Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy that resists current treatments. To test epigenetic therapy against this cancer we used the DNA demethylating drug 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC) in a KrasLSL-G12D; p53LSL-R270H/+; Pdx1-cre; Brca1flex2/flex2 (KPC-Brca1) mouse model of aggressive stroma-rich PDAC. In untreated tumors, we found globally decreased 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) in malignant epithelial cells and in cancer-associated myofibroblasts (CAFs), and increased amounts of 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine (5HmC) in CAFs, in progression from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) to PDAC. DAC further reduced DNA methylation and slowed PDAC progression, markedly extending survival in an early treatment protocol and significantly though transiently inhibiting tumor growth when initiated later, without adverse side effects. Escaping tumors contained areas of sarcomatoid transformation with disappearance of CAFs. Mixing-allografting experiments and proliferation indices showed that DAC efficacy was due to inhibition of both the malignant epithelial cells and the stromal CAFs. Expression profiling and immunohistochemistry highlighted DAC-induction of STAT1 in the tumors, and DAC plus gamma-interferon produced an additive anti-proliferative effect on PDAC cells. DAC induced strong expression of the testis antigen DAZL in CAFs. These data show that DAC is effective against PDAC in vivo and provide a rationale for future studies combining hypomethylating agents with cytokines and immunotherapy. Treatment of a short-term explant culture of malignant epithelial cells from a KPC-Brca1 mouse pancreatic carcinoma, with 0.5 micromolar 5-aza-dC (decitabine; DAC) for 48 hours. The experiment includes 3 replicate plates untreated and 3 replicates treated.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy that resists current treatments. To test epigenetic therapy against this cancer we used the DNA demethylating drug 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC) in a KrasLSL-G12D; p53LSL-R270H/+; Pdx1-cre; Brca1flex2/flex2 (KPC-Brca1) mouse model of aggressive stroma-rich PDAC. In untreated tumors, we found globally decreased 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) in malignant epithelial cells and in cancer-associated myofibroblasts (CAFs), and increased amounts of 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine (5HmC) in CAFs, in progression from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) to PDAC. DAC further reduced DNA methylation and slowed PDAC progression, markedly extending survival in an early treatment protocol and significantly though transiently inhibiting tumor growth when initiated later, without adverse side effects. Escaping tumors contained areas of sarcomatoid transformation with disappearance of CAFs. Mixing-allografting experiments and proliferation indices showed that DAC efficacy was due to inhibition of both the malignant epithelial cells and the stromal CAFs. Expression profiling and immunohistochemistry highlighted DAC-induction of STAT1 in the tumors, and DAC plus gamma-interferon produced an additive anti-proliferative effect on PDAC cells. DAC induced strong expression of the testis antigen DAZL in CAFs. These data show that DAC is effective against PDAC in vivo and provide a rationale for future studies combining hypomethylating agents with cytokines and immunotherapy. Treatment of a short-term explant culture of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) from a KPC-Brca1 mouse pancreatic carcinoma, with 2 micromolar 5-aza-dC (decitabine; DAC) for 48 hours. The experiment includes 3 replicate plates untreated and 3 replicates treated.
Project description:To seek effects of inflammatory status and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, mesalazine) exposure ex vivo on mRNA levels within rectal mucosal biopsies from patients with ulcerative colitis. A total of 12 biopsies were analysed, 3 biological replicates in each of 4 categories (inflamed with or without 5-ASA, non-inflamed with or without 5-ASA).
Project description:Our findings suggested that exposure to CeCl3 led to hippocampal lesions, apoptosis, oxidative stress and impairment of spatial recognition memory. Furthermore, microarray data showed marked alterations in the expression of 154 genes involved in learning and memory, immunity and inflammation, signal transduction, apoptosis and response to stress in the 2 mg/kg CeCl3 exposed hippocampi. Cerium is widely used in many aspects of modern society, including agriculture, industry and medicine. It has been demonstrated to enter the ecological environment, is then transferred to humans through food chains, and causes toxic actions in several organs including the brain of animals. However, the neurotoxic molecular mechanisms are not clearly understood. In this study, mice were exposed to 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg BW cerium chloride (CeCl3) for 90 consecutive days, and their learning and memory ability as well as hippocampal gene expression profile were investigated. Our findings suggested that exposure to CeCl3 led to hippocampal lesions, apoptosis, oxidative stress and impairment of spatial recognition memory. Furthermore, microarray data showed marked alterations in the expression of 154 genes involved in learning and memory, immunity and inflammation, signal transduction, apoptosis and response to stress in the 2 mg/kg CeCl3 exposed hippocampi. Specifically, the significant up-regulation of Axud1, Cdc37, and Ube2v1 caused severe apoptosis, and great suppression of Adcy8, Fos, and Slc5a7 expression led to impairment of mouse cognitive ability. Therefore, Axud1, Cdc37, Ube2v1, Adcy8, Fos, and Slc5a7 may be potential biomarkers of hippocampal toxicity caused by CeCl3 exposure. In this study, mice were exposed to 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg BW cerium chloride (CeCl3) for 90 consecutive days, and their learning and memory ability as well as hippocampal gene expression profile were investigated.
Project description:In order to better understand the molecular basis for the heart defects seen in Zic3 null and epiblast CKO embryos, we investigated whether complete or epiblast-specific deletion of Zic3 would impact later embryonic heart development at the transcriptional level by whole genome expression microarray. The whole heart was carefully dissected out from 15.5 dpc Zic3 +/y, Zic3 flox/y, Zic3 flox/y; Sox2-cre, and Zic3 -/y embryos, total RNAs were extracted and purified using RNeasy Mini Kit (QIAGEN). Spectrophotometry (NanoDrop-1000 Spectrophotometer, Thermo Fisher Scientific) and microfluidic electrophoresis (Experion Automated Electrophoresis System, Bio-Rad Laboratories) were used for RNA quality control. In vitro transcription was performed using Illumina TotalPrep RNA Amplification Kit (Applied Biosystems/Ambion). cRNAs were hybridized onto Illumina MouseWG-6 v2.0 Expression BeadChips (Illumina) per manufacturer’s instructions.
Project description:To find how RA signaling modulates HSC development This microarray was performed between E11.5 AA4.1/VEC+CD45- and AA4.1/VEC+CD45+ cells
Project description:Background: Basal cells within the human airway epithelium constitute the stem/progenitor cells for other epithelial cell types. Basal cells respond to mucosal injury and damage to the airway mucosa in an ordered sequence of spreading, migration, proliferation and phenotype shifting (differentiation) to other needed cell types. However, dynamic gene transcription in the early events of injury and repair has not been examined in these cells. Methodology and findings: Airway epithelial cells were obtained from donated lungs and grown in submersion culture on pliable membranes to obtain a pure population of basal cells. Microarrays were used to assess the transcriptome of basal cells 8 and 24 hr after mechanical injury (MI), or to cyclic stretch (CS) in a Flexcell system (0.5 Hz, 20% distension), or both treatments. We identified 121 signature genes with > 2-fold higher differential expression (DE) 8 hr after MI; expression of nearly all of these genes returned to baseline at 24 hr after injury. In cells subjected to CS, little change in DE was noted at 8 hr, whereas at 24 hr a CS signature of 1430 DE genes were identified. The MI signature was characterized by genes encoding growth factor receptors related to the EGF pathway, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-33, extracellular matrix components, and NF-kB and p38-MAPK signaling pathways, whereas the CS signature was characterized by a broad range of genes that did not identify specific signaling pathways. Combined MI and CS at 8 hr elicited DE of down-regulated genes not seen with either stimulus alone, and at 24 hr elicited DE that was similar to that seen with CS alone. Conclusion and significance: The human airway basal epithelial cell transcription signature in the first hours after MI, after CS, and after both stimuli identifies unique differentially expressed genes and pathways that may be important in the early molecular response and biology to airway injury. Total RNA obtained from primary (AEC) and differentiated (dAEC) human airway epithelial cells subjected to 8 or 24 hours in vitro mechanical or cyclic stretch or both injuries compared to sham control as well as to type of injury. Cells were collected from four donated lungs and cultured separated in submission or air liquid interface condition prior to injury for various durations.
Project description:Nemaline myopathy (NM) is a congenital myopathy that can result in lethal muscle dysfunction and is thought to be a disease of the sarcomere thin filament. Recently, several proteins of unknown function have been implicated in NM, and their role in the disease remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that loss of a muscle-specific protein, Klhl40, results in a nemaline-like myopathy in mice that closely phenocopies the muscle abnormalities observed KLHL40 deficient patients. We show that Klhl40 dynamically localizes to the sarcomere I-band and A-band and binds to Nebulin (Neb), a protein frequently implicated in NM, as well as a putative thin filament protein, Lmod3. Klhl40 belongs to the BTB-BACK-Kelch (BBK) family of proteins, some of which have been previously shown to promote degradation of their substrates. In contrast, we find that Klhl40 promotes stability of Neb and Lmod3 and blocks Lmod3 ubiquitination. Accordingly, loss of Klhl40 reduces Neb and Lmod3 protein in skeletal muscle of mice and KLHL40 deficient patients. Because loss of sarcomere thin filament proteins is a frequent cause of NM, our data establishes a possible molecular basis for NM in KLHL40 deficient patients by establishing a novel pro-stability function of Klhl40 for Neb and Lmod3. Total RNA was harvested from quadriceps muscle of three Klhl40 WT (control) and three Klhl40 KO mice. Each KO mouse was sacrificed with a corresponding WT littermate. Tissues were also taken at 0 days of age to minimize confounding gene changes occurring due to malnourishment as the phenotype worsens.
Project description:The phenomenon of partial or incomplete penetrance is common to many paradigms of exposure to teratogens, where only some of the exposed individuals exhibit developmental defects. We here argue that the most widely used experimental approaches in reproductive toxicology do not take partial penetrance into account, and are thus likely to miss differences between affected and unaffected individuals that contribute to susceptibility for teratogenesis. We propose that focus on the variation between exposed individuals could help to discover factors that may play a causative role for abnormal developmental processes that occur with incomplete penetrance. Total RNA was extracted from individual embryos E10.5 derived from normal and diabetic pregnancies. A total of 8 sample pools were created, 4 resultiing from normal (C1-C4) and 4 from diabetic (E1-E4) pregnancies. Each pool consisted of RNA from 4 embryos obtained from 4 different pregnancies. Samples E5-E8 consisted of individual embryos with NT defects obtained from diabetic pregnancies.
Project description:CD133+ and CD133 negative cells from pancreatic cancer cell line KPC001 were sorted using MACS technique. RNA was isolated using trizol (Invitrogen) and cleaned up using Qiagen RNAeasy columns. The RNA passed QC by the Biomedical Genomic Center (BMGC) of University of Minnesota. cDNA was prepared and hybridized by BMGC according to standard protocol. The goal of the experiment was to see changes in the expression of genes in the CD133+ vs CD133- population in the pancreatic cancer cell line derived from KPC mouse model.