Project description:Functional liability conferred by gene expression profile can be a possible basis for diseases phenotype. By comparing gene expression profiles in splenic T cells from NOD, C57BL/6 mice and their congenic strains with altered MHCs (NOD.H2^h4 , B6.NOD/Idd1,5/), we identified that the NOD splenic T cells have a strain dependent, tissue specific unique gene expression profile that can be but not necessarily be modulated by alternation of MHC. The NOD splenic T cells gene expression profile indicated a deregulated stress response system, especially heat shock protein family. We demonstrated that NOD splenic T cells have apoptosis defect in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, the gene expression profile may confer liability upon NOD splenic T cells to make them more susceptible to apoptosis, which can be a critical factor to lead to NOD lymphopenia. As recently described, compensatory homeostatic proliferation, driven by lymphopenia, generates autoimmunity in the NOD mouse. Keywords: other
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:Functional liability conferred by gene expression profile can be a possible basis for diseases phenotype. By comparing gene expression profiles in splenic T cells from NOD, C57BL/6 mice and their congenic strains with altered MHCs (NOD.H2^h4 , B6.NOD/Idd1,5/), we identified that the NOD splenic T cells have a strain dependent, tissue specific unique gene expression profile that can be but not necessarily be modulated by alternation of MHC. The NOD splenic T cells gene expression profile indicated a deregulated stress response system, especially heat shock protein family. We demonstrated that NOD splenic T cells have apoptosis defect in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, the gene expression profile may confer liability upon NOD splenic T cells to make them more susceptible to apoptosis, which can be a critical factor to lead to NOD lymphopenia. As recently described, compensatory homeostatic proliferation, driven by lymphopenia, generates autoimmunity in the NOD mouse.
Project description:Comparison of gene expression profiles from Mus musculus brain (hemisphere) of animals kept in standard environment and enriched environment. The RNA-seq data comprise 4 groups: 2 age groups, each w/ and w/o enriched environment. Jena Centre for Systems Biology of Ageing - JenAge (www.jenage.de)
Project description:Comparison of gene expression profiles from Mus musculus brain (hippocampus) of animals kept in standard environment and enriched environment. The RNA-seq data comprise 4 groups: 2 age groups, each w/ and w/o enriched environment. Jena Centre for Systems Biology of Ageing - JenAge (www.jenage.de)