network motifとは 意味・読み方・使い方

Network motifs are connectivity-patterns (sub-graphs) that occur much more often than they do in random networks. Most networks studied in biology, ecology and other fields have been found to show a small set of network motifs; surprisingly, in most cases the networks seem to be largely composed of these network motifs, occurring again and again. Each type of network seems to display its own set of characteristic motifs (ecological networks have different motifs than gene regulation networks, etc.). These small circuits can be considered as simple building blocks from which the network is composed. This idea was first presented by Uri Alon and his group when network motifs were discovered in the gene regulation (transcription) network of the bacteria E. coli and then in a large set of natural networks. In following work, the network motifs found in E. coli were discovered in the transcription networks of other bacteria as well as yeast and higher organisms. A distinct set of network motifs were identified in other types of biological networks such as neuronal networks and protein interaction networks.