RefEx, a Reference Gene Expression Dataset As a Web Tool for the Functional Analysis of Genes.

RefEx (Reference Expression dataset; http://refex.dbcls.jp ) provides suitable datasets as a reference for gene expression data of normal human, mouse, and rat tissues and cells. Four different measurement strategies are used in our collected gene expression data. These are: expressed sequence tag (EST), Affymetrix GeneChip, cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE), and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). By showing in parallel with gene expression dataset in normal 40 organs (10 major groups) was obtained by four different experimental methods, you can make an intuitive comparison among gene expression values but also the methods. Users can examine the expression profiles of unfamiliar genes in normal tissues of the body, cells, and cell lines, from actual measurement data, rather than only from a description in a journal article. Recently, we incorporated CAGE data from the FANTOM5 project into RefEx. RefEx contains unique lists of genes whose expression pattern is prominent in a specific tissue compared with other tissues. Clicking the tissue icons on the RefEx top page easily retrieves genes with tissue specific expression patterns. In addition, up to three genes that have been added to a user's list can be compared at the same time. Users can compare all the detailed information about genes in that list, including expression data, in parallel. This enables users to easily find differences among the genes. In this way, RefEx is also useful as a tool for investigating the relationships of unknown genes found in gene expression analyses.