The genexpress IMAGE knowledge base of the human muscle transcriptome: a resource of structural, functional, and positional candidate genes for muscle physiology and pathologies.

Sequence, gene mapping, and expression data corresponding to 910 genes transcribed in human skeletal muscle have been integrated to form the muscle module of the Genexpress IMAGE Knowledge Base. Based on cDNA array hybridization, a set of 14 transcripts preferentially or specifically expressed in muscle have been selected and characterized in more detail: Their pattern of expression was confirmed by Northern blot analysis; their structure was further characterized by full-insert cDNA sequencing and cDNA extension; the map location of the corresponding genes was refined by radiation hybrid mapping. Five of the 14 selected genes appear as interesting positional and functional candidate genes to study in relation with muscle physiology and/or specific orphan muscular pathologies. One example is discussed in more detail. The expression profiling data and the associated Genexpress Index2 entries for the 910 genes and the detailed characterization of the 14 selected transcripts are available from a dedicated Web server at. The database has been organized to provide the users with a working space where they can find curated, annotated, integrated data for their genes of interest. Different navigation routes to exploit the resource are discussed.