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Kaldunski ML, Smith JR, Hayman GT, Brodie K, De Pons JL, Demos WM, Gibson AC, Hill ML, Hoffman MJ, Lamers L, Laulederkind SJF, Nalabolu HS, Thorat K, Thota J, Tutaj M, Tutaj MA, Vedi M, Wang SJ, Zacher S, Dwinell MR, Kwitek AE. The Rat Genome Database (RGD) facilitates genomic and phenotypic data integration across multiple species for biomedical research. Mamm Genome 2021; 33:66-80. [PMID: 34741192 PMCID: PMC8570235 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09932-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Model organism research is essential for discovering the mechanisms of human diseases by defining biologically meaningful gene to disease relationships. The Rat Genome Database (RGD, ( https://rgd.mcw.edu )) is a cross-species knowledgebase and the premier online resource for rat genetic and physiologic data. This rich resource is enhanced by the inclusion and integration of comparative data for human and mouse, as well as other human disease models including chinchilla, dog, bonobo, pig, 13-lined ground squirrel, green monkey, and naked mole-rat. Functional information has been added to records via the assignment of annotations based on sequence similarity to human, rat, and mouse genes. RGD has also imported well-supported cross-species data from external resources. To enable use of these data, RGD has developed a robust infrastructure of standardized ontologies, data formats, and disease- and species-centric portals, complemented with a suite of innovative tools for discovery and analysis. Using examples of single-gene and polygenic human diseases, we illustrate how data from multiple species can help to identify or confirm a gene as involved in a disease and to identify model organisms that can be studied to understand the pathophysiology of a gene or pathway. The ultimate aim of this report is to demonstrate the utility of RGD not only as the core resource for the rat research community but also as a source of bioinformatic tools to support a wider audience, empowering the search for appropriate models for human afflictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Kaldunski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - J R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - G T Hayman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - K Brodie
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - J L De Pons
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - W M Demos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - A C Gibson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M L Hill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M J Hoffman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - L Lamers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - S J F Laulederkind
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - H S Nalabolu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - K Thorat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - J Thota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M Tutaj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M A Tutaj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M Vedi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - S J Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - S Zacher
- Information Services, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - M R Dwinell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - A E Kwitek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Rat Genome Database, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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Fontanesi L, Scotti E, Buttazzoni L, Davoli R, Russo V. The porcine fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene is associated with fat deposition in Italian Duroc pigs. Anim Genet 2008; 40:90-3. [PMID: 18786155 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01777.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In humans, common variants in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are associated with body mass index and obesity. Here we sequenced exon 4, parts of introns 3 and 4 and two portions of the 3'-untranslated region of the porcine FTO gene in a panel of nine pigs of different breeds and identified three SNPs. Allele frequencies of the g.276T>G (AM931150) mutation were studied in seven pig breeds. This mutation was used to linkage-map FTO to SSC6. Association analyses between the g.276T>G polymorphism and several traits [pH of semimembranosus muscle and estimated breeding values (EBV) for average daily gain, back fat thickness, lean cuts, ham weight and feed:gain ratio] were carried out in 257 sib-tested Italian Large White pigs. Only feed:gain ratio showed P<0.05. A selective genotyping approach was applied, analysing two extreme and divergent groups of Italian Large White pigs selected on the basis of back fat thickness EBV (50 with most positive and 50 with most negative values). Fisher's exact test (two-tailed) was not significant when comparing the allele frequencies of these two groups. The same approach was used in the Italian Duroc breed for which two extreme and divergent groups of animals were selected according to visible intermuscular fat EBV. Differences of allele frequencies between these two groups were highly significant (P<0.00001, P<0.001 and P<0.0001, considering all animals or only two- or three-generation unrelated animals respectively), indicating association between the analysed FTO marker and intermuscular fat deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Fontanesi
- DIPROVAL, Sezione di Allevamenti Zootecnici, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bologna, Via F.lli Rosselli 107, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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Moreno C, Kaldunski ML, Wang T, Roman RJ, Greene AS, Lazar J, Jacob HJ, Cowley AW. Multiple blood pressure loci on rat chromosome 13 attenuate development of hypertension in the Dahl S hypertensive rat. Physiol Genomics 2007; 31:228-35. [PMID: 17566075 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00280.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have indicated that substitution of chromosome 13 of the salt-resistant Brown Norway BN/SsNHsdMcwi (BN) rat into the genomic background of the Dahl salt-sensitive SS/JrHsdMcwi (SS) rat attenuates the development of salt-sensitive hypertension and renal damage. To identify the regions within chromosome 13 that attenuate the development of hypertension during a high-salt diet in the SS rat, we phenotyped a series of overlapping congenic lines covering chromosome 13, generated from an intercross between the consomic SS-13BN rat and the SS rat. Blood pressure was determined in chronically catheterized rats after 2 wk of high-salt diet (8% NaCl) together with microalbuminuria as an index of renal damage. Four discrete regions were identified, ranging in size from 4.5 to 16 Mbp, each of which independently provided significant protection from hypertension during high-salt diet, reducing blood pressure by 20–29 mmHg. Protection was more robust in female than male rats in some of the congenic strains, suggesting a sex interaction with some of the genes determining blood pressure during high-salt diet. Among the 23 congenic strains, several regions overlapped. When three of the “protective” regions were combined onto one broad congenic strain, no summation effect was seen, obtaining the same decrease in blood pressure as with each one independently. We conclude from these studies that there are four regions within chromosome 13 containing genes that interact epistatically and influence arterial pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Moreno
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53266, USA
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Doran P, Gannon J, O'Connell K, Ohlendieck K. Proteomic profiling of animal models mimicking skeletal muscle disorders. Proteomics Clin Appl 2007; 1:1169-84. [PMID: 21136766 DOI: 10.1002/prca.200700042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2007] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades of biomedical research, animal models of neuromuscular diseases have been widely used for determining pathological mechanisms and for testing new therapeutic strategies. With the emergence of high-throughput proteomics technology, the identification of novel protein factors involved in disease processes has been decisively improved. This review outlines the usefulness of the proteomic profiling of animal disease models for the discovery of new reliable biomarkers, for the optimization of diagnostic procedures and the development of new treatment options for skeletal muscle disorders. Since inbred animal strains show genetically much less interindividual differences as compared to human patients, considerably lower experimental repeats are capable of producing meaningful proteomic data. Thus, animal model proteomics can be conveniently employed for both studying basic mechanisms of molecular pathogenesis and the effects of drugs, genetic modifications or cell-based therapies on disease progression. Based on the results from comparative animal proteomics, a more informed decision on the design of clinical proteomics studies could be reached. Since no one animal model represents a perfect pathobiochemical replica of all of the symptoms seen in complex human disorders, the proteomic screening of novel animal models can also be employed for swift and enhanced protein biochemical phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Doran
- Department of Biology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Twigger SN, Shimoyama M, Bromberg S, Kwitek AE, Jacob HJ. The Rat Genome Database, update 2007--easing the path from disease to data and back again. Nucleic Acids Res 2007; 35:D658-62. [PMID: 17151068 PMCID: PMC1761441 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkl988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2006] [Accepted: 10/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rat Genome Database (RGD, http://rgd.mcw.edu) is one of the core resources for rat genomics and recent developments have focused on providing support for disease-based research using the rat model. Recognizing the importance of the rat as a disease model we have employed targeted curation strategies to curate genes, QTL and strain data for neurological and cardiovascular disease areas. This work has centered on rat but also includes data for mouse and human to create 'disease portals' that provide a unified view of the genes, QTL and strain models for these diseases across the three species. The disease curation efforts combined with normal curation activities have served to greatly increase the content of the database, particularly for biological information, including gene ontology, disease, pathway and phenotype ontology annotations. In addition to improving the features and database content, community outreach has been expanded to demonstrate how investigators can leverage the resources at RGD to facilitate their research and to elicit suggestions and needs for future developments. We have published a number of papers that provide additional information on the ontology annotations and the tools at RGD for data mining and analysis to better enable researchers to fully utilize the database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon N Twigger
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
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N. Twigger S, S. Smith J, Zuniga-Meyer A, Bromberg SK. Exploring Phenotypic Data at the Rat Genome Database. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; Chapter 1:Unit 1.14. [DOI: 10.1002/0471250953.bi0114s14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon N. Twigger
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Jennifer S. Smith
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Angela Zuniga-Meyer
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Susan K. Bromberg
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Milwaukee Wisconsin
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7
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Malek RL, Wang HY, Kwitek AE, Greene AS, Bhagabati N, Borchardt G, Cahill L, Currier T, Frank B, Fu X, Hasinoff M, Howe E, Letwin N, Luu TV, Saeed A, Sajadi H, Salzberg SL, Sultana R, Thiagarajan M, Tsai J, Veratti K, White J, Quackenbush J, Jacob HJ, Lee NH. Physiogenomic resources for rat models of heart, lung and blood disorders. Nat Genet 2006; 38:234-9. [PMID: 16415889 DOI: 10.1038/ng1693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2005] [Accepted: 11/22/2005] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disorders are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The TIGR rodent expression web-based resource (TREX) contains over 2,200 microarray hybridizations, involving over 800 animals from 18 different rat strains. These strains comprise genetically diverse parental animals and a panel of chromosomal substitution strains derived by introgressing individual chromosomes from normotensive Brown Norway (BN/NHsdMcwi) rats into the background of Dahl salt sensitive (SS/JrHsdMcwi) rats. The profiles document gene-expression changes in both genders, four tissues (heart, lung, liver, kidney) and two environmental conditions (normoxia, hypoxia). This translates into almost 400 high-quality direct comparisons (not including replicates) and over 100,000 pairwise comparisons. As each individual chromosomal substitution strain represents on average less than a 5% change from the parental genome, consomic strains provide a useful mechanism to dissect complex traits and identify causative genes. We performed a variety of data-mining manipulations on the profiles and used complementary physiological data from the PhysGen resource to demonstrate how TREX can be used by the cardiovascular community for hypothesis generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renae L Malek
- TREX, The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
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8
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Van Dijk SJ, Specht PAC, Lutz MM, Lazar J, Jacob HJ, Provoost AP. Interaction between Rf-1 and Rf-4 quantitative trait loci increases susceptibility to renal damage in double congenic rats. Kidney Int 2005; 68:2462-72. [PMID: 16316323 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1755.2005.00722.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Five quantitative trait loci (QTLs), Rf-1 to Rf-5, were found in Fawn-Hooded hypertensive (FHH) rats influencing susceptibility to renal damage. Previously, we found that single transfer of the Rf-1 QTL from FHH rats onto the renal-resistant August x Copenhagen Irish (ACI) strain caused a small increase in renal susceptibility. To investigate the separate role of the Rf-4 QTL and its interaction with Rf-1, we generated a single congenic strain carrying Rf-4 and a double congenic carrying both Rf-1 and Rf-4. METHODS Differences in renal susceptibility between ACI, Rf-1A, and Rf-4 single congenics and Rf-1A+4 double congenics were assessed using four different treatments: control (two-kidney), two-kidney with l-arginine analogue N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertension, unilateral nephrectomy, and unilateral nephrectomy + L-NAME. In separate experiments, renal blood flow (RBF) autoregulation was compared between two-kidney ACI and congenic rats. RESULTS Compared to ACI, Rf-1A rats developed more renal damage, while Rf-4 rats did not. The most severe renal damage was found in the Rf-1A+4 double congenic rats. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant interaction between the Rf-1A and Rf-4 QTLs. The magnitude of the interaction varied with the type and duration of the treatment. The RBF autoregulation was impaired in Rf-1A single and Rf-1A+4 double congenics, while in Rf-4 single congenics it was similar to that of ACI controls. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that the Rf-1 QTL directly influences renal susceptibility and autoregulation. In contrast, the Rf-4 QTL shows no direct effects, but significantly increases susceptibility to renal damage via an interaction with Rf-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine J Van Dijk
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Drake TA, Schadt EE, Davis RC, Lusis AJ. Integrating Genetic and Gene Expression Data to Study the Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes in Mice. Am J Ther 2005; 12:503-11. [PMID: 16280644 DOI: 10.1097/01.mjt.0000178775.39149.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly, the mouse is becoming the standard model for mammalian physiology and disease. It can be genetically analyzed and manipulated with relative ease. Moreover, the endogenous genetic variation that exists among inbred mouse strains can be exploited to identify genetic control of complex physiologic processes involved in diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, among other conditions relevant to human disease. Recent advances in genetics and gene expression technology have greatly increased the knowledge to be derived from this approach when applied to traditional genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Drake
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA.
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10
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Twigger SN, Pasko D, Nie J, Shimoyama M, Bromberg S, Campbell D, Chen J, dela Cruz N, Fan C, Foote C, Harris G, Hickmann B, Ji Y, Jin W, Li D, Mathis J, Nenasheva N, Nigam R, Petri V, Reilly D, Ruotti V, Schauberger E, Seiler K, Slyper R, Smith J, Wang W, Wu W, Zhao L, Zuniga-Meyer A, Tonellato PJ, Kwitek AE, Jacob HJ. Tools and strategies for physiological genomics: the Rat Genome Database. Physiol Genomics 2005; 23:246-56. [PMID: 16106031 PMCID: PMC4505745 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00040.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The broad goal of physiological genomics research is to link genes to their functions using appropriate experimental and computational techniques. Modern genomics experiments enable the generation of vast quantities of data, and interpretation of this data requires the integration of information derived from many diverse sources. Computational biology and bioinformatics offer the ability to manage and channel this information torrent. The Rat Genome Database (RGD; http://rgd.mcw.edu) has developed computational tools and strategies specifically supporting the goal of linking genes to their functional roles in rat and, using comparative genomics, to human and mouse. We present an overview of the database with a focus on these unique computational tools and describe strategies for the use of these resources in the area of physiological genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon N Twigger
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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11
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Yang CW, Su JY, Tsou AP, Chau GY, Liu HL, Chen CH, Chien CY, Chou CK. Integrative genomics based identification of potential human hepatocarcinogenesis-associated cell cycle regulators: RHAMM as an example. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005; 330:489-97. [PMID: 15796909 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
DNA microarray has been widely used to examine gene expression profile of different human tumors. The information generated from microarray analysis usually represents the overall range of cancer-associated abnormality associated with gene regulation. In order to identify key regulatory genes involved in carcinogenesis of human cancer, hypothesis driven data mining of the microarray data plus experimental validation becomes a critical approach in the post-genome era. Here, we present an integrative genomic analysis of published microarray data and homolog gene database. Over 20,000 genes were examined to reveal 16 genes specific to vertebrates, cell cycle G2/M regulated, and overexpressed in human HCC. Using Affymetrix microarray analysis, we found that all 16 genes were up-regulated in human HCC. Among these 16 genes, we experimentally validated the up-regulation of receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) in different cell model systems. We first confirmed elevation of RHAMM in the G2/M phase of synchronized HeLa cells. We also found that RHAMM had an elevated level of expression in all the HCC samples we examined and it was induced during the G2/M phase of regenerating mouse hepatocytes after partial hepatectomy. Thus, the expression of RHAMM appears to be tightly regulated during mammalian cell cycle G2/M progression. The ectopic overexpression of RHAMM in 293T cells resulted in the accumulation of cells at G2/M phase. RHAMM-induced mitotic arrest of cells was predominantly in the prophase. Taken together, using an integrated functional genomic approach, we have uncovered a set of genes that may play specific roles in cell cycle progression and in HCC development. To elucidate the function of these genes in cell cycle regulation may shed light on the control mechanism of human HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Wen Yang
- Institute of Biochemistry, National Yang-Ming University, Shih-Pai, Taipei 112, Taiwan, ROC
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12
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de la Cruz N, Bromberg S, Pasko D, Shimoyama M, Twigger S, Chen J, Chen CF, Fan C, Foote C, Gopinath GR, Harris G, Hughes A, Ji Y, Jin W, Li D, Mathis J, Nenasheva N, Nie J, Nigam R, Petri V, Reilly D, Wang W, Wu W, Zuniga-Meyer A, Zhao L, Kwitek A, Tonellato P, Jacob H. The Rat Genome Database (RGD): developments towards a phenome database. Nucleic Acids Res 2005; 33:D485-91. [PMID: 15608243 PMCID: PMC540004 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gki050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rat Genome Database (RGD) (http://rgd.mcw.edu) aims to meet the needs of its community by providing genetic and genomic infrastructure while also annotating the strengths of rat research: biochemistry, nutrition, pharmacology and physiology. Here, we report on RGD's development towards creating a phenome database. Recent developments can be categorized into three groups. (i) Improved data collection and integration to match increased volume and biological scope of research. (ii) Knowledge representation augmented by the implementation of a new ontology and annotation system. (iii) The addition of quantitative trait loci data, from rat, mouse and human to our advanced comparative genomics tools, as well as the creation of new, and enhancement of existing, tools to enable users to efficiently browse and survey research data. The emphasis is on helping researchers find genes responsible for disease through the use of rat models. These improvements, combined with the genomic sequence of the rat, have led to a successful year at RGD with over two million page accesses that represent an over 4-fold increase in a year. Future plans call for increased annotation of biological information on the rat elucidated through its use as a model for human pathobiology. The continued development of toolsets will facilitate integration of these data into the context of rat genomic sequence, as well as allow comparisons of biological and genomic data with the human genomic sequence and of an increasing number of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto de la Cruz
- Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213, USA
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Postlethwait J, Ruotti V, Carvan MJ, Tonellato PJ. Automated analysis of conserved syntenies for the zebrafish genome. Methods Cell Biol 2005; 77:255-71. [PMID: 15602916 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-679x(04)77014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- John Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA
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Hunt E, Hanlon N, Leader DP, Bryce H, Dominiczak AF. The Visual Language of Synteny. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2004; 8:289-305. [PMID: 15703477 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2004.8.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The study of polygenic disorders such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases requires access to vast amounts of experimental and in silico data. Where animal models of disease are being used, visualization of syntenic genome regions is one of the most important tools supporting data analysis. We define what is required to visualize synteny in terms of the data being displayed, the screen layout, and user interaction. We then describe a prototype visualization tool, SyntenyVista, which provides integrated access to quantitative trait loci, microarray, and gene datasets. We believe that SyntenyVista is a significant step towards an improved representation of comparative genomics data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ela Hunt
- Department of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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15
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Kwitek AE, Gullings-Handley J, Yu J, Carlos DC, Orlebeke K, Nie J, Eckert J, Lemke A, Andrae JW, Bromberg S, Pasko D, Chen D, Scheetz TE, Casavant TL, Soares MB, Sheffield VC, Tonellato PJ, Jacob HJ. High-density rat radiation hybrid maps containing over 24,000 SSLPs, genes, and ESTs provide a direct link to the rat genome sequence. Genome Res 2004; 14:750-7. [PMID: 15060019 PMCID: PMC383322 DOI: 10.1101/gr.1968704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The laboratory rat is a major model organism for systems biology. To complement the cornucopia of physiological and pharmacological data generated in the rat, a large genomic toolset has been developed, culminating in the release of the rat draft genome sequence. The rat draft sequence used a variety of assembly packages, as well as data from the Radiation Hybrid (RH) map of the rat as part of their validation. As part of the Rat Genome Project, we have been building a high-density RH map to facilitate data integration from multiple maps and now to help validate the genome assembly. By incorporating vectors from our lab and several other labs, we have doubled the number of simple sequence length polymorphisms (SSLPs), genes, expressed sequence tags (ESTs), and sequence-tagged sites (STSs) compared to any other genome-wide rat map, a total of 24,437 elements. During the process, we also identified a novel approach for integrating the RH placement results from multiple maps. This new integrated RH map contains approximately 10 RH-mapped elements per Mb on the genome assembly, enabling the RH maps to serve as a scaffold for a variety of data visualization tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Kwitek
- Human & Molecular Genetics Center and Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
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Current Awareness on Comparative and Functional Genomics. Comp Funct Genomics 2004. [PMCID: PMC2447433 DOI: 10.1002/cfg.356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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