Project description:Expression profiling after Sox4 knockdown (KD) during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NMuMG reveals a significant number of genes that are transcriptionally deregulated. Gene expression profiling is performed in Sox4-ablated (siSox4) NMuMG cells. Cells transfected with siControl is used as a control. The cells were either treated with transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ; 2ng/ml) or not.
Project description:Expression profiling after Sox4 knockdown (KD) during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NMuMG reveals a significant number of genes that are transcriptionally deregulated.
Project description:Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) fate is controlled by environmental cues, among which cytokines play a crucial role. The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) family signaling pathways controls GSCs. On one hand, TGFβ promotes cell proliferation in GBM, it induces the expression of platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGFB). Moreover, TGFβ, via its signaling mediators Smad2/3, induces the expression of the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Sox4, which in turn enhances the expression of the stem cell transcription factor Sox2; this increases the self-renewal capacity of the GSCs and their stemness characteristics, and enhances the GSC tumor-initiating potential. On the other hand, Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are known to promote GSC differentiation towards the astrocytic phenotype. To further understand which genes are regulated by TGFβ and BMP7 in GSCs we performed a microarray in the Affymetrix HTA2 platform in three different glioblastoma cell line, U2987, and two patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells, U3031MG and U3034MG, in the presence or absence of 5 ng/ml of TGFβ or 30 ng/ml BMP7 for 24 h, three biological replicates per condition.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:In mammals, retinal damage is followed by Müller glia cell activation and proliferation. While retinal gliosis persists in adult mammals after an insult or disease, some vertebrates, including zebrafish, have the capacity to regenerate. We believe we are the first group to show that gliosis is a fibrotic-like process in mammals’ eyes caused by differential activation of canonical and non-canonical TGFβ signaling pathways.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.