Efficient inference of dynamic gene regulatory networks using discrete penalty

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ravikumar, Visweswaran, Bhathena, Aaresh, Al-Holou, Wajd N, Fattahi, Salar, Rao, Arvind
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ravikumar, Visweswaran
Bhathena, Aaresh
Al-Holou, Wajd N
Fattahi, Salar
Rao, Arvind
author_facet Ravikumar, Visweswaran
Bhathena, Aaresh
Al-Holou, Wajd N
Fattahi, Salar
Rao, Arvind
contents Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) orchestrate cellular decision making and survival strategies. Inferring the structure of these networks from high-dimensional transcriptomics data is a central challenge in systems biology. Traditional approaches to GRN inference, such as the graphical lasso and its joint extensions, rely on $\ell_1$ penalty to induce sparsity but can bias network recovery and require extensive hyperparameter tuning. Here, we present a scalable framework for the joint inference of dynamic GRNs using a discrete $\ell_0$ penalty, enabling direct and unbiased control over network sparsity. Leveraging recent algorithmic advances, we efficiently solve the resulting mixed-integer optimization problem for populations structured as arbitrary tree hypergraphs, accommodating both continuous and categorical distinctions among biological samples. After validating our method on synthetic benchmarks, we apply it to single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data from glioblastoma (GBM) patient tumors. Our approach reconstructs gene networks across tumor clusters, maps network rewiring along hypoxia gradients, and reveals niche-specific differences between primary and recurrent tumors. By providing a robust and interpretable tool for GRN inference in complex tissues, our work facilitates high-resolution dissection of tumor heterogeneity and adaptation, with broad applicability to emerging large-scale transcriptomic datasets.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_23106
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Efficient inference of dynamic gene regulatory networks using discrete penalty
Ravikumar, Visweswaran
Bhathena, Aaresh
Al-Holou, Wajd N
Fattahi, Salar
Rao, Arvind
Applications
Computation
Other Statistics
Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) orchestrate cellular decision making and survival strategies. Inferring the structure of these networks from high-dimensional transcriptomics data is a central challenge in systems biology. Traditional approaches to GRN inference, such as the graphical lasso and its joint extensions, rely on $\ell_1$ penalty to induce sparsity but can bias network recovery and require extensive hyperparameter tuning. Here, we present a scalable framework for the joint inference of dynamic GRNs using a discrete $\ell_0$ penalty, enabling direct and unbiased control over network sparsity. Leveraging recent algorithmic advances, we efficiently solve the resulting mixed-integer optimization problem for populations structured as arbitrary tree hypergraphs, accommodating both continuous and categorical distinctions among biological samples. After validating our method on synthetic benchmarks, we apply it to single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data from glioblastoma (GBM) patient tumors. Our approach reconstructs gene networks across tumor clusters, maps network rewiring along hypoxia gradients, and reveals niche-specific differences between primary and recurrent tumors. By providing a robust and interpretable tool for GRN inference in complex tissues, our work facilitates high-resolution dissection of tumor heterogeneity and adaptation, with broad applicability to emerging large-scale transcriptomic datasets.
title Efficient inference of dynamic gene regulatory networks using discrete penalty
topic Applications
Computation
Other Statistics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.23106