Extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) in blood and other biofluids have attracted great interest as potential biomarkers in liquid biopsy applications, as well as for their potential biological functions. Whereas it is well-established that extracellular microRNAs are present in human blood circulation, the degree to which messenger RNAs (mRNA) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are represented in plasma is less clear. Here we report that mRNA and lncRNA species are present as small fragments in plasma that are not detected by standard small RNA-seq methods, because they lack 5'-phosphorylation or carry 3'-phosphorylation. We developed a modified sequencing protocol (termed "phospho-sRNA-seq") that incorporates upfront RNA treatment with T4 polynucleotide kinase (which also has 3' phosphatase activity) and compared it to a standard small RNA-seq protocol, using as input both a pool of synthetic RNAs with diverse 5' and 3' end chemistries, as well exRNA isolated from human blood plasma. Using a custom, high-stringency pipeline for data analysis we identified mRNA and lncRNA transcriptome fingerprints in plasma, including multiple tissue-specific gene sets. In a longitudinal study of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients, we found different sets corresponding to bone marrow- and liver- enriched genes, which tracked with bone marrow recovery or liver injury, providing proof-of-concept validation of this method as a biomarker approach. By accessing a previously unexplored realm of mRNA and lncRNA fragments in blood plasma, phospho-sRNA-seq opens up a new space for plasma transcriptome-based biomarker development in diverse clinical settings. Overall design: ExRNA-seq libraries were prepared from platelet-poor plasma obtained from serial blood draws collected from two individuals undergoing bone marrow transplantation. A total of 11 samples were collected from each individual, starting prior to chemotherapy/ratiation treatment (approximately 7 days pre-HSCT) the day of transplant, and then weekly up to approximately Day 63.
Phospho-RNA-seq: a modified small RNA-seq method that reveals circulating mRNA and lncRNA fragments as potential biomarkers in human plasma.
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View SamplesHere, seeking to gain insight into the array of transcripts engaged with miRNAs in human brain, we performed HITS-CLIP to profile transcriptome-wide Ago2:RNA interactions in a panel of eleven post-mortem adult human brain samples harvested from adult motor cortex and cingulate gyrus, regions associated with movement and psychiatric disorders . Overall design: High-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) Eleven post-mortem adult human brain tissues were subjected to ultraviolet radiation to crosslink proteins with nucleic acids, and HITS-CLIP was performed as previously described by Chi et al Nature. 2009 Jul 23;460(7254):479-86 using an anti-Ago2 polyclonal antibody and some additional modifications.
Transcriptome-wide discovery of microRNA binding sites in human brain.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesHere, seeking to gain insight into the array of transcripts engaged with miRNAs in human brain, we performed HITS-CLIP to profile transcriptome-wide Ago2:RNA interactions in a panel of eleven post-mortem adult human brain samples harvested from adult motor cortex and cingulate gyrus, regions associated with movement and psychiatric disorders . Overall design: High-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) Eleven post-mortem adult human brain tissues were subjected to ultraviolet radiation to crosslink proteins with nucleic acids, and HITS-CLIP was performed as previously described by Chi et al Nature. 2009 Jul 23;460(7254):479-86 using an anti-Ago2 polyclonal antibody and some additional modifications.
Transcriptome-wide discovery of microRNA binding sites in human brain.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesObjective: In idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) infiltration of immune cells into muscle and upregulation of MHC-I expression implies increased antigen presentation and involvement of the proteasome system. To decipher the role of immunoproteasomes in myositis, we investigated individual cell types and muscle tissues and focused on possible immune triggers. Methods: Expression of constitutive (PSMB5, -6, -7) and corresponding immunoproteasomal subunits (PSMB8, -9, -10) was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR in muscle biopsies and sorted peripheral blood cells of patients with IIM, non-inflammatory myopathies (NIM) and healthy donors (HD). Protein analysis in muscle biopsies was performed by western blot. Affymetrix HG-U133 platform derived transcriptome data from biopsies of different muscle diseases and from immune cell types as well as monocyte stimulation experiments were used for validation, coregulation and coexpression analyses. Results: Real-time RT-PCR revealed significantly increased expression of immunoproteasomal subunits (PSMB8/-9/-10) in DC, monocytes and CD8+ T-cells in IIM. In muscle biopsies, the immunosubunits were elevated in IIM compared to NIM and exceeded levels of matched blood samples. Proteins of PSMB8 and -9 were found only in IIM but not NIM muscle biopsies. Reanalysis of 78 myositis and 20 healthy muscle transcriptomes confirmed these results and revealed involvement of the antigen processing and presentation pathway. Comparison with reference profiles of sorted immune cells and healthy muscle confirmed upregulation of PSMB8 and -9 in myositis biopsies beyond infiltration related changes. This upregulation correlated highest with STAT1, IRF1 and IFN expression. Elevation of T-cell specific transcripts in active IIM muscles was accompanied by increased expression of DC and monocyte marker genes and thus reflects the cell type specific involvement observed in peripheral blood. Conclusions: Immunoproteasomes seem to indicate IIM activity and suggest that dominant involvement of antigen processing and presentation may qualify these diseases exemplarily for the evolving therapeutic concepts of immunoproteasome specific inhibition.
Upregulation of immunoproteasome subunits in myositis indicates active inflammation with involvement of antigen presenting cells, CD8 T-cells and IFNΓ.
Specimen part
View SamplesSlow-cycling subpopulations exist in bacteria, yeast, and mammalian systems. In the case of cancer, slow-cycling subpopulations have been proposed to give rise to drug resistance. However, the origin of slow-cycling human cells is poorly studied, in large part due to lack of markers to identify these rare cells. Slow-cycling cells pass through a non-cycling period marked by low CDK2 activity and high p21 levels. Here, we use this knowledge to isolate these naturally slow-cycling cells from a heterogeneous population and perform RNA-sequencing to delineate the transcriptome underlying the slow-cycling state. We show that cellular stress responses – the p53 transcriptional response and the integrated stress response – are the most salient causes of spontaneous entry into the slow-cycling state. Overall design: mRNA profiling of spontaneously quiescent human cells and cells forced into quiescence by four different methods
Spontaneously slow-cycling subpopulations of human cells originate from activation of stress-response pathways.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesLaser capture microdissection coupled with microarray genes expression analysis were utilized in order to elucidate the regulatory networks active in epithelial cells of the neonatal and adult mouse uterus.
Cell-specific transcriptional profiling reveals candidate mechanisms regulating development and function of uterine epithelia in mice.
Specimen part
View SamplesTo identify genes differentially expressed in the glandless uterus, whole uteri were collected from control (uterine glands present) and PUGKO (no uterine glands) mice at day of pseudopregnancy (DOPP) 3.5 (day DOPP 0.5= vaginal plug). Microarray analysis identified differentially expressed genes in the glandless uteri of PUGKO mice as compared to control mice.
Cell-specific transcriptional profiling reveals candidate mechanisms regulating development and function of uterine epithelia in mice.
Specimen part
View SamplesTo identify candidate genes regulated by forkhead transcription factor box A2 (FOXA2) in the uterus, control and Foxa2-deleted uteri were collected at day of pseudopregnancy (DOPP) 3.5 (DOPP 0.5= vaginal plug). Microarray analysis identified differentially expressed genes in the Foxa2-deleted as compared to control uteri that are candidiate FOXA2-regulated genes in the uterus.
Integrated chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and microarray analysis identifies FOXA2 target genes in the glands of the mouse uterus.
Specimen part
View SamplesRNA seq analysis was conducted to determine gene expression in the day 14 ovine conceptus. This was used in conjunction with the day 14 PPARG ChIP-seq analysis to identify genes bound by PPARG which were also expressed or not expressed in the day 14 conceptus. Understanding changes in gene expression during early pregnancy is critical to improving fertility and reproductive efficiency in ruminants. Overall design: RNA seq analysis of 4 conceptuses from 4 individual Day 14 pregnant columbia/rambouillet crossbred ewes
Biological Roles of Hydroxysteroid (11-Beta) Dehydrogenase 1 (HSD11B1), HSD11B2, and Glucocorticoid Receptor (NR3C1) in Sheep Conceptus Elongation.
Subject
View SamplesDNA methylation and other repressive epigenetic marks are erased genome-wide in mammalian primordial germ cells (PGCs), the early embryo and in naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This is a critical phase for transposon element (TE) defense since presumably alternative pathways need to be employed to limit their activity. It has been reported that pervasive transcription is enriched for TEs in ESCs in comparison to somatic cells. Here we test the hypothesis that pervasive transcription overlapping TEs forms a sensor for loss of their transcriptional repression. Overlapping sense and antisense transcription is found in TEs, and the increase of sense transcription induced by acute deletion of DNMT1 leads to the emergence of small RNAs. These small RNAs are loaded into ARGONAUTE 2 suggesting an endosiRNA mechanism for transposon silencing. Indeed, deletion of DICER reveals this mechanism to be important for silencing of certain transposon classes, while others are additionally repressed by deposition of repressive histone marks. Our observations suggest that pervasive transcription overlapping with TEs resulting in endosiRNAs is a transposon sensor that restrains their activity during epigenetic reprogramming in the germline. Overall design: Total RNA-seq libraires (2 biological replicates of 16 samples, 1 biological replicate of 1 sample)
An endosiRNA-Based Repression Mechanism Counteracts Transposon Activation during Global DNA Demethylation in Embryonic Stem Cells.
Specimen part, Subject
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