Biology subjects

Schroder, E. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Schroder, E. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Defining the age-dependent and tissue-specific circadian transcriptome in male mice

Cellular circadian clocks direct a daily transcriptional program that supports homeostasis and resilience. Emerging evidence supports age-associated changes in circadian functions. To define age-dependent changes at the systems level, we profiled the circadian transcriptome in the hypothalamus, lung, heart, kidney, skeletal muscle, and adrenal gland in 3 age groups. We found age-dependent and tissue-specific clock output changes. Aging reduced the number of rhythmically expressed genes (REGs), indicative of weakened circadian control. Many genes gained rhythmicity in old tissues, reflecting an adaptive response. REGs were enriched for the hallmarks of aging, adding a new dimension to our understanding of aging. Differential gene expression analysis found that there were temporally distinct clusters of genes in tissue-specific manner. Increased daily gene expression variability is a common feature of aged tissues. This novel analysis extends the landscape of the understanding of aging and highlights the impact of aging on circadian clock function and temporal changes in gene expression. HIGHLIGHTS- Rhythmically expressed genes (REGs) in Young, but not Old mice, are enriched for the aging hallmarks across all tissues. - The numbers of REGs decline across all tissues with age implicating the circadian clock in altered homeostasis. - Age- and tissue-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) cluster at specific times of the day. - Increase in gene expression variability over a day is a common feature of aging tissues.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

Exonic Disruption Facilitates Antiviral CRISPR-Cas9 Activity for Multistrain HIV-1 Elimination

A barrier to HIV-1 cure rests in the persistence of proviral DNA in infected CD4+ leukocytes. The high mutation rate of HIV-1 gives rise to numerous circulating strains with increased capacity for immune evasion and antiretroviral drug resistance. To facilitate viral elimination while accounting for this diversity, we propose genetic inactivation of proviral DNA with CRISPR-spCas9. We designed a library of "mosaic gRNAs" against a HIV-1 consensus sequence constructed from 4004 clinical strains, targeting the viral transcriptional regulator tat. Testing in 7 HIV-1 transmitted founder strains led, on average, to viral reductions of 82% with tandem TatD and TatE (TatDE) treatment. No off-target cleavages were recorded. Lentiviral transduction of TatDE attenuated latency reversal by 94% in HIV-infected, transcriptionally silent ACH2 T cells. In all, TatDE guide RNAs successfully disrupted 5 separate HIV-1 exons (tat1-2/rev1-2/gp41) providing a pathway for CRISPR-directed HIV-1 cure therapies. Significance StatementOver 38 million individuals worldwide are infected with HIV-1, which necessitates lifelong dependence on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent viral replication that leads to AIDS. Efforts to rid hosts of HIV-1 are limited by the virus abilities to integrate proviral DNA in nuclei, mutate their genomes, and lay dormant for decades during ART treatment. We developed mosaic guide RNAs, TatD and TatE, for CRISPR-Cas9 that recognize the majority of known HIV-1 strains and inactivate 94% of proviral DNA in latently infected cells. Tandem TatDE-CRISPR inactivation of 5 viral exons (tat1-2, rev1-2, and gp41), which blocked HIV-1 replication for 28 days in CD4+ T cells without unwanted editing to the host genome, may serve as a viable strategy for HIV cure.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Exercise mitigates sleep-loss-induced changes in glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis, and circadian rhythms.

Sleep loss has emerged as a risk factor for the development of impaired glucose tolerance. The mechanisms underpinning this observation are unknown; however, both mitochondrial dysfunction and circadian misalignment have been proposed. Given that exercise improves glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, and alters circadian rhythms, we investigated whether exercise may counteract the effects induced by inadequate sleep. We report that sleeping 4 hours per night, for five nights, reduced glucose tolerance, with novel observations of associated reductions in mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis, and measures of circadian rhythmicity; however, incorporating three sessions of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) during this period mitigates these effects. These data demonstrate, for the first time, a sleep loss-induced concomitant reduction in a range of physiological processes linked to metabolic function. These same effects are not observed when exercise is performed during a period of inadequate sleep, supporting the use of HIIE as an intervention to mitigate the detrimental physiological effects of sleep loss.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text

physiology↗