Project description:Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by an inherent aggressivity and resistance to treatment leading to poor prognoses. While some resistance mechanisms have been elucidated, a deeper understanding of these mechanisms is needed to increase therapeutic efficacy. In this study we first discovered glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to be upregulated in patient-derived glioblastoma spheroid cultures after chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, through RNA-Seq experiments. Therefore, we investigated the role of the GDNF/GDNF receptor alpha 1 (GFRA1) signaling pathway as a resistance mechanism to chemotherapy with temozolomide and lomustine as well as irradiation using patient-derived glioblastoma spheroid cultures. With qPCR experiments we showed a consistent upregulation of GDNF and its primary receptor GFRA1 following all three lines of treatment. Moreover, CRISPR/Cas9 knock-outs of GDNF in two patient-derived models sensitized these cells to chemotherapy treatment, but not radiotherapy. The increased sensitivity was completely reversed by the addition of exogeneous GDNF, confirming the key role of this factor in chemoresistance. Finally, a CRISPR KO of GFRA1 demonstrated a similar increased sensitivity to temozolomide and lomustine treatment, as well as radiotherapy. Together, our findings support the role of the GDNF/GFRA1 signaling pathway in glioblastoma chemo and radioresistance.
Project description:Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by an inherent aggressivity and resistance to treatment leading to poor prognoses. While some resistance mechanisms have been elucidated, a deeper understanding of these mechanisms is needed to increase therapeutic efficacy. In this study we first discovered glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to be upregulated in patient-derived glioblastoma spheroid cultures after chemotherapeutic temozolomide treatment, through RNA-Seq experiments. Therefore, we investigated the role of the GDNF/GDNF receptor alpha 1 (GFRA1) signaling pathway as a resistance mechanism to chemotherapy with temozolomide and lomustine, as well as irradiation using patient-derived glioblastoma spheroid cultures. With qPCR experiments we showed a consistent upregulation of GDNF and its primary receptor GFRA1 following all three lines of treatment. Moreover, CRISPR/Cas9 knock-outs of GDNF in two patient-derived models sensitized these cells to chemotherapy treatment, but not radiotherapy. The increased sensitivity was completely reversed by the addition of exogeneous GDNF, confirming the key role of this factor in chemoresistance. Finally, a CRISPR KO of GFRA1 demonstrated a similar increased sensitivity to temozolomide and lomustine treatment, as well as radiotherapy. Together, our findings support the role of the GDNF/GFRA1 signaling pathway in glioblastoma chemo and radioresistance.
Project description:Adjacent stroma, including subepithelial fibroblasts, are believed to coordinate the differentiation process of epithelial cells, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in the intestinal Pdgfra high subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs), while the GDNF receptor RET is expressed in a subset of enteroendocrine cells (EECs), indicating regulatory crosstalk. In this experiment, single RET+ intestinal cells were sorted the gene expression profile was compared to non-RET cells. This provided knowledge about RET+ cell types. RET+ cells were upregulated with most of the EEC markers, indicating that RET+ cells are expressed in EECs. We also observed the differences in the gene expression profile of stromal-derived GDNF ligand on intestinal organoids. Organoids were derived from intestinal crypts of WT mice C57BL/6J and treated with 500ng/ml of Gdnf and Gfra1. GDNF-treated organoids induced the expression of EEC genes such as Pyy, Tac1, Tph1, and Cck, indicating enhanced differentiation of EC cell and L-I-N cell lineages. This highlights a stroma-epithelium crosstalk pathway regulating the differentiation of intestinal EEC subtypes.
Project description:Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) are muscle-resident mesenchymal progenitors that can contribute to muscle tissue homeostasis and regeneration, as well as postnatal maturation and lifelong maintenance of the neuromuscular system. Recently, traumatic injury to the peripheral nerve was shown to activate FAPs, suggesting that FAPs can respond to nerve injury. However, questions of how FAPs can sense the anatomically distant peripheral nerve injury and whether FAPs can directly contribute to nerve regeneration remained unanswered. Here, utilizing single-cell transcriptomics and mouse models, we discovered that a subset of FAPs expressing GDNF receptors Ret and Gfra1 can respond to peripheral nerve injury by sensing GDNF secreted by Schwann cells. Upon GDNF sensing, this subset becomes activated and expresses Bdnf. FAP-specific inactivation of Bdnf (Prrx1-Cre; Bdnf-fl/fl) resulted in delayed nerve regeneration owing to defective remyelination, indicating that GDNF-sensing FAPs play an important role in the remyelination process during peripheral nerve regeneration. In aged mice, significantly reduced Bdnf expression in FAPs was observed upon nerve injury, suggesting the clinical relevance of FAP-derived BDNF in the age-related delays in nerve regeneration. Collectively, our study revealed the previously unidentified role of FAPs in peripheral nerve regeneration, and the molecular mechanism behind FAPs’ response to peripheral nerve injury.
Project description:Treatment of oocytes derived from large (4-6 mm; LG) or small (>3 mm; SM) follicles with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) during in vitro maturation. Four-condition experiment, SM and LG oocytes, each with and without GDNF. Biological replicates: 9 per condition, independently collected. Pools of three replicates per array.
Project description:Treatment of oocytes derived from large (4-6 mm; LG) or small (>3 mm; SM) follicles with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) during in vitro maturation.
Project description:GDNF-regulated gene expression was studied in cultures of actively self-renewing spermatogonial stem cells established from 6 day old male mice. GDNF is the essential growth factor regulating mouse spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal. Using a serum-free chemically defined culture system that supports mouse spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal for extended periods of time, GDNF-regulated genes were identified using microarray profiling. Keywords: GDNF withdrawal and time-course replacement
Project description:Expression of GDNF-regulated genes was studied in cultures of self-renewing rat spermatogonial stem cells established from 8-10 day old rat pups maintained in a defined serum free medium. GDNF is the primary regulator of spermatogonial stem cell self renewal in the rat. GDNF regulated genes were identified using microarray profiling rat spermatogonial stem cells in the presence and absence of GDNF.
Project description:Bowel function requires coordinated activity of many enteric neuron subtypes. Clear definition of subtype-specific gene expression may facilitate molecular diagnoses for bowel motility disorders. Using adult mouse colon RNAseq data from 635 myenteric neurons and 707 E17.5 neurons, we defined seven adult myenteric neuron subtypes, eight E17.5 neuron subtypes and hundreds of differentially-expressed genes. Manually dissected human colon myenteric plexus yielded data from 48 neurons, 3798 glia, 5568 smooth muscle, 377 interstitial cells, and 2153 macrophages. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated differential protein abundance for BNC2, PBX3, RBFOX1, TBX2, and TBX3 in enteric neuron subtypes. Conditional Tbx3 loss reduced NOS1-expressing myenteric neurons. Differential Gfra1 and Gfra2 expression coupled with calcium imaging revealed that GDNF and neurturin acutely and differentially regulate activity of ~50% of myenteric neurons with distinct effects on smooth muscle contractions. This insight into enteric nervous system biology provides a foundation for future studies of bowel motility disorders.
Project description:A mesenchymal transition occurs both during natural evolution of glioblastoma (GBM) and in response to therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying mesenchymal differentiation are not well understood. We have found that the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor, GPR56/ADGRG1, inhibits mesenchymal differentiation and radioresistance in glioblastoma stem-like initiating cells (GICs). Here, we have performed microarray analysis of control- versus GPR56 knockdown-GICs to characterize gene expression changes upon GPR56 knockdown and identify a gene expression signature associated to GPR56.