We can show using using relatively small pathways that leveraging at least 3 of 5 genes for constructing genetically predicted gene expression in small pathway can accurately recapitulate the expected phenotypes for that pathway, and are now assessing how well we can dissect larger pathways using this approach. A key advantage of using multiple genes simultaneously is the much larger total variance in the combined genetically predicted expression, relative to what we observe for a single gene, which improves the power for testing phenotypic associations. This does come at the cost of insuring that the signs can be correctly delineated, but can usually be done correctly for relatively small pathways or small parts of larger pathways. Examples from the PDE5A pathway and the much larger GLP1R pathway will be provided, offering insights into how we might use these approaches to improve our ability to understand biology related to genome variation.
A reception will follow in the Michigan League Courtyard, open to all attendees of the featured seminar, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
