Table 1

Number (in millions) of Boolean relationships in human, mouse and fruit fly datasets

Dataset

Total

Low implies high

High implies how

Low implies how

High implies high

Equivalent

Opposite

Human

208

2

128

38

38

1.6

0.4

Mouse

336

8

208

57.6

57.6

4.1

0.7

Fruit fly

17

0.3

7.3

3.7

3.7

1.9

0.1

In the human dataset, 1% of all Boolean relationships are symmetric (equivalence + opposite) and 99% are asymmetric (low ⇒ low + low ⇒ high + high ⇒ low + high ⇒ high). The mouse dataset has 1.4% symmetric (equivalence + opposite) and 98.6% asymmetric (low ⇒ low + low ⇒ high + high ⇒ low + high ⇒ high) relationships. The fruit fly dataset has 12% symmetric (equivalence + opposite) and 88% asymmetric (low ⇒ low + low ⇒ high + high ⇒ low + high ⇒ high) relationships.

Sahoo et al. Genome Biology 2008 9:R157   doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-10-r157