Mathematical modeling of cellular signaling systems

项目摘要 这个项目的重要挑战是获得对监管的机械理解 这些元件紧密控制细胞内信号传导途径的时空动态。满足 这个挑战，我们结合联合收割机计算方法，包括数学建模和图像 分析，在单细胞水平上进行实验。所有的细胞都必须感知并响应 他们环境的变化。环境因素，如激素、营养素或身体压力， 由细胞表面的受体检测。这些信息被处理并传输到 通过细胞内信号通路作用于细胞的适当区域。对刺激的正确反应 通常需要细胞改变形状或移动。因此，信号通路必须协调 肌动蛋白细胞骨架在空间和时间上的动态。这项任务是通过使用 反馈和前馈循环作用于多个时间和空间尺度。因为这些 调节环使信号通路固有地非线性，需要数学建模来 理解这些系统的涌现特性。我们已经确定了三个细胞过程， 有助于系统级分析，并构成我们未来五年研究的基础：1） 在酵母S.酿酒酵母和相关真菌，2） 吞噬作用，细胞感知和摄取细菌和其他物体的过程，以及3） 一组细胞作为一个整体移动的集体迁移。这些项目代表了 延续已建立的合作关系，为我的实验室提供令人兴奋的新方向。我们将继续 与丹尼尔卢博士（杜克，药理学和癌症生物学）的实验室合作， 研究了S.啤酒。在一个新 与Amy Gladfelter博士（生物学博士）合作，我们将研究是否有类似的机制发挥作用。 在真菌出芽短梗霉（Aureobasidium pullulans）建立多个极性位点中的作用。我们也将 继续我们与Klaus Hahn博士（药理学博士）实验室的长期合作， 研究吞噬作用中空间模式形成的机制。我们终于有 最近与Scott Magness博士建立了一项新的合作， 在集体迁徙中的两极分化。我们调查的目的是为了产生真正的预测性 体内细胞过程的模型，最终提供了对病因学和治疗的见解， 人类疾病。

Project Summary The important challenge this project addresses is to gain a mechanistic understanding of regulatory elements that tightly control the spatiotemporal dynamics of intracellular signaling pathways. To meet this challenge, we combine computational approaches, including mathematical modeling and image analysis, with experiments performed at the single cell level. All cells must sense and respond to changes in their environment. Environmental cues such as hormones, nutrients or physical stresses are detected by receptors on the cell surface. This information is than processed and transmitted to appropriate regions of the cell by intracellular signaling pathways. The proper response to a stimulus often requires cells to change shape or move. Therefore, signaling pathways must coordinate the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton in both space and time. This task is accomplished through the use of feedback and feedforward loops acting over multiple temporal and spatial scales. Because these regulatory loops make signaling pathways inherently nonlinear, mathematical modeling is required to understand the emergent properties of these systems. We have identified three cellular processes that lend themselves to systems-level analysis and form the basis for our studies over the next five years: 1) directed growth during mating and budding in the yeast S. cerevisiae and related fungi, 2) phagocytosis, the process through which cells sense and ingest bacteria and other objects, and 3) collective migration in which a group of cells move as a single unit. These projects represent the continuation of established collaborations and exciting new directions for my lab. We will continue our collaboration with the lab of Dr. Daniel Lew (Duke, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology) to understand the mechanisms that underlie polarity establishment and gradient sensing in S. cerevisiae. In a new collaboration with Dr, Amy Gladfelter (UNC, Biology), we will investigate if similar mechanisms play a role in the establishment of multiple polarity sites by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. We also will continue our long-standing collaboration with the lab of Dr. Klaus Hahn (UNC, Pharmacology) to investigate the mechanisms that underlie spatial patterning during phagocytosis. Finally, we have recently established a new collaboration with Dr. Scott Magness (UNC, BME) to investigate epithelial polarization during collective migration. The goal of our investigations is to generate truly predictive models of in vivo cellular processes that ultimately provide insights into the etiology and treatment of human diseases.