Biology subjects

Seirin-Lee, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Seirin-Lee, S..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

The optimal strategy of incompatible insect technique (IIT) using Wolbachia to control Malaria

For decades, techniques to control vector population with low environmental impact have been widely explored in both field and theoretical studies. The incompatible insect method (IIT) using Wolbachia, based on cytoplasmic incompatibility, is a technique that Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are incapable of producing viable offspring after mating with wildtype female mosquitoes. While the IIT method experimentally ensured its effectiveness in several field works, the failure of female mosquito population control owing to the accidental contamination of Wolbachia-infected female mosquitoes has been a concern and an obstacle in implementing the IIT method in nature. In this study, we developed a population-based IIT mathematical model using cytoplasmic incompatibility and evaluated the effectiveness of the IIT method in scenarios where contamination was present or absent. In addition, by extending the model to assess the disease infection status of the human population with malaria, we evaluated the optimal release strategy and cost for successful disease control. Our study proves that IIT could be a promising method to control mosquito-borne diseases without perfect eradication of vector mosquito population regardless of contamination.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2021

The extra-embryonic space is a geometric constraint regulating cell arrangement in nematodes

In multicellular systems, cells communicate with adjacent cells to decide their positions and fates. Cellular arrangement in space is thus important for development. Orientation of cell division, cell-cell interaction (i.e., attraction and repulsion), and geometrical constraints are the three major factors that define cell arrangement. Here we found that the amount and location of extra-embryonic space (ES), the empty space within the eggshell not occupied by embryonic cells, are critical to define cell arrangement in the 4-cell stage embryo of nematodes. This discovery was motivated by observations of a T-reversed-type arrangement, which was not explained by a model assuming simplified shapes of the eggshell, in our previous experiments. In this study, we incorporated the precise shape of the C. elegans eggshell in our newly developed multicellular morphology model based on the phase-field method. The new model succeeded in reproducing the T-reverse arrangement, demonstrating the importance of the precise shape of the eggshell. Further analyses revealed that the amount and location of ES is critical to develop various cell arrangements. Overall, our analyses characterized the roles of new geometrical contributors to cell arrangements, which should be considered for any multicellular system.

biophysics↗