Dataset Information

A molecular view of the normal human thyroid structure and function reconstructed from its reference transcriptome map.

ABSTRACT: The thyroid is the earliest endocrine structure to appear during human development, and thyroid hormones are necessary for proper organism development, in particular for the nervous system and heart, normal growth and skeletal maturation. To date a quantitative, validated transcriptional atlas of the whole normal human thyroid does not exist and the availability of a detailed expression map might be an excellent occasion to investigate the many features of the thyroid transcriptome.We present a view at the molecular level of the normal human thyroid histology and physiology obtained by a systematic meta-analysis of all the available gene expression profiles for the whole organ. A quantitative transcriptome reference map was generated by using the TRAM (Transcriptome Mapper) software able to combine, normalize and integrate a total of 35 suitable datasets from different sources thus providing a typical reference expression value for each of the 27,275 known, mapped transcripts obtained. The experimental in vitro validation of data was performed by "Real-Time" reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showing an excellent correlation coefficient (r = 0.93) with data obtained in silico.Our study provides a quantitative global reference portrait of gene expression in the normal human thyroid and highlights differential expression between normal human thyroid and a pool of non-thyroid tissues useful for modeling correlations between thyroidal gene expression and specific thyroid functions and diseases. The experimental in vitro validation supports the possible usefulness of the human thyroid transcriptome map as a reference for molecular studies of the physiology and pathology of this organ.

SUBMITTER: Vitale L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5604164 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A molecular view of the normal human thyroid structure and function reconstructed from its reference transcriptome map.

Vitale Lorenza L Piovesan Allison A Antonaros Francesca F Strippoli Pierluigi P Pelleri Maria Chiara MC Caracausi Maria M

BMC genomics 20170918 1

<h4>Background</h4>The thyroid is the earliest endocrine structure to appear during human development, and thyroid hormones are necessary for proper organism development, in particular for the nervous system and heart, normal growth and skeletal maturation. To date a quantitative, validated transcriptional atlas of the whole normal human thyroid does not exist and the availability of a detailed expression map might be an excellent occasion to investigate the many features of the thyroid transcri ...[more]

PMID: 28923001

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Project description:BackgroundEWS-FLI1 is a chimeric ETS transcription factor that is, due to a chromosomal rearrangement, specifically expressed in Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) and is thought to initiate the development of the disease. Previous genomic profiling experiments have identified EWS-FLI1-regulated genes and genes that discriminate ESFT from other sarcomas, but so far a comprehensive analysis of EWS-FLI1-dependent molecular functions characterizing this aggressive cancer is lacking.Methodology/principal findingsIn this study, a molecular function map of ESFT was constructed based on an integrative analysis of gene expression profiling experiments following EWS-FLI1 knockdown in a panel of five ESFT cell lines, and on gene expression data from the same platform of 59 primary ESFT. Out of 80 normal tissues tested, mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC) were found to fit the hypothesis that EWS-FLI1 is the driving transcriptional force in ESFT best and were therefore used as the reference tissue for the construction of the molecular function map. The interrelations of molecular pathways were visualized by measuring the similarity among annotated gene functions by gene sharing. The molecular function map highlighted distinct clusters of activities for EWS-FLI1 regulated genes in ESFT and revealed a striking difference between EWS-FLI1 up- and down-regulated genes: EWS-FLI1 induced genes mainly belong to cell cycle regulation, proliferation, and response to DNA damage, while repressed genes were associated with differentiation and cell communication.Conclusions/significanceThis study revealed that EWS-FLI1 combines by distinct molecular mechanisms two important functions of cellular transformation in one protein, growth promotion and differentiation blockage. By taking MPC as a reference tissue, a significant EWS-FLI1 signature was discovered in ESFT that only partially overlapped with previously published EWS-FLI1-dependent gene expression patterns, identifying a series of novel targets for the chimeric protein in ESFT. Our results may guide target selection for future ESFT specific therapies.

Project description:EWS-FLI1 is a chimeric ETS transcription factor that is, due to a chromosomal rearrangement, specifically expressed in Ewing’s sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) and is thought to be the initiating event in the development of the disease. Previous genomic profiling experiments have identified a number of EWS-FLI1 regulated genes and genes that discriminate ESFT from other sarcomas, but so far a comprehensive analysis of EWS-FLI1 dependent molecular functions characterizing this aggressive cancer is lacking. In this study a molecular function map of ESFT was constructed based on an integrative analysis of gene expression profiling experiments on a uniform microarray platform following EWS-FLI1 knockdown in a panel of five ESFT cell lines, and on gene expression data from the same platform of 59 primary ESFT tumors. Based on the assumption that EWS-FLI1 is the driving transcriptional force in ESFT pathogenesis, we predicted an inverse correlation of gene expression for EWS-FLI1 regulated genes between the putative tissue of origin and the cell lines under EWS-FLI1 knockdown conditions. Consistent with recent reports, mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC) were found to fit this hypothesis best and were therefore used as the reference tissue for the construction of the molecular function map in ESFT. The interrelations of molecular pathways were visualized by measuring the similarity among annotated gene functions by gene sharing. The molecular function map highlighted distinct clusters of activities for EWS-FLI1 regulated genes in ESFT and revealed a striking difference between EWS-FLI1 up- and down-regulated genes: EWS-FLI1 induced genes mainly belong to cell cycle regulation, proliferation and response to DNA damage, while repressed genes were associated with differentiation and cell communication. This study revealed that EWS-FLI1 combines by distinct molecular mechanisms two important functions of cellular transformation in one protein, growth promotion and differentiation blockage. By taking MPC as a reference tissue a significant EWS-FLI1 signature was discovered in ESFT that only partially overlapped with previously published EWS-FLI1 dependent gene expression patterns, identifying a series of novel targets for the chimeric protein in ESFT. Our results may guide target selection for future ESFT specific therapies. Keywords: Ewing's Sarcoma, EWS-FLI1, RNAi knock down and controls

Dataset Information

A molecular view of the normal human thyroid structure and function reconstructed from its reference transcriptome map.

Publications

A molecular view of the normal human thyroid structure and function reconstructed from its reference transcriptome map.

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