Project description:miRNA profiling of mouse kidney cortex comparing control vs. low sodium diet + captopril treatment to induce renin expression. Two condition experiment: control vs treated; biological replicates: individual mice - 3 control, 3 treated. One replicate per array.
Project description:Sodium-lithium countertransport activity (SLC) is an intermediate phenotype for salt sensitive hypertension; elevated SLC corresponds to increased risk of hypertension. Genetic epidemiology studies indicate that SLC is heritable in humans and nonhuman primates; however, little is known about genetic determinants explaining variation in SLC. In this study we identified dietary salt-responsive gene networks in baboon kidneys and salt-responsive networks that differ between baboons with normal and high blood pressure phenotypes.
Project description:The “aldosterone paradox” is a poorly understood physiological mechanism in which increases in the hormone aldosterone either serve to stabilize blood pressure by increasing sodium-chloride (NaCl) reabsorption or to excrete potassium (K+). Under low NaCl intake, abundance and activity of the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter NCC, expressed in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), is high, whereas it is low during high K+ intake - leading to increased delivery of NaCl to downstream segments and increased electrogenic K+ secretion. Despite a critical role in blood pressure and K+ homeostasis, little is known about the molecular alterations in the DCT during the aldosterone paradox, and how they control NCC levels. The objective of this study was to define the proteome of the DCT and how it is modified by increased circulating aldosterone levels subsequent to long-term low dietary NaCl or high K+ intake.
Project description:Comparing genetic differences between human and nonhuman primates is a fundamental method to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the improved human cognitive ability during evolution. Besides DNA sequence divergences, gene regulation differences between human and nonhuman primates have been shown to be more prominent. DNA methylation is an important type of epigenetic modification that plays critical roles in gene regulations. Trans-generational inheritances of DNA methylation in mammals are widely accepted, suggesting the evolutionary role of DNA methylation. To test if DNA methylation has contributed to the evolution of human brain, with the use of MeDIP-Chip and SEQUENOM MassARRAY, we conducted a systematic analysis to identify the differentially methylated DNA regions (DMRs) between human and rhesus macaque in the cerebral cortex. We first identified a total of 150 candidate DMRs by the MeDIP-Chip method, among which 6 DMRs were confirmed by the SEQUENOM MassARRAY method. And 4 of them were further confirmed using independent samples, while the other 2 were failed to test due to technical difficulties. All the 6 DMRs were in CpG islands or close to CpG islands, and a MIR3 repeat element was located in one DMR, but no repeats was found in the other 5 DMRs. For the 6 DMR genes, most have neural related functions, and their proteins tend to be conserved. Additionally, we found the DNA sequence changes at CpG sites contributed to the species-specific DNA methylation. Our study shed light on the researches of trans-generational epigenetic inheritance and the roles of DNA methylation in evolution, especially human evolution. Compare the DNA methylation levels between human and rhesus macaque
Project description:Comparing genetic differences between human and nonhuman primates is a fundamental method to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the improved human cognitive ability during evolution. Besides DNA sequence divergences, gene regulation differences between human and nonhuman primates have been shown to be more prominent. DNA methylation is an important type of epigenetic modification that plays critical roles in gene regulations. Trans-generational inheritances of DNA methylation in mammals are widely accepted, suggesting the evolutionary role of DNA methylation. To test if DNA methylation has contributed to the evolution of human brain, with the use of MeDIP-Chip and SEQUENOM MassARRAY, we conducted a systematic analysis to identify the differentially methylated DNA regions (DMRs) between human and rhesus macaque in the cerebral cortex. We first identified a total of 150 candidate DMRs by the MeDIP-Chip method, among which 6 DMRs were confirmed by the SEQUENOM MassARRAY method. And 4 of them were further confirmed using independent samples, while the other 2 were failed to test due to technical difficulties. All the 6 DMRs were in CpG islands or close to CpG islands, and a MIR3 repeat element was located in one DMR, but no repeats was found in the other 5 DMRs. For the 6 DMR genes, most have neural related functions, and their proteins tend to be conserved. Additionally, we found the DNA sequence changes at CpG sites contributed to the species-specific DNA methylation. Our study shed light on the researches of trans-generational epigenetic inheritance and the roles of DNA methylation in evolution, especially human evolution. Compare the DNA methylation levels between human and rhesus macaque