Hippocampal transcriptome analysis following maternal separation implicates altered RNA processing in a mouse model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are common, seen in 1-5% of the population in the USA and Canada. Children diagnosed with FASD are not likely to remain with their biological parents, facing early maternal separation and foster placements throughout childhood.

Methods

We model FASD in mice via prenatal alcohol exposure and further induce early life stress through maternal separation. We use RNA-seq followed by clustering of expression profiles through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to analyze transcriptomic changes that result from the treatments. We use reverse transcription qPCR to validate these changes in the mouse hippocampus.

Results

We report an association between adult hippocampal gene expression and prenatal ethanol ex

SUBMITTER: Alberry BLJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7231420 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature