Project description:Multiple studies have shown that brain gene expression is disturbed in subjects suffering from schizophrenia. However, disentangling disease effects from alterations caused by neuroleptics is a challenging task. <br> To address the issues of disease heterogeneity and the effect of antipsychotic medication, we use a large collection of 110 brain autopsy samples, subdivided according to the type of antipsychotic medication received. We use global and high-resolution mRNA quantification techniques to analyse gene expression in brain tissues. We also analyse transcription in-vitro, in cell lines before and after treatment with cytokines.<br> Results. We show that inflammation-related genes are up regulated in all groups of patients, including those not treated at the time of death. In particular, four co-expressed genes that are inducible by inflammatory cytokines showed increased mRNA levels, namely IFITM2, IFITM3, SERPINA3, and GBP1 (p-values from qPCR ? 0.01). We also show that these genes are expressed in oligodendrocyte and endothelial cell lines, and transcription is inducible by inflammatory cytokines in both cell lines. Our results give molecular support to the inflammatory theory of schizophrenia and suggest that inflammatory cytokines may stimulate transcription in endothelial brain cells during schizophrenia progression. Unexpectedly, inflammation-related genes may also have a role in myelin producing cells, since they are also inducible by cytokines in oligodendrocyte cell lines. Our findings encourage future research to explore whether anti-inflammatory agents can be used in combination with traditional antipsychotics for a more efficient treatment of schizophrenia.
Project description:We compared gene expression patterns between the occipital cortex tissues of four male and four female individuals in three species: an ape (human, Homo sapiens), an Old World monkey (macaque; Macaca fascicularis), and a New World monkey (marmoset; Callithrix jacchus). To do so, we hybridized cDNA from each sample (n = 24) to a human cDNA microarray that contains 46,128 probes. (Human 46k cDNA, http://www.biotech.kth.se/molbio/microarray/). We used a loop hybridization study design restricted to within-species comparisons only, in which we co-hybridized on each slide samples from the opposite sex.
Project description:We studied the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated QKI depletion on global gene expression in human oligodendroglioma cells and astrocyte glioma cells
Project description:Analysis of transcriptional response to UV irradiation in two related crenarchaea, Sulfolobus solfataricus and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.
Project description:Exponentially growing Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were treated with NaAc to generate replication runout and arrest in G2 phase. The cells were then resuspended in fresh acetate-free media which generates a synchronous population. Samples for investigation of gene expression change were taken during the synchronised populations progress through the cell cycle.
Project description:Seeds of A. thaliana were sowed on culture medium poured in Magenta boxes. They were allowed to germinate. Plantlets were in vitro for 5 or 11 days and harvested for RNA extraction.
Project description:Comparison of N. gonorrhoeae nmb1650 knockout mutant and wild-type parent strains grown in capnoaerobic conditions (normal atmosphere +5% CO2)
Project description:Comparison of N. meningitidis nmb1650 knockout mutant and parental strains grown in capnoaerobic conditions (normal atmosphere +5% CO2)