A multilayer protein-protein interaction network analysis of different life stages in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Molecular networks act as the backbone of cellular activities, providing an excellent opportunity to understand the developmental changes in an organism. While network data usually constitute only stationary network graphs, constructing a multilayer PPI network may provide clues to the particular developmental role at each stage of life and may unravel the importance of these developmental changes. The developmental biology model of Caenorhabditis elegans analyzed here provides a ripe platform to understand the patterns of evolution during the life stages of an organism. In the present study, the widely studied network properties exhibit overall similar statistics for all the PPI layers. Further, the analysis of the degree-degree correlation and spectral properties not only reveals crucial differences in each PPI layer but also indicates the presence of the varying complexity among them. The PPI layer of the nematode life stage exhibits various network properties different to the rest of the PPI layers, indicating the specific role of cellular diversity and developmental transitions at this stage. The framework presented here provides a direction to explore and understand the developmental changes occurring in the different life stages of an organism. © 2015 EPLA.