Project description:There is evidence suggesting that LINC00894 may have a biological role in the brain, but the exact function of this gene remains largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that LINC00894 regulates neuronal cell apoptosis. Using RNA-seq, we identified a gene cluster regulated by LINC00894 in M17 neuroblast cell line, and qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that LINC00894 may affect cell viability by modulating the expression of ATF3 in neuronal cells.
Project description:Cardiac resident MerTK+ macrophages exert multiple protective roles post-ischemic injury, however, the mechanisms regulating their fate are not fully understood. Here we show that GAS6-inducible transcription factor ATF3 prevents apoptosis of MerTK+ macrophages after ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, by repressing the transcription of multiple genes involved in type I interferon expression (Ifih1 and Infb1) and apoptosis (Apaf1). Mice lacking ATF3 in cardiac macrophages or myeloid cells showed excessive loss of MerTK+ cardiac macrophages, poor angiogenesis, and worse heart dysfunction post-IR, which were rescued by the transfer of MerTK+ cardiac macrophages. GAS6 administration improved cardiac repair in an ATF3-dependent manner. Finally, we showed a negative association of GAS6 and ATF3 expression with the risk of major adverse cardiac events in patients with ischemic heart disease. These results indicate that the GAS6-ATF3 axis has a protective role against IR injury by regulating MerTK+ cardiac macrophage survival/proliferation.
Project description:Maintenance of genetic integrity is essential for survival of all organisms. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a member of the c-AMP response element binding (CREB)/ATF family of transcription factors, and is highly inducible by various stress conditions including DNA damage. However, downstream targets and molecular basis underlying pleiotropic effects of ATF3 on the cell fate have been largely unknown. To identify ATF3 targets in the human genome, we carried out chromatin immunoprecipitation-microarray (ChiP-on-chip) and knockdown-expression profiling analysis using two models where ATF3 was either transiently induced or constitutively expressed. We show that ATF3 binds to an unexpectedly large number of targets; 5,984 promoters in HCT116 cells treated with an alkylating agene methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and 1,423 promoters in LNCaP cells constitutively expressing ATF3. Importantly, targets of MMS-induced ATF3 are highly enriched not only for CREB/ATF motifs but also for binding sites of several stress sensors including DDIT3/CHOP, Egr1, and c-Ets which are concomitantly induced by MMS. Stress-induced ATF3 affects broad but select biological processes including cell cycle, cell death, adhesion, biosynthesis, and receptor signaling pathways. In addition, ATF3 binds to as many as 40% of the p53 targets and preferentially enhances MMS-induced activation of proapoptotic genes such as DR4, DR5, and PUMA, consistent with the proapoptotic effect of ATF3. These data shed new light on the co-regulatory function of ATF3 in the stress-induced transcription factor network. The comprehensive list of genomic targets of ATF3 will facilitate further understanding the role of ATF3 in determining life and death of cells under both physiological and tumour-associated stress conditions. Maintenance of genetic integrity is fundamental to survival of all organisms. DNA damage can be caused by various agents in environment and elicits complex responses in the cell. ATF3 is one of the transcription factors activated by various stress conditions including DNA damage, and has been shown to have pleiotropic effects on life and death of cells depending on the context of experimental conditions. It has been largely unknown, however, which genes and pathways are regulated by stress-induced ATF3. Here we attempted to answer this question by chromatin immunoprecipitation-microarray analysis of downstream targets of ATF3. We show that ATF3 binds to an unexpectedly large number of promoters (nearly 6,000) in a human colorectal cancer cell lineHCT116 treated with an alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate. Interestingly, the ATF3 targets are highly enriched for binding sites of other stress sensors shedding light on a transcriptional co-regulatory network of DNA damage response. We further show that ATF3 regulates expression of genes in select biological processes including cell cycle, cell death, adhesion, metabolism, signal transduction, and the p53 pathway. The comprehensive list of ATF3 targets provides new insight into a highly inter-connected network of stress-induced transcription factors around ATF3. ChIP-chip samples: Comparison of ATF3-IP and whole genome DNA (control) Gene expression samples: HCT116 cells pre-transfected with either control siRNA or ATF3 knockdown siRNA and stimulated by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) for 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours
Project description:The goal of this study is to identify genes that are regulated by activiating transcription factor (ATF3) in the cellular response to serine deprivation. Serine biosynthesis is crucial for cancer cells to proliferate and survival under serine-limiting conditions. We found that ATF3 expression induced by serine deprivation supports cancer cell growth. This RNA-seq study is thus designed to understand how ATF3 regulates serine biosynthesis in cells. The results indicate that ATF3 regulates the genes involved in the serine synthesis pathway.
Project description:Following acute injury, the capillary vascular bed in the lung must be repaired to reestablish gas exchange between pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs) lining these vessels and the alveolar epithelium. However, the factors that control EC stress response and drive regeneration of pulmonary capillaries remain incompletely understood. Viral infections such as influenza and COVID-19 may indirectly damage lung vasculature through loss of epithelial gas exchange partners or through signaling from infiltrating immune cells. To prevent excessive tissue damage and to renew the endothelium, ECs must both withstand cellular stress and proliferate after injury. Here, we show that the transcription factor and immediate early gene Atf3 is essential for both responses in the mouse lung after influenza infection. Atf3 expression defines a subpopulation of capillary ECs enriched in genes involved in cellular response to stress, angiogenesis, and vascular development. Endothelial loss of ATF3 results in defective alveolar regeneration: in the absence of ATF3, ECs exhibit increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation, resulting in an emphysema-like phenotype with enlarged alveolar airspaces lined with regions of lost vasculature. These data implicate ATF3 as an essential component of the vascular response to acute lung injury that is required for successful lung regeneration.
Project description:Expression of the activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) gene is induced by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. In turn, ATF3 protein inhibits the expression of various TLR-driven pro-inflammatory genes. Given its counter-regulatory role in diverse innate immune responses, we defined the effects of ATF3 on neutrophilic airway inflammation in mice. ATF3 deletion was associated with increased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-driven airway epithelia production of CXCL1, but not CXCL2, findings concordant with a consensus ATF3-binding site identified solely in the Cxcl1 promoter. Unexpectedly, ATF3-deficient mice did not exhibit increased airway neutrophilia after LPS challenge. Bone marrow chimeras revealed a specific reduction in ATF3-/- neutrophil recruitment to wild type lungs. In vitro, ATF3-/- neutrophils exhibited a profound chemotaxis defect. Global gene expression analysis identified ablated Tiam2 expression in ATF3-/- neutrophils. TIAM2 regulates cellular motility by activating Rac1-mediated focal adhesion disassembly. Notably, ATF3-/- and ATF3-sufficient TIAM2 knockdown neutrophils, both lacking TIAM2, exhibited increased focal complex area, along with excessive CD11b-mediated F-actin polymerization. Together, our data describe a dichotomous role for ATF3-mediated regulation of neutrophilic responses: inhibition of neutrophil chemokine production, but promotion of neutrophil chemotaxis. Ly6G+ neutrophils were purified by magnetic beads from WT or ATF3 KO bone marrow and RNA was immediately isolated for global gene expression using microarrays.