Identification of Thyroid Hormone Receptor Binding Sites and Target Genes Using ChIP-on-Chip in Developing Mouse Cerebellum
2009

Identifying Thyroid Hormone Receptor Binding Sites in Mouse Brain Development

Sample size: 5 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dong Hongyan, Yauk Carole L., Rowan-Carroll Andrea, You Seo-Hee, Zoeller R. Thomas, Lambert Iain, Wade Michael G.

Primary Institution: Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Hypothesis

Thyroid hormone (TH) is critical to normal brain development, but the mechanisms operating in this process are poorly understood.

Conclusion

The study identified 91 genes with TR binding sites in the developing mouse cerebellum, providing insight into the role of thyroid hormone in neurodevelopment.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study identified 91 genes with TR binding sites.
  • Approximately half of the binding sites were located in introns.
  • The expression of 4 novel TH target genes correlated with TH levels in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid animals.
  • ChIP-on-chip results were confirmed for 10 of the 13 binding fragments using ChIP-PCR.

Takeaway

This study looked at how thyroid hormones help the brain grow in baby mice and found many genes that are affected by these hormones.

Methodology

Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with DNA microarray analysis (ChIP-on-chip) was used to identify direct gene targets of TH in the cerebellum of postnatal day 15 mice.

Limitations

The study has a false discovery rate of approximately 23% for the identified binding sites.

Participant Demographics

C57BL/6 mice, specifically male pups at postnatal day 15.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004610

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