PathGen: A transitive gene pathway generator

Abstract

Summary: Many online sources of gene interaction networks supply rich visual data regarding gene pathways that can aid in the study of biological processes, disease research and drug discovery. PathGen incorporates data from several sources to create transitive connections that span multiple gene interaction databases. Results are displayed in a comprehensible graphical format, showing gene interaction type and strength, database source and microarray expression data. These features make PathGen a valuable tool for in silico discovery of novel gene interaction pathways, which can be experimentally tested and verified. The usefulness of PathGen interaction analyses was validated using genes connected to the altered facial development related to Down syndrome. Availability: http://dna.cs.byu.edu/pathgen. Contact: clement@cs.byu.edu Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Further information is available at http://dna.cs.byu.edu/pathgen/PathGenSupplemental.pdf © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press.