Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by chromatin relaxation that results in aberrant expression of the transcription factor Double Homeobox 4 (DUX4). DUX4 protein is present in a small subset of FSHD muscle cells, making its detection and analysis of its effects historically difficult. Using a DUX4-activated reporter we demonstrate the burst expression pattern of endogenous DUX4, its method of signal amplification in the unique shared cytoplasm of the myotube, and FSHD cell death that depends on its activation. Transcriptome analysis of DUX4 expressing cells revealed that DUX4 activation disrupts RNA metabolism including RNA splicing, surveillance, and transport pathways. Cell signaling, polarity, and migration pathways were also disrupted. Thus, DUX4 expression is sufficient for myocyte death and these findings suggest mechanistic links between DUX4 expression and cell migration, supporting recent descriptions of phenotypic similarities between FSHD and an FSHD-like condition caused by FAT1 mutations.
Endogenous DUX4 expression in FSHD myotubes is sufficient to cause cell death and disrupts RNA splicing and cell migration pathways.
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View SamplesPrimary cultures of patient tumor cells (PCPTC) were used in a cell-based cytotoxicity screen. Microarray-based mRNA profiling was used to identify the mechanism-of-action for the small molecule VLX 50.
Phenotype-based drug screening in primary ovarian carcinoma cultures identifies intracellular iron depletion as a promising strategy for cancer treatment.
Specimen part, Disease, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesMicroarray based mRNA profiling was used to charactarize and compare the gene expression in cells grown as monolayer or spheroids.
Induction of mitochondrial dysfunction as a strategy for targeting tumour cells in metabolically compromised microenvironments.
Cell line
View SamplesMicroarray based mRNA profiling was used to charactarize the response to the compound VLX600 in cells grown as spheroids. Cells used was colon cancer cells HCT116 and HCT116HIF1a knock-out.
Induction of mitochondrial dysfunction as a strategy for targeting tumour cells in metabolically compromised microenvironments.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesPrimary aldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent form of secondary arterial hypertension. Mutations in different genes increase aldosterone production in PA, but additional mechanisms may contribute to increased cell proliferation and aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) development. We performed transcriptome analysis in APA and identified retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) signaling as a central molecular network involved in nodule formation. To understand how RARα modulates adrenal structure and function, we explored the adrenal phenotype of male and female Rarα knockout mice. Inactivation of Rarα in mice led to major structural disorganization of the adrenal cortex in both sexes, with increased adrenal cortex size in female mice and increased cell proliferation in males. Abnormalities of vessel architecture and extracellular matrix were due to decreased Vegfa expression and modifications in extracellular matrix components. On the molecular level, Rarα inactivation leads to inhibition of non-canonical Wnt signaling, without affecting the canonical Wnt pathway nor PKA signaling. Our study suggests that Rarα contributes to the maintenance of normal adrenal cortex structure and cell proliferation, by modulating Wnt signaling. Dysregulation of this interaction may contribute to abnormal cell proliferation, creating a propitious environment for the emergence of specific driver mutations in PA.
Retinoic acid receptor α as a novel contributor to adrenal cortex structure and function through interactions with Wnt and Vegfa signalling.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesTranscriptomic Analysis of Wild Type and FOXA2-/- ES-derived Pancreatic Progenitors Overall design: Examination of triplicates per genotypes for each differentiation stage
FOXA2 Is Required for Enhancer Priming during Pancreatic Differentiation.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesIn plants, the activation of immunity is often inversely correlated with growth. Mechanisms that plant growth in the context of pathogen challenge and immunity are unclear. Investigating Arabidopsis infection with the powdery mildew fungus, we find that the Arabidopsis atypical E2F DEL1, a transcriptional repressor known to promote cell proliferation, represses accumulation of the hormone salicylic acid (SA), an established regulator of plant immunity. DEL1 deficient plants are more resistant to pathogens and slightly smaller than wild type. The resistance and size phenotypes of DEL1 deficient plants are due to the induction of SA and activation of immunity in the absence of pathogen challenge. Moreover, Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 5 (EDS5), a SA transporter required for elevated SA and immunity, is a direct repressed target of DEL1. Together, these findings indicate that DEL1 control of SA levels contributes to regulating the balance between growth and immunity in developing leaves.
Atypical E2F transcriptional repressor DEL1 acts at the intersection of plant growth and immunity by controlling the hormone salicylic acid.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesGene Expression Profiling of Murine Mammary Stem Cells and Differentiated Derivatives.
Purification and unique properties of mammary epithelial stem cells.
Sex
View SamplesCurrent pharmacotherapies for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an androgen receptor (AR) driven, inflammatory disorder affecting elderly men, include 5a-reductase (5AR) inhibitors (i.e. dutasteride and finasteride) to block the conversion of testosterone to the more potent AR ligand dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Since DHT is the precursor for estrogen receptor ß (ERß) ligands, 5AR inhibitors could potentially limit ERß activation, which maintains prostate tissue homeostasis. We have uncovered signaling pathways in BPH-derived prostate epithelial cells (BPH-1) that are impacted by 5AR inhibition. The induction of apoptosis and repression of the cell-adhesion protein E-cadherin by the 5AR inhibitor, dutasteride, requires both ERß and TGFß. Dutasteride also induces cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2), which functions in a negative-feedback loop in TGFß and ERß signaling pathways as evidenced by the potentiation of apoptosis induced by dutasteride or finasteride upon pharmacological inhibition or shRNA-mediated ablation of COX-2. Concurrently, COX-2 positively impacts ERß action through its effect on the expression of a number of steroidogenic enzymes in the ERß-ligand metabolic pathway. Therefore, effective combination pharmacotherapies, which have included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, must take into account biochemical pathways affected by 5AR inhibition and opposing effects of COX-2 on the tissue protective action of ERß. Overall design: Next-generation sequencing (n=3) of shRNA mediated knockdown of COX-2 or scrambled control in BPH-1 prostate epithelial cell line
Opposing Effects of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) on Estrogen Receptor β (ERβ) Response to 5α-Reductase Inhibition in Prostate Epithelial Cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIn this study we investigated the effect of normal chow (0 % cholesterol) or a semisynthetic diet (high sugar, 0.02 % cholesterol) fed to mice lacking either Mc4r, Ldlr or both and wildtype animals (total of 4 genotypes) by generating an expression profile of their livers after 6 months by RNA sequencing. Overall design: We investigated mice lacking either Mc4r, Ldlr or both and wildtype animals fed with normal chow or a semisynthetic diet with 10 replicates for each of the 8 resulting groups (4 genotypes * 2 diets).
Severe Atherosclerosis and Hypercholesterolemia in Mice Lacking Both the Melanocortin Type 4 Receptor and Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor.
Age, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
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