Figure 7.

Multiple global inconsistencies. Global inconsistencies detected with the BioQuali plugin when checking the consistency of the E. coli regulatory network (transcriptional and sigma-gene interactions) with 3-fold significant gene expression changes between the stationary and exponential growth phase [24]. The 16 inconsistent subgraphs output by the plugin were merged into one single subgraph; the expression changes of the network products appear coloured in a black-white scale, the background colour represents no change. The global sigma factor rpoD has a non-significant expression change in the dataset. It is shared among many global inconsistent (GI) graphs because its target genes present significant opposite changes in the dataset. Since it is not possible to determine a '+' or a '-' change for rpoD that will explain all its successors' observations, we detect a GI. The same situation reappears in the successors of hns, rpoH, and fnr. However, the expression change of fliA, rpoE, and rpoS is considerable but not as significant (≤ 3-fold) as that of their successors; reducing the significance threshold to 2-fold will convert these GIs into local inconsistencies.