Project description:Inflammatory diseases such as Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) and severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are generally lethal disorders that have been traced to defects in the exonuclease Trex1 (DNAseIII). Mice lacking Trex1 similarly die at an early age through comparable symptoms, including inflammatory myocarditis, through chronic activation of the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway. Here we demonstrate that phagocytes rather than myocytes are predominantly responsible for causing inflammation, an outcome that could be alleviated following adoptive transfer of normal bone marrow into Trex1-/- mice. Trex1-/- macrophages did not exhibit significant augmented ability to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to normal macrophages following exposure to STING-dependent activators, but rather appeared chronically stimulated by genomic DNA. These results shed molecular insight into inflammation and provide concepts for the design of new therapies. Total RNA obtained from wild type murine embryonic fibroblasts (WT MEFs), Trex1 deficient MEFs (TKO) or STING and Trex1 double deficient MEFs (STKO) transfected with or without double strand DNA 90 (ISD) and examined cytokine production by these cells.
Project description:Inflammatory diseases such as Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) and severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are generally lethal disorders that have been traced to defects in the exonuclease Trex1 (DNAseIII). Mice lacking Trex1 similarly die at an early age through comparable symptoms, including inflammatory myocarditis, through chronic activation of the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway. Here we demonstrate that phagocytes rather than myocytes are predominantly responsible for causing inflammation, an outcome that could be alleviated following adoptive transfer of normal bone marrow into Trex1-/- mice. Trex1-/- macrophages did not exhibit significant augmented ability to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to normal macrophages following exposure to STING-dependent activators, but rather appeared chronically stimulated by genomic DNA. These results shed molecular insight into inflammation and provide concepts for the design of new therapies. Total RNA obtained from wild type (WT), Trex1 deficient (TKO), STING deficient (SKO), or Trex1 and STING double deficient (STKO) mouse Heart
Project description:Chronic stimulation of innate immune pathways by microbial agents or damaged tissue is known to promote inflammation-driven tumorigenesis by unclarified mechanisms1-3. Here we demonstrate that mutagenic 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), etoposide or cisplatin induces nuclear DNA leakage into the cytosol to intrinsically activate STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) dependent cytokine production. Inflammatory cytokine levels were subsequently augmented in a STING-dependent extrinsic manner by infiltrating phagocytes purging dying cells. Consequently, STING-/- mice, or wild type mice adoptively transferred with STING-/- bone marrow, were almost completely resistant to DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis compared to their wild type counterparts. Our data emphasizes, for the first time, a role for STING in the induction of cancer, sheds significant insight into the causes of inflammation-driven carcinogenesis, and may provide therapeutic strategies to help prevent malignant disease Total RNA obtained from wild type murine embryonic fibroblasts (WT MEFs), STING deficient MEFs (SKO), Trex1 deficient MEFs (TKO), and both STING and Trex1 deficient MEFs (STKO) treated with DMBA and examined cytokine production by these cells.
Project description:Chronic stimulation of innate immune pathways by microbial agents or damaged tissue is known to promote inflammation-driven tumorigenesis by unclarified mechanisms1-3. Here we demonstrate that mutagenic 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), etoposide or cisplatin induces nuclear DNA leakage into the cytosol to intrinsically activate STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) dependent cytokine production. Inflammatory cytokine levels were subsequently augmented in a STING-dependent extrinsic manner by infiltrating phagocytes purging dying cells. Consequently, STING-/- mice, or wild type mice adoptively transferred with STING-/- bone marrow, were almost completely resistant to DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis compared to their wild type counterparts. Our data emphasizes, for the first time, a role for STING in the induction of cancer, sheds significant insight into the causes of inflammation-driven carcinogenesis, and may provide therapeutic strategies to help prevent malignant disease Total RNA obtained from DMBA or acetone treated wild type (WT) or STING deficient (SKO) mouse skin or skin tumor was examined for gene expression.
Project description:Activation of the STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) pathway by microbial or self-DNA, as well as cyclic di nucleotides (CDN), results in the induction of numerous genes that suppress pathogen replication and facilitate adaptive immunity. However, sustained gene transcription is rigidly prevented to avoid lethal STING-dependent pro-inflammatory disease by mechanisms that remain unknown. We demonstrate here that after autophagy-dependent STING delivery of TBK1 (TANK-binding kinase 1) to endosomal/lysosomal compartments and activation of transcription factors IRF3 (interferon regulatory factors 3) and NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa beta), that STING is subsequently phosphorylated by serine/threonine UNC-51-like kinase (ULK1/ATG1) and IRF3 function is suppressed. ULK1 activation occurred following disassociation from its repressor adenine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), and was elicited by CDN’S generated by the cGAMP synthase, cGAS. Thus, while CDN’s may initially facilitate STING function, they subsequently trigger negative-feedback control of STING activity, thus preventing the persistent transcription of innate immune genes. Total RNA obtained from primary STING deficient mouse embryonic fibroblast reconstituted with mSTING (W), S365A variant (A), or S365D variant (D). These cells were transfected with dsDNA (ISD) for 3 hours.
Project description:We have investigated Perineural invasion (PNI) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related gene expression profiles of PC cell lines. In this dataset, we include the expression data obtained from laminin binding O-glycan high or low androgen-independent PC cells. These data are used to obtain 70 genes that are differentially expressed in response to cell migraton signal via laminin receptors. 4 Total samples were analyzed. We generated the following pairwise comparisons using GeneSpring Gx Version12.6: PC3-H vs PC3-L; LNCaP vs LNCaP-AI. Genes with an FDRâ¤10% and a fold-change â¥2 were selected.
Project description:Two small molecules, valproic acid (VPA) and lithium (Li), were tested to inhibit differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPC) cells in culture. HSPCs exposed to VPA and Li during differentiation-inducing culture preserved an immature cell phenotype, provided radioprotection to lethally irradiated recipients and enhanced in vivo repopulating potential. Furthermore, VPA and Li synergistically preserved expression of stem cell-related genes and repressed genes involved in differentiation. Target genes were collectively co-regulated during normal hematopoietic differentiation. Additionally, transcription factor networks were identified as possible primary regulators. Our results demonstrate that the combination of VPA and Li potently prevents differentiation at the biological and the molecular level, and provide evidence to suggest that combinatorial screening of chemical compounds may uncover possible additive/synergistic effects to modulate stem cell fate decisions. These data consist of total mRNA obtained from hematopoietic cells cultured for 7 days in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. All samples were analyzed in independent biological triplicates.
Project description:Expression profiles of 7-day cultured HSPCs in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. Two small molecules, valproic acid (VPA) and lithium (Li), were tested to inhibit differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPC) cells in culture. HSPCs exposed to VPA and Li during differentiation-inducing culture preserved an immature cell phenotype, provided radioprotection to lethally irradiated recipients and enhanced in vivo repopulating potential. Furthermore, VPA and Li synergistically preserved expression of stem cell-related genes and repressed genes involved in differentiation. Target genes were collectively co-regulated during normal hematopoietic differentiation. Additionally, transcription factor networks were identified as possible primary regulators. Our results demonstrate that the combination of VPA and Li potently prevents differentiation at the biological and the molecular level, and provide evidence to suggest that combinatorial screening of chemical compounds may uncover possible additive/synergistic effects to modulate stem cell fate decisions. These data consist of total mRNA obtained from hematopoietic cells cultured for 7 days in the presence or absence of valproic acid and/or lithium. All samples were analyzed in independent biological triplicates.
Project description:DNA Methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) is frequently mutated in various hematopoietic malignancies; however, the underlying oncogenic mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that DNMT3A mutational â??hotspotâ?? at Arg882 (i.e., DNMT3A-R882H) cooperates with constitutively activated RAS in transforming murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) ex vivo and inducing acute leukemias in vivo. DNMT3A-R882H potentiates aberrant transactivation of â??stemnessâ?? gene expression programs, notably transcription factors Meis1, Hox-A, Mn1 and Mycn. Mechanistically, R882-mutated DNMT3A directly binds to cis-regulatory elements of these genes and induces focal CpG hypomethylation reminiscent of what was seen in human leukemias bearing DNMT3A R882 mutation. Furthermore, DNMT3A-R882H induced DNA hypomethylation facilitates gene enhancer/promoter activation and recruitment of Dot1l-associated transcription elongation machineries. Inactivation of Dot1l represses DNMT3AR882H-mediated stem cell gene dysregulation and acute leukemogenicity. In this dataset, we provided microarray data showing effect of R882H-mutated or WT DNMT3A on gene expression among HSPCs with NRAS G12D co-transduction. Microarray analysis of Lin- enriched hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with retroviral infection of NRAS G12D alone (EV-RAS), DNMT3A R882H with NRAS G12D (RH-RAS) or DNMT3A WT with NRAS G12D (WT-RAS) at day 12 or day 16 post-transduction.