A robust omics-based approach for the identification of glucosinolate biosynthetic genes

Transcriptome coexpression analysis, which is based on a vast amount of transcriptome data obtained by using DNA arrays, has become a routine method for functional genomics studies in Arabidopsis. This analysis enables us to predict the function of genes on the basis of a simple assumption that a set of genes involved in a particular biological process can be coexpressed under the control of a shared regulatory system. Candidate genes involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis were successfully identified by this approach. In this review, the methodology of coexpression analysis is briefly described. The advantages and disadvantages of this analysis are also discussed in the context of its ability to predict gene functions involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis.