New Approach for Untangling the Role of Uncommon Calcium-Binding Proteins in the Central Nervous System

Although Ca2+ ion plays an essential role in cellular physiology, calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) were long used for mainly as immunohistochemical markers of specific cell types in different regions of the central nervous system. They are a heterogeneous and wide-ranging group of proteins. Their function was studied intensively in the last two decades and a tremendous amount of information was gathered about them. Girard et al. compiled a comprehensive list of the gene-expression profiles of the entire EF-hand gene superfamily in the murine brain. We selected from this database those CaBPs which are related to information processing and/or neuronal signalling, have a Ca2+-buffer activity, Ca2+-sensor activity, modulator of Ca2+-channel activity, or a yet unknown function. In this way we created a gene function-based selection of the CaBPs. We cross-referenced these findings with publicly available, high-quality RNA-sequencing and in situ hybridization databases (Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Brain RNA-seq database and Allen Brain Atlas integrated into the HPA) and created gene expression heat maps of the regional and cell type-specific expression levels of the selected CaBPs. This represents a useful tool to predict and investigate different expression patterns and functions of the less-known CaBPs of the central nervous system.

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Building an RNA Sequencing Transcriptome of the Central Nervous System

The Neuroscientist ◽

10.1177/1073858415610541 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 579-592 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Xiaomin Dong ◽

Yanan You ◽

Jia Qian Wu

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

Rna Sequencing ◽

Large Scale ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Cell Types ◽

Specific Cell ◽

Rna Seq ◽

The Central Nervous System

The composition and function of the central nervous system (CNS) is extremely complex. In addition to hundreds of subtypes of neurons, other cell types, including glia (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) and vascular cells (endothelial cells and pericytes) also play important roles in CNS function. Such heterogeneity makes the study of gene transcription in CNS challenging. Transcriptomic studies, namely the analyses of the expression levels and structures of all genes, are essential for interpreting the functional elements and understanding the molecular constituents of the CNS. Microarray has been a predominant method for large-scale gene expression profiling in the past. However, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology developed in recent years has many advantages over microarrays, and has enabled building more quantitative, accurate, and comprehensive transcriptomes of the CNS and other systems. The discovery of novel genes, diverse alternative splicing events, and noncoding RNAs has remarkably expanded the complexity of gene expression profiles and will help us to understand intricate neural circuits. Here, we discuss the procedures and advantages of RNA-Seq technology in mammalian CNS transcriptome construction, and review the approaches of sample collection as well as recent progress in building RNA-Seq-based transcriptomes from tissue samples and specific cell types.

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Calcium-Binding Proteins in the Central Nervous System.

ACTA HISTOCHEMICA ET CYTOCHEMICA ◽

10.1267/ahc.27.93 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 93-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

AKIKO SETO-OHSHIMA

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

Calcium Binding ◽

Binding Proteins ◽

Calcium Binding Proteins ◽

The Central Nervous System

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Single-cell immune repertoire and transcriptome sequencing reveals that clonally expanded and transcriptionally distinct lymphocytes populate the aged central nervous system in mice

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2020.2793 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 288 (1945) ◽

pp. 20202793

Author(s):

Alexander Yermanos ◽

Daniel Neumeier ◽

Ioana Sandu ◽

Mariana Borsa ◽

Ann Cathrin Waindok ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

B Cells ◽

Single Cell ◽

Somatic Hypermutation ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Gene Expression Profiles ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

The Central Nervous System

Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role during ageing and various neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and infection. Technical limitations, however, have prevented an integrative analysis of how lymphocyte immune receptor repertoires and their accompanying transcriptional states change with age in the central nervous system. Here, we leveraged single-cell sequencing to simultaneously profile B cell receptor and T cell receptor repertoires and accompanying gene expression profiles in young and old mouse brains. We observed the presence of clonally expanded B and T cells in the central nervous system of aged male mice. Furthermore, many of these B cells were of the IgM and IgD isotypes, and had low levels of somatic hypermutation. Integrating gene expression information additionally revealed distinct transcriptional profiles of these clonally expanded lymphocytes. Our findings implicate that clonally related T and B cells in the CNS of elderly mice may contribute to neuroinflammation accompanying homeostatic ageing.

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Single-cell immune repertoire and transcriptome sequencing reveals that clonally expanded and transcriptionally distinct lymphocytes populate the aged central nervous system in mice

10.1101/2020.05.04.077081 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Yermanos ◽

Daniel Neumeier ◽

Ioana Sandu ◽

Mariana Borsa ◽

Ann Cathrin Waindok ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

B Cells ◽

Single Cell ◽

Somatic Hypermutation ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Gene Expression Profiles ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

The Central Nervous System

AbstractNeuroinflammation plays a crucial role during ageing and various neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and infection. Technical limitations, however, have prevented an integrative analysis of how lymphocyte immune receptor repertoires and their accompanying transcriptional states change with age in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we leveraged single-cell sequencing to simultaneously profile B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires and accompanying gene expression profiles in young and old mouse brains. We observed the presence of clonally expanded B and T cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of aged mice. Furthermore, many of these B cells were of the IgM and IgD isotype and had low levels of somatic hypermutation. Integrating gene expression information additionally revealed distinct transcriptional profiles of these clonally expanded lymphocytes. Our findings implicate that clonally related T and B cells in the CNS of elderly mice may contribute to neuroinflammation accompanying homeostatic ageing.

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Calcium-Binding Proteins as Determinants of Central Nervous System Neuronal Vulnerability to Disease

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20092146 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (9) ◽

pp. 2146 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Richard Fairless ◽

Sarah K. Williams ◽

Ricarda Diem

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

Intracellular Calcium ◽

Calcium Binding ◽

Binding Proteins ◽

Calcium Binding Proteins ◽

First Line ◽

Ef Hand ◽

Key Factor

Neuronal subpopulations display differential vulnerabilities to disease, but the factors that determine their susceptibility are poorly understood. Toxic increases in intracellular calcium are a key factor in several neurodegenerative processes, with calcium-binding proteins providing an important first line of defense through their ability to buffer incoming calcium, allowing the neuron to quickly achieve homeostasis. Since neurons expressing different calcium-binding proteins have been reported to be differentially susceptible to degeneration, it can be hypothesized that rather than just serving as markers of different neuronal subpopulations, they might actually be a key determinant of survival. In this review, we will summarize some of the evidence that expression of the EF-hand calcium-binding proteins, calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin, may influence the susceptibility of distinct neuronal subpopulations to disease processes.

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