Caitlin Strassburg

Conservation of Dynamic Modularity in the Regulation of Cell Cycle and Apoptosis control in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Class of 2023

Biography

  • Education
    • Warren Area High School, Warren, PA, 2019
    • The College of Wooster, BA in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 2023
    • The College of Wooster, BA in Mathematics, 2023
  • Professional experience
    • The College of Wooster Biology Department, Teaching Assistant
    • The College of Wooster Biology Department, Research Assistant
    • The College of Wooster Math & Computer Science Department, Math Center Tutor
    • The College of Wooster STEM Success Initiative, Teaching Assistant & Peer Tutor
    • The Cleveland Clinic LRI, Research Student
    • Systems Approaches To Cancer Biology Scholar, 2022

IS Thesis Abstract

Dynamic Modularity is a proposed characteristic of biologically defined Boolean Regulatory Networks. The principle states that when modular networks regulating individual cell behaviors are connected according to biological interactions, the phenotypes of the newly formed network will be discrete combinations of each constituent switch’s phenotypes. This hypothesized phenomenon has only yet been studied in the regulatory networks of mammalian cell cycle and apoptosis. Here we introduce a Boolean regulatory network for cell cycle control in S. cerevisiae consisting of two modular networks. The two constituent switches represent the Restriction/START and Spindle Assembly Checkpoints of the cell cycle. This model is shown to reliably replicate the dynamics of the Restriction/START and Spindle Assembly Checkpoints in the cell cycle of S. cerevisiae. Notably, the model doesn’t not replicate the dynamics of the DNA damage checkpoint biologically observed in phase G2 of the cell cycle. Each constituent switch displays bistable dynamics consistent with their biological regulatory role. The modular nature of this model makes it a promising target for evaluating the presence of Dynamic Modularity in a novel model organism.

Figure 1. The molecular network of yeast cell cycle control (left), and the cyclic division pattern it generates (right; orange = ON, blue = OFF).
Figure 2. Caitlin presenting her work at the 2023 IS Symposium

Webpage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-strassburg-0a8402167/