Gene regulatory networks with binary weights.

Journal: Bio Systems
PMID:

Abstract

An evolutionary computation framework to learn binary threshold networks is presented. Inspired by the recent trend of binary neural networks, where weights and activation thresholds are represented using 1 and -1 such that they can be stored in 1-bit instead of full precision, we explore this approach for gene regulatory network modeling. We test our method by inferring binary threshold networks of two regulatory network models: Quorum sensing systems in bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN and the fission yeast cell-cycle. We considered differential evolution and particle swarm optimization for the simulations. Results for weights having only 1 and -1 values, and different activation thresholds are presented. Full binary threshold networks were found with minimum error (2 bits), whereas when the binary restriction is relaxed for the activation thresholds, networks with 0 bit error were found.

Authors

  • Gonzalo A Ruz
    Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Av. Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Santiago, Chile; Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: gonzalo.ruz@uai.cl.
  • Eric Goles
    Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Av. Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: eric.chacc@uai.cl.