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DiffCircaPipeline: a framework for multifaceted characterization of differential rhythmicity
Xiangning Xue1, Wei Zong1, Zhiguang Huo2
1Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Summary:
Circadian oscillations of gene expression regulate daily physiological processes, and their disruption is linked to many diseases. Circadian rhythms can be disrupted in a variety of ways, including differential phase, amplitude and rhythm fitness. Although many differential circadian biomarker detection methods have been proposed, a workflow for systematic detection of multifaceted differential circadian characteristics with accurate false positive control is not currently available. We propose a comprehensive and interactive pipeline to capture the multifaceted characteristics of differentially rhythmic biomarkers. Analysis outputs are accompanied by informative visualization and interactive exploration. The workflow is demonstrated in multiple case studies and is extensible to general omics applications.
Availability And Implementation:
R package, Shiny app and source code are available in GitHub (https://github.com/DiffCircaPipeline) and Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7507989).
Supplementary Information:
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Insights
We developed a new pipeline to detect multifaceted differences in circadian gene expression rhythms. This tool helps identify disrupted biological clocks linked to various diseases with improved accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Chronobiology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Circadian gene expression rhythms govern daily physiology.
- Disruptions in these rhythms, including altered phase, amplitude, and fitness, are implicated in numerous diseases.
- Existing methods lack a comprehensive workflow for detecting multifaceted circadian rhythm differences with robust false positive control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a comprehensive and interactive pipeline for systematic detection of multifaceted differential circadian rhythm characteristics.
- To provide accurate false positive control in the analysis of circadian biomarkers.
- To facilitate the exploration and visualization of complex circadian data.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel computational pipeline integrating R package and Shiny app.
- Implementation of methods for detecting differential phase, amplitude, and rhythm fitness in gene expression data.
- Incorporation of informative visualization and interactive exploration tools.
Main Results:
- The pipeline successfully captures multifaceted characteristics of differentially rhythmic biomarkers.
- Demonstrated utility through multiple case studies.
- The workflow is designed for extensibility to various omics applications.
Conclusions:
- The proposed pipeline offers a systematic approach to analyzing disrupted circadian rhythms.
- It enhances the ability to identify disease-associated circadian alterations.
- The tool provides valuable insights into the complex nature of circadian dysregulation.
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