Prediction of toxicity and data exploratory analysis of estrogen-active endocrine disruptors using counter-propagation artificial neural networks

J Mol Graph Model. 2010 Nov;29(3):450-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2010.09.001. Epub 2010 Sep 17.

Abstract

In this work, a novel algorithm for optimization of counter-propagation artificial neural networks has been used for development of quantitative structure-activity relationships model for prediction of the estrogenic activity of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The search for the best model was performed using genetic algorithms. Genetic algorithms were used not only for selection of the most suitable descriptors for modeling, but also for automatic adjustment of their relative importance. Using our recently developed algorithm for automatic adjustment of the relative importance of the input variables, we have developed simple models with very good generalization performances using only few interpretable descriptors. One of the developed models is in details discussed in this article. The simplicity of the chosen descriptors and their relative importance for this model helped us in performing a detailed data exploratory analysis which gave us an insight in the structural features required for the activity of the estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Endocrine Disruptors / chemistry*
  • Endocrine Disruptors / toxicity*
  • Estrogens / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neural Networks, Computer*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptors, Estrogen / chemistry
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Estrogens
  • Receptors, Estrogen