Project description:Genomic copy number profiling of TAK1 deficient liver parenchymal cells with Rip3 double knockout Sample vs. Reference (pool of 4 normal liver tissues)
Project description:For years, the term apoptosis was used synonymously for programmed cell death. However, it was recently discovered that programmed necrosis M-bM-^@M-^S dependent on the kinases Receptor-Interacting-Protein-Kinase (RIP)1 and RIP3 (also called necroptosis) M-bM-^@M-^S represents a major programmed cell-death pathway in development and immunity. At present, the functions of necroptosis in hepatitis, liver cancer development and biliary disease are unclear. Here we show that in mice with chronic hepatitis due to conditional ablation of TGF-beta-activated kinase1 (TAK1) in liver parenchymal cells (LPC), both apoptotic and necroptotic signaling pathways are activated. Strikingly, only Caspase-8-dependent apoptosis promotes spontaneous liver cancer development, while in contrast LPC necroptosis inhibits hepatic tumourigenesis. The tumour-promoting effect of apoptosis results from an induction of strong compensatory proliferation of LPC, linked with the paracrine action of growth factors like Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) not induced by necroptosis. In addition to prevention of HCC development, induction of necroptosis leads to massive cholestasis and hyperbilirubinemia, resulting from an insufficient ductular reaction and biliary regeneration from the hepatic stem cell niche as a response to chronic hepatitis. These results indicate previously undefined distinctive functions of apoptosis and programmed necrosis in controlling cancer development and cholestasis in the liver with important implications for future therapeutic strategies in chronic liver disease. 8 samples were analysed. We compared groups of 4 Tak1/Caspase8 LPC double knockout mice and 4 Tak1 LPC-KO/Rip3-/- mice to detect genes differentially regulated by apoptotic and necrotic signalling pathways.
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:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
Project description:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from seven Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Brain, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
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.