Gene expression profiling of the ageing rat vibrissa follicle.
BACKGROUND
The application of gene expression profiling to the study of chronological ageing has the potential to illuminate the molecular mechanisms underlying a complex and active process. For example, ageing of the skin and its constituent organs has myriad phenotypic consequences, and a better understanding of the means by which these changes arise has important corollaries for intervention strategies.


OBJECTIVE
We used a transcriptional profiling approach to investigate changes in gene expression associated with ageing of the large vibrissa follicle of the Wistar rat.


METHODS
Follicle mRNA isolated from male Wistar rats at 1 and 18 months of age was hybridized to Clontech Atlas 1.2 Rat cDNA macroarrays. Confirmation of array results was provided by the use of Northern blotting and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Seven transcripts displayed at least a 1.6-fold increase in expression with age, of which APOD (2.5-fold), GSTM2 (2.0-fold) and NPY (1.8-fold) showed the greatest increases. Decreased expression was found in 19 transcripts, most notably in ALOX12 (13.3-fold) and GAP43 (12.6-fold) expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Follicular ageing is characterized by transcriptional changes associated with diverse aspects of keratinocyte metabolism, proliferation and development.
Yang
C-L
CL
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hill's Road, Cambridge CB2 2QR, UK.
Kurczab
T
T
Down
G
G
Kealey
T
T
Langlands
K
K
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D012333:RNA, Messenger