Integrator (INT) is an RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-associated complex that was recently identified to have a broad role in both RNA processing and transcription regulation. INT has at least 14 subunits, but INT germline mutations causing human disease have not been reported. We identified mutations in the Integrator Complex Subunit 8 gene (INTS8) causing a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome. In patient cells we identified significant disturbance of gene expression and RNA processing. Also, we show that injection of ints8 oligonucleotide morpholinos into zebrafish embryos leads to prominent underdevelopment of the head demonstrating the evolutionary conserved requirement of INTS8 in brain development. Overall design: RNA sequencing was carried out using RNA samples from fibroblasts from two individuals with germline bi-allelic INTS8 mutations and from two healthy individuals
Human mutations in integrator complex subunits link transcriptome integrity to brain development.
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View SamplesCrosstalk and complexity within signaling pathways has limited our ability to devise rational strategies for using network biology to treat human disease. This is particularly problematic in cancer where oncogenes that drive or maintain the tumorigenic state alter the normal flow of molecular information within signaling networks that control growth, survival and death. Understanding the architecture of oncogenic signaling pathways, and how these networks are re-wired by ligands or drugs, could provide opportunities for the specific targeting of oncogene-driven tumors. Here we use a systems biology-based approach to explore synergistic therapeutic strategies to optimize the killing of triple negative breast cancer cells, an incompletely understood tumor type with a poor treatment outcome. Using targeted inhibition of oncogenic signaling pathways combined with DNA damaging chemotherapy, we report the surprising finding that time-staggered EGFR inhibition, but not simultaneous co-administration, can dramatically sensitize the apoptotic response of a subset of triple-negative cells to conventional DNA damaging agents. A systematic analysis of the order and timing of inhibitor/genotoxin presentationusing a combination of high-density time-dependent activity measurements of signaling networks, gene expression profiles, cell phenotypic responses, and mathematical modelingrevealed an approach for altering the intrinsic oncogenic state of the cell through dynamic re-wiring of oncogenic signaling pathways. This process converts these cells to a less tumorigenic state that is more susceptible to DNA damage-induced cell death, through re-activation of an extrinsic apoptotic pathway whose function is suppressed in the oncogene-addicted state.
Sequential application of anticancer drugs enhances cell death by rewiring apoptotic signaling networks.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesSaccharomyces cerevisiae IMS0002 which, after metabolic and evolutionary engineering, ferments the pentose sugar arabinose. Glucose and arabinose-limited anaerobic chemostat cultures of IMS0002 and its non-evolved ancestor IMS0001 were subjected to transcriptome analysis to identify key genetic changes contributing to efficient arabinose utilization by strain IMS0002.
Metabolome, transcriptome and metabolic flux analysis of arabinose fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Disease, Treatment
View SamplesThe transcription co-factor FOG1 interacts with the chromatin remodeling complex NuRD to mediate gene activation and gene repression during hematopoiesis. We have generated mice with a targeted mutation in the endogenous Fog1 locus that results in an N-ternimal mutation in FOG1 that disrupts the interaction with NuRD.
Pleiotropic platelet defects in mice with disrupted FOG1-NuRD interaction.
Specimen part
View SamplesPiwi-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) of fetal prospermatogonia of mice have been strongly implicated in transposon control. In contrast, little is known about biogenesis and function of abundant piRNAs from adult testes expressed in late spermatocytes and round spermatids. These so-called "pachytene" piRNAs are processed from long non-coding piRNA precursors and have no defined RNA targets in the transcriptome even though their binding partner Piwi, MIWI, is essential for spermiogenesis and fertility. Here we report that 129SvJae mice lacking Maelstrom (MAEL), a conserved piRNA pathway protein, exhibit spermiogenic arrest with defects in acrosome and flagellum formation. Further analysis revealed MAEL association with RNPs containing MIWI, TDRD6, and processed intermediates of pachytene piRNA precursors of various length. Loss of MAEL causes a 10-fold drop in pachytene piRNA levels but an increase in piRNAs from abundantly expressed mRNAs. These results suggest a MAEL-dependent mechanism for the selective processing of pachytene piRNA precursor into piRNAs. Strikingly, ribosome profiling of Mael-null testes revealed that reduced piRNA production is accompanied by reduced translation of over 800 spermiogenic mRNAs including those encoding acrosome and flagellum proteins. In light of recent reports of piRNA-independent protection of translationally repressed mRNPs by MIWI and piRNA-dependent turnover of MIWI, we propose that pachytene piRNAs function by controlling the availably of MIWI for the translational repression of spermiogenic mRNAs. Overall design: piRNA sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation, and expression measurements (RNA-Seq and ribosome profiling) in wild-type and Mael -/- testes
Reduced pachytene piRNAs and translation underlie spermiogenic arrest in Maelstrom mutant mice.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesWe report RNA-sequencing data of 12 platelet samples isolated from four healthy individuals and incubated with either E. coli K12, E. coli O18 or no bacteria. This dataset highlights the differential effect of bacteria on spliced platelet RNA profiles. Overall design: Blood platelets were isolated from whole blood in citrate-coated BD Vacutainers by standard centrifugation and multiple washing steps. Total RNA was extracted from the platelet pellet, subjected to cDNA synthesis and SMARTer amplification, fragmented by Covaris shearing, and prepared for sequencing using the TruSeq Nano DNA Sample Preparation Kit. Subsequently, pooled sample libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. All steps were quality-controlled using Bioanalyzer 2100 with RNA 6000 Picochip, DNA 7500 and DNA High Sensitivity chips measurements. For further downstream analyses, reads were quality-controlled using Trimmomatic, mapped to the human reference genome using STAR, and intron-spanning reads were summarized using HTseq.
Impact of Escherichia coli K12 and O18:K1 on human platelets: Differential effects on platelet activation, RNAs and proteins.
Specimen part, Disease, Subject
View SamplesMaternal diet is associated with the development of metabolism-related and other non-communicable diseases in offspring. Underlying mechanisms, functional profiles, and molecular markers are only starting to be revealed. Here, we explored the physiological and molecular impact of maternal Western-style diet on the liver of male and female offspring. C57BL/6 dams were exposed to either a low fat/low cholesterol diet (LFD) or a Western-style high fat/high cholesterol diet (WSD) for six weeks before mating, as well as during gestation and lactation. Dams and offspring were sacrificed at postnatal day 14, and body, liver, and blood parameters were assessed. The impact of maternal WSD on the pups' liver gene expression was characterised by whole-transcriptome microarray analysis. Exclusively male offspring had significantly higher body weight upon maternal WSD. In offspring of both sexes of WSD dams, liver and blood parameters, as well as hepatic gene expression profiles were changed. In total, 686 and 604 genes were differentially expressed in liver (p0.01) of males and females, respectively. Only 10% of these significantly changed genes overlapped in both sexes. In males, in particular alterations of gene expression with respect to developmental functions and processes were observed, such as Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. In females, mainly genes important for lipid metabolism, including cholesterol synthesis, were changed. We conclude that maternal WSD affects physiological parameters and induces substantial changes in the molecular profile of the liver in two-week-old pups. Remarkably, the observed biological responses of the offspring reveal pronounced sex-specificity.
Maternal Western-style high fat diet induces sex-specific physiological and molecular changes in two-week-old mouse offspring.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesStudy of the short term (within the first 330 seconds) transcriptional response of S.cerevisiae upon a sudden addition of glucose.
When transcriptome meets metabolome: fast cellular responses of yeast to sudden relief of glucose limitation.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesIntroduction: In the recently completed Dutch GLUCOLD study, treatment of COPD patients with fluticasone salmeterol reduced the rate of decline in FEV1. These results indicate that ICS can have therapeutic efficacy in COPD. Aim: To explore the molecular mechanisms by which ICS exert their effects, we performed genome-wide gene expression profiling on bronchial biopsies from COPD patients who participated in the GLUCOLD study. Methods: An Affymetrix Human Gene Array ST version 1.0 was performed in a total of 221 bronchial biopsies that were available from 90 COPD patients at baseline and after 6 and 30 months of therapy. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to analyze treatment-specific changes in gene expression. A validation set was included and pathway analysis was performed with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Results: The expression of 138 genes significantly decreased after both 6 and 30 months of treatment with fluticasone salmeterol versus placebo, whereas the expression of 140 genes increased. A more pronounced treatment-induced change in expression of 51 of these 278 genes was associated with a slower rate of decline in FEV1. Genes that decreased with treatment were involved in pathways related to cell cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, epithelial cell signaling, p53 signaling and T cell signaling. Genes that increased with treatment were involved in pathways related to focal adhesion, gap junction and extracellular matrix deposition. Conclusion: The present study suggests that gene expression in biological pathways of COPD is dynamic with treatment and reflects disease activity. This study opens the gate to targeted and phenotype-driven therapy of COPD.
Airway gene expression in COPD is dynamic with inhaled corticosteroid treatment and reflects biological pathways associated with disease activity.
Age
View SamplesDuring the last few decades, the long-lasting consequences of nutritional programming during the early phase of life have become increasingly evident, but the effects of maternal nutrition on the developing intestine are currently still relatively underexplored. In this study, we investigated in mice the effects of a maternal Western-style (WS) high fat/cholesterol diet, given during the perinatal period, on gene expression and microbiota composition of two-week-old offspring. Microarray analysis revealed that a perinatal WS diet caused significant changes in gene expression in the small intestine and colon of the suckling offspring. A strong sexually dimorphic effect was observed in the affected genes. However, pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes displayed that in both sexes metabolic and immune functions were strongly affected. Integration of the microbiota and gene expression data applying a multivariate correlation analyses revealed that Bacteroidaceae, Porphyromonadaceae and Lachnospiraceae were the bacterial families that most strongly correlated with gene expression in the colon and not with the bacterial families displaying the most pronounced change due to perinatal exposure to a WS diet. Amongst the genes demonstrating a strong correlation with one or more bacterial families were genes of key importance for intestinal development or functioning (i.e., Pitx2 and Ace2). In conclusion, our data demonstrate a strong programming effect of a maternal WS diet on the development of the intestine in the offspring.
Maternal exposure to a Western-style diet causes differences in intestinal microbiota composition and gene expression of suckling mouse pups.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
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