Project description:Background: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands.
Project description:Introduction: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands. Differential expression was assessed with the moderated t-test (Bioconductor's limma package) with pairing of the samples by the donor. Raw p-values were adjusted for multiple hypothesis testing using the method from Benjamini and Hochberg for a strong control of the false discovery rate. EPCAM and GFP over-expression in proliferating mammary epithelial cells from two donors (6 and 8). Expression levels between EPCAM and control samples were compared to determine whether, and to which extent EPCAM over-expression alters the gene expression profile of the cells.
Project description:Background: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands. For each gene a representative transcript probe set was selected based on a score that combines average expression and variation of expression across all samples. Transcript probe sets with more than 4 probes were preferred. Differential expression analysis between EPCAM over-expressing and control cells (expressing GFP) was performed using a paired moderated t-test employing functions provided by Bioconductor's limma package. p-values were subsequently adjusted for multiple hypothesis testing using the method from Benjamini and Hochberg for a strong control of the false discovery rate.
Project description:Introduction: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands. Differential expression was assessed with the moderated t-test (Bioconductor's limma package) with pairing of the samples by the donor. Raw p-values were adjusted for multiple hypothesis testing using the method from Benjamini and Hochberg for a strong control of the false discovery rate.
Project description:The genetic expression profile of a Wnt signal agonist, BIO, was evaluated in human primary keratinocytes. Accelerating scaling up of primary keratinocytes benefits skin autografts for severely burned patients. Wnt signal, a conserved pathway controlling cell cycle and morphogenesis of embryo, has been postulated to promote the cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in adult. Here, the effects of Wnt signal on the growth of interfollicular keratinocytes were investigated. We demonstrated that recombinant Wnt3a significantly promoted the primary keratinocyte growth at a low cell density. A well-characterized GSK-3beta inhibitor, BIO, activated the Wnt signals and also enhanced the colony formation of keratinocytes dose-dependently. Gene expression profile of the BIO-treated keratinocytes revealed the linkage of the BIO with the cell mitosis and indicated that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a Wnt target gene, was upregulated. Comparing to the EpCAM- keratinocytes, the EpCAM+ cells showed higher proliferation rate and efficacy of the colony formation. Especially, inhibiting the EpCAM expression by shRNA attenuated the proliferation effect of BIO and the growth advantage of the EpCAM+ keratinocytes. These evidences emphasize the positive role of canonical Wnt and EpCAM on the regulation of cell growth and self-renewal for human keratinocytes.
Project description:In this study, we grew primary breast epithelial cells from breast biopsies of healthy donors, five each of African Ancestry, European ancestry and those who identify as Hispanic using epithelial cell reprogramming assay growth method. Cells grown were sorted into luminal progenitors (CD49F+/EpCAM+, labelled as PP cells) and mature luminal (CD49F-/EpCAM+, labelled as NP cells) by flow cytometry. Flow sorted cells were subjected to RNA-seq.
Project description:Cardiomyocytes exhibit differential growth patterns throughout development. In fetal life the increase in cardiac mass is associated with hyperplastic growth and cardiomyocyte proliferation. The majority of fetal cardiomyocytes are also mononucleated. During the early neonatal period in mice there is a switch from hyperplastic to hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes. This period is characterized by bi-nucleation and polyploidization of cardiomyocyte nuclei and a decreased capacity for cardiomyocytes to proliferate and complete cytokinesis. Increases in myocardial mass occur predominantly via hypertrophic growth. Adult mammalian cardiomyocytes are generally accepted to have little or no proliferative capacity and to be terminally withdrawn from the cell cycle. The vast majority of adult murine cardiomyocytes are bi-nucleated. The present study sought to accurately establish the growth pattern of cardiomyocytes throughout development in mice and identify genes associated with the switch from hyperplastic to hypertrophic growth. These cell cycle associated genes are crucial to the understanding of the mechanisms of bi-nucleation, polyploidization and hypertrophy in the neonatal period. Cardiomyocytes were FACS sorted from the hearts of ED11-12 embryos, neonatal day 3-4 and adult (10 week) eGFP ?-MHC mice whereby GFP expression is driven constitutively by the ?-MHC promoter. Gene analyses identified genes whose expression was predicted to be particular to day 3 -4 neonatal cardiomyocytes, compared to embryonic or adult cells. Cell cycle associated genes are crucial to the understanding of the mechanisms of bi-nucleation and hypertrophy in the neonatal period, and offer attractive candidates for manipulation.
Project description:Epithelial tumors can progress from a benign tissue overgrowth (hyperplasia) to a malignant neoplastic tumor, which is characterized by an increase in motility and invasiveness. The Cohen laboratory has developed an epithelial tumor model in which overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) leads to benign tissue hyperplasia. When combined with other cooperating factors, EGFR overexpression can lead to neoplasia and malignant metastasis. Microarray analysis were performed in normal epithelia, hyperplastic, and neoplastic tumors collected from Drosophila wing imaginal discs to identify genes whose misexpression correlates with tumor progression
Project description:SOX9 is generally not expressed in melanomas with a high proliferative capacity but is expressed in melanomas with a high invasive capacity. Here we overexpress full length SOX9 in M010817, a melanoma cell culture with high proliferative capacity but low invasive capacity. 3x Control vector. 3x SOX9 overexpression