Project description:Leptin binding to the leptin receptor (LepR) causes rapid signaling to the nucleus. We investigated the early (2 hr) transcriptional response to acute leptin injectio (intracerebroventricular) in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/pituitary of juvenile Xenopus laevis frogs. Frogs were given i.c.v. injections of 0.6% saline or recombinant X. laevis leptin (rxLeptin; 20 ng/g BW) and 2 hrs later killed and the preoptic area/hypothalamus/pituitary dissected.
Project description:Sexual selection involves mate preference behavior and is a critical determinant for natural selection and evolutionary biology. Previously an environmental compound (fungicide vinclozolin) was found to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of modified mate selection characteristics in all progeny for three generations after exposure of a gestating female. The current study investigated gene networks involved in various regions of the brain that correlated with the mate preference behavior altered in F3-Vinclozolin lineage animals. Statistically significant correlations of differentially expressed gene clusters and modules were identified to associate with specific mate preference behaviors. This novel systems biology approach identified critical gene networks involved in mate preference behavior and demonstrated the ability of environmental factors to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of this altered evolutionary biology determinant. Combined observations elucidate the potential molecular control of mate preference behavior and suggests environmental epigenetics can have a role in evolutionary biology. We used Affymetrix Rat Gene 1.0 ST microarrays to determine genes expressed differentially in F3 Vinclozolin lineage male or female rats' 6 brain areas - amygdala (Amy), hippocampus (Hipp), olfactory bulb (OlfB), cingulate cortex (CngCtx), entorhinal cortex (EnCtx), and preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POAH) - due to Vinclozolin treatments of their grand-grandmothers (F0). For each of 6 brain areas of male or female rats (female: amygdala (F-Amy), cingulate cortex (F-CngCTX), enterorhinal cortex (F-EnCTX), hippocampus (F-Hipp), olfactory bulbs (F-OlfB), and preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (F-POAH); male: amygdala (M-Amy), cingulate cortex (M-CngCTX), enterorhinal cortex (M-EnCTX), hippocampus (M-Hipp), olfactory bulbs (M-OlfB), and preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (M-POAH)), RNA samples from 2 treatment groups - F3 Control lineage (Con) or F3 Vinclozolin lineage (Vin) - were compared to each other. Each of treatment groups contained 4-6 biological replicas for each brain region. RNA for each replica was isolated from an individual animal in order to compare to individual animal mate preference behavior studied with the same rats before sacrifice. Totally, 132 RNA samples from 24 animals (6 male F3 Control, 6 male F3 Vinclozolin,6 female F3 Control, and 6 female F3 Vinclozolin) were isolated and studied.
Project description:Changes in gene expression in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/thalamus of Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles were analyzed using RNAseq at four stages of metamorphosis.
Project description:Single nuclear RNA-sequencing from tissue dissected from the ventral medial preoptic area (VMPO) of the hypothalamus in saline and LPS injected mice
Project description:Association of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in chromatin across the genome of neural cells in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/thalamus of metamorphic climax stage Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles, analyzed by chromatin-immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq).
Project description:The preoptic area of hypothalamus plays an important role in sleep homeostasis. We used snRNA-seq to identify neurons involved in homeostatic sleep response.
