Functional modularity of nuclear hormone receptors in a Caenorhabditis elegans metabolic gene regulatory network

We present the first gene regulatory network (GRN) that pertains to post-developmental gene expression. Specifically, we mapped a transcription regulatory network of Caenorhabditis elegans metabolic gene promoters using gene-centered yeast one-hybrid assays. We found that the metabolic GRN is enriched for nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) compared with other gene-centered regulatory networks, and that these NHRs organize into functional network modules.The NHR family has greatly expanded in nematodes; C. elegans has 284 NHRs, whereas humans have only 48. We show that the NHRs in the metabolic GRN have metabolic phenotypes, suggesting that they do not simply function redundantly.The mediator subunit MDT-15 preferentially interacts with NHRs that occur in the metabolic GRN.We describe an NHR circuit that responds to nutrient availability and propose a model for the evolution and organization of NHRs in C. elegans metabolic regulatory networks

Molecular dynamics simulation of classical thermosize effects

We present the first molecular dynamics simulations of classical thermosize effects for realistic molecular conditions and flows. The classical thermosize effect is the chemical potential difference induced between two different-sized channels that have different fluid transport processes. It can be generated by applying a temperature gradient within the different-sized domains, and in this article the system investigated is a combination of a microchannel and a nanochannel. Our molecular dynamics results are compared with a theoretical calculation of the induced chemical potential difference, and this yields useful new insight into diffusive transport in nonequilibrium gas flows