A scenario-based approach to modeling development: A prototype model of C. elegans vulval fate specification

摘要

Studiesofdevelopmentalbiologyareoftenfacilitatedbydiagramldquo;modelsrdquo;thatsummarizethecurrentunderstandingofunderlyingmechanisms.Theincreasingcomplexityofourunderstandingofdevelopmentnecessitatescomputationalmodelsthatcanextendtheserepresentationstoincludetheirdynamicbehavior.HerewepresentaprototypemodelofemCaenorhabditiselegans/emvulvalprecursorcellfatespecificationthatrepresentsmanyprocessescrucialforthisdevelopmentaleventbutthatarehardtointegrateusingothermodelingmethodologies.Wedemonstratetheintegrativecapabilitiesofourmethodologybycomprehensivelyincorporatingthecontentsofthreeseminalpapers,showingthatthismethodologycanleadtocomprehensivemodelsofdevelopmentalbiology.Theprototypecomputationalmodelwasbuiltandisrunusingalanguage(LiveSequenceCharts)andtool(thePlay-Engine)thatfacilitatethesameconceptualprocessesbiologistsusetoconstructandprobediagram-typemodels.Wedemonstratethatthismodelingapproachpermitsrigoroustestsofmutualconsistencybetweenexperimentaldataandmechanistichypothesesandcanidentifyspecificconflictingresults,providingausefulapproachtoprobedevelopmentalsystems./p/div