Title :
Metabolic network visualization using constraint planar graph drawing algorithm
Author :
Bourqui, Romain ; Auber, D. ; Lacroix, Vincent ; Jourdan, Fabien
Author_Institution :
LaBRI, Univ. Bordeaux I, Talence
Abstract :
A metabolic network is a set of interconnected metabolic pathways (subnetworks). Until recently, metabolic studies were dedicated to a single pathway, but current researches now consider the entire network. As matter stands, existing visualization tools cannot be used to undertake these global studies since they have been designed to probe metabolic pathways. For the purpose of making it feasible, this paper presents a graph drawing algorithm for the whole metabolic network. Our collaboration with biologists led us to introduce drawing constraints which take into account the decomposition of the network into metabolic pathways as well as biochemical textbook drawing conventions. These constraints raise numerous graph drawing problems which are solved by first recursively decomposing the network then applying suitable graph drawing algorithms. Finally, we present an application that illustrates the advantage of this representation when visualizing groups of reactions which span several metabolic pathways
Keywords :
biology computing; data visualisation; graph theory; constraint planar graph drawing algorithm; interconnected metabolic pathways; metabolic network visualization; subnetworks; visualization tools; Biochemistry; Collaboration; Crosstalk; Degradation; Energy exchange; Organisms; Probes; Sugar; Visualization;
Conference_Titel :
Information Visualization, 2006. IV 2006. Tenth International Conference on
Conference_Location :
London, England
Print_ISBN :
0-7695-2602-0