Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:Adipogenesis is tightly controlled by a complex network of transcription factors acting at different stages of differentiation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family members are key regulators of this process. We have employed DNase I hypersensitive site analysis to investigate the genome-wide changes in chromatin structure that accompany the binding of adipogenic transcription factors. These analyses revealed a dramatic and dynamic modulation of the chromatin landscape during the first hours of adipocyte differentiation that coincides with cooperative binding of multiple early transcription factors (including glucocorticoid receptor, retinoid X receptor, Stat5a, C/EBPbeta and -delta) to transcription factor 'hotspots'. Our results demonstrate that C/EBPbeta marks a large number of these transcription factor 'hotspots' prior to induction of differentiation and chromatin remodeling and is required for their establishment. Furthermore, a subset of early remodeled C/EBP binding sites persists throughout differentiation and is later occupied by PPAR gamma , indicating that early C/EBP family members, in addition to their well established role in activation of PPAR gamma transcription, may act as pioneering factors for PPAR gamma binding. DNase I hypersensitive chromatin regions and transcription factor binding sites were identified at various time points of 3T3-L1 differentiation using DHS-seq and ChIP-seq, respectively.
Project description:The nuclear receptor PPAR gamma is required for adipocyte differentiation, but its role in mature adipocytes is less clear. Here we report that knockdown of PPAR gamma expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes returned the expression of most adipocyte genes towards preadipocyte levels. Consistently, down regulated but not up regulated genes showed strong enrichment of PPAR gamma binding. Surprisingly, not all adipocyte genes were reversed and the adipocyte morphology was maintained for an extended period after PPAR gamma depletion. To explain this, we focused on transcriptional regulators whose adipogenic regulation was not reversed upon PPAR gamma depletion. We identified GATA2, a transcription factor whose down-regulation early in adipogenesis is required for preadipocyte differentiation, remaining low after PPAR gamma knockdown. Forced expression of GATA2 in mature adipocytes complemented PPAR gamma depletion and impaired adipocyte functionality with a more preadipocyte- like gene expression profile. Ectopic expression of GATA2 in adipose tissue in vivo had similar effect on adipogenic gene expression. These results suggest that PPAR gamma-independent down regulation of GATA2 prevents reversion of mature adipocytes after PPAR gamma depletion. Keywords: cell type comparison, Gata2, PPAR gamma, adipocyte, preadipocytes, differentiation
Project description:The aim of the study was to investigate whether the trefoil peptide genes, in concerted action with a miRNA regulatory network, were contributing to nutritional maintrenance. Using a Tff3 knock-out mouse model, 21 specific miRNAs were noted to be significantly deregulated when compared to the wild type strain.
Project description:The aim of the study was to investigate whether the trefoil peptide genes, in concerted action with a miRNA regulatory network, were contributing to nutritional maintrenance. Using a Tff2 knock-out mouse model, 48 specific miRNAs were noted to be significantly deregulated when compared to the wild type strain.