Stephan P. Persengiev

Learn More
The molecular instructions that govern gene expression regulation are encoded in the genome and ultimately determine the morphology and functional specifications of the human brain. As a consequence, changes in gene expression levels might be directly related to the functional decline associated with brain aging. Small noncoding RNAs, including miRNAs,(More)
Neurodegenerative pathologies associated with aging exhibit clinical and morphological features that are relatively specific to humans. To gain insights into the evolution of the regulatory mechanisms of the aged brain, we compared age-related differences in microRNA (miRNA) expression levels in the cortex and cerebellum of humans, chimpanzees and rhesus(More)
Melatonin is an endocrine factor known to affect a number of physiological functions. The present studies have demonstrated an additional activity for pineal melatonin, specifically associated with the survival and differentiation of neuroblasts. Based on experimental data several conclusions might be drawn. First, melatonin negatively regulates the(More)
Cell differentiation in the nervous system is dictated by specific patterns of gene expression. We have investigated the role of gene methylation during differentiation of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Here we present evidence that NGF-induced neuronal differentiation is dependent on gene methylation and that this(More)
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory genetic elements that coordinate the expression of thousands of genes and play important roles in brain aging and neurodegeneration. DNA polymorphisms affecting miRNA biogenesis, dosage, and gene targeting may represent potentially functional variants. The consequences of single nucleotide polymorphisms affecting miRNA(More)
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of CAG repeats in the ataxin 1 (ATXN1) gene. In affected cerebellar neurons of patients, mutant ATXN1 accumulates in ubiquitin-positive nuclear inclusions, indicating that protein misfolding is involved in SCA1 pathogenesis. In this study, we functionally annotated(More)
In mammals, cytosine methylation is important for the regulation of gene expression and chromatin structure. Recently, we have found evidence indicating that the maintained DNA methyltransferase activity is critical for neuronal cell differentiation. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine(More)
Melatonin, the principal hormone of the pineal gland, elicits potent anti-stress, anti-aging and oncostatic properties and influences various immunological and endocrinological functions. We have previously described the effects of melatonin on glucocorticoid receptors and suggested its potential influence on gene transcription. In the present study, the(More)
Although genome sequencing has identified numerous noncoding alterations between primate species, which of those are regulatory and potentially relevant to the evolution of the human brain is unclear. Here we annotated cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in the human, rhesus macaque and chimpanzee genomes using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by(More)
Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) represent a diverse group of gene regulatory factors that can posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression in response to various stimuli during brain development and differentiation. Subsets of ncRNAs and miRNAs in particular, are very specifically expressed within the central nervous system and participate in the(More)