Bioinformatic Analysis of DNA Methylation in Neural Progenitor Cell Models of Alcohol Abuse.

Several recent publications sought to investigate the effects of ethanol treatment on models of central nervous system development, specifically through changes in DNA methylation. Regulation of DNA methylation causes a long-lasting, epigenetic change in the capacity of the genome to respond to developmental or metabolic stimuli. Changes in technologies for quantifying DNA methylation have increased the ability to identify and interpret potential effects of ethanol.

Increased nicotine response in iPSC-derived human neurons carrying the CHRNA5 N398 allele.

Genetic variation in nicotinic receptor alpha 5 (CHRNA5) has been associated with increased risk of addiction-associated phenotypes in humans yet little is known the underlying neural basis. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were derived from donors homozygous for either the major (D398) or the minor (N398) allele of the nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs16969968, in CHRNA5. To understand the impact of these nicotinic receptor variants in humans, we differentiated these iPSCs to dopamine (DA) or glutamatergic neurons and then tested their functional properties and response to nicotine.

A positive feedback mechanism that regulates expression of miR-9 during neurogenesis.

MiR-9, a neuron-specific miRNA, is an important regulator of neurogenesis. In this study we identify how miR-9 is regulated during early differentiation from a neural stem-like cell. We utilized two immortalized rat precursor clones, one committed to neurogenesis (L2.