/fisiologia , MicroRNAs/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/fisiologia , Animais , Previsões , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , CamundongosRESUMO
The Yeast search for transcriptional regulators and consensus tracking (YEASTRACT) information system (www.yeastract.com) was developed to support the analysis of transcription regulatory associations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Last updated in September 2007, this database contains over 30 990 regulatory associations between Transcription Factors (TFs) and target genes and includes 284 specific DNA binding sites for 108 characterized TFs. Computational tools are also provided to facilitate the exploitation of the gathered data when solving a number of biological questions, in particular the ones that involve the analysis of global gene expression results. In this new release, YEASTRACT includes DISCOVERER, a set of computational tools that can be used to identify complex motifs over-represented in the promoter regions of co-regulated genes. The motifs identified are then clustered in families, represented by a position weight matrix and are automatically compared with the known transcription factor binding sites described in YEASTRACT. Additionally, in this new release, it is possible to generate graphic depictions of transcriptional regulatory networks for documented or potential regulatory associations between TFs and target genes. The visual display of these networks of interactions is instrumental in functional studies. Tutorials are available on the system to exemplify the use of all the available tools.
Assuntos
Bases de Dados de Ácidos Nucleicos , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Internet , SoftwareRESUMO
Models of biological regulatory networks are essential to understand cellular processes. However, the definition of such models is still mostly manually performed, and consequently prone to error. Moreover, as new experimental data are acquired, models need to be revised and updated. Here, we propose a model revision procedure and associated tool, capable of providing the set of minimal repairs to render a model consistent with a set of experimental observations. We consider four possible repair operations, using a lexicographic optimization criterion, giving preference to function repairs over topological ones. Also, we consider observations at stable state discarding the model dynamics. In this article, we extend our previous work to tackle the problem of repairing nodes with multiple reasons of inconsistency. We evaluate our tool on five publicly available logical models. We perform random changes considering several parameter configurations to assess the tool repairing capabilities. Whenever a model is repaired under the time limit, the tool successfully produces the optimal solutions to repair the model. Instances were generated without the previous limitation to validate this extended approach.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Male germline stem (GS) cells are responsible for the maintenance of spermatogenesis throughout the adult life of males. Upon appropriate in vitro culture conditions, these GS cells can undergo reprogramming to become germline pluripotent stem (GPS) cells with the loss of spermatogenic potential. In recent years, voluminous data of gene transcripts in GS and GPS cells have become available. However, the mechanism of reprogramming of GS cells into GPS cells remains elusive. This study was designed to develop a Boolean logical model of gene regulatory network (GRN) that might be involved in the reprogramming of GS cells into GPS cells. METHODS: The gene expression profile of GS and GPS cells (GSE ID: GSE11274 and GSE74151) were analyzed using R Bioconductor to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and were functionally annotated with DAVID server. Potential pluripotent genes among the DEGs were then predicted using a combination of machine learning [Support Vector Machine (SVM)] and BLAST search. Protein isoforms were identified by pattern matching with UniProt database with in-house scripts written in C++. Both linear and non-linear interaction maps were generated using the STRING server. CellNet is used to study the relationship of GRNs between the GS and GPS cells. Finally, the GRNs involving all the genes from integrated methods and literature was constructed and qualitative modelling for reprogramming of GS to GPS cells were done by considering the discrete, asynchronous, multivalued logical formalism using the GINsim modeling and simulation tool. RESULTS: Through the use of machine learning and logical modeling, the present study identified 3585 DEGs and 221 novel pluripotent genes including Tet1, Cdh1, Tfap2c, Etv4, Etv5, Prdm14, and Prdm10 in GPS cells. Pathway analysis revealed that important signaling pathways such as core pluripotency network, PI3K-Akt, WNT, GDNF and BMP4 signalling pathways were important for the reprogramming of GS cells to GPS cells. On the other hand, CellNet analysis of GRNs of GS and GPS cells revealed that GS cells were similar to gonads whereas GPS cells were similar to ESCs in gene expression profile. A logical regulatory model was developed, which showed that TGFß negatively regulated the reprogramming of the GS to GPS cells, as confirmed by perturbations studies. CONCLUSION: The study identified novel pluripotent genes involved in the reprogramming of GS cells into GPS cells. A multivalued logical model of cellular reprogramming is proposed, which suggests that reprogramming of GS cells to GPS cells involves signalling pathways namely LIF, GDNF, BMP4, and TGFß along with some novel pluripotency genes.
Assuntos
Diferenciação Celular/genética , Reprogramação Celular , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Células Germinativas , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes , Testículo , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Aprendizado de Máquina , Masculino , Modelos Estatísticos , Fatores de TranscriçãoRESUMO
The capacity of living cells to adapt to different environmental, sometimes adverse, conditions is achieved through differential gene expression, which in turn is controlled by a highly complex transcriptional network. We recovered the full network of transcriptional regulatory associations currently known for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as gathered in the latest release of the YEASTRACT database. We assessed topological features of this network filtered by the kind of supporting evidence and of previously published networks. It appears that in-degree distribution, as well as motif enrichment evolve as the yeast transcriptional network is being completed. Overall, our analyses challenged some results previously published and confirmed others. These analyses further pointed towards the paucity of experimental evidence to support theories and, more generally, towards the partial knowledge of the complete network.
Assuntos
Redes Reguladoras de Genes/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/fisiologia , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Transcrição GênicaRESUMO
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been associated with cancer cell heterogeneity, plasticity, and metastasis. However, the extrinsic signals supervising these phenotypic transitions remain elusive. To assess how selected microenvironmental signals control cancer-associated phenotypes along the EMT continuum, we defined a logical model of the EMT cellular network that yields qualitative degrees of cell adhesions by adherens junctions and focal adhesions, two features affected during EMT. The model attractors recovered epithelial, mesenchymal, and hybrid phenotypes. Simulations showed that hybrid phenotypes may arise through independent molecular paths involving stringent extrinsic signals. Of particular interest, model predictions and their experimental validations indicated that: (i) stiffening of the extracellular matrix was a prerequisite for cells overactivating FAK_SRC to upregulate SNAIL and acquire a mesenchymal phenotype and (ii) FAK_SRC inhibition of cell-cell contacts through the receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatases kappa led to acquisition of a full mesenchymal, rather than a hybrid, phenotype. Altogether, these computational and experimental approaches allow assessment of critical microenvironmental signals controlling hybrid EMT phenotypes and indicate that EMT involves multiple molecular programs. SIGNIFICANCE: A multidisciplinary study sheds light on microenvironmental signals controlling cancer cell plasticity along EMT and suggests that hybrid and mesenchymal phenotypes arise through independent molecular paths.
Assuntos
Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal , Modelos Biológicos , Neoplasias/patologia , Microambiente Tumoral , Animais , Adesão Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Simulação por Computador , Cães , Humanos , Células Madin Darby de Rim Canino , FenótipoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The study of biological networks has led to the development of increasingly large and detailed models. Computer tools are essential for the simulation of the dynamical behavior of the networks from the model. However, as the size of the models grows, it becomes infeasible to manually verify the predictions against experimental data or identify interesting features in a large number of simulation traces. Formal verification based on temporal logic and model checking provides promising methods to automate and scale the analysis of the models. However, a framework that tightly integrates modeling and simulation tools with model checkers is currently missing, on both the conceptual and the implementational level. RESULTS: We have developed a generic and modular web service, based on a service-oriented architecture, for integrating the modeling and formal verification of genetic regulatory networks. The architecture has been implemented in the context of the qualitative modeling and simulation tool GNA and the model checkers NUSMV and CADP. GNA has been extended with a verification module for the specification and checking of biological properties. The verification module also allows the display and visual inspection of the verification results. CONCLUSIONS: The practical use of the proposed web service is illustrated by means of a scenario involving the analysis of a qualitative model of the carbon starvation response in E. coli. The service-oriented architecture allows modelers to define the model and proceed with the specification and formal verification of the biological properties by means of a unified graphical user interface. This guarantees a transparent access to formal verification technology for modelers of genetic regulatory networks.
Assuntos
Biologia Computacional/métodos , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/genética , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Software , Interface Usuário-ComputadorRESUMO
MOTIVATION: Models of the dynamics of cellular interaction networks have become increasingly larger in recent years. Formal verification based on model checking provides a powerful technology to keep up with this increase in scale and complexity. The application of modelchecking approaches is hampered, however, by the difficulty for nonexpert users to formulate appropriate questions in temporal logic. RESULTS: In order to deal with this problem, we propose the use of patterns, that is, high-level query templates that capture recurring biological questions and can be automatically translated into temporal logic. The applicability of the developed set of patterns has been investigated by the analysis of an extended model of the network of global regulators controlling the carbon starvation response in Escherichia coli. AVAILABILITY: GNA and the model of the carbon starvation response network are available at http://www-helix.inrialpes.fr/gna.
Assuntos
Algoritmos , Modelos Biológicos , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas/métodos , Proteoma/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Validação de Programas de Computador , Software , Simulação por Computador , Modelos LogísticosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Boolean models of biological signalling-regulatory networks are increasingly used to formally describe and understand complex biological processes. These models may become inconsistent as new data become available and need to be repaired. In the past, the focus has been shed on the inference of (classes of) models given an interaction network and time-series data sets. However, repair of existing models against new data is still in its infancy, where the process is still manually performed and therefore slow and prone to errors. RESULTS: In this work, we propose a method with an associated tool to suggest repairs over inconsistent Boolean models, based on a set of atomic repair operations. Answer Set Programming is used to encode the minimal repair problem as a combinatorial optimization problem. In particular, given an inconsistent model, the tool provides the minimal repairs that render the model capable of generating dynamics coherent with a (set of) time-series data set(s), considering either a synchronous or an asynchronous updating scheme. CONCLUSIONS: The method was validated using known biological models from different species, as well as synthetic models obtained from randomly generated networks. We discuss the method's limitations regarding each of the updating schemes and the considered minimization algorithm.
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Cellular responses are governed by regulatory networks subject to external signals from surrounding cells and to other micro-environmental cues. The logical (Boolean or multi-valued) framework proved well suited to study such processes at the cellular level, by specifying qualitative models of involved signalling pathways and gene regulatory networks. Here, we describe and illustrate the main features of EpiLog, a computational tool that implements an extension of the logical framework to the tissue level. EpiLog defines a collection of hexagonal cells over a 2D grid, which embodies a mono-layer epithelium. Basically, it defines a cellular automaton in which cell behaviours are driven by associated logical models subject to external signals. EpiLog is freely available on the web at http://epilog-tool.org. It is implemented in Java (version ≥1.7 required) and the source code is provided at https://github.com/epilog-tool/epilog under a GNU General Public License v3.0.