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A Developmental Systems Perspective on Epistasis: Computational Exploration of Mutational Interactions in Model Developmental Regulatory Networks

Figure 4

Statistics on the Regulatory Architecture and Representative Topologies of the Ensembles of Networks.

Central panel provides bar plots illustrating average percentages of negative regulatory interactions (red bars) and basic negative feedback motifs (blue bars), over each ensemble of networks analyzed. Mann-Whitney tests were run in order to evaluate statistical significance between means of ensembles encompassing functional and arbitrary networks, for a given network configuration ranging between 5–8 TRs. P-values were found in the set of tests evaluating differences in average percentages of negative regulatory interactions, whereas P-values were obtained in the set of tests evaluating differences in average percentages of basic negative feedback motifs. In the horizontal axis of central panel a mark “ANC: X TRs” reads Arbitrary Network Configuration with X Transcriptional Regulators (X = 5–8). Similarly, a mark “FNC: X TRs” reads Functional Network Configuration with X Transcriptional Regulators. Representative topologies are shown for ensembles of functional (left panel) and arbitrary (right panel) networks, which were assembled according to the frequency of negative (red arrows) and positive (black arrows) regulatory interactions observed in each ensemble. Each topology shown does not illustrate autoregulatory patterns; only cross-regulatory interactions between TRs are shown.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006823.g004