Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
10:44
Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline
Published on: December 7, 2021
Robustness and evolvability in genetic regulatory networks
Maximino Aldana1, Enrique Balleza, Stuart Kauffman
1Centro de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 62251, Apartado Postal 48-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. max@fis.unam.mx
Journal of Theoretical Biology
|December 26, 2006
Summary
Genetic regulatory networks are robust and evolvable. Gene duplication and divergence preserve existing functions while enabling new ones, especially in critical regimes.
Area of Science:
- Systems Biology
- Evolutionary Genetics
Background:
- Living organisms exhibit robustness to genetic changes like mutations and duplications.
- Gene regulation networks and metabolic pathways self-organize for stability and reliability.
- Organisms are also evolvable, adapting to new environments through genetic perturbations.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the interplay between robustness and evolvability in genetic regulatory networks.
- Understand how gene duplication and divergence impact network stability and adaptation.
- Determine the conditions under which robustness and evolvability are simultaneously maximized.
Main Methods:
- Studied attractor landscapes of genetic regulatory network models.
- Simulated gene duplication followed by gene divergence.
- Analyzed network behavior across various topologies and divergence levels.
Main Results:
- Gene duplication followed by divergence typically preserves existing phenotypes.
- New phenotypes frequently emerge after gene divergence, even with extreme divergence.
- Networks operating near the critical regime demonstrate maximal robustness and evolvability.
Conclusions:
- Genetic regulatory networks possess intrinsic properties that balance stability and adaptation.
- The critical regime is key for simultaneous robustness and evolvability in biological systems.
- Findings offer insights into the mechanisms of evolutionary innovation.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps
The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...
01:27Constitutive and Regulated Gene Expression
Gene expression in prokaryotes is governed by constitutive and regulated systems, allowing cells to balance the production of essential proteins with adaptive responses to environmental changes.Constitutive Gene ExpressionConstitutive, or housekeeping, genes are continuously expressed as they encode proteins vital for fundamental cellular processes. These include enzymes for glycolysis, ribosomal components for protein synthesis, and proteins involved in DNA replication. Their constant...
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
02:33Combinatorial Gene Control
Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
02:04Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.