GeneXX: an online tool for the exploration of transcript changes in skeletal muscle associated with exercise

Exercise stimulates a wide array of biological processes, but the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Many previous studies have adopted transcriptomic analyses of skeletal muscle to address particular research questions, a process that ultimately results in the collection of large amounts of publicly available data that has not been fully integrated or interrogated. To maximize the use of these available transcriptomic exercise data sets, we have downloaded and reanalyzed them and formulated the data into a searchable online tool, geneXX. GeneXX is highly intuitive and free and provides immediate information regarding the response of a transcript of interest to exercise in skeletal muscle. To demonstrate its utility, we carried out a meta-analysis on the included data sets and show transcript changes in skeletal muscle that persist regardless of sex, exercise mode, and duration, some of which have had minimal attention in the context of exercise. We also demonstrate how geneXX can be used to formulate novel hypotheses on the complex effects of exercise, using preliminary data already generated. This resource represents a valuable tool for researchers with interests in human skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise.