Effects of loss and gain of KAT6B on gene expression in the developing cerebral cortex [Myst4_RNAseq]

High histone acetylation is associated with high transcriptional activity. The lysine acetyltransferase KAT6B is known to be required for histone acetylation and KAT6B is essential for normal brain development. In this study we examined the effects of loss and gain of KAT6B on gene expression in the developing cerebral cortex. We isolated RNA from the dorsal telencephalon of embryonic day 12.5 embryos, which is the primordium of the cerebral cortex, and from the E15.5 foetal cortex of mouse embryos and foetuses that lacked KAT6B or overexpressed KAT6B. Genes required for brain development and neuronal differentiation were downregulated in Kat6b null tissues and upregulated in Kat6b transgenic overexpressing tissue. RNA levels in E12.5 dorsal telencephalon and E15.5 cortex were compared between (a) Kat6b–/– and wild-type tissue and (b) Tg(Kat6b) tissue, which overexpressed Kat6b mRNA approximately 4.5-fold, and wild-type tissue. Kat6b–/– and wild-type mice were on a C57BL/6 genetic background. Tg(Kat6b) and their and wild-type control mice were on a mixed FVBxBALB/c background, because the Tg(Kat6b) mice were not viable on an inbred background.