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Matthias Harbers

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Harbers.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Genome-wide analysis of mammalian promoter architecture and evolution.

Mammalian promoters can be separated into two classes, conserved TATA box-enriched promoters, which initiate at a well-defined site, and more plastic, broad and evolvable CpG-rich promoters. We have sequenced tags corresponding to several hundred thousand transcription start sites (TSSs) in the mouse and human genomes, allowing precise analysis of the sequence architecture and evolution of distinct promoter classes. Different tissues and families of genes differentially use distinct types of promoters. Our tagging methods allow quantitative analysis of promoter usage in different tissues and show that differentially regulated alternative TSSs are a common feature in protein-coding genes and commonly generate alternative N termini. Among the TSSs, we identified new start sites associated with the majority of exons and with 3' UTRs. These data permit genome-scale identification of tissue-specific promoters and analysis of the cis-acting elements associated with them.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2005

Tag-based approaches for transcriptome research and genome annotation.

With the increasing number of whole genome sequences available, genomic research has shifted toward the annotation of functional elements and transcribed regions. Thus, the related field of transcriptome research requires accurate methods for the profiling of genes that are not biased by known sequence information, and that also allow for the identification of promoter regions. Starting with serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), methods making use of short sequencing tags have greatly contributed to transcriptome studies. Here we review recent developments in the use of short sequencing tags in expression profiling, gene discovery and genome annotation. These tags are obtained from the 5' end of mRNAs, both terminal ends of mRNAs, or genomic regions. The 5' end-specific tags, with their ability to identify transcripts along with their transcriptional start sites, will be of particular interest for gene network studies and may become one of the most important approaches in systems biology.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Libraries enriched for alternatively spliced exons reveal splicing patterns in melanocytes and melanomas.

It is becoming increasingly clear that alternative splicing enables the complex development and homeostasis of higher organisms. To gain a better understanding of how splicing contributes to regulatory pathways, we have developed an alternative splicing library approach for the identification of alternatively spliced exons and their flanking regions by alternative splicing sequence enriched tags sequencing. Here, we have applied our approach to mouse melan-c melanocyte and B16-F10Y melanoma cell lines, in which 5,401 genes were found to be alternatively spliced. These genes include those encoding important regulatory factors such as cyclin D2, Ilk, MAPK12, MAPK14, RAB4, melastatin 1 and previously unidentified splicing events for 436 genes. Real-time PCR further identified cell line-specific exons for Tmc6, Abi1, Sorbs1, Ndel1 and Snx16. Thus, the ASL approach proved effective in identifying splicing events, which suggest that alternative splicing is important in melanoma development.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed2004

Absolute expression values for mouse transcripts: re-annotation of the READ expression database by the use of CAGE and EST sequence tags.

The RIKEN expression array database (READ) provides comprehensive gene expression data for the mouse, which were obtained as relative values from microarray double-staining experiments with E17.5 mRNA as common reference. To assign absolute expression values for mouse transcripts within READ, we applied the E17.5 reference sample to CAGE (cap analysis of gene expression) and expressed sequence tag (EST) high-throughput tag sequencing. Newly assigned values within the READ database were validated by comparison to expression data from serial analysis of gene expression, CAGE and EST experiments. These experiments confirmed the great significance of the absolute expression values within the improved READ database. The new Absolute READ database on absolute expression data is available under.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Aptamer-dependent full-length cDNA synthesis by overlap extension PCR.

Sequencing of the human genome in combination with computational annotation has provided tremendous data on predicted genes. However, for most of them, no corresponding cDNAs are available yet. Furthermore, even where cDNA clones were obtained, gene transcripts often have many different splice variants that are not covered by current gene collections. For direct synthesis of cDNA clones corresponding to predicted genes, new splice variants, or any other gene of interest, we established optimal PCR conditions for the direct amplification of exons from genomic DNA, which require a specific Taq aptamer. PCR products comprising differently tagged exons were concatenated by overlap extension into full-length cDNAs. To prove the effectiveness of the approach, the 1900-bp full-length open reading frame of the human mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene was synthesized in a two-step reaction comprising all 13 exons. Thus, our conditions are of general value for in vitro synthesis of cDNAs and alternative splice variants from genomic DNA.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed2003

Cap analysis gene expression for high-throughput analysis of transcriptional starting point and identification of promoter usage.

We introduce cap analysis gene expression (CAGE), which is based on preparation and sequencing of concatamers of DNA tags deriving from the initial 20 nucleotides from 5' end mRNAs. CAGE allows high-throughout gene expression analysis and the profiling of transcriptional start points (TSP), including promoter usage analysis. By analyzing four libraries (brain, cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum), we redefined more accurately the TSPs of 11-27% of the analyzed transcriptional units that were hit. The frequency of CAGE tags correlates well with results from other analyses, such as serial analysis of gene expression, and furthermore maps the TSPs more accurately, including in tissue-specific cases. The high-throughput nature of this technology paves the way for understanding gene networks via correlation of promoter usage and gene transcriptional factor expression.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The bromodomain mediates transcriptional intermediary factor 1alpha -nucleosome interactions.

Nuclear histone acetyltransferases, DNA-dependent ATPases, and transcriptional intermediary factors (TIFs) all harbor a distinct structural module known as the bromodomain (BrD). Although the BrD can interact with histones H3 and H4 and their acetylated N-terminal tails in vitro, its function in a chromosomal environment remains elusive. We used the nuclear receptor coregulator TIF1alpha, a protein kinase that associates tightly with euchromatin, to analyze the properties of the BrD in a nucleosomal environment in vitro. Here, we report that TIF1alpha-chromatin association is direct and involves DNA and nucleosome interactions mediated by the BrD. Mutation of the BrD signature peptide, PMDL, abolishes DNA binding and disrupts BrD-nucleosome interactions. Based on our results, we propose that the BrD plays a critical role in vivo by directing transregulators to their cognate location on nucleosomal DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗