The goal of this study was to identify important genetic pathways that are altered in mammary tumor cells upon over-expression of the tumor suppressor gene Arid1a. The results of this experiment revealed that Arid1a helps regulate key cell-cycle checkpoint and growth regulatory pathways, either directly or indirectly. This helped explain in part the significant decrease in cell proliferation and tumor growth phenotypes observed both in vitro and in vivo, when comparing the same samples analyzed here by RNA-seq (untransduced replicates vs. add-back clonal lines). Overall design: Whole transcriptome comparison of mammary tumor cells derived from Chaos3 mouse model (23116 MT- control) vs. add-back clones overexpressing Arid1a (AB-C1 & AB-C2 - exp). Control and experimental samples were run in duplicate.
The Chromatin Remodeling Component Arid1a Is a Suppressor of Spontaneous Mammary Tumors in Mice.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent form of cancer that develops from the epithelium of the oral cavity. OSCC is on the rise worldwide, and death rates associated with the disease are particularly high. Despite progress in understanding of the mutational and expression landscape associated with OSCC, advances in deciphering these alterations for the development of therapeutic strategies have been limited. Further insight into the molecular cues that contribute to OSCC is therefore required. Here we show that the transcriptional regulators YAP (YAP1) and TAZ (WWTR1), which are key effectors of the Hippo pathway, drive pro-tumorigenic signals in OSCC. Regions of pre-malignant oral tissues exhibit aberrant nuclear YAP accumulation, suggesting that dysregulated YAP activity contributes to the onset of OSCC. Supporting this premise, we determined that nuclear YAP and TAZ activity drives OSCC cell proliferation, survival, and migration in vitro, and is required for OSCC tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Global gene expression profiles associated with YAP and TAZ knockdown revealed changes in the control of gene expression implicated in pro-tumorigenic signaling, including those required for cell cycle progression and survival. Notably, the transcriptional signature regulated by YAP and TAZ significantly correlates with gene expression changes occurring in human OSCCs identified by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), emphasizing a central role for YAP and TAZ in OSCC biology.
A YAP/TAZ-Regulated Molecular Signature Is Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesParathyroid hormone (PTH) plays an essential role in regulating calcium and bone homeostasis in the adult, but whether PTH is required at all for regulating fetal-placental mineral homeostasis is uncertain. To address this we treated Pth-null mice in utero with 1 nmol PTH (1-84) or saline and examined placental calcium transfer 90 minutes later. It was found that placental calcium transfer increased in Pth-null fetuses treated with PTH as compared to Pth-null fetuses treated with saline. Subsequently, to determine the effect of PTH treatment on placental gene expression, in a separate experiment, 90 minutes after the fetal injections the placentas were removed for subsequent RNA extraction and microarray analysis.
Parathyroid hormone regulates fetal-placental mineral homeostasis.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesHigh grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) can originate from fallopian tube epithelium (FTE) and ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). We report the application of unique spontaneous model that mimics cellular aging for understanding the origin and progression of HGSOC from oviductal epithelium. Oviductal epithelium is equivalent to human FTE. Serial passaging of the outbred mouse CD1 oviductal cells (MOE low) to MOE high produced transformed cells that lead to benign tumors. To understand the altered molecular signaling pathways in MOEhigh cells versus MOElow cells, we performed RNA sequencing. Total RNA was extracted from MOELOW (passages 8, 9, & 10) and MOEHIGH (passages 90, 103, & 113) cells. Each total RNA sample had ribosomal RNA removed using TruSeq Stranded Total RNA with Ribo-Zero (Illumina, San Diego, CA). Strand-specific libraries were constructed and quantitated using Qubit, and cDNAs verified by qPCR. qRT–PCR validation was performed using SYBR Green assays. Samples were barcoded and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq2500 sequencing. The reads were aligned to the Mus musculus genome (mm10) using TopHat, version and were used to determine the expression of known mmu10 gene annotations from the University of California-Santa Cruz website using Cuffdiff version. By merging the individual transcript from Cuffdiff into a single gene annotation file, we determined the differential expression analysis. By applying a false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p-value, where significance was set to p = 0.05, statistically significant differential expression was determined. Furthermore, pathway analysis was performed on transcript lists from both cell lines using GeneCoDis to identify the KEGG and Panther pathways that are significantly different between MOELOW and MOEHIGH cell lines. We find that the splicesome, RNA transport, the cell cycle, and DNA replication were the most highly upregulated pathway whereas the repressed pathways included processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, focal adhesion, and the lysosome. RNA sequencing revealed that p53 in MOELOW and MOEHIGH cells was not mutated; however, MOEHIGH cells had a significant upregulation of a splice variant of p53. The splice variant behaved like wild-type on few targets and missense on some transcriptional targets by qRT-PCR. This study provides a framework for the application of comprehensive chromatin profiling towards characterization of diverse mammalian cell populations. This model provides a framework to uncover a step-wise progression of tumor formation from an oviductal origin to be compared to human disease. Overall design: Examination of altered molecular signaling pathways in 2 cell types.
Spontaneous Transformation of Murine Oviductal Epithelial Cells: A Model System to Investigate the Onset of Fallopian-Derived Tumors.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesBreast cancer stem cells are considered estrogen receptor negative and estrogen insensitive. However, estrogens potentiate growth of the vast majority of breast tumors. In this study, we characterize the expression of estrogen receptors in breast cancer stem cells.
mTOR inhibitors counteract tamoxifen-induced activation of breast cancer stem cells.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesOvarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among US women. Evidence supports the hypothesis that high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC) may originate in the distal end of the fallopian tube. Although a heterogeneous disease, 96% of HGSC contain mutations in p53. In addition, the p53 signature, or overexpression of p53 protein (usually associated with mutation), is a potential precursor lesion of fallopian tube derived HGSC suggesting an essential role for p53 mutation in early serous tumorigenesis. To further clarify p53-mutation dependent effects on cells, murine oviductal epithelial cells (MOE) were stably transfected with a construct encoding for the R273H DNA binding domain mutation in p53, the most common mutation in HGSC. Mutation in p53 was not sufficient to transform MOE cells, but did significantly increase cell migration. A similar p53 mutation in murine ovarian surface epithelium (MOSE), another potential progenitor cell for serous cancer, was not sufficient to transform the cells nor change migration suggesting tissue specific effects of p53 mutation. Microarray data confirmed expression changes in pro-migratory genes in p53R273H MOE compared to parental cells, which could be reversed by suppressing Slug expression. Combining p53R273H with KRASG12V activation caused transformation of MOE into high-grade sarcomatoid carcinoma when xenografted into nude mice. Elucidating the specific role of p53R273H in the fallopian tube will improve understanding of changes at the earliest stage of transformation and could help develop chemopreventative strategies to prevent the accumulation of additional mutations and reverse progression of the p53 signature thereby, improving survival rates.
Mutant p53 expression in fallopian tube epithelium drives cell migration.
Specimen part
View SamplesGene expression analysis of primary mouse prostate organoid culture with overexpression of FOXA1 Overall design: Examination by genotypes and days elapsed prepared in 3 replicates
FOXA1 mutations alter pioneering activity, differentiation and prostate cancer phenotypes.
Subject, Time
View SamplesRett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by mutations in the gene methyl-CpG-binding-protein-2 (MECP2). However, the molecular mechanism by which these mutations mediate the RTT neuropathology remains enigmatic. In this study, we stimulated MeCP2-null cortical neurons (in vitro) and brains (in vivo) of a RTT mouse model to explore the effect of the loss of MeCP2 function on the activity-dependent transcriptomes of the cortex and hippocampus, respectively, using RNA-seq. These analyses revealed that the loss of MeCP2 results in aberrant global pattern of gene expression, characterized predominantly by higher levels of expression of activity-dependent genes, and anomalous alternative splicing events, specifically in response to neuronal activity. Overall design: For in vitro experiments, RNA-seq was performed on MeCP2-null (MT) and wild-type (WT) neuron-enriched cortical cultures that were either treated (T) with KCl for 3hr or not treated (N), after 10 days in culture. For in vivo experiments, RNA-seq was performed on hippocampi of MeCP2-null (MT) and wild-type (WT) mice that were either treated with kainic acid for 40 or 68 minutes, or not treated.
Activity-dependent aberrations in gene expression and alternative splicing in a mouse model of Rett syndrome.
Specimen part, Treatment, Subject, Time
View SamplesLgr5+ stem cells reside at crypt bottoms of the small and large intestine. Small intestinal Paneth cells supply Wnt3, EGF and Notch signals to neighboring Lgr5+ stem cells. While the colon lacks Paneth cells, Deep Crypt Secretory (DCS) cells are intermingled with Lgr5+ stem cells at crypt bottoms. Here, we report Reg4 as a marker of DCS cells. To investigate a niche function, we eliminated DCS cells using the diphtheria-toxin receptor gene knocked into the murine Reg4 locus. Ablation of DCS cells results in loss of stem cells from colonic crypts and disrupts gut homeostasis and colon mini-gut formation. In agreement, sorted Reg4+ DCS cells promote organoid formation of single Lgr5+ colon stem cells. Stem cells are forced to generate DCS cells in vitro by combined Notch inhibition and Wnt activation. We conclude that Reg4+ DCS cells serve as Paneth cell equivalents in the colon crypt niche. Overall design: To define a global gene expression signature of DCS cells, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of sorted Reg4-dsRed+ and Lgr5-GFP+ cells from colonic epithelium. Sorting and RNA-seq library preparation was performed twice, to obtain a biological replicate.
Reg4+ deep crypt secretory cells function as epithelial niche for Lgr5+ stem cells in colon.
No sample metadata fields
View Samplesproliferative effect in MCF7 cells.
Estrogen Receptor β as a Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer Stem Cells.
Cell line
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