This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Tissue-specific genetic control of splicing: implications for the study of complex traits.
Sex, Age
View SamplesNumerous genome-wide screens for polymorphisms that influence gene expression have provided key insights into the genetic control of transcription. Despite this work, the relevance of specific polymorphisms to in vivo expression and splicing remains unclear. We carried out the first genome-wide screen, to our knowledge, for SNPs that associate with alternative splicing and gene expression in human primary cells, evaluating 93 autopsy-collected cortical brain tissue samples with no defined neuropsychiatric condition and 80 peripheral blood mononucleated cell samples collected from living healthy donors. We identified 23 high confidence associations with total expression and 80 with alternative splicing as reflected by expression levels of specific exons. Fewer than 50% of the implicated SNPs however show effects in both tissue types, reflecting strong evidence for distinct genetic control of splicing and expression in the two tissue types. The data generated here also suggest the possibility that splicing effects may be responsible for up to 13 out of 84 reported genome-wide significant associations with human traits. These results emphasize the importance of establishing a database of polymorphisms affecting splicing and expression in primary tissue types and suggest that splicing effects may be of more phenotypic significance than overall gene expression changes.
Tissue-specific genetic control of splicing: implications for the study of complex traits.
Sex, Age
View SamplesNumerous genome-wide screens for polymorphisms that influence gene expression have provided key insights into the genetic control of transcription. Despite this work, the relevance of specific polymorphisms to in vivo expression and splicing remains unclear. We carried out the first genome-wide screen, to our knowledge, for SNPs that associate with alternative splicing and gene expression in human primary cells, evaluating 93 autopsy-collected cortical brain tissue samples with no defined neuropsychiatric condition and 80 peripheral blood mononucleated cell samples collected from living healthy donors. We identified 23 high confidence associations with total expression and 80 with alternative splicing as reflected by expression levels of specific exons. Fewer than 50% of the implicated SNPs however show effects in both tissue types, reflecting strong evidence for distinct genetic control of splicing and expression in the two tissue types. The data generated here also suggest the possibility that splicing effects may be responsible for up to 13 out of 84 reported genome-wide significant associations with human traits. These results emphasize the importance of establishing a database of polymorphisms affecting splicing and expression in primary tissue types and suggest that splicing effects may be of more phenotypic significance than overall gene expression changes.
Tissue-specific genetic control of splicing: implications for the study of complex traits.
Sex, Age
View SamplesInformation about the genes that are preferentially expressed during the course of Alzheimers disease (AD) could improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of this common cause of cognitive impairment in older persons, provide new opportunities in the diagnosis, early detection, and tracking of this disorder, and provide novel targets for the discovery of interventions to treat and prevent this disorder. Information about the genes that are preferentially expressed in relationship to normal neurological aging could provide new information about the molecular mechanisms that are involved in normal age-related cognitive decline and a host of age-related neurological disorders, and they could provide novel targets for the discovery of interventions to mitigate some of these deleterious effects.
Gene expression profiles in anatomically and functionally distinct regions of the normal aged human brain.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Race
View SamplesAlzheimer's Disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder affecting approximately 4 million people in the U.S. alone. AD is characterized by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in cortical regions of the brain. These pathological markers are thought to be responsible for the massive cortical neurodegeneration and concomitant loss of memory, reasoning, and often aberrant behaviors that are seen in patients with AD. Understanding the molecular mechanisms whereby these histopathological markers develop will greatly enhance our understanding of AD development and progression. A clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurofibrillary tangle formation specifically may help to clarify the basis for dementia of AD as well as the dementias associated with other diseases that are collectively referred to as "tauopathies."
Gene expression correlates of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesDiurnal temperature cycling is an intrinsic characteristic of many exposed microbial ecosystems. However, its influence on yeast physiology and transcriptome has not been studied in detail. In this study, 24-h sinoidal temperature cycles, oscillating between 12 and 30C, were imposed on anaerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After three diurnal temperature cycles (DTC), concentrations of glucose, and extracellular metabolites, as well as CO2-production rates showed regular, reproducible circadian rhytms. DTC also led to waves of transcriptional activation and repression, which involved one sixth of the yeast genome. A substantial fraction of these DTC-responsive genes appeared to primarily respond to changes in glucose concentration. Elimination of known glucose-responsive genes revealed overrepresentation of previously identified temperature-responsive genes as well as genes involved in cell cycle and de novo purine biosynthesis. Analyses of budding index and flow cytomery demonstrated that DTC led to a partial synchronization of the cell cycle of the yeast populations in the chemostat cultures, which was lost upon release from DTC. Comparison of DTC results with data from steady-state cultures showed that DTC was sufficiently slow to allow S. cerevisiae chemostat cultures to almost completely acclimatize their transcriptome and physiology at the DTC temperature maximum, and to approach acclimation at the DTC temperature minimum.
Physiological and transcriptional responses of anaerobic chemostat cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to diurnal temperature cycles.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe present study aims to explore chemostat-based transcriptome analysis of mixed cultures by investigating interactions between the yeast S. cerevisiae and the lactic acid bacterium Lb. bulgaricus . S. cerevisiae and Lb. bulgaricus are both frequently encountered in kefir, a fermented dairy product (25). In the context of this study, this binary culture serves as a model for the many traditional food and beverage fermentation processes in which yeasts and lactic acid bacteria occur together (19,26-30). The design of the cultivation conditions was based on the observation that Lb. bulgaricus, but not S. cerevisiae, can use lactose as a carbon source for growth and that S. cerevisiae, but not Lb. bulgaricus, can grow on galactose that is released upon hydrolysis of lactose by the bacterial -galactosidase.
Transcriptome-based characterization of interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in lactose-grown chemostat cocultures.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesHuman aging is associated with loss of function and regenerative capacity. Human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are involved in tissue regeneration, evidenced by their capacity to differentiate into several lineages and therefore are considered the gold standard for cell-based regeneration therapy. Tissue maintenance and regeneration is dependent on stem cells and declines with age and aging is thought to influence therapeutic efficacy, therefore, more insight in the process of aging of hMSCs is of high interest. We, therefore, hypothesized that hMSCs might reflect signs of aging. In order to find markers for donor age, early passage hMSCs were isolated from bone marrow of 61 donors, with ages varying from 17-84, and clinical parameters, in vitro characteristics and microarray analysis were assessed. Although clinical parameters and in vitro performance did not yield reliable markers for aging since large donor variations were present, genome-wide microarray analysis resulted in a considerable list of genes correlating with human age. By comparing the transcriptional profile of aging in human with the one from rat, we discovered follistatin as a common marker for aging in both species. The gene signature presented here could be a useful tool for drug testing to rejuvenate hMSCs or for the selection of more potent, hMSCs for cell-based therapy.
A mesenchymal stromal cell gene signature for donor age.
Sex, Age
View SamplesZinc is indispensable for the catalytic activity and structural stability of many proteins, and its deficiency can have severe consequences for microbial growth in natural and industrial environments. For example, Zn depletion in wort negatively affects beer fermentation and quality. Several studies have investigated yeast adaptation to low Zn supply, but were all performed in batch cultures, where specific growth rate depends on Zn availability. The transcriptional responses to growth-rate and Zn availability are then intertwined, which obscures result interpretation. In the present study, transcriptional responses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Zn availability were investigated at a fixed specific growth rate under Zn limitation and excess in chemostat culture. To investigate the context-dependency of this transcriptional response, yeast was grown under several chemostat regimes resulting in various carbon (glucose), nitrogen (ammonium) and oxygen supplies. A robust set of genes that responded consistently to Zn limitation was identified and enabled the definition of a Zn-specific Zap1 regulon comprising of 26 genes and characterized by a broader ZRE consensus (MHHAACCBYNMRGGT) than so far described. Most surprising was the Zn-dependent regulation of genes involved in storage carbohydrate metabolism. Their concerted down-regulation was physiologically relevant as revealed by a substantial decrease in glycogen and trehalose cellular content under Zn limitation. An unexpectedly large amount of genes were synergistically or antagonistically regulated by oxygen and Zn availability. This combinatorial regulation suggested a more prominent involvement of Zn in mitochondrial biogenesis and function than hitherto identified
Physiological and transcriptional responses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to zinc limitation in chemostat cultures.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesZinc is indispensable for the catalytic activity and structural stability of many proteins, and its deficiency can have severe consequences for microbial growth in natural and industrial environments. For example, Zn depletion in wort negatively affects beer fermentation and quality. Several studies have investigated yeast adaptation to low Zn supply, but were all performed in batch cultures, where specific growth rate depends on Zn availability. The transcriptional responses to growth-rate and Zn availability are then intertwined, which obscures result interpretation. In the present study, transcriptional responses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Zn availability were investigated at a fixed specific growth rate under Zn limitation and excess in chemostat culture. To investigate the context-dependency of this transcriptional response, yeast was grown under several chemostat regimes resulting in various carbon (glucose), nitrogen (ammonium) and oxygen supplies. A robust set of genes that responded consistently to Zn limitation was identified and enabled the definition of a Zn-specific Zap1 regulon comprising of 26 genes and characterized by a broader ZRE consensus (MHHAACCBYNMRGGT) than so far described. Most surprising was the Zn-dependent regulation of genes involved in storage carbohydrate metabolism. Their concerted down-regulation was physiologically relevant as revealed by a substantial decrease in glycogen and trehalose cellular content under Zn limitation. An unexpectedly large amount of genes were synergistically or antagonistically regulated by oxygen and Zn availability. This combinatorial regulation suggested a more prominent involvement of Zn in mitochondrial biogenesis and function than hitherto identified.
Physiological and transcriptional responses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to zinc limitation in chemostat cultures.
No sample metadata fields
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