Project description:Melanocytes are surrounded by diverse cells including sensory neurons in our skin, but their interaction and functional importance has been poorly investigated. In this study, we found that melanocytes and nociceptive neurons contact more in human skin color patch tissue than control. Co-culture with human iPS cell-derived sensory neurons significantly induced morphogenesis and pigmentation of human melanocytes. To reveal melanocytes-stimulating factors secreted from neurons, we performed proteomic analyses and identified RGMB in the sensory neuron-conditioned media. RGMB protein induced morphogenesis and melanin production of melanocytes, demonstrating that RGMB is a melanocyte-stimulating factor released from sensory neurons. Transcriptome analysis suggested that the melanosome transport machinery could be controlled by RGMB, which led us to identify vesicle production response of melanocytes upon RGMB treatment. This study discovered a role of sensory neurons to modulate multiple aspects of human melanocytes through secretion of a key factor RGMB.
Project description:Sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) convey somatosensory and metabolic cues to the central nervous system and release substances locally from stimulated terminal endings in peripheral organs. Sex-biased variations driven by the sex chromosome complement (XX and XY) have been implicated in the sensory-islet crosstalk. However, the identity of the molecules underlying male-female differences is not known. Here, we aim to characterize the molecular repertoire and the secretome profile of the spinal sensory neurons in sexually immature male and female mice to identify molecules with sex-biased insulin sensing- and/or insulin secretion-modulating activity. We used transcriptomics and proteomics to uncover differentially expressed genes and secreted molecules in DRG sensory neurons derived from 3-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice. Comparative transcriptome and proteome analyses revealed differential gene expression and protein secretion in DRG neurons in males and females. Interestingly, gene ontology annotation highlighted sex differences in epigenetic regulation, cell cycle, DNA replication and insulin signaling pathways. Secretome analysis uncovered several sex-based variations in conventionally and unconventionally sensory-secreted proteins with potential roles in β-cell function-modulating activity. Collectively, we provide a valuable resource of molecular and secretory targets that can be leveraged for understanding sex differences in DRG sensory neurons. Some of these candidates have translational value as they can inform the development of novel sex-based therapeutic opportunities for individuals with compromised β-cell activity.
Project description:Sensory neurons are nerve cells that are activated by sensory input such as heat, light and convey information to the brain. Although a key cell type in complex organisms, human sensory neurons are challenging to study because they are impossible to obtain from living donors. We have collaborated with the Neucentis Pharmaceutical Research Unit to differentiate sensory neuron like cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells derived as part of the Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Initiative. We will sequence RNA from 100 IPS lines derived from healthy individuals and perform RNA-seq on the differentiated cells to identify noncoding variants that alter gene expression in human sensory neurons.
Project description:Whole genome transcriptional profiling is used to compare ESTs found in cell bodies and processes of Aplysia sensory neurons RNA samples derived from cell bodies or processes of Aplysia single cultured sensory neurons were hybridized to custom Aplysia EST microarrays. Two-condition experiment; four biological replicates for each condition were reciprocally hybridized on each two-color array
Project description:We developed an approach to rapidly eliminate the subgroup of sensory neurons expressing the heat-gated cation channel TRPV1 from dissociated rat sensory ganglia using agonist treatment followed by density centrifugation. To identify transcripts predominantly expressed in TRPV1-positive neurons, we compared the transcriptome of all cells within sensory ganglia versus all cells without TRPV1 expressing neurons using RNA-Seq.
Project description:The overall aim of the experiment is to understand the phenotype of mature mouse olfactory sensory neurons by analyzing the transcripts expressed and enriched in them as compared to the rest of the cell types in the olfactory epithelium (consisting of immature neurons, supporting cells, progenitor cells and cells in lamina propria) and brain ( with out the olfactory bulbs). Comparision with the other cell types in the olfactory epithelium should eliminate the transcripts commonly expressed in the olfactory epithelium and comparision with brain will eliminate the transcripts common to most neurons. Our gene chip data indicates that mature mouse olfactory sensory neurons express 10,000 genes. Mature OSNs specifically contained three clusters of over represented Gene ontology categories: smell, ion transport and cilia. Analysis for the functionally over represented categories among the transcripts with a positive signal in the mature OSNs yielded largely broad categories common to all cells with the exception of chromatin modelling and RNA processing categories. Biological process categories of movement, development and immune response came as under represented categories. Experiment Overall Design: To purify mature olfactory neurons we took advantage of the OMP-GFP mice. OMP(olfactory marker protein) is expressed specifically in mature olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons. In the OMP-GFP mice the coding region of OMP is replaced by GFP. We purified OSNs from the rest of the epithelium from these mice by using FACS. . We used the Affymetrix gene chips mouse expression set 430 (consisting of 430A and 430B chips). Our gene chip data is extensively validated by insitu hybridizations.
Project description:Sensory neurons are nerve cells that are activated by sensory input such as heat, light and convey information to the brain. Although a key cell type in complex organisms, human sensory neurons are challenging to study because they are impossible to obtain from living donors. We have collaborated with the Neucentis Pharmaceutical Research Unit to differentiate sensory neuron like cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells derived as part of the Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Initiative. We will sequence RNA from 100 IPS lines derived from healthy individuals and perform RNA-seq on the differentiated cells to identify noncoding variants that alter gene expression in human sensory neurons
Project description:We developed an approach to rapidly eliminate the subgroup of sensory neurons expressing the heat-gated cation channel TRPV1 from dissociated rat sensory ganglia using agonist treatment followed by density centrifugation. To identify transcripts predomintly expressed in TRPV1-positive neurons, we compared the transcriptome of all cells within sensory ganglia versus all cells without TRPV1 expressing neurons using RNA-Seq. Four replicate experiments with RNA from DRG neurons of one rat per experiment were performed. Dissociated neurons were split up in three parts, treated with solvent DMSO (0.1%), casaicin (10 µM), or RTX (100 nM) for 30 min followed by gradient centrifugation. RNA was extracted from the remaining pellet containing either all cells or all cells without TRPV1-positive neurons.