What proportion of genes with intense and selective expression in specific tissues, cells, or systems are still almost completely uncharacterized with respect to biological function? In what ways do these functionally enigmatic genes differ from well-studied genes? To address these two questions, we devised a computational approach that defines so-called ignoromes. As proof of principle, we extracted and analyzed a large subset of genes with intense and selective expression in brain. We find that publications associated with this set are highly skewed-the top 5% of genes absorb 70% of the relevant literature. In contrast, approximately 20% of genes have essentially no neuroscience literature. Analysis of the ignorome over the past decade demonstrates that it is stubbornly persistent, and the rapid expansion of the neuroscience literature has not had the expected effect on numbers of these genes. Surprisingly, ignorome genes do not differ from well-studied genes in terms of connectivity in coexpression networks. Nor do they differ with respect to numbers of orthologs, paralogs, or protein domains. The major distinguishing characteristic between these sets of genes is date of discovery, early discovery being associated with greater research momentum-a genomic bandwagon effect. Finally we ask to what extent massive genomic, imaging, and phenotype data sets can be used to provide high-throughput functional annotation for an entire ignorome. In a majority of cases we have been able to extract and add significant information for these neglected genes. In several cases-ELMOD1, TMEM88B, and DZANK1-we have exploited sequence polymorphisms, large phenome data sets, and reverse genetic methods to evaluate the function of ignorome genes.
Ignorome and Ignorome Score.The computed ignorome scores are a function of (1) gene expression in the brain, (2) selectivity of expression in brain versus other organs, and (3) the size of the neuroscience literature.
Cerebellum Gene Expression Correlates for TAILCLIP_LAT_SEC measured in BXD RI Females obtained using SJUT Cerebellum mRNA M430 (Mar05) RMA. The TAILCLIP_LAT_SEC measures Mechanical Nociception - Tail Clip Test under the domain Pain. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Striatum Gene Expression Correlates for ACTI10_ETHA measured in BXD RI Females obtained using GeneNetwork Striatum M430V2 (Apr05) RMA. The ACTI10_ETHA measures Distance traveled (cm) during the second five minute bin after ethanol under the domain Ethanol. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Striatum Gene Expression Correlates for ACTI15_ETHA measured in BXD RI Females obtained using GeneNetwork Striatum M430V2 (Apr05) RMA. The ACTI15_ETHA measures Distance traveled (cm) during the third five minute bin after ethanol under the domain Ethanol. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Neocortex Gene Expression Correlates for OF_HAB_RATIO measured in BXD RI Females obtained using GeneNetwork Neocortex ILM6v1.1 (Feb08) RankInv. The OF_HAB_RATIO measures Open Field - Habituation ratio (First:Last intervals) under the domain Basal Behavior. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Neocortex Gene Expression Correlates for OF_HAB_RATIO measured in BXD RI Females & Males obtained using GeneNetwork Neocortex ILM6v1.1 (Feb08) RankInv. The OF_HAB_RATIO measures Open Field - Habituation ratio (First:Last intervals) under the domain Basal Behavior. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Neocortex Gene Expression Correlates for ROTATRAIN_TIME measured in BXD RI Females & Males obtained using GeneNetwork Neocortex ILM6v1.1 (Feb08) RankInv. The ROTATRAIN_TIME measures Mean time on rotarod during training. under the domain Ethanol. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Striatum Gene Expression Correlates for ACTITOT_DIFF measured in BXD RI Females obtained using GeneNetwork Striatum M430V2 (Apr05) RMA. The ACTITOT_DIFF measures Difference in total distance traveled (cm) (saline-ethanol) under the domain Ethanol. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
Hippocampus Gene Expression Correlates for LM_CONTEXT_ACTIVITY measured in BXD RI Females & Males obtained using GeneNetwork Hippocampus Consortium M430v2 (Jun06) RMA. The LM_CONTEXT_ACTIVITY measures Contextual activity in fear conditioning apparatus under the domain Basal Behavior. The correlates were thresholded at a p-value of less than 0.001.
Authors:
Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ
These genes are a 1 class SAM significant (1% FDR) in nucleus accumbens (core + shell) for saline treated ("basal") control vs. Fyn KO mice. The list was filtered for an average Sscore >2.0 or <-2.0. Data from Farris and Miles, PLoS One, 2013.
alcohol preference 3 QTL 124.51 - 174.51 Mbp (NCBI Build 37) on Chr4. This interval was obtained by using an interval width of 25 Mbp around the peak marker (Build 37, MGI, http://informatics.jax.org).
QTL for cocaine related behavior on Chr4 at 34M15-SP6 (151.65 Mbp , Build 37)
Description:
cocaine related behavior spans 126.65 - 176.65 Mbp (NCBI Build 37) on Chr4. This interval was obtained by using an interval width of 25 Mbp around the peak marker (Build 37, MGI, http://informatics.jax.org).
QTL for ethanol conditioned taste aversion on Chr4 at D4Ncvs25 (151.65 Mbp , Build 37)
Description:
ethanol conditioned taste aversion spans 126.65 - 176.65 Mbp (NCBI Build 37) on Chr4. This interval was obtained by using an interval width of 25 Mbp around the peak marker (Build 37, MGI, http://informatics.jax.org).
QTL for METH responses for climbing on Chr4 at Sac (151.65 Mbp , Build 37)
Description:
METH responses for climbing spans 126.65 - 176.65 Mbp (NCBI Build 37) on Chr4. This interval was obtained by using an interval width of 25 Mbp around the peak marker (Build 37, MGI, http://informatics.jax.org).
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