The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been used extensively to study responses to DNA damage. In contrast, little is known about DNA repair in this organism. C. elegans is unusual in that it encodes few DNA glycosylases and the uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) encoded by the ung-1 gene is the only known UDG. C. elegans could therefore become a valuable model organism for studies of the genetic interaction networks involving base excision repair (BER). As a first step towards characterization of BER in C. elegans, we show that the UNG-1 protein is an active uracil-DNA glycosylase. We demonstrate that an ung-1 mutant has reduced ability to repair uracil-containing DNA but that an alternative Ugi-inhibited activity is present in ung-1 nuclear extracts. Finally, we demonstrate that ung-1 mutants show altered levels of apoptotic cell corpses formed in response to DNA damaging agents. Increased apoptosis in the ung-1 mutant in response to ionizing radiation (IR) suggests that UNG-1 contributes to repair of IR-induced DNA base damage in vivo. Following treatment with paraquat however, the apoptotic corpse-formation was reduced. Gene expression profiling suggests that this phenotype is a consequence of compensatory transcriptomic shifts that modulate oxidative stress responses in the mutant and not an effect of reduced DNA damage signaling.
Loss of Caenorhabditis elegans UNG-1 uracil-DNA glycosylase affects apoptosis in response to DNA damaging agents.
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View SamplesBackground: The ability of an organism to repair DNA damage is implicated in carcinogenesis and aging. Interestingly expression profiling of Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) deficient segmental progeroid mice revealed gene expression changes resembling these observed in aged wild type animals. Our previous transcriptional profiling of NER-deficient C. elegans xpa-1 mutant showed overrepresentation of genes involved in lifespan determination and upregulation of several oxidative stress response genes (Fensgard et al. Aging 2010). However, since an independent study performed by Boyd and coworkers (Boyd et al. Mut Res 2010) showed limited number of changes in xpa-1 mutant. Therefore to independently validate that transcriptome modulation does take place in xpa-1 mutants, we performed another global gene expression profiling based on 5 independent biological replicates allowing more stringent statistical analysis. Results: In agreement with what was observed by Boyd and coworkers (Boyd et al. Mut Res 2010) current transcriptomic analysis detected fewer changes in xpa-1 C. elegans mutant with only a few genes regulated more than 4-fold. Nevertheless, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis performed on statistically significantly regulated unique protein coding genes revealed overrepresentation of aging gene cluster. Moreover, as before, overexpression of several genes involved in oxidative stress responses was detected. Conclusion: More stringent statistical analysis predictably resulted in a smaller number of regulated genes and thus overrepresented GOs comparing to the earlier paper. However, major conclusions of the previous study can be still regarded as valid, as the most important aging GO is still overrepresented.
Active transcriptomic and proteomic reprogramming in the C. elegans nucleotide excision repair mutant xpa-1.
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View SamplesTo understand which genes acts downstream AtHB1 affecting hypocotyl growth in Arabidopsis thaliana, we performed transcriptional profiles of 4-day-old seedlings grown in a short-day regime comparing wild-type with athb1-1 mutant plants. These results show that some of the AtHB1-regulated genes modulate cell elongation, particularly cell wall composition and elongation, or encode proteins that serve as a source of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur for early seedling growth. Overall design: RNA-Seq data for 4-day-old wild-type (Col-0) and athb1-1 mutant seedlings grown under short-day conditions. Biological triplicates were performed for each genotype analyzed.
Arabidopsis thaliana HomeoBox 1 (AtHB1), a Homedomain-Leucine Zipper I (HD-Zip I) transcription factor, is regulated by PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 to promote hypocotyl elongation.
Subject
View SamplesTo understand the fruit changes and mechanisms involved in the compatible grapevine-virus interaction, we analyzed the berry transcriptome in two stages of development (veraison and ripening) in the red wine cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon infected with Grapevine leaf-roll-associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3). Analysis of global gene expression patterns indicate incomplete berry maturation in infected berries as compared to uninfected fruit suggesting viral infection interrupts the normal berry maturation process.
Compatible GLRaV-3 viral infections affect berry ripening decreasing sugar accumulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in Vitis vinifera.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesBoron is an essential micronutrient for plants and is taken up in the form of boric acid (BA). Despite this, a high BA concentration is toxic for the plants, inhibiting root growth and is thus a significant problem in semi-arid areas in the world. In this work, we report the molecular basis for the inhibition of root growth caused by boron. We used microarrays to detail the global gene expression underlying boron toxicity in roots.
A molecular framework for the inhibition of Arabidopsis root growth in response to boron toxicity.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesWe demonstrate that the versatile environmental bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapts a virulence phenotype after serial passage in Galleria mellonella as an invertebrate model host. The virulence phenotype was not linked to the acquisition of genetic variations and was sustained for several generations, despite cultivation of the ex vivo virulence-adapted P. aeruginosa cells under non-inducing rich medium conditions. Transcriptional reprogramming seemed to be induced by a host-specific food source as reprogramming was also observed upon cultivation of P. aeruginosa in medium supplemented with polyunsaturated long-chain fatty acids. Methods : mRNA profiles were generated for Pseudomonas aerugionsa samples derived from LB-cultures grown to an OD600 =2. The removal of ribosomal RNA was performed using the Ribo-Zero Bacteria Kit (Illumina) and cDNA libraries were generated with the ScriptSeq v2 Kit (Illumina) . The samples were sequenced in single end mode on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 device and mRNA reads were trimmed and mapped to the NC_008463.1 (PA14) reference genome from NCBI using Stampy pipeline with defaut settings. Overall design: Isolate CH2658 was subjected to in vivo and in vitro evolution experiments in this study. This isolate was obtained from the lab of G. Gastmeier, Charite Berlin, Germany. The in vivo passages (using G. mellonella) are named CH2658 I-IV corresponding to passages 1 4. The last passage CH2658 IV corresponds to the “evolved strain” and was passaged in LB (four days, two passages a day) to generate revertants which are referred to as CH2658 Rev1-4 corresponding to samples from day1-4. The last passage CH2658 Rev4 is called “revertant”. Additionally, the clinical isolate was passaged under in vitro conditions in the presence of linolenic acid (Roth) with (CH2658 Lil+P) and without paraffin (CH2658 Lil). As controls, CH2658 was passaged in LB (CH2658 LB) and in LB supplemented with paraffin (CH2658 LB+P). The in vitro passage experiment was conducted for four days and two passages a day.
Establishment of an induced memory response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during infection of a eukaryotic host.
Subject
View SamplesBackground: Global DNA methylation contributes to genomic integrity by supressing repeat associated transposition events. Several chromatin factors are required in addition to DNA methyltransferases to maintain DNA methylation at intergenic and satellite repeats. Embryos lacking Lsh, a member of the SNF2 superfamily of chromatin helicases, are hypomethylated. The interaction of Lsh with the de novo methyltransferase, Dnmt3b, facilitates the deposition of DNA methylation at stem cell genes. We wished to determine if a similar targeting mechanism operates to maintain DNA methylation at repetitive sequences. Results: We used HELP-seq to map genome wide DNA methylation patterns in Lsh-/- and Dnmt3b-/- somatic cells. DNA methylation is predominantly lost from specific genomic repeats in Lsh-/- cells: LTR-retrotransposons, LINE-1 repeats and mouse satellites. RNA-seq experiments demonstrate that specific IAP (Intracisternal A-type particle) LTRs and satellites, but not LINE-1 elements, are aberrantly transcribed inLsh-/- cells. LTR hypomethylation in Dnmt3b-/- cells is moderate and hypomethylated repetitive elements (IAP, LINE-1 and satellite) are silent. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) indicates that repressed LINE-1 elements gain H3K4me3, but H3K9me3 levels are unaltered in Lsh-/- cells, indicating that DNA hypomethylation alone is not permissive for their transcriptional activation. Mis-expressed IAPs and satellites lose H3K9me3 and gain H3K4me3 in Lsh-/- cells. Conclusions: Our study emphasizes that regulation of repetitive elements by DNA methylation is selective and context dependent. We propose a model where Lsh is specifically required at a precise developmental window to target de novo methylation to repeat sequences, which is subsequently maintained by Dnmt1 in somatic cells to enforce repeat silencing thus contributing to genomic integrity. Overall design: Two pairs of RNA samples compared: WT and Lsh-/- RNA isolations from tail-tip fibroblasts; WT and Lsh-/- RNA isolations from E13.5 mouse embryos.
Lsh regulates LTR retrotransposon repression independently of Dnmt3b function.
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View SamplesSoluble VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) acts both as a decoy receptor for VEGFs and as an extracellular matrix protein for 51 integrin. A sVEGFR-1-derived peptide that interacts with 51 integrin promotes angiogenesis. However, canonical signal downstream integrin activation is not induced, resulting into lack of focal adhesion maturation. We performed a gene expression profile of endothelial cells adhering on sVEGFR-1 compared to that of cells adhering on fibronectin, the principal 51 integrin ligand. Three protein kinase-C substrates, adducin, MARCKS, and radixin were differently modulated. Adducin and MARCKS were less phosphorylated whereas radixin was higher phosphorylated in sVEGFR-1 adhering cells, the latter leading to prolonged small GTPase Rac1 activation and induction of a pathway involving the heterotrimeric G protein 13. Altogether, our data indicated endothelial cell acquisition of an highly motile phenotype when adherent on sVEGFR-1. Finally, we indicated radixin as accountable for the angiogenic effect of 51 integrin interaction with sVEGFR-1 that in turn depends on an active VEGF-A/VEGFR-2 signaling.
Endothelial cell adhesion to soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 triggers a cell dynamic and angiogenic phenotype.
Specimen part
View SamplesTcl1 is known to be involved in survival, proliferation and differentiation of human lymphocytes and mouse embryonic stem cells. Loss of Tcl1 gene in the KO mouse model affects skin integrity inducing alopecia and ulcerations.
T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma 1A is essential for mouse epidermal keratinocytes proliferation promoted by insulin-like growth factor 1.
Specimen part
View SamplesInflammatory mediators play a role in the pathogenesis/progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). The aim of the present study was to identify diagnostic/prognostic markers and gene expression profiles of CHF vs control.
Gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic heart failure patients.
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