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Gene Expression Nervous System Atlas (GENSAT)

Nature Neuroscience volume 7, page 483 (2004)Cite this article

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The project uses two approaches to gene-expression mapping. First, a high-throughput isotopic in situ hybridization prescreen for gene expression is done to map the expression of over 1,000 genes per year on sections from developing and adult mouse brain (at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee under the supervision of T. Curran, S. Magdaleno and P. Jensen). The genes analyzed as part of the prescreen are chosen by advisory committees representing a broad spectrum of the neuroscience community, by project sponsors at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and by the GENSAT investigators. Second, 250 genes are chosen each year from the prescreen data to be analyzed at high resolution using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter genes incorporated into BAC transgenic mice (at The Rockefeller University under the direction of N. Heintz, M.B. Hatten and A. Joyner). This two-stage approach takes advantage of the sensitivity, dynamic range and efficiency of isotopic in situ hybridization methodology to allow parallel analysis of large numbers of CNS-expressed genes, while exploiting BAC reporter gene technology to allow systematic analysis and high-resolution visualization of each cell type expressing a gene of interest. In addition to the atlas of gene expression created by the GENSAT team, the BAC transgenic mice are being used in a number of laboratories for advanced imaging studies, cell isolation by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, electrophysiological analysis of defined CNS cell populations, and additional anatomical studies. Furthermore, the BAC vectors identified by GENSAT provide a rich resource for additional genetic studies of specific CNS cell types through expression of site-specific recombinases, dominant-activating or dominant-negative proteins and RNAs, and other molecules created to alter the properties of cells. We anticipate that the gene expression atlas, as well as the in situ probes, the BAC transgenic mice and the BAC vectors generated by GENSAT, will be important tools for a broad range of neuroscientists.

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References

  1. Gong, S. et al. Nature 425, 917–925 (2003).

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  1. The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1230 York Avenue, New York, 10021, New York, USA

    Nathaniel Heintz

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  1. Nathaniel Heintz
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Heintz, N. Gene Expression Nervous System Atlas (GENSAT). Nat Neurosci 7, 483 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0504-483

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