Improving gene function predictions using independent transcriptional components

Link to paper

Urzúa-Traslaviña CG, Leeuwenburgh VC, Bhattacharya A, Loipfinger S, van Vugt MATM, de Vries EGE, Fehrmann RSN.

ABSTRACT The interpretation of high throughput sequencing data is limited by our incomplete functional understanding of coding and non-coding transcripts. Reliably predicting the function of such transcripts can overcome this limitation. Here we report the use of a consensus independent component analysis and guilt-by-association approach to predict over 23,000 functional groups comprised of over 55,000 coding and non-coding transcripts using publicly available transcriptomic profiles. We show that, compared to using Principal Component Analysis, Independent Component Analysis-derived transcriptional components enable more confident functionality predictions, improve predictions when new members are added to the gene sets, and are less affected by gene multi-functionality. Predictions generated using human or mouse transcriptomic data are made available for exploration in a publicly available web portal.