ASER

ASER provides an integrated database of sex reversal-associated genes (SRGs), homolog annotations, genome-wide conservation scores, RNA-seq expression datasets, and manually annotated in situ hybridization images across species from Teleostei to Mammals to support research on sex determination and sex reversal mechanisms.

Key Features:

• Extensive data integration: Aggregates information from 40,018 published papers with focus on 1,611 core studies that characterize Sex Reversal-associated Genes (SRGs).
• Homology annotation and conservation scoring: Annotates homologous genes across 18 species and computes conservation scores across entire genomes.
• Expression dynamics from RNA-seq: Integrates 206 RNA-seq datasets to profile temporal gene expression changes during sex reversal and sex determination processes.
• Spatial expression mapping from ISH: Manually annotates 551 in situ hybridization (ISH) images from the literature to document SRG spatial expression patterns in gonads.

Scientific Applications:

• Genetic and regulatory network analysis: Enables exploration of SRG function within regulatory networks underlying sex determination and sex reversal.
• Comparative and evolutionary studies: Supports cross-species comparisons and evolutionary conservation analyses across Teleostei to Mammals using homolog and conservation data.
• Reproductive biology and animal breeding: Facilitates studies on mechanisms of sexual plasticity relevant to reproductive biology and animal breeding research.
• Disease and cancer research: Provides datasets applicable to investigating endocrine-related diseases and cancers linked to sex reversal processes.

Methodology:

Systematic literature data mining; gene annotation of homologous relationships across species; calculation of genome-wide conservation scores; integration of 206 RNA-seq datasets; and manual annotation of 551 ISH images.