A mathematical modelling portrait of Wnt signalling in early vertebrate embryogenesis
Claudiu V Giuraniuc1, Shabana Zain1, Shahmama Ghafoor1
1Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill Health Campus, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK.
Abstract:
There are two phases of Wnt signalling in early vertebrate embryogenesis: very early, maternal Wnt signalling promotes dorsal development, and slightly later, zygotic Wnt signalling promotes ventral and lateral mesoderm induction. However, recent molecular biology analysis has revealed more complexity among the direct Wnt target genes, with at least five classes. Here in order to test the logic and the dynamics of a new Gene Regulatory Network model suggested by these discoveries we use mathematical modelling based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Our mathematical modelling of this Gene Regulatory Network reveals that a simplified model, with one "super-gene" for each class is sufficient to a large extent to describe the regulatory behaviour previously observed experimentally.
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