TY - JOUR
T1 - An integrated approach for the systematic identification and characterization of heart-enriched genes with unknown functions
AU - Uchida, Shizuka
AU - Schneider, André
AU - Wiesnet, Marion
AU - Jungblut, Benno
AU - Zarjitskaya, Polina
AU - Jenniches, Katharina
AU - Kreymborg, Karsten Grosse
AU - Seeger, Werner
AU - Braun, Thomas
PY - 2009/3/6
Y1 - 2009/3/6
N2 - Background: High throughput techniques have generated a huge set of biological data, which are deposited in various databases. Efficient exploitation of these databases is often hampered by a lack of appropriate tools, which allow easy and reliable identification of genes that miss functional characterization but are correlated with specific biological conditions (e.g. organotypic expression). Results: We have developed a simple algorithm (DGSA = Database-dependent Gene Selection and Analysis) to identify genes with unknown functions involved in organ development concentrating on the heart. Using our approach, we identified a large number of yet uncharacterized genes, which are expressed during heart development. An initial functional characterization of genes by loss-of-function analysis employing morpholino injections into zebrafish embryos disclosed severe developmental defects indicating a decisive function of selected genes for developmental processes. Conclusion: We conclude that DGSA is a versatile tool for database mining allowing efficient selection of uncharacterized genes for functional analysis.
AB - Background: High throughput techniques have generated a huge set of biological data, which are deposited in various databases. Efficient exploitation of these databases is often hampered by a lack of appropriate tools, which allow easy and reliable identification of genes that miss functional characterization but are correlated with specific biological conditions (e.g. organotypic expression). Results: We have developed a simple algorithm (DGSA = Database-dependent Gene Selection and Analysis) to identify genes with unknown functions involved in organ development concentrating on the heart. Using our approach, we identified a large number of yet uncharacterized genes, which are expressed during heart development. An initial functional characterization of genes by loss-of-function analysis employing morpholino injections into zebrafish embryos disclosed severe developmental defects indicating a decisive function of selected genes for developmental processes. Conclusion: We conclude that DGSA is a versatile tool for database mining allowing efficient selection of uncharacterized genes for functional analysis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62749116746&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1471-2164-10-100
DO - 10.1186/1471-2164-10-100
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19267916
AN - SCOPUS:62749116746
SN - 1471-2164
VL - 10
JO - BMC Genomics
JF - BMC Genomics
M1 - 100
ER -