Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:Major urinary proteins (MUP) are the major component of the urinary protein fraction in house mice (Mus spp.) and rats (Rattus spp.). The structure, polymorphism and functions of these lipocalins have been well described in the western European house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus), clarifying their role in semiochemical communication. The complexity of these roles in the mouse raises the question of similar functions in other rodents, including the Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus. Norway rats express MUPs in urine but information about specific MUP isoform sequences and functions is limited. In this study, we present a detailed molecular characterization of the MUP proteoforms expressed in the urine of two laboratory strains, Wistar Han and Brown Norway, and wild caught animals, using a combination of manual gene annotation, intact protein mass spectrometry and bottom-up mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches. Detailed sequencing of the urinary MUP isoforms reveals a less complex pattern of primary sequence polymorphism in the rat than the mouse. However, rat MUPs exhibit added complexity in the form of post-translational modifications, including the phosphorylation of Ser4 in some isoforms, and exoproteolytic trimming of specific isoforms.
Project description:RhoB null mice show decreases in pathological angiogenesis in the ischemic retina and reduces angiogenesis in response to cutaneous wounding, but enhances lymphangiogenesis following both dermal wounding and inflammatory challenge. We used microarrays to link these unique and opposing roles of RhoB in blood versus lymphatic vasculatures to RhoB/VEZF1-mediated gene regulation in primary human blood versus lymphatic endothelial cells.
Project description:Analysis of LBNF1 rat testes from controls, containing both somatic and all germ cell types and from irradiated rats in which all cells germ cells except type A spermatgogonia are eliminated. Results provide insight into distinguishing germ and somatic cell genes and identification of somatic cell genes that are upregulated after irradiation.
Project description:Formaldehyde (HCHO) is the simplest form of aldehyde and it is naturally present in a wide range of resources. In spite of its cosmopolitan presence, formaldehyde can have deleterious health effects at higher concentrations like leukemia. However, most of the studies carried out so far have focused on the effect of formaldehyde exposure through inhalation and not much has been studied on the its exposure through food. In this context, the present study was carried out to investigate the effect of formaldehyde exposure through drinking water on the liver proteome of rat which would not only be helpful in assessing the impact of formaldehyde on health of organisms but also would be helpful in understanding the mechanism of detoxification.
Project description:Living organisms are intricate systems with dynamic internal processes. Their RNA, protein, and metabolite levels fluctuate in response to variations in health and environmental conditions. Among these, RNA expression is particularly accessible for comprehensive analysis, thanks to the evolution of high throughput sequencing technologies in recent years. This progress has enabled researchers to identify unique RNA patterns associated with various diseases, as well as to develop predictive and prognostic biomarkers for therapy response. Such cross-sectional studies allow for the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups, but they have limitations. Specifically, they often fail to capture the temporal changes in gene expression following individual perturbations and may lead to significant false discoveries due to inherent noise in RNA sequencing sample preparation and data collection. To address these challenges, our study hypothesized that frequent, longitudinal RNA sequencing (RNAseq) analysis of blood samples could offer a more profound understanding of the temporal dynamics of gene expression in response to drug interventions, while also enhancing the accuracy of identifying genes influenced by these drugs. In this research, we conducted RNAseq on 829 blood samples collected from 84 Sprague-Dawley lab rats. Excluding the control group, each rat was administered one of four different compounds known for liver toxicity: tetracycline, isoniazid, valproate, and carbon tetrachloride. We developed specialized bioinformatics tools to pinpoint genes that exhibit temporal variation in response to these treatments.