Fuzzy logic analysis of kinase pathway crosstalk in TNF/EGF/insulin-induced signaling

Aldridge BB, Saez-Rodriguez J, Muhlich JL, Sorger PK, Lauffenburger DA. (2009) PLoS Comput Biol 5(4): e1000340.

When modeling cell signaling networks, a balance must be struck between mechanistic detail and ease of interpretation. In this paper we apply a fuzzy logic framework to the analysis of a large, systematic dataset describing the dynamics of cell […]

Input-output behavior of ErbB signaling pathways as revealed by a mass action model trained against dynamic data

Chen WW, Schoeberl B, Jasper PJ, Niepel M, Nielsen UB, Lauffenburger DA, Sorger PK. (2009) Mol Syst Biol 5: 239.

The ErbB signaling pathways, which regulate diverse physiological responses such as cell survival, proliferation and motility, have been subjected to extensive molecular analysis. Nonetheless, it remains poorly understood how different ligands induce different responses and […]

Microfluidics closes in on point-of-care assays

Sorger PK. (2008) Nat Biotechnol 26(12): 1345-6.

An integrated microfluidic device enables rapid detection of protein biomarkers in patient samples.

Routine assessment of biomarkers promises to transform many areas of medicine, from clinical trials, which will benefit from biomarkerbased segmentation of patient populations, to the diagnosis and treatment of complex disease. To add real value, […]

Modeling a Snap-Action, Variable-Delay Switch Controlling Extrinsic Cell Death

Albeck JG, Burke JM, Spencer SL, Lauffenburger DA, Sorger PK. (2008) PLoS Biol 6(12): e299.

When exposed to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a closely related death ligand and investigational therapeutic, cells enter a protracted period of variable duration in which only upstream initiator caspases are active. A subsequent and sudden […]

Studying chromosome instability in the mouse

Foijer F, Draviam VM, Sorger PK. (2008) Biochim Biophys Acta 1786(1): 73-82.

Aneuploidy has long been recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer. It nonetheless remains uncertain whether aneuploidy occurring early in the development of a cancer is a primary cause of oncogenic transformation, or whether it is an epiphenomenon that arises from a […]

Structural and functional dissection of Mif2p, a conserved DNA-binding kinetochore protein

Cohen RL, Espelin CW, De Wulf P, Sorger PK, Harrison SC, Simons KT. (2008) Mol Biol Cell 19(10): 4480-91.

Mif2p is the budding-yeast orthologue of the mammalian centromere-binding protein CENP-C. We have mapped domains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mif2p and studied the phenotyptic consequences of their deletion. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, […]

Quantitative analysis of pathways controlling extrinsic apoptosis in single cells

Albeck JG, Burke JM, Aldridge BB, Zhang M, Lauffenburger DA, Sorger PK. (2008) Mol Cell 30(1): 11-25.

Apoptosis in response to TRAIL or TNF requires the activation of initiator caspases, which then activate the effector caspases that dismantle cells and cause death. However, little is known about the dynamics and regulatory logic linking initiators and […]

Flexible informatics for linking experimental data to mathematical models via DataRail

Saez-Rodriguez J, Goldsipe A, Muhlich J, Alexopoulos LG, Millard B, Lauffenburger DA, Sorger PK. (2008) Bioinformatics 24(6): 840-7.

MOTIVATION: Linking experimental data to mathematical models in biology is impeded by the lack of suitable software to manage and transform data. Model calibration would be facilitated and models would increase in value were it possible to […]

Oncogenic pathways impinging on the G2-restriction point

Foijer F, Simonis M, van Vliet M, Wessels L, Kerkhoven R, Sorger PK, Te Riele H. (2008) Oncogene 27(8): 1142-54.

In the absence of mitogenic stimuli, cells normally arrest in G(1/0), because they fail to pass the G1-restriction point. However, abrogation of the G1-restriction point (by loss of the retinoblastoma gene family) reveals a second-restriction […]