POSTER

Michael

L. Mimmack^1,2, Steve Huffaker^1,2, Margaret Ryan^1,2,

1Department of

Neurobiology, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4AT, UK; ²Department

of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge CB2

Affymetrix Genechip technology offers an opportunity to profile

well-characterized, annotated gene transcripts but provides limited information

on splice variants and lacks the sensitivity to detect low abundance

transcripts.  Microarray studies of 150 human post-mortem brain samples has

identified statistically significant data, however to confirm or ‘validate’

multiple gene targets using high throughput quantitative PCR technologies still

presents a formidable challenge.  Microarray analysis has reduced the potential

candidate gene list and Q-PCR will be used to identify similar gene expression

profiles in peripheral tissues (liver, spleen), specific blood cell types (T and

B cells) and isolated cell populations (oligodendrocytes, neurons endothelial

cells) from laser-microdissected brain tissue.  We also investigated the

differences between individual microarray and quantitative PCR data in terms of

specific and multiple transcript detection.  Correlation between microarray and

Q-PCR expression profiles “expression tracking” for individual samples can be

used as a method to demonstrate equivalent transcript detection sensitivity. 

This combined approach has the inherent advantages of reduced cost and greater

transcript detection accuracy to further extend these studies in selected