O papel modulador do gene AIRE - capes

4) Finally, Prrg2 was also identified as a gene node, which was negativelyregulated by five (Itm2b, transcribed locus ID 640711, Stxbp3a, Triobp andGosr2) of the eight gene nodes in this phase and also exhibited self-negativeregulation. However, it positively regulated the Tacc1 node.Taken together, these findings indicate that thymus ontogeny (14-17 daysof gestation) features dynamic gene networks, involving pathways implicatedin cell signaling and protein transport, including T cell receptor chains towardsthe cell membrane.However, is important to consider that the networks reconstructed in thisstudy are the result of specialized statistical microarray data analysis. Furtherinvestigations are necessary to determine their precise molecularmechanisms, i.e. involvement of RNA-RNA or DNA-RNA associationscontrolling the networks.The probabilistic gene interactions observed in this work open newperspective for further molecular/biochemical approaches to confirm the role ofgenetic cascades in thymus development.AcknowledgementsThis study was funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estadode São Paulo (FAPESP) and the Conselho Nacional de DesenvolvimentoCientífico e Tecnológico (CNPq). The cDNA clones used for preparing themicroarrays were kindly ceded by Dr. Catherine Nguyen (INSERM, URM 206,Marseille, France). We thank Guilherme Liberato Silva for help anddiscussions.253