Reliability of genetic networks is evolvable

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether the reliability of stochastic genetic networks can evolve through small structural changes, demonstrating that reliability is an evolvable trait with high success rates.

Contribution

It introduces an evolutionary algorithm to show that reliability of dynamical networks can be achieved and maintained with minimal modifications, highlighting evolvability of reliability.

Findings

Reliability can be achieved with few small network modifications.

High success rate in evolving networks to maintain reliability.

Reliability is an evolvable trait in noisy dynamical networks.

Abstract

Control of the living cell functions with remarkable reliability despite the stochastic nature of the underlying molecular networks -- a property presumably optimized by biological evolution. We here ask to what extent the property of a stochastic dynamical network to produce reliable dynamics is an evolvable trait. Using an evolutionary algorithm based on a deterministic selection criterion for the reliability of dynamical attractors, we evolve dynamical networks of noisy discrete threshold nodes. We find that, starting from any random network, reliability of the attractor landscape can often be achieved with only few small changes to the network structure. Further, the evolvability of networks towards reliable dynamics while retaining their function is investigated and a high success rate is found.