Spatio-Temporal Control of Neuronal Gene Expression

Introduction of Spatio-Temporal Gene Expression

Spatio-temporal gene expression refers to the gene’s activity within specific tissues at a specific time. The Spatio-temporal control plays an important role in the generation of the diversity of cell types. In humans, cell differentiation, development, and function depend on the precise regulation of gene expression. As the most basic process for phenotype generation, the functional molecules can be produced via transcription, RNA modification, protein synthesis, and posttranslational modification. Human-specific neurodevelopment is a complex process that is regulated precisely over a while. Sex differences are also important in brain development and play a key role in conditions such as depression and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). According to the research of comprehensive Spatio-temporal control of neuronal gene expression, the research progress and disease treatment can be enhanced in the neurological field.

There are several methods for the Spatio-temporal gene expression control. Among them, the operon inducer/repressor system is a temporal control method of gene expression, while the inkjet printer is a spatial control method. In addition, the novel methods using light to control gene expression in a Spatio-temporal fashion. For example, RNA interference and further gene expression can be controlled using light.

Fig.1 Global Spatio-temporal dynamics of gene expression. (Kang, 2011)

BEST for Spatio-Temporal Pattern Analysis

In recent years, the dysregulated gene expression patterns have been observed in a series of mental disorders. Multiple types of comprehensive gene expression pattern analysis will provide benefits for molecular mechanism research in psychiatry. However, the limitation of sample acquisition difficulty and the lack of system analysis tools seriously hinder its analysis and applications. To solve these problems, the BEST web has been developed for brain expression Spatio-temporal pattern analysis. As the first data tool, it helps to study the relationship between disease and heredity and provides clues for the study of the mechanism of key genes. There are three highlighted features include:

• Visualization - The simple visual results to illustrate complex Spatio-temporal expression patterns, as well as the genes’ expression quantification and correction.
• Integration - According to the integration of existing data, comprehensive human brain Spatio-temporal expression patterns can be provided.
• Multi-dimensionality - Through multiple comparison analyses of input genes, the correlation between genetic and expression data is finally presented.

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References

1. Kang, H.; et al. Spatio-temporal transcriptome of the human brain. Nature. 2011, 478(7370): 483-489.
2. Naumova, O.; et al. Gene expression in the human brain: the current state of the study of specificity and spatiotemporal dynamics. Child development. 2013, 84(1): 76-88.