On observability and reconstruction of promoter activity statistics from reporter protein mean and variance profiles

International audienceReporter protein systems are widely used in biology for the indirect quantitative monitoring of gene expression activity over time. Atthe level of population averages, the relationship between the observed reporter concentration profile and gene promoter activity is established,and effective methods have been introduced to reconstruct this information from the data. At single-cell level, the relationship between population distribution time profiles and the statistics of promoter activation is still not fully investigated, and adequate reconstruction methods are lacking.This paper develops new results for the reconstruction of promoter activity statistics from mean and variance profiles of a reporter protein. Based on stochastic modelling of gene expression dynamics, it discusses the observability of mean and autocovariance function of an arbitrary random binary promoter activity process. Mathematical relationships developed are explicit and nonparametric, i.e. free of a priori assumptions on the laws governing the promoter process, thus allowing for the decoupled analysis of the switching dynamics in a subsequent step. The results of this work constitute the essential tools for the development of promoter statistics and regulatory mechanism inference algorithms

Stochastic reaction networks with input processes: Analysis and applications to reporter gene systems

Stochastic reaction network models are widely utilized in biology and chemistry to describe the probabilistic dynamics of biochemical systems in general, and gene interaction networks in particular. Most often, statistical analysis and inference of these systems is addressed by parametric approaches, where the laws governing exogenous input processes, if present, are themselves fixed in advance. Motivated by reporter gene systems, widely utilized in biology to monitor gene activation at the individual cell level, we address the analysis of reaction networks with state-affine reaction rates and arbitrary input processes. We derive a generalization of the so-called moment equations where the dynamics of the network statistics are expressed as a function of the input process statistics. In stationary conditions, we provide a spectral analysis of the system and elaborate on connections with linear filtering. We then apply the theoretical results to develop a method for the reconstruction of input process statistics, namely the gene activation autocovariance function, from reporter gene population snapshot data, and demonstrate its performance on a simulated case study

Stochastic reaction networks with input processes: Analysis and application to gene expression inference

International audienceStochastic reaction network modelling is widely utilized to describe the probabilistic dynamics of biochemical systems in general, and gene interaction networks in particular. The statistical analysis of the response of these systems to perturbation inputs is typically dependent on specific perturbation models. Motivated by reporter gene systems, widely utilized in biology to monitor gene activity in individual cells, we address the analysis of reaction networks with state-affine rates in presence of an input process. We develop a generalization of the so-called moment equations that precisely accounts for the first- and second-order moments of arbitrary inputs without the need for a model of the input process, as well as spectral relationships between the network input and state. We then apply these results to develop a method for the reconstruction of the autocovariance function of gene activity from reporter gene population-snapshot data, a crucial step toward the investigation of gene regulation, and demonstrate its performance on a simulated case study

Integrative approaches for systematic reconstruction of regulatory circuits in mammals

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Computational and Systems Biology Program, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-149).The reconstruction of regulatory networks is one of the most challenging tasks in systems biology. Although some models for inferring regulatory networks can make useful predictions about the wiring and mechanisms of molecular interactions, these approaches are still limited and there is a strong need to develop increasingly universal and accurate approaches for network reconstruction. This problem is particularly challenging in mammals, due to the higher complexity of mammalian regulatory networks and limitations in experimental manipulation. In this thesis, I present three systematic approachs to reconstruct, analyse and refine models of gene regulation. In Chapter 1, I devise a method for deriving an observational model from temporal genomic profiles. I use it to choose targets for perturbation experiments in order to determine a network controlling the responses of mouse primary dendritic cells to stimulation with pathogen components. In Chapter 2, I introduce the algorithm Exigo, for identifying essential interactions in regulatory networks reconstructed from experimental data where regulators have been silenced, using a network reduction strategy. Exigo outperforms previous approaches on simulated data, uncovers the core network structure when applied to real networks derived from perturbation studies in mammals, and improves the performance of network inference methods. Lastly, I introduce in Chapter 3 an approach to learn a module network from multiple highthroughput assays. Analysis of a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma dataset identifies candidate regulator genes, microRNAs and copy number aberrations with biological, and possibly therapeutic, importance.by Ana Paula Santos Botelho Oliveira Leite.Ph.D

An optimal approach to the design of experiments for the automatic characterisation of biosystems

The Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle is the main approach of synthetic biology to re-design and create new biological parts and systems, targeting the solution for complex and challenging paramount problems. The applications of the novel designs range from biosensing and bioremediation of water pollutants (e.g. heavy metals) to drug discovery and delivery (e.g. cancer treatment) or biofuel production (e.g. butanol and ethanol), amongst others. Standardisation, predictability and automation are crucial elements for synthetic biology to efficiently attain these objectives. Mathematical modelling is a powerful tool that allows us to understand, predict, and control these systems, as shown in many other disciplines such as particle physics, chemical engineering, epidemiology and economics. Yet, the inherent difficulties of using mathematical models substantially slowed their adoption by the synthetic biology community. Researchers might develop different competing model alternatives in absence of in-depth knowledge of a system, consequently being left with the burden of with having to find the best one. Models also come with unknown and difficult to measure parameters that need to be inferred from experimental data. Moreover, the varying informative content of different experiments hampers the solution of these model selection and parameter identification problems, adding to the scarcity and noisiness of laborious-to-obtain data. The difficulty to solve these non-linear optimisation problems limited the widespread use of advantageous mathematical models in synthetic biology, broadening the gap between computational and experimental scientists. In this work, I present the solutions to the problems of parameter identification, model selection and experimental design, validating them with in vivo data. First, I use Bayesian inference to estimate model parameters, relaxing the traditional noise assumptions associated with this problem. I also apply information-theoretic approaches to evaluate the amount of information extracted from experiments (entropy gain). Next, I define methodologies to quantify the informative content of tentative experiments planned for model selection (distance between predictions of competing models) and parameter inference (model prediction uncertainty). Then, I use the two methods to define efficient platforms for optimal experimental design and use a synthetic gene circuit (the genetic toggle switch) to substantiate the results, computationally and experimentally. I also expand strategies to optimally design experiments for parameter identification to update parameter information and input designs during the execution of these (on-line optimal experimental design) using microfluidics. Finally, I developed an open-source and easy-to-use Julia package, BOMBs.jl, automating all the above functionalities to facilitate their dissemination and use amongst the synthetic biology community