ABSTRACT
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) expresses numerous membrane transporters that supply needed nutrients to the central nervous system (CNS), consisting mostly of solute carriers (SLC transporters), or remove unwanted substrates via extrusion pumps through the action of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Previous work has identified many BBB transporters using hybridization arrays or qRT-PCR, using targeted probes. Here we have performed next-generation sequencing of the transcriptome (RNAseq) extracted from cerebral cortex tissues and brain microvessel endothelial cells (BMEC) obtained from two donors. The same RNA samples had previously been measured for transporter expression using qRT-PCR (Geier et al., 2013), yielding similar expression levels for overlapping mRNAs (R=0.66, p<0.001). RNAseq confirms a number of transporters highly enriched in BMECs (e.g., ABCB1, ABCG2, SLCO2B1, and SLC47A1), but also detects novel BMEC transporters. Multiple splice isoforms detected by RNAseq are either robustly enriched or depleted in BMECs, indicating differential RNA processing in the BBB. The Complete RNAseq data are publically available (GSE94064).
Subject(s)
ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/metabolism , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics , Solute Carrier Proteins/genetics , Alternative Splicing , Brain/blood supply , Brain/metabolism , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Gene Expression , Humans , Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism , Microvessels/metabolism , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Protein Isoforms/genetics , Protein Isoforms/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Solute Carrier Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Indicated for treating hyperlipidemias and for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), statins rank among the most commonly prescribed drug classes. While statins are considered to be highly effective in preventing atherosclerotic events, a substantial portion of treated patients still progress to overt CVD. Genetic factors are thought to contribute substantially to treatment outcome. Several candidate genes have been associated with statin dose requirements and treatment outcomes, but a clinically relevant pharmacogenomics test to guide statin therapy has not yet emerged. Here we define basic pharmacogenomics terminology, present strong candidate genes (CETP, HMGCR, SLCO1B1, ABCB1, and CYP3A4/5), and discuss the challenges in developing much-needed statin pharmacogenomics biomarkers for predicting treatment outcomes.
