Nucleosome Distribution Data for Methylphenidate Treatment

Jurkat T-leukemic cells at 0, 15, 45, and 240 minutes post MPH treatment. Chromatin structure depends highly on the position and density of nucleosomes in the genome. The distribution of these nucleosomes likely plays a critical role in all processes for which DNA is the template, including: gene expression, DNA replication, recombination and repair. It has been proposed for more than half a century that although all the cells in a human body contain, essentially, the same genetic material, nucleosomes give access to different areas of the genome effectively giving access to cell-type specific areas of the genome. We hypothesized that alterations in nucleosome distribution might play a role in the MPH stimulated immune response. We measured chromatin structural changes in a human T-cell line (Jurkat T-leukemic) at high temporal resolution after MPH treatment. We mapped the nucleosome distribution at 4 different time points (0, 15, 45, 240 minutes). Nucleosomal DNA sequences were harvested via chromatin cross-linkage, MNase digestion and DNA extraction. Results were gathered by measuring differences in nucleosome distribution between the basal and the treated states at the different time points. We identified changes in nucleosome distribution. Interestingly, these changes in nucleosome distribution were transient, returning to their basal positions. Finally, these changes in nucleosome distribution exhibited different kinetics at different genes. We propose that the changes in nucleosomal distribution help potentiate differences in gene activity. The results allow us to understand the direct affects of MPH on chromatin structure and help reveal certain mechanistic processes by which it performs. Jurkat T-leukemic cells at 0, 15, 45, and 240 minutes post MPH treatment.