Displacement of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET) proteins from chromatin has promise for cancer and inflammatory disease treatments, but roles of BET proteins in metabolic disease remain unexplored. Small molecule BET inhibitors, such as JQ1, block BET protein binding to acetylated lysines, but lack selectivity within the BET family (Brd2, Brd3, Brd4, Brdt), making it difficult to disentangle contributions of each family member to transcriptional and cellular outcomes. Here, we demonstrate multiple improvements in pancreatic -cells upon BET inhibition with JQ1 or BET-specific siRNAs. JQ1 (50-400 nM) increases insulin secretion from INS-1 cells in a concentration dependent manner. JQ1 increases insulin content in INS-1 cells, accounting for increased secretion, in both rat and human islets. Higher concentrations of JQ1 decrease intracellular triglyceride stores in INS-1 cells, a result of increased fatty acid oxidation. Specific inhibition of both Brd2 and Brd4 enhances insulin transcription, leading to increased insulin content. Inhibition of Brd2 alone increases fatty acid oxidation. Overlapping yet discrete roles for individual BET proteins in metabolic regulation suggest new isoform-selective BET inhibitors may be useful to treat insulin resistant/diabetic patients. Results imply that cancer and diseases of chronic inflammation or disordered metabolism are related through shared chromatin regulatory mechanisms.
BET Bromodomain Proteins Brd2, Brd3 and Brd4 Selectively Regulate Metabolic Pathways in the Pancreatic β-Cell.
Cell line
View SamplesIL-21 induces B cell activation, and differentiation into antibody-secreting plasmablasts in vitro. This process is abolished by loss-of function mutations in STAT3
IL-21 signalling via STAT3 primes human naive B cells to respond to IL-2 to enhance their differentiation into plasmablasts.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesGlioma cells are sensitized to the alkylator temozolomide after exposure to IFN-beta. In glioma-initiating cells (GIC), IFN-beta alone reduces clonogenicity. We investigated differentially expressed genes with or without IFN exposure in either longterm glioma cells or GIC.
Interferon-β induces loss of spherogenicity and overcomes therapy resistance of glioblastoma stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThe aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in adaptive cell functions, and highly active in the epidermis. AhR-ligands can accelerate keratinocyte differentiation, but a precise role for AhR in the skin barrier is unknown. We here show that transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a parameter of skin barrier integrity, is high in AhR-deficient (AhR-KO) mice. Experiments with conditionally AhR-deficient mouse lines identified keratinocytes as the major responsible cell population for high TEWL. Electron microscopy showed weaker inter-cellular connectivity in the epidermis of keratinocytes in AhR-KO mice, and gene expression analysis identified many barrier-associated genes as AhR targets. Moreover, AhR-deficient mice had higher inter-individual differences in their microbiome. Interestingly, removing AhR-ligands from the diet of wild-type mice mimicked AhR-deficiency regarding the impaired barrier. Vice versa, re-addition of the plant-derived ligand indole-3-carbinol (I3C) rescued the barrier deficiency even in aged mice. Our results suggest that functional AhR expression is critical for skin barrier integrity and that AhR represents a molecular target for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for skin barrier diseases, including dietary intervention.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Keratinocytes Is Essential for Murine Skin Barrier Integrity.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesWe analyzed gene expression profiles of IL-18 generated murine NK cells in comparison to unstimulated, freshly isolated splenic NK cells.
Immunoregulatory natural killer cells suppress autoimmunity by down-regulating antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mice.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesIL-21 induces B cell activation, and differentiation into antibody-secreting plasmblasts in vitro. This process is compromised in transitional B cells to gain of function mutations in PIK3CD
Germline-activating mutations in <i>PIK3CD</i> compromise B cell development and function.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesNeuroprotective effects of NDP-MSH. We have characterized the signaling down-stream of melanocortin-1 receptor ligation to identify pathways mediating neuroprotective effects of NDP-MSH using transcriptional profiling. In this data set we included the expression data obtained from mouse brain tissue (MOG-immunized wild-type or C57BL/6Je/e mice at disease maximum, d14 after immunization). The data were used to obtain differentially regulated genes in wild-type or C57BL/6Je/e mice upon systemic NDP-MSH treatment.
Melanocortin-1 receptor activation is neuroprotective in mouse models of neuroinflammatory disease.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesAffymetrix Microarrays were used to analyse gene expression in aortas and circulating CD115+ cells of ApoE- and ApoE/Lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTbR)-double-deficent mice fed a Western diet from 8 to 12 weeks of age in order to identify regulated genes and pathways leading to reduced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/-/LTbR-/- mice compared to ApoE-/- littermate controls.
Deficiency in lymphotoxin β receptor protects from atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice.
Sex, Age
View SamplesAscertain the effects of disease-causing gene mutations on the differentiation status of human nave CD4+ T cells in the setting of primary immunodeficiencies. Thus, do CD4+ T cells isolated according to a nave surface phenotype (ie CD4+CD45RA+CCR7+) from healthy donors exhibit a similar gene expression profile as phenotpyically-matched cells isolated from individuals with defined primary immunodeficiencies caused by specific monogenic mutations.
Unique and shared signaling pathways cooperate to regulate the differentiation of human CD4+ T cells into distinct effector subsets.
Specimen part
View SamplesHeterozygosity for human STAT3 dominant-negative (DN) mutations underlies an autosomal dominant form of hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES). We describe patients with an autosomal recessive form of HIES due to loss-of-function mutations of a previously uncharacterized gene, ZNF341. ZNF341 is a transcription factor that resides in the nucleus, where it binds a specific DNA motif present in various genes, including, most notably the STAT3 promoter. The patients cells have low basal levels of STAT3 mRNA and protein. The auto-induction of STAT3 production, activation, and function by STAT3-activating cytokines is particularly strongly impaired. Like patients with STAT3 DN mutations, ZNF341-deficient patients lack Th17 cells, have an excess of Th2 cells, and low memory B cells, due to the tight dependence of STAT3 activity on ZNF341 in lymphocytes. Their milder extra-hematopoietic manifestations and stronger inflammatory responses reflect the lower ZNF341-dependence of STAT3 activity in other cell types. Human ZNF341 is essential for the STAT3 transcription-dependent auto-induction and sustained activity of STAT3.
A recessive form of hyper-IgE syndrome by disruption of ZNF341-dependent STAT3 transcription and activity.
Specimen part, Disease stage
View Samples