Project description:Glioblastoma (GBM) is thought to be driven by a sub-population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that self-renew and recapitulate tumor heterogeneity, yet remain poorly understood. Here we present a comparative epigenomic analysis of GBM CSCs that reveals widespread activation of genes normally held in check by Polycomb repressors. These activated targets include a large set of developmental transcription factors (TFs) whose coordinated activation is unique to the CSCs. We demonstrate that a critical factor in the set, ASCL1, activates Wnt signaling by repressing the negative regulator DKK1. We show that ASCL1 is essential for maintenance and in vivo tumorigenicity of GBM CSCs. Genomewide binding profiles for ASCL1 and the Wnt effector LEF1 provide mechanistic insight and suggest widespread interactions between the TF module and the signaling pathway. Our findings demonstrate regulatory connections between ASCL1, Wnt signaling and collaborating TFs that are essential for the maintenance and tumorigenicity of GBM CSCs. Two replicates for MGG4, MGG6, MGG23 and NS; four replicates for MGG8
Project description:Glioblastoma-derived neural stem (GNS) cells were reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by transgenic expression of OCT4 and KLF4. Gene expression profiling was performed in comparison to normal neural stem (NS) cells reprogrammed in parallel, as well as standard ES cells as an independent reference.
Project description:Overexpression of the Polycomb group protein Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) occurs in diverse malignancies, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (1). Based on its ability to modulate transcription of key genes implicated in cell cycle control, DNA repair and cell differentiation, EZH2 is believed to play a crucial role in tissue-specific stem cell maintenance and tumor development. Here we show that targeted pharmacologic disruption of EZH2 by the S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase inhibitor 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), or its specific down-regulation by shRNA, strongly impairs GBM cancer stem cell self-renewal in vitro and tumor-initiating capacity in vivo. Using genome-wide expression analysis of DZNep-treated GBM cancer stem cells, we found the expression of c-myc, recently reported to be essential for GBM cancer stem cells, to be strongly repressed upon EZH2 depletion. Specific shRNA-mediated down-regulation of EZH2 in combination with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments revealed that c-myc is a direct target of EZH2 in GBM cancer stem cells. Taken together, our observations provide evidence that direct transcriptional regulation of c-myc by EZH2 may constitute a novel mechanism underlying GBM cancer stem cell maintenance and suggest that EZH2 may be a valuable new therapeutic target for GBM management. Experiment Overall Design: Three samples of cancer stem-cell enriched gliospheres from primary glioblastoma multiforme cell cultures were treated with DZNep. Untreated gliospheres from the same cultures were used as controls.
Project description:Spermatogonial stem cells (SSC), the foundation of spermatogenesis and male fertility, possess lifelong self-renewal activity. Aging leads to the decline in stem cell function and increased risk of paternal age-related genetic diseases. In the present study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of mouse SSC-enriched undifferentiated spermatogonia (Oct4-GFP+/KIT-) and differentiating progenitors (Oct4-GFP+/KIT+) isolated from young and aged testes. Our transcriptome data revealed enormous complexity of expressed coding and non-coding RNAs and alternative splicing regulation during SSC differentiation. Further comparison between young and aged undifferentiated spermatogonia suggested these differentiation programs were affected by aging. We identified aberrant expression of genes associated with meiosis and TGF-β signaling, alteration in alternative splicing regulation and differential expression of specific lncRNAs such as Fendrr. Epigenetic profiling revealed reduced H3K27me3 deposition at numerous pro-differentiation genes during SSC differentiation as well as aberrant H3K27me3 distribution at genes in Wnt and TGF-β signaling upon aging. Finally, aged undifferentiated spermatogonia exhibited gene body hypomethylation, which is accompanied by an elevated 5hmC level. We believe this in-depth molecular analysis will serve as a reference for future analysis of SSC aging.
Project description:The sensitivity of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays poses a major obstacle for epigenomic studies of low-abundance cells. Here we present a microfluidics-based ChIP-seq protocol using as few as 100 cells via drastically improved collection of high-quality ChIP-enriched DNA. Using this technology, we uncovered many new enhancers and super enhancers in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from mouse fetal liver, suggesting that enhancer activity is highly dynamic during early hematopoiesis.