Project description:This report is based on an ongoing study to examine gene expression differences in monkey lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). For this study, samples from an Old World species, vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops), were cross-hybridized to the Rhesus Macaque Genome Array (Affymetrix). Microarray analysis was performed using laser capture microdissected populations of individual neuronal cell bodies isolated from the LGN compared to heterogeneous samples from whole lamina. We show here that cross-species hybridization of microdissected brain tissue samples from vervet monkeys to the Rhesus array produced reliable and biologically relevant data sets. We present the first list of genes enriched in the large neuronal cell bodies of the LGN. We found that these cell bodies are concentrated with genes involved in metabolic processes and protein synthesis, whereas signaling molecules including chemokines and integrins were expressed at higher levels within heterogeneous samples. Our data set provides support for a contribution of Wnt signaling in adult monkey LGN. Keywords: gene expression profile
Project description:Characterization of transcriptomic variation is emerging as a critical tool for understanding how quantitative trait loci (QTL) contribute to complex phenotypes. Human transcriptomic studies are limited by factors such as the feasibility of invasive tissue collection or variable environmental exposures that can be readily overcome in non-human primate (NHP) models. We characterized transcriptomic variation across multiple tissues and developmental stages and between individuals in 59 vervet monkeys from the Vervet Research Colony extended pedigree. We conducted RNA sequencing across early (7, 90 days, and one year) and later (1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4+ years old) developmental time points in 6 individuals at each stage in five tissue types: two brain tissues from hippocampus and caudate, two endocrine tissues (pituitary and adrenal) and two peripheral tissues serving as a source of biomarkers (blood and fibroblasts)
Project description:To identify genes involved in responses to psychosocial stressor, we analysed RNAseq transcriptomic profiles in whole blood of 15 juvenile male vervet monkeys from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts at three experimental time points: day 0 (baseline), day 3 and day 5 of exposure to the stressor.
Project description:Transcriptomic profiling is a crucial tool for understanding growth, development, behavior and predisposition to diseases and the development of health biomarkers. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of transcriptomic assessment of cell-free fetal RNA in vervet monkey amniotic fluid supernatant (AFS).
Project description:Elucidating the developmental patterns of gene expression across brain regions is a critical step toward understanding brain development and disease. We previously studied the transcriptome of multiple brain regions and peripheral tissues across development in the vervet monkey, and identified transcripts related to hippocampal size in 59 animals across 10 developmental timepoints, ranging between 7 days to 9 years of age. Here, we extended this analysis with a focus on transcriptomic changes in hippocampus across early development in vervet neonates and infants under 1 year of age. We combined this dataset with the previously analyzed data. We identified groups of transcripts with age-related patterns, which correlated well with existing human resources. Additionally, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis identified two further genes, RAB31 and CHMP1B, associated with hippocampal volume, refining the previously identified locus. This dataset provides unique developmental expression data in the hippocampus of a non-human primate, and expands our catalog of local and distant eQTL in this brain region.
