Analysis of experience-regulated transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of mouse visual system development reveals spatiotemporal dynamics

• Published in: Human molecular genetics Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 1039 - 1054
• Main Authors: Hsu, Chi-Lin, Chou, Chih-Hsuan, Huang, Shih-Chuan, Lin, Chia-Yi, Lin, Meng-Ying, Tung, Chun-Che, Lin, Chun-Yen, Lai, Ivan Pochou, Zou, Yan-Fang, Youngson, Neil A, Lin, Shau-Ping, Yang, Chang-Hao, Chen, Shih-Kuo, Gau, Susan Shur-Fen, Huang, Hsien-Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 15.03.2018
• Subjects: Adaptation, Ocular - genetics; Animals; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic - genetics; Eye - embryology; Gene Expression Profiling; Genomic Imprinting; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains - embryology; Mice, Inbred Strains - genetics; MicroRNAs - genetics; Ocular Physiological Phenomena - genetics; Spatio-Temporal Analysis; Superior Colliculi - embryology; Transcriptome
• ISSN: 0964-6906; 1460-2083
• DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy023

Abstract Visual system development is light-experience dependent, which strongly implicates epigenetic mechanisms in light-regulated maturation. Among many epigenetic processes, genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism through which monoallelic gene expression occurs in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. It is unknown if genomic imprinting contributes to visual system development. We profiled the transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of mouse visual system development under normal- and dark-rearing conditions using B6/CAST F1 hybrid mice. We identified experience-regulated, isoform-specific and brain-region-specific imprinted genes. We also found imprinted microRNAs were predominantly clustered into the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted locus with light experience affecting some imprinted miRNA expression. Our findings provide the first comprehensive analysis of light-experience regulation of the transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of visual system development. Our results may contribute to therapeutic strategies for visual impairments and circadian rhythm disorders resulting from a dysfunctional imprintome.