What are the determinants of gene expression levels and breadths in the human genome?

ABSTRACT: In complex organisms, different tissues express different genes, which ultimately shape the function and phenotype of each tissue. An important goal of modern biology is to understand how some genes are turned on and off in specific tissues and how the numbers of different gene expression products are determined. These aspects are named 'expression breadth' (or 'tissue specificity') and 'expression level', respectively. Here, we show that we can predict substantial amount of variation in levels and breadths of gene expression using genomic information of each gene. Interestingly, many genomic traits are correlated with both aspects of gene expression in similar directions, suggesting shared molecular pathways. However, to elucidate distinctive molecular mechanisms governing gene expression

SUBMITTER: Park J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3235009 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature