Gene Regulatory Networks

1
Gene Regulatory Networks

• M. Di Bernardo, T. Polynikis, L. Marucci

2
Genes, mRNA and Proteins

• Gene regulation is the basis of any biological
  function

3
Activators, Repressors
4
Simplest gene networks

• Just one or two self-regulating genes

5
Synthetic Biology

• A big problem is to understand how this network
  function
• Mathematical models can help to build synthetic
  biological systems with some desired function
• For example we might want to have persistent
  oscillations
• or to switch between one gene and the other

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Modeling

• If we say x the concentration of a
  gene
• Self-degration is just proportional to x

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Coupled genes

• We can use this approach to model coupled genes
• For example

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Questions

• Can you write the equations of a simple one or
  two gene network ?
• What is the minimum number of genes to have
  self-sustained oscillations ? (gene oscillator)
• How shall they be coupled ?
• Is it possible to construct a genetic switch ?

9
References

• The web!
• Introduction to Systems Biology, U. Alon, CRC
  Press