Cereband-forelesning 31. oktober

Elin Judit Straumsvåg

Cereband-forelesning fredag 31. oktober kl. 12.15 i Traaens rom (rom 3A.11 i Bioteknologibygninga)
Dr Nick Monk, Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Sheffield: What makes cells tick? Transcriptional time delays and oscillatory gene expression.

Due to the complexity of the process of gene expression, genetic regulatory networks involve significant time delays. These delays have previously been neglected in mathematical models. I will show using specific examples of well-characterised feedback circuits how time delays can have significant biological consequences. In particular, delay models of three genetic feedback circuits can account naturally for recently reported oscillatory gene expression. When delays are included in existing models for spatial pattern formation they often introduce long-lasting oscillatory transients that destroy the pattern-forming capacity of the models. This suggests that pattern formation during embryonic development may be driven more by protein-protein interactions than by regulated gene expression, as is typically assumed. The widespread occurrence in physiology and development of fast induction of gene expression and associated resolution through negative feedback requires specific mechanisms to ensure that sustained oscillatory gene expression is not initiated.

Using the inflammatory response as an example, I will show how multiple inhibitors of gene expression encoded by duplicated genes can provide such a damping mechanism. These results suggest that certain aspects of genome structure (such as intron lengths and stabilisation of duplicated genes) may best be understood through an analysis of the dynamical systems encoded by the genome.

Erik Plahte
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Institutt for kjemi, bioteknologi og matvitenskap
Norges landbrukshøgskole
1432 Ås
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Tel: 64 94 88 65
Fax: 64 94 77 20
e-post: imfep@umb.no

Oppdatert: 29.10.03
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