Dataset Information

Robustness and information propagation in attractors of Random Boolean Networks.

ABSTRACT: Attractors represent the long-term behaviors of Random Boolean Networks. We study how the amount of information propagated between the nodes when on an attractor, as quantified by the average pairwise mutual information (I(A)), relates to the robustness of the attractor to perturbations (R(A)). We find that the dynamical regime of the network affects the relationship between I(A) and R(A). In the ordered and chaotic regimes, I(A) is anti-correlated with R(A), implying that attractors that are highly robust to perturbations have necessarily limited information propagation. Between order and chaos (for so-called "critical" networks) these quantities are uncorrelated. Finite size effects cause this behavior to be visible for a range of networks, from having a sensitivity of 1 to the point where I(A) is maximized. In this region, the two quantities are weakly correlated and attractors can be almost arbitrarily robust to perturbations without restricting the propagation of information in the network.

SUBMITTER: Lloyd-Price J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3408442 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Robustness and information propagation in attractors of Random Boolean Networks.

Lloyd-Price Jason J Gupta Abhishekh A Ribeiro Andre S AS

PloS one 20120730 7

Attractors represent the long-term behaviors of Random Boolean Networks. We study how the amount of information propagated between the nodes when on an attractor, as quantified by the average pairwise mutual information (I(A)), relates to the robustness of the attractor to perturbations (R(A)). We find that the dynamical regime of the network affects the relationship between I(A) and R(A). In the ordered and chaotic regimes, I(A) is anti-correlated with R(A), implying that attractors that are hi ...[more]

PMID: 22860048

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundBoolean models are increasingly used to study biological signaling networks. In a Boolean network, nodes represent biological entities such as genes, proteins or protein complexes, and edges indicate activating or inhibiting influences of one node towards another. Depending on the input of activators or inhibitors, Boolean networks categorize nodes as either active or inactive. The formalism is appealing because for many biological relationships, we lack quantitative information about binding constants or kinetic parameters and can only rely on a qualitative description of the type "A activates (or inhibits) B". A central aim of Boolean network analysis is the determination of attractors (steady states and/or cycles). This problem is known to be computationally complex, its most important parameter being the number of network nodes. Various algorithms tackle it with considerable success. In this paper we present an algorithm, which extends the size of analyzable networks thanks to simple and intuitive arguments.ResultsWe present lnet, a software package which, in fully asynchronous updating mode and without any network reduction, detects the fixed states of Boolean networks with up to 150 nodes and a good part of any present cycles for networks with up to half the above number of nodes. The algorithm goes through a complete enumeration of the states of appropriately selected subspaces of the entire network state space. The size of these relevant subspaces is small compared to the full network state space, allowing the analysis of large networks. The subspaces scanned for the analyses of cycles are larger, reducing the size of accessible networks. Importantly, inherent in cycle detection is a classification scheme based on the number of non-frozen nodes of the cycle member states, with cycles characterized by fewer non-frozen nodes being easier to detect. It is further argued that these detectable cycles are also the biologically more important ones. Furthermore, lnet also provides standard Boolean analysis features such as node loop detection.Conclusionslnet is a software package that facilitates the analysis of large Boolean networks. Its intuitive approach helps to better understand the network in question.

Dataset Information

Robustness and information propagation in attractors of Random Boolean Networks.

Publications

Robustness and information propagation in attractors of Random Boolean Networks.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets