GSE48960
Targeting H3K4 methylation as a therapeutic strategy for Huntington''s disease (ChIP-seq)
Transcriptional dysregulation is an early feature of Huntington''s disease (HD). We observed gene-specific changes in H3K4me3 at transcriptionally repressed promoters in R6/2 mouse and human HD brain. Genome-wide analysis showed a novel chromatin signature for this mark. Reducing the levels of the H3K4 demethylase SMCX/Jarid1c in primary neurons reversed down-regulation of key neuronal genes caused by mutant Huntingtin (Htt) expression. Finally, reduction of SMCX/Jarid1c in primary neurons from BACHD mice or the single Jarid1 in a Drosophila HD model was protective. Therefore, targeting this epigenetic signature may be an effective strategy to ameliorate the consequences of HD. Overall design: ChIP-seq for H3K4me3 in wild type and R6/2 cortex and striatum at 8 and 12 weeks.