The gene expression features reveal the connection between chloride-relevant gene and disease

Abstract

Chloride-mediated signals are involved in forming neural function during development and maintaining its stability in adulthood. The chloride homeostasis is synergistically controlled by various chloride-relevant genes, but their intrinsic relationships remain not fully understood. In this study, an expression profiling of the human brain with different developmental periods was used for the gene expression pattern analysis. Functional analysis for the different expression patterns was performed to explain the functional distinctions of chloride-relevant genes. The major distribution of chloride-relevant genes in single-cell and brain region were investigated to present their spatial expression features. Further exploration was conducted for the relationship between the above expression characteristics of those genes and central nervous system disorders. We found that the chloride-relevant genes regular the specific biological function rather than extensive functions. Additionally, the distribution of chloride-relevant genes is correlated with the pathological regions. Finally, we tested that one of the most well-known chloride-relevant gene SLC12A2 may take an even more important effect on glial cells rather than neurons. Our findings provide a more comprehensive view to explain the temporal and spatial expression characteristics of chloride-relevant genes, which can help to understand the complex roles of chloride-relevant genes in both the development of the normal human brain and the etiology of brain disorders.