Identifying genetic loci and spleen gene coexpression networks underlying immunophenotypes in BXD recombinant inbred mice

Trps1 differentially modulates the bone mineral density between male and female mice and its polymorphism associates with BMD differently between women and men

The objective of our study was to identify genetic factors that regulate bone mineral density (BMD) in mice using well defined recombinant inbred strains. For this purpose we chose the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains derived from progeny of the C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) progenitor strains. We sampled both male and female mice (∼4 each) of 46 strains at 3 months-of-age, measured their BMD, and conducted QTL mapping. The data were analyzed to identify candidates genes contained within the most significant quantitative trait locus (QTL). Evaluation of candidate genes included functional assessment, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and direct sequencing. We established that there was a QTL for BMD in males on chromosome 15 that has the impact larger than QTLs on all other chromosomes. The QTL on chromosome 15 was narrowed to a genomic region between 38 Mbp and 52 Mbp. By examining transcripts within this region, we found an important candidate gene: trichorhinophalangeal syndrome, type I (Trps1). SNP analysis identified a nonsynonymous SNP (rs32398060) in Trps1 that co-segregated with bone mineral density. Analysis of association between this SNP within TRPS1 and BMD in a human population confirmed its significance.

Breed-specific hematological phenotypes in the dog: a natural resource for the genetic dissection of hematological parameters in a mammalian species

Remarkably little has been published on hematological phenotypes of the domestic dog, the most polymorphic species on the planet. Information on the signalment and complete blood cell count of all dogs with normal red and white blood cell parameters judged by existing reference intervals was extracted from a veterinary database. Normal hematological profiles were available for 6046 dogs, 5447 of which also had machine platelet concentrations within the reference interval. Seventy-five pure breeds plus a mixed breed control group were represented by 10 or more dogs. All measured parameters except mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) varied with age. Concentrations of white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils and platelets, but not red blood cell parameters, all varied with sex. Neutering status had an impact on hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), MCHC, and concentrations of WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. Principal component analysis of hematological data revealed 37 pure breeds with distinctive phenotypes. Furthermore, all hematological parameters except MCHC showed significant differences between specific individual breeds and the mixed breed group. Twenty-nine breeds had distinctive phenotypes when assessed in this way, of which 19 had already been identified by principal component analysis. Tentative breed-specific reference intervals were generated for breeds with a distinctive phenotype identified by comparative analysis. This study represents the first large-scale analysis of hematological phenotypes in the dog and underlines the important potential of this species in the elucidation of genetic determinants of hematological traits, triangulating phenotype, breed and genetic predisposition.

Applications of subsurface microscopy

Exploring the interior of a cell is of tremendous importance in order to assess the effects of nanomaterials on biological systems. Outside of a controlled laboratory environment, nanomaterials will most likely not be conveniently labeled or tagged so that their translocation within a biological system cannot be easily identified and quantified. Ideally, the characterization of nanomaterials within a cell requires a nondestructive, label-free, and subsurface approach. Subsurface nanoscale imaging represents a real challenge for instrumentation. Indeed the tools available for high resolution characterization, including optical, electron or scanning probe microscopies, mainly provide topography images or require taggants that fluoresce. Although the intercellular environment holds a great deal of information, subsurface visualization remains a poorly explored area. Recently, it was discovered that by mechanically perturbing a sample, it was possible to observe its response in time with nanoscale resolution by probing the surface with a micro-resonator such as a microcantilever probe. Microcantilevers are used as the force-sensing probes in atomic force microscopy (AFM), where the nanometer-scale probe tip on the microcantilever interacts with the sample in a highly controlled manner to produce high-resolution raster-scanned information of the sample surface. Taking advantage of the existing capabilities of AFM, we present a novel technique, mode synthesizing atomic force microscopy (MSAFM), which has the ability to probe subsurface structures such as non-labeled nanoparticles embedded in a cell. In MSAFM mechanical actuators (PZTs) excite the probe and the sample at different frequencies as depicted in the first figure of this chapter. The nonlinear nature of the tip-sample interaction, at the point of contact of the probe and the surface of the sample, in the contact mode AFM configuration permits the mixing of the elastic waves. The new dynamic system comprises new synthesized imaging modes, resulting from sum- and difference-frequency generation of the driving frequencies. The specific electronics of MSAFM allows the selection of individual modes and the monitoring of their amplitude and phase. From these quantities of various synthesized modes a series of images can be acquired. The new images contain subsurface information, thus revealing the presence of nanoparticles inside the cells.

Mitochondria, oligodendrocytes and inflammation in bipolar disorder: evidence from transcriptome studies points to intriguing parallels with multiple sclerosis

Gene expression studies of bipolar disorder (BPD) have shown changes in transcriptome profiles in multiple brain regions. Here we summarize the most consistent findings in the scientific literature, and compare them to data from schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The transcriptome profiles of all three disorders overlap, making the existence of a BPD-specific profile unlikely. Three groups of functionally related genes are consistently expressed at altered levels in BPD, SZ and MDD. Genes involved in energy metabolism and mitochondrial function are downregulated, genes involved in immune response and inflammation are upregulated, and genes expressed in oligodendrocytes are downregulated. Experimental paradigms for multiple sclerosis demonstrate a tight link between energy metabolism, inflammation and demyelination. These studies also show variabilities in the extent of oligodendrocyte stress, which can vary from a downregulation of oligodendrocyte genes, such as observed in psychiatric disorders, to cell death and brain lesions seen in multiple sclerosis. We conclude that experimental models of multiple sclerosis could be of interest for the research of BPD, SZ and MDD.