Open AccessReliable dynamics in Boolean and continuous networks
Author(s) -
Eva Ackermann,
Tiago P. Peixoto,
Barbara Drossel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
new journal of physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.584
H-Index - 190
ISSN - 1367-2630
DOI - 10.1088/1367-2630/14/12/123029
Subject(s) - boolean network , boolean expression , boolean function , representation (politics) , sequence (biology) , physics , boolean model , maximum satisfiability problem , simple (philosophy) , and inverter graph , gene regulatory network , statistical physics , topology (electrical circuits) , computer science , discrete mathematics , algorithm , combinatorics , mathematics , gene , biology , genetics , gene expression , philosophy , epistemology , politics , political science , law
We investigate the dynamical behavior of a model of robust gene regulatory networks which possess ‘entirely reliable’ trajectories. In a Boolean representation, these trajectories are characterized by being insensitive to the order in which the nodes are updated, i.e. they always go through the same sequence of states. The Boolean model for gene activity is compared with a continuous description in terms of differential equations for the concentrations of mRNA and proteins. We found that entirely reliable Boolean trajectories can be reproduced perfectly in the continuous model when realistic Hill coefficients are used. We investigate to what extent this high correspondence between Boolean and continuous trajectories depends on the extent of reliability of the Boolean trajectories, and we identify simple criteria that enable the faithful reproduction of the Boolean dynamics in the continuous description