Project description:Ebf genes regulate differentiation of several cell type. Ebf2 is expressed in Schwann cells and Ebf2-/- mice show among other phenotypical abnormalities a delay in the onset of myelination associated to a decreased expression of genes regulating myelination. In addition at one month of age Ebf2-/- mice show decreased motor conduction velocity and morphological alteration in sciatic nerves. Ebf2 target genes are unknown. To identify Ebf2 target genes with a role in myelination, we compared the expression profiles of sciatic nerves isolated from P2 Wt and Ebf2-/- mice by microarray analysis. We used microarray to find Ebf2 candidate target genes by comparing gene expression of Ebf2-/- sciatic nerve and wt nerves 2 days postnatally (P2) a time point in which Ebf2-/- pups present a delay in the onset of myelination.
Project description:The transcriptome of sciatic nerves was investigated by RNA sequencing. We compared the transcriptome of ZH3 sciatic nerves to WT sciatic nerves in two age groups. Differentially expressed genes were considered as indicators of peripheral nerve damage in ZH3 mice. Then, we compared the sciatic nerve transcriptome of ZH3 mice chronically treated with a dimeric PrP-fusion protein (FT2Fc) to the two control groups treated with either buffer or mouse IgG. This comparison revealed specific changes induced by FT2Fc treatment. Contrary to our hypothesis, FT2Fc treatment did not alter the expression of the genes that were dysregulated in young and old ZH3 mice (as identified in the first part of the study).
Project description:To determine gene expression differences between control transected sciatic nerves (from C57BL/6 WT mice) and mutant (Homozyous Shh 1/2/3 enhancer deletion). Our analysis revealed significant differential gene expression between the control samples and the mutants.
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:To investigate the potential function of lncRNAs in Schwann cell (SCs) response to sciatic nerve damage and repair, we extracted the total RNA of crushed sciatic nerves and intact contralateral nerves for RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 98 differentially expressed lncRNAs (including 46 up-regulated and 52 down-regulated lncRNAs) and 77 differentially expressed mRNAs (including 55 up-regulated and 22 down-regulated mRNAs) were identified between crushed sciatic nerves and normal control (log 2 FC > 1 and p < 0.001).
Project description:Identification of deregulated transcripts in sciatic nerves of Adar1cKO mice versus WT to identify origin of myelin defects observed upon invalidation of ADAR1 in neural crest cells
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.