The human and mouse aryl hydrocarbon receptor (hAHR and mAHRb) share limited (58%) transactivation domain sequence identity. Compared to the mAHRb allele, the hAHR displays 10-fold lower relative affinity for prototypical ligands such as 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). However, in previous studies we have demonstrated that the hAHR can display a higher relative ligand binding affinity than the mAHRb for specific AHR ligands such as indirubin. Each receptor has also been shown to differentially recruit LXXLL co-activator-motif proteins and to utilize different TAD subdomains in gene transactivation. Using hepatocytes isolated from C57BL6/J mice (Ahrb/b) and AHRTtr transgenic mice which express hAHR protein specifically in hepatocytes, we investigated whether the hAHR and mAHRb differentially regulate genes. Microarray and quantitative-PCR analysis of Ahrb/b and AHRTtr primary-mouse hepatocytes treated with 10 nM TCDD revealed that a number of established AHR target genes such as Cyp1a1 and Cyp1b1 are significantly induced by both receptors. Remarkably, of the 1752 genes induced by mAHRb and 1186 genes induced by hAHR, only 265 genes (<10%) were significantly activated by both receptors in response to TCDD. Conversely of the 1100 and 779 genes significantly repressed in mAHRb and hAHR hepatocytes respectively, only 462 (<25%) genes were significantly repressed by both receptors in response to TCDD treatment. Genes identified as differentially expressed are known to be involved in a number of biological pathways, including cell proliferation and inflammatory response which suggests that compared to the mAHRb, the hAHR may play contrasting roles in TCDD-induced toxicity and endogenous AHR-mediated gene regulation.
Differential gene regulation by the human and mouse aryl hydrocarbon receptor.
Specimen part
View SamplesAlthough practiced clinically for more than 40 years, the use of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplants remains limited by the ability to expand these cells ex vivo. An unbiased screen with primary human HSCs identified a purine derivative, StemRegenin 1 (SR1), that promotes the ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells. Culture of HSCs with SR1 led to a 50-fold increase in cells expressing CD34 and a 17-fold increase in cells that retain the ability to engraft immunodeficient mice. Mechanistic studies show that SR1 acts by antagonizing the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The identification of SR1 and AHR modulation as a means to induce ex vivo HSC expansion should facilitate the clinical use of HSC therapy.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonists promote the expansion of human hematopoietic stem cells.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesAnalysis of primary human bronchial epithelial cells grown in air liquid interface, exposed in vitro to whole tobacco cigarette smoke (48 puffs, 48 minutes) and electronic cigarette aerosol (400 puffs, 200 minutes). Electronic cigarette exposures included two flavors (menthol, tobacco) both with, and without nicotine.
Molecular Impact of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Exposure in Human Bronchial Epithelium.
Specimen part
View SamplesMitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling regulates differentiation of many cell types. During myogenesis in particular, p38a MAPK (MAPK14) phosphorylates multiple transcriptional regulators to modulate muscle-specific gene expression. Among the p38a MAPK modulated genes is the muscle-specific transcriptional regulator Myogenin (Myog) that is also essential to complete the muscle differentiation program, and while it is known that both p38a MAPK and Myog are critically required for myogenesis, the individual contribution of each of these proteins is poorly defined. Here we show that Myog expression (in the absence of p38a MAPK signaling) is sufficient to establish expression of many late markers of muscle differentiation and to mediate cell migration. However, Myog expression alone did not led to the formation of multinucleated muscle cells, highlighting a critical role for p38a MAPK in myoblast fusion. Using comparative microarray analysis we identified p38a MAPK-dependent genes that are not regulated by Myog
Comparative expression profiling identifies differential roles for Myogenin and p38α MAPK signaling in myogenesis.
Cell line
View SamplesType 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease that involves immune mediated destruction of ß cells. How ß cells respond to immune attack is unknown. We identified a population of ß cells during the progression of T1D in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice that survives immune attack. This population develops from normal ß cells confronted with islet infiltrates. Pathways involving cell movement, growth and proliferation, immune responses, and cell death and survival are activated in these cells. There is reduced expression of ß cell identity genes and diabetes antigens and increased immune inhibitory markers and stemness genes. This new subpopulation is resistant to killing when diabetes is precipitated with cyclosphosphamide. Human ß cells show similar changes when cultured with immune cells. These changes may account for the chronicity of the disease and the long term survival of ß cells in some patients. Overall design: mRNA profiles of top and bottom beta cells were generated by RNA-seq. 4 samples were processed from each population of cells.
β Cells that Resist Immunological Attack Develop during Progression of Autoimmune Diabetes in NOD Mice.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIn this study, we report the performance of one such technique denoted as sparse full length sequencing (SFL), a ribosomal RNA depletion-based RNA sequencing approach that allows for the simultaneous sequencing of 96 samples and higher. We offer comparisons to well established single-sample techniques, including: full coverage Poly-A capture RNA-seq and microarray, as well as another low-cost highly multiplexed technique known as 3' digital gene expression (3' DGE). Data was generated for a set of exposure experiments on immortalized human lung epithelial (AALE) cells in a two-by-two study design, in which samples received both genetic and chemical perturbations of known oncogenes/tumor suppressors and lung carcinogens. SFL demonstrated improved performance over 3' DGE in terms of coverage, power to detect differential gene expression, and biological recapitulation of patterns of differential gene expression from in vivo lung cancer mutation signatures. Overall design: 3' Digital Gene Expression (3'DGE) for immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells (AALE) exposed to chemical and genotypic perturbations
Assessment of a Highly Multiplexed RNA Sequencing Platform and Comparison to Existing High-Throughput Gene Expression Profiling Techniques.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesThe aim of this experiment was to investigate the role of KLF3 in regulating gene expression at different stages throughout the erythroid maturation process.
The CACCC-binding protein KLF3/BKLF represses a subset of KLF1/EKLF target genes and is required for proper erythroid maturation in vivo.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe aim of this experiment was to investigate the role of KLF1 in the fetal liver
The CACCC-binding protein KLF3/BKLF represses a subset of KLF1/EKLF target genes and is required for proper erythroid maturation in vivo.
Specimen part
View SamplesProtein synthesis belongs to the most energy consuming processes in the cell. Lowering oxygen tension below normal (hypoxia) causes a rapid inhibition of global mRNA translation due to the decreased availability of energy. Interestingly, subsets of mRNAs pursue active translation under such circumstances. In human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) exposed to prolonged hypoxia (36 h, 1% oxygen) we observed that transcripts are either increasingly or decreasingly associated with ribosomes localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In a global setting it turned out that only 31% of transcripts showing elevated total-RNA levels were also increasingly present at the ER in hypoxia. These genes, regulated by its expression as well as its ER-localization, belong to the gene ontologys hypoxia response, glycolysis and HIF-1 transcription factor network supporting the view of active mRNA translation at the ER during hypoxia. Interestingly, a large group of RNAs was found to be unchanged at the expression level, but translocate to the ER in hypoxia. Among these are transcripts encoding translation factors and >180 ncRNAs. In summary, we provide evidence that protein synthesis is favoured at the ER and, thus, partitioning of the transcriptome between cytoplasmic and ER associated ribosomes mediates adaptation of gene expression in hypoxia.
Hypoxia-induced gene expression results from selective mRNA partitioning to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesPrecise regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation properties is essential for tissue homeostasis. Using the adult Drosophila intestine to study molecular mechanisms controlling stem cell properties, we identify the gene split-ends (spen) in a genetic screen as a novel regulator of intestinal stem cell fate. Spen family genes encode conserved RNA recognition motif-containing proteins that are reported to have roles in RNA splicing and transcriptional regulation. We demonstrate that spen loss of function in intestinal stem cells results in an abnormal increase in the number of stem cell-like cells and that Spen acts to control early commitment events of the stem cells. Using two-color cell sorting of stem cells and their daughters, we characterize spen-dependent changes in RNA abundance and exon usage, and find potential key regulators downstream of spen. Our work identifies spen as an important regulator of adult stem cells in the Drosophila intestine, provides new insight to Spen-family protein functions, and may also shed light on Spen's mode of action in other developmental contexts. Overall design: Three biological replicates were sequenced per each 4 conditions
Spen limits intestinal stem cell self-renewal.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Subject
View Samples