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*
Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston,
Massachusetts
Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown
Connecticut.
Correspondence to Dr. Steven R. Gullans, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 5th Floor, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115. Phone: 617-525-5712; Fax: 617-525-5711; E-mail: sgullans{at}rics.bwh.harvard.edu
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| Introduction |
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A DNA microarray, or gene chip, is a matrix of thousands of cDNA or oligonucleotides imprinted on a solid support (4,5). Labeled mRNA from the tissue of interest is hybridized to its sequence complement on the array to provide a measure of mRNA abundance in the sample. The hallmark of the microarray experiment is the expression profile, the pattern of gene expression produced by the experimental sample (Figure 1). Arrays composed of DNA fragments are not new (6,7). However, early arrays included only a small set of genes thought to be involved in the process being studied. Significant improvements in substrate materials, robotics, and signal detection have made possible miniaturization of arrays with the result that hundreds of thousands of oligonucleotides can be arrayed on a square-centimeter chip. This important feature makes it possible to study gene expression without specifying in advance which genes are to be studied. Thus, DNA microarrays permit systematic and comprehensive surveys of gene expression in an efficient manner.
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| Principles of Microarray Technology |
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Creating a cDNA Microarray
Customized cDNA microarrays are fabricated by first selecting the genes to
be printed on the array from public databases/repositories or institutional
sources. High throughput DNA preparation, usually done by robotics systems,
consists of tens of thousands of PCR reactions. Purified PCR products
representing specific genes are spotted onto a matrix. Spotting is carried out
by a robot, which deposits a nanoliter of PCR product onto the matrix in
serial order. Nylon filter arrays largely have been replaced by glass-based
arrays, typically microscope slides, which have the advantage of two-color
fluorescence labeling with low inherent background fluorescence. DNA adherence
to the slide is enhanced by treatment with polylysine or other cross-linking
chemical coating. Spotted DNA is cross linked to the matrix by ultraviolet
irradiation and denatured by exposure to either heat or alkali. The Affymetrix
GeneChip is produced by a novel photolithographic method in which thousands of
different oligonucleotide probes are synthesized in situ on the array
(8).
Data Management
Once the hybridized chip is scanned, data flow through the following steps.
Data are collected and saved as both an image and a text file. Of critical
importance is that precise databases and tracking files be maintained
regarding the spot configuration of all chips. These contain information on
the location and names of genes arrayed on each chip. The saved files are
imported to software programs that perform image analysis and statistical
analysis functions. Finally, the data are mined for induced or repressed
genes, patterns of gene expression, and temporal relationships of expression
under different experimental conditions. A significant challenge exists in
making sense of the vast quantity of data generated by microarray experiments.
There is no single tool that meets all of the needs of the microarray
researcher. Collections of software programs are used to perform a multitude
of tasks, including data tracking, image analysis, database storage, data
queries, statistical analysis, multidimensional visualization, and interaction
with public databases on the Internet. Basic spreadsheet programs can be
adapted to answer questions regarding magnitude of change in gene expression.
However, limitations often arise as a result of inadequate memory capacity for
managing the enormous data sets. More sophisticated analytical tools,
including cluster analysis, self-organizing maps, and principle component
analysis, have been applied to biologic data to extract higher-order
relationships embedded in expression patterns. The concepts that underlie
these analytical methods are illustrated below.
| Applications of Microarrays |
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Several investigators demonstrated the utility of a global approach to expression profiling. Genes that are expressed preferentially in inflammatory disease states, such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, have been identified using microarrays (12). In addition to identifying known genes, the use of microarrays allowed investigators to identify several novel genes that are expressed in these inflammatory conditions. Moreover, investigators often find that genes that are known to be important in another, unrelated context are unexpectedly involved in the process being studied. Expression profiles have also been used to identify genes that are important in tumorigenesis and to identify novel genes in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and viral hepatitis (13,14,15,16,17,18).
Predicting Gene Function
In addition to providing a broad survey of gene expression, transcriptional
profiling can reveal patterns of gene expression, which can be used to predict
gene function. This is accomplished by grouping genes into sets, or clusters,
with similar expression profiles produced over multiple experiments. This
grouping can be performed either by visual inspection of the data or by using
statistical methods. It is expected that genes that display similar expression
patterns are functionally related such that genes in a pathway, e.g.,
glycolysis, should be coregulated under all experimental conditions. In a
landmark study, DeRisi et al.
(9) used differential gene
expression to examine the temporal response of yeast undergoing the shift from
anaerobic to aerobic metabolism, known as the diauxic shift. With the aid of
clustering algorithms, distinct temporal patterns of gene expression were
identified and genes were grouped on the basis of the similarity of their
expression profiles. For example, cytochrome c-related genes, TCA/glyoxylate
cycle-related genes, and genes involved in carbohydrate storage were
coordinately induced during the diauxic shift. Importantly, temporal analysis
revealed expression patterns in which families of genes with similar functions
were discovered to be co-regulated. Thus, expression profiling using DNA
microarrays can reveal co-regulated and therefore putative co-functional
families of genes.
Expanding on these results, Hughes et al. (19) created a reference database, or compendium, of expression profiles in yeast cells corresponding to diverse genetic mutations and drug treatments. They showed that different mutants or treatments that affect similar cellular processes displayed similar expression profiles. Furthermore, they were able to identify cellular functions of unknown genes by comparing the expression profile of the corresponding deletion mutant with profiles of known mutants in the database that produced similar profiles. The strength of the compendium approach to functional discovery is that it relies solely on pattern recognition in the database of profiles. Knowledge of other genes in a pathway, regulatory elements, or even the complete sequence of the gene of interest need not be known to use this approach.
An example of cluster analysis generated from temporal gene expression data is shown in Figure 2. In this hypothetical experiment, gene expression in response to the experimental stimulus is measured at five time points. The data are plotted as expression level versus time (in this case, the log ratio of experimental to control expression level). In a cluster analysis, the expressed genes are grouped into clusters with similar expression patterns. Each line represents the average behavior of a discrete gene cluster containing 5 to 500 genes. The aggregate of gene clusters can be viewed together, as in panel A, or individually, as in panel B. In panel C, two of the individual clusters are magnified: clusters 1 and 8. In both graphs, the individual genes that compose each cluster are shown as a different line. In cluster 1, the genes show no change in expression level in response to the experimental stimulus. Such a profile might be expected for a cluster of housekeeping or maintenance genes. In cluster 8, the genes display an early wave of increased expression followed by a rapid decline. Such a profile might be expected for genes that are associated with transcription and translation regulation. Hence, cluster analysis is a powerful tool for identifying cofunctional gene families.
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Linking Cell Pathways
Beyond studying the expression levels of individual genes under various
conditions, the patterns produced by mRNA expression profiling can be
exploited to study links among various cell pathways, the sequence of
signaling within a pathway, and common regulatory mechanisms. In their study
of differential gene expression in yeast cells, DeRisi et al.
(9) identified transcription
regulatory sequences as well. Because the sequence of the entire yeast genome
is known, they were able to examine the gene promoter region sequence of many
of the genes within a co-regulated cluster and discovered that many shared
common regulatory sequences. For example, seven of the genes that displayed a
late induction profile during the diauxic shift were shown to possess a common
upstream activating sequence, the carbon source response element. Similar
observations were made in other gene clusters. Using more sophisticated
informatics, Roth et al.
(20) were able to identify
distinct promoter regulatory motifs that are responsible for coordinated gene
expression in yeast. Given these striking findings, some investigators have
suggested that a compendium of expression behavior could be used to predict
regulatory elements and thus obviate the need for conventional methods of
studying genetic regulatory sequences using site-directed mutagenesis
(21). Thus, by assembling
profiles of deletion (or overexpression) mutants that are exposed to various
physiologic stimuli, reasonable maps of genetic circuitry can be deduced.
The task of unraveling cell networks in eukaryotic cells is considerably more difficult because of the enormity of the human genome, the complexity of intron/exon splicing, and the vast number of cell perturbations possible. Nonetheless, temporal analysis of gene expression profiles is a valuable tool, which can suggest the framework of cell pathways. Temporal patterns can reveal information on the coordinated regulation of genes involved in cell cycle, signal transduction, metabolism, transcription, and other cellular processes. The coordinated regulation of genes acting at different steps in a common cell process allows researchers to dissect complex cell pathways by examining temporal expression profiles. Iyer et al. (11) studied the temporal response of fibroblasts exposed to serum using this approach. They found that genes that are involved in programs of cell cycle and proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, and cytoskeletal reorganization each displayed distinct expression patterns.
Detection of Mutations and Polymorphisms
Variation in the human genetic code, i.e., DNA sequence, has been
studied using gene chips. Approximately 0.1%, or 3,000,000, of nucleotides of
the human genome is variant within the human population. Detecting these
variations is critical to associating them with disease onset or therapeutic
outcome. Recent studies illustrating the use of gene chips for this purpose
include screening for mutations that lead to drug resistance in the HIV-1
genome, detection of heterozygous mutations in the BRCA1 breast and ovarian
cancer gene, identification of mutations in the ß-globin gene in
ß-thalassemia patients, and detection of polymorphisms in the human
mitochondrial genome
(22,23,24,25).
By analyzing population-based genetic polymorphisms, clinicians could tailor
therapeutic choices to individual patients. For example, hypertensive therapy
or an immunosuppressive regimen could be tailored to a patient's genotype
profile. Ideally, then, therapeutic decisions would be made on the basis of
the underlying pathophysiology in an individual patient, thereby limiting drug
toxicities.
Expression Profile as a "Fingerprint" of Cellular or
Disease Phenotype
The expression profile produced by microarray experiments represents the
transcriptional response of a cell to a particular stimulus. As demonstrated
by early microarray experiments, the response elicited is tightly regulated
and highly distinct. Indeed, the pattern of gene expression could be
considered the "fingerprint" of a cell or tissue in response to a
specific stimulus. Such a molecular fingerprint could serve as a tool to infer
the metabolic state of a cell, as a classification method for disease, or as a
reference to compare the similarity between in vitro and in
vivo experimental conditions. For example, tumors can be classified by
their expression profile (26).
Thus, a disease signature can be detected using microarrays. Our laboratory is
in the process of compiling an index database of expression profiles of normal
human tissues, which may serve as a fingerprint of tissue phenotype. These
data are publicly available at www.hugeindex.org. Though not yet complete, the
database has already yielded important observations, including identification
of a set of genes with similar expression levels in all human tissues,
so-called maintenance genes, and differential gene expression within different
regions of the kidney.
Phenotypes of disease or cellular states can be classified using principal component analysis (PCA) (27). PCA is an analytic method that identifies a subset of genes that are responsible for the majority of observed transcriptional differences and the distinct pattern underlying the differences. This technique aids visualization of multidimensional data by projecting it into a lower dimensional space. In other words, PCA structures a data set using as few variables as possible. Figure 3 shows a theoretical classification of pulmonary-renal syndromes using PCA. In this example, disease phenotypes are the variables and gene expression levels are the observations. First, the genes that compose the highest transcriptional variability between phenotypes are identified. The first principal component is the combination of gene expression that has the greatest variance among phenotypes. Each subsequent principal component is the combination of gene expression that has the greatest variance and is independent of defined components. Three principal components are used to define the observed phenotypes in this example. With the use of this method, transcriptional fingerprints that underlie phenotypic variation can be visualized easily. In addition, evaluation of the components can suggest the underlying factors that are responsible for phenotypic variation.
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Drug Discovery and Drug Target Validation
The introduction of DNA microarrays to the field of pharmacology has
created new opportunities for drug discovery. Traditionally, drug discovery
was accomplished by first identifying a target molecule within a biologic
pathway and then developing an inhibitory compound against the intended
target. With the aid of microarray technology, large-scale systematic
approaches to drug discovery are possible. Comparing expression of thousands
of genes between normal and diseased states can identify multiple potential
drug targets without first knowing the biochemical pathway involved. Drug
target validation can be accomplished using gene chips. The expression profile
of drug-treated cells is screened against a database of deletion mutants to
identify the profile that matches that of the drug-treated cells
(19,28).
Gene chips have important applications in toxicology as well. Secondary drug
targets and potential undesirable side effects can be predicted using
microarrays. Several excellent reviews have detailed in greater depth the use
of microarrays in drug discovery and toxicology
(28,29,30,31).
| Future Directions |
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With improved accessibility to this technology and growing understanding of its full capabilities, microarrays will move from the research bench into the clinical arena. In the paradigm illustrated in Figure 4, comparison of a patient's expression profile to compendiums of disease profiles and drug response profiles will aid clinicians in diagnosing disease, identifying prognostic markers, and individualizing therapy. Thus, microarray technology complemented by bioinformatics represents an exciting new tool for biologic discovery in renal research.
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| References |
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