Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Bmi1 mutant dental epithelia including the stem cell compartment to determine which genes are upregulated in response to loss of Bmi1. Two condition experiment: dental epithelia homozygous null for Bmi1 and WT dental epithelia. 4 replicates each
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Bmi1 mutant dental epithelia including the stem cell compartment to determine which genes are upregulated in response to loss of Bmi1.
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: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:Cell fate is defined by specific transcriptional program. Here, we provide evidence that the transcriptional coactivator, Mediator 1 (MED1), is critical in determining the cell fate of ectodermal epithelia. MED1 ablation disrupted enamel formation and generated hair adjacent to the incisors. Deletion of MED1 altered the differentiation of dental epithelia to one expressing epidermal and hair genes similar to the skin. The cellular switch from dental to epidermal/hair lineage was characterized by abnormalities in MED1 deficient dental epithelial stem cells residing in cervical loop. MED1 deficiency caused a failure of dental epithelial stem cells to commit to the dental stratum intermedium regulated by Notch signaling. Instead, MED1 deficient cells retained stem cell potentials expressing Sox2. These cells were eventually adopted an epidermal fate probably through calcium provided through capillary networks, which is originally utilized for enamel formation. Our results demonstrate that MED1 regulates Sox2/Notch1 regulated cell lineage determination in dental epithelia. Our study also shows a potential to regenerate hairs by using genetically engineered dental tissues or cells outside of the skin. n=3 WT and KO (each sample contain dissected dental tissues from 3 mice combined)
Project description:Cell fate is defined by specific transcriptional program. Here, we provide evidence that the transcriptional coactivator, Mediator 1 (MED1), is critical in determining the cell fate of ectodermal epithelia. MED1 ablation disrupted enamel formation and generated hair adjacent to the incisors. Deletion of MED1 altered the differentiation of dental epithelia to one expressing epidermal and hair genes similar to the skin. The cellular switch from dental to epidermal/hair lineage was characterized by abnormalities in MED1 deficient dental epithelial stem cells residing in cervical loop. MED1 deficiency caused a failure of dental epithelial stem cells to commit to the dental stratum intermedium regulated by Notch signaling. Instead, MED1 deficient cells retained stem cell potentials expressing Sox2. These cells were eventually adopted an epidermal fate probably through calcium provided through capillary networks, which is originally utilized for enamel formation. Our results demonstrate that MED1 regulates Sox2/Notch1 regulated cell lineage determination in dental epithelia. Our study also shows a potential to regenerate hairs by using genetically engineered dental tissues or cells outside of the skin. n=4 WT and KO (each group contains dissected dental tissues from 3 mice combined)
Project description:Cell fate is defined by specific transcriptional program. Here, we provide evidence that the transcriptional coactivator, Mediator 1 (MED1), is critical in determining the cell fate of ectodermal epithelia. MED1 ablation disrupted enamel formation and generated hair adjacent to the incisors. Deletion of MED1 altered the differentiation of dental epithelia to one expressing epidermal and hair genes similar to the skin. The cellular switch from dental to epidermal/hair lineage was characterized by abnormalities in MED1 deficient dental epithelial stem cells residing in cervical loop. MED1 deficiency caused a failure of dental epithelial stem cells to commit to the dental stratum intermedium regulated by Notch signaling. Instead, MED1 deficient cells retained stem cell potentials expressing Sox2. These cells were eventually adopted an epidermal fate probably through calcium provided through capillary networks, which is originally utilized for enamel formation. Our results demonstrate that MED1 regulates Sox2/Notch1 regulated cell lineage determination in dental epithelia. Our study also shows a potential to regenerate hairs by using genetically engineered dental tissues or cells outside of the skin. n=3 WT and KO (each sample contain dissected dental tissues from 3 mice combined)