We discuss the use of pluripotent stem cell lines carrying fluorescent reporters driven by retinal promoters to derive three-dimensional (3-D) retina in culture and how this system can be exploited for elucidating human retinal biology, creating disease models in a dish, and designing targeted drug screens for retinal and macular degeneration. Furthermore, we realize that stem cell investigations are labor-intensive and require extensive resources. To expedite scientific discovery by sharing of resources and to avoid duplication of efforts, we propose the formation of a Retinal Stem Cell Consortium. In the field of vision, such collaborative approaches have been enormously successful in elucidating genetic susceptibility associated with age-related macular degeneration. Overall design: CRX+ flow sorted cells from human retina derived organoids were collected at 6 time points during differentiation (day (D) 37, 48, 67, 90, 134, 220).
Treatment Paradigms for Retinal and Macular Diseases Using 3-D Retina Cultures Derived From Human Reporter Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesTo identify potential biological functions for three lncRNAs (NANCI, LL12, and LL34) we used shRNAs to knockdown expression of lncRNAs in MLE12 cells, a cell resembling type two lung epithelial cells. This data set contains the microarrays looking at gene expression.
Long noncoding RNAs are spatially correlated with transcription factors and regulate lung development.
Treatment
View SamplesThe purpose of this study was to identify gene expression changes associated with congenital lung malformations.
Novel Molecular and Phenotypic Insights into Congenital Lung Malformations.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesPurpose: Zebrafish neurons regenerate from Müller glia following retinal lesions. Genes and signaling pathways important for retinal regeneration in zebrafish have been described, but our understanding of how Mu¨ller glial stem cell properties are regulated is incomplete. Mammalian Mu¨ller glia possess a latent neurogenic capacity that might be enhanced in regenerative therapies to treat degenerative retinal diseases. Methods: To identify transcriptional changes associated with stem cell properties in zebrafish Mu¨ller glia, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis from isolated cells at 8 and 16 hours following an acute, photic lesion, prior to the asymmetric division that produces retinal progenitors. Results: We report a rapid, dynamic response of zebrafish Müller glia, characterized by activation of pathways related to stress, NF-kappa B signaling, cytokine signaling, immunity, prostaglandin metabolism, circadian rhythm, and pluripotency, and an initial repression of Wnt signaling. When we compared publicly available transcriptomes of isolated mouse Mu¨ller glia from two retinal degeneration models, we found that mouse Müller glia showed evidence of oxidative stress, variable responses associated with immune regulation, and repression of pathways associated with pluripotency, development, and proliferation. Conclusions: Categories of biological processes/pathways activated following photoreceptor loss in regeneration-competent zebrafish Mu¨ller glia, which distinguished them from mouse Mu¨ller glia in retinal degeneration models, included: cytokine signaling (notably NF-kappa B), prostaglandin E2 synthesis, expression of core clock genes, and pathways/metabolic states associated with pluripotency. These regulatory mechanisms are relatively unexplored as potential mediators of stem cell properties likely to be important in Müller glial cells for successful retinal regeneration. Overall design: Transcriptional profiles of 0, 8, and 16 hour post-lesion zebrafish Müller glia (in triplicate) were generated by high-throughput sequencing in an Illumina GAIIx.
Rapid, Dynamic Activation of Müller Glial Stem Cell Responses in Zebrafish.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPurpose: Klf5 plays a critical role in the mouse ocular surface (Kenchegowda et al., 2011. Dev Biol. 356:5-18). Here, we compare wild-type (WT) and Klf5-conditional null (Klf5CN) corneal gene expression at postnatal day-11 (PN11) and PN56 to identify the Klf5-target genes. Methods: Gene expression was compared using Affymetrix microarrays with QPCR validation. Transient transfection assays examined the effect of Klf5 on selected target gene promoter activities. Whole-mount corneal immunofluorescent staining examined neovascularization and CD45+ macrophage influx. Results: Expression of 714 and 753 genes was increased, and 299 and 210 genes decreased in PN11 and PN56 Klf5CN corneas, respectively, with 366 concordant increases, 72 concordant decreases and 3 discordant changes. Canonical pathway analysis identified 35 and 34 significantly (p<0.001) enriched pathways at PN11 and PN56, respectively, with 24 common pathways. PN56 Klf5CN corneas shared 327 increases and 91 decreases with the previously described Klf4CN corneas (Swamynathan et al., 2008. IOVS 49:3360-70). Angiogenesis and immune response-related genes were affected consistent with lymphangiogenesis and macrophage influx in Klf5CN corneas, respectively. Expression of 1574 genes was increased and 1915 decreased, in the WT PN56 compared with PN11 corneas. Expression of many collagens, matrix metalloproteinases and other extracellular matrix associated genes decreased in WT corneas between PN11 and PN56, while that of solute carrier family members increased. Conclusions: Differences in PN11 and PN56 corneal Klf5-target genes reveal dynamic changes in Klf5 functions during corneal maturation. Klf4- and Klf5-target genes do not overlap, consistent with their non-redundant roles in the mouse cornea.
Critical role of Klf5 in regulating gene expression during post-eyelid opening maturation of mouse corneas.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesConditional disruption of Klf4 in the ectoderm-derived tissues of the eye results in defective cornea, conjunctiva and the lens.
Regulation of mouse lens maturation and gene expression by Krüppel-like factor 4.
Specimen part
View SamplesOur data suggest that CNTF remodels the transcription profile of Mller (glial) cells leading to induction of networks associated with transcription, cell cycle regulation and inflammatory response. CNTF also appears to function as an inducer of gliosis in the retina. These studies provide new insights into the biological functions of cytokines in the retina.
Ciliary neurotrophic factor induces genes associated with inflammation and gliosis in the retina: a gene profiling study of flow-sorted, Müller cells.
Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesRod and cone photoreceptors in mammalian retina are generated from common pool(s) of neuroepithelial progenitors. NRL, CRX and NR2E3 are key transcriptional regulators that control photoreceptor differentiation. Mutations in NR2E3, a rod-specific orphan nuclear receptor, lead to loss of rods, increased density of S-cones, and supernormal S-cone-mediated vision in humans. To better understand its in vivo function, NR2E3 was expressed ectopically in the Nrl-/- retina, where post-mitotic precursors fated to be rods develop into functional S-cones similar to the human NR2E3 disease. Expression of NR2E3 in the Nrl-/- retina completely suppressed cone differentiation and resulted in morphologically rod-like photoreceptors, which were not functional. Gene profiling of FACS-purified photoreceptors confirmed the role of NR2E3 as a strong suppressor of cone genes and an activator of a subset of rod genes (including rhodopsin) in vivo. Ectopic expression of NR2E3 in cone precursors and differentiating S-cones of wild type retina also generates rod-like cells. The dual regulatory function of NR2E3 is not dependent upon the presence of NRL and/or CRX, but on the timing and level of its expression. Our studies reveal a critical role of NR2E3 in establishing functional specificity of post-mitotic photoreceptor precursors during retinal neurogenesis.
In vivo function of the orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 in establishing photoreceptor identity during mammalian retinal development.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesIn this study, we analyzed the role of miR-21 in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PHx) in chronic ethanol-treated rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a liquid diet containing 36% of total calories derived from ethanol for 5 weeks; corresponding pair-fed calorie-matched controls were fed diets in which ethanol calories were replaced by carbohydrate. After 5 weeks, locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified oligo antisense to miR-21 (AM21, Exiqon, Vedbaek, Denmark) was used to inhibit miRNA in vivo, and rats were subjected to 70% PHx. Liver samples were collected at 24h after the surgery. The excised liver samples at t=0 served as within-animal controls. Rat Gene 2.0 ST (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) arrayswere used to obtain global gene expression data from pooled liver samples (pools of 3 or 4 biological replicates/array, total 8 arrays).
Inhibition of miR-21 rescues liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in ethanol-fed rats.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial disease with at least 34 loci contributing to genetic susceptibility. To gain functional understanding of AMD genetics, we generated transcriptional profiles of retina from 453 individuals including both controls and cases at distinct stages of AMD. We integrated retinal transcriptomes, covering 13,662 protein-coding and 1,462 noncoding genes, with genotypes at over 9 million common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis of a tissue not included in Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and other large datasets. Cis-eQTL analysis revealed 10,474 genes under genetic regulation, including 4,541 eQTLs detected only in the retina. We then integrated the AMD-genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data with eQTLs and ascertained target genes at six loci. Furthermore, using transcriptome wide association analysis (TWAS), we identified 23 additional AMD-associated genes, including RLBP1, HIC1 and PARP12. Our studies expand the genetic landscape of AMD leading to direct targets for biological evaluation and establish the Genotype-Retina Expression (GREx) database as a resource for post-GWAS interpretation of retina-associated traits including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Overall design: Retinal samples from 523 aged post-mortem human subjects from a spectrum of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were RNA-seq profiled.
Improved Retinal Organoid Differentiation by Modulating Signaling Pathways Revealed by Comparative Transcriptome Analyses with Development In Vivo.
No sample metadata fields
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