Figure 3

Overview of genome-proteome model. a) Genotype-phenotype mapping conditions and pleiotropy: Each gene contributes to system traits through the expression of a protein product that can bind with functionally relevant targets (based on genetically determined protein specificity). b) Phenotypic expression: Target availability is influenced by the environment and by competition with functionally redundant proteins. The attractor of the phenotype can be loosely described as the binding of each target with a protein. c) Functional overlap of genes: Redundant genes can affect the same traits in the same manner. Degenerate traits only have a partial similarity in what traits they affect.