Songbird Neurogenomics Initiative

描述(由申请者提供)：鸣禽为与人类健康和疾病相关的基础神经科学研究提供了宝贵的机会。歌鸟神经基因组学(SONG)计划旨在通过在基因组学和生物信息学中积极、社区级应用新兴技术来推动这一进程。在之前的一个时期，已经创建了4万多个鸣禽大脑表达基因的标签(表达序列标签，ESTs)，并由此产生了用于基因表达研究的DNA微阵列。20个不同的研究小组提交了使用这些微阵列进行实验的建议。现在的第一个目标是贯彻执行这些建议。总而言之，它们解决了关于大脑和基因组之间功能关系的广泛的基础研究问题。超过800个大脑样本将通过微阵列进行分析，遵循一种新的“社区合作”模式，即每个研究小组向伊利诺伊州的一个合作核心提供大脑样本(严格记录)，核心执行从RNA纯化到微阵列分析的所有后续步骤。有了共同的参考样本和技术，结果表达数据可以直接在所有实验中进行比较。为便利成果分析和数据共享，将在国立卫生研究院支持的“蜂巢”项目的基础上开发一套综合的网上数据库、生物信息学和统计资源。基因组信息将通过额外的EST生产、开发基因组浏览器轨道和创建改进的下一代微阵列来进一步增强。然后，这些资源将被集中起来，完成对歌曲学习至关重要的大脑区域的深度剖析，评估它们与其他区域的比较，包括与人类大脑部分对应的大脑区域(如听觉皮质和控制语音产生的皮质区域)。将举行一系列社区会议，以提高人们对这些工具和数据的认识和使用，并将注意力集中在鸣禽神经基因组学的“下一个前沿”上。鸣禽的大脑对人类神经科学非常感兴趣，因为它表现出与学习、适应、性别差异和声音交流相关的不寻常的组织水平。首先在鸣禽身上制定的基本原则已被证明适用于人类。此外，这里的方法可以作为社区规模进行科学研究的模式，接受个人的倡议，但协调努力以实现更大的协同效应。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Songbirds offer valuable opportunities for fundamental neuroscience research relevant to human health and disease. The Songbird Neurogenomics (SoNG) Initiative aims to advance this by aggressive, community-level application of emerging technologies in genomics and bioinformatics. In the previous period, more than 40,000 tags for genes expressed in songbird brain (Expressed Sequence Tags, ESTs) were created, from which a DNA microarray was produced for gene expression studies. 20 different research groups submitted proposals for experiments using these microarrays. The first aim now is to follow through with execution of these proposals. Collectively they address a broad range of fundamental research questions about functional relationships between brain and genome. More than 800 brain samples will be analyzed by microarray, following a novel "Community Collaboration" model whereby each individual research group provides brain samples (rigorously documented) to a collaborating core at Illinois, and the core executes all subsequent steps from RNA purification through microarray analysis. With common reference samples and techniques, the resulting expression data can be compared directly across all experiments. To facilitate analysis of results and sharing of data, an integrated, web-based suite of database, bioinformatics and statistical resources will be developed based on the NIH-supported "Beehive" project. Genomic information will be further enhanced through additional EST production, development of a Genome Browser track, and creation of an improved, next-generation microarray. These resources will then be focused to complete a deep profile of brain regions key to song learning, assessing how they compare to other regions including brain areas that correspond to parts of human brain (such as auditory cortex and cortical regions for the control of speech production). A series of community conferences will be held to promote awareness and use of these tools and data, and to focus attention on "next frontiers" for songbird neurogenomics. The songbird brain is of great interest for human neuroscience because it displays an unusual level of organization related to learning, adaptation, gender differences and vocal communication. Fundamental principles worked out first in songbirds have proven true for humans. Moreover, the approach here may serve as a model for doing science on a community scale, embracing individual initiative but coordinating efforts to achieve a larger synergy.