Project description:The analysis of capped RNAs by massively parallel sequencing has identified a large number of previously unknown transcripts, some of which are small RNAs and others are 5M-bM-^@M-^Y truncated forms of RefSeq genes. The latter may be generated by endonuclease cleavage or by stalling of Xrn1 at defined sites. With the exception of promoter-proximal transcripts the caps on all of these are added post-transcriptionally by a cytoplasmic capping enzyme complex that includes capping enzyme and a kinase that converts 5M-bM-^@M-^Y-monophosphate ends to a diphosphate capping substrate. We previously described a modified form of capping enzyme with dominant negative activity against cytoplasmic capping (DN-cCE). A tet-inducible form of this was used to identify substrates for cytoplasmic capping by treating cytoplasmic RNA from control and induced cells with and without Xrn1. Surviving RNA was analyzed on Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 arrays and scored for changes in probe intensity as a function of its position on each RefSeq gene to derive a factor (alpha) that could be compared between sets. Notably, transcriptome-wide changes were not evident unless RNA was treated with Xrn1. This analysis identified 2,666 uncapped mRNAs in uninduced cells, 672 mRNAs that appeared in the uncapped pool in cells expressing DN-cCE, and 835 mRNAs that were in both populations. Changes in cap status of 10 re-capping targets and 5 controls were assessed by 3 independent measures; susceptibility to Xrn1, recovery with a biotin-tagged DNA primer after ligating a complementary RNA oligonucleotide to uncapped 5M-bM-^@M-^Y ends, and binding or exclusion from a high affinity cap-binding matrix comprised of immobilized eIF4E and the corresponding binding domain of eIF4G. 3 biological replicates of 4 different samples comparing XRN1 treatment/non-treatment and Dox induction/non-induction of K294A
Project description:The analysis of capped RNAs by massively parallel sequencing has identified a large number of previously unknown transcripts, some of which are small RNAs and others are 5’ truncated forms of RefSeq genes. The latter may be generated by endonuclease cleavage or by stalling of Xrn1 at defined sites. With the exception of promoter-proximal transcripts the caps on all of these are added post-transcriptionally by a cytoplasmic capping enzyme complex that includes capping enzyme and a kinase that converts 5’-monophosphate ends to a diphosphate capping substrate. We previously described a modified form of capping enzyme with dominant negative activity against cytoplasmic capping (DN-cCE). A tet-inducible form of this was used to identify substrates for cytoplasmic capping by treating cytoplasmic RNA from control and induced cells with and without Xrn1. Surviving RNA was analyzed on Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 arrays and scored for changes in probe intensity as a function of its position on each RefSeq gene to derive a factor (alpha) that could be compared between sets. Notably, transcriptome-wide changes were not evident unless RNA was treated with Xrn1. This analysis identified 2,666 uncapped mRNAs in uninduced cells, 672 mRNAs that appeared in the uncapped pool in cells expressing DN-cCE, and 835 mRNAs that were in both populations. Changes in cap status of 10 re-capping targets and 5 controls were assessed by 3 independent measures; susceptibility to Xrn1, recovery with a biotin-tagged DNA primer after ligating a complementary RNA oligonucleotide to uncapped 5’ ends, and binding or exclusion from a high affinity cap-binding matrix comprised of immobilized eIF4E and the corresponding binding domain of eIF4G.
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: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.
Project description:In this study, we characterize the fusion protein produced by the EPC1-PHF1 translocation in Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (LG-ESS) and Ossifying FibroMyxoid Tumors (OFMT). We express the fusion protein and necessary controls in K562 Cells. The fusion protein assembles a mega-complex harboring both NuA4/TIP60 and PRC2 subunits and enzymatic activities and leads to mislocalization of chromatin marks in the genome, linked to aberrant gene expression.
Project description:Cortical thickness has been investigated since the beginning of the 20th century, but we do not know how similar the cortical thickness profiles among humans are. In this study, the local similarity of cortical thickness profiles was investigated using sliding window methods. Here, we show that approximately 5% of the cortical thickness profiles are similarly expressed among humans while 45% of the cortical thickness profiles show a high level of heterogeneity. Therefore, heterogeneity is the rule, not the exception. Cortical thickness profiles of somatosensory homunculi and the anterior insula are consistent among humans, while the cortical thickness profiles of the motor homunculus are more variable. Cortical thickness profiles of homunculi that code for muscle position and skin stimulation are highly similar among humans despite large differences in sex, education, and age. This finding suggests that the structure of these cortices remains well preserved over a lifetime. Our observations possibly relativize opinions on cortical plasticity.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Understanding the timing and character of the expansion of Homo sapiens out of Africa is critical for inferring the colonization and admixture processes that underpin global population history. It has been argued that dispersal out of Africa had an early phase, particularly ~130-90 thousand years ago (ka), that reached only the East Mediterranean Levant, and a later phase, ~60-50?ka, that extended across the diverse environments of Eurasia to Sahul. However, recent findings from East Asia and Sahul challenge this model. Here we show that H. sapiens was in the Arabian Peninsula before 85?ka. We describe the Al Wusta-1 (AW-1) intermediate phalanx from the site of Al Wusta in the Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia. AW-1 is the oldest directly dated fossil of our species outside Africa and the Levant. The palaeoenvironmental context of Al Wusta demonstrates that H. sapiens using Middle Palaeolithic stone tools dispersed into Arabia during a phase of increased precipitation driven by orbital forcing, in association with a primarily African fauna. A Bayesian model incorporating independent chronometric age estimates indicates a chronology for Al Wusta of ~95-86?ka, which we correlate with a humid episode in the later part of Marine Isotope Stage 5 known from various regional records. Al Wusta shows that early dispersals were more spatially and temporally extensive than previously thought. Early H. sapiens dispersals out of Africa were not limited to winter rainfall-fed Levantine Mediterranean woodlands immediately adjacent to Africa, but extended deep into the semi-arid grasslands of Arabia, facilitated by periods of enhanced monsoonal rainfall.