Adriana Dawes - Modeling cell fate specification in organogenesis
| Dates: | 23 September 2019 |
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| Times: | 14:00 - 14:50 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Department of Mathematics |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, External researchers, Current University students |
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| Speaker: | Adriana Dawes |
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(Room 3.44b Simon Building)
Join us for this seminar by Adriana Dawes (Ohio State) as part of the Mathematics in the Life Sciences Series.
Abstract:
Nematode worms of the genus Caenorhabditis rely on an egg laying structure, called the vulva, to properly expel embryos from the adult body. Development of the vulva involves six vulval precursor cells (VPCs) which can adopt one of three possible cell fates. The physical structure and signaling pathways involved in vulval development are highly conserved across nematode worms, although recent data shows differential responses in cell fate to partial pathway disruption between two species, C. elegans and C. briggsae. In order to investigate the pathway components that may be responsible for these species-specific differences, we developed a biologically based mathematical model of the main signaling networks (EGF/Ras, Notch and Wnt) responsible for VPC cell fate specification. With this model, we have identified key components that account for the observed species-specific responses. In particular, we find that C. elegans-like parameter sets are more sensitive to disruptions in the EGF/Ras signaling pathway than C. briggsae-like parameter sets, and that differences in the spatial distribution of Wnt signaling may be responsible for the C. briggsae robustness. Taken together, the data analysis and visualization in this project have allowed us to identify modifications in the underlying interaction network that may give rise to the experimentally observed phenotypic variability.
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Speaker
Adriana Dawes
Role: Associate Professor
Organisation: Ohio State University
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
3.44b
Simon Building
Manchester
