Current Genomics - Volume 4, Issue 7, 2003

Annotating the noncoding portion of the human genome and identifying functional regulatory elements embedded in its sequence creates a continuing challenge. Historically, the functional characterization of regulatory elements has been slow, labor-intensive and inadequate to keep up with the demands of whole-genome analysis. Recently, there has been an explosion of computational techniques and tools available to a Read More

Gene Ontology facilitates biomedical knowledge representation and efficient information management. The systematic representation and hierarchical structure of Gene Ontology bring forth great potential to examine data and information across the broad spectrum of biology. This article briefly discusses GO annotation and three interesting areas in Gene Ontology-facilitated genome analysis.

The decline in functional performance and restriction of adaptability represents the hallmark of skeletal muscle pathologies. The characteristic loss in muscle mass, coupled with a decrease in strength and force output, has been associated with a selective activation of apoptotic pathways and a general reduction in survival mechanisms. Aging and genetic diseases, such as muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, can Read More

The ability to silence specific genes of choice consistently and efficiently has always been a major goal for scientists. The emerging field of RNA interference (RNAi), a process in which target mRNAs are degraded by small interfering RNA (siRNA), may indeed provide this long sought after tool. The importance of this technology has been highlighted recently by Science, which has voted the RNAi discoveries as the “&;Breakt Read More

There is increasing evidence both from, animal models and clinical investigations that luminal bacteria play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD). In almost all murine models for spontaneous colitis, animals stay healthy as long as they are kept under germ free conditions. Antibacterial treatment reduces disease severity in some patients with CD. This aforementioned hypothesis is further supported by the i Read More

Our ability to study thousands of genes simultaneously over the last few years owing not only to the development of DNA microarray technology, but also to large-scale yeast two-hybrid and other methods, has brought about a paradigmatic shift in biology. Armed with the complete sequences of several genomes including humans, more and more biomedical investigators are now interested in understanding the functions of ge Read More

Microarray expression profiling is a complex experimental methodology comprising sequential steps: fluorescent or radioactive labelling of extracted RNA, hybridisation to the array, washing, scanning, and image processing of the array and data analysis. Each of these steps is a possible source of artefacts that potentially can influence the final result, and hence the evaluation of differential gene expression. In addition, th Read More

The Agouti Related Protein (AgRP), Neuropeptide Y (NPY), Cocaine and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART), and Proopiomelanocortin hormone (POMC) are four essential neuropeptides that play an import role in regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis in mammals. Each of the two pairs of neuropeptides, AgRP / NPY and CART / POMC, are co-expressed in distinctly separate neurons in the hypothalamus. T Read More