Our ranking algorithm, while largely empirical at this stage, identified a ranked list of genes with obvious coherence in terms of functional gene networks. A remarkably large number of genes already validated as altering behavioral responses to ethanol were contained in the higher ranks. In addition, bioinformatics analysis showed several interesting biological functions that were over-represented among the ranked genes (Tables 6, 7, 8, 9), which is largely consistent with our previous analysis based on a network approach [27]. Again, a number of individual gene members from the constructed networks have strong prior validation as candidate genes that influence alcoholism traits in humans or behavioral responses to ethanol in animal models. These validated genes serve to increase the probability for the entire gene network playing a role in ethanol responses.
