Grant Recipients, Spring 2013

David Sweatt, PhD 

Evelyn F. McKnight Chair, Dept of Neurobiology; Director, McKnight Brain Institute; University of Alabama at Birmingham

The identification of the dysfunctional TCF4 transcription factor gene as the genetic basis of Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome is a critical step forward in beginning to understand the diagnosis, etiology and molecular biology of PTHS. This project encompasses a set of studies to investigate the cognitive dysfunction associated with PTHS, focusing on mechanistic studies to understand the role of the TCF4 transcription factor in central nervous system function. For this project we are using genetically engineered mice in which the TCF4 gene has been manipulated in order to mimic human PTHS. This particular project is focused on investigating whether there is aberrant regulation of epigenetic molecular mechanisms, and altered transcriptional regulation of genes and small non-coding gene products in the PTHS model mice. For these studies we are particularly interested in learning and memory function as it relates to these molecular biological mechanisms in the CNS. Toward that end we are using next-generation high-throughput DNA sequencing methodologies coupled with epigenomics and bio-informatics approaches.

Stephen J. Haggarty, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology | Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

The additional funds will be used to further support a post-doctoral research scientist in the Haggarty laboratory who is developing assays with human patient specific, stem-cell derived neuronal to measure TCF4 expression at the mRNA and protein level. Additionally, methods for mapping TCF4 target genes using state-of-the-art techniques for chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) are being piloted. These studies are anticipated to provide important new insight into how the loss of TCF4 function may lead to changes in pathways important for neuroplasticity.