What is Transcriptomics?
Transcriptomics is the study of gene expression (transcription), also known as the study of the transcriptosome. The transcriptosome is comprised of all of the RNA gene transcripts present in one or many cells [3]. Through analysis of the transcriptosome, one can discover changes in gene expression from cell type to cell type, as well as the effect different mutations have on overall gene expression compared to that of a wild type control, as seen in Figure 2 and Figure 3. These studies provide valuable insight into the effects that cellular specialization and mutations have on gene expression, and are useful in identifying new genes of interest which may play unknown rolls a variety of cellular processes.
Figure 1: UPGMA tree located on GEO DataSets which showcases the effects of an overexpressed GFAP transgene on cellular gene expression in Mice [1].
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Figure 2: Chart located in GEO Profiles comparing the transcript expression levels of a mutant GFAP transgene to the wild type copy in separate groups of mice [2].
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How can Transcriptomics be useful in studying GFAP?
Due to the unclear understanding into how GFAP mutations exactly cause Alexander Disease (AD), using transcriptomics could serve useful in identifying key genes which are associated and affected by AD mutations. Discovering more genes which are deferentially expressed when AD causing mutation are present could help identify potential new genes which contribute to the neurodegenerative phenotype. Analysis of the transcriptome would also be crucial in the confirmation of model organisms constructed with the human GFAP transgene, in order to assure they are overexpressing GFAP similar to how it is overexpressed in AD.
References
[1] Home - GEO DataSets - NCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gds
[2] Home - GEO Profiles - NCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geoprofiles/
[3] Transcriptome Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.genome.gov/13014330/Transcriptome-Fact-Sheet
[2] Home - GEO Profiles - NCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geoprofiles/
[3] Transcriptome Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.genome.gov/13014330/Transcriptome-Fact-Sheet