Project description:MiR-31 is one of the most highly overexpressed miRNAs in psoriasis skin; however, its biological role in the disease has not been studied. Here we show that miR-31 is markedly overexpressed in psoriasis keratinocytes. To study the biological role of miR-31 in keratinocytes, we transfected miR-31 hairpin inhibitor (anti-miR-31) into primary human keratinocytes to inhibit endogenous miR-31. We performed a global transcriptome analysis of keratinocytes upon suppression of endogenous miR-31 using Affymetrix arrays.
Project description:MiR-31 is one of the most highly overexpressed miRNAs in psoriasis skin; however, its biological role in the disease has not been studied. Here we show that miR-31 is markedly overexpressed in psoriasis keratinocytes. To study the biological role of miR-31 in keratinocytes, we transfected miR-31 hairpin inhibitor (anti-miR-31) into primary human keratinocytes to inhibit endogenous miR-31. We performed a global transcriptome analysis of keratinocytes upon suppression of endogenous miR-31 using Affymetrix arrays. Expression profiling of primary human keratinocytes transfected with 10nM miR-31 hairpin inhibitor (anti-miR-31) or control hairpin RNA (anti-miR-Ctrl) for 48 hours (biological triplicates in each group) was performed using the Affymetrix GeneTitan system.
Project description:A global transcriptome analysis of human epidermal keratinocytes upon overexpression of microRNA-19a or microRNA-19b or microRNA-20a
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression.
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.
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.