Genomic analysis of the hierarchical structure of regulatory networks.

ABSTRACT: A fundamental question in biology is how the cell uses transcription factors (TFs) to coordinate the expression of thousands of genes in response to various stimuli. The relationships between TFs and their target genes can be modeled in terms of directed regulatory networks. These relationships, in turn, can be readily compared with commonplace "chain-of-command" structures in social networks, which have characteristic hierarchical layouts. Here, we develop algorithms for identifying generalized hierarchies (allowing for various loop structures) and use these approaches to illuminate extensive pyramid-shaped hierarchical structures existing in the regulatory networks of representative prokaryotes (Escherichia coli) and eukaryotes (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), with most TFs at the bottom leve

SUBMITTER: Yu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1595419 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature