Systems biology of signal control in yeast

描述（申请人提供）：生物与非生物的不同之处在于它们携带存储在DNA和RNA中的信息。活细胞需要做的很多事情都需要它们将这些存储的信息与来自外部环境的信息输入整合在一起。这样，细胞就像计算机，但与计算机不同的是，细胞的信息处理依赖于分子，而不是电子在电线中的移动。在过去的五年里，我们已经开发并使用先进的方法来研究一个非常简单的生物信息处理的例子，一个单一的酵母细胞用来感知和传递来自外部的信息来做出决定的系统。我们已经了解了细胞用来做这件事的分子以及这些分子执行的一些关键操作。在未来五年内，我们将仔细研究信息传输系统的一个关键部分所需的分子操作。我们将了解这些分子事件如何影响系统传输的信号以及信号携带的信息。在短期内，由于密切相关的系统在所有动物细胞中运作，包括人类，我们对分子如何运作的了解可能会为设计药物提供途径，这些药物可以操纵它们的功能，并可能提供有用的治疗方法。从长远来看，更好地理解分子事件如何对信息进行操作可能有助于指导遗传干预，并可能有助于分子计算的发展。 公共卫生相关性：我们将研究模型信息传感和传输系统的一小部分在模型细胞中的操作。我们将学习特定的分子操作如何调节信号和信号传递的信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Living things differ from nonliving things in that they carry information stored in DNA and RNA. Much of what living cells need to do require them to integrate this stored information with information inputs from their external environments. In this way, cells are like computers, but, unlike computers, information handling by cells depends on molecules instead of electrons moving through wires. Over the past five years, we have developed and used advanced methods to study a very simple example of biological information handling, a system that a single yeast cell uses to sense and transmit information from outside to make decisions. We have learned about the molecules the cell uses to do this and some of the key operations these molecules perform. During the next five years, we will study carefully the molecular operations needed for one key portion of the information transmission system to function. We will learn how these molecular events affect the signal transmitted by the system and the information that the signal carries. In the shorter term, because closely related systems operate in all animal cells, including humans, what we learn about how the molecules operate may suggest avenues to devise drugs that manipulate their function and might afford useful therapies. Longer term, a better understanding of how molecular events perform operations on information may help guide genetic interventions, and might help contribute to development of molecular computation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We will study the operation of one small part of a model information sensing and transmitting system in a model cell. We will learn how specific molecular operations regulate the signal and the information the signal transmits.