Project description:Terminal differentiation in parotid acini relies on sustained changes in gene expression during the first few postnatal weeks. Little is known about what drives these changes. Expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. We used expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. laser capture microdissection was used to isolate acinar cells from the parotid at nine timepoints in triplicate (E18, E20, P0, P2, P5, P9, P15, P20, and P25). RNA was isolated, and applied to the affymetrix rat genome array 230.
Project description:Hyper-activation of the PI 3-Kinase/ AKT pathway is a driving force of many cancers. Here we identify the AKT-inactivating phosphatase PHLPP1 as a prostate tumor suppressor. We show that Phlpp1-loss causes neoplasia and, upon partial Pten-loss, carcinoma in mouse prostate. This genetic setting initially triggers a growth suppressive response via p53 and the Phlpp2 ortholog, and reveals spontaneous Trp53 inactivation as a condition for full-blown disease. Surprisingly, the co-deletion of PTEN and PHLPP1 in patient samples is highly restricted to metastatic disease and tightly correlated to deletion of TP53 and PHLPP2. These data establish a conceptual framework for progression of PTEN-mutant prostate cancer to life-threatening disease. To better assess the role of Phlpp in prostate we performed micorarray analysis of gene expression in the WT and Pten+/-; Phlpp1-/- mice.
Project description:Analysis of purified immune and breast tumor cells from three major compartments where cancer and immune cells interact: primary tumor, tumor draining lymph nodes (tumor invaded or tumor free), and peripheral blood. The results suggests that node-positive patients’ immune regulation and functionality is down-regulated compared to node-negative patients. CD45+ Immune and ESA+ tumor cells were purified from breast cancer patients' primary tumor, tumor-draining lymph node, and peripheral blood (ficoll) and placed onto Agilent microarrays using the dye-swap method. A universal human reference was used as a reference for the patient samples.
Project description:ChIP-Sequencing of 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines expressing different amounts of FOXP1 was performed in order to identify target genes bound by the transcription factor FOXP1.
Project description:Terminal differentiation in parotid acini relies on sustained changes in gene expression during the first few postnatal weeks. Little is known about what drives these changes. Expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. We used both microRNA and mRNA expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. laser capture microdissection was used to isolate acinar cells from the parotid at four timepoints in triplicate (E20, P5, P15, and P25). RNA was isolated, and used to measure microRNA expression.
Project description:Terminal differentiation in parotid acini relies on sustained changes in gene expression during the first few postnatal weeks. Little is known about what drives these changes. Expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. We used expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation.
Project description:Terminal differentiation in parotid acini relies on sustained changes in gene expression during the first few postnatal weeks. Little is known about what drives these changes. Expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation. We used both microRNA and mRNA expression measurements along with knowledgebased network analysis was used to develop a prospective gene regulatory network that drives differentiation.
Project description:Salivary gland acinar cells use the calcium ([Formula: see text]) ion as a signalling messenger to regulate a diverse range of intracellular processes, including the secretion of primary saliva. Although the underlying mechanisms responsible for saliva secretion are reasonably well understood, the precise role played by spatially heterogeneous intracellular [Formula: see text] signalling in these cells remains uncertain. In this study, we use a mathematical model, based on new and unpublished experimental data from parotid acinar cells (measured in excised lobules of mouse parotid gland), to investigate how the structure of the cell and the spatio-temporal properties of [Formula: see text] signalling influence the production of primary saliva. We combine a new [Formula: see text] signalling model [described in detail in a companion paper: Pages et al. in Bull Math Biol 2018, submitted] with an existing secretion model (Vera-Sigüenza et al. in Bull Math Biol 80:255-282, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-017-0370-6 ) and solve the resultant model in an anatomically accurate three-dimensional cell. Our study yields three principal results. Firstly, we show that spatial heterogeneities of [Formula: see text] concentration in either the apical or basal regions of the cell have no significant effect on the rate of primary saliva secretion. Secondly, in agreement with previous work (Palk et al., in J Theor Biol 305:45-53, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.04.009 ) we show that the frequency of [Formula: see text] oscillation has no significant effect on the rate of primary saliva secretion, which is determined almost entirely by the mean (over time) of the apical and basal [Formula: see text]. Thirdly, it is possible to model the rate of primary saliva secretion as a quasi-steady-state function of the cytosolic [Formula: see text] averaged over the entire cell when modelling the flow rate is the only interest, thus ignoring all the dynamic complexity not only of the fluid secretion mechanism but also of the intracellular heterogeneity of [Formula: see text]. Taken together, our results demonstrate that an accurate multiscale model of primary saliva secretion from a single acinar cell can be constructed by ignoring the vast majority of the spatial and temporal complexity of the underlying mechanisms.
Project description:ObjectiveThe transcription factor networks that drive parotid salivary gland progenitor cells to terminally differentiate, remain largely unknown and are vital to understanding the regeneration process.MethodologyA systems biology approach was taken to measure mRNA and microRNA expression in vivo across acinar cell terminal differentiation in the rat parotid salivary gland. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to specifically isolate acinar cell RNA at times spanning the month-long period of parotid differentiation.ResultsClustering of microarray measurements suggests that expression occurs in four stages. mRNA expression patterns suggest a novel role for Pparg which is transiently increased during mid postnatal differentiation in concert with several target gene mRNAs. 79 microRNAs are significantly differentially expressed across time. Profiles of statistically significant changes of mRNA expression, combined with reciprocal correlations of microRNAs and their target mRNAs, suggest a putative network involving Klf4, a differentiation inhibiting transcription factor, which decreases as several targeting microRNAs increase late in differentiation. The network suggests a molecular switch (involving Prdm1, Sox11, Pax5, miR-200a, and miR-30a) progressively decreases repression of Xbp1 gene transcription, in concert with decreased translational repression by miR-214. The transcription factor Xbp1 mRNA is initially low, increases progressively, and may be maintained by a positive feedback loop with Atf6. Transfection studies show that Xbp1 activates the Mist1 promoter [corrected]. In addition, Xbp1 and Mist1 each activate the parotid secretory protein (Psp) gene, which encodes an abundant salivary protein, and is a marker of terminal differentiation.ConclusionThis study identifies novel expression patterns of Pparg, Klf4, and Sox11 during parotid acinar cell differentiation, as well as numerous differentially expressed microRNAs. Network analysis identifies a novel stemness arm, a genetic switch involving transcription factors and microRNAs, and transition to an Xbp1 driven differentiation network. This proposed network suggests key regulatory interactions in parotid gland terminal differentiation.