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JAM-A Knockdown in HepG2 Cells

ABSTRACT: Hepatocytes are polarized epithelial cells whose function depends upon their ability to distinguish between the apical and basolateral surfaces that are located at intercellular tight junctions. It has been proposed that the signaling cascades that originate at these junctions influence cellular activity by controlling gene expression in the cell nucleus. To assess the validity of this proposal with regard to hepatocytes, we depleted expression of the tight junction protein junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) in the HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Reduction of JAM-A resulted in a striking change in cell morphology, with cells forming single-layered sheets instead of the normal multi-layered clusters. In the absence of JAM-A, other tight junction proteins were mislocalized, and canaliculi, which form the apical face of the hepatocyte, were consequently absent. While most changes in gene expression were modest, there was a strong transcriptional induction of the adherens junction protein E-cadherin in cells with reduced levels of JAM-A. This increase in E-cadherin was partially responsible for the observed alterations in cell morphology and mislocalization of tight junction proteins. We therefore propose that we have uncovered a novel mechanism for crosstalk between specific components of tight and adherens junctions that can be utilized to regulate adhesion between hepatic cells and to maintain hepatocyte cell polarity. Keywords: HepG2 cells

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE6080 | GEO | 2007/07/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA97565

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:To study the role of hepatic nuclear factor _ alpha (HNF4a_ in hepatogenesis, we used loxP-Cre technology to eliminate it from developing mouse livers. A comparison of control and experimental livers revealed that hepatocytes lacking HNF4a_failed to fully differentiate. Specifically, HNF4a null liver cells failed to express genes that are markers of mature hepatocytes including Gys2, Pck1, and G6pc. These cells also failed to form normal cellular junctions, which are critical for establishment of the hepatic epithelium [Parviz et al. (2003) Nat.Genet. 34, 292-96]. Because HNF4a functions as a transcription factor, we hypothesized that it regulates liver development by controlling the expression of genes whose products are essential in executing cellular differentiation and morphogenesis. To identify these genes, we compared expression profiles between HNF4a null and wild type E18.5 fetal livers using Affymetrix gene arrays. We identified 564 genes whose expression was decreased by at least 2.5-fold and 34 genes whose expression was increased by at least 2.5-fold when HNF4a was eliminated from hepatocytes. These represent genes involved in diverse molecular pathways, reflecting the pleiotropic phenotype of HNF4a null livers. Our goal was to use the information from the gene arrays to define the mechanisms through which HNF4a controls the generation of the hepatic epithelium. We identified 27 genes from our list of downregulated genes with either defined or predicted roles in cellular junctions and/or adhesion. Most striking was that loss of HNF4a altered the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in virtually all types of cellular junctions including tight junctions (Cldn1, Cldn-2, Cldn-12, Ocln, F11r/Jam1, Cxadr, Crb3), adherens junctions (Cdh1), desmosomes (Dsc2, Pkp2, Krt2-8), and gap junctions (Gjb1, Gjb2). Using immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry, we found that the expression of proteins representing each of these junction types was reduced or absent. Analysis of these genes for the presence of putative HNF4a binding sites revealed that 25 of 27 contain such sites. We have used chromatin immunoprecipitation to confirm that HNF4a occupies several of these sites in vivo, including Cdh1, Cldn1, and F11r/Jam1. From these data, we conclude that HNF4_ is a central mediator of the fully differentiated hepatocyte gene expression program and that it orchestrates the expression of cell junction and adhesion proteins required for establishing the hepatic epithelium. Experiment Overall Design: comparison of three hnf4 null livers to three control.

Project description:The apical junctional complex (AJC), composed of tight junctions and adherens junctions, is essential for maintaining epithelial barrier function. Since cigarette smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the major smoking-induced disease, are both associated with increased lung epithelial permeability, we hypothesized that smoking alters the transcriptional program regulating AJC integrity in the small airway epithelium (SAE), the primary site of pathological changes in COPD. Transcriptome analysis revealed a global down-regulation of physiological AJC gene expression in the SAE of healthy smokers (n=53) compared to healthy nonsmokers (n=59), an observation associated with changes in molecular pathways regulating epithelial differentiation such as PTEN signaling and accompanied by induction of cancer-related AJC genes. Genome-wide co-expression analysis identified a smoking-sensitive AJC transcriptional network. The overall expression of AJC-associated genes was further decreased in COPD smokers (n=23). Exposure of human airway epithelial cells to cigarette smoke extract in vitro resulted in down-regulation of several AJC-related genes, accompanied by decreased transepithelial resistance. Thus, cigarette smoking alters the AJC gene expression architecture in the human airway epithelium, providing a molecular basis for the dysregulation of airway epithelial barrier function during the development of smoking-induced lung disease. The apical junctional complex (AJC), composed of tight junctions and adherens junctions, is essential for maintaining epithelial barrier function. Since cigarette smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the major smoking-induced disease, are both associated with increased lung epithelial permeability, we hypothesized that smoking alters the transcriptional program regulating AJC integrity in the small airway epithelium (SAE), the primary site of pathological changes in COPD. In this study, microarray analysis of the SAE obtained from 53 healthy nonsmokers, 59 healthy smokers, and 23 smokers with COPD was performed to determine physiological AJC gene expression architecture in the SAE and its modification by cigarette smoking and during the development of COPD.

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JAM-A Knockdown in HepG2 Cells

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