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Gene expression analysis in absence epilepsy using a monozygotic twin design

ABSTRACT: Objective: To identify genes involved in idiopathic absence epilepsies by analysing gene expression using a monozygotic (MZ) twin design. Methods: Genome-wide gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines was determined using microarrays derived from five discordant and four concordant MZ twin pairs with idiopathic absence epilepsies and five unaffected MZ twin pairs. Gene expression was analysed using three strategies: discordant MZ twins were compared as matched pairs, MZ twins concordant for epilepsy were compared to control MZ twins, and a singleton design of affected versus unaffected MZ twin individuals was used irrespective of twin pairing. An overlapping gene list was generated from these analyses. Dysregulation of genes recognised from the microarray experiment were validated using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) in the twin sample and in an independent sample of 18 sporadic absence cases and 24 healthy controls. Results: Sixty-five probe sets were identified from the microarray analysis strategies. Sixteen genes were chosen for validation and nine of these genes confirmed by qRT-PCR in the twin sample. Differential expression of the immediate early gene EGR1 and RCN2, coding for the calcium-binding protein Reticulocalbin 2, was re-confirmed by qRT-PCR in the independent sample. Interpretation: Using a unique sample of discordant MZ twins, our study identified genes with altered expression, which suggest novel mechanisms in idiopathic absence epilepsy. Dysregulation of EGR1 and RCN2 might represent common transcriptional alterations in idiopathic absence epilepsy. Keywords: Childhood Absence Epilepsy, Juvenile Absence Epilepsy, Idiopathic Generalised Epilepsy, gene expression, twin study, monozygotic twins

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE7486 | GEO | 2008/02/28

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA100303

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The expression level for 15 887 transcripts in lymphoblastoid cell lines from 19 monozygotic twin pairs (10 male, 9 female) were analysed for the effects of genotype and sex. On an average, the effect of twin pairs explained 31% of the variance in normalized gene expression levels, consistent with previous broad sense heritability estimates. The effect of sex on gene expression levels was most noticeable on the X chromosome, which contained 15 of the 20 significantly differentially expressed genes. A high concordance was observed between the sex difference test statistics and surveys of genes escaping X chromosome inactivation. Notably, several autosomal genes showed significant differences in gene expression between the sexes despite much of the cellular environment differences being effectively removed in the cell lines. A publicly available gene expression data set from the CEPH families was used to validate the results. The heritability of gene expression levels as estimated from the two data sets showed a highly significant positive correlation, particularly when both estimates were close to one and thus had the smallest standard error. There was a large concordance between the genes significantly differentially expressed between the sexes in the two data sets. Analysis of the variability of probe binding intensities within a probe set indicated that results are robust to the possible presence of polymorphisms in the target sequences. Keywords: Monozygotic twin pair Expression Profiles Genome-wide gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines was determined using microarrays derived from 15 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (10 male, 9 female). 10 twin pair are discordant, 4 are concordant for a disease phenotype and their are 5 controls which have no disease phenotype. This data set was analyzed to interrupt replicated effects of sex and genotype, not disease characteristics. Subsets of these samples have been analyzed separately for disease characteristics, (GSE7036 M-bM-^@M-^S 3 MZ twins discordant for bipolar disorder) and (GSE7486 - 5 discordant and 4 concordant MZ twin pairs with idiopathic absence epilepsies and 5 unaffected MZ twin pairs).

Project description:DNA methylation appears to play an essential mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of ALL, thereby potentiate its use as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis (Milani, Lundmark et al. 2010; Geng, Brennan et al. 2012; Sandoval, Heyn et al. 2013), and even a potential target of novel therapeutic approaches in ALL. In present study, we collected blood specimens for 4 pairs of monozygotic twins (MZ) and 1 pair of dizygotic twin (DZ) that are discordant for ALL. We sought to comprehensively assess the magnitude of genetic and epigenetic differences between ALL-affected and unaffected twins. we conducted whole genome and whole methylome sequencing on these five pairs of ALL-discordant twins. We also examined both the MZ and DZ twins using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). At first, the methylation differences across the genome were addressed globally by Circos software. And then tried to characterize the co-twin methylation divergence in specific genomic regions between ALL-discordant twin pairs. These patterns of dynamic co-twin methylation changes in these discordant ALL samples were generally consistent among MZ and DZ twins, indicating similarities of methylation abnormalities. As a result, 780, 566, 309, 293 and 2110 DMRs were identified, with a similar distribution pattern across different genomic elements among the five twin pairs.Then we annotate whether these DMRs were located in regulatory elements and identification of genes with recurring methylation alterations in a cohort of ALL patients. We collected blood specimens from 4 pairs of MZ twins and 1 pair of DZ twin that are discordant for ALL. At first, the methylation differences across the genome were addressed globally by Circos software. And then tried to characterize the co-twin methylation divergence in specific genomic regions and differentially methylated gene regions (DMRs) were identified between ALL-discordant twin pairs. Then we annotate whether these DMRs were located in regulatory elements and identification of genes with recurring methylation alterations in a cohort of ALL patients.

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Gene expression analysis in absence epilepsy using a monozygotic twin design

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