Biomedical subjects

Erica Korb

Publications and source records attributed to Erica Korb.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Spatial mapping of RNA turnover kinetics in the mouse brain.

Gene regulation requires coordinated control of RNA synthesis and degradation, yet measuring RNA turnover across intact tissues remains challenging. Here we present spatial NT-seq, a method that combines transgenesis-free metabolic RNA labeling with in situ chemical recoding on spatial transcriptomics platforms to co-map newly synthesized and pre-existing RNAs. Applying spatial NT-seq to the mouse brain reveals pronounced regional heterogeneity in RNA turnover and identifies the dentate gyrus as a spatial hotspot marked by coordinated upregulation of basal RNA synthesis and decay. Moreover, spatial NT-seq uncovers rapid, brain region-specific transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses to electroconvulsive stimulation, a clinically relevant treatment for refractory depression. Finally, we leverage computational modeling to identify sequence features and post-transcriptional regulators that shape transcriptome-wide mRNA stability across spatial and cellular contexts in the mouse brain. Together, this integrated 'in vivo timescope' framework provides a spatially resolved view of RNA turnover kinetics and reveals the regulatory architecture of RNA stability in vivo.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Autism spectrum disorder risk genes have convergent effects on transcription and neuronal firing patterns in primary neurons.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorder with numerous genetic risk factors. Notably, a disproportionate number of risk genes encode transcription regulators including transcription factors and proteins that regulate chromatin. Here, we test the function of nine such ASD-linked transcription regulators by depleting them in primary cultured neurons. We then define the resulting gene expression disruptions using RNA sequencing and test effects on neuronal firing using multielectrode array recordings. We identify shared gene expression signatures across many ASD risk genes that converge on the disruption of critical synaptic genes. Fitting with this, we detect robust disruptions to neuronal firing throughout neuronal maturation. Together, these findings provide evidence that the loss of multiple ASD-linked transcriptional regulators disrupts transcription of synaptic genes and has convergent effects on neuronal firing that may contribute to enhanced ASD risk.

Autism Spectrum Disorder↗