Intersecting transcription networks constrain gene regulatory evolution

Plant Evolution: Evolving Antagonistic Gene Regulatory Networks

Developing a structurally complex phenotype requires a complex regulatory network. A new study shows how gene duplication provides a potential source of antagonistic interactions, an important component of gene regulatory networks.

Evolution of Evolvability in Gene Regulatory Networks

Gene regulatory networks are perhaps the most important organizational level in the cell where signals from the cell state and the outside environment are integrated in terms of activation and inhibition of genes. For the last decade, the study of such networks has been fueled by large-scale experiments and renewed attention from the theoretical field. Different models have been proposed to, fo...

Activity of microRNAs and transcription factors in Gene Regulatory Networks: Activity of microRNAs and transcription factors in Gene Regulatory Networks

Lineage-specific transcription factors and the evolution of gene regulatory networks.

Nature is replete with examples of diverse cell types, tissues and body plans, forming very different creatures from genomes with similar gene complements. However, while the genes and the structures of proteins they encode can be highly conserved, the production of those proteins in specific cell types and at specific developmental time points might differ considerably between species. A full ...

Combinatorial Limits of Transcription Factors and Gene Regulatory Networks in Development and Evolution

Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) consisting of combinations of transcription factors (TFs) and their cis promoters are assumed to be sufficient to direct the development of organisms. Mutations in GRNs are assumed to be the primary drivers for the evolution of multicellular life. Here it is proven that neither of these assumptions is correct. They are inconsistent with fundamental principles of ...