Although several markers have been associated with the characterization of regulatory T cells (Treg) and their function, no studies have investigated the dynamics of their phenotype during infection. Since the necessity of Treg to control immunopathology has been demonstrated, we used the chronic helminth infection model S. mansoni to address the impact on the Treg gene repertoire. Before gene expression profiling we first chose to study the localization and antigen-specific suppressive nature of classically defined Treg during infection. Presence of Foxp3+ cells were found especially in the periphery of granulomas and isolated CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+ Treg from infected mice blocked IFN-gamma and IL-10 cytokine secretion from infected CD4+CD25- effector T cells (Teff). Furthermore the gene expression patterns of Treg and Teff showed that in total 474 genes were significantly regulated during chronic schistosomiasis. Upon k-means clustering we identified genes exclusively regulated in all four populations including Foxp3, CD103, GITR, OX40 and CTLA-4: classical Treg markers. During infection however, several non-classical genes were up-regulated solely within the Treg population such as Slpi, Gzmb, Mt1, Fabp5, Nfil3, Socs2, Gpr177 and Klrg1. Using RT-PCR we confirmed aspects of the microarray data and in addition showed that the expression profile of Treg from S. mansoni-infected mice is simultaneously unique and comparative with Treg derived from other infections
Pronounced phenotype in activated regulatory T cells during a chronic helminth infection.
Specimen part
View SamplesBackground & Aims: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) attenuates chemical and colitis-induced colon carcinogenesis in animal models. We investigated its mechanism of action on normal intestinal cells, in which carcinogenesis- or inflammation-related alterations do not interfere with the result. Methods: Alterations of gene expression were identified in Affymetrix arrays in isolated colon epithelium of mice fed with a diet containing 0.4% UDCA and were confirmed in the normal rat intestinal cell line IEC-6 by RT-PCR. The effect of the insulin receptor substrate 1 (Irs-1) expression and of ERK phosphorylation on proliferation was investigated in vitro by flow cytometry, western blotting, siRNA-mediated gene suppression or by pharmacological inhibition of the kinase activity. The ERK1-effect on Irs-1 transcription was tested in a reporter system. Results: UDCA-treatment in vivo suppressed potential pro-proliferatory genes including Irs-1 and reduced cell proliferation by more than 30%. In vitro it neutralised the proliferatory signals of IGF-1 and EGF and slowed down the cell cycle. Irs-1 transcription was suppressed due to high ERK1 activation. Both Irs-1 suppression and the persistent high ERK activation inhibited proliferation. Conversely, the decrease of phosphorylation of ERK1 (but not ERK2) or of its expression partially abrogated the inhibitory effects of UDCA. Conclusions: UDCA inhibits proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells by acting upon IGF-1 and EGF pathways and targeting ERK1 and, consequently, Irs-1. The inhibition of these pathways adds a new dimension to the physiological and therapeutic action of UDCA and, since both pathways are activated in inflammation and cancer, suggests new applications of UDCA in chemoprevention and chemotherapy.
UDCA slows down intestinal cell proliferation by inducing high and sustained ERK phosphorylation.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Autoregulation of Th1-mediated inflammation by twist1.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesGene expression profiling of repeatedly activated compared to recently activated Th1 cells to identify genes that play a role in chronic inflammatory disorders and may qualify as diagnostic or therapeutic targets;
Autoregulation of Th1-mediated inflammation by twist1.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional repressor twist1, as an antagonist of nuclear factor B (NF-B)-dependent cytokine expression, is involved in the regulation of inflammation-induced immunopathology. We could show that twist1 is expressed by activated T helper (Th) 1 effector memory cells. Induction of twist1 in Th cells is dependent on NF-B, nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), and interleukin (IL)-12 signaling via signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 4. Expression of twist1 is transient following T-cell receptor engagement, and increases upon repeated stimulation of Th1 cells. Imprinting for enhanced twist1 expression is characteristic of repeatedly restimulated effector memory Th cells and thus of the pathogenic memory Th cells of chronic inflammation. Th lymphocytes from the inflamed joint or gut tissue of patients with rheumatic diseases, Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis express high levels of twist1. Expression of twist1 in Th1 lymphocytes limits the expression of the cytokines interferon-, IL-2 and tumor necrosis factor-, and ameliorates Th1-mediated immunopathology in delayed-type hypersensitivity and antigen-induced arthritis. In order to identify the effect of twist1 expression on the function of Th cells, twist1 was ectopically expressed and the transcriptome was compared to empty-virus infected control cells. In addition, this experiment allows for the identification of genes regulated by the transcription factor twist1.
Autoregulation of Th1-mediated inflammation by twist1.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesGene expression in E coli W3110 strains with either ybaO over-expression (W3110/pcutR) or ybaO deletion (W3110/cutR) were measured with cysteine challenge.
Anaerobic Cysteine Degradation and Potential Metabolic Coordination in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Genome-wide identification of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in human heart.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesIn recent years genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered numerous chromosomal loci associated with various electrocardiographic traits and cardiac arrhythmia predisposition. A considerable fraction of these loci lie within inter-genic regions. Trait-associated SNPs located in putative regulatory regions likely exert their effect by modulating gene expression. Hence, the key to unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac traits is to interrogate variants for association with differential transcript abundance by expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis. In this study we conducted an eQTL analysis of human heart. To this end, left ventricular mycardium samples from non-diseased human donor hearts were hybridized to Illumina HumanOmniExpress BeadChips for genotyping (n = 129) and Illumina Human HT12 Version 4 BeadChips (n = 129) for transcription profiling.
Genome-wide identification of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in human heart.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesErythropoiesis is essential to mammals and is regulated at multiple steps by both extracellular and intracellular factors. Many transcriptional regulatory networks in erythroid differentiation have been well characterized. However, our understanding of post-transcriptional regulatory circuitries in this developmental process is still limited. Using genomic approaches, we identified a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein, Cpeb4, which is dramatically induced in terminal erythroid differentiation (TED) by two erythroid important transcription factors, Gata1/Tal1. Cpeb4 belongs to the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) protein family that regulates translation of target mRNAs in early embryonic development, neuronal synapse, and cancer. Using primary mouse fetal liver erythroblasts, we found that Cpeb4 is required for terminal erythropoiesis by repressing the translation of a set of mRNAs highly expressed in progenitor cells. This translational repression occurs by the interaction with a general translational initiation factor, eIF3. Interestingly, Cpeb4 also binds its own mRNA and represses its translation, thus forming a negative regulatory circuitry to limit Cpeb4 protein level. This mechanism ensures that the translation repressor, Cpeb4, does not interfere with the translation of other mRNAs in differentiating erythroblasts. Our study characterized a translational regulatorycircuitry that controls TED and revealed that Cpeb4 is required for somatic cell differentiation.
Cpeb4-mediated translational regulatory circuitry controls terminal erythroid differentiation.
Specimen part
View SamplesPrimary murine fetal liver cells were freshly isolated from day e14.5 livers and then sorted for successive differentiation stages by Ter119 and CD71 surface expression (ranging from double-negative CFU-Es to Ter-119 positive enucleated erythrocytes) [Zhang, et al. Blood. 2003 Dec 1; 102(12):3938-46]. RNA isolated from each freshly isolated, stage-sorted population was reverse-transcribed, labelled, and then hybridized onto 3' oligo Affymetrix arrays. Important erythroid specific genes as well as the proteins that regulate them were elucidated through this profiling based on coexpression and differential expression patterns as well as by extracting specific GO categories of genes (such as DNA-binding proteins).
Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 plays an important role in normal terminal erythroid differentiation.
Specimen part
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