Analysis of gene networks for drug target discovery and validation.

Understanding responses of the cellular system for a dosing molecule is one of the most important problems in pharmacogenomics. In this chapter, we describe computational methods for identifying and validating drug target genes based on the gene networks estimated from microarray gene expression data. We use two types of microarray gene expression data: gene disruptant microarray data and time-course drug response microarray data. For this purpose, the information of gene networks plays an essential role and is unattainable from clustering methods, which are the standard for gene expression analysis. The gene network is estimated from disruptant microarray data by the Bayesian network model, and then the proposed method automatically identifies sets of genes or gene regulatory pathways affected by the drug. We use an actual example from analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression profile data to express a concrete strategy for the application of gene network information toward drug target discovery.

Computational strategy for discovering druggable gene networks from genome-wide RNA expression profiles.

We propose a computational strategy for discovering gene networks affected by a chemical compound. Two kinds of DNA microarray data are assumed to be used: One dataset is short time-course data that measure responses of genes following an experimental treatment. The other dataset is obtained by several hundred single gene knock-downs. These two datasets provide three kinds of information; (i) A gene network is estimated from time-course data by the dynamic Bayesian network model, (ii) Relationships between the knocked-down genes and their regulatees are estimated directly from knock-down microarrays and (iii) A gene network can be estimated by gene knock-down data alone using the Bayesian network model. We propose a method that combines these three kinds of information to provide an accurate gene network that most strongly relates to the mode-of-action of the chemical compound in cells. This information plays an essential role in pharmacogenomics. We illustrate this method with an actual example where human endothelial cell gene networks were generated from a novel time course of gene expression following treatment with the drug fenofibrate, and from 270 novel gene knock-downs. Finally, we succeeded in inferring the gene network related to PPAR-alpha, which is a known target of fenofibrate.

Discovery of novel transcription control relationships with gene regulatory networks generated from multiple-disruption full genome expression libraries.

Gene regulatory networks elucidated from strategic, genome-wide experimental data can aid in the discovery of novel gene function information and expression regulation events from observation of transcriptional regulation among genes of known and unknown biological function. To create a reliable and comprehensive data set for the elucidation of transcription regulation networks, we conducted systematic genome-wide disruption expression experiments of yeast on 118 genes with known involvement in transcription regulation. We report several novel regulatory relationships between known transcription factors and other genes with previously unknown biological function discovered with this expression library. Here we report the downstream regulatory subnetworks for UME6 and MET28. The elucidated network topology among these genes demonstrates MET28's role as a nodal point between genes involved in cell division and those involved in DNA repair mechanisms.

Use of gene networks from full genome microarray libraries to identify functionally relevant drug-affected genes and gene regulation cascades.

We developed an extensive yeast gene expression library consisting of full-genome cDNA array data for over 500 yeast strains, each with a single-gene disruption. Using this data, combined with dose and time course expression experiments with the oral antifungal agent griseofulvin, whose exact molecular targets were previously unknown, we used Boolean and Bayesian network discovery techniques to determine the gene expression regulatory cascades affected directly by this drug. Using this method we identified CIK1 as an important affected target gene related to the functional phenotype induced by griseofulvin. Cellular functional analysis of griseofulvin showed similar tubulin-specific morphological effects on mitotic spindle formation to those of the drug, in agreement with the known function of CIK1p. Further, using the nonparametric, nonlinear Bayesian gene networks we were able to identify alternative ligand-dependant transcription factors and G protein homologues upstream of CIK1 that regulate CIK1 expression and might therefore serve as alternative molecular targets to induce the same molecular response as griseofulvin.

Use of gene networks for identifying and validating drug targets.

We propose a new method for identifying and validating drug targets by using gene networks, which are estimated from cDNA microarray gene expression profile data. We created novel gene disruption and drug response microarray gene expression profile data libraries for the purpose of drug target elucidation. We use two types of microarray gene expression profile data for estimating gene networks and then identifying drug targets. The estimated gene networks play an essential role in understanding drug response data and this information is unattainable from clustering methods, which are the standard for gene expression analysis. In the construction of gene networks, we use the Bayesian network model. We use an actual example from analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression profile data to express a concrete strategy for the application of gene network information to drug discovery.