Dataset Information

ELAVL2-regulated transcriptional networks in human neurons link atlernative splicing, autism and human neocortical evolution

ABSTRACT: The role of post-transcriptional gene regulation in human brain development and cognitive diseases remains mostly uncharacterized. ELAV-like RNA binding proteins are a family of proteins that regulate several aspects of neuronal function including neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. Here, we identify the downstream transcriptional networks of ELAVL2, an RNA-binding protein with unknown function in the brain. We knockdown expression of ELAVL2 in human neurons and conduct RNA-sequencing, identifying networks of differentially expressed and alternatively spliced genes with altered ELAVL2. These networks contain autism-relevant genes as well as previously identified targets of other RNA binding proteins implicated in autism spectrum disorders such as RBFOX1 and FMRP. ELAVL2-regulated coexpression networks are also enriched for synaptic genes as well as genes with human-specific patterns of gene expression in the frontal pole. Together, these data suggest that ELAVL2 regulation of transcript expression is critical for neuronal functions at risk in autism spectrum disorders and such mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation may have contributed to human brain evolution.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE69092 | GEO | 2016/07/11

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA284513

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Dataset's files

Source:

			Action	DRS
		Other

Items per page:

1 - 1 of 1

Similar Datasets

Project description:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, highly heritable neurodevelopmental condition characterized by marked genetic heterogeneity. Thus, a fundamental question is whether autism represents an aetiologically heterogeneous disorder in which the myriad genetic or environmental risk factors perturb common underlying molecular pathways in the brain. Here, we demonstrate consistent differences in transcriptome organization between autistic and normal brain by gene co-expression network analysis. Remarkably, regional patterns of gene expression that typically distinguish frontal and temporal cortex are significantly attenuated in the ASD brain, suggesting abnormalities in cortical patterning. We further identify discrete modules of co-expressed genes associated with autism: a neuronal module enriched for known autism susceptibility genes, including the neuronal specific splicing factor A2BP1 (also known as FOX1), and a module enriched for immune genes and glial markers. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing we demonstrate dysregulated splicing of A2BP1-dependent alternative exons in the ASD brain. Moreover, using a published autism genome-wide association study (GWAS) data set, we show that the neuronal module is enriched for genetically associated variants, providing independent support for the causal involvement of these genes in autism. In contrast, the immune-glial module showed no enrichment for autism GWAS signals, indicating a non-genetic aetiology for this process. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence for convergent molecular abnormalities in ASD, and implicate transcriptional and splicing dysregulation as underlying mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction in this disorder. To identify potential A2BP1-dependent differential splicing events in ASD brain, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on three autism samples with significant downregulation of A2BP1 (average fold change by quantitative RT-PCR = 5.9) and three control samples with average A2BP1 levels. The list of potential A2BP1-depending differential splicing events in ASD is given in the Supplementary file linked at the foot of this record.

Dataset Information

ELAVL2-regulated transcriptional networks in human neurons link atlernative splicing, autism and human neocortical evolution

Dataset's files

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets