Project description:Wnt signalling maintains the undifferentiated state of intestinal crypt/progenitor cells through the TCF4/Ã-catenin activating transcriptional complex. In colorectal cancer, activating mutations in Wnt pathway components lead to inappropriate activation of the TCF4/Ã-catenin transcriptional program and tumourigenesis in the gut epithelium. The mechanisms by which TCF4/Ã-catenin activate key target genes are not well understood. Using a proteomics approach, we identified Tnik, a member of the Germinal centre kinase family, as a Tcf4 interactor in the proliferative crypts of mouse small intestine. Tnik is recruited to promoters of Wnt target genes in mouse crypts and in Ls174T colorectal cancer cells in a Ã-catenin dependent manner. Depletion of TNIK and expression of TNIK kinase mutants abrogated TCF-LEF transcription, highlighting the essential role of the kinase activity in Wnt target gene activation. siRNA depletion of TNIK followed by expression array analysis demonstrated that TNIK is an essential and exclusive activator of Wnt induced transcriptional program. As an essential component in the TCF4/Ã-catenin activator complex, the kinase TNIK may present an attractive candidate for drug targeting in colorectal cancer. HEK293T cells: Wnt3A vs control medium (CM) induction for 4, 7 and 9 hours; si-TNIK vs si-control after Wnt3A induction at 4 and 7 hours (2 biological replicates for 7 hour time point); dyeswap for each experiment (i.e. 12 arrays in total).
Project description:Wnt signalling maintains the undifferentiated state of intestinal crypt/progenitor cells through the TCF4/ß-catenin activating transcriptional complex. In colorectal cancer, activating mutations in Wnt pathway components lead to inappropriate activation of the TCF4/ß-catenin transcriptional program and tumourigenesis in the gut epithelium. The mechanisms by which TCF4/ß-catenin activate key target genes are not well understood. Using a proteomics approach, we identified Tnik, a member of the Germinal centre kinase family, as a Tcf4 interactor in the proliferative crypts of mouse small intestine. Tnik is recruited to promoters of Wnt target genes in mouse crypts and in Ls174T colorectal cancer cells in a ß-catenin dependent manner. Depletion of TNIK and expression of TNIK kinase mutants abrogated TCF-LEF transcription, highlighting the essential role of the kinase activity in Wnt target gene activation. siRNA depletion of TNIK followed by expression array analysis demonstrated that TNIK is an essential and exclusive activator of Wnt induced transcriptional program. As an essential component in the TCF4/ß-catenin activator complex, the kinase TNIK may present an attractive candidate for drug targeting in colorectal cancer.
Project description:Introduction: The potential of expression profiling using microarray analysis as a tool to predict the prognosis for different types of cancer has been realized. This study aimed to identify a novel biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC). Experimental design: The expression profiles of cancer cells in 153 patients with CRC were examined using laser microdissection and oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Overexpression in CRC cells, especially in patients with distant metastases, was a prerequisite to select candidate genes. We analyzed the protein expression and localization of the candidate gene by immunohistochemical study and investigated the relationship between protein expression and clinicopathologic features in 271 CRC patients. Results: Using microarray analysis, we identified 11 candidate genes related to distant metastases in CRC patients. Among these genes, Traf2- and Nck- interacting kinase (TNIK) was known to be associated with aggressiveness in CRC through Wnt signaling. Absence of overexpression of TNIK protein was associated with significantly better overall survival (p < 0.001) and relapse-free survival (p < 0.001). Moreover, overexpression of TNIK protein was an independent risk factor for CRC recurrence (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Overexpression of TNIK might be a predictive biomarker of CRC recurrence.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.
Project description:Background: The potential of expression profiling using microarray analysis as a tool to predict the prognosis for different types of cancer has been realized. This study aimed to identify a novel biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: The expression profiles of cancer cells in 152 patients with stage I-III CRC were examined using microarray analysis. High expression in CRC cells, especially in patients with distant recurrences, was a prerequisite to select candidate genes. Thus, we identified eleven candidate genes, and selected Traf2- and Nck-interacting kinase (TNIK), which was known to be associated with progression in CRC through Wnt signaling pathways. We analyzed the protein expression of TNIK using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and investigated the relationship between protein expression and patient characteristics in 220 stage I-III CRC patients. Results: Relapse-free survival was significantly worse in the TNIK high expression group than in the TNIK low expression group in stage II (p = 0.028) and stage III (p = 0.006) patients. In multivariate analysis, high TNIK expression was identified as a significant independent risk factor of distant recurrence in stage III patients. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the prognostic significance of intratumoral TNIK protein expression in clinical tissue samples of CRC, in that high expression of TNIK protein in primary tumors was associated with distant recurrence in stage II and III CRC patients. This TNIK IHC study might contribute to practical decision-making in the treatment of these patients.
Project description:Background: The potential of expression profiling using microarray analysis as a tool to predict the prognosis for different types of cancer has been realized. This study aimed to identify a novel biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: The expression profiles of cancer cells in 152 patients with stage I-III CRC were examined using microarray analysis. High expression in CRC cells, especially in patients with distant recurrences, was a prerequisite to select candidate genes. Thus, we identified eleven candidate genes, and selected Traf2- and Nck-interacting kinase (TNIK), which was known to be associated with progression in CRC through Wnt signaling pathways. We analyzed the protein expression of TNIK using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and investigated the relationship between protein expression and patient characteristics in 220 stage I-III CRC patients. Results: Relapse-free survival was significantly worse in the TNIK high expression group than in the TNIK low expression group in stage II (p = 0.028) and stage III (p = 0.006) patients. In multivariate analysis, high TNIK expression was identified as a significant independent risk factor of distant recurrence in stage III patients. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the prognostic significance of intratumoral TNIK protein expression in clinical tissue samples of CRC, in that high expression of TNIK protein in primary tumors was associated with distant recurrence in stage II and III CRC patients. This TNIK IHC study might contribute to practical decision-making in the treatment of these patients. Gene expression profiles for 152 cancer tissues from colorectal cancer patients were measured by Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Normalization was performed by robust multi-array average (RMA) method under R 2.12.1 statistical software with affy package from BioConductor. The normalized gene expression levels were presented as log2-transformed values by RMA.
Project description:We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3’ and/or 5’ end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5’ differences and in support of this we report that a 5’ isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5’ isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes
Project description:As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain.A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development.Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.
Project description:PurposeWe investigated the evidence of recent positive selection in the human phototransduction system at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and gene level.MethodsSNP genotyping data from the International HapMap Project for European, Eastern Asian, and African populations was used to discover differences in haplotype length and allele frequency between these populations. Numeric selection metrics were computed for each SNP and aggregated into gene-level metrics to measure evidence of recent positive selection. The level of recent positive selection in phototransduction genes was evaluated and compared to a set of genes shown previously to be under recent selection, and a set of highly conserved genes as positive and negative controls, respectively.ResultsSix of 20 phototransduction genes evaluated had gene-level selection metrics above the 90th percentile: RGS9, GNB1, RHO, PDE6G, GNAT1, and SLC24A1. The selection signal across these genes was found to be of similar magnitude to the positive control genes and much greater than the negative control genes.ConclusionsThere is evidence for selective pressure in the genes involved in retinal phototransduction, and traces of this selective pressure can be demonstrated using SNP-level and gene-level metrics of allelic variation. We hypothesize that the selective pressure on these genes was related to their role in low light vision and retinal adaptation to ambient light changes. Uncovering the underlying genetics of evolutionary adaptations in phototransduction not only allows greater understanding of vision and visual diseases, but also the development of patient-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.