Integrating genetic and protein-protein interaction networks maps a functional wiring diagram of a cell.

Systematic experimental approaches have led to construction of comprehensive genetic and protein-protein interaction networks for the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetic interactions capture functional relationships between genes using phenotypic readouts, while protein-protein interactions identify physical connections between gene products. These complementary, and largely non-overlapping, networks provide a global view of the functional architecture of a cell, revealing general organizing principles, many of which appear to be evolutionarily conserved. Here, we focus on insights derived from the integration of large-scale genetic and protein-protein interaction networks, highlighting principles that apply to both unicellular and more complex systems, including human cells. Network integration reveals fundamental connections involving key functional modules of eukaryotic cells, defining a core network of cellular function, which could be elaborated to explore cell-type specificity in metazoans.