Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation are essential regulators of the function and information storage capacity of neurons. DNA methylation is highly dynamic in the developing and adult brain, and is actively regulated by neuronal activity and behavioural experiences. However, it is presently unclear how methylation status at individual genes is targeted for modification. Here, we report that extra-coding RNAs (ecRNAs) interact with DNA methyltransferases and regulate neuronal DNA methylation. Expression of ecRNA species is associated with gene promoter hypomethylation, is altered by neuronal activity, and is overrepresented at genes involved in neuronal function. Knockdown of the Fos ecRNA locus results in gene hypermethylation and mRNA silencing, and hippocampal expression of Fos ecRNA is required for long-term fear memory formation in rats. These results suggest that ecRNAs are fundamental regulators of DNA methylation patterns in neuronal systems, and reveal a promising avenue for therapeutic targeting in neuropsychiatric disease states.
Pubmed ID: 27384705 RIS Download
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Software tool to visualize and analyse high throughput mapped sequence data.
View all literature mentionsSoftware platform for complex network analysis and visualization. Used for visualization of molecular interaction networks and biological pathways and integrating these networks with annotations, gene expression profiles and other state data.
View all literature mentionsSoftware ultrafast memory efficient tool for aligning sequencing reads. Bowtie is short read aligner.
View all literature mentionsA Cytoscape plug-in that visualizes the non-redundant biological terms for large clusters of genes in a functionally grouped network. It can be used in combination with GOlorize. The identifiers can be uploaded from a text file or interactively from a network of Cytoscape. The type of identifiers supported can be easily extended by the user. ClueGO performs single cluster analysis and comparison of clusters. From the ontology sources used, the terms are selected by different filter criteria. The related terms which share similar associated genes can be combined to reduce redundancy. The ClueGO network is created with kappa statistics and reflects the relationships between the terms based on the similarity of their associated genes. On the network, the node colour can be switched between functional groups and clusters distribution. ClueGO charts are underlying the specificity and the common aspects of the biological role. The significance of the terms and groups is automatically calculated. ClueGO is easy updatable with the newest files from Gene Ontology and KEGG. Platform: Windows compatible, Mac OS X compatible, Linux compatible, Unix compatible
View all literature mentionsSoftware tool for fast and high throughput alignment of shotgun cDNA sequencing reads generated by transcriptomics technologies. Fast splice junction mapper for RNA-Seq reads. Aligns RNA-Seq reads to mammalian-sized genomes using ultra high-throughput short read aligner Bowtie, and then analyzes mapping results to identify splice junctions between exons.TopHat2 is accurate alignment of transcriptomes in presence of insertions, deletions and gene fusions.
View all literature mentionsThis monoclonal targets Human POLR2A
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