Chemogenomic profiling on a genome-wide scale using reverse-engineered gene networks

Nat Biotechnol. 2005 Mar;23(3):377-83. doi: 10.1038/nbt1075.

Abstract

A major challenge in drug discovery is to distinguish the molecular targets of a bioactive compound from the hundreds to thousands of additional gene products that respond indirectly to changes in the activity of the targets. Here, we present an integrated computational-experimental approach for computing the likelihood that gene products and associated pathways are targets of a compound. This is achieved by filtering the mRNA expression profile of compound-exposed cells using a reverse-engineered model of the cell's gene regulatory network. We apply the method to a set of 515 whole-genome yeast expression profiles resulting from a variety of treatments (compounds, knockouts and induced expression), and correctly enrich for the known targets and associated pathways in the majority of compounds examined. We demonstrate our approach with PTSB, a growth inhibitory compound with a previously unknown mode of action, by predicting and validating thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase as its target.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Simulation
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Drug Design*
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Protein Engineering / methods*
  • Protein Interaction Mapping / methods
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / genetics
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / metabolism
  • Thioredoxins / genetics
  • Thioredoxins / metabolism

Substances

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Thioredoxins
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase