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High-resolution time course analysis of gene expression from pituitary
M Hughes1, L Deharo, S R Pulivarthy
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology
|April 19, 2008
Summary
Researchers identified over 250 rhythmic genes in the mouse pituitary by sampling hourly. Increased sampling frequency improved the detection of circadian transcripts, enhancing our understanding of molecular clocks.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- The circadian oscillator regulates rhythmic gene transcription in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral tissues.
- Previous studies identified rhythmic transcripts in various organisms using DNA microarrays with less frequent sampling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify rhythmically expressed genes in the mouse pituitary gland.
- To investigate the impact of high-frequency sampling on the detection of circadian transcripts.
Main Methods:
- DNA microarray analysis of mouse pituitary RNA sampled every hour for 2 days.
- Statistical analysis using COSOPT and Fisher's G-test with a false-discovery rate < 5%.
Main Results:
- Identification of over 250 genes exhibiting 24-hour oscillation in the mouse pituitary.
- Demonstration that hourly sampling significantly increased statistical power and high-confidence identification of rhythmic transcripts.
Conclusions:
- High-frequency sampling is crucial for accurately characterizing circadian transcriptomes.
- A web-based resource (http://wasabi.itmat.upenn.edu/circa/mouse) was created to share these pituitary circadian gene expression data.
