Allele-specific behavior of molecular networks: understanding small-molecule drug response in yeast

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e53581. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053581. Epub 2013 Jan 4.

Abstract

The study of systems genetics is changing the way the genetic and molecular basis of phenotypic variation, such as disease susceptibility and drug response, is being analyzed. Moreover, systems genetics aids in the translation of insights from systems biology into genetics. The use of systems genetics enables greater attention to be focused on the potential impact of genetic perturbations on the molecular states of networks that in turn affects complex traits. In this study, we developed models to detect allele-specific perturbations on interactions, in which a genetic locus with alternative alleles exerted a differing influence on an interaction. We utilized the models to investigate the dynamic behavior of an integrated molecular network undergoing genetic perturbations in yeast. Our results revealed the complexity of regulatory relationships between genetic loci and networks, in which different genetic loci perturb specific network modules. In addition, significant within-module functional coherence was found. We then used the network perturbation model to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of individual differences in response to 100 diverse small molecule drugs. As a result, we identified sub-networks in the integrated network that responded to variations in DNA associated with response to diverse compounds and were significantly enriched for known drug targets. Literature mining results provided strong independent evidence for the effectiveness of these genetic perturbing networks in the elucidation of small-molecule responses in yeast.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Biomarkers, Pharmacological / metabolism
  • Epistasis, Genetic / drug effects
  • Gene Regulatory Networks*
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Pharmacogenetics
  • Phenotype
  • Quantitative Trait Loci*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / agonists
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology*
  • Systems Biology

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Pharmacological
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Hydrogen Peroxide

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31200998, 61170154 and 61073136), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant Nos. 20102307110022 and 20102307120027), the Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (Grant Nos. ZD200816-01), the Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province Education Department (Grant Nos. 11541137 and 12511273), and the Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Provincial Health Department (Grant Nos. 2011-249). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.