A gene expression atlas of the central nervous system based on bacterial artificial chromosomes

Speaker： 許 聿 翹                    Commentator： 黃 朝 慶  老師

Date： Feb. 18, 2004; 14：00~15：00 （Room 601）

Abstract：

    The complexity of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) presents special problems for the analysis of CNS gene expression and function. Hundreds of functionally and morphologically defined cell types, each with a complex pattern of connections that together generate perceptions and higher brain functions. The authors described a large-scale screen to create an atlas of CNS gene expression at the cellular level, and to provide a library of verified bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors and transgenic mouse lines that offer experimental access to CNS regions¹. This approach allows efficient analysis of patterns of gene expression, subcellular localization of their encoded products and neuronal projection patterns. The authors found that Gscl gene is involved in neural specification, Sema3b is involved in axon–target-interactions, Lhx6 and Pde1c revealed new tangential migratory patterns². The project, called the Gene Expression Nervous System Atlas (GENSAT) BAC Transgenic Project, has already provided data on some 150 genes, and the database is publicly available (www.gensat.org/). The capabilities for cell-specific genetic and physiological experimentation in the CNS that issue from these studies can be readily extended for the analysis of other cells, organs or tissues expressing the genes chosen for analysis by GENSAT, or in the context of similar future efforts.

References：

1.      Hong, Y.K. et al. (2001) Development of two bacterial artificial chromosome shuttle vectors for a recombination-based cloning and regulated expression of large genes in mammalian cells.Anal Biochem. 291, 142-148.

2.      Gong, S. et al. (2003) A gene expression atlas of the central nervous system based on bacterial artificial chromosomes. Nature 425, 917-925.