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Woodward J. Some reflections on Robert Batterman's a middle way. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2024; 106:21-30. [PMID: 38852368 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2024.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- James Woodward
- History and Philosophy of Science University of Pittsburgh, United States.
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2
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Suárez J. Scrutinizing microbiome determinism: why deterministic hypotheses about the microbiome are conceptually ungrounded. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 46:12. [PMID: 38347271 PMCID: PMC10861753 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-024-00610-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
This paper addresses the topic of determinism in contemporary microbiome research. I distinguish two types of deterministic claims about the microbiome, and I show evidence that both types of claims are present in the contemporary literature. First, the idea that the host genetics determines the composition of the microbiome which I call "host-microbiome determinism". Second, the idea that the genetics of the holobiont (the individual unit composed by a host plus its microbiome) determines the expression of certain phenotypic traits, which I call "microbiome-phenotype determinism". Drawing on the stability of traits conception of individuality (Suárez in Hist Philos Life Sci 42:11, 2020) I argue that none of these deterministic hypotheses is grounded on our current knowledge of how the holobiont is transgenerationally assembled, nor how it expresses its phenotypic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Suárez
- BIOETHICS Research Group - Department of Philosophy, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
- Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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3
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Ramos AP, Szalapak A, Ferme LC, Modes CD. From cells to form: A roadmap to study shape emergence in vivo. Biophys J 2023; 122:3587-3599. [PMID: 37243338 PMCID: PMC10541488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Organogenesis arises from the collective arrangement of cells into progressively 3D-shaped tissue. The acquisition of a correctly shaped organ is then the result of a complex interplay between molecular cues, responsible for differentiation and patterning, and the mechanical properties of the system, which generate the necessary forces that drive correct shape emergence. Nowadays, technological advances in the fields of microscopy, molecular biology, and computer science are making it possible to see and record such complex interactions in incredible, unforeseen detail within the global context of the developing embryo. A quantitative and interdisciplinary perspective of developmental biology becomes then necessary for a comprehensive understanding of morphogenesis. Here, we provide a roadmap to quantify the events that lead to morphogenesis from imaging to image analysis, quantification, and modeling, focusing on the discrete cellular and tissue shape changes, as well as their mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicja Szalapak
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Carl D Modes
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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4
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Caianiello S, Bertolaso M, Militello G. Thinking in 3 dimensions: philosophies of the microenvironment in organoids and organs-on-chip. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 45:14. [PMID: 36949354 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-023-00560-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Organoids and organs-on-a-chip are currently the two major families of 3D advanced organotypic in vitro culture systems, aimed at reconstituting miniaturized models of physiological and pathological states of human organs. Both share the tenets of the so-called "three-dimensional thinking", a Systems Physiology approach focused on recapitulating the dynamic interactions between cells and their microenvironment. We first review the arguments underlying the "paradigm shift" toward three-dimensional thinking in the in vitro culture community. Then, through a historically informed account of the technical affordances and the epistemic commitments of these two approaches, we highlight how they embody two distinct experimental cultures. We finally argue that the current systematic effort for their integration requires not only innovative "synergistic" engineering solutions, but also conceptual integration between different perspectives on biological causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Caianiello
- Institute for the History of Philosophy and Science in the Modern Age (ISPF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, Italy.
- Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Naples, Italy.
| | - Marta Bertolaso
- Faculty of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Universitá Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Militello
- Faculty of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Universitá Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
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5
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Burnston DC. Mechanistic decomposition and reduction in complex, context-sensitive systems. Front Psychol 2022; 13:992347. [PMID: 36420399 PMCID: PMC9677939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Standard arguments in philosophy of science infer from the complexity of biological and neural systems to the presence of emergence and failure of mechanistic/reductionist explanation for those systems. I argue against this kind of argument, specifically focusing on the notion of context-sensitivity. Context-sensitivity is standardly taken to be incompatible with reductionistic explanation, because it shows that larger-scale factors influence the functioning of lower-level parts. I argue that this argument can be overcome if there are mechanisms underlying those context-specific reorganizations. I argue that such mechanisms are frequently discovered in neuroscience.
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6
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Clawson WP, Levin M. Endless forms most beautiful 2.0: teleonomy and the bioengineering of chimaeric and synthetic organisms. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The rich variety of biological forms and behaviours results from one evolutionary history on Earth, via frozen accidents and selection in specific environments. This ubiquitous baggage in natural, familiar model species obscures the plasticity and swarm intelligence of cellular collectives. Significant gaps exist in our understanding of the origin of anatomical novelty, of the relationship between genome and form, and of strategies for control of large-scale structure and function in regenerative medicine and bioengineering. Analysis of living forms that have never existed before is necessary to reveal deep design principles of life as it can be. We briefly review existing examples of chimaeras, cyborgs, hybrots and other beings along the spectrum containing evolved and designed systems. To drive experimental progress in multicellular synthetic morphology, we propose teleonomic (goal-seeking, problem-solving) behaviour in diverse problem spaces as a powerful invariant across possible beings regardless of composition or origin. Cybernetic perspectives on chimaeric morphogenesis erase artificial distinctions established by past limitations of technology and imagination. We suggest that a multi-scale competency architecture facilitates evolution of robust problem-solving, living machines. Creation and analysis of novel living forms will be an essential testbed for the emerging field of diverse intelligence, with numerous implications across regenerative medicine, robotics and ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University , Medford, MA , USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University , Boston, MA , USA
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7
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Zouache MA. Variability in Retinal Neuron Populations and Associated Variations in Mass Transport Systems of the Retina in Health and Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:778404. [PMID: 35283756 PMCID: PMC8914054 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.778404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with a broad range of visual impairments that can have dramatic consequences on the quality of life of those impacted. These changes are driven by a complex series of alterations affecting interactions between multiple cellular and extracellular elements. The resilience of many of these interactions may be key to minimal loss of visual function in aging; yet many of them remain poorly understood. In this review, we focus on the relation between retinal neurons and their respective mass transport systems. These metabolite delivery systems include the retinal vasculature, which lies within the inner portion of the retina, and the choroidal vasculature located externally to the retinal tissue. A framework for investigation is proposed and applied to identify the structures and processes determining retinal mass transport at the cellular and tissue levels. Spatial variability in the structure of the retina and changes observed in aging are then harnessed to explore the relation between variations in neuron populations and those seen among retinal metabolite delivery systems. Existing data demonstrate that the relation between inner retinal neurons and their mass transport systems is different in nature from that observed between the outer retina and choroid. The most prominent structural changes observed across the eye and in aging are seen in Bruch’s membrane, which forms a selective barrier to mass transfers at the interface between the choroidal vasculature and the outer retina.
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Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are studied at multiple levels, but there is no agreement on how these levels are related to each other, or how they should be understood in the first place. In this paper, I provide an account of levels and their relationships that is suited for psychopathology, drawing from recent debates in philosophy of science. Instead of metaphysical issues, the focus is on delivering an understanding of levels that is relevant and useful for scientific practice. I also defend a pragmatic approach to the question of reduction, arguing that even in-principle reductionists should embrace pluralism in practice. Finally, I discuss the benefits and challenges in integrating explanations and models of different levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus I. Eronen
- Department of Theory and History of Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1 9712 TS Groningen, Netherlands
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9
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Tretter F, Wolkenhauer O, Meyer-Hermann M, Dietrich JW, Green S, Marcum J, Weckwerth W. The Quest for System-Theoretical Medicine in the COVID-19 Era. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:640974. [PMID: 33855036 PMCID: PMC8039135 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.640974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine and molecular systems medicine (MSM) are highly utilized and successful approaches to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases from bench-to-bedside. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, molecular techniques and biotechnological innovation have proven to be of utmost importance for rapid developments in disease diagnostics and treatment, including DNA and RNA sequencing technology, treatment with drugs and natural products and vaccine development. The COVID-19 crisis, however, has also demonstrated the need for systemic thinking and transdisciplinarity and the limits of MSM: the neglect of the bio-psycho-social systemic nature of humans and their context as the object of individual therapeutic and population-oriented interventions. COVID-19 illustrates how a medical problem requires a transdisciplinary approach in epidemiology, pathology, internal medicine, public health, environmental medicine, and socio-economic modeling. Regarding the need for conceptual integration of these different kinds of knowledge we suggest the application of general system theory (GST). This approach endorses an organism-centered view on health and disease, which according to Ludwig von Bertalanffy who was the founder of GST, we call Organismal Systems Medicine (OSM). We argue that systems science offers wider applications in the field of pathology and can contribute to an integrative systems medicine by (i) integration of evidence across functional and structural differentially scaled subsystems, (ii) conceptualization of complex multilevel systems, and (iii) suggesting mechanisms and non-linear relationships underlying the observed phenomena. We underline these points with a proposal on multi-level systems pathology including neurophysiology, endocrinology, immune system, genetics, and general metabolism. An integration of these areas is necessary to understand excess mortality rates and polypharmacological treatments. In the pandemic era this multi-level systems pathology is most important to assess potential vaccines, their effectiveness, short-, and long-time adverse effects. We further argue that these conceptual frameworks are not only valid in the COVID-19 era but also important to be integrated in a medicinal curriculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tretter
- Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olaf Wolkenhauer
- Department of Systems Biology & Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Michael Meyer-Hermann
- Department of Systems Immunology and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Johannes W Dietrich
- Endocrine Research, Medical Hospital I, Bergmannsheil University Hospitals, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Ruhr Center for Rare Diseases (CeSER), Ruhr University of Bochum, Witten/Herdecke University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sara Green
- Section for History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - James Marcum
- Department of Philosophy, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Wolfram Weckwerth
- Molecular Systems Biology (MOSYS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna Metabolomics Center (VIME), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Multiscale modeling of cortical gradients: The role of mesoscale circuits for linking macro- and microscale gradients of cortical organization and hierarchical information processing. Neuroimage 2021; 232:117846. [PMID: 33636345 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The gradient concept in neuroscience describes systematic and continuous progressions of features of cortical organization across the entire cortex. Recent multimodal studies revealed a macroscale gradient from primary sensory to transmodal association areas which is linked to increasing representational abstraction along the cortical hierarchy, and which is paralleled by microscale gradients of cytoarchitecture and gene expression profiles. Convergent or divergent evidence from these multimodal studies is then used to support inferences about the existence of one common or multiple scale-specific gradients of hierarchical information processing. This paper evaluates the validity of such inferences within the framework of multiscale modeling. In branches of physics and biology where multiscale modeling techniques are used, the simple averaging of microscale details can introduce errors in macroscale modeling if it ignores structures at the intermediate mesoscales of organization which affect system behavior. Conversely, information about mesoscale structures can be used to determine which microscale details are actually relevant to macroscale behavior. In this paper, I similarly argue that multiscale modeling of cortical gradients needs to take organization of mesoscale circuits into account if it affects the structure-function relation that the models describe. Information about these circuits provides crucial evidence for evaluating inferences from micro- and macroscale data to the role of cortical gradients in hierarchical information processing. My application of the multiscale modeling framework reveals that the gradient concept tracks multiple overlapping progressions of cortical properties, rather than one overall gradient of hierarchical information processing. I support this argument by proposing a mesoscale gradient of connectivity which describes architectural differences between granular and agranular circuits, and which helps us better understand the relation between neural connectivity and hierarchical information processing.
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11
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Hartmann J, Krueger D, De Renzis S. Using optogenetics to tackle systems-level questions of multicellular morphogenesis. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 66:19-27. [PMID: 32408249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Morphogenesis of multicellular systems is governed by precise spatiotemporal regulation of biochemical reactions and mechanical forces which together with environmental conditions determine the development of complex organisms. Current efforts in the field aim at decoding the system-level principles underlying the regulation of developmental processes. Toward this goal, optogenetics, the science of regulation of protein function with light, is emerging as a powerful new tool to quantitatively perturb protein function in vivo with unprecedented precision in space and time. In this review, we provide an overview of how optogenetics is helping to address system-level questions of multicellular morphogenesis and discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hartmann
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Developmental Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Daniel Krueger
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Developmental Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefano De Renzis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Developmental Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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On the specificity of gene regulatory networks: How does network co-option affect subsequent evolution? Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 139:375-405. [PMID: 32450967 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The process of multicellular organismal development hinges upon the specificity of developmental programs: for different parts of the organism to form unique features, processes must exist to specify each part. This specificity is thought to be hardwired into gene regulatory networks, which activate cohorts of genes in particular tissues at particular times during development. However, the evolution of gene regulatory networks sometimes occurs by mechanisms that sacrifice specificity. One such mechanism is network co-option, in which existing gene networks are redeployed in new developmental contexts. While network co-option may offer an efficient mechanism for generating novel phenotypes, losses of tissue specificity at redeployed network genes could restrict the ability of the affected traits to evolve independently. At present, there has not been a detailed discussion regarding how tissue specificity of network genes might be altered due to gene network co-option at its initiation, as well as how trait independence can be retained or restored after network co-option. A lack of clarity about network co-option makes it more difficult to speculate on the long-term evolutionary implications of this mechanism. In this review, we will discuss the possible initial outcomes of network co-option, outline the mechanisms by which networks may retain or subsequently regain specificity after network co-option, and comment on some of the possible evolutionary consequences of network co-option. We place special emphasis on the need to consider selectively-neutral outcomes of network co-option to improve our understanding of the role of this mechanism in trait evolution.
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13
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Kim E, Li J, Kang M, Kelly DL, Chen S, Napolitano A, Panzella L, Shi X, Yan K, Wu S, Shen J, Bentley WE, Payne GF. Redox Is a Global Biodevice Information Processing Modality. PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE. INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS 2019; 107:1402-1424. [PMID: 32095023 PMCID: PMC7036710 DOI: 10.1109/jproc.2019.2908582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Biology is well-known for its ability to communicate through (i) molecularly-specific signaling modalities and (ii) a globally-acting electrical modality associated with ion flow across biological membranes. Emerging research suggests that biology uses a third type of communication modality associated with a flow of electrons through reduction/oxidation (redox) reactions. This redox signaling modality appears to act globally and has features of both molecular and electrical modalities: since free electrons do not exist in aqueous solution, the electrons must flow through molecular intermediates that can be switched between two states - with electrons (reduced) or without electrons (oxidized). Importantly, this global redox modality is easily accessible through its electrical features using convenient electrochemical instrumentation. In this review, we explain this redox modality, describe our electrochemical measurements, and provide four examples demonstrating that redox enables communication between biology and electronics. The first two examples illustrate how redox probing can acquire biologically relevant information. The last two examples illustrate how redox inputs can transduce biologically-relevant transitions for patterning and the induction of a synbio transceiver for two-hop molecular communication. In summary, we believe redox provides a unique ability to bridge bio-device communication because simple electrochemical methods enable global access to biologically meaningful information. Further, we envision that redox may facilitate the application of information theory to the biological sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunkyoung Kim
- Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Jinyang Li
- Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, Fischell Department of Bioengineering University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Mijeong Kang
- Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Deanna L Kelly
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Alessandra Napolitano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Panzella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Xiaowen Shi
- School of Resource and Environmental Science, Hubei Biomass-Resource Chemistry, Environmental Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Kun Yan
- School of Resource and Environmental Science, Hubei Biomass-Resource Chemistry, Environmental Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Si Wu
- School of Resource and Environmental Science, Hubei Biomass-Resource Chemistry, Environmental Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - William E Bentley
- Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, Fischell Department of Bioengineering University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Gregory F Payne
- Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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14
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Wu Q, Kumar N, Velagala V, Zartman JJ. Tools to reverse-engineer multicellular systems: case studies using the fruit fly. J Biol Eng 2019; 13:33. [PMID: 31049075 PMCID: PMC6480878 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-019-0161-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse-engineering how complex multicellular systems develop and function is a grand challenge for systems bioengineers. This challenge has motivated the creation of a suite of bioengineering tools to develop increasingly quantitative descriptions of multicellular systems. Here, we survey a selection of these tools including microfluidic devices, imaging and computer vision techniques. We provide a selected overview of the emerging cross-talk between engineering methods and quantitative investigations within developmental biology. In particular, the review highlights selected recent examples from the Drosophila system, an excellent platform for understanding the interplay between genetics and biophysics. In sum, the integrative approaches that combine multiple advances in these fields are increasingly necessary to enable a deeper understanding of how to analyze both natural and synthetic multicellular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinfeng Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Nilay Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Vijay Velagala
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Jeremiah J. Zartman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
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15
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Berlin R, Gruen R, Best J. Systems Medicine Disease: Disease Classification and Scalability Beyond Networks and Boundary Conditions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:112. [PMID: 30131956 PMCID: PMC6090066 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to accommodate the forthcoming wealth of health and disease related information, from genome to body sensors to population and the environment, the approach to disease description and definition demands re-examination. Traditional classification methods remain trapped by history; to provide the descriptive features that are required for a comprehensive description of disease, systems science, which realizes dynamic processes, adaptive response, and asynchronous communication channels, must be applied (Wolkenhauer et al., 2013). When Disease is viewed beyond the thresholds of lines and threshold boundaries, disease definition is not only the result of reductionist, mechanistic categories which reluctantly face re-composition. Disease is process and synergy as the characteristics of Systems Biology and Systems Medicine are included. To capture the wealth of information and contribute meaningfully to medical practice and biology research, Disease classification goes beyond a single spatial biologic level or static time assignment to include the interface of Disease process and organism response (Bechtel, 2017a; Green et al., 2017).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Berlin
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Russell Gruen
- Department of Surgery, Nanyang Institute of Technology in Health and Medicine, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - James Best
- Lee Kong China School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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16
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Benítez M, Hernández-Hernández V, Newman SA, Niklas KJ. Dynamical Patterning Modules, Biogeneric Materials, and the Evolution of Multicellular Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:871. [PMID: 30061903 PMCID: PMC6055014 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Comparative analyses of developmental processes across a broad spectrum of organisms are required to fully understand the mechanisms responsible for the major evolutionary transitions among eukaryotic photosynthetic lineages (defined here as the polyphyletic algae and the monophyletic land plants). The concepts of dynamical patterning modules (DPMs) and biogeneric materials provide a framework for studying developmental processes in the context of such comparative analyses. In the context of multicellularity, DPMs are defined as sets of conserved gene products and molecular networks, in conjunction with the physical morphogenetic and patterning processes they mobilize. A biogeneric material is defined as mesoscale matter with predictable morphogenetic capabilities that arise from complex cellular conglomerates. Using these concepts, we outline some of the main events and transitions in plant evolution, and describe the DPMs and biogeneric properties associated with and responsible for these transitions. We identify four primary DPMs that played critical roles in the evolution of multicellularity (i.e., the DPMs responsible for cell-to-cell adhesion, identifying the future cell wall, cell differentiation, and cell polarity). Three important conclusions emerge from a broad phyletic comparison: (1) DPMs have been achieved in different ways, even within the same clade (e.g., phycoplastic cell division in the Chlorophyta and phragmoplastic cell division in the Streptophyta), (2) DPMs had their origins in the co-option of molecular species present in the unicellular ancestors of multicellular plants, and (3) symplastic transport mediated by intercellular connections, particularly plasmodesmata, was critical for the evolution of complex multicellularity in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Benítez
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad – Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Valeria Hernández-Hernández
- Laboratoire de Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Lyon, France
| | - Stuart A. Newman
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Masiello MG, Verna R, Cucina A, Bizzarri M. Physical constraints in cell fate specification. A case in point: Microgravity and phenotypes differentiation. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 134:55-67. [PMID: 29307754 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Data obtained by studying mammalian cells in absence of gravity strongly support the notion that cell fate specification cannot be understood according to the current molecular model. A paradigmatic case in point is provided by studying cell populations growing in absence of gravity. When the physical constraint (gravity) is 'experimentally removed', cells spontaneously allocate into two morphologically different phenotypes. Such phenomenon is likely enacted by the intrinsic stochasticity, which, in turn, is successively 'canalized' by a specific gene regulatory network. Both phenotypes are thermodynamically and functionally 'compatibles' with the new, modified environment. However, when the two cell subsets are reseeded into the 1g gravity field the two phenotypes collapse into one. Gravity constraints the system in adopting only one phenotype, not by selecting a pre-existing configuration, but more precisely shaping it de-novo through the modification of the cytoskeleton three-dimensional structure. Overall, those findings highlight how macro-scale features are irreducible to lower-scale explanations. The identification of macroscale control parameters - as those depending on the field (gravity, electromagnetic fields) or emerging from the cooperativity among the field's components (tissue stiffness, cell-to-cell connectivity) - are mandatory for assessing boundary conditions for models at lower scales, thus providing a concrete instantiation of top-down effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Masiello
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Surgery "PietroValdoni", Sapienza University of Rome, via A. Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Roberto Verna
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Cucina
- Department of Surgery "PietroValdoni", Sapienza University of Rome, via A. Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy; Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Mariano Bizzarri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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Simeoni C, Dinicola S, Cucina A, Mascia C, Bizzarri M. Systems Biology Approach and Mathematical Modeling for Analyzing Phase-Space Switch During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1702:95-123. [PMID: 29119504 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7456-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this report, we aim at presenting a viable strategy for the study of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and its opposite Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET) by means of a Systems Biology approach combined with a suitable Mathematical Modeling analysis. Precisely, it is shown how the presence of a metastable state, that is identified at a mesoscopic level of description, is crucial for making possible the appearance of a phase transition mechanism in the framework of fast-slow dynamics for Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Simeoni
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice Cedex 02, France.
| | - Simona Dinicola
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Department of Surgery "Pietro Valdoni", Sapienza University of Rome, via A. Scarpa 14, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Cucina
- Department of Surgery "Pietro Valdoni", Sapienza University of Rome, via A. Scarpa 14, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Corrado Mascia
- Department of Mathematics, Sapienza University of Rome, piazzale A. Moro 2, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Bizzarri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Systems Biology Group Lab, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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