Project description:Coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase I (CARM1, also known as Protein aRginine MethylTransferase 4, or PRMT4) regulates gene expression by multiple mechanisms including methylation of histones and coactivation of steroid receptor transcription. Mice lacking CARM1 are smaller than their littermates, fail to breath, and die shortly after birth, demonstrating the critical role of CARM1 in development.We performed gene expression analysis to identify genes that are responsible for hyperproliferaion in CARM1 knockout lung. RNA extracted from murine lung at E18.5 with carm1 knockouts and wild type controls was hybridised to Affymetrix mouse430.2 GeneChips to identify differentially expressed genes in the disease state.
Project description:The goal of the project was global identification of CARM1 substrates. Arginine methylation landscapes were profiled and compared in wild type and CARM1 knockout cells to determine in vivo substrates of CARM1.
Project description:The importance of unanchored Ub in innate immunity has been shown only for a limited number of unanchored Ub-interactors. We investigated what additional cellular factors interact with unanchored Ub and whether unanchored Ub plays a broader role in innate immunity. To identify unanchored Ub-interacting factors from murine lungs, we used His-tagged recombinant poly-Ub chains as bait. These chains were mixed with lung tissue lysates and protein complexes were isolated with Ni-NTA beads. Sample elutions were subjected to mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analysis.
Project description:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) is a divergent member of the TGF-β superfamily, and its expression increases under various stress conditions, including inflammation, hyperoxia, and senescence. GDF15 expression is increased in neonatal murine BPD models, and GDF15 loss exacerbates oxidative stress and decreases viability in vitro in pulmonary epithelial and endothelial cells. Our overall hypothesis is that the loss of GDF15 will exacerbate hyperoxic lung injury in the neonatal lung in vivo. We exposed neonatal Gdf15-/- mice and wild-type (WT) controls on a similar background to room air or hyperoxia (95% O2) for 5 days after birth. The mice were euthanized on PND 21. Gdf15 -/- mice had higher mortality and lower body weight than WT mice after exposure to hyperoxia. Upon exposure to hyperoxia, female mice had higher alveolar simplification in the Gdf15-/- group than the female WT group. Gdf15-/- and WT mice showed no difference in the degree of the arrest in angiogenesis upon exposure to hyperoxia. Gdf15-/- mice showed lower macrophage count in the lungs compared to WT mice. Our results suggest that Gdf15 deficiency decreases the tolerance to hyperoxic lung injury with evidence of sex-specific differences.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of murine lung tissue comparing wild type to gremlin-1 transgenic untreated or silicon dioxide (silica)-treated for two months. Gremlin-1 transgene expression in lung type II epithelial cells under SPC promoter. Aim was to compare expression of fibrosis and inflammation associated genes.