Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks

Details Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks

2005-04-11

arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0504015v1

Biology

Quantitative Biology

Molecular Networks

7 pages, 3 figures

Scientific paper

Metabolic networks are known to be scale free but the evolutionary origin of this structural property is not clearly understood. One way of studying the dynamical process is to compare the metabolic networks of species that have arisen at different points in evolution and hence are related to each other to varying extents. We have compared the reaction sets of each metabolite across and within 15 groups of species. For a given pair of species and a given metabolite, the number $\Delta k$ of reactions of the metabolite that appear in the metabolic network of only one species and not the other is a measure of the distance between the two networks. While $\Delta k$ is small within groups of related species and large across groups, we find its probability distribution to be $\sim (\Delta k)^{-\gamma'}$ where $\gamma'$ is a universal exponent that is the same within and across groups. This exponent equals, upto statistical uncertainties, the exponent $\gamma$ in the scale free degree distribution $\sim k^{-\gamma}$. We argue that this, as well as our finding that $\Delta k$ is approximately linearly correlated with the degree $k$ of the metabolite, is evidence of a `proportionate change' process in evolution. We also discuss some molecular mechanisms that might be responsible for such an evolutionary process.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Evidence of a universal power law characterizing the evolution of metabolic networks will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-21318