In the past three years the role of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in tumour promotion and progression has been intensively studied. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 are commonly expressed in malignant cells from primary tumours, metastases and also in malignant cell lines. To investigate the biological significance of this receptor/ligand pair, we knocked-down CXCR4 expression in ovarian cancer cell line IGROV-1 using shRNA, and established stable cell lines.
A dynamic inflammatory cytokine network in the human ovarian cancer microenvironment.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe present evidence for an autocrine cytokine network in human ovarian cancer that has paracrine actions on the tumour microenvironment. In experiments using bioinformatics analysis of large gene expression array datasets and ovarian cancer biopsies, we found that the inflammatory cytokines TNF- and IL-6, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12, are co-regulated in malignant cells. We named this co-regulation the TNF network.
A dynamic inflammatory cytokine network in the human ovarian cancer microenvironment.
Specimen part
View SamplesAging is often associated with cognitive decline, but many elderly individuals maintain a high level of function throughout life. Here we studied outbred rats, which also exhibit individual differences across a spectrum of outcomes that includes both preserved and impaired spatial memory. Previous work in this model identified the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus as a region critically affected by age and integral to differing cognitive outcomes. Earlier microarray profiling revealed distinct gene expression profiles in the CA3 region, under basal conditions, for aged rats with intact memory and those with impairment. Because prominent age-related deficits within the CA3 occur during neural encoding of new information, here we used microarray analysis to gain a broad perspective of the aged CA3 transcriptome under activated conditions. Behaviorally induced CA3 expression profiles differentiated aged rats with intact memory from those with impaired memory. In the activated profile, we observed substantial numbers of genes (greater than 1000) exhibiting increased expression in aged unimpaired rats relative to aged impaired, including many involved in synaptic plasticity and memory mechanisms. This unimpaired aged profile also overlapped significantly with a learning induced gene profile previously acquired in young adults. Alongside the increased transcripts common to both young learning and aged rats with preserved memory, many transcripts behaviorally-activated in the current study had previously been identified as repressed in the aged unimpaired phenotype in basal expression. A further distinct feature of the activated profile of aged rats with intact memory is the increased expression of an ensemble of genes involved in inhibitory synapse function, which could control the phenotype of neural hyperexcitability found in the CA3 region of aged impaired rats. These data support the conclusion that aged subjects with preserved memory recruit adaptive mechanisms to retain tight control over excitability under both basal and activated conditions.
Behaviorally activated mRNA expression profiles produce signatures of learning and enhanced inhibition in aged rats with preserved memory.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe CMVpp65 protein contains 2 bipartite nuclear localization signals (NLS) at 415-438aa and 537-561aa near the carboxy terminus of CMVpp65 and a phosphate binding site related to kinase activity at lysine-436. A mutation of pp65 having K436N (CMVpp65mII) and further deletion of aa537-561 resulted in a novel protein (pp65mIINLSKO) that is kinase-less and has markedly reduced nuclear localization. The purpose of this report was to study the biologic characterization of this protein and its immunogenicity compared to native pp65.Using RNA microarray analysis, expression of the CMVpp65mIINLSKO had less effect on cell cycle pathways than did the native CMVpp65 and a greater effect on cell surface signalling pathways involving immune activity. It is concluded that the removal of the primary NLS motif from pp65 does not impair its immunogenicity and may actually be advantageous in the design of a vaccine.
Biologic and immunologic effects of knockout of human cytomegalovirus pp65 nuclear localization signal.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe have studied the plasma membrane protein phenotype of human culture-amplified and native Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM MSCs). We have found, using microarrays and flow cytometry, that cultured cells express specifically 113 transcripts and 17 proteins that were not detected in hematopoietic cells. These antigens define a lineage-homogenous cell population of mesenchymal cells, clearly distinct from the hematopoietic lineages, and distinguishable from other cultured skeletal mesenchymal cells (periosteal cells and synovial fibroblasts). Among the specific membrane proteins present on cultured MSCs, 9 allowed the isolation from BM mononuclear cells of a minute population of native MSCs. The enrichment in Colony-Forming Units-Fibroblasts was low for CD49b, CD90 and CD105, but high for CD73, CD130, CD146, CD200 and integrin alphaV/beta5. Additionally, the expression of CD73, CD146 and CD200 was down-regulated in differentiated cells. The new marker CD200, because of its specificity and immunomodulatory properties, deserves further in depth studies.
Specific plasma membrane protein phenotype of culture-amplified and native human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThe use of low quality RNA samples in whole-genome gene expression profiling remains controversial. It is unclear if transcript degradation in low quality RNA samples occurs uniformly, in which case the effects of degradation can be normalized, or whether different transcripts are degraded at different rates, potentially biasing measurements of expression levels. This concern has rendered the use of low quality RNA samples in whole-genome expression profiling problematic. Yet, low quality samples are at times the sole means of addressing specific questions – e.g., samples collected in the course of fieldwork.
RNA-seq: impact of RNA degradation on transcript quantification.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Rapid encoding of new information alters the profile of plasticity-related mRNA transcripts in the hippocampal CA3 region.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Patterns of histone H3 lysine 27 monomethylation and erythroid cell type-specific gene expression.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesA theoretical framework for the function of the medial temporal lobe system in memory defines differential contributions of the hippocampal subregions with regard to pattern recognition retrieval processes and encoding of new information. To investigate molecular programs of relevance, we designed a spatial learning protocol to engage a pattern separation function to encode new information. After background training, two groups of animals experienced the same new training in a novel environment, however only one group was provided spatial information and demonstrated spatial memory in a retention test. Global transcriptional analysis of the microdissected subregions of the hippocampus exposed a CA3 pattern that was sufficient to clearly segregate spatial learning animals from control. Individual gene and functional group analysis anchored these results to previous work in neural plasticity. From a multitude of expression changes, increases in camk2a, rasgrp1 and nlgn1 were confirmed by in situ hybridization. Furthermore, siRNA inhibition of nlgn1 within the CA3 subregion impaired spatial memory performance, pointing to mechanisms of synaptic remodeling as a basis for rapid encoding of new information in long-term memory.
Rapid encoding of new information alters the profile of plasticity-related mRNA transcripts in the hippocampal CA3 region.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesA theoretical framework for the function of the medial temporal lobe system in memory defines differential contributions of the hippocampal subregions with regard to pattern recognition retrieval processes and encoding of new information. To investigate molecular programs of relevance, we designed a spatial learning protocol to engage a pattern separation function to encode new information. After background training, two groups of animals experienced the same new training in a novel environment, however only one group was provided spatial information and demonstrated spatial memory in a retention test. Global transcriptional analysis of the microdissected subregions of the hippocampus exposed a CA3 pattern that was sufficient to clearly segregate spatial learning animals from control. Individual gene and functional group analysis anchored these results to previous work in neural plasticity. From a multitude of expression changes, increases in camk2a, rasgrp1 and nlgn1 were confirmed by in situ hybridization. Furthermore, siRNA inhibition of nlgn1 within the CA3 subregion impaired spatial memory performance, pointing to mechanisms of synaptic remodeling as a basis for rapid encoding of new information in long-term memory.
Rapid encoding of new information alters the profile of plasticity-related mRNA transcripts in the hippocampal CA3 region.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples