Genomic approaches for reconstructing gene networks

Functional knowledge of individual genes encoding components of the cell signaling, metabolic and regulatory pathways is crucial to our understanding of physiology and pathophysiology. A central challenge in functional genomics is the creation of a working map delineating how eukaryotic cells coordinate and govern patterns of gene expression. This coordination is often depicted as an intertwined network or circuit of genes that alternately activate and repress each other. Multiple bioinformatic and high-throughput experimental approaches exist to aid in the reconstruction of gene networks. Albeit far from being complete, the ability to recreate gene networks from experimental data facilitates the systematic dissection of cell function at the molecular and genetic level. In this review, several different genomic technologies are discussed, and example studies that are promoting new discoveries and hypotheses are detailed.