Project description:Adult and fetal megakaryocytes are morphologically different. These differences contribute to neonatal thrombocytopenia in premature neonates and in neonates after infection and also contribute to poor megakaryocytes engraftment after umbilical cord blood transplant. We found that Dyrk1a kinase inhibition shift the fetal megakaryocytes phenotype toward adult phenotype. This effect is mediated by MKL1 the master regulator of megakaryocytes morphogenesis. To identify differences between adult and fetal megakaryocytes we performed RNA seq of adult derived megakaryocytes and fetal derived megakaryocytes treated and untreated with Dyrk inhibitors. Through this approach we identified cohorts of genes co-regulated in adult megakaryocytes and fetal megakaryocytes treated with the dyrk inhibitors. More importantly, we found that the dyrk inhibition in fetal megakaryocytes leads to upregulation of a significant number of MKL1 target genes.
Project description:Adult and fetal megakaryocytes are morphologically different. These differences contribute to neonatal thrombocytopenia in premature neonates and in neonates after infection and also contribute to poor megakaryocytes engrafment after umbilical cord blood transplant. We found that Dyrk1a kinase inhibition shift the fetal megakaryocytes phenotype toward adult phenotype. This effect is mediated by MKL1 the master regulator of megakaryocytes morphogenesis. To identify deferences between adult and fetal megakaryocytes we performed RNA seq of adult derived megakaryocytes and fetal derived megakaryocytes treated and untreated with Dyrk inhibitors. Through this approach we identified cohorts of genes co-regulated in adult megakaryocytes and fetal megakaryoctes treated with the dyrk inhibitors. More importantly, we found that the dyrk inhibition in fetal megakaryocytes leads to upregulation of a significant number of MKL1 target genes.
Project description:Angiogenesis is a highly regulated process essential for organ development and maintenance, and its deregulation contributes to inflammation, cardiac disorders and cancer. The Ca2+/Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling pathway is central to endothelial cell angiogenic responses, and it is activated by stimuli like the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF). NFAT phosphorylation by dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRKs) is thought to be an inactivating event. Contrary to expectations, we show that the DYRK family member DYRK1A positively regulates VEGF-dependent NFAT transcriptional responses in primary endothelial cells. DYRK1A silencing reduces intracellular Ca2+ influx in response to VEGF, which dampens NFAT activation. The effect is exerted at the level of VEGFR2 accumulation leading to impairment in PLCg1 activation. Notably, Dyrk1a heterozygous mice show defects in developmental retinal vascularization. Our data establish a regulatory circuit, DYRK1A/ Ca2+/NFAT, to fine-tune endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis.
Project description:We used expression profiling, SNP arrays, and mutational profiling to investigate a well-characterized cohort of MPN patients. MPN patients with homozygous JAK2V617F mutations were characterized by a distinctive transcriptional profile. Notably, a transcriptional signature consistent with activated JAK2 signaling is seen in all MPN patients regardless of clinical phenotype or mutational status. In addition, the activated JAK2 signature was present in patients with somatic CALR mutations. Conversely, we identified a gene expression signature of CALR mutations; this signature was significantly enriched in JAK2-mutant MPN patients consistent with a shared mechanism of transformation by JAK2 and CALR mutations. We also identified a transcriptional signature of TET2 mutations in MPN patent samples. Our data indicate that MPN patients, regardless of diagnosis or JAK mutational status are characterized by a distinct gene expression signature with upregulation of JAK-STAT target genes, demonstrating the central importance of the JAK-STAT pathway in MPN pathogenesis. [MPN patients] We have performed microarray gene expression analysis in 93 patients with MPNs (28 PV, 47 ET, 18 MF) and 11 age-matched normal donors.
Project description:DYRK1A is a protein kinase with several roles in brain development. This kinase is involved in two intellectual disability syndromes: Down syndrome and DYRK1A haploinsufficiency syndrome. The Dyrk1a+/- mouse is a model for DYRK1A haploinsufficiency syndrome. We used microarray to evaluate the impact of DYRK1A haploinsufficiency in the development of the cerebral cortex.
