Genomic instability predisposes cells to malignant transformation, however the molecular mechanisms that allow for the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability remains unclear. Here we report that miR-181a is able to transform fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells- the precursor cell type for the majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancers- through the inhibition of RB1 and simultaneously drives a cell protective inhibition of the stimulator-of-interferon-genes (STING) in order to maintain a microenvironment conducive to the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability. We found that miR-181a inhibition of RB1 leads to profound nuclear defects, genomic instability, and nuclear rupture resulting in a persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm. While normally, this persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm induces interferon response through STING to drive cell death, miR-181a directly downregulates STING and prevents apoptosis. The most common mechanism by which oncogenic miRNAs promote tumorigenesis is through the direct inhibition of tumor suppressor genes, however our studies highlight a new mechanism of oncomiR transformation through the combination of tumor suppressor gene inhibition and abrogation of immune surveillance that initiates and propagates tumor cell survival. Importantly, we found that miR-181a induction in ovarian patient tumors is tightly associated with decreased IFNg response and downregulation of lymphocyte infiltration amd leukocyte fraction. To date, DNA oncoviruses are the only known inhibitors of STING that allow for cellular transformation thus, our findings are the first to identify a genetic factor, miR-181a, that can downregulate STING expression, suppress activation of the immunosurveillance machinery, and impair signaling in cancer cells creating a survival advantage. Our studies support the notion that the induction of STING-mediated signaling in cancer cells could lead directly to cancer cell death however these effects are abrogated by miR-181a. Given the recent interest in the development of STING agonists as a strategy to harness the immune system to treat cancer, this study introduces novel patient selective biomarker as well as potent therapeutic target for development of the most effective combination treatments.
miR-181a initiates and perpetuates oncogenic transformation through the regulation of innate immune signaling.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe report mapping of the PAX8 cistrome in three high grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines (KURAMOCHI, OVSAHO, and JHOS4) compared to three benign immortalized fallopian tube cell lines (FT33, FT194, and FT246). We identified a highly conserved PAX8 binding pattern common across benign fallopian tube cell lines that was distinct from the unique PAX8 binding patterns seen in each cancer cell line. Overall design: Comparison of benign and malignant Mullerian cell lines with and without PAX8 knockdown. For each cell line, three distinct siRNAs targeting PAX8 plus a pool of all three siRNAs were examined and compared to both a non-transfected control as well as a control transfected with a non-targeting siRNA.
Epigenetic remodeling regulates transcriptional changes between ovarian cancer and benign precursors.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesWe identified that downregulation of RNF20/H2Bub1 is involved in HGSOC progression through altering key immune signaling pathways. The goal of this RNA-seq is to analyze gene expression profile in FTSEC cells (FT190 and FT194 cell lines) with RNF20 knockdown (shRNF20) or control shRNA. Integrating the data from ATAC-seq for same samples, we observed that expression of immune signaling pathways have significantly changed by RNF20/H2Bub1 downregulation. Overall design: mRNA profiles of FT190 and FT194 shRNF20 (RNF20 knockdown) or control shRNA cells were generated by deep sequencing using Illumina HiSeq 2500, in triplicate.
Early Loss of Histone H2B Monoubiquitylation Alters Chromatin Accessibility and Activates Key Immune Pathways That Facilitate Progression of Ovarian Cancer.
Subject
View SamplesCARM1 is an arginine methyltransferase that asymmetrically dimethylates protein substrates on arginine residues. CARM1 is often overexpressed in cancers and stimulates growth. However, clinically applicable therapeutic strategies based on CARM1 expression in cancer remains to be explored. Here we show that epithelial ovarian cancer is among the cancers with the highest CARM1 amplification rates that predicates a shorter survival. Our unbiased screen show that CARM1-expressing ovarian cancer cells are selectively sensitive to the inhibition of EZH2, another epigenetic regulator that silences its target genes. Inhibition of EZH2 activity using a clinically applicable small molecule inhibitor significantly suppressed the growth of CARM1-expressing ovarian tumors in two xenograft models. The observed selectivity correlates with upregulation of EZH2 target genes in a CARM1-dependent manner. CARM1 promotes EZH2 dependent gene silencing by methylating BAF155 to alter the antagonism between EZH2 and BAF155. Together, these results indicate that pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 is a novel therapeutic strategy for CARM1-expressing cancers. Overall design: CARM1 wild type and knockout samples assayed by RNA-seq
CARM1-expressing ovarian cancer depends on the histone methyltransferase EZH2 activity.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesOur data suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy enhances anti-cancer responses of T cells in peritoneal metastases of patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer but does not decrease levels of immune checkpoint molecules, providing a rationale for sequential chemo-immunotherapy. Overall design: tRNA was isolated from 35 omental tissue samples of HGSOC metastases either pre or post NACT treatment. RNASeq was performed on poly-A selected mRNA fragments, 100 b.p paired end, and strand specific, on average 40 million reads per sample.
Mouse Ovarian Cancer Models Recapitulate the Human Tumor Microenvironment and Patient Response to Treatment.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe generated whole genome expression profiles from a homogeneous population of purified pacemaker neurons (ventral Lateral Neurons, LNvs) from wild type and clock mutant Drosophila. The study identifes a group of genes whose expression is highly enriched in LNvs compared to other neurons; and a second group of genes rhythmically expressed in LNvs in a clock-dependent manner.
A mechanism for circadian control of pacemaker neuron excitability.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis study aimed to understand the transcriptional networks regulating endoderm specification from HESC and therefore explored the phenotype of CA1 and CA2 HESC constitutively over-expressing SOX7 or SOX17. Cell lines were created using an inducible construct whereby clonal populations containing transgene integration are selected by Neomycin resistance without expressing of the gene of interest (NoCre controls). Transgene expression is induced via Cre-mediated recombination and selected for puromycin resistance (SOX O/E). The phenotype of the resulting cells suggests that SOX7 expressing HESC represent stable extraembryonic endoderm progenitors, while SOX17 expressing HESC represent early definitive endoderm progenitors. Both in vitro and in vivo SOX7 expressing HESC are restricted to the extraembryonic endoderm lineage, while SOX17 expressing HESC demonstrate mesendodermal specificity. In vitro, SOX17 expressing HESC efficiently produce mature definitive endoderm derivatives.
Establishment of endoderm progenitors by SOX transcription factor expression in human embryonic stem cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesCell based bone regeneration strategies offer promise for traumatic bone injuries, congenital defects, non-union fractures and other skeletal pathologies. Postnatal bone remodeling and fracture healing provide evidence that an osteochondroprogenitor cell is present in adult life which can differentiate to remodel or repair the fractured bone. However, cell based skeletal repair in the clinic is still in its infancy mostly due to poor characterization of progenitor cells and lack of knowledge about their in vivo behavior. Here we took a combined approach of high throughput screening, flow based cell sorting and in vivo transplantation to identify markers that identify osteochondroprogenitor cells. We show that the presence of tetraspanin CD9 enriches for osteochondroprogenitors within CD105+vemesenchymal cells and these cells readily form bone upon transplantation. In addition we have used Thy1.2 (CD90) and the ectonucleotidase CD73 to identify subsets within the CD9+ve population that lead to endochondral or intramembranous-like bone formation. Utilization of this unique cell surface phenotype to enrich for osteochondroprogenitor cells will allow for further characterization of the molecular mechanisms that regulate their osteogenic properties.
Tetraspanin CD9 and ectonucleotidase CD73 identify an osteochondroprogenitor population with elevated osteogenic properties.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesComparison of gene expression signatures in hESC-derived gastrointestinal precursors, enterospheres and primary human tissues to determine lineage and cell type identity.
Functional Enterospheres Derived In Vitro from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThe Core Binding Factor (CBF) protein RUNX1 is a master regulator of definitive hematopoiesis, crucial for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) emergence during ontogeny, which also plays vital roles in adult mice, in regulating the correct specification of numerous blood lineages. Akin to the other mammalian Runx genes, Runx1 has two promoters P1 (distal) and P2 (proximal) which generate distinct protein isoforms. The activities and specific relevance of these two promoters in adult hematopoiesis remain to be fully elucidated. Utilizing a dual reporter model, we demonstrate here that the distal P1 promoter is broadly active in adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) populations. By contrast, the activity of the proximal P2 promoter is more restricted and its upregulation, in both the immature Lineage- Sca1high cKithigh (LSK) and bipotential Pre-Megakaryocytic/Erythroid Progenitor (PreMegE) populations, coincides with a loss of erythroid specification. Accordingly, the PreMegE population can be prospectively separated into "pro-erythroid" and "pro-megakaryocyte" populations based on Runx1 P2 activity. Comparative gene expression analyses between Runx1 P2+ and P2- populations indicated that the level of CD34 expression could substitute for P2 activity to distinguish these two cell populations in wild type (WT) bone marrow (BM). Prospective isolation of these two populations will provide the opportunity to further investigate and define the molecular mechanisms involved in megakaryocytic/erythroid (Mk/Ery) cell fate decisions. Moreover, comparison of a RUNX1C null (KO) PreMegE to its WT counterpart demonstrated considerably enhanced erythroid specification at the expense of megakaryopoiesis in the absence of P1-specified RUNX1C expression. Overall design: mRNA profiles of wild type (WT), Runx1 P2-hCD4+ (P2+), Runx1 P2-hCD4- (P2-) and RUNX1C knockout (KO) bone marrow Pre-Megakaryocyte/Erythroid (PreMegE) progenitors were generated from young adult (12-16 weeks) mice by deep sequencing, in triplicate, using Illumina NextSeq 500.
RUNX1B Expression Is Highly Heterogeneous and Distinguishes Megakaryocytic and Erythroid Lineage Fate in Adult Mouse Hematopoiesis.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples