Project description:C2H2 zinc fingers (C2H2-ZFs) are the most prevalent type of vertebrate DNA-binding domain, and typically appear in tandem arrays (ZFAs), with sequential C2H2-ZFs each contacting 3 (or more) sequential bases. C2H2-ZFs can be assembled in a modular fashion, providing one explanation for their remarkable evolutionary success. Given a set of modules with defined 3-base specificities, modular assembly also presents a way to construct artificial proteins with specific DNA-binding preferences. However, a recent survey of a large number of three-finger ZFAs engineered by modular assembly reported high failure rates (~70%), casting doubt on the generality of modular assembly. Here, we used protein-binding microarrays to analyze 28 ZFAs that failed in the aforementioned study. Most (17) preferred specific sequences, which in all but one case resembled the intended target sequence. Like natural ZFAs, the engineered ZFAs typically yielded degenerate motifs, binding dozens to hundreds of related individual sequences. Thus, the failure of these proteins in previous assays is not due to lack of sequence-specific DNA-binding activity. Our findings underscore the relevance of individual C2H2-ZF sequence specificities within tandem arrays, and support the general ability of modular assembly to produce ZFAs with sequence-specific DNA-binding activity. Protein binding microarray (PBM) experiments were performed for a set of 20 artificial zinc finger arrays (ZFAs). Briefly, the PBMs involved binding GST-tagged DNA-binding proteins to two double-stranded 44K Agilent microarrays, each containing a different DeBruijn sequence design, in order to determine their sequence preferences. The method is described in Berger et al., Nature Biotechnology 2006.
Project description:C2H2 zinc fingers (C2H2-ZFs) are the most prevalent type of vertebrate DNA-binding domain, and typically appear in tandem arrays (ZFAs), with sequential C2H2-ZFs each contacting 3 (or more) sequential bases. C2H2-ZFs can be assembled in a modular fashion, providing one explanation for their remarkable evolutionary success. Given a set of modules with defined 3-base specificities, modular assembly also presents a way to construct artificial proteins with specific DNA-binding preferences. However, a recent survey of a large number of three-finger ZFAs engineered by modular assembly reported high failure rates (~70%), casting doubt on the generality of modular assembly. Here, we used protein-binding microarrays to analyze 28 ZFAs that failed in the aforementioned study. Most (17) preferred specific sequences, which in all but one case resembled the intended target sequence. Like natural ZFAs, the engineered ZFAs typically yielded degenerate motifs, binding dozens to hundreds of related individual sequences. Thus, the failure of these proteins in previous assays is not due to lack of sequence-specific DNA-binding activity. Our findings underscore the relevance of individual C2H2-ZF sequence specificities within tandem arrays, and support the general ability of modular assembly to produce ZFAs with sequence-specific DNA-binding activity.
Project description:The largest and most diverse class of eukaryotic transcription factors contain Cys2-His2 zinc fingers (C2H2-ZFs), each of which typically binds a DNA nucleotide triplet within a larger binding site. Frequent recombination and diversification of their DNA-contacting residues suggests that these zinc fingers play a prevalent role in adaptive evolution. Very little is known about the function and evolution of the vast majority of C2H2-ZFs, including whether they even bind DNA. We determined in vivo binding sites of 39 human C2H2-ZF proteins, and correlated them with potential functions for these proteins. We expressed GFP-tagged C2H2-ZF proteins in stable transgenic HEK293 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed as described before (Schmidt et al., Methods, 2009), and ChIP samples along with several control samples from different experimental batches were sequenced on Illumina HiSeq 2500. Reads were mapped to hg19 (GRCh37) assembly, and peaks were identified by MACS using an experiment-specific background that controls for various biases, such as the Sono-Seq effect as well as potential co-purification of targets of other (interacting) proteins.
Project description:In order to assess the prevalence of cotranslational assembly of protein complexes we performed RIp-chip experiments with many proteins that do not conatin RNA-binding motifs
Project description:The largest and most diverse class of eukaryotic transcription factors contain Cys2-His2 zinc fingers (C2H2-ZFs), each of which typically binds a DNA nucleotide triplet within a larger binding site. Frequent recombination and diversification of their DNA-contacting residues suggests that these zinc fingers play a prevalent role in adaptive evolution. Very little is known about the function and evolution of the vast majority of C2H2-ZFs, including whether they even bind DNA. We determined in vivo binding sites of 39 human C2H2-ZF proteins, and correlated them with potential functions for these proteins. We expressed GFP-tagged C2H2-ZF proteins in stable transgenic HEK293 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed as described before (Schmidt et al., Methods, 2009), and ChIP samples along with several control samples from different experimental batches were sequenced on Illumina HiSeq 2000. Reads were mapped to hg19 (GRCh37) assembly, and peaks were identified by MACS using an experiment-specific background that controls for various biases, such as the Sono-Seq effect as well as potential co-purification of targets of other (interacting) proteins.
Project description:Nanoparticles and nano delivery systems are continuously being refined and developed as means of treating numerous human diseases by site-specific, and target-oriented delivery of medicines. The nanoparticles can carry therapeutic cargo or be medicinal themselves by virtue of their constitutional structural components. Here we report the ability of synthetic N-acylethanolamides, linoleoylethanolamide (LEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA), with endocannabinoid-like activity, to form spherical colloidal nanoparticles that when conjugated with tissue specific homing molecules, can localise to specific areas of the body, and reduce inflammation. The opportunities to mediate pharmacological effects of endocannabinoids at targeted sites provides a novel drug delivery system with increased medicinal potential to treat many diseases in many areas of medicine.
Project description:Amorphous silica nanoparticles induce malignant transformation and tumorigenesis of human lung epithelial cells. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying the cellular malignant transformation induced by amorphous silica nanoparticles and identified distinct classes of up-regulated and down-regulated genes during this process. The human lung epithelial cells, Beas-2B were continuously exposed to 5 μg/mL amorphous silica nanoparticles for 40 passages, and named as BeasSiNPs-P40 (shortly as P40-5 during the further microarray detection). Meanwhile, the passage-matched control Beas-2B cells, named as Beas-P40 (shortly as NC during the further microarray detection).
Project description:To investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting RUNX1/ETO with lipid nanoparticles encapsulating chemically modefied siRNA. Epegnomic profiling was performing on cells lines after lipid nanoparticles in vitro.
Project description:To investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting RUNX1/ETO with lipid nanoparticles encapsulating chemically modefied siRNA. Chromatin Accessibility (ATAC-seq) was performing on cells lines after lipid nanoparticles in vitro.