Project description:Sex differences in liver gene expression are dictated by sex-differences in circulating growth hormone (GH) profiles. Presently, the pituitary hormone dependence of mouse liver gene expression was investigated on a global scale to discover sex-specific early GH response genes that might contribute to sex-specific regulation of downstream GH targets and to ascertain whether intrinsic sex-differences characterize hepatic responses to plasma GH stimulation. RNA expression analysis using 41,000-feature microarrays revealed two distinct classes of sex-specific mouse liver genes: genes subject to positive regulation (class-I) and genes subject to negative regulation by pituitary hormones (class-II). Genes activated or repressed in hypophysectomized (Hypox) mouse liver within 30-90min of GH pulse treatment at a physiological dose were identified as direct targets of GH action (early response genes). Intrinsic sex-differences in the GH responsiveness of a subset of these early response genes were observed. Notably, 45 male-specific genes, including five encoding transcriptional regulators that may mediate downstream sex-specific transcriptional responses, were rapidly induced by GH (within 30min) in Hypox male but not Hypox female mouse liver. The early GH response genes were enriched in 29 male-specific targets of the transcription factor Mef2, whose activation in hepatic stellate cells is associated with liver fibrosis leading to hepatocellular carcinoma, a male-predominant disease. Thus, the rapid activation by GH pulses of certain sex-specific genes is modulated by intrinsic sex-specific factors, which may be associated with prior hormone exposure (epigenetic mechanisms) or genetic factors that are pituitary-independent, and could contribute to sex-differences in predisposition to liver cancer or other hepatic pathophysiologies.
Project description:The replication timing program, or the order in which DNA is duplicated during S-phase, is associated with various features of chromosome structure and function, including gene expression, histone modifications, and 3-D compartmentalization of chromatin.
Project description:Muscle (M), myotendinous (J) and tendon (T) tissues were isolated from murine wild-type soleus muscle-tendon units. Tissues were either: 1) fractionated prior to LC-MS/MS analysis of the CS and IN fractions; or 2) homogenized prior to LC-MS/MS analysis of the homogenate. Samples were analyzed by Q Exactive (Thermo Scientific).
Project description:The replication timing program, or the order in which DNA is duplicated during S-phase, is associated with various features of chromosome structure and function, including gene expression, histone modifications, and 3-D compartmentalization of chromatin. 3 cell types, with a total of 6 individual replicates