A synthetic mammalian network to compute population borders based on engineered reciprocal cell-cell communication

Abstract: Background

Multicellular organisms depend on the exchange of information between specialized cells. This communication is often difficult to decipher in its native context, but synthetic biology provides tools to engineer well-defined systems that allow the convenient study and manipulation of intercellular communication networks.

Results

Here, we present the first mammalian synthetic network for reciprocal cell-cell communication to compute the border between a sender/receiver and a processing cell population. The two populations communicate via L-tryptophan and interleukin-4 to highlight the population border by the production of a fluorescent protein. The sharpness of that visualized edge can be adjusted by modulating key parameters of the network.

Conclusions

We anticipate that this network will on the one hand be a useful tool to gain deeper insights into the mechanisms of tissue formation in nature and will on the other hand contribute to our ability to engineer artificial tissues.

Keywords

Synthetic biology - Intercellular communication - Population borders - Edge-detect

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: BMC Systems Biology. 9 (2015), 97, DOI 10.1186/s12918-015-0252-1, issn: 1752-0509 ; IN COPYRIGHT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0 rs

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Biowissenschaften, Biologie
• Keyword: Synthetische Biologie ; Zellkommunikation

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2015
• Creator: Kolar, Katja ; Wischhusen, Hanna Maria ; Müller, Konrad ; Karlsson, Maria ; Weber, Wilfried ; Zurbriggen, Matias D.
• Contributor: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Centre for Biological Signalling Studies ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Fakultät für Biologie ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Further information

• DOI: 10.1186/s12918-015-0252-1
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-125528
• Rights: Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:44 AM CEST