Journal: Disease models & mechanisms
Article Title: Autism-linked NLGN3 is a key regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone deficiency.
doi: 10.1242/dmm.049996
Figure Lengend Snippet: Fig. 4. NLGN3 is developmentally regulated in GnRH neurons. (A) Quantitative PCR analysis performed on GN11 and GT1-7 cells revealed higher Nlgn3 expression levels in GT1-7 cells (logFC=8.12, P<0.01). This result is in line with microarray experiments (logFC=4.15; P<0.00001). Data are presented as mean±s.d. of three biological replicates. Unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test (**P<0.01). (B) Immunoperoxidase staining for NLGN3 on GN11 and GT1-7 revealed different levels of endogenous NLGN3 protein in these cells. Scale bar: 25 μm. (C,D) Coronal sections of E14.5 mouse heads were immunolabeled for NLGN3 together with GnRH (C) or PLXND1 (D) to detect GnRH neurons. Sections are shown at the level of the VNO (nose; C) or MPOA (forebrain; D). White dashed line boxes indicate areas shown at higher magnification on the right of the corresponding panel, with single channels also shown adjacent to the panel. Open arrowheads indicate examples of GnRH-positive cells that lack NLGN3; filled arrowheads indicate examples of GnRH-positive cells with NLGN3. Arrows indicate examples of NLGN3- positive cells in the nasal parenchyma. Sections were counterstained with DAPI. MPOA, medial preoptic area; OB, olfactory bulb; OE, olfactory epithelium; VNO, vomeronasal organ. Scale bars: 250 μm (right panels), 150 μm (middle panels) or 50 μm (left panels).
Article Snippet: To introduce the c.163C>T and c.366G>A variants into human NLGN3 gene, the WT human HA-tagged NLGN3 expression vector (Addgene, 59318) was mutagenized using a QuickChange Lightning Site-Directed Mutagenesis Kit (Agilent Technologies) and specific oligonucleotides for NLGN3 R55* (fw, 5′-GGCAGTGGTACTCAGGCACCCCTTAGC-3′; rev, 5′-GCTAAGGGGTGCCTGAGTACCACTGCC-3′) and W122* (fw, 5′-GTCATGCTGCCGGTCTGATTCACTGCCAACTTGGATATCG-3′; rev, 5′-TCAGACCGGCAGCATGACTTCGGGCACAGCTGTGTGGATG-3′).
Techniques: Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Expressing, Microarray, Two Tailed Test, Immunoperoxidase Staining, Immunolabeling