InfluenceNet: Encoding Motif Influence for Interpretable Modeling of Cis-Regulatory Syntax

Abstract

Cis-regulatory elements shape gene expression by recruiting transcription factors (TFs) to DNA motifs, yet how motifs cooperate or compete across distances remains poorly understood. Existing deep learning models predict TF binding with high accuracy but rely on computationally intensive post-hoc analyses to infer regulatory syntax, limiting interpretability and scalability. Here we present InfluenceNet, a transparent convolutional architecture that directly encodes motif influence-a position- and motif-specific profile quantifying how one motif modulates binding at another. Trained on ChIP-nexus data for pluripotency TFs, InfluenceNet achieves performance comparable to state-of-the-art models while providing immediate, global interpretability. The learned influence profiles recapitulate known principles of motif syntax, including Oct4-Sox2 pioneering activity and Nanogs striking 10.5-bp helical periodicity, and reveal a cooperative Nanog-Nanog grammar supported by de novo motif discovery. Integrating these results with structural and molecular-dynamics modeling, we propose that Nanog forms chain-like oligomers on DNA through asymmetric contacts between WRD (tryptophan repeat domain) and DBD (DNA-binding domain) that maintain helical phase alignment. Together, these findings establish InfluenceNet as a general framework for accurate prediction and mechanistic interpretation of cis-regulatory grammar, bridging deep learning and biophysical insight.