1 2 3 4 Excample of an output of transcriptional profiling study using Illumina sequencing performed in our lab. Shown is just a tiny fragment of the complete list, copmprising about 7K genes revealing differential expression in the studied mutant. 5 6 7 8 Excample of an output of transcriptional profiling study using Illumina sequencing performed in our lab. Shown is just a tiny fragment of the complete list, copmprising about 7K genes revealing differential expression in the studied mutant. 9 10 One of such recent and very useful tools is Gorilla software, freely available at http://cbl-gorilla.cs.technion.ac.il/. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 According to experimental evidence for the system under study, the hormone IAA, the peptide TDIF, and the microRNA MIR165/6 are able to move among the cells. In the case of TDIF and MIR165/6, the mobility is defined as diffusion and is given by the following equation: g(t+1)T[i]= H(g(t)[i]+ D (g(t)[i+1]+g(t)[i-1] – N(g(t)[i]))-b) (2), where g(t)T[i] is the total amount of TDIF or MIR165 in cell (i). D is a parameter that determines the proportion of g that can move from any cell to neighboring ones and is correlated to the diffusion rate of g. b is a constant corresponding to a degradation term. H is a step function that converts the continuous values of g into a discrete variable that may attain values of 0, 1 or 2. N stands for the number of neighbors in each cell. Boundary conditions are zero-flux. In the case of IAA, the mobility is defined as active transport dependent on the radial localization of the PIN efflux transporters and is defined by the equation: iaa(t+1)T[i]=Hiaa(iaa(t)[i]+Diaa(pin(t)[i+1])(iaa(t)[i+1])+Diaa(pin(t)[i-1])(iaa(t)[i- 1])−N(Diaa)(pin(t)[i])(iaa(t)[i])−biaa) (3), where Diaa is a parameter that determines the proportion of IAA that can be transported among cells. The transport depends on the presence of IAA and PIN in the cells and biaa corresponds to a degradation term. As in equation 2, H is a step function 21 that converts the continuous values to discrete ones and N stands for the number of neighbors in each cell. Boundary conditions for IAA motion are also zero-flux. 21 The proposed model considers data that we identified and evaluated through an extensive search (up to January 2012). It takes into account molecular interactions, hormonal and expression patterns, and cell-to-cell communication processes that have been reported to affect vascular patterning in the bundles of Arabidopsis. The model components and interactions are graphically presented in the figure above. In the network model, nodes stand for molecular elements regulating one another’s activities. Most of the nodes can take only 1 or 0 values (light gray nodes in the figure), corresponding to “present” or “not present,” respectively. Since the formation of gradients of hormones and diffusible elements may have important consequences in pattern formation, mobile elements TDIF and MIR, as well as members of the CK and IAA signaling systems, can take 0, 1 or 2 values (dark gray nodes in the figure above) Benitez and Hejatko, submitted. 22 23 In comparison to the model shown on slide 21, the final version of the model contains the predicted interactions (dashed lines). 24 25 26 The initial conditions specify the initial state of some of the network elements (figure above) and are the following : I) In the procambial position (central compartment), CK is initially available and there is an initial and sustained IAA input or self-upregulation. This condition is supported by several lines of evidence. Also HB8, a marker of early vascular development that has been found in preprocambial cells, is assumed to be initially present at this position. These conditions are not fixed, however. After the initial configuration, all the members of the CK and IAA signaling pathways, as well as HB8, can change their states according to the logical rules. II) In the xylem and phloem positions, it is assumed that no element is initially active except for the CK signaling pathway and TDIF, both in the phloem position.The level of expression for a given node is represented by a discrete variable g and its value at a time t+1 depends on the state of other components of the network (g1, g2, ..., gN) at a previous time unit. The state of every gene g therefore changes according to: gn(t+1)=Fn(gn1(t),gn2(t),..., gnk(t)) (1). In this equation, gn1, gn2,…, gnk are the regulators of gene gn and Fn is a discrete function known as a logical rule (logical rules are grounded in available 27 experimental data, for example see slide 20). Given the logical rules, it is possible to follow the dynamics of the network for any given initial configuration of the nodes expression state. One of the most important traits of dynamic models is the existence of steady states in which the entire network enters into a selfsustained configuration of the nodes state. It is thought that in developmental systems such self-sustained states correspond to particular cell types. According to experimental evidence for the system under study, the hormone IAA, the peptide TDIF, and the microRNA MIR165/6 are able to move among the cells. In the case of TDIF and MIR165/6, the mobility is defined as diffusion and is given by the following equation: g(t+1)T[i]= H(g(t)[i]+ D (g(t)[i+1]+g(t)[i-1] – N(g(t)[i]))-b) (2), where g(t)T[i] is the total amount of TDIF or MIR165 in cell (i). D is a parameter that determines the proportion of g that can move from any cell to neighboring ones and is correlated to the diffusion rate of g. b is a constant corresponding to a degradation term. H is a step function that converts the continuous values of g into a discrete variable that may attain values of 0, 1 or 2. N stands for the number of neighbors in each cell. Boundary conditions are zero-flux. In the case of IAA, the mobility is defined as active transport dependent on the radial localization of the PIN efflux transporters and is defined by the equation: iaa(t+1)T[i]=Hiaa(iaa(t)[i]+Diaa(pin(t)[i+1])(iaa(t)[i+1])+Diaa(pin(t)[i-1])(iaa(t)[i- 1])−N(Diaa)(pin(t)[i])(iaa(t)[i])−biaa) (3), where Diaa is a parameter that determines the proportion of IAA that can be transported among cells. The transport depends on the presence of IAA and PIN in the cells and biaa corresponds to a degradation term. As in equation 2, H is a step function that converts the continuous values to discrete ones and N stands for the number of neighbors in each cell. Boundary conditions for IAA motion are also zero-flux. Using the logical rules, equations 1–3, and a broad range of parameter values (not shown here), it is possible fully to reproduce the results and analyses reported in the following sections (see the figure above for the simulation time course). 27 Another representation of the distinct expression profiles in the individual vascular bundle compartments (phloem, procambium and xylem). 28 29 30 More info about mouse at http://www.informatics.jax.org/greenbook/index.shtml. 31 32 33 34 35 36 Individula ICM cells of the embryo could be isolated and later re-introgressed into the new embryo. These ICM cells are called embryonic stem (ES) cells. It is very important technique that allows production of transgenic mice. The isolated ES cells are transformed via foreign DNA construct and it is injected within the embryo. The transformed cell becomes a part of the embryo and might result into formation of different tissue types, among them the spermatogonia or oogonia. i.e. the tissue that provides progenitor for sperm or egg cells in the resulting chimera. Thus, the progeny of those chimeras will inherit the modified cell with certain probability and these individuals will carry the transgene in every cell of their body. Thus, the trangenic mice will be produced. This is very important mainly with regard of the knockout mutant (K.O.) production. In the modified ES, the genes might be specifically eliminated via DNA recombination. In that way, function of many of the mice genes was identified. E.g. the gene NODAL is expressed in the anterior portion of the primitive streak that is equivalent to the Hensen’s node. nodal/nodal embryos are lethal, they do 37 not undergo gastrulation and from almost no mesoderm. 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49