Microglia play a pivotal role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis, but lose their homeostatic function during the course of neurodegenerative disorders. We identified a specific APOE-dependent molecular signature in microglia isolated from mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease (SOD1, EAE and APP-PS1) and in microglia surrounding neuritic A?-plaques in human Alzheimer’s disease brain. This is mediated by a switch from a (M0)-homeostatic to (MGnD)-neurodegenerative phenotype following phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons via the TREM2-APOE pathway. TREM2 induces APOE signaling which is a negative regulator of the transcription program in M0-homeostatic microglia. Targeting the TREM2-APOE pathway restores the M0-homeostatic signature of microglia in APP-PS1 and SOD1 mice and prevents from neuronal loss in an acute model of neurodegeneration. In SOD1 mice, TREM2 regulates MGnD in a gender-dependent manner. APOE-mediated MGnD microglia lose their tolerogenic function. Taken together, our work identifies the TREM2-APOE pathway as a major regulator of microglial functional phenotype in neurodegenerative diseases and serves as a novel target to restore homeostatic microglia. Overall design: Illumina NextSeq500 was used to identify disease-associated vs. homeostatic molecular microglia signature in microglia in different disease models and transgenic models. Bulk microglia (1,000 cells/sample) FCRLS+ sorted microglia.
The TREM2-APOE Pathway Drives the Transcriptional Phenotype of Dysfunctional Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesMicroglia play a pivotal role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis, but lose their homeostatic function during the course of neurodegenerative disorders. We identified a specific APOE-dependent molecular signature in microglia isolated from mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease (SOD1, EAE and APP-PS1) and in microglia surrounding neuritic A?-plaques in human Alzheimer’s disease brain. This is mediated by a switch from a (M0)-homeostatic to (MGnD)-neurodegenerative phenotype following phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons via the TREM2-APOE pathway. TREM2 induces APOE signaling which is a negative regulator of the transcription program in M0-homeostatic microglia. Targeting the TREM2-APOE pathway restores the M0-homeostatic signature of microglia in APP-PS1 and SOD1 mice and prevents from neuronal loss in an acute model of neurodegeneration. In SOD1 mice, TREM2 regulates MGnD in a gender-dependent manner. APOE-mediated MGnD microglia lose their tolerogenic function. Taken together, our work identifies the TREM2-APOE pathway as a major regulator of microglial functional phenotype in neurodegenerative diseases and serves as a novel target to restore homeostatic microglia. Overall design: Illumina NextSeq500 was used to identify disease-associated vs. homeostatic molecular microglia signature in microglia in different disease models and transgenic models. Bulk microglia (1,000 cells/sample) FCRLS+ sorted microglia.
The TREM2-APOE Pathway Drives the Transcriptional Phenotype of Dysfunctional Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Sex, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesBackground Published multi-gene classifiers suggested outcome prediction for patients with stage UICC II colon cancer based on different gene expression signatures. However, there is currently no translation of these classifiers for application in routine diagnostic. Therefore, we aimed at validating own and published gene expression signatures employing methods which enable RNA and protein detection in routine diagnostic specimens. Results Immunohistochemistry was applied to 68 stage UICC II colon cancers to determine the protein expression of five selected previously published classifier genes (CDH17, LAT, CA2, EMR3, and TNFRSF11A). Correlation of protein expression data with clinical outcome within a 5-year post-surgery course failed to separate patients with a disease-free follow-up [Group DF] and relapse [Group R]). In addition, RNA from macrodissected tumor samples from 53 of these 68 patients was profiled on Affymetrix GeneChips (HG-U133 Plus 2.0). Prognostic signatures were generated by Nearest Shrunken Centroids with cross-validation. Although gene expression profiling allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes between the groups DF and R, a stable classification and prognosis signature was not discernable in our data. Furthermore, the application of previously published gene signatures consisting of 22 and 19 genes, respectively, to our gene expression data set using global tests and leave-one-out cross-validation was unable to predict clinical outcome (prediction rate 75.5% and 64.2%; n.s.). T-stage was the only independent prognostic factor for relapse in multivariate analysis with established clinical and pathological parameters including microsatellite status. Conclusions Our protein and gene expression analyses currently do not support application of molecular classifiers for prediction of clinical outcome in routine diagnostic as a basis for patient-orientated therapy in stage UICC II colon cancer. Further studies are needed to develop prognosis signatures applicable in patient care.
Molecular profiles and clinical outcome of stage UICC II colon cancer patients.
Sex
View SamplesCutaneous T-cell lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas characterized by only poor prognosis in advanced stage. Despite significant progress made in the identification of novel genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lymphoma, the therapeutic value of these findings has still to be proven. Here, we demonstrate by gene expression arrays that aurora kinase A is one of highly overexpressed genes of the serine/threonine kinase in CTCL. The finding was confirmed by qualitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in CTCL cell lines and primary patient samples. Moreover, treatment with a specific aurora kinase A inhibitor blocks cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest in G2 phase as well as apoptosis in CTCL cell lines. These new data provide a promising rationale for using aurora kinase A inhibition as a therapeutic modality of CTCL.
Aurora Kinase A Is Upregulated in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Represents a Potential Therapeutic Target.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesA key limitation in single cell genomics is generating a high-quality single cell suspension that contains rare or difficult to dissociate cell types and is free of RNA degradation or transcriptional stress responses. Samples with unpredictable availability or that must be collected at several timepoints present additional challenges. Using adult mouse kidney, we compared single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data generated using DropSeq with snRNA-seq data generated from nuclei using sNuc-DropSeq, DroNc-seq and 10X Chromium. We validated snRNA-seq on fibrotic kidney from day 14 unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Overall design: Dropseq, sNucDropseq, DroNcSeq and 10X Chromium were used to profile mouse healthy and fibrotic kidneys
Advantages of Single-Nucleus over Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Adult Kidney: Rare Cell Types and Novel Cell States Revealed in Fibrosis.
Subject
View SamplesMacrophages are amongst the major targets of glucocorticoids (GC) as therapeutic anti-inflammatory agents. Here we show that GC treatment of mouse and human macrophages initiates a cascade of induced gene expression including many anti-inflammatory genes. Inducible binding of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was detected at candidate enhancers in the vicinity of induced genes in both species and this was strongly associated with canonical GR binding motifs. However, the sets of inducible genes, the candidate enhancers, and the GR motifs within them, were highly-divergent between the two species.
Enhancer Turnover Is Associated with a Divergent Transcriptional Response to Glucocorticoid in Mouse and Human Macrophages.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesMacrophages are amongst the major targets of glucocorticoids (GC) as therapeutic anti-inflammatory agents. Here we show that GC treatment of mouse and human macrophages initiates a cascade of induced gene expression including many anti-inflammatory genes. Inducible binding of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was detected at candidate enhancers in the vicinity of induced genes in both species and this was strongly associated with canonical GR binding motifs. However, the sets of inducible genes, the candidate enhancers, and the GR motifs within them, were highly-divergent between the two species.. The data cast further doubt upon the predictive value of mouse models of inflammatory disease.
Enhancer Turnover Is Associated with a Divergent Transcriptional Response to Glucocorticoid in Mouse and Human Macrophages.
Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesThecal tissue forms a layer around the follicle just prior to antral stage and grows with the follicle (containing an oocyte) as it matures. The innermost component (theca interna) supplies hormones and other factors necessary to the growth and development of the granulosa and oocyte. Most follicles regress and die (become atretic) at the antral stage, and this process as well as development of the follicle are undoubtedly influenced by the theca.
Transcriptome profiling of the theca interna in transition from small to large antral ovarian follicles.
Specimen part
View SamplesBACKGROUND: Hox genes are implicated in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) regulation as well as in leukemia development through translocation with the nucleoporin gene NUP98. Interestingly, an engineered NUP98-HOXA10 (NA10) fusion can induce a several hundred-fold expansion of HSCs in vitro and NA10 and the AML-associated fusion gene NUP98-HOXD13 (ND13) have a virtually indistinguishable ability to transform myeloid progenitor cells in vitro and to induce leukemia in collaboration with MEIS1 in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: These findings provided a potentially powerful approach to identify key pathways mediating Hox-induced expansion and transformation of HSCs by identifying gene expression changes commonly induced by ND13 and NA10 but not by a NUP98-Hox fusion with a non-DNA binding homedomain mutation (N51S). The gene expression repertoire of purified murine bone marrow Sca-1+Lin- cells transduced with retroviral vectors encoding for these genes was established using the Affymetrix GeneChip MOE430A. Approximately seventy genes were differentially expressed in ND13 and NA10 cells that were significantly changed by both compared to the ND13(N51S) mutant. Intriguingly, several of these potential Hox target genes have been implicated in HSC expansion and self-renewal, including the tyrosine kinase receptor Flt3, the prion protein, Prnp, hepatic leukemia factor, Hlf and Jagged-2, Jag2. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion this study has identified several novel Hox downstream target genes and provides important new leads to key regulators of the expansion and transformation of hematopoietic stem cells by Hox.
Candidate genes for expansion and transformation of hematopoietic stem cells by NUP98-HOX fusion genes.
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View SamplesGeminin is a small nucleoprotein that neuralizes ectoderm in the Xenopus embryo. Geminin promotes neural fate acquisition of mouse embryonic stem cells: Geminin knockdown during neural fate acquisition decreased expression of neural precursor cell markers (Pax6, Sox1), while increasing expression of Pitx2, Lefty1 and Cited2, genes involved in formation of the mouse node. Here we differentiated mouse embryonic stem cells into embryoid bodies to study Geminin's ability to repress primitive streak mesendoderm fate acquisition. We used microarrays to define the sets of genes that are regulated by Geminin during cell fate acquisition in embryoid bodies, using Dox-inducible Geminin knockdown or overexpression mouse embryonic stem cell lines.
Geminin restrains mesendodermal fate acquisition of embryonic stem cells and is associated with antagonism of Wnt signaling and enhanced polycomb-mediated repression.
Specimen part
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