Interpretation of repressors

[corbettberry]

Hello and thank you for developing this incredible tool! I have a question regarding the interpretation of repressor eRegulons' activity, specifically involving the transcription factor BACH2-/+ in two different cell populations.

In our SCENIC+ analysis, we observed that for Population A, the direct gene-based AUC is low, whereas the region-based AUC is high. Conversely, in Population B, the direct gene-based AUC is high and the region-based AUC is lower.

Initially, I interpreted these results as indicative of higher BACH2 repressor activity in Population A, given the lower gene activity but higher region accessibility. However, I'm now reconsidering whether this pattern might instead suggest that the repressor activity of BACH2 is more pronounced in Population B, where the direct impact on genes linked to BACH2 is more apparent.

Could this imply that the eRegulon repressor activity is actually higher in Population B, reflecting a more direct influence of BACH2 on gene repression there? I would greatly appreciate your insights or any feedback on this interpretation!