Future

Altogether, the Allen Brain Institute's (and BrainSpan's) human data, data from other databases, and KEGG's pathway models, provide a means of studying the behaviour of molecular or reaction networks within a structure with respect to gene expresson levels.   This may aid epigenetic and metabolomic research in relation to developing disease/disorder mechanics models.

  

Mapping: The horizontal axis summarises the list of genes associated with Alzheimer disease (as listed by the Allen Brain Institute) that are expressed in this donor's insula structures.  The donor's data is used to illustrate what is possible; it is not necessarily the right data set to use.  There is a circle mark against a structure if and only if the corresponding gene is expressed in the structure.  The darker, and larger, the circle, the higher the expression level value of the gene.  And, there is a diamond olive mark aganst a pathway if and only if the corresponding gene is associated with the pathway.  Although KEGG's Signalling Molecules and Interactions Pathways group consists of 4 pathways, only 2 of the pathways are associated with any of the listed genes; just 2 genes in this case.  Acronyms >> LIG L: Long Insular Gyri Left,  LIG R: Long Insular Gyri Right, SIG L: Short Insular Gyri Left, SIG R: Short Insular Gyri Right, Neuroactive LRI: Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, CCRI: Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.

Mapping: Interpret as above; the same pathways group is illustrated here, but the example is in relation to genes associated with autism (as listed by the Allen Brain Institute).  Acronyms >> Neuroactive LRI: Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, ECM RI: ECM-receptor interaction, CAMs: Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs)