Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones produced by the human body in response to environmental stressors. Despite their key role as physiological regulators and widely administered pharmaceuticals, little is known about the genetic basis of inter-individual and inter-ethnic variation in GC response. As GC action is mediated by the regulation of gene expression, we profiled transcript abundance and protein secretion in EBV-transformed B lymphocytes from a panel of 114 individuals, including those of both African and European ancestry. Combining these molecular traits with genome-wide genetic data, we found that genotype-treatment interactions at polymorphisms near genes affected GC-regulation of expression for 26 genes and of secretion for IL6. A novel statistical approach revealed that these interactions could be distinguished into distinct types, with some showing genotypic effects only in GC-treated samples and others showing genotypic effects only in control-treated samples, with differing phenotypic and molecular interpretations. The insights into the genetic basis of variation in GC response and the statistical tools for identifying gene-treatment interactions that we provide will aid future efforts to identify genetic predictors of response to this and other treatments.
Interactions between glucocorticoid treatment and cis-regulatory polymorphisms contribute to cellular response phenotypes.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Genetic, functional and molecular features of glucocorticoid receptor binding.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Time
View SamplesGlucocorticoids (GCs) are key mediators of stress response and are widely used as pharmacological agents to treat immune diseases, such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, and certain types of cancer. GCs act mainly by activating the GC receptor (GR), which interacts with other transcription factors to regulate gene expression. Here, we combined different functional genomics approaches to gain molecular insights into the mechanisms of action of GC. By profiling the transcriptional response to GC over time in 4 Yoruba (YRI) and 4 Tuscans (TSI) lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), we suggest that the transcriptional response to GC is variable not only in time, but also in direction (positive or negative) depending on the presence of specific interacting TFs. Accordingly, when we performed ChIP-seq for GR and NF-kB in two YRI LCLs treated with GC or with vehicle control, we observed that features of GR binding sites differ for up- and down-regulated genes. Finally, we show that eQTLs that affect expression patterns only in the presence of GC are 1.9-fold more likely to occur in GR binding sites, compared to eQTLs that affect expression only in its absence. Our results indicate that genetic variation at GR and interacting transcription factors binding sites influences variability in gene expression, and attest to the power of combining different functional genomic approaches.
Genetic, functional and molecular features of glucocorticoid receptor binding.
Cell line, Treatment, Time
View SamplesGlucocorticoids (GC) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D3) are steroid hormones with anti-inflammatory properties with enhanced effects when combined. We previously showed that transcriptional response to GCs was correlated with inter-individual and inter-ethnic cellular response. Here, we profiled cellular and transcriptional responses to 1,25(OH)2 D3 from the same donors. We studied cellular response to combined treatment with GCs and 1,25(OH)2 D3 in a subset of individuals least responsive to GCs. We found that combination treatment had significantly greater inhibition of proliferation than with either steroid hormone alone. Overlapping differentially expressed (DE) genes between the two hormones were enriched for adaptive and innate immune processes. Non-overlapping differentially expressed genes with 1,25(OH)2 D3 treatment were enriched for pathways involving the electron transport chain, while with GC treatment, non-overlapping genes were enriched for RNA-related processes. These results suggest that 1,25(OH)2 D3 enhances GC anti-inflammatory properties through a number of shared and non-shared transcriptionally-mediated pathways.
Comparison of cellular and transcriptional responses to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin d3 and glucocorticoids in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesGlucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones widely used as pharmaceutical interventions, which act mainly by regulating gene expression levels. A large fraction of patients (~30%), especially those of African descent, show a weak response to treatment. To interrogate the contribution of variable transcriptional response to inter-ethnic differences, we measured in vitro lymphocyte GC sensitivity (LGS) and transcriptome-wide response to GCs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from African-American and European-American healthy donors. We found that transcriptional response after 8hrs treatment was significantly correlated with variation in LGS within and between populations. We found that NFKB1, a gene previously found to predict LGS within populations, was more strongly downregulated in European-Americans on average. NFKB1 could not completely explain population differences, however, and we found an additional 177 genes with population differences in the average log2 fold change (FDR<0.05), most of which also showed a weaker transcriptional response in AfricanAmericans. These results suggest that inter-ethnic differences in GC sensitivity reflect variation in transcriptional response at many genes, including regulators with large effects (e.g. NFKB1) and numerous other genes with smaller effects.
Inter-ethnic differences in lymphocyte sensitivity to glucocorticoids reflect variation in transcriptional response.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesAlbeit increased serum CK level and abnormal muscle histology are always present, boys with DMD are phenotipically indistinguishable from the normal ones at birth and, in their first years of life, acquire early motor milestones at normal times. A clear defect in muscle function becomes generally apparent by the end of the second year. As the disease is typically diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 7, the first two years are often considered and referred to as clinically presymptomatic.
Gene expression profiling in the early phases of DMD: a constant molecular signature characterizes DMD muscle from early postnatal life throughout disease progression.
Sex, Age
View SamplesHuman mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from perirenal adipose tissue (PV) of living kidney donors were cultured under various conditions, namely (1) control (medium+foetal bovine serum(FBS)) or (2) control (medium+heat-inactivated FBS); (3) with mixed-lympohocyte reactions (MLR) in transwell culture systems for 4 days; (4) with mixed-lympohocyte reactions (MLR) in transwell culture systems for 7 days; or (5)with pro-inflammatory cytokines(IFNgamma, TNFalpha and interleukin 6).
Inflammatory conditions affect gene expression and function of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-protein-coding RNAs that are incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and inhibit gene expression by regulating the stability and/or the translational efficiency of target mRNAs. Previously, we demonstrated that miR-210 is a key player of endothelial cell (EC) response to hypoxia, modulating EC survival, migration and ability to form capillary like-structures. Moreover, the receptor tyrosine kinase ligand Ephrin-A3 was identified as one functionally relevant target. Since each miRNA regulates hundreds of mRNAs, different approaches were combined to identify new miR-210 targets: a Using target prediction software, 32 new miR-210 potential targets were identified. b The proteomic profiling of miR-210 over-expressing ECs identified 11 proteins that were specifically inhibited by miR-210, either directly or indirectly. c Affymetrix based gene expression profiles identified 51 genes that were both down-modulated by miR-210 over-expression and de-repressed when miR-210 was blocked. Surprisingly, only few genes identified either by proteomics or transcriptomics were recognized as miR-210 targets by target prediction algorithms. However, a low-stringency pairing research revealed enrichment for miR-210 putative binding sites, raising the possibility that these genes were targeted via non-canonical recognition sequences. To clarify this issue, miR-210-loaded RISC was purified by immuno-precipitation along with its mRNA targets. The presence of Ephrin-A3 mRNA in the complex validated this approach. We found that 32 potential targets were indeed enriched in miR-210-loaded RISC, and thus can be considered as genuine miR-210 targets. In keeping with this conclusion, we were able to further validate a sub-set of them by 3UTR-reporter assays. Gene ontology analysis of the targets confirmed the known miR-210 activity in differentiation and cell cycle regulation, highlighting new functions such as involvement in RNA processing, DNA binding, development, membrane trafficking and amino acid catabolism. In conclusion, we validated a multidisciplinary approach for miRNAs target identification and indicated novel molecular mechanisms underpinning miR-210 role in EC response to hypoxia.
An integrated approach for experimental target identification of hypoxia-induced miR-210.
Cell line
View SamplesMalignant melanoma is a complex genetic disease and the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Melanoma progression and metastatic dissemination fundamentally relies on the process of angiogenesis. Melanomas produce an array of angiogenic modulators that mediate pathological angiogenesis. Such tumor-associated modulators arbitrate the enhanced proliferative, survival and migratory responses exhibited by endothelial cells, in the hypoxic tumor environment. The current study focuses on melanoma-induced survival of endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions. Melanoma conditioned media were capable of enabling prolonged endothelial cell survival under hypoxia, in contrast with the conditioned media derived from melanocytes, breast and pancreatic tumors. To identify the global changes in gene expression and further characterize the pro-survival pathway induced in endothelial cells, we performed microarray analysis on endothelial cells treated with melanoma conditioned medium under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
Melanomas prevent endothelial cell death under restrictive culture conditions by signaling through AKT and p38 MAPK/ ERK-1/2 cascades.
Specimen part
View SamplesArsenic metalloid is a double-edge sword. On the one hand it is a very toxic and powerful carcinogen, and on the other it has been successfully used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. In order to prevent the deleterious effects caused by arsenic compounds, almost all living organisms have developed mechanisms to eliminate it. In this study genome-wide response of S. cerevisiae to arsenic shows that this metal interferes with genes involved in the iron homeostasis including those encoding proteins that function in iron uptake, incorporation into FeS clusters, and more. In addition our data indicate that Yap1 transcriptionally controls the iron homeostasis regulator AFT2 as well as its direct target, MRS4. Most importantly in response to arsenate exposure Yap1 strongly regulates the expression of several genes involved in the Fe-S proteins biosynthesis, namely NBP35 and YFH1. Interestingly mRNA levels encoding Fet3, Ferro-O2-oxidoreductase required for high-affinity iron uptake, are drastically destabilized upon arsenic exposure. Such destabilization is due to the 5 to 3 exonuclease Xrn1 localized in the P Bodies. Moreover FET3 mRNA decay is not mediated by Cth2 and is independent on the formation of ROS responsible for the toxic effects of arsenic compounds. Strikingly, in presence of arsenate fet3 mutant shows resistance over the wild-type which leads us to suggest that Fet3 has a role in arsenic toxicity. Unexpectedly arsenic treatment seems to activate the non-reductive iron uptake in order to maintain the cellular iron homeostasis. Furthermore our genetic, biochemical, and physiological analysis demonstrate that aft1 mutant is sensitive to arsenic compounds and such phenotype is reversible upon addition of iron. We also show that arsenic exposure induces iron deficiency in aft1 mutant. In conclusion this work shows for the first time that arsenic, a chemotherapy drug used to treat a specific type of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), disrupts iron homeostasis and our results suggest that this disruption is independent on ROS generation. Finally we provide preliminary data confirming that such disruption also takes place in mammalian cells, an observation that can be very relevant in term of clinical applications.
Arsenic stress elicits cytosolic Ca(2+) bursts and Crz1 activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Time
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