Jianhua Xing

University of Pittsburgh

Collaborators: Sophia Hu (University of Pittsburgh), Yaxuan Yang ((University of Pittsburgh)), Weikang Wang (University of Pittsburgh), Dante Poe (University of Pittsburgh), Ke Ni (University of Pittsburgh), Yan Zhang (University of Pittsburgh), Yong Lu (University of Pittsburgh), Jian Yu (University of Pittsburgh), Yuanyuan Chen (University of Pittsburgh), Kazuhide Watanabe (5RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences)

Title: Coupling between cell cycle and cell fate change

Short Abstract:  Dynamical systems theory has long been utilized to describe cellular processes; however, the main challenge is the lack of quantitative information for constraining models. Combining our recently developed approaches of single cell genomics data analyses and live cell imaging studies within the framework of dynamical systems theory, we investigated how epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) couples to cell cycle progession. Analysis of scRNA-seq data predicts two parallel paths corresponding to G1/S and G2/M arrest, and we are testing this through live cell imaging studies with A549/Vim-RFP/PCNA-eGFP cell lines.

Title: Transiently increased intercommunity regulation characterizes concerted cell phenotypic transitions

Short Abstract:  Biological networks are modularized to contain perturbation effects locally, but how do cells coordinate switching of global expression profiles during cell phenotypic transitions? Through constructing genomewide dynamical models from single cell RNA sequencing data and analyzing the models within the framework of transition path theory, we studied five different cell transition processes. Our analyses reveal a a general principle that during a cell phenotypic transition, intercommunity interactions increase to concertedly coordinate global gene expression reprogramming, acomapnied with transient increase of frustrated regulation and network heterogeneity; the mechanism canalizes cells to specific cell phenotype as Waddington visioned.

Link to Full Abstract: Xing_Jianhua

Link to Poster: Poster Jianhua Xing

Contact: xing1@pitt.edu