Mutations of the splicing factor U2AF1 are frequent in the myeloid malignancy myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and in other cancers. Patients with MDS suffer from peripheral blood cytopenias, including anemia, and increasing bone marrow blasts. We investigated the impact of the common U2AF1 S34F mutation on cellular function and mRNA splicing in the main cell lineages affected in MDS. We demonstrated that U2AF1 S34F expression in human hematopoietic progenitors impairs erythroid differentiation, and skews granulomonocytic differentiation towards granulocytes. RNA-sequencing of erythroid and granulomonocytic colonies revealed that U2AF1 S34F induced a higher number of cassette exon splicing events in granulomonocytic than erythroid cells, and altered mRNA splicing of many transcripts (expressed in both cell types) in a lineage-specific manner. The introduction of isoform changes identified in the target genes H2AFY and STRAP into hematopoietic progenitors recapitulated phenotypes associated with U2AF1 S34F expression in erythroid and/or granulomonocytic cells, suggesting a causal link. Importantly, we provided evidence showing that isoform modulation of the U2AF1 S34F target genes H2AFY and STRAP rescues the erythroid differentiation defect in U2AF1 S34F MDS cells, raising the possibility of using splicing modulators therapeutically. These data have critical implications for understanding MDS phenotypic heterogeneity, and for the development of new targeted therapies. Overall design: RNA sequencing was performed to identify the aberrant splicing events associated with U2AF1 S34F mutation (n=3) compared to U2AF1 wild-type (n=3) and empty vector control (n=3) in BFU-E and CFU-G/M colonies respectively.
The U2AF1S34F mutation induces lineage-specific splicing alterations in myelodysplastic syndromes.
Subject
View SamplesThe same entry pathway is shared by HBV and HDV. Both viruses attach to hepatocytes via heparansulfate proteoglycan and utilize sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) for a specifc entry. This specific entry step is inhibited by Myrcludex B, a 47-aa lipopeptide myristoylated at the N-terminus. Here we compared the cellular response in the gene expression level triggerred by both viruses. The microarray data shows that HBV infection leads to a silent response but HDV infection triggers high level of innate response such as inteferon-stimulated genes (ISG) expression. Moreover, the response depends on the hepatic cell lines used for infection. Compared to HepG2 cells, HuH7 can not induce ISG even infected by HDV.
Hepatitis D virus replication is sensed by MDA5 and induces IFN-β/λ responses in hepatocytes.
Cell line, Time
View SamplesActivation of the MLL-ENL-ERtm oncogene initiates aberrant proliferation of myeloid progenitors. Here, we show induction of a fail-safe mechanism mediated by the DNA damage response (DDR) machinery that results in activation of the ATR/ATM-Chk1/Chk2-p53/p21 checkpoint and cellular senescence at early stages of cellular transformation caused by a regulatable MLL-ENL-ERtm in mice. Furthermore, we identified the transcription program underlying this intrinsic anti-cancer barrier, and DDR-induced inflammatory regulators that fine-tune the signaling towards senescence, thereby modulating the fate of MLL-ENL-immortalized cells in a tissue-environment-dependent manner. Our results indicate that DDR is a rate-limiting event for acquisition of stem cell-like properties in MLL-ENL-ERtm-mediated transformation, as experimental inhibition of the barrier accelerated the transition to immature cell states and acute leukemia development.
DNA damage response and inflammatory signaling limit the MLL-ENL-induced leukemogenesis in vivo.
Specimen part, Disease stage
View SamplesHepatitis C Virus (HCV) has a extremely narrow host cell tropism and robustly infects only very few cell lines, most importantly the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. This cell line was isolated from a 57-year old Japanese male with fulminant hepatitis. Different subclones and passages of the Huh7 cell line show up to 1000-fold differences in HCV replication efficiency (permissiveness). In this experiment, we sought to identify factors responsible for these differences by correlating gene expression from eight different uninfected Huh7 variants with their respective HCV permissiveness. HCV replication efficiency was determined using electroporation of a subgenomic luciferase reporter replicon (genotype 1b, "con1/ET") and measuring luciferase activity at 48h post transfection normalized to the input value at 4h p.t.. "Relative permissiveness" of cell lines corresponds to their replication efficiency, normalized to the efficiency in the lowest permissive cells (Huh7 p13 and p28).
Replication vesicles are load- and choke-points in the hepatitis C virus lifecycle.
Specimen part
View SamplesAll major types of interferon (IFN) efficiently inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, HCV replication is not sensitive to IFN in the hepatoma cell line Huh6, despite an intact signaling pathway. We performed transcriptome analyses between Huh6 and Huh-7 to identify effector genes of the IFN response and thereby identified the DExD/H box helicase DDX60L as a restriction factor of HCV replication. DDX60L and its homolog DDX60 were both induced upon viral infection and IFN treatment in primary human hepatocytes. However, exclusively DDX60L knockdown increased HCV replication in Huh-7 cells, and rescued HCV replication from type II IFN as well as type I and III IFN treatment, suggesting that DDX60L is an important effector protein of the innate immune response against HCV. DDX60L had no impact on replication of hepatitis A virus (HAV), but severely impaired production of lentiviral vectors, arguing for a potential antiretroviral activity. Detection of endogenous DDX60L protein turned out to be difficult due to instability. DDX60L knockdown did not alter interferon stimulated gene (ISG) induction after IFN treatment, suggesting that it is a direct effector of the innate immune response. It most likely inhibits viral RNA replication, since we found no impact of DDX60L on translation or stability of HCV subgenomic replicons, nor additional impact on entry and assembly of infectious virus. Similar to its homolog DDX60, DDX60L had a moderate impact on retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-dependent activation of innate immunity arguing for additional functions in the sensing of viral RNA.
DDX60L Is an Interferon-Stimulated Gene Product Restricting Hepatitis C Virus Replication in Cell Culture.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesUnderstanding the physiological relevance of structures in mammalian mRNAs remains elusive, especially considering the global unfolding of mRNA structures in eukaryotic organisms recently examined, as well as the decade-long observation that mRNAs generally seem no more likely than random sequences to be stably folded. Here we show that RNA secondary structures, mostly weak and close-to-random, facilitate the 3'-end processing of thousands of human mRNAs by juxtaposing poly(A) signals (PASs) and cleavage sites that are otherwise too far apart. Folding of these 3'-end structures also enhances mRNA stability. Global structure probing shows that 3'-end regions are indeed folded in cells despite substantial unfolding of PAS-upstream regions. Analyses of thousands of ectopically expressed variants prove that folding both enhances processing and increases stability. Mutagenesis of a genomic locus further implicates structure-controlled processing in regulating neighboring gene expression. These results reveal widespread roles for RNA structure in mammalian mRNA biogenesis and metabolism. Overall design: This series includes 8 samples designed to measure the efficiency of 3'' end processing from a reporter library expressed in HEK293T cells and HeLa cells, in steady state or in nascent RNAs (by 4sU labeling and capture).
Widespread Influence of 3'-End Structures on Mammalian mRNA Processing and Stability.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesSmall endogenous C. elegans RNAs from L4 and young adult worms were prepared for sequencing using a protocol derived from Batista et al., (2008) and Lau et al. (2001). The small-RNA libraries were constructed using a method that does not require a 5' monophosphate (called 5' monophosphate-independent method, Ambros et al., 2003) to profile secondary siRNAs that have 5' triphosphorylated G. All preprocessed small-RNA reads were mapped to genome (ce6), allowing no mismatches. After excluding miRNAs, 21U RNAs, rRNAs, and other structural ncRNAs, the remaining reads were classified as 22G RNAs, 26G RNAs, and other siRNAs, based on their length and 5' terminal nucleotide. Overall design: Small-RNA libraries were sequenced in L4 and young adult stages in C.elegans.
Long noncoding RNAs in C. elegans.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
TALEN/CRISPR-mediated engineering of a promoterless anti-viral RNAi hairpin into an endogenous miRNA locus.
Sex, Cell line
View SamplesShort hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression strategies that allow safe and persistent target mRNA knockdown are key to the success of many in vitro or in vivo RNAi applications. Here, we propose a novel solution which is expression of a promoterless miRNA-adapted shRNA (shmiRNA) from an engineered genomic miRNA locus. For proof-of-concept, we genetically vaccinated liver cells against a human pathogen, by using TALEns or CRISPR to integrate an anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) shmiRNA into the liver-specific miR-122/hcr gene. Reporter assays and qRT-PCR confirmed anti-HCV shmiRNA expression as well as miR-122 integrity and functionality. Specificity and safety of shmiRNA integration were validated via PCR, cDNA and miRNA profiling, and whole genome sequencing. A subgenomic HCV replicon and a full-length reporter virus, but not a Dengue virus control, were significantly impaired in the modified cells. Our original combination of DNA engineering and RNA expression technologies should benefit numerous applications, from basic miRNA research, to human cell and gene therapy
TALEN/CRISPR-mediated engineering of a promoterless anti-viral RNAi hairpin into an endogenous miRNA locus.
Sex, Cell line
View SamplesControl of metazoan embryogenesis shifts from maternal to zygotic gene products as the zygotic genome becomes transcriptionally activated. In Drosophila, zygotic genome activation (ZGA) begins with a minor wave, but technical challenges have hampered the identification of early transcripts or obscured the onset of their transcription. Here, we develop an approach to isolate transcribed mRNAs and apply it over the course of the minor wave and the start of the major wave of Drosophila ZGA. Our results increase known genes of the minor wave by 10 fold and show that this wave is continuous and gradual. Transposable-element mRNAs are also produced, but discontinuously. Genes in the early and middle part of the minor wave are short with few if any introns, and their transcripts are frequently aborted and tend to have retained introns, suggesting that inefficient splicing as well as rapid cell divisions constrain the lengths of early transcripts. Overall design: The goal of this study is to use NGS to identify zygotic transcripts produced during early zygotic genome activation in Drosophila.
Early genome activation in <i>Drosophila</i> is extensive with an initial tendency for aborted transcripts and retained introns.
Subject
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