SOD2 deficient erythroid cells up-regulate transferrin receptor and down-regulate mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism.

Background: Mice irradiated and reconstituted with hematopoietic cells lacking manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) show a persistent hemolytic anemia similar to human sideroblastic anemia (SA), including characteristic intra-mitochondrial iron deposition. SA is primarily an acquired, clonal marrow disorder occurring in individuals over 60 years of age with uncertain etiology.

Methodology/principal Findings: To define early events in the pathogenesis of this murine model of SA, we compared erythroid differentiation of Sod2⁻/⁻ and normal bone marrow cells using flow cytometry and gene expression profiling of erythroblasts.

Regulated and aberrant glycosylation modulate cardiac electrical signaling.

Millions afflicted with Chagas disease and other disorders of aberrant glycosylation suffer symptoms consistent with altered electrical signaling such as arrhythmias, decreased neuronal conduction velocity, and hyporeflexia. Cardiac, neuronal, and muscle electrical signaling is controlled and modulated by changes in voltage-gated ion channel activity that occur through physiological and pathological processes such as development, epilepsy, and cardiomyopathy. Glycans attached to ion channels alter channel activity through isoform-specific mechanisms.

Molecular profiles of schizophrenia in the CNS at different stages of illness.

Results from clinical and imaging studies provide evidence for changes in schizophrenia with disease progression, however, the underlying molecular differences that may occur at different stages of illness have not been investigated. To test the hypothesis that the molecular basis for schizophrenia changes from early to chronic illness, we profiled genome-wide expression patterns in prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic subjects at different stages of illness, along with their age- and sex-matched controls. Results show that gene expression profiles change dramatically depending on the stage of illness, whereby the greatest number and magnitude of gene expression differences were detected in subjects with short-term illness ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evidence for disruption of sphingolipid metabolism in schizophrenia.

As the field of glycobiology grows, important roles for glycolipids and glycoproteins in neurological disorders are being increasingly appreciated. However, few studies have explored the involvement of these molecules in the pathology of psychiatric illnesses. We investigated molecular differences related to glycobiology in subjects with schizophrenia by analyzing gene expression profiles using a focused glycogene chip, a custom-designed oligonucleotide array containing genes encoding proteins related to glycobiology, including glycosyltransferases, carbohydrate-binding proteins, proteoglycans, and adhesion molecules.

Gene expression profiling of mouse postnatal cerebellar development using oligonucleotide microarrays designed to detect differences in glycoconjugate expression.

Differences in gene expression patterns between adult and postnatal day 7 (P7) mouse cerebellum, at the peak of granule neuron migration, were analyzed by hybridization to the GLYCOv2 glycogene array. This custom designed oligonucleotide array focuses on glycosyl transferases, carbohydrate-binding proteins, proteoglycans and related genes, and 173 genes were identified as being differentially expressed with statistical confidence. Expression levels for 11 of these genes were compared by RT-PCR, and their differential expression between P7 and adult cerebellum confirmed.

Kidney transplant rejection and tissue injury by gene profiling of biopsies and peripheral blood lymphocytes.

A major challenge for kidney transplantation is balancing the need for immunosuppression to prevent rejection, while minimizing drug-induced toxicities. We used DNA microarrays (HG-U95Av2 GeneChips, Affymetrix) to determine gene expression profiles for kidney biopsies and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in transplant patients including normal donor kidneys, well-functioning transplants without rejection, kidneys undergoing acute rejection, and transplants with renal dysfunction without rejection. We developed a data analysis schema based on expression signal determination, class comparison and prediction, hierarchical clustering, statistical power analysis and real-time quantitative PCR validation.