MERAV: a tool for comparing gene expression across human tissues and cell types. Issue Volume 44:Issue D1(2016) (30th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shaul, Yoav D.; Yuan, Bingbing; Thiru, Prathapan; Nutter-Upham, Andy; McCallum, Scott; Lanzkron, Carolyn; Bell, George W.; Sabatini, David M.
• Is Part Of: Nucleic acids research. Volume 44:Issue D1(2016)
• Page Start: D560
• Page End: D566
• Publication Date: 2015-11-30
• Subjects: Nucleic acids -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; 572.805
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1337
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-1048

Abstract

Abstract: The oncogenic transformation of normal cells into malignant, rapidly proliferating cells requires major alterations in cell physiology. For example, the transformed cells remodel their metabolic processes to supply the additional demand for cellular building blocks. We have recently demonstrated essential metabolic processes in tumor progression through the development of a methodological analysis of gene expression. Here, we present the Metabolic gEne RApid Visualizer (MERAV, http://merav.wi.mit.edu ), a web-based tool that can query a database comprising ∼4300 microarrays, representing human gene expression in normal tissues, cancer cell lines and primary tumors. MERAV has been designed as a powerful tool for whole genome analysis which offers multiple advantages: one can search many genes in parallel; compare gene expression among different tissue types as well as between normal and cancer cells; download raw data; and generate heatmaps; and finally, use its internal statistical tool. Most importantly, MERAV has been designed as a unique tool for analyzing metabolic processes as it includes matrixes specifically focused on metabolic genes and is linked to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway search.