Genomic convergence
Encyclopedia
Genomic convergence is a multifactor approach used in genetic research
that combines different kinds of genetic data
analysis to identify and prioritize susceptibility gene
s for a complex disease
.
s affecting the expression of Parkinson disease (PD). Their work successfully combined serial analysis of gene
expression (SAGE) with genetic linkage analysis. The authors explain, “While both linkage and expression analyses are powerful on their own, the number of possible gene
s they present as candidates for PD or any complex disorder remains extremely large”. The convergence of the two methods allowed researchers to decrease the number of possible PD gene
s to consider for further study.
Their success prompted further use of the genomic convergence method at the CHG, and in July 2003 Yi-Ju Li, et al. published a paper revealing that glutathione S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1) modifies the age-at-onset (AAO)
of Alzheimer disease (AD) and PD.
In May 2004, Dr. Margaret Pericak-Vance, currently the director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and then the director of the CHG, articulated the value of the genomic convergence method at a New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) keynote address entitled "Novel Methods in Genetic Exploration of Neurodegenerative Disease." She stated, "No single method is going to get us where we need to be with these complex traits. It is going to take a combination of methods to dissect the underlying etiology
of these disorders".
and make sense of the immense amount of data
now readily available at the click of a computer mouse...The best approach may be to take advantage of the strengths of both…SAGE …and microarrays
”.
The results of combining methods of analysis have continued to be promising. Sofia Oliveira et al. (2005) combined gene
expression, linkage data
, and “iterative association mapping” to identify several gene
s associated with PD AAO
.
Future studies will continue to apply genomic convergence to elucidate the etiology of complex disease
s. Dr. Jeff Vance, Director of the Morris K. Udall PD Research Center of Excellence, notes, “Genomic convergence is really no different from mathematical convergence – the more angles from which you can come at a problem, the better chance you have of solving it”.
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
that combines different kinds of genetic data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
analysis to identify and prioritize susceptibility gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s for a complex disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
.
Early Applications
In January 2003, Michael Hauser along with fellow researchers at the Duke Center for Human Genetics (CHG) coined the term “genomic convergence” to describe their endeavor to identify geneGene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s affecting the expression of Parkinson disease (PD). Their work successfully combined serial analysis of gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
expression (SAGE) with genetic linkage analysis. The authors explain, “While both linkage and expression analyses are powerful on their own, the number of possible gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s they present as candidates for PD or any complex disorder remains extremely large”. The convergence of the two methods allowed researchers to decrease the number of possible PD gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s to consider for further study.
Their success prompted further use of the genomic convergence method at the CHG, and in July 2003 Yi-Ju Li, et al. published a paper revealing that glutathione S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1) modifies the age-at-onset (AAO)
Age of onset
The age of onset is a medical term referring to the age at which an individual acquires, develops, or first experiences a condition or symptoms of a disease or disorder...
of Alzheimer disease (AD) and PD.
In May 2004, Dr. Margaret Pericak-Vance, currently the director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and then the director of the CHG, articulated the value of the genomic convergence method at a New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) keynote address entitled "Novel Methods in Genetic Exploration of Neurodegenerative Disease." She stated, "No single method is going to get us where we need to be with these complex traits. It is going to take a combination of methods to dissect the underlying etiology
Etiology
Etiology is the study of causation, or origination. The word is derived from the Greek , aitiologia, "giving a reason for" ....
of these disorders".
Recent and Future Applications
Genomic convergence has a countless number of creative applications that combine the strengths of different analyses and studies. Maher Noureddine et al., note in their 2005 paper, “One of the growing problems in the study of complex diseases is how to prioritize researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and make sense of the immense amount of data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
now readily available at the click of a computer mouse...The best approach may be to take advantage of the strengths of both…SAGE …and microarrays
DNA microarray
A DNA microarray is a collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. Scientists use DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously or to genotype multiple regions of a genome...
”.
The results of combining methods of analysis have continued to be promising. Sofia Oliveira et al. (2005) combined gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
expression, linkage data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
, and “iterative association mapping” to identify several gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s associated with PD AAO
Age of onset
The age of onset is a medical term referring to the age at which an individual acquires, develops, or first experiences a condition or symptoms of a disease or disorder...
.
Future studies will continue to apply genomic convergence to elucidate the etiology of complex disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s. Dr. Jeff Vance, Director of the Morris K. Udall PD Research Center of Excellence, notes, “Genomic convergence is really no different from mathematical convergence – the more angles from which you can come at a problem, the better chance you have of solving it”.