# Strongly selective identification

**URL:** <https://forum.depmap.org/t/strongly-selective-identification/1578>\
**Category:** Feedback\
**Created:** [July 29, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://forum.depmap.org/t/strongly-selective-identification/1578 "2022-07-29T14:30:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lutterba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@lutterba](https://forum.depmap.org/u/lutterba)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://forum.depmap.org/t/strongly-selective-identification/1578/1 "2022-07-29T14:30:39Z")

</div>

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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pmontgom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.depmap.org/pmontgom/32/4_2.png) [@pmontgom](https://forum.depmap.org/u/pmontgom)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.depmap.org/t/strongly-selective-identification/1578/2 "2022-08-31T20:11:16Z")

</div>

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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lutterba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@lutterba](https://forum.depmap.org/u/lutterba)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.depmap.org/t/strongly-selective-identification/1578/3 "2022-08-31T20:35:14Z")

</div>

Hi Phil,

Thanks for getting back !

Bart

 ![2D3BE741810E460684176CCAC091B4A1.png](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/depmap/original/1X/ffeee1ddf87037f94dd158f88fd9ced464f4be34.png)