As susceptibility to many adult disorders originates in utero, we here hypothesized that fetal sex influences gene expression in placental cells and produces functional differences in human placentas. We found that fetal sex differentially affects gene expression in a cell-phenotype dependent manner among all four placental cell-phenotypes studied: cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, arterial endothelial cells and venous endothelial cells. The markedly enriched pathways in males were identified to be signaling pathways for graft-versus-host disease as well as the immune and inflammatory systems, both supporting the hypothesis that there is reduced maternal-fetal compatibility for male fetuses.
The human placental sexome differs between trophoblast epithelium and villous vessel endothelium.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesWe hypothesized altered expression of Proteases in calls capable of physiological invasion vs angiogenesis. We analyzed trophoblasts isolated from first trimester placenta that are invasive, and placental endothelial cells, that gave a high angiogenic potential. We found different expression levels of most proteases.
Different Preference of Degradome in Invasion versus Angiogenesis.
Specimen part
View SamplesPrevious study demonstrated that HDAC3 has a critical role in MM proliferation; however, the underlying mechanism has not yet been elucidated. We identify that HDAC3 inhibition targets DNMT1 through dual regulations. We demonstrate that knockdown of DNMT1 leads to apoptosis and significant growth inhibition in myeloma cells. HDAC3 inhibition by gene silencing or HDAC3 selective inhibitor BG45 downregulates an oncoprotein c-Myc through its acetylation. c-Myc directly regulates DNMT1 expression at its enhancer region. Furthermore, HDAC3 directly regulates the stability of DNMT1 protein through its acetylation. Pharmaceutical inhibition of HDAC3 and DNMT1 synergistically induce MM growth inhibition in in vitro and in vivo settings.
HDAC3 regulates DNMT1 expression in multiple myeloma: therapeutic implications.
Cell line
View SamplesWe hypothesized that the trophoblast secretes anti-angiogenic factors, which increase in late pregnancy to limit angiogenesis. Therefore, we determined the paracrine effect of primary human trophoblasts from early versus late pregnancy on the angiogenic potential of isolated feto-placental endothelial cells.
Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF): a novel trophoblast-derived factor limiting feto-placental angiogenesis in late pregnancy.
Specimen part
View SamplesInvasion of cytotrophoblasts into uterine tissues is essential for placental development. To identify molecules regulating trophoblast invasion, mRNA signatures of purified villous (CTB, poor invasiveness) and extravillous (EVT, high invasiveness) trophoblasts isolated from first trimester human placentae and villous explant cultures, respectively, were compared using GeneChip analyses yielding 991 invasion/migration related transcripts. Several genes involved in physiological and pathologic cell invasion, including ADAM-12,-19,-28 as well as Spondin-2, were upregulated in EVT. Pathway prediction analyses identified several functional modules associated with either the invasive or the non-invasive trophoblast phenotype. One of the genes which were downregulated in the invasive mRNA pool, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), was selected for functional analyses. Real-time PCR analyses, Western blottting, and immunofluorescene of first trimester placentae and differentiating villous explant cultures demonstrated downregulation of HO-1 in invasive EVT as compared to CTB. Modulation of HO-1 expression in loss-of as well as gain-of function cell models (BeWo and HTR8/SVneo, respectively) demonstrated an inverse relationship of HO-1 expression with trophoblast migration in transwell and wound healing assays. Importantly, HO-1 expression led to an increase in protein levels and activity of the nuclear hormone receptor PPARgamma. Pharmacological inhibition of PPARgamma abrogated the inhibitory effects of HO-1 on trophoblast migration. Collectively, our results demonstrate that gene expression profiling of EVT and CTB can be used to unravel novel regulators of cell invasion. Accordingly, we identify heme oxygenase-1 as a negative regulator of trophoblast motility acting via upregulation of PPARgamma.
Identification of novel trophoblast invasion-related genes: heme oxygenase-1 controls motility via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe performed genome-wide methylation analysis of primary feto-placental arterial and venous endothelial cells from healthy (AEC and VEC) and GDM complicated pregnancies (dAEC and dVEC). Parallel transcriptome analysis identified variation in gene expression linked to GDM-associated DNA methylation, implying a direct functional link. Pathway analysis found that genes altered by exposure to GDM clustered to functions associated with Cell Morphology and Cellular Movement in both AEC and VEC. Further functional analysis demonstrated that GDM exposed cells have altered actin organization and barrier function.
Human fetoplacental arterial and venous endothelial cells are differentially programmed by gestational diabetes mellitus, resulting in cell-specific barrier function changes.
Specimen part
View SamplesTargeting protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms by the small molecule inhibitor enzastaurin has shown promising pre-clinical activity in a wide range of tumor cells. In this study, we further delineated its mechanism of action in multiple myeloma (MM) cells and found a novel role of b-catenin in regulating growth and survival of tumor cells. Specifically, inhibition of PKC leads to rapid accumulation of b-catenin by preventing the phosphorylation required for its proteasomal degradation. Microarray analysis and siRNA-mediated gene silencing in MM cells revealed that accumulated b-catenin activates early ER stress signaling via eIF2a, CHOP and p21, leading to immediate growth inhibition. Furthermore, accumulated b-catenin contributes to enzastaurin-induced cell death. Both sequential knock-down of b-catenin, c-Jun, and p73, as well as overexpression of b-catenin or p73 confirmed that accumulated b-catenin triggers c-Jun-dependent induction of p73, thereby conferring MM cell apoptosis. In summary, our data reveal a novel role of b-catenin in ER stress-mediated growth inhibition, and a new pro-apoptotic mechanism triggered by b-catenin upon inhibition of PKC isoforms. Moreover, we identify p73 as a potential novel therapeutic target in MM. Based on these and previous data, enzastaurin is currently under clinical investigation in a variety of hematologic malignancies including MM.
Targeting PKC: a novel role for beta-catenin in ER stress and apoptotic signaling.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMM1.S cells stably transduced with control or b-catenin shRNA were established. Total RNA was isolated from 5x 10^6 cells of each in triplicate.
Aurora kinase A is a target of Wnt/beta-catenin involved in multiple myeloma disease progression.
Cell line
View SamplesWe used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying CS1-regulated biological processes including increased cell adhesion and cell proliferation.
CS1 promotes multiple myeloma cell adhesion, clonogenic growth, and tumorigenicity via c-maf-mediated interactions with bone marrow stromal cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMelphalan-induced modulation of miR-221/222 levels in MM cells. Melphalan-resistant U266/LR7 cells showed the highest induction of miR-221/222 after drug exposure. To study the transcriptome perturbation induced in MM cells following the combination of miR-221/222 inhibitors plus melphalan we used the whole gene expression data
A 13 mer LNA-i-miR-221 Inhibitor Restores Drug Sensitivity in Melphalan-Refractory Multiple Myeloma Cells.
Cell line, Treatment
View Samples