Functional organization of the transcriptome in human brain.

ABSTRACT: The enormous complexity of the human brain ultimately derives from a finite set of molecular instructions encoded in the human genome. These instructions can be directly studied by exploring the organization of the brain's transcriptome through systematic analysis of gene coexpression relationships. We analyzed gene coexpression relationships in microarray data generated from specific human brain regions and identified modules of coexpressed genes that correspond to neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia. These modules provide an initial description of the transcriptional programs that distinguish the major cell classes of the human brain and indicate that cell type-specific information can be obtained from whole brain tissue without isolating homogeneous populations of cells.

SUBMITTER: Oldham MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2756411 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature