Gene expression in experimentally injured and control mouse spinal cords. Mus musculus

This laboratory works on selectins and their carbohydrate ligands in lymphocyte homing and inflammation. The lab also studies heparin-degrading endosulfatases and their roles in regulating the interactions of growth factors and morphogens with proteoglycans. Overall design: The purpose of the experiment is to examine gene expression profiles in spinal cords of injured as a function of time after a contusion injury. The tissue will be generated in the lab of Linda Noble, Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF who is an expert on the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury. Wild-type male C57B/6 mice (8-10 weeks of age) were used. Injuries were produced by contusion. Spinal cords from control mice (uninjured) and experimental (injured) mice were processed (4 and 7 days after injury). A 3 mm length of spinal cord (centered at the injury) and a 3 mm segment from a distant site were isolated from each animal. Tissue from 3 mice were pooled for each sample. Three replicate samples per treatment group were processed for RNA. Thus, a total of 18 RNA samples were hybridized to 18 gene chips. The analysis will determine whether specific glycosylation changes accompany spinal cord injury. Of particular interest are changes in the sulfation profile of proteoglycan GAG chains (e.g., chondroitin sulfate) and in the appearance of potential carbohydrate ligands for infiltrating leukocytes bearing L-selectin or other endogenous lectins.