title: MidExDB: a database of Drosophila CNS midline cell gene expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Drosophila CNS midline cells are an excellent model system to study neuronal and glial development because of their diversity of cell types and the relative ease in identifying and studying the function of midline-expressed genes. In situ hybridization experiments generated a large dataset of midline gene expression patterns. To help synthesize these data and make them available to the scientific community, we developed a web-accessible database.
  
  
  METHODS
  MidExDB (Drosophila CNS Midline Gene Expression Database) is comprised of images and data from our in situ hybridization experiments that examined midline gene expression. Multiple search tools are available to allow each type of data to be viewed and compared. Descriptions of each midline cell type and their development are included as background information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MidExDB integrates large-scale gene expression data with the ability to identify individual cell types providing the foundation for detailed genetic, molecular, and biochemical studies of CNS midline cell neuronal and glial development and function. This information has general relevance for the study of nervous system development in other organisms, and also provides insight into transcriptional regulation.
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA. wheelers@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Stephanie B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Stagg
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Crews
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020407:Internet