Introduction
Transcriptomics is the study of the transcriptome, or the RNA transcripts of all of the genes within a cell. There are several main goals of transcriptomics, which include: 1) cataloging all transcripts, including mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and small RNAs; 2) determining the structure of genes (start sites, splicing patterns, post-translational modifications); and 3) quantifying how the expression levels of the transcripts change over the course of development and under different conditions. [1]
The transcriptome is typically studied using microarrays and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). [1] In a microarray, mRNA transcripts from normal cells and pathological cells are converted to cDNA and tagged with a fluorescent label (green for normal, red for pathological). The samples are mixed together and allowed to bind to a microarray slide. Finally, the slide is scanned to measure the relative expression of each gene on the slide. A green dot means that the expression of the gene is higher in normal cells, while a red dot means that expression levels is higher in pathological cells. If levels are equal, then the dot is yellow, and no color means that there is no expression in either cell type. [2]
RNA-seq is a high-throughput sequencing method used to identify portions of the genome that are transcribed. RNA is first isolated from samples of interest. This RNA is then fragmented and converted into cDNA. Adapters are attached to the cDNA fragments and then amplified by PCR. The amplified cDNA fragments are sequenced by Next Gen Sequencing. Finally, the reads are compared to a reference genome aligned.
The transcriptome is typically studied using microarrays and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). [1] In a microarray, mRNA transcripts from normal cells and pathological cells are converted to cDNA and tagged with a fluorescent label (green for normal, red for pathological). The samples are mixed together and allowed to bind to a microarray slide. Finally, the slide is scanned to measure the relative expression of each gene on the slide. A green dot means that the expression of the gene is higher in normal cells, while a red dot means that expression levels is higher in pathological cells. If levels are equal, then the dot is yellow, and no color means that there is no expression in either cell type. [2]
RNA-seq is a high-throughput sequencing method used to identify portions of the genome that are transcribed. RNA is first isolated from samples of interest. This RNA is then fragmented and converted into cDNA. Adapters are attached to the cDNA fragments and then amplified by PCR. The amplified cDNA fragments are sequenced by Next Gen Sequencing. Finally, the reads are compared to a reference genome aligned.
Results
Discussion
Based on the graphic, RNA expression is kept at low levels in most tissues, with notable exceptions being the brain, female tissues (particularly the placenta), and muscle tissues. NOG is relevant to bone formation during the developmental stages, so it makes sense that NOG transcript levels would be high in the placenta.
References
[1] Wang Z, Gerstein M, Snyder M. RNA-Seq: a revolutionary tool for transcriptomics. Nat Rev Genet. 2009 Jan;10(1):57-63. doi: 10.1038/nrg2484. PMID: 19015660; PMCID: PMC2949280.
[2] https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/microarray-202/#:~:text=A%20microarray%20is%20a%20laboratory,known%20DNA%20sequence%20or%20gene.
[3] https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000183691-NOG/tissue
[2] https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/microarray-202/#:~:text=A%20microarray%20is%20a%20laboratory,known%20DNA%20sequence%20or%20gene.
[3] https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000183691-NOG/tissue