Project description:Despite their key role in immunity our understanding of primary and secondary lymphoid stromal cell heterogeneity and ontogeny remains limited. Here, using genome-wide expression profiling and phenotypic and localization studies, we identify a functionally distinct subset of BP3-PDPN+PDGFRβ+/α+CD34+ stromal adventitial cells in both lymph nodes and thymus that is located within the perivascular niche surrounding PDPN-PDGFRβ+/α-Esam-1+ITGA7+ pericytes. In re-aggregate organ grafts adult CD34+ adventitial cells gave rise to multiple thymic and lymph node mesenchymal subsets including pericytes, FRC-, MRC- and FDC-like cells, the development of which was lymphoid environment dependent. During thymic ontogeny pericytes developed from a transient population of BP3-PDPN+PDGFRβ+/α+CD34-/lo anlage-seeding progenitors that subsequently up-regulated CD34 and we provide evidence suggesting that similar embryonic progenitors give rise to lymph node mesenchymal subsets. These findings extend the current understanding of lymphoid mesenchymal cell heterogeneity and highlight a role of the CD34+ vascular adventitia as a potential ubiquitous source of lymphoid stromal precursors in postnatal tissues. To comprehensively study the differences and similarities between mesenchymal stromal subsets in the thymus and lymph nodes, global gene expression analysis was performed on sorted PDPN-, BP-3-PDPN+ and BP-3+PDPN+ PDGFRb+ lymph node mesenchymal cells (LNMC) as well as PDPN- and BP-3-PDPN+ PDGFRb+ thymic mesenchymal cells (TMC) from 2 w old mice by microarray. Total RNA was prepared from TMC and LNMC (pooled inguinal, brachial and axillary LN) subsets sorted from 3 (TMC) and 10-11 (LNMC) 2 weeks old mice per experiment. Isolated RNA from 3 individual experiments was amplified and prepared for hybridization to the Affymetrix Mouse Gene 1.1 ST Array at a genomics core facility: Center of Excellence for Fluorescent Bioanalytics (KFB, University of Regensburg, Germany)
Project description:To gain insight into the transcriptional program conferred to Th cells by B cells, we conducted microarray gene expression analyses of adoptively transferred OT-II cells sorted from the mesenteric lymph nodes of bone marrow chimeric control and MHCIIB-/- mice 5 days after immunization with OVA and polyI:C.
Project description:Background: The transcription factor EVI1 regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and contributes to an aggressive course of disease in myeloid leukemias and other malignancies. Notwithstanding, knowledge about the target genes mediating its biological and pathological functions remains limited. We therefore aimed to identify and characterize novel EVI1 target genes in human myeloid cells. Methods: U937T_EVI1, a previously established human myeloid cell line expressing EVI1 in a tetracycline regulable manner, was subjected to genome wide gene expression microarray analysis. qRT-PCR was used to confirm the regulation of MS4A3 by EVI1. Reporter constructs containing various parts of the MS4A3 upstream region were employed in luciferase assays, and direct binding of EVI1 to the MS4A3 promoter was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. U937 derivative cell lines experimentally expressing EVI1 and/or MS4A3 were generated by retroviral transduction, and tested for their tumorigenicity by subcutaneous injection into severe combined immunodeficient mice. Experimental results were tested for statistical significance using ANOVA and Student's t-test (two-tailed). Results: Gene expression microarray analysis identified 27 unique genes that were up-regulated and 29 that were down-regulated in response to EVI1 induction in the human myeloid cell line, U937. The most strongly repressed gene was membrane-spanning-4-domains subfamily-A member-3 (MS4A3), and its down-regulation by EVI1 was confirmed by qRT-PCR in additional, independent experimental model systems. Reporter gene assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that EVI1 regulated MS4A3 via direct binding to a promoter proximal region. Experimental re-expression of MS4A3 in an EVI1 overexpressing cell line counteracted the tumor promoting effect of EVI1 in a murine xenograft model. Conclusions: Our data reveal MS4A3 as a novel direct target of EVI1 in human myeloid cells, and show that its repression plays a role in EVI1 mediated tumor aggressiveness. Time course of 2 biological replicates, plus 2 control samples; 20 arrays in total
Project description:The aim of this study was to analyze the in vitro biological epidermal processes occurring in reconstructed skins using cells from breast skin of African and Caucasian skin type color. A exploration of mRNA expression levels in the epidermis of reconstructed skin was undertaken to elucidate the differential in vitro functions of keratinocytes. The reconstruction of skin models was made with keratinocytes and fibroblasts from four different donors per skin type and experiments were conducted in triplicate for each donor. At the end of culture, the epidermis from reconstructed skin was manually separated from the dermal equivalent part in order to analyse gene expression in keratinocytes only. RNA samples were labelled with biotin and hybridation was performed on Affymetrix Human Genome U133 + PM Array Plates.
Project description:Redox Responsive Transcription Factor1 (RRTF1) in Arabidopsis is rapidly and transiently upregulated by H202, as well as biotic and abiotic induced redox signals. Inactivation of RRTF1 restricts and overexpression promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in response to stress. Overexpressor (oe) lines are impaired in root and shoot development, light sensitive and susceptible to Alternaria brassicae infection. These symptoms are diminished by the beneficial root endophyte Piriformospora indica which reduces ROS accumulation locally in roots and systemically in shoots, and by antioxidants and ROS inhibitors which scavenge ROS. More than 850 stress-, redox-, ROS regulated-, ROS scavenging-, defense-, cell death- and senescence-related genes are regulated by RRTF1, ~ 30% of them have ROS related functions. Bioinformatic analyses and in vitro DNA binding assays demonstrate that RRTF1 binds to GCC-box and GCC-box like sequences in the promoter of RRTF1-responsive genes. Upregulation of RRTF1 by stress stimuli as well as H2O2 requires WRKY18/40/60. RRTF1 is co-regulated with the phylogenetically related RAP2.6, which contains GCC-box like sequene in its promoter, but RAP2.6 oe lines do not accumulate higher ROS levels. RRTF1 stimulates systemic ROS accumulation in distal non-stressed leaves. We conclude that the highly conserved RRTF1 rapidly, transiently and systemically induce ROS accumulation in response to ROS and ROS-producing abiotic and biotic stress signals. Necrotrophs stimulate RRTF1 expression, while symbiotic interactions of Arabidopsis with (hemi)-biotrophs and P. indica do not affect or repress RRTF1 expression. Mature leaves of 5 weeks-old Col-0 wild type and RRTF1-overexpressor Arabidopsis (called oe18), which were grown on soil under short-day condition at 20˚C, were subjected to RNA extraction and Affymetrix microarray analysis. Three biological independent experiments for both Col-0 and oe18 were performed.
Project description:Plant roots perceive neighbouring roots even when resource depletion is low. The transcriptomic response to the presence or absence of an inferior competitor (Hieracium pilosella) is therefore examined in roots of A. thaliana. The experiment was set up in pots filled with non-sterile sand, that allowed to sample roots of eight week old Arabidopsis plants. 3 biological replicates per treatment were examined. Each of these replicates represents 3 pooled samples from individual plants.
Project description:RNA was isolated from fresh cerebrospinal fluid samples of multiple sclerosis and control patients and analyzed by hybridization of HG U133 plus 2.0 arrays in order to investigate disease mechanisms of multiple sclerosis and to identify transcriptional biomarker
Project description:Many patients have cancers that have increased activity of a protein called STAT3 that contributes critically to the development and growth of their cancer. Despite our knowledge of STAT3’s importance to cancer, scientists and doctors have not developed a drug that targets it and that patients can take to treat their cancer more effectively than treatments that are now available. Tvardi Therapeutics, Incorporated has developed a compound, TTI-101, which can be given by mouth and acts as a direct inhibitor of STAT3. Administration of TTI-101 to mice demonstrated that it blocked growth of cancers of the breast, head and neck, lung, and liver and it was safe when administered at high doses to mice, rats, and dogs. In this application, Tvardi is proposing to further develop TTI-101 for treatment of solid tumors for which the prognosis is dismal. The investigators will determine how safe it is when administered to patients with cancer, determine whether an adequate dose can be administered to patients with cancer that will block STAT3 in their cancer, and determine whether treatment with TTI-101 leads to reduced growth of their cancer.
Project description:The aim of this experiment was to decipher the role of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) on interleukin(IL)-17-producing gamma delta (gdT17) T cells. Therefore we generated mice where RAR activity is defective specifically in cells expressing the transcription factor RORgt, which is constitutively on in gdT17 cells. From these mice and their littermate controls we FACS-sorted the two major gdT17 populations from the lymph node (Vg4+ and Vg4-) and subjected them to RNA-seq.
Project description:Natural flavonoid pectolinarigenin (PEC) was reported to alleviate tubulointerstitial fibrosis of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice in our previous study. To further investigate nephroprotective effects of PEC in hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN), adenine and potassium oxonate induced HN mice and uric acid-treated mouse kidney epithelial (TCMK-1) cells were employed in the study. As a result, PEC significantly lowered serum uric acid level and restored hyperuricemia-related kidney injury in HN mice. Meanwhile, PEC alleviated inflammation, fibrosis and reduced adipokine FABP4 content in the kidneys of HN mice and uric acid-treated TCMK-1 cells. Mechanistically, PEC inhibited the TGF-β1 expression as well as the phosphorylation of transcription factor SMAD3 and STAT3 to regulate the corresponding inflammatory and fibrotic gene expression in kidney tissues. In conclusion, our results suggested that PEC could inhibit the activation of SMAD3 and STAT3 signaling to suppress inflammation and fibrosis, thereby alleviate HN in mice.