Project description:We performed Targeted Locus Amplification (TLA) to map the insertion site of a stably integrated, hemizygous ectopic locus that contains CAG repeats (15 or 270 repeats) in clonal populations of HEK293-derived cells (GFP(CAG)15 or GFP(CAG)270).
Project description:ncRNA expression, including snoRNAs, across 11 tissues using polyA-neutral amplification Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are an essential class of molecular species that have been difficult to monitor on high throughput platforms due to frequent lack of polyadenylation. Using a polyadenylation-neutral amplification protocol and next-generation sequencing, we explore ncRNA expression in eleven human tissues. ncRNAs 7SL, U2, 7SK, and HBII-52 are expressed at levels far exceeding mRNAs. C/D and H/ACA box snoRNAs are associated with rRNA methylation and pseudouridylation, respectively: spleen expresses both, hypothalamus expresses mainly C/D box snoRNAs, and testes show enriched expression of both H/ACA box snoRNAs and RNA telomerase TERC. Within the snoRNA 14q cluster, 14q(I-6) is expressed at much higher levels than other cluster members. More reads align to mitochondrial than nuclear tRNAs. Many lincRNAs are actively transcribed, particularly those overlapping known ncRNAs. Within the Prader-Willi syndrome loci, the snoRNA HBII-85 (group I) cluster is highly expressed in hypothalamus, greater than in other tissues and greater than group II or III. Additionally, within the disease locus we find novel transcription across a 400,000 nt span in ovaries. This genome-wide polyA-neutral expression compendium demonstrates the richness of ncRNA expression, their high expression patterns, their function-specific expression patterns, and is publicly available. ArrayExpress Release Date: 2010-07-05 Publication Title: ncRNA expression, including snoRNAs, across 11 tissues using polyA-neutral amplification Publication Author List: Matthew Biery,Heather Bouzek,Ronghua Chen,Stuart Jackson,Jason M. Johnson,Carol A. Rohl,Chris K. Raymond,David Haynor,Christopher D. Armour,John C. Castle Person Roles: submitter Person Last Name: Loewer Person First Name: Martin Person Mid Initials: Person Email: martin.loewer@tron-mainz.de Person Phone: +49 6131-720298-11 Person Address: TRON Translationale Onkologie gGmbH, Langenbeckstr. 8, D-55131 Mainz Person Affiliation: TRON
Project description:Understanding the mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity is key to development of treatments that can target specific tumor subtypes. We have previously targeted CRE recombinase-dependent conditional deletion of the tumor suppressor genes Brca1, Brca2, p53 and/or Pten to basal or luminal ER- cells of the mouse mammary epithelium. We demonstrated that both the cell-of-origin and the tumor-initiating genetic lesions co-operate to influence mammary tumor phenotype. Here, we use a CRE-activated HER2 orthologue to specifically target HER2/ERBB2 oncogenic activity to basal or luminal ER- mammary epithelial cells and carry out a detailed analysis of the tumors which develop. We find that in contrast to our previous studies, basal epithelial cells are refractory to transformation by the activated NeuKI allele, with mammary epithelial tumor formation largely confined to luminal ER- cells. Histologically, the majority of tumors that developed were classified as either adenocarcinomas of no special type or metaplastic adenosquamous tumors. Remarkably, the former were more strongly associated with virgin animals and were typically characterised by amplification of the NeuNT/ErbB2 locus and activation of non-canonical WNT signalling. In contrast, tumors characterised by squamous metaplasia were associated with animals that had been through at least one pregnancy and typically had lower levels of NeuNT/ErbB2 locus amplification but had activated canonical WNT signalling. Squamous changes in these tumors were associated with activation of the Epidermal Differentiation Cluster. Thus, in this model of HER2 breast cancer, cell-of-origin, reproductive history, NeuNT/ErbB2 locus amplification, and the activation of specific branches of the WNT signalling pathway all interact to drive inter-tumor heterogeneity.
Project description:Understanding the mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity is key to development of treatments that can target specific tumor subtypes. We have previously targeted CRE recombinase-dependent conditional deletion of the tumor suppressor genes Brca1, Brca2, p53 and/or Pten to basal or luminal ER- cells of the mouse mammary epithelium. We demonstrated that both the cell-of-origin and the tumor-initiating genetic lesions co-operate to influence mammary tumor phenotype. Here, we use a CRE-activated HER2 orthologue to specifically target HER2/ERBB2 oncogenic activity to basal or luminal ER- mammary epithelial cells and carry out a detailed analysis of the tumors which develop. We find that in contrast to our previous studies, basal epithelial cells are refractory to transformation by the activated NeuKI allele, with mammary epithelial tumor formation largely confined to luminal ER- cells. Histologically, the majority of tumors that developed were classified as either adenocarcinomas of no special type or metaplastic adenosquamous tumors. Remarkably, the former were more strongly associated with virgin animals and were typically characterised by amplification of the NeuNT/ErbB2 locus and activation of non-canonical WNT signalling. In contrast, tumors characterised by squamous metaplasia were associated with animals that had been through at least one pregnancy and typically had lower levels of NeuNT/ErbB2 locus amplification but had activated canonical WNT signalling. Squamous changes in these tumors were associated with activation of the Epidermal Differentiation Cluster. Thus, in this model of HER2 breast cancer, cell-of-origin, reproductive history, NeuNT/ErbB2 locus amplification, and the activation of specific branches of the WNT signalling pathway all interact to drive inter-tumor heterogeneity.
Project description:Minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring by PCR methods is a strong and standardized predictor of clinical outcome in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). However, about 20% of MCL and 40% of FL patients lack a reliable molecular marker, being thus not eligible for MRD studies. Recently, targeted locus amplification (TLA), a next-generation sequencing (NGS) method based on the physical proximity of DNA sequences for target selection, identified novel gene rearrangements in leukemia. The aim of this study was to test TLA in MCL and FL diagnostic samples lacking a classical, PCR-detectable, t(11; 14) MTC (BCL1/IGH), or t(14; 18) major breakpoint region and minor cluster region (BCL2/IGH) rearrangements. Overall, TLA was performed on 20 MCL bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) primary samples and on 20 FL BM, identifying a novel BCL1 or BCL2/IGH breakpoint in 16 MCL and 8 FL patients (80% and 40%, respectively). These new breakpoints (named BCL1-TLA and BCL2-TLA) were validated by ASO primers design and compared as MRD markers to classical IGH rearrangements in eight MCL: overall, MRD results by BCL1-TLA were superimposable (R Pearson = 0.76) to the standardized IGH-based approach. Moreover, MRD by BCL2-TLA reached good sensitivity levels also in FL and was predictive of a primary refractory case. In conclusion, this study offers the proof of principle that TLA is a promising and reliable NGS-based technology for the identification of novel molecular markers, suitable for further MRD analysis in previously not traceable MCL and FL patients.