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Computational Biology of Non-Coding RNA pp 411–426Cite as

Modeling ncRNA-Mediated Circuits in Cell Fate Decision

Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB,volume 1912)

Abstract

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play critical roles in essential cell fate decisions. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying ncRNA-mediated bistable switches remain elusive and controversial. In recent years, systematic mathematical and quantitative experimental analyses have made significant contributions on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of controlling ncRNA-mediated cell fate decision processes. In this chapter, we review and summarize the general framework of mathematical modeling of ncRNA in a pedagogical way and the application of this general framework on real biological processes. We discuss the emerging properties resulting from the reciprocal regulation between mRNA, miRNA, and competing endogenous mRNA (ceRNA), as well as the role of mathematical modeling of ncRNA in synthetic biology. Both the positive feedback loops between ncRNAs and transcription factors and the emerging properties from the miRNA-mRNA reciprocal regulation enable bistable switches to direct cell fate decision.

Key words

  • Ultrasensitivity
  • Competing endogenous mRNA
  • Posttranscriptional
  • Mathematical modeling
  • Bistability
  • Cell fate decision

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Xiao-Jun Tian, Manuela Vanegas Ferro & Hanah Goetz

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  1. Xiao-Jun Tian
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  2. Manuela Vanegas Ferro
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  3. Hanah Goetz
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Correspondence to Xiao-Jun Tian .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Erlangen University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany

    Xin Lai

  2. Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Shailendra K. Gupta

  3. Department of Dermatology, Erlangen University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany

    Julio Vera

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Tian, XJ., Ferro, M.V., Goetz, H. (2019). Modeling ncRNA-Mediated Circuits in Cell Fate Decision. In: Lai, X., Gupta, S., Vera, J. (eds) Computational Biology of Non-Coding RNA. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1912. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8982-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8982-9_16

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