Project description:The goal of this study was to identify changes in the transcriptome that occur following Abca12 gene deletion relative to Control islets
Project description:The goal of this study was to identify changes in the transcriptome that occur following Abca12 gene deletion relative to Control islets
Project description:The pancreas islets RNA expressions were compared between WT (exon2 floxed) mice and Cdh13 KO (exon2 deleted) mice. The islets were isolated from the mice at 8wks old, 14wks old under normal chow diet, and 14wks old under HFD conditions.
Project description:The biology of Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI), a devastating skin disorder, caused by loss of function mutations in the gene ABCA12, is poorly understood and to date no satisfactory treatment has been developed. We sought to investigate pathomechanisms of Harlequin Ichthyosis which could lead to the identification of safe and effective treatments to improve patients' quality of life. RNA-Seq analysis using normal skin (n=5) and HI patient skin (n=4) were performed to define the effects of loss of ABCA12. Functional annotation clustering analysis showed changes in three common groups: epidermal differentiation, lipid metabolism and inflammation (innate immunity and IFNγ signalling). In HI patient skin, gene expression of STAT1, STAT3 and Interleukin 36 (IL-36) A and G cytokines was significantly upregulated compared to normal skin, whereas IL-37, an inhibitor of innate immunity, was downregulated. RNA-Seq and functional assays were performed to define the effects of loss of ABCA12, using an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 ABCA12 KO 3D model. Functional annotation clustering analysis showed changes in three common groups: epidermal differentiation, lipid metabolism and inflammation.
Project description:Early postnatal overnutrition causes persistent dysregulation of endocrine pancreas function. We used genome-scale DNA methylation profiling in the suckling-period small litter (SL) mouse model to test whether this occurs via persistent epigenetic changes in pancreatic islets. Although SL islets showed DNA methylation changes directly after weaning and in adulthood, few of these were present at both ages, contrary to our hypothesis. Most interestingly, we discovered that genomic regions that are hypermethylated in exocrine relative to endocrine pancreas tend to gain methylation in islets during aging. Focusing on a subset of genes relevant to β cell function, we showed that these methylation differences are strongly correlated with expression. Together, our results provide the novel insight that DNA methylation changes that occur as islets age indicate an overall epigenetic drift toward the exocrine pancreas epigenome. These concerted shifts in the islet methylome could contribute to the age-associated decline in endocrine pancreas function. Pancreatic islets were isolated from P21/P180 SL or C mice. To ensure purity of islets, 3 rounds of manual picking were performed in each samples. Whole pancreas samples, ~98% of which is exocrine pancreas, were used as exocrine pancreas. There are 5 mice per group.
Project description:To gain insights into how pancreatic cells are programmed in vivo, we profiled RNA expression in pancreatic islets of pancreatic Ring1b conditional KO mice (conditional using a pancreas specfic Cre; Pdx1-Cre) and their littermate controls