How organ size and form are controlled during development is a major question of biology. Blood vessels have been shown to be essential for early development of the liver and pancreas, and are fundamental to normal and pathological tissue growth. Here we report that non-nutritional signals from blood vessels surprisingly act to restrain pancreas growth. Elimination of endothelial cells increases the size of embryonic pancreatic buds. Conversely, VEGF-induced hypervascularization decreases pancreas size. The growth phenotype results from vascular restriction of pancreatic tip cell formation, lateral branching and differentiation of the pancreatic epithelium into endocrine and acinar cells. The effects are seen both in vivo and ex vivo, indicating a perfusion-independent mechanism. Thus the vasculature controls pancreas morphogenesis and growth by reducing branching and differentiation of primitive epithelial cells.
Blood vessels restrain pancreas branching, differentiation and growth.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe UT-A1 urea transporter is crucial to the kidney’s ability to generate concentrated urine. Native UT-A1 from kidney inner medulla (IM) is a heavily glycosylated protein with two glycosylation forms of 97 and 117 kDa. In diabetes, UT-A1 protein abundance, particularly the 117 kD isoform, is significantly increased corresponding to an increased urea permeability in perfused IM collecting ducts, which plays an important role in preventing the osmotic diuresis caused by glucosuria. In this study, using sugar-specific binding lectins, we found that the carbohydrate structure of UT-A1 is also changed under diabetic conditions with increased amounts of sialic acid, fucose, and increased glycan branching. These changes were accompanied by altered UT-A1 association with the galectin proteins, a-galactoside glycan binding proteins. To explore the molecular basis of the alterations of glycan structures, the highly sensitive next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, Illumina RNA-seq, was employed to analyze genes involved in the process of UT-A1 glycosylation using streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic rat kidney as the tissue source. Differential expression analysis combining quantitative PCR revealed that a number of important glycosylation related genes were changed under diabetic conditions. These genes include the glycosyltransferase genes Mgat4a, the sialylation enzymes St3gal1 and St3gal4and glycan binding protein galectin-3, -5, -8 and -9. In contrast, although highly expressed in kidney IM, the glycosyltransferase genes Mgat1, Mgat2, and fucosyltransferase Fut8, did not show any changes. We conclude that the alteration of these glycosylation related genes may contribute to changing the UT-A1 glycan structure, and therefore modulate kidney urea transport activity under diabetic conditions. Overall design: Examination of UT-A1 urea transporter glycosylation related genes under STZ-induced diabetic conditions
RNA-seq analysis of glycosylation related gene expression in STZ-induced diabetic rat kidney inner medulla.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe used microarrays to determine the effect of prenatal nicotine exposure on gene expression profiles in the striatum of adolescent rats. We found a number of immediate early genes to be differentially expressed due to food-restriction.
Long-term effects of gestational nicotine exposure and food-restriction on gene expression in the striatum of adolescent rats.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Standard of hygiene and immune adaptation in newborn infants.
Sex
View SamplesThe prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu.
Standard of hygiene and immune adaptation in newborn infants.
Sex
View SamplesSystemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) has been strongly associated with macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). To better understand the pathogenesid of sJIA and to facilitate the search for MAS biomarkers, we examine gene expression profiles in untreated new onset sJIA.
Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood from patients with untreated new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis reveals molecular heterogeneity that may predict macrophage activation syndrome.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu.
Standard of hygiene and immune adaptation in newborn infants.
Sex
View SamplesObjective. Microarray analysis was used to determine whether children with recent onset polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) exhibit biologically or clinically informative gene expression signatures in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Methods. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 59 healthy children and 61 children with polyarticular JIA prior to treatment with second-line medications, such as methotrexate or biological agents. RNA was purified from Ficoll-isolated mononuclear cells, fluorescently labeled and then hybridized to Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChips. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at a 5% false discovery rate threshold after Robust Multi-Array Average pre-processing and Distance Weighted Discrimination normalization. Results. Initial analysis revealed 873 probe sets for genes that were differentially expressed between polyarticular JIA and controls. Hierarchical clustering of these probe sets distinguished three subgroups within polyarticular JIA. Prototypical subjects within each subgroup were identified and used to define subgroup-specific gene expression signatures. One of these signatures was associated with monocyte markers, another with transforming growth factor-beta-inducible genes, and a third with immediate-early genes. Correlation of these gene expression signatures with clinical and biological features of JIA subgroups suggests direct relevance to aspects of disease activity and supports the division of polyarticular JIA into distinct subsets. Conclusions. PBMC gene expression signatures in recent onset polyarticular JIA reflect discrete disease processes and offer a molecular classification of disease.
Gene expression signatures in polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis demonstrate disease heterogeneity and offer a molecular classification of disease subsets.
Sex, Specimen part, Race
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Innate immune activity is detected prior to seroconversion in children with HLA-conferred type 1 diabetes susceptibility.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesTo unravel genes and molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), we performed genome-wide gene expression profiling of prospective venous blood samples from children developing T1D-associated autoantibodies or progressing towards clinical diagnosis.
Innate immune activity is detected prior to seroconversion in children with HLA-conferred type 1 diabetes susceptibility.
Sex, Specimen part
View Samples