Strongly selective identification

[lutterba]

Hi, very nice database. Two questions regarding defining strongly selective (most important question), and comparing expression to inhibition after knockdown.
Strongly selective can vary widely: some genes listed as such show no cell lines below -1 and some genes show the more interesting few lines below -1 (eg POU2F3).
— Is it possible to order genes simply: “number of lines below -1”

Also - most interesting is when a gene such as SOX2 (or POU2F3, SOX10) scores at -1 in a cell line (almost) only when it is expressed or highly expressed. So the biomarker of growth inhibition is simply expression of the gene. I know the size of the dot correlates with expression level but this perhaps could have more granularity?
Thank you again!!!
Bart

[pmontgom]

The gene effect score of -1 represents the median of those genes which we believe to be essential in all tissues. I wouldn’t think of -1 as a threshold for essentiality but rather a point of comparison.

As for your question about more granularity around the expression of genes: I’d recommend you look at the data in Data Explorer. You can plot the expression along an axis and you’ll be able to visualize a much bigger range than you’d be able to see by looking at the size of the point.

Thanks,
Phil

[lutterba]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for getting back !

Bart