KEGG 資料庫是以分子生物學 (molecular biology)和化學元素互補形成的化學基因體學 (chemical genomics)資料作為其建構網路之基礎，連結基因體資訊和高階功能性資訊，從系統層面分析基因功能的資料庫。我們利用 KEGG 資料庫對實驗室之前 PC12 細胞經 NGF 誘導神經分化的微陣列 (microarray)晶片實驗資料進行系統生物學分析及生物功能路徑註釋。在我們的研究中發現，受 NGF 活化後，無論是整體基因數或神經細胞分化相關路徑中活化基因數都隨 NGF 作用時間而增加；Neurotrophin signaling pathway 於 NGF treated 後 1 小時內雖然可觀察到 Trk 訊號路徑活化的 p38 之基因一時性活化，但是與 1 小時至 3 小時結果相比較，整體路徑的活化有顯著增強，而 MAPK signaling pathway 也隨 NGF 作用時間而呈現明顯的整體路徑活化趨勢；本研究嘗詴了將基因晶片實驗資料以生物網路型式來詮釋複雜的生物系統的可行性，為將來利用生物路徑進行系統生物學研究提供了可行性依據。 KEGG database is based on networks derived from the interrelation between the molecular biology and the underlying chemical elements. This network database allows scientist to analyze the biological network structure, the genomic information and higher order functional information from a systemic level. We used KEGG database to study the NGF induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells through systems biology analysis and annotation of biological function of signal pathway after microarray experiments. In our study, we found that both the overall number of genes or genes associated with neural cell differentiation in the pathway are increased after the NGF stimulation. Activation of Trk signaling pathways of p38 gene gradually increased between 1 and 3 hours , along with the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. This study, though the experimental data of gene chips and bio-network, tried to explore the feasibility of using biological pathway studies though the high through-put method to study the complex biological systems.
