CpG-mediated changes in gene expression

The current study was designed to identify reproducible changes in gene activation over time induced by CpG DNA stimulation. Towards that end, the expression of 11,300 genes was examined at 2, 4 and 8 h after murine spleen cells were treated with CpG ODN. Results provide insight into the nature, breadth and magnitude of the response elicited by CpG DNA, and identify genes that play a central role in the up- and down-regulation of CpG mediated cellular activation. Keywords: time series design BALB/c spleen cells were cultured with 1 uM of CpG ODN for 2, 4 or 8 h. mRNA was isolated from these cells, and converted into Cy5-labeled cDNA. All samples were hybridized to a murine microarray in the presence of the same Cy3-labeled murine cDNA reference standard. Two control groups were included in all experiments. The first group consisted of spleen cells incubated in medium alone, compensating for any effect of cell manipulation or in vitro culture on gene expression. The second group consisted of spleen cells incubated with 1 uM of non-CpG ODN, controlling for any sequence-independent ODN activity. Reproducible changes in gene expression were identified by combining results generated from 3-4 independent experiments.