Measuring global, loci-specific RNA degradation to interrogate RNA dysregulation in down syndrome during development

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R03 · $301,324 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Summary Individuals with Down Syndrome are known to be at risk for a number of adverse health conditions, including dementia, leukemia, Type 1 diabetes, and congenital heart disease. Evidence suggests many of these adverse conditions are due to abnormal regulation of the pool of RNA within various cell types and during development. However, the details of how RNA regulation is being altered are not well understood. It is not clear if transcription rates, RNA degradation rates, or both are being altered. Furthermore, it is unclear which genes are experiencing this abnormal behavior. Our objective is to identify these genes and quantify the degree to which their transcription and degradation rates are altered by trisomy. Cognitive defects and early dementia are common in Down syndrome, so we focus on the development of neurons and how this process is regulated. To do so, we have developed a method of calculating RNA degradation rates using two different sequencing measurements, collected simultaneously. One sequencing assay (PRO-seq) measure the rate of RNA production, while the other (RNA-seq) measures the total RNA levels in the cell. By collecting times series data of these paired sequencing assays during iPSC differentiation into neural progenitors and applying our model, we can compute the RNA degradation rates for all genes within the transcriptome. For validation and confirmation, we will also measure RNA degradation rates more directly. By quantifying these RNA regulation processes and comparing them between Down syndrome and typical cell lines, we can help to shed light on the root causes of cognitive defects in Down syndrome.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10108166
Project number
1R03HD103995-01
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
Principal Investigator
Robin DeAnne Dowell-Deen
Activity code
R03
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2020
Award amount
$301,324
Award type
1
Project period
2020-09-17 → 2023-09-16