Evolving Boolean Networks with RNA Editing

TL;DR

This paper models RNA editing using Boolean networks, demonstrating how dynamic sequence alterations can evolve under various biological scenarios, providing insights into the evolutionary role of RNA editing mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a tunable Boolean network model to simulate RNA editing and shows how such mechanisms can be evolutionarily selected in different biological contexts.

Findings

RNA editing can be simulated with Boolean networks.

Dynamic sequence alterations are selectable through evolution.

RNA editing mechanisms can evolve under various scenarios.

Abstract

The editing of transcribed RNA by other molecules such that the form of the final product differs from that specified in the corresponding DNA sequence is ubiquitous. This paper uses an abstract, tunable Boolean genetic regulatory network model to explore aspects of RNA editing. In particular, it is shown how dynamically altering expressed sequences via a guide RNA-inspired mechanism can be selected for by simulated evolution under various single and multicellular scenarios.