Serum response factor (SRF), a MADS-box transcription factor, is essential for murine embryonic development and for the function of muscle cells and neurons. SRF and its transcriptional co-factors are broadly expressed. To determine the in vivo role of SRF in developing lymphocytes we specifically inactivated the murine Srf gene during T or B cell development using lymphocyte-specific Cre transgenic mouse lines. T cell-specific Srf deletion led to a severe block in thymocyte development at the transition from double to single positive stage. The few residual T cells detectable in the periphery retained at least one functional Srf allele, thereby demonstrating the importance of SRF in T cell development. In contrast, deletion of Srf in developing B cells did not interfere with the growth and survival of B cells in general, yet led to a complete loss of marginal zone B cells and a marked reduction of the CD5+ B cell subset. Our study also revealed a contribution of SRF to the expression of the surface molecules IgM, CD19, and the chemokine receptor 4 in B lymphocytes.
Serum response factor contributes selectively to lymphocyte development.
Specimen part
View SamplesGrainyhead genes are involved in wound healing and developmental neural tube closure. In light of the high degree of similarity between the epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) occurring in wound healing processes and the cancer stem cell-like compartment of tumors, including TGF--dependence, we investigated the role of a Grainyhead gene (GRHL2) in oncogenic EMT. Grainyhead was specifically down-regulated in the claudin-low subclass of mammary tumors and in the basal-B subclass of breast cancer cell lines. Functionally, GRHL2 suppressed TGF--induced, Twist-induced or spontaneous EMT, enhanced anoikis-sensitivity, and suppressed mammosphere generation in mammary epithelial cells. These effects were mediated, in part, by its suppression of ZEB1 expression, through direct repression of the ZEB1 promoter. GRHL2 also inhibited Smad-mediated transcription, and up-regulated mir200b/c as well as the TGF- receptor antagonist, BMP2. The expression of GRHL2 in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 triggered a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and sensitized the cells to anoikis. These results indicate that GRHL2 is a suppressor of the oncogenic EMT.
Suppression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition by Grainyhead-like-2.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis work was designed to determine the role of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) isoforms during early neuroepithelial development in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), specifically in the forebrain. An emerging model of interdependence between neural and vascular systems includes VEGF, with its dual roles as a potent angiogenesis factor and neural regulator. Although a number of studies have implicated VEGF in CNS development, little is known about the role that the different VEGF isoforms play in early neurogenesis. We used a mouse model of disrupted VEGF isoform expression that eliminates the predominant brain isoform, VEGF164, and expresses only the diffusible form, VEGF120. We tested the hypothesis that VEGF164 plays a key role in controlling neural precursor populations in developing cortex. We used microarray analysis to compare gene expression differences between wild type and VEGF120 mice at E9.5, the primitive stem cell stage of the neuroepithelium. We quantified changes in PHH3-positive nuclei, neural stem cell markers (Pax6 and nestin) and the Tbr2-positive intermediate progenitors at E11.5 when the neural precursor population is expanding rapidly. Absence of VEGF164 (and VEGF188) leads to reduced proliferation without an apparent effect on the number of Tbr2-positive cells. There is a corresponding reduction in the number of mitotic spindles that are oriented parallel to the ventricular surface relative to those with a vertical or oblique angle. These results support a role for the VEGF isoforms in supporting the neural precursor population of the early neuroepithelium.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoform regulation of early forebrain development.
Specimen part
View SamplesAsthma is caused by a combination of poorly understood genetic and environmental factors. We found multiple markers on chromosome 17q21 to be strongly and reproducibly associated with childhood onset asthma in family and case-referent panels with a combined P < 10-12. In independent replication studies the 17q21 locus showed strong association with diagnosis of childhood asthma in 2,320 subjects from a cohort of German children (P = 0.0003) and in 3,301 subjects from the British 1958 Birth Cohort (P = 0.0005). We systematically evaluated the relationships between markers of the 17q21 locus and transcript levels of genes in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines from children in the asthma family panel used in our association study. The SNPs associated with childhood asthma were consistently and strongly associated (P <10-22) in cis with transcript levels of ORMDL3, a member of a gene family that encode transmembrane proteins anchored in the endoplasmic reticulum. The results indicate that genetic variants regulating ORMDL3 expression are determinants of susceptibility to childhood asthma.
Genetic variants regulating ORMDL3 expression contribute to the risk of childhood asthma.
Sex
View SamplesPrimary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) were exposed to either salt stress (80mM KCl) or heat stress (44ºC). Newly transcribed RNA was labelled by adding 500µM 4-thiouridine (4sU) to the cell culture media for 1h. Total cellular RNA was isolated using Trizol. Newly transcribed RNA was purified following the protocol described in Raedle et al. JoVE 2013. Overall design: Newly transcribed RNA was labelled in one hour intervals during either salt or heat stress (prior to stress, 0-1h or 1-2h). All 4sU-RNA samples were sent for sequencing. Two independent biological replicates were analysed.
HSV-1-induced disruption of transcription termination resembles a cellular stress response but selectively increases chromatin accessibility downstream of genes.
Specimen part, Subject, Time
View SamplesQuiescent stem cells of glioblastoma (GBM), a malignant primary brain tumor, are potential sources for recurrence after therapy. However, the gene expression program underlying the physiology of GBM stem cells remains unclear. We have isolated quiescent GBM cells by engineering them with a knock-in H2B-GFP proliferation reporter and expanding them in a 3D tumor organoid model that mimics tumor heterogeneity. H2B-GFP label retaining quiescent cells were subjected to stem cell assays and RNA-Seq gene expression analysis. While quiescent GBM cells were similar in clonal culture assays to their proliferative counterparts, they displayed higher therapy resistance. Interestingly, quiescent GBM cells upregulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes and genes of extracellular matrix components. Our findings connect quiescent GBM cells with an EMT-like shift, possibly explaining how GBM stem cells achieve high therapy resistance and invasiveness, and suggest new targets to abrogate GBM. Overall design: Glioblastoma cancer cells in 3D organoid culture were pulsed for 2 weeks with H2B-GFP, then chased either 2 or 4 weeks. Label-retaining GFP-high cells (quiescent) were separated from bulk population, and both populations were analyzed by RNA-Seq.
Gene signatures of quiescent glioblastoma cells reveal mesenchymal shift and interactions with niche microenvironment.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesPrimary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) were infected with wild-type simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) strain 17 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 10. Newly transcribed RNA was labelled by adding 500µM 4-thiouridine (4sU) to the cell culture media for 1h. Total cellular RNA was isolated using Trizol. Newly transcribed RNA was purified following the protocol described in Raedle et al. JoVE 2013. Overall design: Newly transcribed RNA was labelled in one hour intervals during the first eight hours of HSV-1 infection. All nine 4sU-RNA samples as well as total cellular RNA of every second hour of infection were sent for sequencing. Two independent biological replicates were analysed.
Prediction of Poly(A) Sites by Poly(A) Read Mapping.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPresbycusis age-related hearing loss is the number one communicative disorder of our aged population. Here we analyzed gene expression for a set of GABA receptors in the cochlea of aging CBA mice using the Affymetrix GeneChip MOE430A. Functional phenotypic hearing measures distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) amplitudes (four age groups) were made. The gene expression changes from RMA normalized microarray data (40 replicates) were first subjected to one-way ANOVA, and then linear regression was performed. In addition, the log signal ratio was converted to fold change, and selected gene expression changes were confirmed by relative real-time PCR. Major findings: expression of GABA-A receptor subunit 6was upregulated with age and hearing loss, whereas subunit 1 was repressed. In addition, GABA-A receptor associated protein like-1 and GABA-A receptor associated protein like-2 were strongly downregulated with age and hearing impairment. Lastly, gene expression measures were correlated with pathway/network relationships relevant to the inner ear using Pathway Architect, to identify key pathways consistent with the gene expression changes observed.
Novel approach to select genes from RMA normalized microarray data using functional hearing tests in aging mice.
Sex
View SamplesWe applied RNA-seq analysis to human islet cells, received from 3 independent donors, treated with either redifferentiation cocktail + ARX shRNA, or redifferentiation cocktail + control shRNA or left untreated. Overall design: Examination of the effect of ARX inhibition on redifferentiation of ß-cell-derived (BCD) cells
Redifferentiation of expanded human islet β cells by inhibition of ARX.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis is an initial experiment which was performed in order to identify novel transcriptional targets of the tumor suppressor p53
p53 activates the PANK1/miRNA-107 gene leading to downregulation of CDK6 and p130 cell cycle proteins.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
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