Project description:Single cell RNA-seq was performed on healthy mouse skin fibroblasts. This data along with single cell transcriptomics datasets of fibroblasts from other healthy tissues was used to construct a steady state mouse fibroblast atlas.
Project description:Dermal fibroblasts were isolated from healthy human skin or chronic psoriatic plaques for cultivation, which were subsequently subjected to RNA-Seq.
Project description:We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the heterogeneity of dermal fibroblasts in homeostasis and skin inflammation.
Project description:In the project “A Dual-Acting Nitric Oxide Donor and Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor Activates Autophagy in Primary Skin Fibroblasts» by Esther Martínez-Martínez and Joern Dengjel, we performed expression proteomics analyzing the response of normal human fibroblasts (NHF) isolated from healthy skin to the drug TOP-N53.
Project description:Background: Dupuytren’s disease (DD) is a fibro-proliferative disorder of unknown aetiology. Previous studies have implicated multiple WNT signalling genes/proteins in Dupuytren pathology, including WNT4. However, it is not yet clear whether WNT signalling dysregulation plays an important role in the initiation of the disease or progression. The aim of this study was to determine if loss of WNT4 expression triggered ‘Dupuytren-like’ changes in the transcriptome of healthy skin fibroblasts. Methods: Fibroblasts were isolated from the wrists of healthy adult males and from the wrists and disease cord tissue from males in a family positive for Dupuytren’s disease. Normal skin fibroblasts from healthy controls were treated with WNT4 siRNA and scrambled controls. RNASeq was used to analyse the transcriptomes of disease and non-disease fibroblasts from patients with Dupuytren’s as well as in siRNA treated and non-treated control fibroblasts. Results: Analysis of the transcriptomes from DD patient and normal skin fibroblasts showed significant differences, including in WNT4 expression. Downregulation of WNT4 in normal skin fibroblasts using siRNA led to ‘DD-like’ changes in the transcriptome. Conclusion: In people susceptible to DD WNT4 is downregulated even in non-fibrotic fibroblasts. Knockdown of WNT4 in normal fibroblasts led to changes that made cells ‘DD-like’. This study shows that WNT4 is down regulated in ‘non-disease’ cells, and that downregulating WNT4 in normal skin fibroblasts leads to widespread ‘DD like’ changes in the transcriptome, suggesting WNT4 downregulation is a key driver of DD.
Project description:The changes in the proteome of different human tissues with advancing age are poorly characterized. Here, we studied the proteins present in skin fibroblasts collected from 82 healthy individuals across a wide age spectrum (22 to 89 years old) who participated in the GESTALT (Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing) study of the National Institute on Aging, NIH. Proteins were extracted from lysed fibroblasts and subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, and the expression levels of 9341 proteins were analyzed by linear regression models. Several differentially expressed proteins were implicated in processes that change with age, including autophagy, scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ribosome biogenesis, DNA replication, and DNA repair. Changes on these prominent pathways were further assessed using molecular and cell-culture approaches. Our study establishes a framework of the global proteome governing the homeostasis of the aged skin.