Reversible protein acetylation provides a central mechanism for controlling gene expression and cellular signaling events. It is governed by the antagonistic commitment of two enzymes families: the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and the histone deacetylases (HDACs). HDAC4, like its class IIa counterparts, is a potent transcriptional repressor through interactions with tissue-specific transcription factors via its N-terminal domain. Whilst the lysine deacetylase activity of the class IIa HDACs is much less potent than that of the class I enzymes, HDAC4 has been reported to influence protein deacetylation through its interaction with HDAC3.
HDAC4 does not act as a protein deacetylase in the postnatal murine brain in vivo.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesCell-based models of many neurological and psychiatric diseases, established by reprogramming patient somatic cells into human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), have now been reported. While numerous reports have demonstrated that neuronal cells differentiated from hiPSCs are electrophysiologically active mature neurons, the age of these cells relative to cells in the human brain remains unresolved. Comparisons of gene expression profiles of hiPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and neurons to the Allen BrainSpan Atlas indicate that hiPSC neural cells most resemble first trimester neural tissue. Consequently, we posit that hiPSC-derived neural cells may most accurately be used to model the early developmental defects that contribute to disease predisposition rather than the late features of the disease. Though the characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZD) generally appear late in adolescence, it is now thought to be a neurodevelopmental condition, often predated by a prodromal period that can appear in early childhood. Postmortem studies of SCZD brain tissue typically describe defects in mature neurons, such as reduced neuronal size and spine density in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, but abnormalities of neuronal organization, particularly in the cortex, have also been reported. We postulated that defects in cortical organization in SCZD might result from abnormal migration of neural cells. To test this hypothesis, we directly reprogrammed fibroblasts from SCZD patients into hiPSCs and subsequently differentiated these disorder-specific hiPSCs into NPCs. SCZD hiPSC differentiated into forebrain NPCs have altered expression of a number of cellular adhesion genes, reduced WNT signaling and aberrant cellular migration.
Phenotypic differences in hiPSC NPCs derived from patients with schizophrenia.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
HDAC4 reduction: a novel therapeutic strategy to target cytoplasmic huntingtin and ameliorate neurodegeneration.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesHistone deacetylase (HDAC) 4 is a transcriptional repressor that contains a glutamine rich domain. We hypothesised that it may be involved in the molecular pathogenesis of Huntingtons disease (HD), a protein folding neurodegenerative disorder caused by an aggregation-prone polyglutamine expansion and transcriptional dysregulation. We found that HDAC4 interacts with huntingtin in a polyglutamine-length dependent manner and co-localises with cytoplasmic inclusions. We show that HDAC4 reduction delayed cytoplasmic aggregate formation, restored Bdnf transcript levels and rescued neuronal and cortico-striatal synaptic function in HD mouse models. This was accompanied by an improvement in motor co-ordination, neurological phenotypes and increased lifespan. Surprisingly, HDAC4 reduction had no effect on global transcriptional dysfunction and did not modulate nuclear huntingtin aggregation. Our results define a crucial role for cytoplasmic aggregation in the molecular pathology of HD. HDAC4 reduction presents a novel strategy for targeting huntingtin aggregation which may be amenable to small molecule therapeutics.
HDAC4 reduction: a novel therapeutic strategy to target cytoplasmic huntingtin and ameliorate neurodegeneration.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesHistone deacetylase (HDAC) 4 is a transcriptional repressor that contains a glutamine rich domain. We hypothesised that it may be involved in the molecular pathogenesis of Huntingtons disease (HD), a protein folding neurodegenerative disorder caused by an aggregation-prone polyglutamine expansion and transcriptional dysregulation. We found that HDAC4 interacts with huntingtin in a polyglutamine-length dependent manner and co-localises with cytoplasmic inclusions. We show that HDAC4 reduction delayed cytoplasmic aggregate formation, restored Bdnf transcript levels and rescued neuronal and cortico-striatal synaptic function in HD mouse models. This was accompanied by an improvement in motor co-ordination, neurological phenotypes and increased lifespan. Surprisingly, HDAC4 reduction had no effect on global transcriptional dysfunction and did not modulate nuclear huntingtin aggregation. Our results define a crucial role for cytoplasmic aggregation in the molecular pathology of HD. HDAC4 reduction presents a novel strategy for targeting huntingtin aggregation which may be amenable to small molecule therapeutics.
HDAC4 reduction: a novel therapeutic strategy to target cytoplasmic huntingtin and ameliorate neurodegeneration.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesHuntington’s disease (HD) symptoms are driven to a large extent by dysfunction of the basal ganglia circuitry. HD patients exhibit reduced striatal phoshodiesterase 10 (PDE10) levels. Using HD mouse models that exhibit reduced PDE10, we demonstrate the benefit of pharmacologic PDE10 inhibition to acutely correct basal ganglia circuitry deficits. PDE10 inhibition restored corticostriatal input and boosted cortically driven indirect pathway activity. Cyclic nucleotide signaling is impaired in HD models and PDE10 loss may represent a homeostatic adaptation to maintain signaling. Elevation of both cAMP and cGMP by PDE10 inhibition were required for rescue. Phosphoproteomic profiling of striatum in response to PDE10 inhibition highlighted plausible neural substrates responsible for the improvement. Early chronic PDE10 inhibition in Q175 mice showed improvements beyond those seen with acute administration after symptom onset, including partial reversal of striatal deregulated transcripts and the prevention of the emergence of HD neurophysiological deficits. Overall design: Transcriptional profiling of cortex and striatal tissue following chronic dosing of either vehicle or the PDE10A inhibitor PF-02545920 (0.32, 1 and 3.2 mg/kg po qd) in the Q175 homozygous knock-in mouse model of Huntington’s disease (dosing from 5-weeks to 9 months of age).
Phosphodiesterase 10A Inhibition Improves Cortico-Basal Ganglia Function in Huntington's Disease Models.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesTranscriptional profiling after inhibition of cellulose synthesis by thaxtomin A and isoxaben in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells
Transcriptional profiling in response to inhibition of cellulose synthesis by thaxtomin A and isoxaben in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesAbstract. The role of platelets in hemostasis and thrombosis is clearly established; however, the mechanisms by which platelets mediate inflammatory and immune pathways are less well understood. Platelets interact and modulate the function of blood and vascular cells by releasing bioactive molecules. Although the platelet is anucleate, it contains transcripts that may mirror disease. Platelet mRNA is only associated with low-level protein translation, however, platelets have a unique membrane structure allowing for the passage of small molecules, leading to the possibility that its cytoplasmic RNA may be passed to nucleated cells. To examine this question, platelet-like particles with labeled RNA were co-cultured with vascular cells. Co-culture of platelet-like particles with activated THP-1, monocytic, and endothelial cells led to visual and functional RNA transfer. Post-transfer microarray gene expression analysis of THP-1 cells showed an increase in HBG1/HBG2 and HBA1/HBA2 expression which was directly related to the transfer. Infusion of wild-type platelets into a TLR2 deficient mouse model established in vivo confirmation of select platelet RNA transfer to leukocytes. By specifically transferring green fluorescent protein, it was also observed that external RNA was functional in the recipient cells. The observation that platelets possess the capacity to transfer cytosolic RNA suggests a new function for platelets in the regulation of vascular homeostasis.
Platelets and platelet-like particles mediate intercellular RNA transfer.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThe heterogeneity of cortical dopamine D2 receptor expressing cells is not well characterized
High Sensitivity Mapping of Cortical Dopamine D2 Receptor Expressing Neurons.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis study focused on transcription in the medial PFC (mPFC) as a function of age and cognition. Young and aged F344 rats were characterized on tasks, attentional set shift and spatial memory, which depend on the mPFC and hippocampus, respectively. Differences in transcription associated with age and cognitive function were examined using RNA sequencing to construct transcriptomic profiles for the mPFC, white matter, and region CA1 of the hippocampus. The results indicate regional differences in vulnerability to aging associated with increased expression of immune and defense response genes and a decline in synaptic and neural activity genes. Importantly, we provide evidence for region specific transcription related to behavior. In particular, expression of transcriptional regulators and neural activity-related immediate-early genes (IEGs) are increased in the mPFC of aged animals that exhibit delayed set shift behavior; relative to age-matched animals that exhibit set shift behavior similar to younger animals. Overall design: The study contains 11 young and 20 aged rats for the mPFC and CA1 samples, which were used to investigate expression patterns associated with aging and behavior. White matter samples were used to investigate an age-related effect with 8 young and 9 aged rats.
Transcription Profile of Aging and Cognition-Related Genes in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples