A genome analysis based on repeat sharing gene networks

Motivated by an interest to understand how information is organized within genomes, and how genes communicate between each other in the transcription process, in this paper we propose a novel network based methodology for genomic sequence analysis, specifically applied to three organisms: Nanoarchaeum equitans, Escherichia coli, and Saccaromyces cerevisiae. A dictionary based approach previously introduced is here continued through a repeat analysis in genic and intergenic regions. Key results of this work have been found in a biological and computational analysis of novel parametrized gene networks, defined by means of motifs of fixed length occurring inside multiple genes. Cliques emerge as groups of genes sharing a long repeat with a clear biological interpretation, while a (complete, paralog) cluster analysis has outlined some unexpected regularity. Repeat sharing gene networks may be applied in contexts of comparative genomics, as an investigation methodology for a comprehension of evolutional and functional properties of genes.