Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
PLoS One. 2011 Jan 25;6(1):e15644. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015644.
Whole genome transcriptomic studies can point to potential candidate genes for organismal traits. However, the importance of potential candidates is rarely followed up through functional studies and/or by comparing results across independent studies. We have analysed the overlap of candidate genes identified from studies of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster using similar technical platforms. We found little overlap across studies between putative candidate genes for the same traits in the same sex. Instead there was a high degree of overlap between different traits and sexes within the same genetic backgrounds. Putative candidates found using transcriptomics therefore appear very sensitive to genetic background and this can mask or override effects of treatments. The functional importance of putative candidate genes emerging from transcriptome studies needs to be validated through additional experiments and in future studies we suggest a focus on the genes, networks and pathways affecting traits in a consistent manner across backgrounds.
全基因组转录组研究可以指出生物体特征的潜在候选基因。然而，这些潜在候选基因的重要性很少通过功能研究和/或通过比较不同独立研究的结果来跟进。我们分析了使用类似技术平台研究黑腹果蝇基因表达时鉴定出的候选基因的重叠情况。我们发现，在同一性别中，同一性状的假定候选基因之间的研究几乎没有重叠。相反，在相同的遗传背景下，不同性状和性别之间存在高度重叠。因此，使用转录组学发现的假定候选基因对遗传背景非常敏感，这可能会掩盖或抵消处理的影响。转录组研究中出现的假定候选基因的功能重要性需要通过额外的实验来验证，在未来的研究中，我们建议重点关注在不同背景下以一致方式影响性状的基因、网络和途径。
