Volume 7, Number 2, p.p. 45–50
Modelling of the TH-dependent regulation of tadpole tail resorption
S. Troncale,1,* R. Thuret,up2 A.-C. Fierro,2 C. Ben,2 N. Pollet,2 J.-P. Comet1, 3 and G. Bernot3
1IBISC, FRE 2873, Université d’Evry Val-d’Essonne, Génopole, France
2Laboratoire de Développement et Evolution, UMR 8080, Université de Paris Sud, France
3Programme d’Epigénomique, Génopole et Université d’Evry, France
Tail resorption observed at the time of amphibian metamorphosis is controlled by the thyroid hormone (TH). The inherent regulation network is complex and involves an important number of different factors. Consequently, global understanding of this biological process needs elaborate experiments. However, these experiments may be difficult to realize because of the need to manipulate in space and in time gene expression and hormonal treatments. Hence, we first modelled and simulated the biological process using Hybrid Functional Petri Nets. This powerful formalism offers a number of useful features and flexibility. Curves obtained in silico by simulations are in agreement with those observed in vivo and in vitro. Our modelling approach led us to ask pertinent biological questions, from which new hypotheses for experimental testing have emerged.
Keywords: Hybrid Functional Petri Nets, metamorphosis, modelling, tail resorption, thyroid hormone