Mechanical cues influence the shape, growth, and function of tissues and organs and are necessary for the development of engineered tissues. Yet, how cells sense mechanical cues and transduce them into changes in gene expression is not well understood. It is known that mechanical forces transmitted to the nucleus induce chromatin remodeling, promote DNA repair, contribute to the motion of intranuclear organelles and cause direct dissociation of protein complexes inside nuclei. Yet, the extent to which such signals impact gene expression is not understood. Because mechanical forces from the cytoskeleton to the nucleus interior are transmitted by the LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton-to-cytoskeleton) complex, we disrupted the LINC complex and performed genome wide expression studies using RNA sequencing. LINC disruption altered the expression of hundreds of genes at a genome-wide scale. We asked how LINC disruption affected the mechanosensitivity of individual genes by quantifying fold changes in gene expression on soft and stiff substrates. Remarkably, LINC disruption tended to preserve gene mechanosensitivity, but to reverse its direction. LINC disruption did not cause changes in nuclear shape, nor eliminated nuclear shape sensitivity to substrate rigidity. Our results show for the first time that the LINC complex regulates mechano-sensing at a genome-wide level, and argue for a distinct mechanism that does not require changes in nuclear morphology. Overall design: mRNA profiles of NIH 3T3 TetON cells that were induced to express either SS-GFP-KDEL (control) or SS-HA-Sun1L-KDEL by the addition of doxycycline. Two (2) substrate stiffnesses were used (1 kPa and 308 kPa), Y27632 or blebbistatin was used for certain samples to inhibit myosin II activity. A total of 6x3 reps= 18 samples were analyzed.
The mammalian LINC complex regulates genome transcriptional responses to substrate rigidity.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesTo examine the role of Rb1 in gastrointestinal (GI) tumors we generated mice with an Apc1638N allele, Rbtm2brn floxed alleles, and a villlin-cre transgene (RBVCA). These mice had reduced median survival due to an increase in tumor incidence and multiplicity in the cecum and the proximal colon; they differed from murine intestinal tumors of the Apc1638N type which normally arise solely in the small intestine. We have examined by micro-array analysis three cecal tumors from these mice (probable adenomas), and compared them to three duodenal tumors (probable adenocarcinomas). Expression profiles of duodenal and cecal tumors relative to each other show unique gene subsets up and down regulated. The two tumor types were subsequently shown to differentially regulate distinct sets of genes over expressed in a majority of human colorectal carcinomas.
Loss of Rb1 in the gastrointestinal tract of Apc1638N mice promotes tumors of the cecum and proximal colon.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
A systems analysis identifies a feedforward inflammatory circuit leading to lethal influenza infection.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesTranscriptomic comparison of 5 cell types during lethal and non-lethal influenza infection and further use of these signatures in a top-down systems analysis investigating the relative pathogenic contributions of direct viral damage to lung epithelium vs. dysregulated immunity during lethal influenza infection.
A systems analysis identifies a feedforward inflammatory circuit leading to lethal influenza infection.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesMany components of Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway also play critical roles in mammary tumor development. To study the role of Apc in mammary tumorigensis, we introduced conditional Apc mutations specifically into two different mammary epithelial populations using K14-Cre (progenitor) and WAP-cre (lactaing luminal) transgenic mice. Only the K14-cre mediated Apc heterozygosity developed mammary adenocarcinomas demonstrating histological and molecular heterogeneity, suggesting the progenitor cell origin of these tumors. These tumors harbored truncation mutation in a very defined region in the remaining wild-type allele of Apc that would retain some down-regulating activity of -catenin signaling. Our results suggest that not only the epithelial origin but also a certain Apc mutations are selected to achieve a specific level of -catenin signaling optimal for mammary tumor development.
Genetic mechanisms in Apc-mediated mammary tumorigenesis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe overall goal of our studies is to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism by which the transcription factor Casz1 functions in murine heart development. We established that Casz1 is expressed in myocardial progenitor cells beginning at E7.5 and in differentiated cardiomyocytes throughout development. We generated conditional Casz1 knockout mice to show that ablation of CASZ1 in Nkx2.5-positive cardiomyocytes leads to cardiac hypoplasia, ventricular septal defects and lethality by E13.5. To identify the pathways and networks by which Casz1 regulates cardiomyocyte development, we used RNA-Seq and identified genes involved in cell proliferation are upregulated in Casz1 mutants compared to wild-type littermates. We conclude that Casz1 is essential for cardiac development and has a pivotal role in regulating part of the cardiac transcriptional program. Overall design: 3 biological replicates of the two genotypes (Nkx2-5+/+,Casz1f/+ and Nkx2-5Cre/+,Casz1f/f) were used for RNA-seq to determine genes that are differentially expressed in the murine heart when Casz1 is mutated. Nkx2-5+/+,Casz1f/+ were used as wild-type controls for comparison.
Casz1 is required for cardiomyocyte G1-to-S phase progression during mammalian cardiac development.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesSeveral of the essential core transcriptional control elements in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been identified, but the production and function of alternative isoforms in self-renewal, pluripotency and tissue lineage specification remain largely unknown.
Alternative splicing in the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into cardiac precursors.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWhile infection of chickens with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 subtypes often leads to complete mortality within 24 to 48 h, infection of ducks in contrast causes mild or no clinical signs. Rapid onsets of fatal disease in chickens, but with no evidence of severe clinical symptoms in ducks, suggest underlying differences in their innate immune mechanisms. To understand the molecular basis for such difference, chicken and duck primary lung cells, infected with a low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and two HPAI H5N1 viruses, were subjected to RNA expression profiling using Affymetrix Chicken GeneChip arrays.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in chickens but not ducks is associated with elevated host immune and pro-inflammatory responses.
Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Prospective identification of resistance mechanisms to HSP90 inhibition in KRAS mutant cancer cells.
Cell line
View SamplesInhibition of the HSP90 chaperone results in depletion of many signaling proteins that drive tumorigenesis, such as downstream effectors of KRAS, the most commonly mutated human oncogene. As a consequence, several small-molecule HSP90 inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials as anticancer agents. To prospectively identify mechanisms through which HSP90-dependent cancer cells evade pharmacologic HSP90 blockade, we generated multiple mutant KRAS-driven cancer cell lines with acquired resistance to the purine-scaffold HSP90 inhibitor PU-H71. All cell lines retained dependence on HSP90 function, as evidenced by sensitivity to short hairpin RNA-mediated suppression of HSP90AA1 or HSP90AB1 (also called HSP90 and HSP90, respectively), and exhibited two types of genomic alterations that interfere with the effects of PU-H71 on cell viability and proliferation: (i) a Y142N missense mutation in the ATP-binding domain of HSP90 that co-occurred with amplification of the HSP90AA1 locus, (ii) genomic amplification and overexpression of the ABCB1 gene encoding the MDR1 drug efflux pump. In support of a functional role for these alterations, exogenous expression of HSP90 Y142N conferred PU-H71 resistance to HSP90-dependent cells, and pharmacologic MDR1 inhibition with tariquidar or lowering ABCB1 expression restored sensitivity to PU-H71 in ABCB1-amplified cells. Finally, comparison with structurally distinct HSP90 inhibitors currently in clinical development revealed that PU-H71 resistance could be overcome, in part, by ganetespib (also known as STA9090) but not tanespimycin (also known as 17-AAG). Together, these data identify potential mechanisms of acquired resistance to small molecules targeting HSP90 that may warrant proactive screening for additional HSP90 inhibitors or rational combination therapies.
Prospective identification of resistance mechanisms to HSP90 inhibition in KRAS mutant cancer cells.
Cell line
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