Evolution of the yeast protein interaction network.

To study the evolution of the yeast protein interaction network, we first classified yeast proteins by their evolutionary histories into isotemporal categories, then analyzed the interaction tendencies within and between the categories, and finally reconstructed the main growth path. We found that two proteins tend to interact with each other if they are in the same or similar categories, but tended to avoid each other otherwise, and that network evolution mirrors the universal tree of life. These observations suggest synergistic selection during network evolution and provide insights into the hierarchical modularity of cellular networks.