Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Apoptotic Biomarkers in Actinomycin D-Treated SiHa Cervical Cancer Cells
13:53

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Apoptotic Biomarkers in Actinomycin D-Treated SiHa Cervical Cancer Cells

Published on: August 26, 2021

5.7K

Theoretical Analysis of Fas Ligand-Induced Apoptosis with an Ordinary Differential Equation Model

Zhimin Shi1, Yan Li1, Zhihai Liu1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China tel: 86-21-54925128.

Molecular Informatics
|August 2, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This study develops a mathematical model to quantitatively interpret cell sensitivity and apoptosis pathways. The model reveals key factors in Fas ligand-induced cell death and predicts pathway transitions.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Systems biology
  • Mathematical modeling

Background:

  • Fas ligand (FasL) triggers diverse apoptotic mechanisms across cell types.
  • Apoptosis pathways are regulated by complex biological networks.
  • Quantitative interpretation of these pathways is crucial for understanding cell sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a quantitative ordinary differential equation (ODE) model of Fas receptor-mediated apoptosis.
  • To analyze the role of kinetic parameters and protein concentrations in cell sensitivity to FasL.
  • To investigate the transition between type-I and type-II apoptotic pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a 29-equation ODE model incorporating major apoptosis pathway components.
  • Calibrated model parameters using nonlinear fitting to experimental protein concentrations (caspase-3, -8, -9, Bid) in Jurkat T-cells.
  • Analyzed model predictions regarding FasL-induced apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • The model accurately interprets kinetic parameters and protein concentrations influencing cell sensitivity to FasL.
  • Identified potential reasons for the switch between type-I and type-II apoptosis pathways.
  • Predicted a more significant role for Fas compared to Bax and suggested a feedback mechanism between pathway types.

Conclusions:

  • The ODE model provides quantitative insights into Fas-mediated apoptosis.
  • The model highlights the critical influence of specific proteins and parameters on cell death.
  • Further refinement is needed for predicting apoptosis in diverse cell lines like NCI-60 cells based on gene expression.
Keywords:
Apoptosis pathwayFas ligandOrdinary differential equationSystems biology

More Related Videos

Comprehensive Analysis of Drug Response using the FLICK Assay09:42

Comprehensive Analysis of Drug Response using the FLICK Assay

Published on: June 6, 2025

854
Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex07:17

Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex

Published on: August 2, 2021

3.0K

Related Concept Videos

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
9.2K
Modeling with Differential Equations01:25

Modeling with Differential Equations

Population dynamics can be described mathematically by considering the population size P(t) as a function of time. The rate of change of the population is then represented by the derivative of P(t). A simple assumption is that the rate of growth is proportional to the size of the population itself. This leads to an exponential growth model, where the population increases rapidly without bound. While this is a useful first approximation, it does not reflect realistic long-term...
149
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
9.1K
Caspases01:24

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside...
14.5K
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...
16.6K