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Carregal-Romero S, Fadón L, Berra E, Ruíz-Cabello J. MicroRNA Nanotherapeutics for Lung Targeting. Insights into Pulmonary Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093253. [PMID: 32375361 PMCID: PMC7246754 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, the potential future role of microRNA-based therapies and their specific application in lung diseases is reported with special attention to pulmonary hypertension. Current limitations of these therapies will be pointed out in order to address the challenges that they need to face to reach clinical applications. In this context, the encapsulation of microRNA-based therapies in nanovectors has shown improvements as compared to chemically modified microRNAs toward enhanced stability, efficacy, reduced side effects, and local administration. All these concepts will contextualize in this review the recent achievements and expectations reported for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Carregal-Romero
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 182, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (S.C.-R.); (L.F.)
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Fadón
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 182, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (S.C.-R.); (L.F.)
| | - Edurne Berra
- Center for Cooperative Research in Bioscience (CIC bioGUNE), Buiding 800, Science and Technology Park of Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain;
| | - Jesús Ruíz-Cabello
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 182, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (S.C.-R.); (L.F.)
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
- Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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2
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Posner R, Laubenbacher R. Connecting the molecular function of microRNAs to cell differentiation dynamics. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190437. [PMID: 31551049 PMCID: PMC6769318 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs form a class of short, non-coding RNA molecules which are essential for proper development in tissue-based plants and animals. To help explain their role in gene regulation, a number of mathematical and computational studies have demonstrated the potential canalizing effects of microRNAs. However, such studies have typically focused on the effects of microRNAs on only one or a few target genes. Consequently, it remains unclear how these small-scale effects add up to the experimentally observed developmental outcomes resulting from microRNA perturbation at the whole-genome level. To answer this question, we built a general computational model of cell differentiation to study the effect of microRNAs in genome-scale gene regulatory networks. Our experiments show that in large gene regulatory networks, microRNAs can control differentiation time without significantly changing steady-state gene expression profiles. This temporal regulatory role cannot be naturally replicated using protein-based transcription factors alone. While several microRNAs have been shown to regulate differentiation time in vivo, our findings provide a new explanation of how the cumulative molecular actions of individual microRNAs influence genome-scale cellular dynamics. Taken together, these results may help explain why tissue-based organisms exclusively depend on miRNA-mediated regulation, while their more primitive counterparts do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Posner
- Center for Quantitative Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Reinhard Laubenbacher
- Center for Quantitative Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.,The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
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3
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Mura M, Jaksik R, Lalik A, Biernacki K, Kimmel M, Rzeszowska-Wolny J, Fujarewicz K. A mathematical model as a tool to identify microRNAs with highest impact on transcriptome changes. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:114. [PMID: 30727966 PMCID: PMC6366035 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rapid changes in the expression of many messenger RNA (mRNA) species follow exposure of cells to ionizing radiation. One of the hypothetical mechanisms of this response may include microRNA (miRNA) regulation, since the amounts of miRNAs in cells also vary upon irradiation. To address this possibility, we designed experiments using cancer-derived cell lines transfected with luciferase reporter gene containing sequences targeted by different miRNA species in its 3′- untranslated region. We focus on the early time-course response (1 h past irradiation) to eliminate secondary mRNA expression waves. Results Experiments revealed that the irradiation-induced changes in the mRNA expression depend on the miRNAs which interact with mRNA. To identify the strongest interactions, we propose a mathematical model which predicts the mRNA fold expression changes, caused by perturbation of microRNA-mRNA interactions. Model was applied to experimental data including various cell lines, irradiation doses and observation times, both ours and literature-based. Comparison of modelled and experimental mRNA expression levels given miRNA level changes allows estimating how many and which miRNAs play a significant role in transcriptome response to stress conditions in different cell types. As an example, in the human melanoma cell line the comparison suggests that, globally, a major part of the irradiation-induced changes of mRNA expression can be explained by perturbed miRNA-mRNA interactions. A subset of about 30 out of a few hundred miRNAs expressed in these cells appears to account for the changes. These miRNAs play crucial roles in regulatory mechanisms observed after irradiation. In addition, these miRNAs have a higher average content of GC and a higher number of targeted transcripts, and many have been reported to play a role in the development of cancer. Conclusions Our proposed mathematical modeling approach may be used to identify miRNAs which participate in responses of cells to ionizing radiation, and other stress factors such as extremes of temperature, exposure to toxins, and drugs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5464-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzena Mura
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland. .,, Ardigen S.A., ul. Bobrzyńskiego 14, 30-348, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Roman Jaksik
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.,Centre of Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 8, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Anna Lalik
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.,Centre of Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 8, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Biernacki
- Department of Medical and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, USA
| | - Marek Kimmel
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.,Departments of Statistics and Bioengineering, Rice University, MS 138, 6100 Main, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Joanna Rzeszowska-Wolny
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland. .,Centre of Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 8, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Fujarewicz
- Department of Systems Engineering, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
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4
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Zhao C, Zhang Y, Popel AS. Mechanistic Computational Models of MicroRNA-Mediated Signaling Networks in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E421. [PMID: 30669429 PMCID: PMC6358731 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) are endogenous non-coding RNA molecules that play important roles in human health and disease by regulating gene expression and cellular processes. In recent years, with the increasing scientific knowledge and new discovery of miRs and their gene targets, as well as the plentiful experimental evidence that shows dysregulation of miRs in a wide variety of human diseases, the computational modeling approach has emerged as an effective tool to help researchers identify novel functional associations between differential miR expression and diseases, dissect the phenotypic expression patterns of miRs in gene regulatory networks, and elucidate the critical roles of miRs in the modulation of disease pathways from mechanistic and quantitative perspectives. Here we will review the recent systems biology studies that employed different kinetic modeling techniques to provide mechanistic insights relating to the regulatory function and therapeutic potential of miRs in human diseases. Some of the key computational aspects to be discussed in detail in this review include (i) models of miR-mediated network motifs in the regulation of gene expression, (ii) models of miR biogenesis and miR⁻target interactions, and (iii) the incorporation of such models into complex disease pathways in order to generate mechanistic, molecular- and systems-level understanding of pathophysiology. Other related bioinformatics tools such as computational platforms that predict miR-disease associations will also be discussed, and we will provide perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the future development and translational application of data-driven systems biology models that involve miRs and their regulatory pathways in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Aleksander S Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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5
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Calzone L, Barillot E, Zinovyev A. Logical versus kinetic modeling of biological networks: applications in cancer research. Curr Opin Chem Eng 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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6
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Ajmera I, Shi J, Giri J, Wu P, Stekel DJ, Lu C, Hodgman TC. Regulatory feedback response mechanisms to phosphate starvation in rice. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2018; 4:4. [PMID: 29354282 PMCID: PMC5758793 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-017-0041-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus is a growth-limiting nutrient for plants. The growing scarcity of phosphate stocks threatens global food security. Phosphate-uptake regulation is so complex and incompletely known that attempts to improve phosphorus use efficiency have had extremely limited success. This study improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying phosphate uptake by investigating the transcriptional dynamics of two regulators: the Ubiquitin ligase PHO2 and the long non-coding RNA IPS1. Temporal measurements of RNA levels have been integrated into mechanistic mathematical models using advanced statistical techniques. Models based solely on current knowledge could not adequately explain the temporal expression profiles. Further modeling and bioinformatics analysis have led to the prediction of three regulatory features: the PHO2 protein mediates the degradation of its own transcriptional activator to maintain constant PHO2 mRNA levels; the binding affinity of the transcriptional activator of PHO2 is impaired by a phosphate-sensitive transcriptional repressor/inhibitor; and the extremely high levels of IPS1 and its rapid disappearance upon Pi re-supply are best explained by Pi-sensitive RNA protection. This work offers both new opportunities for plant phosphate research that will be essential for informing the development of phosphate efficient crop varieties, and a foundation for the development of models integrating phosphate with other stress responses. Food security is a global priority. One aspect of this is the ability to grow crops in poorer soils with less fertilizer input, of which phosphate is both essential and resource limited. This study provides a quantitative understanding of the genetic regulation of phosphate uptake in rice upon its deficiency. The mathematical models developed in this article lead to three hypotheses for the gaps identified in current knowledge. One of these hypotheses has previously only been reported in animals while the other prompted laboratory experiments, revealing an extra level of regulation at short timescales. These models provide the basis for crop systems biologists to study other aspects of phosphate regulation, including its internal utilisation, external availability and foraging, and, more crucially, in response to other stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishan Ajmera
- School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK.,2Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Jing Shi
- 3State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,4Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Jitender Giri
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Ping Wu
- 3State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dov J Stekel
- School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Chungui Lu
- School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK.,6School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ UK
| | - T Charlie Hodgman
- School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK.,2Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
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7
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Rayon-Estrada V, Harjanto D, Hamilton CE, Berchiche YA, Gantman EC, Sakmar TP, Bulloch K, Gagnidze K, Harroch S, McEwen BS, Papavasiliou FN. Epitranscriptomic profiling across cell types reveals associations between APOBEC1-mediated RNA editing, gene expression outcomes, and cellular function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:13296-13301. [PMID: 29167373 PMCID: PMC5740640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714227114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epitranscriptomics refers to posttranscriptional alterations on an mRNA sequence that are dynamic and reproducible, and affect gene expression in a similar way to epigenetic modifications. However, the functional relevance of those modifications for the transcript, the cell, and the organism remain poorly understood. Here, we focus on RNA editing and show that Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-1 (APOBEC1), together with its cofactor RBM47, mediates robust editing in different tissues. The majority of editing events alter the sequence of the 3'UTR of targeted transcripts, and we focus on one cell type (monocytes) and on a small set of highly edited transcripts within it to show that editing alters gene expression by modulating translation (but not RNA stability or localization). We further show that specific cellular processes (phagocytosis and transendothelial migration) are enriched for transcripts that are targets of editing and that editing alters their function. Finally, we survey bone marrow progenitors and demonstrate that common monocyte progenitor cells express high levels of APOBEC1 and are susceptible to loss of the editing enzyme. Overall, APOBEC1-mediated transcriptome diversification is required for the fine-tuning of protein expression in monocytes, suggesting an epitranscriptomic mechanism for the proper maintenance of homeostasis in innate immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Rayon-Estrada
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- The Rockefeller Graduate Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Dewi Harjanto
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Claire E Hamilton
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- The Rockefeller Graduate Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- The Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Yamina A Berchiche
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Emily Conn Gantman
- The Rockefeller Graduate Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Thomas P Sakmar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, 141 57 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Karen Bulloch
- The Neuroimmunology and Inflammation Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Khatuna Gagnidze
- The Neuroimmunology and Inflammation Program, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Sheila Harroch
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - F Nina Papavasiliou
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065;
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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8
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Saraiva C, Esteves M, Bernardino L. MicroRNA: Basic concepts and implications for regeneration and repair of neurodegenerative diseases. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 141:118-131. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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9
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Lai X, Wolkenhauer O, Vera J. Understanding microRNA-mediated gene regulatory networks through mathematical modelling. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:6019-35. [PMID: 27317695 PMCID: PMC5291278 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has added a new player to the regulation of gene expression. With the increasing number of molecular species involved in gene regulatory networks, it is hard to obtain an intuitive understanding of network dynamics. Mathematical modelling can help dissecting the role of miRNAs in gene regulatory networks, and we shall here review the most recent developments that utilise different mathematical modelling approaches to provide quantitative insights into the function of miRNAs in the regulation of gene expression. Key miRNA regulation features that have been elucidated via modelling include: (i) the role of miRNA-mediated feedback and feedforward loops in fine-tuning of gene expression; (ii) the miRNA–target interaction properties determining the effectiveness of miRNA-mediated gene repression; and (iii) the competition for shared miRNAs leading to the cross-regulation of genes. However, there is still lack of mechanistic understanding of many other properties of miRNA regulation like unconventional miRNA–target interactions, miRNA regulation at different sub-cellular locations and functional miRNA variant, which will need future modelling efforts to deal with. This review provides an overview of recent developments and challenges in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lai
- Laboratory of Systems Tumour Immunology, Department of Dermatology, Erlangen University Hospital and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Olaf Wolkenhauer
- Department of Systems Biology & Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, 18051, Germany Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, 7600, South Africa
| | - Julio Vera
- Laboratory of Systems Tumour Immunology, Department of Dermatology, Erlangen University Hospital and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
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10
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Roth W, Hecker D, Fava E. Systems Biology Approaches to the Study of Biological Networks Underlying Alzheimer's Disease: Role of miRNAs. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1303:349-377. [PMID: 26235078 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2627-5_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as significant regulators of mRNA complexity in the human central nervous system (CNS) thereby controlling distinct gene expression profiles in a spatio-temporal manner during development, neuronal plasticity, aging and (age-related) neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing effort is expended towards dissecting and deciphering the molecular and genetic mechanisms of neurobiological and pathological functions of these brain-enriched miRNAs. Along these lines, recent data pinpoint distinct miRNAs and miRNA networks being linked to APP splicing, processing and Aβ pathology (Lukiw et al., Front Genet 3:327, 2013), and furthermore, to the regulation of tau and its cellular subnetworks (Lau et al., EMBO Mol Med 5:1613, 2013), altogether underlying the onset and propagation of Alzheimer's disease. MicroRNA profiling studies in Alzheimer's disease suffer from poor consensus which is an acknowledged concern in the field, and constitutes one of the current technical challenges. Hence, a strong demand for experimental and computational systems biology approaches arises, to incorporate and integrate distinct levels of information and scientific knowledge into a complex system of miRNA networks in the context of the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome in a given cellular environment. Here, we will discuss the state-of-the-art technologies and computational approaches on hand that may lead to a deeper understanding of the complex biological networks underlying the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wera Roth
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany
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11
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Long noncoding RNA SPRY4-IT1 predicts poor patient prognosis and promotes tumorigenesis in gastric cancer. Tumour Biol 2015; 53:2016-2028. [PMID: 25835973 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9142-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is the second common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as novel regulators in the cancer paradigm. However, investigation of lncRNAs on GC is still in its infancy. In this study, we focused on lncRNA SPRY4 intronic transcript 1 (SPRY4-IT1) and investigated its expression pattern, clinical significance, biological function, and molecular mechanism in GC. SPRY4-IT1 expression was examined, and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and patient prognosis was analyzed. A series of assays were performed to understand the role of SPRY4-IT1 in GC. SPRY4-IT1 expression was elevated in GC tissues and cell lines, and SPRY4-IT1 levels were highly positively correlated with tumor size, invasion depth, distant metastasis, TNM stage, and reduced overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). A multivariate analysis showed that SPRY4-IT1 expression is an independent prognostic factor of OS and DFS in patients with GC. Additionally, the results of in vitro assays showed that the suppression of SPRY4-IT1 expression in GC cell line MKN-45 significantly reduced cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration/invasion. Moreover, the tumorigenic effects of SPRY4-IT1 were partially mediated by the regulation of certain cyclins and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-related genes. Our data suggest that SPRY4-IT1 plays a critical role in GC tumorigenesis and may represent a novel prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in patients with GC.
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12
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Nyayanit D, Gadgil CJ. Mathematical modeling of combinatorial regulation suggests that apparent positive regulation of targets by miRNA could be an artifact resulting from competition for mRNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 21:307-319. [PMID: 25576498 PMCID: PMC4338329 DOI: 10.1261/rna.046862.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs bind to and regulate the abundance and activity of target messenger RNA through sequestration, enhanced degradation, and suppression of translation. Although miRNA have a predominantly negative effect on the target protein concentration, several reports have demonstrated a positive effect of miRNA, i.e., increase in target protein concentration on miRNA overexpression and decrease in target concentration on miRNA repression. miRNA-target pair-specific effects such as protection of mRNA degradation owing to miRNA binding can explain some of these effects. However, considering such pairs in isolation might be an oversimplification of the RNA biology, as it is known that one miRNA interacts with several targets, and conversely target mRNA are subject to regulation by several miRNAs. We formulate a mathematical model of this combinatorial regulation of targets by multiple miRNA. Through mathematical analysis and numerical simulations of this model, we show that miRNA that individually have a negative effect on their targets may exhibit an apparently positive net effect when the concentration of one miRNA is experimentally perturbed by repression/overexpression in such a multi-miRNA multitarget situation. We show that this apparent unexpected effect is due to competition and will not be observed when miRNA interact noncompetitively with the target mRNA. This result suggests that some of the observed unusual positive effects of miRNA may be due to the combinatorial complexity of the system rather than due to any inherently unusual positive effect of the miRNA on its target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimpal Nyayanit
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Chetan J Gadgil
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi 110001, India CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110020, India
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13
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Duk MA, Samsonova MG, Samsonov AM. Dynamics of miRNA driven feed-forward loop depends upon miRNA action mechanisms. BMC Genomics 2014; 15 Suppl 12:S9. [PMID: 25563303 PMCID: PMC4303955 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-s12-s9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We perform the theoretical analysis of a gene network sub-system, composed of a feed-forward loop, in which the upstream transcription factor regulates the target gene via two parallel pathways: directly, and via interaction with miRNA. Results As the molecular mechanisms of miRNA action are not clear so far, we elaborate three mathematical models, in which miRNA either represses translation of its target or promotes target mRNA degradation, or is not re-used, but degrades along with target mRNA. We examine the feed-forward loop dynamics quantitatively at the whole time interval of cell cycle. We rigorously proof the uniqueness of solutions to the models and obtain the exact solutions in one of them analytically. Conclusions We have shown that different mechanisms of miRNA action lead to a variety of types of dynamical behavior of feed-forward loops. In particular, we found that the ability of feed-forward loop to dampen fluctuations introduced by transcription factor is the model and parameter dependent feature. We also discuss how our results could help a biologist to infer the mechanism of miRNA action.
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14
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Finley SD, Chu LH, Popel AS. Computational systems biology approaches to anti-angiogenic cancer therapeutics. Drug Discov Today 2014; 20:187-97. [PMID: 25286370 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is an exquisitely regulated process that is required for physiological processes and is also important in numerous diseases. Tumors utilize angiogenesis to generate the vascular network needed to supply the cancer cells with nutrients and oxygen, and many cancer drugs aim to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Anti-angiogenic therapy involves inhibiting multiple cell types, molecular targets, and intracellular signaling pathways. Computational tools are useful in guiding treatment strategies, predicting the response to treatment, and identifying new targets of interest. Here, we describe progress that has been made in applying mathematical modeling and bioinformatics approaches to study anti-angiogenic therapeutics in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey D Finley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Liang-Hui Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aleksander S Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Schmitz U, Lai X, Winter F, Wolkenhauer O, Vera J, Gupta SK. Cooperative gene regulation by microRNA pairs and their identification using a computational workflow. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:7539-52. [PMID: 24875477 PMCID: PMC4081082 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an integral part of gene regulation at the post-transcriptional level. Recently, it has been shown that pairs of miRNAs can repress the translation of a target mRNA in a cooperative manner, which leads to an enhanced effectiveness and specificity in target repression. However, it remains unclear which miRNA pairs can synergize and which genes are target of cooperative miRNA regulation. In this paper, we present a computational workflow for the prediction and analysis of cooperating miRNAs and their mutual target genes, which we refer to as RNA triplexes. The workflow integrates methods of miRNA target prediction; triplex structure analysis; molecular dynamics simulations and mathematical modeling for a reliable prediction of functional RNA triplexes and target repression efficiency. In a case study we analyzed the human genome and identified several thousand targets of cooperative gene regulation. Our results suggest that miRNA cooperativity is a frequent mechanism for an enhanced target repression by pairs of miRNAs facilitating distinctive and fine-tuned target gene expression patterns. Human RNA triplexes predicted and characterized in this study are organized in a web resource at www.sbi.uni-rostock.de/triplexrna/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Schmitz
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Xin Lai
- Laboratory of Systems Tumor Immunology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Felix Winter
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Olaf Wolkenhauer
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Julio Vera
- Laboratory of Systems Tumor Immunology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Shailendra K Gupta
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany Department of Bioinformatics, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, 226001 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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16
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Goodfellow M, Phillips NE, Manning C, Galla T, Papalopulu N. microRNA input into a neural ultradian oscillator controls emergence and timing of alternative cell states. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3399. [PMID: 24595054 PMCID: PMC3959193 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Progenitor maintenance, timed differentiation and the potential to enter quiescence are three fundamental processes that underlie the development of any organ system. In the nervous system, progenitor cells show short-period oscillations in the expression of the transcriptional repressor Hes1, while neurons and quiescent progenitors show stable low and high levels of Hes1, respectively. Here we use experimental data to develop a mathematical model of the double-negative interaction between Hes1 and a microRNA, miR-9, with the aim of understanding how cells transition from one state to another. We show that the input of miR-9 into the Hes1 oscillator tunes its oscillatory dynamics, and endows the system with bistability and the ability to measure time to differentiation. Our results suggest that a relatively simple and widespread network of cross-repressive interactions provides a unifying framework for progenitor maintenance, the timing of differentiation and the emergence of alternative cell states. Hes1 is an important regulator of progenitor maintenance and timed differentiation, which shows oscillatory expression. Here, the authors combine experimental data and mathematical modelling to show that the interaction between miRNA-9 and Hes1 can predict progenitor transition from one cell state to another, as well as the timing of this transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Goodfellow
- 1] Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK [2] Present address: College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QF, UK
| | - Nicholas E Phillips
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Cerys Manning
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Tobias Galla
- Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Nancy Papalopulu
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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Rossi S, Calin GA. Bioinformatics, non-coding RNAs and its possible application in personalized medicine. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 774:21-37. [PMID: 23377966 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5590-1_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs are important actors in human biology. A massive amount of data has been created and manipulated, and important findings have been extracted thanks in part to bioinformatics approaches and consequent experimental validation; many of these results are for a specific class of non-coding RNAs, the microRNAs (miRNAs), that are important regulators of gene expression although their transcriptional regulation is not yet well understood. Their involvement in cancer development and progression makes the related research field an integrated one, composed of bioinformaticians, clinicians, statisticians and biologists, as well as informaticians and data miners that cure data manipulation and storage especially due to the output of the latest technologies, like the Next Generation Sequencers.In this chapter we report the main miRNA findings of the last 10 years in terms of identification and prediction techniques, data generation and manipulation methods, as well as possible use in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Rossi
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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