The Role of Certain Post Classes in Boolean Network Models of Genetic Networks
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The role of certain Post classes in Boolean network models of genetic networks Ilya Shmulevich*†, Harri La¨ hdesma¨ ki*‡, Edward R. Dougherty§, Jaakko Astola‡, and Wei Zhang* *Cancer Genomics Laboratory, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; ‡Institute of Signal Processing, Tampere University of Technology, 33720, Tampere, Finland; and §Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840 Communicated by Leo P. Kadanoff, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, July 28, 2003 (received for review September 3, 2002) A topic of great interest and debate concerns the source of order most of its components being frozen. In this regime, the transfer and remarkable robustness observed in genetic regulatory net- of information between the components is impeded by large works. The study of the generic properties of Boolean networks walls of frozen components. In the chaotic regime, the system has proven to be useful for gaining insight into such phenomena. behaves in the opposite way, with a perturbation of one com- The main focus, as regards ordered behavior in networks, has been ponent propagating to many others in an avalanche-like manner, on canalizing functions, internal homogeneity or bias, and network with only a few isolated islands comprised of frozen components. connectivity. Here we examine the role that certain classes of Thus, networks in the chaotic regime are very sensitive to initial Boolean functions that are closed under composition play in the conditions and perturbations. The boundary between order and emergence of order in Boolean networks. The closure property chaos is called the complex regime or the critical phase, with the implies that any gene at any number of steps in the future is networks undergoing a kind of phase transition (11). It is in this guaranteed to be governed by a function from the same class. By regime that the networks are most evolvable. Kauffman (5) argues means of Derrida curves on random Boolean networks and perco- that life must exist on the edge of chaos such that the networks lation simulations on square lattices, we demonstrate that net- representing real genetic regulatory networks operate at or near works constructed from functions belonging to these classes have this critical phase. As Kauffman (12) puts it, ‘‘a living system must a tendency toward ordered behavior. Thus they are not overly first strike an internal compromise between malleability and sta- sensitive to initial conditions, and damage does not readily spread bility. To survive in a variable environment, it must be stable to be throughout the network. In addition, the considered classes are sure, but not so stable that it remains forever static.’’ significantly larger than the class of canalizing functions as the A Boolean network contains n elements (genes) {x1,...,xn}. ʦ ϭ connectivity increases. The functions in these classes exhibit the Each gene xi {0, 1} (i 1,...,n) is a binary variable, the value same kind of preference toward biased functions as do canalizing of which at time t ϩ 1 is completely determined by the values of functions, meaning that functions from this class are likely to be some other genes xj (i), xj (i), ..., xj ͑i͒ at time t by means of a 1 2 ki biased. Finally, functions from this class have a natural way of k 3 Boolean function fi:{0, 1} i {0, 1}. That is, there are ki genes ensuring robustness against noise and perturbations, thus repre- 3 assigned to gene xi and the mapping jk:{1, ...,n} {1,...,n}, senting plausible evolutionarily selected candidates for regulatory ϭ k 1,...,ki determines the ‘‘wiring’’ of gene xi. Thus, we can rules in genetic networks. ϩ ϭ write xi(t 1) fi(xj (i)(t), xj (i)(t),..., xj ͑i͒(t)). All genes are 1 2 ki assumed to update synchronously in accordance with the func- athematical and computational modeling is becoming tions assigned to them, and this process is then repeated. In a Mincreasingly important for understanding the complex random Boolean network, the functions fi are selected randomly, dynamical interactions in genetic regulatory systems. In light of as are the genes used as its inputs. recent development of high-throughput genomic technologies, Let us briefly consider several properties known to have modeling efforts have the potential to move from theory into an impact on the mode of operation of Boolean networks. The practice. The understanding of the underlying mechanisms used first two are the connectivity K and the function bias p. K ϭ by genetic networks not only sets the stage for a systematic view Ϫ1 ͚n n ϭ ki is the mean number of input variables used by the of physiology and pathophysiology but also carries tremendous i 1 random Boolean functions fi. We will assume in the sequel that practical potential in the context of model inference from real ϭ ϭ ki K for all i 1,...,n. The bias p of a random function fi measurement data. Because the implications of the logic of is the probability that it takes on the value 1. If p ϭ 0.5, then the genetic networks are difficult to deduce solely by means of function is said to be unbiased. By varying these parameters, the experimental techniques, computational and mathematical network can be made to undergo a phase transition. For modeling play a vital role (1). example, in the case of unbiased functions, the critical connec- Since their inception in 1969 by Kauffman, random Boolean tivity is K ϭ 2, meaning that for K Ͼ 2, we observe chaotic networks (2–5) have been one of the most intensively studied behavior. In general, for a given bias p, the critical connectivity models of discrete dynamical systems, enjoying a sustained is equal to K ϭ [2p(1 Ϫ p)]Ϫ1 (ref. 13). Alternatively, by inverting interest from both the biology and physics communities. Con- c this equation, a critical bias pc can be found for an arbitrary sidering their structural simplicity, these systems are capable of connectivity K. Strongly biased functions (when p is far away displaying a remarkably rich variety of complex behaviors and from 0.5) are said to have a high degree of internal homogeneity share many features of other dynamical system models. Analyt- (8) and are associated with increased order in Boolean networks. ical and numerical studies of the relationships between structural It has been known for quite some time that canalizing func- organization and dynamical behavior of Boolean networks have tions play a role in preventing chaotic behavior (2, 5, 14, 15). A yielded important insights into the overall behavior of large canalizing function is one in which at least one of the input genetic networks (5), evolutionary principles (6–8), and the variables is able to determine the value of the output of the development of chaos (9, 10). function regardless of the other variables. By increasing the Of particular interest are the relationships between local percentage of canalizing functions in a Boolean network, one can properties of the network and its global behavior. Various parameters specifying these local properties can be ‘‘tuned’’ such that the network is operating in one of several different regimes. †To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. In the ordered regime, the system behaves in a simple way, with © 2003 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA 10734–10739 ͉ PNAS ͉ September 16, 2003 ͉ vol. 100 ͉ no. 19 www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.1534782100 Downloaded by guest on September 26, 2021 repeating this process until a satisfactory circuit is produced. A more reasonable and sustainable approach would be to develop a systematic way to design noise tolerance from the bottom up, for example by building in redundancy, exactly as von Neumann (20) envisioned in 1956. Thus, the issue is not whether evolution acted by means of random selection but what criteria or fitness functions it used to arrive at canalizing rules. As Sawhill and Kauffman (21) write, ‘‘canalization would be a natural way to design in robustness against noise and uncertainty.’’ It thus seems more plausible that evolution acted locally (at the level of regulatory rules) to ensure robustness and reliability, whereas global order came for free, exactly as Kauffman has been asserting. If canalizing functions indeed were found randomly and then selected, then it must have been quite a difficult task for evolution to find so few needles in such a large haystack. If a different class of functions, much more abundant in number than canalizing functions, could exhibit the same high fitness in terms of robustness and globally ordered behavior, it would have been much more likely for evolution to stumble on and select it. This possibility serves as one of the motivations of this article. Fig. 1. (a and c) Subplots, with K ϭ 4 and 5, respectively, show histograms of There is another issue, however. Canalizing functions, strictly the number of canalizing (solid line) and A2 ഫ a2 (dashed line) functions versus speaking, constitute a class of functions in the sense that a given ϭ the number of ones in their truth tables. (b and d) Subplots, with K 4 and 5, function either belongs or does not belong to this class. Biased respectively, show the probability that a randomly chosen Boolean function with bias p is a canalizing (solid line) or A2 ഫ a2 (dashed line) function. functions, on the other hand, do not constitute a class. That is, because the definition of bias is a probabilistic one, given a bias 0 Ͻ p Ͻ 1, any Boolean function can still be generated with a move closer toward the ordered regime and, depending on the positive probability.¶ Thus, a p-biased random network, meaning connectivity and the distribution of the number of canalizing one with functions that are all chosen randomly with a bias p, variables in the randomly chosen canalizing functions (16), cross could potentially contain any Boolean function.