Murine central and peripheral nervous system transcriptomes: Comparative gene ex

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Brain Res. 2006 Jul 4

Murine central and peripheral nervous system transcriptomes:

Comparative gene expression.

Ledoux MS, Xu L, Xiao J, Ferrell B, Menkes DL, Homayouni R.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Departments of

Neurology and Anatomy and Neurobiology and Center of Genomics and

Bioinformatics, 855 Monroe Avenue, Link Building-Suite 415, Memphis,

TN 38163, USA.

The central and peripheral nervous systems exhibit significant

embryological, morphological, and functional differences. Moreover,

the pathology of most acquired and hereditary neurological diseases

preferentially targets specific components of the nervous system.

In order to test the hypothesis that central and peripheral neural

transcriptomes show fundamental quantitative differences, Affymetrix

GeneChip(®) expression arrays were used to compare murine lumbar

spinal cord (SC) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) gene expression. As

the crucial component of a novel technique to preserve RNA integrity,

mice were perfusion-fixed with RNAlatertrade mark before the SC and

DRG were harvested.

As per Affymetrix terminology, a total of 111 transcripts were

present (P) on all DRG arrays, absent (A) on all SC arrays, and

demonstrated at least 10-fold greater expression in DRG than in SC.

Conversely, a total of 112 transcripts were present on all SC arrays,

absent on all DRG arrays, and showed at least 10-fold greater

expression in SC than in DRG. For a subset of transcripts,

quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to corroborate and validate

microarray results.

Among those genes enriched in DRG, many belonged to a few distinct

functional classes: G-protein coupled receptor-protein signaling

pathways, potassium transport, sodium transport, sensory perception,

and cell-surface receptor-linked signal transduction.

In contrast, genes associated with synaptic transmission, organic

acid transport, neurotransmitter transport, and circulation were

enriched in SC.

Notably, the majority of genes causally associated with hereditary

neuropathies were highly enriched in DRG. These differential neural

gene expression profiles provide a robust framework for future

molecular and genetic studies of neuropathy and SC diseases.