Exploration of Cellular Relationships from Characteristically Expressed Genes by Partial Canonical Correlation Analysis

In this report, we designed a procedure for exploring the cellular relationships from the sets of characteristic genes in distinctive cell types, by using partial canonical correlation analysis. We applied the present procedure to the characteristic gene sets of seven subtypes of testicular germ cell tumors in a previous report. The cellular relationships were well reconstructed, consistent with the general histologic lineage model, and new implications for the subtype differentiation were found. In particular, the correspondence between the inferred relationships and the functional characterizations of constituent genes suggests a hypothesis for the classification between seminoma and embryonal carcinoma. The partial canonical correlation analysis is also appropriate for revealing new features of cellular relationships, based on the transcriptional programs. Thus, the present procedure helps to create a macroscopic view of the cellular relationships, by following the detection of the characteristically expressed genes.