Project description:While the role of the paired-type homeobox transcription factor MIXL1 in early embryonic development has been previously established, very little is known about the role of MIXL1 in adult hematopoiesis. To determine what role MIXL1 plays in adult hematopoietic cells, we established an enforced expression model for MIXL1 in the cell line U937, then analyzed the changes of gene expression caused by increased expression of MIXL1 by microarray analysis.
Project description:While the role of the paired-type homeobox transcription factor MIXL1 in early ebryonic development has been previously established, very little is known about the role of MIXL1 in adult hematopoiesis. To determine what role MIXL1 plays in adult hematopoietic cells, we used an established enforced expression line for FLAG-tagged MIXL1 in U937, then isolated targetted regions of the genome by ChIP-Seq. Through this analysis, we identified new putative direct transcirptional targets for MIXL1 in AML and hematopoiesis.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs. One-condition experment, gene expression of 3A6
Project description:Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) possess the ability to differentiate into a multitude of tissue types but display heterogeneity in the propensity of differentiation into specific tissue lineages. An examination of isogenic hiPSC lines revealed variations in the endoderm propensity under directed differentiation conditions. Characterization of the transcriptome and proteome of the hiPSC lines showed that MIXL1 activity at the early differentiation stage correlated with the efficacy of generating definitive endoderm and further differentiation into endoderm derivatives. Enforced expression of MIXL1 in the endoderm-incompetent hiPSCs enhanced the propensity of endoderm differentiation, suggesting that modulation of key drivers of lineage differentiation can re-wire hiPSC to the desired lineage propensity for stem cell products.
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.
Project description:As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain.A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development.Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.