Project description:The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of peripheral (IV) administration of AβPP antisense on hippocampal gene expression as well as on learning and memory as measured by T-maze in adult male mice aged 12 months. The AβPP antisense treatment reversed learning and memory deficits and altered the expression of 944 hippocampal genes, which are involved in a coordinated set of signaling pathways. Expression and pathway findings were verified at the protein and functional (phosphorylation) levels. Global differential profiling of hippocampal gene expression (12 month old adult mice: Control, SAMP8, SAMP8 + Random antisense, SAMP8 + AβPP antisense) was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Arrays. The AβPP antisense reversed the memory deficits and altered expression of 944 hippocampal genes. Pathway analysis showed significant gene expression changes in 9 pathways. These include the MAPK signaling pathway (P = 0.0078) and the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway (P = 0.043), which we have previously shown to be altered in SAMP8 mice. The changes in these pathways contributed to significant changes in the Neurotropin (P = 0.0083) and Insulin Signaling (P = 0.015) pathways, which are known to be important in learning and memory. Changes in these pathways were accompanied by phosphorylation changes in the downstream target proteins p70S6K, GSK3β, ERK, and CREB. These changes in hippocampal gene expression and protein phosphorylation may suggest specific new targets for antisense therapy aimed at improving memory. One-way ANOVA (4 conditions, n=4). Variables were treatment (AβPP antisense, Random antisense, no treatment) and mouse strain (Control and SAMP8). This results in 4 groups: (All 12-month-old adult male mice) NT-Control, NT_SAMP8, Random_AS-SAMP8, and AβPP_AS-SAMP8. Each group had 4 biological replicates (4 mice). The 'Control' mice were a 50% backcross of the SAMP8 mice with CD-1 mice (50% SAMP8 mice). These mice were closely related to SAMP8 mice but exhibited no memory deficits at 4 or 12 months. The SAMP8 mice had memory deficits at 12 months but not at 4 months.
Project description:Mice deficient in the glucocorticoid-regenerating enzyme 11β-HSD1 resist age-related spatial memory impairment. To investigate the mechanisms/pathways involved, we used microarrays to identify differentially expressed hippocampal genes that associate with cognitive ageing and 11β-HSD1. Aged wild-type mice were separated into memory-impaired and unimpaired relative to young controls according to their performance in the Y-maze. All individual aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice showed intact spatial memory. The majority of differentially expressed hippocampal genes were increased with ageing (e.g. immune/inflammatory response genes) with no genotype differences. However, the neuronal-specific transcription factor, Npas4 and immediate early gene, Arc were reduced (relative to young) in the hippocampus of memory-impaired but not unimpaired aged wild-type or aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice. Quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization confirmed reduced Npas4 and Arc mRNA expression in memory-impaired aged wild-type mice. These findings suggest that 11β-HSD1 may contribute to the decline in Npas4 and Arc mRNA levels associated with memory impairment during ageing, and that decreased activity of synaptic plasticity pathways involving Npas4 and Arc may, in part, underlie the memory deficits seen in cognitively-impaired aged wild-type mice. 20 samples, 5 groups of 4 biological replicates each. Young, Wild Type animals are overall controls
Project description:The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of peripheral (IV) administration of AβPP antisense on hippocampal gene expression as well as on learning and memory as measured by T-maze in adult male mice aged 12 months. The AβPP antisense treatment reversed learning and memory deficits and altered the expression of 944 hippocampal genes, which are involved in a coordinated set of signaling pathways. Expression and pathway findings were verified at the protein and functional (phosphorylation) levels. Global differential profiling of hippocampal gene expression (12 month old adult mice: Control, SAMP8, SAMP8 + Random antisense, SAMP8 + AβPP antisense) was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Arrays. The AβPP antisense reversed the memory deficits and altered expression of 944 hippocampal genes. Pathway analysis showed significant gene expression changes in 9 pathways. These include the MAPK signaling pathway (P = 0.0078) and the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway (P = 0.043), which we have previously shown to be altered in SAMP8 mice. The changes in these pathways contributed to significant changes in the Neurotropin (P = 0.0083) and Insulin Signaling (P = 0.015) pathways, which are known to be important in learning and memory. Changes in these pathways were accompanied by phosphorylation changes in the downstream target proteins p70S6K, GSK3β, ERK, and CREB. These changes in hippocampal gene expression and protein phosphorylation may suggest specific new targets for antisense therapy aimed at improving memory.
Project description:PURPOSE: To provide a detailed gene expression profile of the normal postnatal mouse cornea. METHODS: Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was performed on postnatal day (PN)9 and adult mouse (6 week) total corneas. The expression of selected genes was analyzed by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: A total of 64,272 PN9 and 62,206 adult tags were sequenced. Mouse corneal transcriptomes are composed of at least 19,544 and 18,509 unique mRNAs, respectively. One third of the unique tags were expressed at both stages, whereas a third was identified exclusively in PN9 or adult corneas. Three hundred thirty-four PN9 and 339 adult tags were enriched more than fivefold over other published nonocular libraries. Abundant transcripts were associated with metabolic functions, redox activities, and barrier integrity. Three members of the Ly-6/uPAR family whose functions are unknown in the cornea constitute more than 1% of the total mRNA. Aquaporin 5, epithelial membrane protein and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) omega-1, and GST alpha-4 mRNAs were preferentially expressed in distinct corneal epithelial layers, providing new markers for stratification. More than 200 tags were differentially expressed, of which 25 mediate transcription. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to providing a detailed profile of expressed genes in the PN9 and mature mouse cornea, the present SAGE data demonstrate dynamic changes in gene expression after eye opening and provide new probes for exploring corneal epithelial cell stratification, development, and function and for exploring the intricate relationship between programmed and environmentally induced gene expression in the cornea. Keywords: other
Project description:Mice deficient in the glucocorticoid-regenerating enzyme 11β-HSD1 resist age-related spatial memory impairment. To investigate the mechanisms/pathways involved, we used microarrays to identify differentially expressed hippocampal genes that associate with cognitive ageing and 11β-HSD1. Aged wild-type mice were separated into memory-impaired and unimpaired relative to young controls according to their performance in the Y-maze. All individual aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice showed intact spatial memory. The majority of differentially expressed hippocampal genes were increased with ageing (e.g. immune/inflammatory response genes) with no genotype differences. However, the neuronal-specific transcription factor, Npas4 and immediate early gene, Arc were reduced (relative to young) in the hippocampus of memory-impaired but not unimpaired aged wild-type or aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice. Quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization confirmed reduced Npas4 and Arc mRNA expression in memory-impaired aged wild-type mice. These findings suggest that 11β-HSD1 may contribute to the decline in Npas4 and Arc mRNA levels associated with memory impairment during ageing, and that decreased activity of synaptic plasticity pathways involving Npas4 and Arc may, in part, underlie the memory deficits seen in cognitively-impaired aged wild-type mice.
Project description:Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exhibit progressive memory loss, depression, and anxiety, accompanied by impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Whether modulating AHN is sufficient to improve these cognitive and noncognitive symptoms in AD remains elusive. Here we report that chronic stimulation of hypothalamic supramammillary nucleus (SuM) during early AD restores AHN in an otherwise impaired neurogenic niche. Strikingly, activation of SuM-enhanced adult-born neurons (ABNs) is sufficient to restore memory and emotion deficits in 5×FAD mice. Interestingly, activation of SuM-enhanced ABNs in AD mice increases CA3 and CA1 activity. To probe ABN-activity-dependent changes, we performed quantitative phosphoproteomics and found activation of SuM-enhanced ABNs promotes activation of the canonical pathways related to synaptic plasticity and microglia phagocytosis. Functional assays further confirm increased CA1 long-term potentiation and enhanced microglia phagocytosis of plaques upon activation of SuM-enhanced ABNs. Our findings reveal a robust AHN-promoting strategy that is sufficient to restore AD-associated deficits and highlight ABN-activity-dependent mechanisms underlying functional improvement in AD.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.