Identification of rat lung--prominent genes by a parallel DNA microarray hybridization

• Published in: BMC genomics 2006-03, Vol.7 (1), p.47-47, Article 47
• Main Authors: Chen, Zhongming, Chen, Jiwang, Weng, Tingting, Jin, Nili, Liu, Lin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; DNA, Complementary - genetics; Gene Expression Profiling; Lung - metabolism; Male; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reproducibility of Results; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism
• ISSN: 1471-2164; 1471-2164
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-7-47

The comparison of organ transcriptomes is an important strategy for understanding gene functions. In the present study, we attempted to identify lung-prominent genes by comparing the normal transcriptomes of rat lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen, and brain. To increase the efficiency and reproducibility, we first developed a novel parallel hybridization system, in which 6 samples could be hybridized onto a single slide at the same time. We identified the genes prominently expressed in the lung (147) or co-expressed in lung-heart (23), lung-liver (37), lung-spleen (203), and lung-kidney (98). The known functions of the lung-prominent genes mainly fell into 5 categories: ligand binding, signal transducer, cell communication, development, and metabolism. Real-time PCR confirmed 13 lung-prominent genes, including 5 genes that have not been investigated in the lung, vitamin D-dependent calcium binding protein (Calb3), mitogen activated protein kinase 13 (Mapk13), solute carrier family 29 transporters, member 1 (Slc29a1), corticotropin releasing hormone receptor (Crhr1), and lipocalin 2 (Lcn2). The lung-prominent genes identified in this study may provide an important clue for further investigation of pulmonary functions.