The Systems Biology of Mammalian Puberty

在过去的几年里，研究人员观察到人类女性青春期的开始时间提前，这是一个令人担忧的趋势，因为青春期提前与癌症、肥胖、糖尿病和心血管疾病的风险增加有关。青春期的时间是受基因控制的，很可能是由许多调节基因决定的，这一点也越来越清楚。然而，很少有人试图确定控制哺乳动物发育中这一关键里程碑的遗传网络。Drs。塞尔吉奥·奥赫达（神经学家）和凯末尔Sönmez（计算机/电气工程师）结合专业知识，在生物学和工程学之间建立了合作伙伴关系，以验证大脑内运行的压抑基因网络控制着女性青春期的开始这一假设。结合计算方法、系统生物学方法和分子策略，他们进行了初步研究，揭示了这样一个网络的存在，并表明它抑制了从属基因，如果不加以控制，这些基因将过早地释放青春期的过程。为了传播他们的发现，Ojeda和Sönmez将与西雅图的系统生物学研究所合作，建立一个基于网络的工具、链接和协议的数据库资源，以便通过互联网进行分析。他们还将在他们的网站（www.sonmezsysbio.org）上提供他们的原始数据、结果和代码，并将他们的数据和结果存入公共数据库。由于该研究计划包括本科生和高中生的参与，该项目将鼓励年轻的研究者使用类似的综合方法来研究哺乳动物系统中许多其他复杂的生理过程。这些研究将显著提高对哺乳动物青春期神经内分泌控制的基本全系统机制的理解。

During the last several years, investigators have observed an earlier initiation of human female puberty, a worrisome trend because early puberty is associated with increased risk for cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It has also become clear that the timing of puberty is under genetic control, and likely determined by a host of regulatory genes. Yet, few attempts have been made to identify the genetic networks controlling this critical milestone in mammalian development. Drs. Sergio Ojeda (a neuroscientist) and Kemal Sönmez (a computer/electrical engineer) have combined expertise and developed a partnership between biology and engineering to test the hypothesis that a repressive gene network operating within the brain controls the initiation of female puberty. Using a combination of computational methods, systems biology approaches and molecular strategies, they performed preliminary studies revealing the existence of such a network and showing that it represses subordinate genes, which if left unchecked, would unleash the pubertal process prematurely. To disseminate their findings, Ojeda and Sönmez will partner with the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle to generate a database resource of Web-based tools, links and protocols for analyses accessible via Internet. They will also make their raw data, results, and codes available on their website (www.sonmezsysbio.org), and deposit their data and results in public databases. Because the research plan includes the participation of undergraduate students and high-school students, The project will encourage young investigators to use similar integrative approaches for the study of many other complex physiological processes in mammalian systems. Theses studies will significantly enhance the understanding of basic systems-wide mechanisms underlying the neuroendocrine control of mammalian puberty.