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Vedi M, Smith JR, Thomas Hayman G, Tutaj M, Brodie KC, De Pons JL, Demos WM, Gibson AC, Kaldunski ML, Lamers L, Laulederkind SJF, Thota J, Thorat K, Tutaj MA, Wang SJ, Zacher S, Dwinell MR, Kwitek AE. 2022 updates to the Rat Genome Database: a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) resource. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad042. [PMID: 36930729 PMCID: PMC10474928 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Rat Genome Database (RGD, https://rgd.mcw.edu) has evolved from simply a resource for rat genetic markers, maps, and genes, by adding multiple genomic data types and extensive disease and phenotype annotations and developing tools to effectively mine, analyze, and visualize the available data, to empower investigators in their hypothesis-driven research. Leveraging its robust and flexible infrastructure, RGD has added data for human and eight other model organisms (mouse, 13-lined ground squirrel, chinchilla, naked mole-rat, dog, pig, African green monkey/vervet, and bonobo) besides rat to enhance its translational aspect. This article presents an overview of the database with the most recent additions to RGD's genome, variant, and quantitative phenotype data. We also briefly introduce Virtual Comparative Map (VCMap), an updated tool that explores synteny between species as an improvement to RGD's suite of tools, followed by a discussion regarding the refinements to the existing PhenoMiner tool that assists researchers in finding and comparing quantitative data across rat strains. Collectively, RGD focuses on providing a continuously improving, consistent, and high-quality data resource for researchers while advancing data reproducibility and fulfilling Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahima Vedi
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - G Thomas Hayman
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Monika Tutaj
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Kent C Brodie
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jeffrey L De Pons
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Wendy M Demos
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Adam C Gibson
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Mary L Kaldunski
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Logan Lamers
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Stanley J F Laulederkind
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jyothi Thota
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Ketaki Thorat
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Marek A Tutaj
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Shur-Jen Wang
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Stacy Zacher
- Finance and Administration, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Anne E Kwitek
- The Rat Genome Database, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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2
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Zhao Y, Smith JR, Wang SJ, Dwinell MR, Shimoyama M. Quantitative phenotype analysis to identify, validate and compare rat disease models. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2019; 2019:5424140. [PMID: 30938777 PMCID: PMC6444380 DOI: 10.1093/database/baz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The laboratory rat has been widely used as an animal model in biomedical research. There are many strains exhibiting a wide variety of phenotypes. Capturing these phenotypes in a centralized database provides researchers with an easy method for choosing the appropriate strains for their studies. Existing resources have provided some preliminary work in rat phenotype databases. However, existing resources suffer from problems such as small number of animals, lack of updating, web interface queries limitations and lack of standardized metadata. The Rat Genome Database (RGD) PhenoMiner tool has provided the first step in this effort by standardizing and integrating data from individual studies. Our work, mainly utilizing data curated in RGD, involves the following key steps: (i) we developed a meta-analysis pipeline to automatically integrate data from heterogeneous sources and to produce expected ranges (standardized phenotype ranges) for different strains and phenotypes under different experimental conditions; (ii) we created tools to visualize expected ranges for individual strains and strain groups. We developed a meta-analysis pipeline and an interactive web interface that summarizes and visualizes expected ranges produced from the meta-analysis pipeline. Automation of the pipeline allows for updates as additional data becomes available. The interactive web interface provides curators and researchers with a platform for identifying and validating expected ranges for a variety of quantitative phenotypes. The data analysis result and visualization tools will promote an understanding of rat disease models, guide researchers to choose optimal strains for their research needs and encourage data sharing from different research hubs. Such resources also help to promote research reproducibility. The interactive platforms created in this project will continue to provide a valuable resource for translational research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqing Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Shur-Jen Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Mary Shimoyama
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Abstract
The laboratory rat, Rattus norvegicus, has been used in biomedical research for more than 150 years, and in many cases remains the model of choice for studies of physiology, behavior, and complex human disease. This book provides detailed information on a number of methodologies that can be used in rat. This chapter gives an introduction to rat as a species and as a biomedical model, providing historical information, a brief introduction to the current state of rat research, and a perspective on the future of rat as a model for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Bolton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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4
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Wang SJ, Laulederkind SJF, Zhao Y, Hayman GT, Smith JR, Tutaj M, Thota J, Tutaj MA, Hoffman MJ, Bolton ER, De Pons J, Dwinell MR, Shimoyama M. Integrated curation and data mining for disease and phenotype models at the Rat Genome Database. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2019; 2019:5310053. [PMID: 30753478 PMCID: PMC6369425 DOI: 10.1093/database/baz014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Rats have been used as research models in biomedical research for over 150 years. These disease models arise from naturally occurring mutations, selective breeding and, more recently, genome manipulation. Through the innovation of genome-editing technologies, genome-modified rats provide precision models of disease by disrupting or complementing targeted genes. To facilitate the use of these data produced from rat disease models, the Rat Genome Database (RGD) organizes rat strains and annotates these strains with disease and qualitative phenotype terms as well as quantitative phenotype measurements. From the curated quantitative data, the expected phenotype profile ranges were established through a meta-analysis pipeline using inbred rat strains in control conditions. The disease and qualitative phenotype annotations are propagated to their associated genes and alleles if applicable. Currently, RGD has curated nearly 1300 rat strains with disease/phenotype annotations and about 11% of them have known allele associations. All of the annotations (disease and phenotype) are integrated and displayed on the strain, gene and allele report pages. Finding disease and phenotype models at RGD can be done by searching for terms in the ontology browser, browsing the disease or phenotype ontology branches or entering keywords in the general search. Use cases are provided to show different targeted searches of rat strains at RGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shur-Jen Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Stanley J F Laulederkind
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Yiqing Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - G Thomas Hayman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Monika Tutaj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jyothi Thota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Marek A Tutaj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Matthew J Hoffman
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Bolton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jeffrey De Pons
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Mary Shimoyama
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Felgueiras J, Silva JV, Fardilha M. Adding biological meaning to human protein-protein interactions identified by yeast two-hybrid screenings: A guide through bioinformatics tools. J Proteomics 2018; 171:127-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Shimoyama M, Smith JR, Bryda E, Kuramoto T, Saba L, Dwinell M. Rat Genome and Model Resources. ILAR J 2017; 58:42-58. [PMID: 28838068 PMCID: PMC6057551 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilw041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rats remain a major model for studying disease mechanisms and discovery, validation, and testing of new compounds to improve human health. The rat’s value continues to grow as indicated by the more than 1.4 million publications (second to human) at PubMed documenting important discoveries using this model. Advanced sequencing technologies, genome modification techniques, and the development of embryonic stem cell protocols ensure the rat remains an important mammalian model for disease studies. The 2004 release of the reference genome has been followed by the production of complete genomes for more than two dozen individual strains utilizing NextGen sequencing technologies; their analyses have identified over 80 million variants. This explosion in genomic data has been accompanied by the ability to selectively edit the rat genome, leading to hundreds of new strains through multiple technologies. A number of resources have been developed to provide investigators with access to precision rat models, comprehensive datasets, and sophisticated software tools necessary for their research. Those profiled here include the Rat Genome Database, PhenoGen, Gene Editing Rat Resource Center, Rat Resource and Research Center, and the National BioResource Project for the Rat in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Shimoyama
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Elizabeth Bryda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Takashi Kuramoto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Laura Saba
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Melinda Dwinell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rat Genome Database, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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7
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Abstract
Since its domestication over 100 years ago, the laboratory rat has been the preferred experimental animal in many areas of biomedical research (Lindsey and Baker The laboratory rat. Academic, New York, pp 1-52, 2006). Its physiology, size, genetics, reproductive cycle, cognitive and behavioural characteristics have made it a particularly useful animal model for studying many human disorders and diseases. Indeed, through selective breeding programmes numerous strains have been derived that are now the mainstay of research on hypertension, obesity and neurobiology (Okamoto and Aoki Jpn Circ J 27:282-293, 1963; Zucker and Zucker J Hered 52(6):275-278, 1961). Despite this wealth of genetic and phenotypic diversity, the ability to manipulate and interrogate the genetic basis of existing phenotypes in rat strains and the methodology to generate new rat models has lagged significantly behind the advances made with its close cousin, the laboratory mouse. However, recent technical developments in stem cell biology and genetic engineering have again brought the rat to the forefront of biomedical studies and enabled researchers to exploit the increasingly accessible wealth of genome sequence information. In this review, we will describe how a breakthrough in understanding the molecular basis of self-renewal of the pluripotent founder cells of the mammalian embryo, embryonic stem (ES) cells, enabled the derivation of rat ES cells and their application in transgenesis. We will also describe the remarkable progress that has been made in the development of gene editing enzymes that enable the generation of transgenic rats directly through targeted genetic modifications in the genomes of zygotes. The simplicity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the CRISPR/Cas gene editing system, in particular, mean that the ability to engineer the rat genome is no longer a limiting factor. The selection of suitable targets and gene modifications will now become a priority: a challenge where ES culture and gene editing technologies can play complementary roles in generating accurate bespoke rat models for studying biological processes and modelling human disease.
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8
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Reisdorf WC, Chhugani N, Sanseau P, Agarwal P. Harnessing public domain data to discover and validate therapeutic targets. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:687-693. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1329296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William C. Reisdorf
- Computational Biology, Target Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - Neha Chhugani
- Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, Belle Mead, NJ, USA
| | - Philippe Sanseau
- Computational Biology, Target Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Pankaj Agarwal
- Computational Biology, Target Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, King of Prussia, PA, USA
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Wang SJ, Laulederkind SJF, Hayman GT, Petri V, Smith JR, Tutaj M, Nigam R, Dwinell MR, Shimoyama M. Comprehensive coverage of cardiovascular disease data in the disease portals at the Rat Genome Database. Physiol Genomics 2016; 48:589-600. [PMID: 27287925 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00046.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are complex diseases caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. To facilitate progress in complex disease research, the Rat Genome Database (RGD) provides the community with a disease portal where genome objects and biological data related to cardiovascular diseases are systematically organized. The purpose of this study is to present biocuration at RGD, including disease, genetic, and pathway data. The RGD curation team uses controlled vocabularies/ontologies to organize data curated from the published literature or imported from disease and pathway databases. These organized annotations are associated with genes, strains, and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), thus linking functional annotations to genome objects. Screen shots from the web pages are used to demonstrate the organization of annotations at RGD. The human cardiovascular disease genes identified by annotations were grouped according to data sources and their annotation profiles were compared by in-house tools and other enrichment tools available to the public. The analysis results show that the imported cardiovascular disease genes from ClinVar and OMIM are functionally different from the RGD manually curated genes in terms of pathway and Gene Ontology annotations. The inclusion of disease genes from other databases enriches the collection of disease genes not only in quantity but also in quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shur-Jen Wang
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | | | - G Thomas Hayman
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | - Victoria Petri
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | - Marek Tutaj
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | - Rajni Nigam
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Mary Shimoyama
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and
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Petri V, Hayman GT, Tutaj M, Smith JR, Laulederkind S, Wang SJ, Nigam R, De Pons J, Shimoyama M, Dwinell MR. Disease, Models, Variants and Altered Pathways-Journeying RGD Through the Magnifying Glass. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2015; 14:35-48. [PMID: 27602200 PMCID: PMC4700298 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the pathogenesis of disease is instrumental in delineating its progression mechanisms and for envisioning ways to counteract it. In the process, animal models represent invaluable tools for identifying disease-related loci and their genetic components. Amongst them, the laboratory rat is used extensively in the study of many conditions and disorders. The Rat Genome Database (RGD—http://rgd.mcw.edu) has been established to house rat genetic, genomic and phenotypic data. Since its inception, it has continually expanded the depth and breadth of its content. Currently, in addition to rat genes, QTLs and strains, RGD houses mouse and human genes and QTLs and offers pertinent associated data, acquired through manual literature curation and imported via pipelines. A collection of controlled vocabularies and ontologies is employed for the standardized extraction and provision of biological data. The vocabularies/ontologies allow the capture of disease and phenotype associations of rat strains and QTLs, as well as disease and pathway associations of rat, human and mouse genes. A suite of tools enables the retrieval, manipulation, viewing and analysis of data. Genes associated with particular conditions or with altered networks underlying disease pathways can be retrieved. Genetic variants in humans or in sequenced rat strains can be searched and compared. Lists of rat strains and species-specific genes and QTLs can be generated for selected ontology terms and then analyzed, downloaded or sent to other tools. From many entry points, data can be accessed and results retrieved. To illustrate, diabetes is used as a case study to initiate and embark upon an exploratory journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Petri
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - G Thomas Hayman
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marek Tutaj
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jennifer R Smith
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Stan Laulederkind
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shur-Jen Wang
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Rajni Nigam
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jeff De Pons
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mary Shimoyama
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
| | - Melinda R Dwinell
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
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