Open Biology in a new decade.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Glover DM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7058933 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Systems biology provides a framework for assembling models of biological systems from systematic measurements. Since the field was first introduced a decade ago, considerable progress has been made in technologies for global cell measurement and in computational analyses of these data to map and model cell function. It has also greatly expanded into the translational sciences, with approaches pioneered in yeast now being applied to elucidate human development and disease. Here, we review the state of the field with a focus on four emerging applications of systems biology that are likely to be of particular importance during the decade to follow: (a) pathway-based biomarkers, (b) global genetic interaction maps, (c) systems approaches to identify disease genes, and (d) stem cell systems biology. We also cover recent advances in software tools that allow biologists to explore system-wide models and to formulate new hypotheses. The applications and methods covered in this review provide a set of prime exemplars useful to cell and developmental biologists wishing to apply systems approaches to areas of interest.
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Project description:Helping B cells and antibody responses is a major function of CD4+ T cells. It has been 10 years since the publication of Bcl6 as the lineage-defining transcription factor for T follicular helper (Tfh) differentiation and the requirement of Tfh cells as the specialized subset of CD4+ T cells needed for germinal centers (the microanatomical sites of B cell mutation and antibody affinity maturation) and related B cell responses. A great deal has been learned about Tfh cells in the past 10 years, particularly regarding their roles in a surprising range of diseases. Advances in the understanding of Tfh cell differentiation and function are discussed, as are the understanding of Tfh cells in infectious diseases, vaccines, autoimmune diseases, allergies, atherosclerosis, organ transplants, and cancer. This includes discussion of Tfh cells in the human immune system. Based on the discoveries to date, the next decade of Tfh research surely holds many more surprises. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Project description:The abundant existence of proteins and regions that possess specific functions without being uniquely folded into unique 3D structures has become accepted by a significant number of protein scientists. Sequences of these intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions (IDPRs) are characterized by a number of specific features, such as low overall hydrophobicity and high net charge which makes these proteins predictable. IDPs/IDPRs possess large hydrodynamic volumes, low contents of ordered secondary structure, and are characterized by high structural heterogeneity. They are very flexible, but some may undergo disorder to order transitions in the presence of natural ligands. The degree of these structural rearrangements varies over a very wide range. IDPs/IDPRs are tightly controlled under the normal conditions and have numerous specific functions that complement functions of ordered proteins and domains. When lacking proper control, they have multiple roles in pathogenesis of various human diseases. Gaining structural and functional information about these proteins is a challenge, since they do not typically "freeze" while their "pictures are taken." However, despite or perhaps because of the experimental challenges, these fuzzy objects with fuzzy structures and fuzzy functions are among the most interesting targets for modern protein research. This review briefly summarizes some of the recent advances in this exciting field and considers some of the basic lessons learned from the analysis of physics, chemistry, and biology of IDPs.
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Project description:Cryptococcus neoformans is the etiologic agent of cryptococcosis, a lethal worldwide disease. Synthetic biology could contribute to its better understanding through engineering genetic networks. However, its major challenge is the requirement of accessible genetic parts. The database presented here provides 23 biological parts for this organism in Synthetic Biology Open Language.
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Project description:BackgroundResearch in the field of systems biology requires software for a variety of purposes. Software must be used to store, retrieve, analyze, and sometimes even to collect the data obtained from system-level (often high-throughput) experiments. Software must also be used to implement mathematical models and algorithms required for simulation and theoretical predictions on the system-level.ResultsWe introduce a free, easy-to-use, open-source, integrated software platform called the Systems Biology Research Tool (SBRT) to facilitate the computational aspects of systems biology. The SBRT currently performs 35 methods for analyzing stoichiometric networks and 16 methods from fields such as graph theory, geometry, algebra, and combinatorics. New computational techniques can be added to the SBRT via process plug-ins, providing a high degree of evolvability and a unifying framework for software development in systems biology.ConclusionThe Systems Biology Research Tool represents a technological advance for systems biology. This software can be used to make sophisticated computational techniques accessible to everyone (including those with no programming ability), to facilitate cooperation among researchers, and to expedite progress in the field of systems biology.
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Project description:Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a vitamin D deficient diet (0.47% calcium, 0.3% phosphate; Teklad diet TD 89123, Envigo Teklad diets, Madison, Wisconsin) 2 -3 weeks prior to mating to a male C57BL/6J male mouse and during subsequent pregnancy and lactation. Pups from these mice were maintained on this diet until 12-14 weeks of age. For this study, mice were maintained in a virus and parasite-free barrier facility and exposed to a 12h-light, 12h-dark cycle. Food and water were given ad libitum. All the animal experiments conducted were approved by the Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School Animal Care and Use Committee. Mice were ordered from Charles River Laboratories. 12 – 14 week old vitamin D deficient mice were randomly separated and injected with either 0.1 ml vehicle (9:1 mix of propylene glycol and ethanol) or 1,25(OH)2D3 (from Cayman Chemical Company Ann Arbor, MI) (ip 10ng/g body weight) and sacrificed 4h after the injection. Intestinal tissues were harvested from mice. About 10-15 cm of the proximal half of small intestine were used for the duodenum crypts and villi samples, and the entire colon tissues from the terminal cecum to rectum were used for colon samples. After flushing with cold PBS, the intestines were cut opened longitudinally, cut into 1 cm pieces in cold PBS for washing, and then incubated with 3mM EDTA/PBS in rotator for 5 min at 4 0C. The solution was discarded and the tissues were incubated with fresh 3mM EDTA/PBS in rotator for 10 min at 4 0C. After shaking the tubes gently for 10 times, the intestinal pieces were transferred to new tube prepared with cold 3mM EDTA/PBS, rotated for 30 min at 4 0C, then were shaken 30 times. The supernatant containing the whole epithelium tissues (crypts and villi) were collected and spun down at 200 rcf for 3 min at 4 0C. The pellet was resuspended with cold PBS and villi separated from crypts with 70 µm filter. Colon tissue was scraped with a glass slide to remove the epithelial mucosa and washed with PBS. All samples were centrifuged tubes at 200 rcf for 3 mins at 4 0C and at 300 rcf for 30 seconds at 40C in order to remove any residual PBS. We then proceeded to RNA extraction. RNeasy Plus Universal Kit was used for villi and crypts with RiboZol RNA extraction reagent (Amresco, Solon, Ohio), according to manufacturer’s instructions. All nucleic acid extracts were gDNA Eliminator Solution for 15 s at 37 °C, in order to remove contaminating chromosomal DNA. Resulting RNA was analyzed for quantity and quality with a NanoDrop spectrophotometer ND-1000 (Isogen Life Science, Utrecht, The Netherlands).
2022-07-08 | GSE133949 | GEO