This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Effect of Human Genetic Variability on Gene Expression in Dorsal Root Ganglia and Association with Pain Phenotypes.
Specimen part
View SamplesSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) can affect mRNA gene expression, in a tissue-specific manner. In this work we survey association of SNP alleles with mRNA gene expression in human dorsal root ganglions (DRG) to gain insights into pathophysiology of pain phenotypes.
Effect of Human Genetic Variability on Gene Expression in Dorsal Root Ganglia and Association with Pain Phenotypes.
Specimen part
View SamplesSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) can affect mRNA gene expression, in a tissue-specific manner. In this work we survey association of SNP alleles with mRNA gene expression in human dorsal root ganglions (DRG) to gain insights into pathophysiology of pain phenotypes.
Effect of Human Genetic Variability on Gene Expression in Dorsal Root Ganglia and Association with Pain Phenotypes.
Specimen part
View SamplesCatechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an ubiquitously expressed enzyme that maintains basic biologic functions by inactivating catechol substrates. In humans, polymorphic variance at the COMT locus has been associated with modulation of pain sensitivity (Andersen & Skorpen, 2009) and risk for developing psychiatric disorders (Harrison & Tunbridge, 2008). A functional haplotype associated with increased pain sensitivity was shown to result in decreased COMT activity by altering mRNA secondary structure-dependent protein translation (Nackley et al., 2006). However, the exact mechanisms whereby COMT modulates pain sensitivity and behavior remain unclear and can be further studied in animal models. We have pursued a genome-wide approach to examining gene expression in multiple brain regions in inbred strains of mice and have discovered that Comt1 is differentially expressed. This expression difference was validated with qPCR. A B2-B4 Short Interspersed Element (SINE) was inserted in the 3'UTR of Comt1 in 14 strains that also shared a common haplotype. Experiments using mammalian expression vectors of full-length cDNA clones with and without the SINE element demonstrate that strains with the SINE haplotype (+SINE) have greater Comt1 enzymatic activity. +SINE mice also exhibit behavioral differences in anxiety assays and decreased pain sensitivity. These results suggest that a haplotype, defined by a 3'UTR B2-B4 SINE element, regulates Comt1 expression and mouse behavior.
Comt1 genotype and expression predicts anxiety and nociceptive sensitivity in inbred strains of mice.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesNot all patients with nerve injury develop neuropathic pain. The extent of nerve damage and age at the time of injury are two of the few risk factors identified to date. In addition, preclinical studies show that neuropathic pain variance is heritable. To define such factors further, we performed a large-scale gene profiling experiment which plotted global expression changes in the rat dorsal root ganglion in three peripheral neuropathic pain models. This resulted in the discovery that the potassium channel alpha subunit KCNS1, involved in neuronal excitability, is constitutively expressed in sensory neurons and markedly downregulated following nerve injury. KCNS1 was then characterized by an unbiased network analysis as a putative pain gene, a result confirmed by single nucleotide polymorphism association studies in humans. A common amino acid changing allele, the 'valine risk allele', was significantly associated with higher pain scores in five of six independent patient cohorts assayed (total of 1359 subjects). Risk allele prevalence is high, with 18-22% of the population homozygous, and an additional 50% heterozygous. At lower levels of nerve damage (lumbar back pain with disc herniation) association with greater pain outcome in homozygote patients is P = 0.003, increasing to P = 0.0001 for higher levels of nerve injury (limb amputation). The combined P-value for pain association in all six cohorts tested is 1.14 E-08. The risk profile of this marker is additive: two copies confer the most, one intermediate and none the least risk. Relative degrees of enhanced risk vary between cohorts, but for patients with lumbar back pain, they range between 2- and 3-fold. Although work still remains to define the potential role of this protein in the pathogenic process, here we present the KCNS1 allele rs734784 as one of the first prognostic indicators of chronic pain risk. Screening for this allele could help define those individuals prone to a transition to persistent pain, and thus requiring therapeutic strategies or lifestyle changes that minimize nerve injury.
Multiple chronic pain states are associated with a common amino acid-changing allele in KCNS1.
Age
View SamplesWe used microarray-based expression genomics in 25 inbred mouse strains to identify dorsal root ganglion (DRG)-expressed genetic contributors to mechanical allodynia a prominent symptom of chronic pain.
The nicotinic α6 subunit gene determines variability in chronic pain sensitivity via cross-inhibition of P2X2/3 receptors.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is required for the development of leukemia stem cells in MLL-AF9 AML.
KRas(G12D)-evoked leukemogenesis does not require β-catenin.
Specimen part
View SamplesCoupling immunity and development is essential to ensure survival despite changing internal conditions in the organism. The metamorphosis of the fruit fly represents a striking example of drastic and systemic physiological changes that need to be integrated with the innate immune system. However, the mechanisms that coordinate development and immune cell activity in the transition from larva to adult in Drosophila remain to elucidate. The steroid hormone ecdysone is known to act as a key coordinator of metamorphosis. This hormone activates a nuclear receptor, the Ecdysone Receptor (EcR), which acts as a heterodimer with its partner Ultraspiracle (USP). Together, they activate the transcription of primary response genes, which in turn activate the transcription of a battery of late response genes. We have revealed that regulation of macrophage-like cells (hemocytes) by the steroid hormone ecdysone is essential for an effective innate immune response over metamorphosis. We have shown that in response to ecdysone signalling, hemocytes rapidly up regulate actin dynamics, motility and phagocytosis of apoptotic corpses, and acquire the ability to chemotax to damaged epithelia. Most importantly, individuals lacking ecdysone-activated hemocytes are defective in bacterial phagocytosis and are fatally susceptible to infection by bacteria ingested at larval stages, despite the normal systemic production of antimicrobial peptides. This decrease in survival is comparable to the one observed in pupae lacking immune cells altogether, indicating that ecdysone-regulation is essential to hemocyte immune functions and survival after infection.
Steroid hormone signaling is essential to regulate innate immune cells and fight bacterial infection in Drosophila.
Specimen part
View SamplesAim: Transcriptional analysis of the duodenum of adult Nkx2.2flox/SD;Villin-Cre (SDint) mice versus control Methods: 2 cm of the duodenum (as measured from the stomach) of 6 week old control and mutant mice were dissected and total RNA extracted. Libraries were prepared from total RNA (RIN>8) with the TruSeq RNA prep kit (Illumina) and sequenced using the HiSeq2000 (Illumina) instrument. More than 20 million reads were mapped to the mouse genome (UCSC/mm9) using Tophat (version 2.0.4) with 4 mismatches and 10 maximum multiple hits. Significantly differentially expressed genes were calculated using DEseq. Results: 206 genes with a p-value <0.05 were significantly changed. Among these are some enteroendocrine hormones. Conclusion: The SD domain of Nkx2.2 regulates specification of some enteroendocrine cells Overall design: mRNA profiles of the duodenum of 6 week old control and SDint mice were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate, using Illumina HiSeq2000.
The novel enterochromaffin marker Lmx1a regulates serotonin biosynthesis in enteroendocrine cell lineages downstream of Nkx2.2.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesAim: Transcriptional analysis of the colon of adult Nkx2.2flox/flox;Villin-Cre (Nkx2.2int) mice versus control Methods: 2 cm of the colon (as measured after the caecum) of 6 week old control and mutant mice were dissected and total RNA extracted. Libraries were prepared from total RNA (RIN>8) with the TruSeq RNA prep kit (Illumina) and sequenced using the HiSeq2000 (Illumina) instrument. More than 20 million reads were mapped to the mouse genome (UCSC/mm9) using Tophat (version 2.0.4) with 4 mismatches and 10 maximum multiple hits. Significantly differentially expressed genes were calculated using DEseq. Results: 53 genes with a p-value <0.05 were down-regulated and 36 were up-regulated. Among the changed genes are enteroendocrine hormones. Conclusion: Nkx2.2 regulates enteroendocrine cell specification Overall design: mRNA profiles of the colon of 6 week old control and Nkx2.2int mice were generated by deep sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq2000.
The novel enterochromaffin marker Lmx1a regulates serotonin biosynthesis in enteroendocrine cell lineages downstream of Nkx2.2.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
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