Project description:We have developed a computational approach that uses self-organizing maps for integrative genomic analysis. We utilize this approach to identify the single-cell chromatin and transcriptomic profiles during mouse pre-B cell differentiation.
Project description:We have developed a computational approach that uses self-organizing maps for integrative genomic analysis. We utilize this approach to identify the single-cell chromatin and transcriptomic profiles during mouse pre-B cell differentiation.
Project description:Ticks are obligate blood feeding ectoparasites that transmit a wide variety of pathogenic organisms to their vertebrate hosts. The tick Amblyomma sculptum is vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rock Mountain spotted fever, the most lethal rickettsiosis that affects humans. It is known that the transmission of pathogens by ticks is mainly associated with the physiology of the feeding process. Pathogens that are acquired with the blood meal must first colonize the tick gut and later the salivary glands (SG). Then, to be transmitted during a subsequent blood feeding, pathogens must reach the saliva. Tick saliva contains a complex mixture of bioactive molecules with anti-clotting, anti-platelet aggregation, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties to counteract both the host hemostasis and defense mechanisms, which besides facilitating tick feeding, may also benefits survival and establishment of pathogens in the host. In the current study, we compared the sialotranscriptome of unfed A. sculptum ticks and fed for 72 hours on rabbits using RNA-seq. The total of reads obtained were mapped in 9,560 coding sequences (CDSs) distributed in six major functional classes. Genes encoding secreted proteins, including lipocalins, mucins, protease inhibitors, glycine rich, metalloprotease, and 8.9 kDa superfamily were mostly upregulated by blood feeding. Selected genes were analyzed by RT-qPCR and all of them presented the same transcriptional profile regulation observed in RNA-seq, corroborating the transcriptional findings of this study. Finally, we mapped 116 proteins secreted in tick saliva by mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis. Identified proteins should be functionally characterized and might be potential targets to develop vaccines for tick control and/or blocking of R. rickettsii transmission as well as pharmacological bioproducts with anti-hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial activities.
Project description:We report the ChIP-seq analysis of multiple Xenopus transcription factors binding. Also, we report loss-of-function transcriptomic analysis of Tcf7l1 by RNA-seq at different developmental stages. These newly generated datasets are analyzed using self-organizing maps, along with previously published Xenopus genomic data.
Project description:A collection of 1145 clones from an EST project on female tick salivary gland genes was hybridized on glass slides to RNA extracted from several feeding stages of adult female tick salivary glands, including unfed and replete, and from adult male ticks, either unfed or fed in the presence or absence of female ticks. In the female ticks, the early fed (<50 mg) and partially fed (30-200 mg) groups were very similar. The fast feeding (350-500 mg) and replete ticks were similar to each other, but different from the partially fed. The unfed ticks were more similar to the fast feeding – replete groups than the early fed-partially fed groups. In the males, there were differences between the males fed in the presence or absence of females, but overall, these groups were very similar. The unfed ticks were significantly different from the fed ticks. Males showed clear differences with females in expression, as well. The unfed females had high levels of genes involved in protein synthesis, while genes possibly involved in survival on the host, such as anticoagulants, seemed to be most expressed in the early and partially fed states. By contrast, in the males, the protein synthesis genes were expressed more in all three groups, while the putative secreted genes for survival were expressed less. Keywords: time course, effect of feeding, sex, effect of presence of females
Project description:The 10 samples below represent a study where gene expression levels were measured in 5 different parts of the rat brain under cocaine-treated (GSM4696, GSM4698 - GSM4701) and saline-treated control (GSM4702 - GSM4706) conditions. The regions studied were amygdala (amy), caudate putamen (cpu), nucleus acumbens (na), prefrontal cortex (cpu), and the ventral tegmental area (vta). The data were analyzed using two different computational techniques, viz. singular value decomposition (SVD) and self-organizing maps (SOM), to identify a common set of genes that were regulated by cocaine administration.