Genetic Influencers in Gene Regulatory Networks

Genes encode the instructions to make proteins in their DNA sequences. When these sequences are mutated, the proteins do not work properly. But not all mutations are the same. Mutations to essential genes lead to loss of function that severely compromises the viability of the organism or result in genetic disorders like cancer. Identification of these essential genes, which play the central role as ‘influencers’ in the genetic network, is then fundamental. However, knowing the importance of individual genes is not enough to understand how to address the challenges of mutating genes. We need to understand how these genes interact to form building blocks and how these building blocks are further integrated into the full network. This chapter explains how to use the theory of influencers to finding those genes that are essential to the functioning of the cell, and how these genes organize themself into essential building blocks of the network through fibration symmetries that guarantee functional synchronization of gene expression.