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The WWW interface to MGD provides a variety of search options, with search<br />
results presented as summaries, tabular details, or graphical displays. The users’<br />
general navigation paradigm involves selecting a starting point for data query,<br />
focusing the search by optionally filling in fields in a query form, <strong>and</strong> further<br />
selecting specific data sets from those that satisfy the query. Detail data pages contain<br />
hypertext links to other data in MGD or in external data resources, where relevant,<br />
further enriching the information available to users (Figure 2). In addition, a number<br />
of pre-generated reports are available for frequently requested large data lists,<br />
including complete lists of genetic markers <strong>and</strong> complete tables of mouse-human <strong>and</strong><br />
mouse-rat gene homologies.<br />
Maps are viewed in three formats: in the browser window (Web map) with<br />
hypertext links to gene data; using the interactive Encyclopedia of the Mouse<br />
Genome software tool; or as a publication quality map printed from a PostScript file.<br />
Each genetic <strong>and</strong> comparative map is generated ‘on-the-fly’ based on user defined<br />
parameters specifying data set, marker types or classifications, region to be<br />
displayed, <strong>and</strong> whether to show homologous genes for another species. Cytogenetic<br />
<strong>and</strong> physical maps currently are only available as Web maps.<br />
MGD strives to provide the scientific community with the most up-to-date<br />
information in an easy-to-use environment. Special requests for information not<br />
easily retrieved through the WWW interface can be accessed directly using the public<br />
SQL server. Alternatively, our User Support team will do specialized user queries on<br />
request.<br />
Gene Expression Database (GXD)<br />
Differential gene expression generates complex spatio-temporal networks of gene<br />
<strong>and</strong> protein interactions. The laboratory mouse, as an important animal model in the<br />
study of human disease, is being used extensively in gene expression studies.<br />
Emerging high throughput methods make it possible to analyze thous<strong>and</strong>s of genes<br />
simultaneously for expression in different tissues. Such experiments will provide<br />
global expression profiles that can be used to guide focused expression studies using<br />
more conventional expression assays, such as Northern <strong>and</strong> Western blot, RNA in<br />
situ hybridization, <strong>and</strong> immunohistochemistry, to determine what transcripts <strong>and</strong><br />
proteins are produced by specific genes, <strong>and</strong> where <strong>and</strong> when these products are<br />
expressed at the cellular level. The goal of the Gene Expression Database [17, 18] is<br />
to support the storage <strong>and</strong> analysis of all these data, with the initial concentration<br />
being mouse embryonic development.<br />
In February 1996, the GXD Index, a view into the literature on mouse embryonic<br />
gene expression, was made available through the WWW. This initial offering<br />
provides users with a searchable index of research reports documenting data on<br />
endogeneous gene expression during mouse development. For each scientific<br />
publication, the Index includes the genes studied, the embryonic ages analyzed, <strong>and</strong><br />
the expression assays used. The GXD Index is integrated with MGD to foster a close<br />
link between genotype, expression, <strong>and</strong> phenotype information.
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