The mechanisms regulating breast cancer differentiation state are poorly understood. Of particular interest are molecular regulators controlling the highly aggressive and poorly differentiated traits of basal-like breast carcinomas. Here we show that the Polycomb factor EZH2 maintains the differentiation state of basal-like breast cancer cells, and promotes the expression of progenitor-associated and basal-lineage genes. Specifically, EZH2 regulates the composition of basal-like breast cancer cell populations by promoting a bi-lineage differentiation state, in which cells co-express basal- and luminal-lineage markers. We show that human basal-like breast cancers contain a subpopulation of bi-lineage cells, and that EZH2-deficient cells give rise to tumors with a decreased proportion of such cells. Bi-lineage cells express genes that are active in normal luminal progenitors, and possess increased colony formation capacity, consistent with a primitive differentiation state. We found that GATA3, a driver of luminal differentiation, performs a function opposite to EZH2, acting to suppress bi-lineage identity and luminal progenitor gene expression. GATA3 levels increase upon EZH2 silencing, leading to the observed decrease in bi-lineage cell numbers. Our findings reveal a novel role for EZH2 in controlling basal-like breast cancer differentiation state and intra-tumoral cell composition.
EZH2 promotes a bi-lineage identity in basal-like breast cancer cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesComprehensive knowledge of the dynamic changes in the cardiac transciptome can inform disease mechanism. Previous transcriptome profiling studies on heart failure rely on either microarray or RNA-Seq with low coverage, leaving a large portion of the transcriptome unexplored. Additionally, previous studies only examined two end stages of the disease, onset and late-stage heart failure. Profile of the transcriptome in the middle stage of disease progression can reveal critical molecular events underlying disease transition. Towards these goals, we conducted a multi-factorial RNA-Seq experiment, comparing the dynamic changes in the transcriptome of two murine models of heart failure, pressure overload and loss of mitochondrial complex I. Our data represents the deepest transcriptome coverage to date, covering onset, progression, and late stage of the disease. We found extensive differences in the expression magnitude and dynamics of the transciptomes in different heart failure models. In addition, such differences are associated with progressive worsening of cardiac physiology. Our analysis revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction combined with stress leads to increased number of differentially expressed long intergenic noncoding RNAs, including a recently identified lincRNA that is a master regulator of the cardiac lineage during development. Overall design: Cardiac tissues were cleaned with PBS and harvested at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgeries by freezing in liquid nitrogen. Cardiac RNA profiles of wild type (WT) and ndufs4H-/- mice after surgeries were generated by deep sequencing at 4 time points, in quadruplicate, using Illumina HiSeq2000. The three factors of the data are genetic (WT vs. ndufs4H-/-), environmental stress (trans-aortic constriction vs. Sham controls), and time (Week 1, Week 2, Week 4 and Week 8). Thus, there are 16 samples in total and each sample has 4 replicates.
Revealing Pathway Dynamics in Heart Diseases by Analyzing Multiple Differential Networks.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe objective of this study was to elucidate age-related differences in gene expression profiles of rhesus monkey bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rhMSC) obtained from fetal, infant, and adult donors relevant to their growth and other properties. Although a high degree of similarity was observed in the rhMSC gene expression profiles when comparing the three age groups, significant differences were found that strongly parallel gene expression profiles of human MSC. The potential functional relevance of differential gene expression was most apparent when comparing fetal and adult rhMSC transcript profiles. Overall, the observed gene expression profiles are consistent with a loss of rhMSC pluripotency and proliferative capacity with advancing donor age. In addition, these data highlight the importance of use of non-human primates as a model system for studying the properties of human stem cells.
Age-related gene expression profiles of rhesus monkey bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesHuman lung cancer (A549) cells were treated 50uM of the metal cation-containing chemotherapeutic drug motexafin gadolinium (MGd) for 4, 12, and 24 hrs and expression compared to control cells (treated with 5% mannitol for the same length of time)
Motexafin gadolinium disrupts zinc metabolism in human cancer cell lines.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesParathyroid hormone (PTH) plays an essential role in regulating calcium and bone homeostasis in the adult, but whether PTH is required at all for regulating fetal-placental mineral homeostasis is uncertain. To address this we treated Pth-null mice in utero with 1 nmol PTH (1-84) or saline and examined placental calcium transfer 90 minutes later. It was found that placental calcium transfer increased in Pth-null fetuses treated with PTH as compared to Pth-null fetuses treated with saline. Subsequently, to determine the effect of PTH treatment on placental gene expression, in a separate experiment, 90 minutes after the fetal injections the placentas were removed for subsequent RNA extraction and microarray analysis.
Parathyroid hormone regulates fetal-placental mineral homeostasis.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThe goal of this project was to characterize changes in gene expression in response to the anti-cancer agent sapphyrin PCI-2050. Cultured A549 human lung cancer cells were treated with sapphyrin PCI-2050 or actinomycin D, a known transcripitonal inhibitor. The gene expression profiles of drug-treated and control A549 cultures were determined using Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Further details are provided in our published manuscript: <http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/6/1/9>.
Synthesis and biologic properties of hydrophilic sapphyrins, a new class of tumor-selective inhibitors of gene expression.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAnalysis of Nestin-GFP+ pericytes flow sorted from 3-day-old mouse cutaneous adipose tissue, comparing controls with wild type PDGFRa, and mutants with increased PDGFRa signaling driven by a Cre/lox-inducible D842V knockin mutation in the PDGFRa kinase domain. The control cells have adipogenic properties in vitro or when transplanted subcutaneously into recipient mice. The D842V mutant cells show altered behavior in the same assays, with poor adipogenic differentiation but a propensity to transition into profibrotic cells that secrete collagen Overall design: 3 Nes-GFP+ cells samples; 3 Nes-GFP;Nes-Cre;PDGFRa+/[S]D842V samples
PDGFRα signaling drives adipose tissue fibrosis by targeting progenitor cell plasticity.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesNumerous studies have established a critical role for BMP signaling in skeletal development. In the developing axial skeleton, sequential SHH and BMP signals are required for specification of a chondrogenic fate in somitic tissue. A similar paradigm is thought to operate in the limb, but the signals involved are unclear. To investigate the nature of these signals we examined BMP action in mesenchymal populations derived from the early murine limb bud (~ E10.5). These populations exhibited a graded response to BMPs, in which early limb mesenchymal (EL) cells (from the distal hind limb) displayed an anti-chondrogenic response, whereas BMPs promoted chondrogenesis in older cell populations. To better understand the molecular basis of disparate BMP action in these various populations, gene expression profiling with Affymetrix microarrays was employed to identify BMP-regulated genes. These analyses showed that BMPs induced a distinct gene expression pattern in the EL cultures versus later mesenchymal limb populations (IM and LT).
Regulation of BMP-dependent chondrogenesis in early limb mesenchyme by TGFbeta signals.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe report high-throughput profiling of gene expression from whole zebrafish ventricles. We profile mRNA in uninjured ventricles and those undergoing regeneration 14 days after genetic ablation. This study provides a framework for understanding transcriptional changes during adult models of regeneration. Overall design: Examination of gene expression in cardiomyocytes under different states of proliferation.
Resolving Heart Regeneration by Replacement Histone Profiling.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe used microarrays to identify transcripts regulated by dexamethasone in omental (Om) and abdominal subcutaneous (Abdsc) adipose tissues of severely obese females obtained during elective surgeries.
Depot Dependent Effects of Dexamethasone on Gene Expression in Human Omental and Abdominal Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues from Obese Women.
Specimen part, Disease stage, Treatment
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