Opposite z-score trends for different ADNP probes in Allen Human Brain Atlas – question about probe targets and reliability

Science
1

Hi all,

I am analyzing ADNP expression in the Allen Human Brain Atlas (microarray dataset) and encountered a probe-level inconsistency that I would appreciate some guidance on.

Specifically, ADNP is represented by multiple probes in the AHBA. When I examined regional expression patterns (z-scored across brain regions, averaged across ~6 donors per region), I found that two probes show opposite trends within the same brain regions:

AHBA
AHBA452×261 30.6 KB

This discrepancy persists across multiple regions.

I am therefore trying to clarify:

  1. What are the exact targets of these two probes?

    • Do they map to different transcripts, exons, or UTRs of ADNP?

  2. Is either probe known to have lower reliability, cross-hybridization, or weaker specificity for ADNP?

  3. Is there an Allen-recommended probe for ADNP in the Human Brain Atlas (e.g. based on expression level, differential stability, or QC metrics)?

More generally, I would like to understand whether this divergence reflects biological transcript heterogeneity or is more likely a technical/annotation issue, and how best to handle this in downstream regional analyses.

Any guidance on probe selection or relevant documentation would be greatly appreciated.