Project description:Hormonal fluctuations throughout the ovarian cycle contribute to femalesâ higher vulnerability to anxiety disorders when compared to males. Notably, such sex differences are controlled by regulation of genes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) including the transcription factor early growth response 1 (Egr1) in rats, which highlights a control of anxiety-like behaviors by sexually-biased gene expression. We therefore undertook a large-scale characterization of sex differences and their interaction with the estrous cycle in the adult mPFC transcriptome and report that proestrus and diestrus females (with high and low ovarian hormones levels, respectively) exhibited a partly-opposed sexually-biased transcriptome. Surprisingly, the extent of regulations within females vastly exceeded sex differences, and support a multi-level reorganization of synaptic function across the estrous cycle. Furthermore, genome-wide analysis of Egr1 binding highlighted its role in controlling the synapse-related genes varying within females, and the sex- and estrous cycle-dependent transcriptomic reorganization in the rat mPFC. mRNA profiling of 2-3 month-old males and females Sprague-Dawley rats in either Proestrus or Diestrus. A total of 11 samples were analyzed, corresponding to 4 males, 3 proestrus females, and 4 diestrus females.
Project description:Hormonal fluctuations throughout the ovarian cycle contribute to femalesâ?? higher vulnerability to anxiety disorders when compared to males. Notably, such sex differences are controlled by regulation of genes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) including the transcription factor early growth response 1 (Egr1) in rats, which highlights a control of anxiety-like behaviors by sexually-biased gene expression. We therefore undertook a large-scale characterization of sex differences and their interaction with the estrous cycle in the adult mPFC transcriptome and report that proestrus and diestrus females (with high and low ovarian hormones levels, respectively) exhibited a partly-opposed sexually-biased transcriptome. Surprisingly, the extent of regulations within females vastly exceeded sex differences, and support a multi-level reorganization of synaptic function across the estrous cycle. Furthermore, genome-wide analysis of Egr1 binding highlighted its role in controlling the synapse-related genes varying within females, and the sex- and estrous cycle-dependent transcriptomic reorganization in the rat mPFC. Early growth response 1 (Egr1) binding profiling in the adult rat medial prefrontal cortex of males, proestrus females, and diestrus females. A total of 9 animals were used, corresponding to 3 Males, 2 proestrus females, and 4 diestrus females.
Project description:The human brain has changed dramatically since humans diverged from our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and the other great apes. However, the genetic and developmental programs underlying this divergence are not fully understood. Here, we generate single-nucleus RNA-seq data of human, chimpanzee and macaque adult prefrontal cortex. Spatial information is obtained by isolating nuclei from sequential sections sliced from basal to apical positions. Bulk RNA-seq is performed for the same sections to determine positional information of the sections, by comparing the section transcriptome with published transcriptome data of cortical layers in human, chimpanzee and macaque.
Project description:This study investigated proteome profile in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and striatum of 14, 18, 23, and 27 months old rats in order to see the effect of aging on proteins in these regions. Using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometry, we identified 1074 proteins in the hippocampus, 871 proteins in the mPFC, and 241 proteins the striatum. Ninety-seven, 25, and 5 of these proteins were differentially expressed with age in the hippocampus, mPFC, and striatum, respectively. Overall, aging causes divergent protein changes in specific brain regions, with the most prominent changes observed in the late-aged.
Project description:This experiment uses a transgenic mouse that allows for activity-induced expression of an HA-tagged ribosome in an inducible and cre-dependent manner. This allowed us to assess long-lasting gene-expression changes in neurons active during contextual fear conditioning. Previous studies have used similar systems to look a transient changes in gene expression in these neurons, but we developed a system to look at long lasting changes. The workflow includes tissue dissection of the prefrontal cortex, tissue homogenization followed by an immunoprecipitation of the tagged ribosomes using antibodies against HA. RNA bound to the ribosomes is then purified, a cDNA library is prepared and RNAseq was performed. The experimental group was fear conditioned and the control group was left in their homecage for induction of HA- expression in active neurons.
Project description:This study examined the proteome profile in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and striatum of APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice (APP/PS1) model of Alzheimer’s disease compared to wild-type mice. The effect of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), a mixture of vitamin E analogs derived from palm oil supplementation on the proteome profile of APP/PS1 mice hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and striatum was also investigated. The analysis was performed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometry. This study was in hoped to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease at proteome level, and pre-emptive activity of TRF to combat the disease.
Project description:Adult human ependymal and ventral horn regions were obtained from postmortem frozen samples by Laser Capture Microdissection. Briefly, Cryostat 25 micron sections from were stained with toluidin blue and both regions microdissected and collected on eppendorf (n=4 for each region). Samples mRNA concentration and purity was assessed by electrophoresis (BioRad Experion HighSensitivity kit, USA). RQI values were lower than 6,5 in every case, so that purification was followed by 2 cycle amplification with a kit designed for highly degraded samples (ExpressArt® TRinucleotide mRNA Amplification Kit; #6299-A15, AmpTec, AMSBIO, UK). After amplification, mRNA concentration and purity was assessed both by electrophoresis (BioRad Experion StSens kit, USA) and by spectrophotometry (Nanodrop, Thermo Scientific, USA). We amplified 3.7-37 ng of total RNA, obtaining between 6 and 21 µg of mRNA after 2 rounds. After collecting samples and studying the RNA integrity and quantity, cDNA of samples was selected for gene expression assays using 384 wells Custom Taqman Low Density Arrays. We built arrays with genes belonging to a profile of stemness or ependymoma (see Garcia-Ovejero et al., 2015, BRAIN). Taqman based qPCR gene expression profiling. Ependymal and ventral horn regions obtained by LCMD from four different individuals each were used to establish genes involved in stem cell niches or in ependymoma phenotype that are enriched in control human ependyma using ventral horn as a non-ependymary, non-neurogenic region. Samples were treated as stated in the summary. Equal amount of amplified RNA (aRNA; 25ng, corresponding approximately to 500ng total RNA) from each donor was used in Custom Designed Taqman Low Density Arrays. Every value is the resultant of duplicates at least, but most of them have been assayed 4 times.
Project description:Cancer arises from the malignant interplay between oncogenic signaling and cell specification. Transcriptionally activated stem, growth and survival programs reshape an epigenomic identity defined by a transcriptional core regulatory circuitry. To study and disrupt oncogenic transcription, we first created inhibitors of BET bromodomains. Selective antagonism of oncogenic transcriptional signaling arises from bromodomain-specific activity. Recently, we innovated a strategy to induce selective and pronounced degradation of BET coactivator proteins via phthalimide conjugation for E3 ubiquitin ligase recruitment. Degraders of BET bromdomains (dBETs) exhibited superior efficacy to bromodomain inhibitors in cultivated leukemia cells, through unknown mechanisms. Here, we use chemically optimized small-molecule degronimids and kinetic measures of chromatin structure and function to unveil an unrecognized, essential role for BRD4 in the control of global productive transcriptional elongation. Rapid loss of BRD4 attenuates phosphorylation of the carboxy-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, independent of genomewide recruitment of CDK9 to promoters, leading to a collapse of the transcriptional core regulatory circuitry. These mechanistic studies are performed in translational models of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease emblematic for transcriptional addiction, to establish a rationale for human clinical investigation. RNA-Seq for DMSO, dBET6, or JQ1 treated MOLT4 cells
Project description:The critical sequence of molecular, neurotransmission and synaptic disruptions that underpin the emergence of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia remain to be established with progress only likely using animal models that capture key features of such disorders. Gene expression was assessed in social control and isolation reared rats at 4 increasing postnatal ages to relate gene expression dysregulation to behavioural and endophenotype emergence. We prepared cDNA from brain tissue samples of the medial prefrontal cortex from socially reared Wistar rats (Soc) and matching isolation reared cohorts (Iso) at postnatal day (P) 30, 40, 60 and 80.
Project description:Schizophrenia (SCHZ) and tobacco misuse comorbidity is frequently established during adolescence. However, comorbidity markers are still missing. Here, we used an label free quantitative proteomics approach to identify exclusively deregulated proteins in male and female mice modeled to SCHZ with a history of nicotine use during adolescence.