Gene Co-Expression in Mouse Embryo Tissues

2. The Mouse-Embryo Gene Expressions Data Set: Emage

A gene is a unit of instructions that provides directions for one essential task, i.e., the creation of a protein. Gene expression information describes whether or not a gene is expressed (active) in a location. Broadly speaking there are two types of gene expression information: those that focus on where the gene is expressed, and those whose primary concern is the strength of expression. This work concentrates on the former category, and in particular a technology called in situ hybridisation (ISH) gene expression.

Information on gene expression is often given in relation to a tissue in a particular model organism. Here the model organism is the mouse. This organism is studied from conception until adulthood. The time window is split into 28 Theiler Stages (TS). Each stage has its own anatomy, and corresponding anatomy ontology called EMAP (Baldock & Davidson, 2008). The first 26 stages cover the developmental mouse: the mouse from conception until birth. Stage 27 is the new born mouse, and 28 the adult.