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A Chromatin Assay for Human Brain Tissue
Published on: March 21, 2008
High throughput analysis of gene expression in the human brain
C Colantuoni1, A E Purcell, C M Bouton
1Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Journal of Neuroscience Research
|February 5, 2000
Summary
Human brain gene expression studies reveal cell phenotypes across development and disease. High-throughput techniques like DNA microarrays analyze thousands of genes, aiding research into cognitive disorders and drug responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The human brain exhibits unparalleled gene expression complexity, crucial for understanding neuronal and glial functions.
- Studying gene expression provides insights into brain cell phenotypes during development, regional variations, and different physiological/pathological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review human brain material sources and high-throughput gene expression analysis techniques.
- To highlight the potential of gene expression measurement in studying human brain diseases, especially cognitive disorders lacking animal models.
Main Methods:
- Expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing
- Differential display
- Subtractive hybridization
- Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE)
- High-density DNA microarrays
Main Results:
- Technological advances enable the analysis of thousands of genes from small human brain samples.
- Various high-throughput methods are available for comprehensive gene expression profiling.
Conclusions:
- Gene expression analysis is vital for understanding brain function and disease.
- Techniques like DNA microarrays offer powerful tools for identifying disease-related gene dysregulation and evaluating pharmacological treatments in neurological disorders.
