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:We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3’ and/or 5’ end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5’ differences and in support of this we report that a 5’ isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5’ isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes
Project description:Therapeutic targeting of BRAFV600Eand of MEK has shown a significant impact on progression-free and overall survival in advanced melanoma, but only a fraction of patients benefit from these treatments, suggesting that additional signaling pathways involved in melanoma growth/survival need to be identified. To this end, we used whole genome microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in a set of neoplastic clones, isolated from a single melanoma metastasis, and characterized by mututally exclusive expression of BRAFV600E or NRASQ61R. By this approach we identified two genes, SEMA6A and Mical-1 belonging to the semaphorin-plexin signaling pathway and higly expressed, at mRNA and protein level, in BRAF-mutant neoplastic clones. Real-time PCR, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry confirmed the preferential expression of SEMA-6A and Mical-1 in BRAFV600E neoplastic cells from melanoma clones, primary and metastatic cell lines and tissue sections from melanoma lesions. SEMA6A depletion, by specific RNA-interference experiments, led to cytoskeletal remodeling, loss of stress fibers, generation of actin-rich protrusion, and cell death, whereas SEMA6A overexpression, in NRASQ61R clones, promoted invasiveness. Mical-1 depletion, by siRNA, in BRAFV600E melanomas, did not alter the actin cytoskeleton organization but caused a strong NDR phosphorylation and NDR-dependent apoptosis. Overall, these results suggest that the SEMA and MICAL pathways contribute to promote survival of BRAFV600E melanomas.
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: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:Vemurafenib is a BRAF inhibitor with specificity for the most common BRAF mutant encountered in melanomas (BRAFV600E). Vemurafenib suppresses the proliferation of BRAF mutant human melanoma cells by suppressing downstream activation of the MEK/ERK mitogen activated protein kinases. We used microarrays to examine the transcriptional response of a vemurafenib-sensitive BRAFV600E human melanoma cell line (A375) to vemurafenib in order to further delineate the mechanisms by which BRAFV600E drives cell proliferation and energy metabolism in human melanoma.
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:Approximately 50% of melanomas harbor an activating BRAFV600E mutation. Standard of care involves a combination of inhibitors targeting mutant BRAF and MEK1/2, the substrate for BRAF in the MAPK pathway. PTEN loss of function mutations occur in 40% of BRAFV600E melanomas, resulting in increased PI3K/AKT activity that enhances resistance to BRAF/MEK combination inhibitor therapy. To compare the response of PTEN null to PTEN wild type cells in an isogenic background, CRISPR was used to knock out PTEN in the A375 melanoma cell line that harbors a BRAFV600E mutation. RNA sequencing and functional kinome analysis revealed the loss of PTEN led to an induction of FOXD3 and an increase in expression of the FOXD3 target gene, ERBB3/HER3. Inhibition of BRAFand MEK1/2 in PTEN null, BRAFV600E cells dramatically induced expression of ERBB3/HER3 relative to wild type cells. A synergy screen of epigenetic modifiers and kinase inhibitors in combination with inhibitors for mutant BRAF/MEK1/2 identified the pan ERBB/HER inhibitor, neratinib, as reversing the resistance observed in PTEN null, BRAFV600E cells. The findings indicate PTEN null BRAFV600E melanoma becomes dependent on ERBB/HER signaling when treated with clinically approved BRAF and MEK inhibitors. Future studies are warranted to test neratinib reversal of resistance in patient melanomas expressing ERBB3/HER3 in combination with its dimerization partner ERBB2/HER2.
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.