Inference of gene regulatory networks with the strong-inhibition Boolean model

The inference of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is an important topic in biology. In this paper, a logic-based algorithm that infers the strong-inhibition Boolean genetic regulatory networks (where regulation by any single repressor can definitely suppress the expression of the gene regulated) from time series is discussed. By properly ordering various computation steps, we derive for the first time explicit formulae for the probabilities at which different interactions can be inferred given a certain number of data. With the formulae, we can predict the precision of reconstructions of regulation networks when the data are insufficient. Numerical simulations coincide well with the analytical results. The method and results are expected to be applicable to a wide range of general dynamic networks, where logic algorithms play essential roles in the network dynamics and the probabilities of various logics can be estimated well.