This study identifies three common network motifs in the transcriptional regulation network of *Escherichia coli*: feedforward loops, single-input modules (SIMs), and dense overlapping regulons (DORs). These motifs are recurring patterns of interconnections that appear more frequently than in randomized networks. The researchers analyzed the transcriptional regulation network of *E. coli* using a database of 577 direct transcriptional interactions between transcription factors and operons. They found that the network is composed of repeated appearances of these three motifs, each with specific functions in determining gene expression. The feedforward loop motif is defined by a transcription factor X that regulates a second transcription factor Y, which in turn regulates an operon Z. This motif is important for generating temporal expression programs and responding to fluctuating signals. The study found that most feedforward loops are coherent, meaning the direct and indirect effects of the transcription factors on the operon have the same sign. The SIM motif is defined by a set of operons controlled by a single transcription factor. These operons are typically under the same regulatory sign and have no additional transcriptional regulation. The study found that most transcription factors controlling SIMs are autoregulatory. The DOR motif is a layer of overlapping interactions between operons and a group of input transcription factors. These regions are internally dense and show significant overlap between short cascades that control most operons. The study found that these regions are biologically meaningful and may represent the core of the computation carried out by the transcriptional network. The study also found that the network motifs appear at frequencies much higher than expected at random, suggesting they may have specific functions in the information processing performed by the network. The findings suggest that these motifs may be important for understanding the dynamic behavior of gene circuits in other organisms.This study identifies three common network motifs in the transcriptional regulation network of *Escherichia coli*: feedforward loops, single-input modules (SIMs), and dense overlapping regulons (DORs). These motifs are recurring patterns of interconnections that appear more frequently than in randomized networks. The researchers analyzed the transcriptional regulation network of *E. coli* using a database of 577 direct transcriptional interactions between transcription factors and operons. They found that the network is composed of repeated appearances of these three motifs, each with specific functions in determining gene expression. The feedforward loop motif is defined by a transcription factor X that regulates a second transcription factor Y, which in turn regulates an operon Z. This motif is important for generating temporal expression programs and responding to fluctuating signals. The study found that most feedforward loops are coherent, meaning the direct and indirect effects of the transcription factors on the operon have the same sign. The SIM motif is defined by a set of operons controlled by a single transcription factor. These operons are typically under the same regulatory sign and have no additional transcriptional regulation. The study found that most transcription factors controlling SIMs are autoregulatory. The DOR motif is a layer of overlapping interactions between operons and a group of input transcription factors. These regions are internally dense and show significant overlap between short cascades that control most operons. The study found that these regions are biologically meaningful and may represent the core of the computation carried out by the transcriptional network. The study also found that the network motifs appear at frequencies much higher than expected at random, suggesting they may have specific functions in the information processing performed by the network. The findings suggest that these motifs may be important for understanding the dynamic behavior of gene circuits in other organisms.