Project Number: 5325-41440-006-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 18, 2010
End Date: Jun 30, 2013

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to determine the differences in gene expression between normal and insulin resistant mice fed high fat diets containing processed berry fractions or soluble fibers. Another objective is to determine if differences in transcription by alternative splicing of genes occurs in mice fed identical diets except for differences in fiber solubility.

Approach:
Microarray technology currently allows the analysis of all exons in a gene so that all alternative splicing can be detected. In a pioneering experiment we have identified differences in genes and alternatively spliced genes between normal and insulin resistant obese mice by exon microarray. The expression of these genes must be confirmed by PCR and a pathway analysis of the relationship between these genes and insulin resistance needs to be developed assisted by metabolic pathway analysis software such as GeneSpring.