Evolution of developmental canalization in networks of competing boolean nodes.
Developmental canalization, which leads to a reduction in the variation of phenotype expression relative to the complexity of the genome, has long been thought to be an important property of evolving biological systems. We demonstrate that a highly canalized state develops in the process of self-organization recently discovered in N-K Boolean networks that evolve based on a competition between the nodes. The model provides a simplified description of the evolution of genetic regulatory networks in developmental systems. The mechanism responsible for the evolution is shown to be a balance of two dynamical effects which compete to bring the network to a nonrandom critical steady state. Unlike other proposed evolutionary mechanisms that select for canalization, this mechanism does so while maintaining the system's capacity for further evolution in the steady state.
Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5005, USA.
Kevin E
KE
Bassler
Choongseop
C
Lee
Yong
Y
Lee
D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity
D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D004247:DNA