Properties of essential genes in the protein-protein interaction network of Escherichia coli from the perspective of network theory

Issue title: V Congress of Theoretical and Computational Physical Chemistry, 8-10 of December of 2014, Altos de Pipe, Caracas, Venezuela

Guest editors: Fernando Ruette, Anibal Sierralta, Morella Sánchez and Ney Luiggi

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Herrera-Almarza, G.C.^{a; *} | Alvarez-Socorro, A.J.^b | González-Díaz, L.A.^c

Affiliations: [a] Departamento de Ciencia de la Computación, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile | [b] Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile | [c] Laboratorio de Física Estadística de Medios Desordenados. Centro de Física, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: G.C. Herrera-Almarza, Departamento de Ciencia de la Computación, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. E-mail:gcherrer@dcc.uchile.cl

Abstract: We studied the impact on local and global quantifiers from network science by removing proteins associated with essential genes. From the network of protein-protein interaction of Escherichia coli, we obtained a relationship between (i) the topological and statistics properties of the network and (ii) the essentiality of genes. The analysis of the community structure showed that a significant number of essential genes were located in a particular community, i.e., sharing the same biological functions. This suggests that for better localization of essential genes should include information on the community structure of the network and its functionality through the Gene Ontology terms.

Keywords: Bioinformatics, complex networks, centrality, Escherichia coli, essential genes

DOI: 10.3233/JCM-160674

Journal: Journal of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 209-216, 2017