Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory

The notion of modularity has become a unifying principle to understand structural and functional aspects of biological organization at different levels of complexity. Recently, deciphering the modular organization of molecular systems has been greatly aided by network theory. Nevertheless, network t...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Pérez, Sergio Iván, M. de Aguiar, Marcus A., Guimarães, Paulo R., Reis, Sérgio F. dos
Formato:	Articulo
Lenguaje:	Inglés
Publicado:	2009
Materias:	Ciencias Naturales Geometric morphometrics Correlation networks Variational modularity Simulated annealing Mammalian mandible
Acceso en línea:	http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/147172
Aporte de:	SEDICI (UNLP) de Universidad Nacional de La Plata

id	I19-R120-10915-147172
record_format	dspace
institution	Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str	I-19
repository_str	R-120
collection	SEDICI (UNLP)
language	Inglés
topic	Ciencias Naturales Geometric morphometrics Correlation networks Variational modularity Simulated annealing Mammalian mandible
spellingShingle	Ciencias Naturales Geometric morphometrics Correlation networks Variational modularity Simulated annealing Mammalian mandible Pérez, Sergio Iván M. de Aguiar, Marcus A. Guimarães, Paulo R. Reis, Sérgio F. dos Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
topic_facet	Ciencias Naturales Geometric morphometrics Correlation networks Variational modularity Simulated annealing Mammalian mandible
description	The notion of modularity has become a unifying principle to understand structural and functional aspects of biological organization at different levels of complexity. Recently, deciphering the modular organization of molecular systems has been greatly aided by network theory. Nevertheless, network theory is completely absent from the investigation of modularity of complex macroscopic phenotypes, a fundamental level of organization at which organisms experience and interact with the environment. Here, we used geometric descriptors of phenotypic variation to derive a network representation of a complex morphological structure, the mammalian mandible, in terms of nodes and links. Then, by integrating the network representation and description with random matrix theory, we uncovered a modular organization for the mammalian mandible, which deviates significantly from an equivalent random network. The modules revealed by the network analysis correspond to the four morphogenetic units recognized for the mammalian mandible on a developmental basis. Furthermore, these modules are known to be affected only by particular genes and are also functionally differentiated. This study shows that the powerful formalism of network theory can be applied to the discovery of modules in complex phenotypes and opens the possibility of an integrated approach to the study of modularity at all levels of organizational complexity.
format	Articulo Articulo
author	Pérez, Sergio Iván M. de Aguiar, Marcus A. Guimarães, Paulo R. Reis, Sérgio F. dos
author_facet	Pérez, Sergio Iván M. de Aguiar, Marcus A. Guimarães, Paulo R. Reis, Sérgio F. dos
author_sort	Pérez, Sergio Iván
title	Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
title_short	Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
title_full	Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
title_fullStr	Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
title_full_unstemmed	Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory
title_sort	searching for modular structure in complex phenotypes: inferences from network theory
publishDate	2009
url	http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/147172
work_keys_str_mv	AT perezsergioivan searchingformodularstructureincomplexphenotypesinferencesfromnetworktheory AT mdeaguiarmarcusa searchingformodularstructureincomplexphenotypesinferencesfromnetworktheory AT guimaraespaulor searchingformodularstructureincomplexphenotypesinferencesfromnetworktheory AT reissergiofdos searchingformodularstructureincomplexphenotypesinferencesfromnetworktheory
bdutipo_str	Repositorios
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Searching for Modular Structure in Complex Phenotypes: Inferences from Network Theory

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