What is transcriptomics?
Transcriptomics is the study of the transcriptome, which includes all transcripts in a cell including mRNAs, non-coding RNAs and small RNAs. Transcriptomics is crucial for understanding and interpreting the functions of the genome, as well as for discovering the molecular makeup of cells or tissues. Ultimately, transcriptomics is a strong tool for us to comprehend the changes that are occurring throughout development and disease [1].
Transcriptomic techniques
There are numerous methods for studying and quantifying the RNA present throughout single cells, specific tissues, or a whole organism.
C4A - Age effect on hippocampus
GEO Profiles is a useful tool to discover expression profiles for specific genes that have been discovered in past research. GEO stands for "Gene Expression Omnibus" and is a database sponsored by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
When the C4A gene is searched on GEO Profiles, thousands of profiles show up representing data sets from many experiments. I am including a profile called "C4A - Age effect on the hippocampus" as an example, but many others containing C4A and related genes can be found here. This profile contains 23 samples that had total C4A RNA expression profiled. Nine samples are data from two month old mice, and fourteen samples are from fifteen month old mice. The comparative expression profile can be seen in Figure 1 below.
When the C4A gene is searched on GEO Profiles, thousands of profiles show up representing data sets from many experiments. I am including a profile called "C4A - Age effect on the hippocampus" as an example, but many others containing C4A and related genes can be found here. This profile contains 23 samples that had total C4A RNA expression profiled. Nine samples are data from two month old mice, and fourteen samples are from fifteen month old mice. The comparative expression profile can be seen in Figure 1 below.
When any of the grey boxes is clicked on, you will be taken to a page containing the detailed information about that sample. This page will outline the treatment and extraction protocol that the researchers used as well as other notable information such as the date of publication and primary researcher contact information. An example can be seen here.
Discussion
From the "C4A - Age effect on hippocampus" GEO Profile, it can be observed that C4A is expressed at significantly higher levels in 15 month old mice compared to 2 month old mice. The hippocampus is involved in memory and spatial navigation, and its volume is reduced in schizophrenia patients [2]. The increased total C4A expression in older mice eludes to the fact that more complement activation is occurring in the brains of the 15 month old mice, therefore leading to increased synaptic pruning. Pruning is a normal part of the development process, but increased synaptic pruning has a huge role in schizophrenia patients.