Project description:Hormone dependent uterine gene expression changes that occur during the estrous cycle suggest hormone receptor binding to chromatin may also be dynamic. Therefore, we employed a multi-faceted approach to examine in vivo dynamics of hormone receptor occupancy, chromatin accessibility and chromatin structure by combining RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, HiC-seq and ChIP-seq for estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PGR). Genome wide, there were extensive estrous cycle dependent changes in ERα and PGR binding as well as chromatin accessibility. There were 4,159 differentially expressed genes between estrus and diestrus. At transcription start sites, accessibility generally correlated with the directionality of gene expression and there was reduced PGR in estrus compared to diestrus but little change in ERα. There were 2,727 enhancers with dynamic accessibility near these genes and 77% of those correlated with directionality of gene expression changes. However, most enhancers were constitutively open (8,694). In both dynamic and constitutively open enhancers, ERα and PgR binding was coordinately lost from diestrus to estrus. Diestrus specific ERα binding and accessible regions were enriched for PGR, FOX, GATA and SOX binding motifs. In contrast, estrus specific ERα binding occurred at transcription factor deserts in relatively closed chromatin while estrus specific accessible regions were highly enriched for ATF, ELF and ELK motifs. Rapid Immunoprecipitation Mass spectrometry of Endogenous proteins (RIME) revealed many estrous cycle dependent partners of ERα (diestrus, 60; estrus, 24). PGR was found in complex with ERα during diestrus but not estrus supporting coordinated binding of both receptors during diestrus. Two of the cohesin complex proteins, SMC1A and SMC3, were found in complex with ERα during diestrus but not estrus; overlap of SMC1A with ERα confirmed this preferential interaction during diestrus. Additionally, HiC analysis showed more diestrus specific interactions than estrus (476 versus 263) suggesting the SMC1A/ ERα interactions have functional consequences on chromatin structure. Taken together, a complex series of interactions between hormone receptors, chromatin structure and accessibility orchestrate estrous cycle dependent changes in gene expression.

Project description:The immune response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae is poorly understood, but its extensive antigenic variability and resistance to complement are thought to allow it to evade destruction by the host’s immune defenses. We propose that N. gonorrhoeae also avoids inducing protective immune responses in the first place. We previously found that N. gonorrhoeae induces IL-17-dependent innate responses in mice and suppresses Th1/Th2-dependent adaptive responses in murine cells in vitro through the induction of TGF-β. In this study using a murine model of vaginal gonococcal infection, mice treated with anti-TGF-β antibody during primary infection showed accelerated clearance of N. gonorrhoeae with incipient development of Th1 and Th2 responses and diminished Th17 responses in genital tract tissue. Upon secondary reinfection, mice that had been treated with anti-TGF-β during primary infection showed anamnestic recall of both Th1 and Th2 responses, with the development of anti-gonococcal antibodies in serum and secretions, and enhanced resistance to reinfection. In knockout mouse strains defective in Th1 or Th2 responses, accelerated clearance of primary infection due to anti-TGF-β treatment was dependent on Th1 but not Th2 activity, whereas resistance to secondary infection resulting from anti-TGF-β treatment during primary infection was due to both Th1- and Th2-dependent memory responses. We propose that N. gonorrhoeae proactively elicits Th-17-driven innate responses that it can resist, and suppresses Th1/Th2-driven specific adaptive immunity that would protect the host. Blockade of TGF-β reverses this pattern of host immune responsiveness and facilitates the emergence of protective anti-gonococcal immunity. We only did microarray assay for wild-type mice with or without anti-TGF-b treatment. Experiment A: Totally there are three groups: Sham-infected mice without treatment; N.gonorrhoeae-infected with control IgG treatment; N.gonorrhoeae-infected with anti-TGF-β treatment. For each group, two mice were studied. Total RNA from mouse vagina were analysed. Experiment B: Totally there are three groups: Sham-reinfected mice without treatment; N.gonorrhoeae-reinfected with control IgG treatment; N.gonorrhoeae-reinfected with anti-TGF-β treatment. For each group, two mice were studied. Total RNA from mouse vagina were analysed.

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Murine host response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae upper genital tract infection reveals a common transcriptional signature, plus distinct inflammatory responses that vary between reproductive cycle phases

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