Transcriptomics of a cytoglobin knockout mouse: Insights from hepatic stellate cells and brain

The vertebrate respiratory protein cytoglobin (Cygb) is thought to exert multiple cellular functions. Here we studied the phenotypic effects of a Cygb knockout (KO) in mouse on the transcriptome level. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed for the first time on sites of major endogenous Cygb expression, i.e. quiescent and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and two brain regions, hippocampus and hypothalamus. The data recapitulated the up-regulation of Cygb during HSC activation and its expression in the brain. Differential gene expression analyses suggested a role of Cygb in the response to inflammation in HSCs and its involvement in retinoid metabolism, retinoid X receptor (RXR) activation-induced xenobiotics metabolism, and RXR activation-induced lipid metabolism and signaling in activated cells. Unexpectedly, only minor effects of the Cygb KO were detected in the transcriptional profiles in hippocampus and hypothalamus, precluding any enrichment analyses. Furthermore, the transcriptome data pointed at a previously undescribed potential of the Cygb- knockout allele to produce cis-acting effects, necessitating future verification studies.