Avoiding inconsistencies over time and tracking difficulties in Applied Biosystems AB1700/Panther probe-to-gene annotations.
BACKGROUND
Significant inconsistencies between probe-to-gene annotations between different releases of probe set identifiers by commercial microarray platform solutions have been reported. Such inconsistencies lead to misleading or ambiguous interpretation of published gene expression results.


RESULTS
We report here similar inconsistencies in the probe-to-gene annotation of Applied Biosystems AB1700 data, demonstrating that this is not an isolated concern. Moreover, the online information source PANTHER does not provide information required to track such inconsistencies, hence, even correctly annotated datasets, when resubmitted after PANTHER was updated to a new probe-to-gene annotation release, will generate differing results without any feedback on the origin of the change.


CONCLUSIONS
The importance of unequivocal annotation of microarray experiments can not be underestimated. Inconsistencies greatly diminish the usefulness of the technology. Novel methods in the analysis of transcriptome profiles often rely on large disparate datasets stemming from multiple sources. The predictive and analytic power of such approaches rapidly diminishes if only least-common subsets can be used for analysis. We present here the information that needs to be provided together with the raw AB1700 data, and the information required together with the biologic interpretation of such data to avoid inconsistencies and tracking difficulties.
Noth
Sebastian
S
Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, CNRS/INSERM, 35, route de Chartres, 91440 Bures sur Yvette, France. noth@ihes.fr
Benecke
Arndt
A
D000465:Algorithms; D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000235:genetics*; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D015342:DNA Probes; D014157:Transcription Factors