25 research outputs found
Toolbox model of evolution of metabolic pathways on networks of arbitrary topology
In prokaryotic genomes the number of transcriptional regulators is known to
quadratically scale with the total number of protein-coding genes. Toolbox
model was recently proposed to explain this scaling for metabolic enzymes and
their regulators. According to its rules the metabolic network of an organism
evolves by horizontal transfer of pathways from other species. These pathways
are part of a larger "universal" network formed by the union of all
species-specific networks. It remained to be understood, however, how the
topological properties of this universal network influence the scaling law of
functional content of genomes. In this study we answer this question by first
analyzing the scaling properties of the toolbox model on arbitrary tree-like
universal networks. We mathematically prove that the critical branching
topology, in which the average number of upstream neighbors of a node is equal
to one, is both necessary and sufficient for the quadratic scaling. Conversely,
the toolbox model on trees with exponentially expanding, supercritical topology
is characterized by the linear scaling with logarithmic corrections. We further
generalize our model to include reactions with multiple substrates/products as
well as branched or cyclic metabolic pathways. Unlike the original model the
new version employs evolutionary optimized pathways with the smallest number of
reactions necessary to achieve their metabolic tasks. Numerical simulations of
this most realistic model on the universal network from the KEGG database again
produced approximately quadratic scaling. Our results demonstrate why, in spite
of their "small-world" topology, real-life metabolic networks are characterized
by a broad distribution of pathway lengths and sizes of metabolic regulons in
regulatory networks.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
Conductive Cellulose Composites with Low Percolation Threshold for 3D Printed Electronics
We are reporting a 3D printable composite paste having strong thixotropic rheology. The composite has been designed and investigated with highly conductive silver nanowires. The optimized electrical percolation threshold from both simulation and experiment is shown from 0.7 vol. % of silver nanowires which is significantly lower than other composites using conductive nano-materials. Reliable conductivity of 1.19 Ă— 102 S/cm has been achieved from the demonstrated 3D printable composite with 1.9 vol. % loading of silver nanowires. Utilizing the high conductivity of the printable composites, 3D printing of designed battery electrode pastes is demonstrated. Rheology study shows superior printability of the electrode pastes aided by the cellulose\u27s strong thixotropic rheology. The designed anode, electrolyte, and cathode pastes are sequentially printed to form a three-layered lithium battery for the demonstration of a charging profile. This study opens opportunities of 3D printable conductive materials to create printed electronics with the next generation additive manufacturing process
Adult and larval photoreceptors use different mechanisms to specify the same rhodopsin fates
Although development of the adult Drosophila compound eye is very well understood, little is known about development of photoreceptors (PRs) in the simple larval eye. We show here that the larval eye is composed of 12 PRs, four of which express blue-sensitive rhodopsin5 (rh5) while the other eight contain green-sensitive rh6. This is similar to the 30:70 ratio of adult blue and green R8 cells. However, the stochastic choice of adult color PRs and the bistable loop of the warts and melted tumor suppressor genes that unambiguously specify rh5 and rh6 in R8 PRs are not involved in specification of larval PRs. Instead, primary PR precursors signal via EGFR to surrounding tissue to develop as secondary precursors, which will become Rh6-expressing PRs. EGFR signaling is required for the survival of the Rh6 subtype. Primary precursors give rise to the Rh5 subtype. Furthermore, the combinatorial action of the transcription factors Spalt, Seven-up, and Orthodenticle specifies the two PR subtypes. Therefore, even though the larval PRs and adult R8 PRs express the same rhodopsins (rh5 and rh6), they use very distinct mechanisms for their specification