Western General Hospital

About: Western General Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Breast cancer. The organization has 7996 authors who have published 11619 publications receiving 652058 citations. The organization is also known as: The Western.

Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior.

Abstract: Here we report that increased pup licking and grooming (LG) and arched-back nursing (ABN) by rat mothers altered the offspring epigenome at a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene promoter in the hippocampus. Offspring of mothers that showed high levels of LG and ABN were found to have differences in DNA methylation, as compared to offspring of 'low-LG-ABN' mothers. These differences emerged over the first week of life, were reversed with cross-fostering, persisted into adulthood and were associated with altered histone acetylation and transcription factor (NGFI-A) binding to the GR promoter. Central infusion of a histone deacetylase inhibitor removed the group differences in histone acetylation, DNA methylation, NGFI-A binding, GR expression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses to stress, suggesting a causal relation among epigenomic state, GR expression and the maternal effect on stress responses in the offspring. Thus we show that an epigenomic state of a gene can be established through behavioral programming, and it is potentially reversible.

Cloning of a gene bearing missense mutations in early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease

Abstract: Some cases of Alzheimer's disease are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Genetic linkage studies have mapped a locus (AD3) associated with susceptibility to a very aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease to chromosome 14q24.3. We have defined a minimal cosegregating region containing the AD3 gene, and isolated at least 19 different transcripts encoded within this region. One of these transcripts (S182) corresponds to a novel gene whose product is predicted to contain multiple transmembrane domains and resembles an integral membrane protein. Five different missense mutations have been found that cosegregate with early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease. Because these changes occurred in conserved domains of this gene, and are not present in normal controls, they are likely to be causative of AD3.

Comparative Genomic Hybridization for Molecular Cytogenetic Analysis of Solid Tumors

Abstract: Comparative genomic hybridization produces a map of DNA sequence copy number as a function of chromosomal location throughout the entire genome. Differentially labeled test DNA and normal reference DNA are hybridized simultaneously to normal chromosome spreads. The hybridization is detected with two different fluorochromes. Regions of gain or loss of DNA sequences, such as deletions, duplications, or amplifications, are seen as changes in the ratio of the intensities of the two fluorochromes along the target chromosomes. Analysis of tumor cell lines and primary bladder tumors identified 16 different regions of amplification, many in loci not previously known to be amplified.