Genetic networks for the functional study of genomes

The high-throughput analytical techniques used in genome, proteome and metabolome studies produce large sets of data that must be studied using appropriate tools. The construction of networks linking different genetic elements and/or functions makes it possible to obtain an integrated view of the cell molecular biology and will eventually help us to predict complex phenotypes from molecular data. Genetic networks can be constructed using different types of data such as genes involved in the control of complex phenotypic traits, genes controlling global gene expression, genetic elements involved in the same metabolic process, gene products interacting physically between them. The connections linking these genetic elements in the network reflect the genetic, physical and/or functional interaction among them. All these networks share common properties and reflect the different layers of the cell's complexity. In this review, we will study how different types of networks can be constructed, how the different networks complement each other and how this information can be used to obtain an integrated picture of the cell.