Transcriptome and epigenome in the cortical neurons transfected with Gata1

Gata1, a member of the GATA transcription factor family, has been considered as an important factor in the hematopoietic system. As a transcriptional regulator, Gata1 has a crucial role in differentiation of blood cells such as erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, eosinophils, and dendritic cells. Recently, a novel function of Gata1 has been demonstrated in the central nervous system. Gata1, a stress-inducible gene in the brain, has been shown to increase the expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with depression and function as a transcriptional repressor of synapse-related genes. In this study, we investigated the global alteration in gene expression by Gata1 using ChIPseq, mRNAseq, and smallRNAseq. From the result of ChIPseq for histone marks H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, we have identified 1127 and 4881 unique peaks respectively in the gene promoter region in the cultured cortical neurons overexpressed with Gata1 compared to the control. We also identified 113 differentially expressed mRNAs and 82 miRNAs in cultured neurons transfected with Gata1 through the mRNAseq and smallRNAseq. Through the three-sequencing data analysis, we have profiled genes that might be affected by Gata1 in the cultured cortical neurons. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that Gata1 might be associated with the immune-related function. These results will provide a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of Gata1 that affects the pathophysiological status, such as depression.