Project description:16S rRNA gene metabarcoding reveals a potential metabolic role for intracellular bacteria in a major marine planktonic calcifier (Foraminifera).
Project description:Studies using yeast have advanced our understanding of both replicative and chronological aging, leading to the discovery of longevity genes that have homologues in higher eukaryotes. Chronological lifespan in yeast is conventionally defined as the lifespan of a non-dividing cell. To date, this parameter has only been estimated under calorically restricted (CR) conditions, mimicked by starvation. Since post-mitotic cells in higher eukaryotes are rarely calorically-restricted, we sought to develop an alternative experimental system where non-dividing yeast would age chronologically, in the presence of excess nutrients. We report here on a system wherein alginate-encapsulated yeast are packed in a pH- and temperature-controlled bioreactor, then continuously fed non-limiting substrate for extended periods of time. We present demographic, physiological and genomic evidence indicating that after ~120 hrs, immobilized cells cease dividing, remain metabolically very active and retain >95% viability for periods of 17 days. Over the same time interval, starved planktonic cells, cultured using the same media, and also controlled for temperature and pH, retained < 1 % viability in both aerobic and anaerobic cultures,. Unlike planktonic yeast, continuously-fed immobilized cells hyper-accumulate glycogen. FACS analysis of SYTOX green-stained yeast confirms that immobilized cells completely arrest within 5 days of culture, and unlike starving planktonic cells, remain free thereafter of replicative stress and are non-apoptotic. This unusual state is supported by a global gene expression profile that is stable over time, repeatable across replicate experiments, and altogether distinct from planktonic cells cultured in the presence and absence of limiting nutrients. DNA expression profiling, performed here for the very first time on immobilized cells, reveals that glycolytic genes and their trans-acting regulatory elements are upregulated, as are genes involved in remodeling the cell wall and resisting stress; by contrast, many genes that promote cell cycle progression and carry out oxidative metabolism are repressed. Stress resistance transcription factor MSN4 and its upstream effector RIM15 are conspicuously upregulated in the immobilized state, suggesting that nutrient-sensing pathways may play a role in cell viability and longevity when yeast are immobilized and placed in prolonged culture under calorically-unrestricted conditions. The cell cycle arrest in the immobilized state is mediated by RIM 15. Over the time-course of our experiments, well-fed, non-diving immobilized cells do not appear to age. Keywords: comparison of growth states and a time course of immobilized cells Nine growth conditions or time points with two to four replicates each
Project description:Bacteria in biofilms have higher antibiotic tolerance than their planktonic counterparts. A major outstanding question is the degree to which the biofilm-specific cellular state and its constituent genetic determinants contribute to this hyper-tolerant phenotype. Here, using genome-wide functional profiling of a complex, heterogeneous mutant population of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MPAO1, we identified large sets of mutations that contribute to antibiotic tolerance predominantly in the biofilm or planktonic setting only. Our mixed population-based experimental design recapitulated the complexity of natural biofilms and, unlike previous studies, revealed clinically observed behaviors including the emergence of quorum sensing-deficient mutants. Our study revealed a substantial contribution of the cellular state to the antibiotic tolerance of biofilms, providing a rational foundation for the development of novel therapeutics against P. aeruginosa biofilm-associated infections. This dataset compares the expression of SAH108, a strain with enhanced antibiotic tolerance in the biofilm state, to expression in wild-type strains. We compared the expression of two biological replicates from strain SAH108 to samples from three wild-type, reference strains. All samples were collected from exponentially-growing planktonic cultures.
Project description:Studies using yeast have advanced our understanding of both replicative and chronological aging, leading to the discovery of longevity genes that have homologues in higher eukaryotes. Chronological lifespan in yeast is conventionally defined as the lifespan of a non-dividing cell. To date, this parameter has only been estimated under calorically restricted (CR) conditions, mimicked by starvation. Since post-mitotic cells in higher eukaryotes are rarely calorically-restricted, we sought to develop an alternative experimental system where non-dividing yeast would age chronologically, in the presence of excess nutrients. We report here on a system wherein alginate-encapsulated yeast are packed in a pH- and temperature-controlled bioreactor, then continuously fed non-limiting substrate for extended periods of time. We present demographic, physiological and genomic evidence indicating that after ~120 hrs, immobilized cells cease dividing, remain metabolically very active and retain >95% viability for periods of 17 days. Over the same time interval, starved planktonic cells, cultured using the same media, and also controlled for temperature and pH, retained < 1 % viability in both aerobic and anaerobic cultures,. Unlike planktonic yeast, continuously-fed immobilized cells hyper-accumulate glycogen. FACS analysis of SYTOX green-stained yeast confirms that immobilized cells completely arrest within 5 days of culture, and unlike starving planktonic cells, remain free thereafter of replicative stress and are non-apoptotic. This unusual state is supported by a global gene expression profile that is stable over time, repeatable across replicate experiments, and altogether distinct from planktonic cells cultured in the presence and absence of limiting nutrients. DNA expression profiling, performed here for the very first time on immobilized cells, reveals that glycolytic genes and their trans-acting regulatory elements are upregulated, as are genes involved in remodeling the cell wall and resisting stress; by contrast, many genes that promote cell cycle progression and carry out oxidative metabolism are repressed. Stress resistance transcription factor MSN4 and its upstream effector RIM15 are conspicuously upregulated in the immobilized state, suggesting that nutrient-sensing pathways may play a role in cell viability and longevity when yeast are immobilized and placed in prolonged culture under calorically-unrestricted conditions. The cell cycle arrest in the immobilized state is mediated by RIM 15. Over the time-course of our experiments, well-fed, non-diving immobilized cells do not appear to age. Keywords: comparison of growth states and a time course of immobilized cells
Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor forkhead box P1 or FOXP1 occur in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. However, the function of FOXP1 in the brain remains mostly unknown. Here, we identify the gene expression program regulated by FoxP1 in both human neural cells and mouse brain and demonstrate a conserved role for FOXP1 transcriptional regulation of autism and Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) mediated pathways. Coexpression networks support a role for Foxp1 in neuronal activity, and we show that Foxp1 is necessary for neuronal excitability. Using a Foxp1 mouse model, we observe defects in ultrasonic vocalizations. This behavioral phenotype is reflected at the genomic level as striatal Foxp1-regulated overlap with genes known to be important in rodent vocalizations. These data support an integral role for FOXP1 in regulating signaling pathways vulnerable in developmental disorders and the specific regulation of pathways important for vocal communication. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and ChIP-sequencing of human neural progenitors cells. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of mouse striatal tissue, mouse hippocampal tissue and mouse cortical tissue. For the RNA-seq, four indipendent replicates were used for the neural progenitor cells and mouse tissues. For the Chip-seq, a single neural progenitor cell line was used.
Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor forkhead box P1 or FOXP1 occur in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. However, the function of FOXP1 in the brain remains mostly unknown. Here, we identify the gene expression program regulated by FoxP1 in both human neural cells and mouse brain and demonstrate a conserved role for FOXP1 transcriptional regulation of autism and Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) mediated pathways. Coexpression networks support a role for Foxp1 in neuronal activity, and we show that Foxp1 is necessary for neuronal excitability. Using a Foxp1 mouse model, we observe defects in ultrasonic vocalizations. This behavioral phenotype is reflected at the genomic level as striatal Foxp1-regulated overlap with genes known to be important in rodent vocalizations. These data support an integral role for FOXP1 in regulating signaling pathways vulnerable in developmental disorders and the specific regulation of pathways important for vocal communication.