Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics

The brain is the most complicated organ in the human body with more than ten thousand genes expressed in each region. The molecular activity of the brain is divergent in various brain regions, both spatially and temporally. The function of each brain region lies in the fact that each region has diff...

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Main Authors: Wei Wang, Guang-Zhong Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Physiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00214/full
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author Wei Wang
Guang-Zhong Wang
author_facet Wei Wang
Guang-Zhong Wang
author_sort Wei Wang
collection DOAJ
description The brain is the most complicated organ in the human body with more than ten thousand genes expressed in each region. The molecular activity of the brain is divergent in various brain regions, both spatially and temporally. The function of each brain region lies in the fact that each region has different gene expression profiles, the possibility of differential RNA splicing, as well as various post-transcriptional and translational modification processes. Understanding the overall activity of the brain at the molecular level is essential for a comprehensive understanding of how the brain works. Fortunately, the development of next generation sequencing technology has made it possible to measure the molecular activity of a specific tissue as a daily routine approach of research. Therefore, at the molecular level, the application of sequencing technology to investigate the molecular organization of the brain has become a novel field, and significant progress has been made recently in this field. In this paper, we reviewed the major computational methods used in the analysis of brain transcriptome, including the application of these methods to the research of human and non-human mammal brains. Finally, we discussed the utilization of transcriptome methods in neurological diseases.
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spelling doaj.art-8e15457b21474d29a4d62ec4dd3b24182022-12-21T23:01:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2019-03-011010.3389/fphys.2019.00214423661Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through TranscriptomicsWei WangGuang-Zhong WangThe brain is the most complicated organ in the human body with more than ten thousand genes expressed in each region. The molecular activity of the brain is divergent in various brain regions, both spatially and temporally. The function of each brain region lies in the fact that each region has different gene expression profiles, the possibility of differential RNA splicing, as well as various post-transcriptional and translational modification processes. Understanding the overall activity of the brain at the molecular level is essential for a comprehensive understanding of how the brain works. Fortunately, the development of next generation sequencing technology has made it possible to measure the molecular activity of a specific tissue as a daily routine approach of research. Therefore, at the molecular level, the application of sequencing technology to investigate the molecular organization of the brain has become a novel field, and significant progress has been made recently in this field. In this paper, we reviewed the major computational methods used in the analysis of brain transcriptome, including the application of these methods to the research of human and non-human mammal brains. Finally, we discussed the utilization of transcriptome methods in neurological diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00214/fullbrain transcriptomeWGCNAneurodevelopmental disordersdifferentially expressed genescerebral cortex
spellingShingle Wei Wang
Guang-Zhong Wang
Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
Frontiers in Physiology
brain transcriptome
WGCNA
neurodevelopmental disorders
differentially expressed genes
cerebral cortex
title Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
title_full Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
title_fullStr Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
title_full_unstemmed Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
title_short Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of the Brain Through Transcriptomics
title_sort understanding molecular mechanisms of the brain through transcriptomics
topic brain transcriptome
WGCNA
neurodevelopmental disorders
differentially expressed genes
cerebral cortex
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00214/full
work_keys_str_mv AT weiwang understandingmolecularmechanismsofthebrainthroughtranscriptomics
AT guangzhongwang understandingmolecularmechanismsofthebrainthroughtranscriptomics