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Ruiz-Whalen DM, Aichele CP, Dyson ER, Gallen KC, Stark JV, Saunders JA, Simonet JC, Ventresca EM, Fuentes IM, Marmol N, Moise E, Neubert BC, Riggs DJ, Self AM, Alexander JI, Boamah E, Browne AJ, Correa I, Foster MJ, Harrington N, Holiday TJ, Henry RA, Lee EH, Longo SM, Lorenz LD, Martinez E, Nikonova A, Radu M, Smith SC, Steele LA, Strochlic TI, Archer NF, Aykit YJ, Bolotsky AJ, Boyle M, Criollo J, Eldor O, Cruz G, Fortuona VN, Gounder SD, Greenwood N, Ji KW, Johnson A, Lara S, Montanez B, Saurman M, Singh T, Smith DR, Stapf CA, Tondapu T, Tsiobikas C, Habas R, O'Reilly AM. Gaining Wings to FLY: Using Drosophila Oogenesis as an Entry Point for Citizen Scientists in Laboratory Research. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2626:399-444. [PMID: 36715918 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2970-3_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Citizen science is a productive approach to include non-scientists in research efforts that impact particular issues or communities. In most cases, scientists at advanced career stages design high-quality, exciting projects that enable citizen contribution, a crowdsourcing process that drives discovery forward and engages communities. The challenges of having citizens design their own research with no or limited training and providing access to laboratory tools, reagents, and supplies have limited citizen science efforts. This leaves the incredible life experiences and immersion of citizens in communities that experience health disparities out of the research equation, thus hampering efforts to address community health needs with a full picture of the challenges that must be addressed. Here, we present a robust and reproducible approach that engages participants from Grade 5 through adult in research focused on defining how diet impacts disease signaling. We leverage the powerful genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry of Drosophila oogenesis to define how nutrients impact phenotypes associated with genetic mutants that are implicated in cancer and diabetes. Participants lead the project design and execution, flipping the top-down hierarchy of the prevailing scientific culture to co-create research projects and infuse the research with cultural and community relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara M Ruiz-Whalen
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher P Aichele
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Ebony R Dyson
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Katherine C Gallen
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer V Stark
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jasmine A Saunders
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacqueline C Simonet
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, USA
| | - Erin M Ventresca
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Albright College, Reading, PA, USA
| | - Isabela M Fuentes
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nyellis Marmol
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emly Moise
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Neubert
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Devon J Riggs
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Ava M Self
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer I Alexander
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Ernest Boamah
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda J Browne
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Iliana Correa
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Maya J Foster
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicole Harrington
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Troy J Holiday
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan A Henry
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA
| | - Eric H Lee
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sheila M Longo
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laurel D Lorenz
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Esteban Martinez
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anna Nikonova
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria Radu
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shannon C Smith
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsay A Steele
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Todd I Strochlic
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas F Archer
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Y James Aykit
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam J Bolotsky
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan Boyle
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Criollo
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Oren Eldor
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gabriela Cruz
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Valerie N Fortuona
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Shreeya D Gounder
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nyim Greenwood
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kayla W Ji
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aminah Johnson
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA
| | - Sophie Lara
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Maxwell Saurman
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tanu Singh
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel R Smith
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Catherine A Stapf
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tarang Tondapu
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Raymond Habas
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alana M O'Reilly
- Immersion Science Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- eCLOSE Institute, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA.
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4
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Herman MA, Aiello BR, DeLong JD, Garcia-Ruiz H, González AL, Hwang W, McBeth C, Stojković EA, Trakselis MA, Yakoby N. A Unifying Framework for Understanding Biological Structures and Functions Across Levels of Biological Organization. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:2038-2047. [PMID: 34302339 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between structure and function is a major constituent of the rules of life. Structures and functions occur across all levels of biological organization. Current efforts to integrate conceptual frameworks and approaches to address new and old questions promise to allow a more holistic and robust understanding of how different biological functions are achieved across levels of biological organization. Here, we provide unifying and generalizable definitions of both structure and function that can be applied across all levels of biological organization. However, we find differences in the nature of structures at the organismal level and below as compared to above the level of the organism. We term these intrinsic and emergent structures, respectively. Intrinsic structures are directly under selection, contributing to the overall performance (fitness) of the individual organism. Emergent structures involve interactions among aggregations of organisms and are not directly under selection. Given this distinction, we argue that while the functions of many intrinsic structures remain unknown, functions of emergent structures are the result of the aggregate of processes of individual organisms. We then provide a detailed and unified framework of the structure-function relationship for intrinsic structures to explore how their unknown functions can be defined. We provide examples of how these scalable definitions applied to intrinsic structures provide a framework to address questions on structure-function relationships that can be approached simultaneously from all subdisciplines of biology. We propose that this will produce a more holistic and robust understanding of how different biological functions are achieved across levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Herman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0118
| | - B R Aiello
- Schools of Physics and Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - J D DeLong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0118
| | - H Garcia-Ruiz
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68503
| | - A L González
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ
| | - W Hwang
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3127
| | - C McBeth
- Fraunhofer USA CMI and Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - E A Stojković
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL 60641, USA
| | - M A Trakselis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97348, Waco, TX 76798
| | - N Yakoby
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ
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7
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Chayengia M, Veikkolainen V, Jevtic M, Pyrowolakis G. Sequence environment of BMP-dependent activating elements controls transcriptional responses to Dpp signaling in Drosophila. Development 2019; 146:dev.176107. [PMID: 31110028 DOI: 10.1242/dev.176107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Intercellular signaling pathways activate transcription factors, which, along with tissue-specific co-factors, regulate expression of target genes. Responses to TGFβ/BMP signals are mediated by Smad proteins, which form complexes and accumulate in the nucleus to directly bind and regulate enhancers of BMP targets upon signaling. In Drosophila, gene activation by BMP signaling often requires, in addition to direct input by Smads, the signal-dependent removal of the transcriptional repressor Brk. Previous studies on enhancers of BMP-activated genes have defined a BMP-responsive motif, the AE, which integrates activatory and repressive input by the Smad complex and Brk, respectively. Here, we address whether sequence variations within the core AE sequences might endow the motif with additional properties accounting for qualitative and quantitative differences in BMP responses, including tissue specificity of transcriptional activation and differential sensitivity to Smad and Brk inputs. By analyzing and cross-comparing three distinct BMP-responsive enhancers from the genes wit and D ad in two different epithelia, the wing imaginal disc and the follicular epithelium, we demonstrate that differences in the AEs contribute neither to the observed tissue-restriction of BMP responses nor to differences in the utilization of the Smad and Brk branches for transcriptional activation. Rather, our results suggest that the cis-environment of the BMP-response elements not only dictates tissue specificity but also differential sensitivity to the two BMP mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinal Chayengia
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Research Training Program GRK 1104, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ville Veikkolainen
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Milica Jevtic
- Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany.,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - George Pyrowolakis
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany .,Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany.,Center for Biological Systems Analysis, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Habsburgerstr. 49, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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9
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Varela PL, Ramos CV, Monteiro PT, Chaouiya C. EpiLog: A software for the logical modelling of epithelial dynamics. F1000Res 2018; 7:1145. [PMID: 30363398 PMCID: PMC6173114 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.15613.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular responses are governed by regulatory networks subject to external signals from surrounding cells and to other micro-environmental cues. The logical (Boolean or multi-valued) framework proved well suited to study such processes at the cellular level, by specifying qualitative models of involved signalling pathways and gene regulatory networks. Here, we describe and illustrate the main features of EpiLog, a computational tool that implements an extension of the logical framework to the tissue level. EpiLog defines a collection of hexagonal cells over a 2D grid, which embodies a mono-layer epithelium. Basically, it defines a cellular automaton in which cell behaviours are driven by associated logical models subject to external signals. EpiLog is freely available on the web at http://epilog-tool.org. It is implemented in Java (version ≥1.7 required) and the source code is provided at https://github.com/epilog-tool/epilog under a GNU General Public License v3.0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L Varela
- Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, P-1049-001, Portugal.,INESC-ID, Lisbon, P-1000-029, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, P-2780-156, Portugal
| | - Camila V Ramos
- INESC-ID, Lisbon, P-1000-029, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, P-2780-156, Portugal
| | - Pedro T Monteiro
- Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, P-1049-001, Portugal.,INESC-ID, Lisbon, P-1000-029, Portugal
| | - Claudine Chaouiya
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, P-2780-156, Portugal.,CNRS, Centrale Marseille, l'Institut de Mathématiques de Marseille, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
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11
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O'Hanlon KN, Dam RA, Archambeault SL, Berg CA. Two Drosophilids exhibit distinct EGF pathway patterns in oogenesis. Dev Genes Evol 2018; 228:31-48. [PMID: 29264645 PMCID: PMC5805658 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-017-0601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the evolution of morphological structures is a remaining challenge in the field of developmental biology. The respiratory structures of insect eggshells, called the dorsal appendages, provide an outstanding system for exploring these processes since considerable information is known about their patterning and morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster and dorsal appendage number and morphology vary widely across Drosophilid species. We investigated the patterning differences that might facilitate morphogenetic differences between D. melanogaster, which produces two oar-like structures first by wrapping and then elongating the tubes via cell intercalation and cell crawling, and Scaptodrosophila lebanonensis, which produces a variable number of appendages simply by cell intercalation and crawling. Analyses of BMP pathway components thickveins and P-Mad demonstrate that anterior patterning is conserved between these species. In contrast, EGF signaling exhibits significant differences. Transcripts for the ligand encoded by gurken localize similarly in the two species, but this morphogen creates a single dorsolateral primordium in S. lebanonensis as defined by activated MAP kinase and the downstream marker broad. Expression patterns of pointed, argos, and Capicua, early steps in the EGF pathway, exhibit a heterochronic shift in S. lebanonensis relative to those seen in D. melanogaster. We demonstrate that the S. lebanonensis Gurken homolog is active in D. melanogaster but is insufficient to alter downstream patterning responses, indicating that Gurken-EGF receptor interactions do not distinguish the two species' patterning. Altogether, these results differentiate EGF signaling patterns between species and shed light on how changes to the regulation of patterning genes may contribute to different tube-forming mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenley N O'Hanlon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, 3720 15th AVE NE, Seattle, WA, 98195-5065, USA
| | - Rachel A Dam
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195-7275, USA
| | - Sophie L Archambeault
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195-7275, USA
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Celeste A Berg
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, 3720 15th AVE NE, Seattle, WA, 98195-5065, USA.
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195-7275, USA.
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