The global impact of DNA methylation on alternative splicing is largely unknown. Using a genome-wide approach in wild-type and methylation-deficient embryonic stem cells, we found that DNA methylation can act both as an enhancer and as a silencer of splicing, and affects the splicing of more than 20% of alternative exons. These exons are characterized by distinct genetic and epigenetic signatures. Alternative splicing regulation of a subset of these exons can be explained by Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), which silences or enhances exon recognition in a position-dependent manner. We constructed an experimental system using site-specific targeting of a methylated/unmethylated gene, and demonstrate a direct causal relationship between DNA methylation and alternative splicing. HP1 regulates this gene’s alternative splicing in a methylation-dependent manner by recruiting splicing factors to its methylated form. Our results demonstrate DNA methylation''s significant global influence on mRNA splicing, and identify a specific mechanism of splicing regulation mediated by HP1. Overall design: BS-seq on WT mouse ES cells (2 replicates), MNase-seq on WT and TKO cells (3 replicates), mRNA-seq on WT and TKO cells as well as HP1 knock-down cells (2 replicates for each sample)
HP1 is involved in regulating the global impact of DNA methylation on alternative splicing.
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View SamplesThe identification of small molecules which either increase the number and/or enhance the activity of CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) during ex-vivo expansion has remained challenging. Applying an unbiased in vivo chemical screen in a transgenic (c-myb:EGFP) zebrafish embryo model, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI) (valproic acid, resminostat and entinostat) were shown to significantly amplify the number of phenotypic hematopoietic precursors. The identified HDACIs were confirmed to significantly enhance also the expansion of human HSPCs during ex vivo treatment. Long-term functionality of ex vivo expanded human HSPCs was verified in a xenotransplantation model using NSG mice. However, the HDACI induced proliferation of HSPCs was associated with short-term functional changes. One of the identified hits, valproic acid (VPA), increased the adhesion capacity of CD34+ cells on primary mesenchymal stromal cells and reduced their chemokine-mediated migration capacity in vitro. In line with the reduced migratory potential in vitro, homing as well as early engraftment of VPA treated human CD34+ cells was significantly impaired in the xenotransplantation model. Our data confirms that HDACI treatment leads to a net expansion of HSPCs cells with long-term engraftment potential across different species. However impaired homing and short-term-engraftment has to be kept in mind when designing clinical transplantation protocols. In addition, our gene expression analysis (RNA-Seq) revealed expression of several genes that were altered in CD34+ cells by VPA treatment including cell adhesion molecules and Notch and wnt genes which has been shown to be involved in preservation of stem cell properties. Overall design: Gene expression analysis of in vitro expanded human HSPCs (CD34+ cells) by valproic acid
Zebrafish In-Vivo Screening for Compounds Amplifying Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells: - Preclinical Validation in Human CD34+ Stem and Progenitor Cells.
Disease, Subject
View SamplesHuman airway epithelial cells cultured in vitro at air-liquid interface (ALI) form a pseudostratified epithelium that forms tight junctions and cilia, and produces mucin, and are widely used as a model of differentiation, injury, and repair. To assess how closely the transcriptome of ALI epithelium matches that of in vivo airway epithelial cells, we used microarrays to compare the transcriptome of human large airway epithelial cells cultured at ALI with the transcriptome of large airway epithelium obtained via bronchoscopy and brushing. Gene expression profiling showed global gene expression correlated well between ALI cells and brushed cells, but there were some differences. Gene expression patterns mirrored differences in proportions of cell types (ALI have higher percentages of basal cells, brushed cells have higher percentages of ciliated cells), with ALI cells expressing higher levels of basal cell-related genes and brushed cells expressing higher levels of cilia-related genes. Pathway analysis showed ALI cells had increased expression of cell cycle and proliferation genes, while brushed cells had increased expression of cytoskeletal organization and humoral immune response genes. Overall, ALI cells are a good representation of the in vivo airway epithelial transcriptome, but for some biologic questions, the differences in the in vitro vs in vivo environments need to be considered.
Do airway epithelium air-liquid cultures represent the in vivo airway epithelium transcriptome?
Sex, Age
View SamplesCystatin A (gene: CSTA), is up-regulated in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and dysplastic vs normal human bronchial epithelium. In the context that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a small airway epithelium (SAE) disorder, is independently associated with NSCLC (especially squamous cell carcinoma, SCC), but only occurs in a subset of smokers, we hypothesized that genetic variation, smoking and COPD modulate CSTA gene expression levels in SAE, with further up-regulation in SCC. Gene expression was assessed by microarray in SAE of 178 individuals [healthy nonsmokers (n=60), healthy smokers (n=82), and COPD smokers (n=36)], with corresponding large airway epithelium (LAE) data in a subset (n=52). Blood DNA was genotyped by SNP microarray. Twelve SNPs upstream of the CSTA gene were all significantly associated with CSTA SAE gene expression (p<0.04 to 5 x 10-4). CSTA gene expression levels in SAE were higher in COPD smokers (28.4 2.0) than healthy smokers (19.9 1.4, p<10-3), who in turn had higher levels than nonsmokers (16.1 1.1, p<0.04). CSTA LAE gene expression was also smoking-responsive (p<10-3). Using comparable publicly available NSCLC expression data, CSTA was up-regulated in SCC vs LAE (p<10-2) and down-regulated in adenocarcinoma vs SAE (p<10-7). All phenotypes were associated with significantly different proportional gene expression of CSTA to cathepsins. The data demonstrate that regulation of CSTA expression in human airway epithelium is influenced by genetic variability, smoking, and COPD, and is further up-regulated in SCC, all of which should be taken into account when considering the role of CSTA in NSCLC pathogenesis.
Modulation of cystatin A expression in human airway epithelium related to genotype, smoking, COPD, and lung cancer.
Race
View SamplesBackground: When exposed to specific stimuli, macrophages exhibit distinct activation programs, M1 and M2 polarization, that define macrophage function as inflammatory/immune effectors or anti-inflammatory/tissue remodeling cells, respectively. Due to their position on the lung epithelial surface, alveolar macrophages (AM) directly interact with environmental stimuli such as cigarette smoke, the major risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Based on the current paradigm that, in response to smoking, AM contribute to both inflammatory and tissue remodeling processes in the lung relevant to the pathogenesis of COPD, we hypothesized that chronic exposure to cigarette smoking activates both the M1 and M2 polarization programs in AM. Methods and Findings: To assess this hypothesis, global transcriptional profiling with TaqMan confirmation and flow cytometry analysis was carried out on AM obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of 24 healthy nonsmokers, 34 healthy smokers and 12 smokers with COPD to assess the expression of 41 M1 genes and 32 M2 genes in each group. Contrary to our expectations, while there was up-regulation of some genes typical for M2-related phenotypes, AM of healthy smokers exhibited substantial suppression of M1-related inflammatory/immune genes. These M1- and M2-related changes progressed with the development of smoking-induced lung disease, with AM of smokers with COPD exhibiting further down-regulation of M1-related genes accompanied with further up-regulation of some M2-related genes. Conclusion: The data demonstrates that the modifications of the AM transcriptome associated with smoking result in a unique phenotype characterized by reprogramming of AM towards M1-deactivated partially M2-polarized macrophages and suggests that, while AM likely contribute to smoking-induced tissue remodeling, the role of AM in the early pathogenesis of smoking-induced COPD in humans is not inflammatory. This concept is a departure from the conventional concept that AM-mediated inflammation participates in the early derangements of the lung induced by smoking, and suggests a novel paradigm for conceptualizing COPD and developing new approaches to prevent the development of smoking-induced lung disease.
Smoking-dependent reprogramming of alveolar macrophage polarization: implication for pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Sex, Age
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
PrtT-regulated proteins secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus activate MAPK signaling in exposed A549 lung cells leading to necrotic cell death.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesResponse of A549 cells treated with Aspergillus fumigatus wild type germinating conidia (WT_GC) or PrtT protease deficient mutant conidia (PrtT-GC) or inert acrylic 2-4 micron beads (Beads) for 8h
PrtT-regulated proteins secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus activate MAPK signaling in exposed A549 lung cells leading to necrotic cell death.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesResponse of A549 cells treated with Aspergillus fumigatus wild type culture filtrate (WT-CF) or PrtT protease deficient mutant culture filtrate (PrtT-CF) for 8h
PrtT-regulated proteins secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus activate MAPK signaling in exposed A549 lung cells leading to necrotic cell death.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesResponse of A549 cells treated with Aspergillus fumigatus germinating conidia (WT-GC) or culture filtrate (WT-CF) for 8h
PrtT-regulated proteins secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus activate MAPK signaling in exposed A549 lung cells leading to necrotic cell death.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesMetastasis to lymph nodes is an early and prognostically important event in the progression of many human cancers, and is associated with expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D). Changes to lymph node vasculature occur during metastasis, and may establish a metastatic niche capable of attracting and supporting tumor cells.
A role for bone morphogenetic protein-4 in lymph node vascular remodeling and primary tumor growth.
Sex, Specimen part
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