Identification of QTLs controlling gene expression networks defined a priori

Background: Gene expression microarrays allow the quantification of transcript accumulation for many or all genes in a genome. This technology has been utilized for a range of investigations, from assessments of gene regulation in response to genetic or environmental fluctuation to global expression QTL (eQTL) analyses of natural variation. Current analysis techniques facilitate the statistical querying of individual genes to evaluate the significance of a change in response, also known as differential expression. Since genes are also known to respond as groups due to their membership in networks, effective approaches are needed to investigate transcriptome variation as related to gene network responses. Results: We describe a statistical approach that is capable of assessing higher-order a priori defined gene network response, as measured by microarrays. This analysis detected significant network variation between two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, Bay-0 and Shahdara. By extending ...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2006
• Where: BMCBI
• Authors: Daniel J. Kliebenstein, Marilyn A. L. West, Hans van Leeuwen, Olivier Loudet, R. W. Doerge, Dina A. St Clair
• Keywords: BMCBI 2006, Gene, Gene Expression Microarrays, Network Responses