Assistant Professor Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen,, Texas
Body of Abstract: Network analysis provides a powerful tool to predict gene functions. Advances in system biology techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have led to a plethora of -omics data for plants. However, functional annotation of plant genes lags. Therefore, these predictions can be a starting point to annotate genes and ultimately elucidate the genotype and phenotype relationship. In this research, we attempt to elucidate biological roles of the Nuclear Factor-Y (NF-Y) transcription factors in Arabidopsis and non-model plants. We compare five databases available for plant biologists, AraNet, GeneMANIA, PlaNet, ATTED-II, and STRING in detail in their ability to predict NF-Y functions. AraNet, GeneMANIA, and PlaNet are functional association networks, ATTED-II is a gene coexpression database, and STRING is a protein-protein interaction database. AraNet, PlaNet, and ATTED-II and plant-specific databases with the ability to analyze multiple plant species; whereas GeneMANIA and STRING build networks for Arabidopsis thaliana only. All the databases provided us with insight into the biological functions of the NF-Y in plants. We conclude that plant biologists have an invaluable resource in these databases and users can decide the type of database to use depending on their research question.