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Asymmetry between Activators and Deactivators in Functional Protein Networks
Ammar Tareen1,2, Ned S Wingreen3,4, Ranjan Mukhopadhyay5
1Department of Physics, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, 01610, USA.
Scientific Reports
|June 25, 2020
Summary
Turn-on and turn-off functions in protein-protein interaction networks are not exact opposites. Activators are synergistic, while deactivators are competitive, revealing an asymmetry in network evolution.
Area of Science:
- Systems Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Network Science
Background:
- Protein-protein interaction networks are crucial for cellular functions.
- Oscillatory dynamics in these networks are vital for biological processes.
- Understanding the evolution of network functions is key to deciphering biological complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether "turn-on" and "turn-off" functions in protein-protein interaction networks are precise opposites.
- To explore the evolutionary dynamics of functional protein-interaction networks.
- To analyze the roles of activators and deactivators in oscillatory networks.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a minimal model for the evolution of functional protein-interaction networks.
- Utilizing a sequence-based mutational algorithm.
- Application of the model to study neutral drift in networks exhibiting oscillatory dynamics.
Main Results:
- A striking asymmetry was observed in the roles of activating and deactivating proteins.
- Activating proteins were found to be predominantly synergistic.
- Deactivating proteins were found to be predominantly competitive.
Conclusions:
- "Turn-on" and "turn-off" functions are not exact opposites in protein-protein interaction networks.
- The observed asymmetry suggests distinct evolutionary pressures on activating and deactivating components.
- This finding provides insights into the evolution of complex biological networks.
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