These studies utilized two TCR transgenic mouse lines, LLO118 and LLO56, that our laboratory has developed and characterized, which recognize the same Listeria monocytogenes LLO/IO-Ab epitope with equal affinities. When 104 naive CD4+ LLO T cells are transferred into a B6 mouse and one day later infected with wild type Listeria monocytogenes, the LLO118 T cells have a more robust primary expansion than LLO56. In contrast, after a secondary challenge, LLO56 T cells have a much greater expansion than LLO118 T cells. One striking phenotypic difference between the LLO118 and LLO56 T cells lies in their CD5 expression. CD5 expression has been shown to correlate directly with TCR affinity for self-pMHC and tonic signaling. LLO56 cells have a higher basal phosphorylation of the TCR chain, and they have significantly increased expression of Nur77 mRNA. These transcriptional profiling experiments examined if there were transcriptional differences between LLO118 and LLO56 T cells, either naive or after D7 of infection, that would account for their disparate in vivo behaviors.
Tonic TCR Signaling Inversely Regulates the Basal Metabolism of CD4<sup>+</sup> T Cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesPaired samples from human femoral artery lesions were obtained during intravascular surgery exploiting Silverhawk device
Global DNA methylation analysis of human atherosclerotic plaques reveals extensive genomic hypomethylation and reactivation at imprinted locus 14q32 involving induction of a miRNA cluster.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesKaposi sarcoma is the most common cancer in AIDS patients and is typified by red skin lesions.The disease is caused by the KSHV virus (HHV8) and is recognisable by its distinctive red skin lesions. The lesions are KSHV infected spindle cells expressing markers of the lymphatic endothelial and blood vessel endothelial cells as well as other cell types. The effects of KSHV infection of lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) cultured in 3D matrix for three days were assayed using Affymetrix hgu133plus2 chips.
KSHV-initiated notch activation leads to membrane-type-1 matrix metalloproteinase-dependent lymphatic endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Specimen part
View SamplesGene expression was studied from the blood derived RNAs of the Finnish family members as well as from 10 controls using GeneChip Human Genome U133 Plus2 (Affymetrix). Eight out of 10 family members in the expression analysis are heterozygous for the NPAT c.2437-2438delAG, three of which are NLPHL cases.
Exome sequencing reveals germline NPAT mutation as a candidate risk factor for Hodgkin lymphoma.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Subject
View SamplesGene expression profiles of 10 uterine leiomyomas and their matched normal myometrium specimens were studied using Affymetrix GeneChip Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 gene expression arrays. Four tumors displayed a codon 44 mutation, four carried a intron 1 mutation, and the remaining two displayed no MED12 mutation.
MED12, the mediator complex subunit 12 gene, is mutated at high frequency in uterine leiomyomas.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesFTY720/Fingolimod, an FDA-approved drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis, has beneficial effects in the CNS that are not yet well understood, independent of its effects on immune cell trafficking. Here we show that FTY720 enters the nucleus where it is phosphorylated by sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) and nuclear FTY720-P that accumulates there, binds and inhibits class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) enhancing specific histone acetylations. FTY720 is also phosphorylated in mice and accumulates in various brain regions, including hippocampus, inhibits HDACs and enhances histone acetylation and gene expression programs associated with memory and learning leading to improvement of memory impairment independently of its immunosuppressive actions. Our data suggest that sphingosine-1-phosphate and SphK2 play specific roles in memory functions and that FTY720 may be a useful adjuvant therapy to facilitate extinction of aversive memories.
Active, phosphorylated fingolimod inhibits histone deacetylases and facilitates fear extinction memory.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesBy employing FOXA2-deficient mouse models coupled with LIF repletion, we reveal definitive roles of uterine glands in pregnancy establishment.These studies provide original evidence that uterine glands synchronize embryo-endometrial interactions, coordinate on-time embryo implantation, and impact stromal cell decidualization, thereby ensuring embryo viability, placental growth, and pregnancy success. Overall design: Uterine transcriptomes of control and Foxa2-deficient mice were generated on gestational day (GD) 4 and GD 6 following LIF-repletion. All time points were done in quadruplicates.
Uterine glands coordinate on-time embryo implantation and impact endometrial decidualization for pregnancy success.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesSomatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related disorders, including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The accumulation of mitochondria harboring mtDNA mutations in patients with these disorders suggests a failure of normal mitochondrial quality-control systems. The mtDNA-mutator mice acquire somatic mtDNA mutations via a targeted defect in the proofreading function of the mtDNA polymerase, PolgA, and develop macrocytic anemia similar to that of patients with MDS. We observed an unexpected defect in clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria at specific stages during erythroid maturation in hematopoietic cells from aged mtDNA-mutator mice. Mechanistically, aberrant activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling and phosphorylation of uncoordinated 51-like kinase (ULK) 1 in mtDNA-mutator mice resulted in proteasome mediated degradation of ULK1 and inhibition of autophagy in erythroid cells. To directly evaluate the consequence of inhibiting autophagy on mitochondrial function in erythroid cells harboring mtDNA mutations in vivo, we deleted Atg7 from erythroid progenitors of wildtype and mtDNA-mutator mice. Genetic disruption of autophagy did not cause anemia in wild-type mice but accelerated the decline in mitochondrial respiration and development of macrocytic anemia in mtDNA-mutator mice. These findings highlight a pathological feedback loop that explains how dysfunctional mitochondria can escape autophagy-mediated degradation and propagate in cells predisposed to somatic mtDNA mutations, leading to disease.
Mito-protective autophagy is impaired in erythroid cells of aged mtDNA-mutator mice.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe cell differentiation potential of 13-cis retinoic acid (RA) has not succeeded in the clinical treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) so far. However, RA may also induce the expression of disistance genes such as HOXB7 which can be suppressed by Thalidomide (THAL). Therefore, we tested if combined treatment with RA+THAL may inhibit growth of glioblastoma in vivo. Treatment with RA+THAL but not RA or THAL alone significantly inhibited tumour growth. The synergistic effect of RA and THAL was corroborated by the effect on proliferation of glioblastoma cell lines in vitro. HOXB7 was not upregulated but microarray analysis validated by real-time PCR identified four potential resistance genes (IL-8, HILDPA, IGFBPA, and ANGPTL4) whose upregulation by RA was suppressed by THAL. Furthermore, genes coding for small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA) were identified as a target for RA for the first time, and their upregulation was maintained after combined treatment. Pathway analysis showed upregulation of the Ribosome pathway and downregulation of pathways associated with proliferation and inflammation. Combined treatment with RA + THAL delayed growth of GBM xenografts and suppressed putative resistance genes associated with hypoxia and angiogenesis. This encourages further pre-clinical and clinical studies of this drug combination in GBM.
Inhibition of 13-cis retinoic acid-induced gene expression of reactive-resistance genes by thalidomide in glioblastoma tumours in vivo.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesCirculating microvesicles (MVs) have been described as important players in cell-to-cell communication carrying biological information both in normal and pathologic condition. MVs released by cancer cells may incorporate biomolecules such as active lipids, proteins and RNA, which can be delivered and internalized by recipient cells potentially altering gene expression of receiving cells eventually impacting disease progression. In this study, we took advantage of a leukemia in vitro model to investigate MVs as vehicles of protein coding messages. Leukemic cell lines (K562, REH and SHI-1) carrying recurrent translocations were analyzed. In the leukemic cells these translocations are transcribed into oncogenic fusion transcripts. Here, using gene expression microarrays we monitored leukemic fusion transcripts as hallmarks of leukemic cells transcriptome to track mRNA transfer from parental cells to MVs. Transcriptome analysis of K562 cells and released MVs disclosed MVs as not just small scale cells. In fact, a number of transcripts related to membrane activity, cell surface receptors and extracellular communication were enriched in the MVs pool. On the other hand, sets of transcripts related to the basal cellular functions and transcripts of the BCR-ABL oncogenic pathway downstream of the fusion protein were detected in MVs as well as in parental K562 cells. Moreover, through co-culture analyses uptake of leukemic MVs in receiving cells was confirmed and an MV-dosage dependent increase of target cell proliferation was demonstrated.
Expression Profiling of Circulating Microvesicles Reveals Intercellular Transmission of Oncogenic Pathways.
Cell line
View Samples