Project description:Tristetraprolin (TTP) binds to specific AU-rich elements in the 3'UTR of certain transcripts and regulates post-transcriptional gene expression by increasing the rate of mRNA turnover. In this study, we evaluated the effects of TTP deficiency on the overall gene expression of spleen tissue, in order to discover tissue specific targets of TTP under normal physiologic conditions. We utilized "Triple KO" (Zfp36-/-/TNFR1-/-/TNFR2-/-) mice that are deficient in TTP and two TNF receptors and compared the transcriptomic changes to "Double KO" (TNFR1-/-/TNFR2-/-) and WT mice. Spleen mRNA from four WT, four "Double KO", and four "Triple mice" was subjected to RNA-Seq in two phases. All the animals used in this study were males between the ages of 12-14 weeks and were on a mixed (75% C57BL/6NTac, 25% 129/SVEV) background. Examination of splenic gene expression difference between "Triple KO"-WT and "double KO"-WT data sets
Project description:Posttranscriptional regulation of mRNA levels in neutrophils and its consequences for immune responses are unexplored. By employing profiling of the neutrophil transcriptome we show that the mRNA-destabilizing protein tristetraprolin (TTP) limits the expression of hundreds of genes, including genes negatively regulating apoptosis. Elicited TTP-deficient neutrophils exhibited reduced apoptosis and were increased in numbers. The anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 was elevated in TTP-deficient neutrophils and Mcl1 mRNA was bound and destabilized by TTP. Ablation of TTP in macrophages and neutrophils resulted in an improved defense and survival of mice during invasive infection with Streptococcus pyogenes. Mice lacking myeloid TTP prevented dissemination of bacteria and efficiently blunted systemic disease by massive but controlled neutrophil deployment. These data identify posttranscriptional control by TTP to restrict neutrophils and antimicrobial defense.
Project description:Controlled decay of cytokine and chemokine mRNAs restrains the time and amplitude of inflammatory responses. Tristetraprolin (TTP) binds to AU-rich elements in 3´ untranslated regions of mRNA and targets the bound mRNA for degradation. We have addressed here the function of TTP in balancing the macrophage activation state by a comprehensive analysis of TTP-dependent mRNA decay in LPS-stimulated macrophages from WT and TTP-deficient mice.
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: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.
Project description:Controlled decay of cytokine and chemokine mRNAs restrains the time and amplitude of inflammatory responses. Tristetraprolin (TTP) binds to AU-rich elements in 3´ untranslated regions of mRNA and targets the bound mRNA for degradation. We have addressed here the function of TTP in balancing the macrophage activation state by a comprehensive analysis of TTP-dependent mRNA decay in LPS-stimulated macrophages from WT and TTP-deficient mice. We compared mRNA stability in LPS-treated BMDMs from WT and TTP-/- mice by microarray-based measurement of the remnant mRNA after transcriptional blockade with actinomycin D (act D). To increase the sensitivity of the mRNA decay profiling we inhibited the LPS-activated p38 MAPK with the specific inhibitor SB203580 since p38 MAPK negatively regulates the mRNA-destabilizing activity of TTP. LPS stimulation was for 3h before addition of act D. RNA was harvested at 0', 45' and 90' thereafter.
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:RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) facilitate post-transcriptional control of eukaryotic gene expression at multiple levels. The RBP tristetraprolin (TTP/Zfp36) is a signal-induced phosphorylated anti-inflammatory protein guiding unstable mRNAs of pro-inflammatory proteins for degradation and preventing translation. Using iCLIP, we have identified numerous mRNA targets bound by wild-type TTP and by a non-MK2-phosphorylatable TTP mutant (TTP-AA) in 1h LPS-stimulated macrophages and correlated their interaction with TTP to changes at the level of mRNA abundance and translation in a transcriptome-wide manner. The close similarity of the transcriptome of TTP-deficient and TTP-expressing macrophages upon short LPS stimulation suggested an effective inactivation of TTP by MK2 under these conditions whereas retained RNA-binding capacity of TTP-AA to 3’UTRs caused profound changes in the transcriptome and translatome, altered NF-κB-activation and induced cell death. Increased TTP binding to the 3'UTR of feedback inhibitor mRNAs, such as Ier3, Dusp1 or Tnfaip3, in the absence of MK2-dependent TTP neutralization resulted in a strong reduction of their protein synthesis contributing to the deregulation of the NF-κB-signaling pathway. Taken together, our study uncovers a role for TTP in NF-κB-signaling and highlights the importance of fine-tuned TTP activity-regulation by MK2 in order to control feedback signaling during the inflammatory response.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) facilitate post-transcriptional control of eukaryotic gene expression at multiple levels. The RBP tristetraprolin (TTP/Zfp36) is a signal-induced phosphorylated anti-inflammatory protein guiding unstable mRNAs of pro-inflammatory proteins for degradation and preventing translation. Using iCLIP, we have identified numerous mRNA targets bound by wild-type TTP and by a non-MK2-phosphorylatable TTP mutant (TTP-AA) in 1h LPS-stimulated macrophages and correlated their interaction with TTP to changes at the level of mRNA abundance and translation in a transcriptome-wide manner. The close similarity of the transcriptome of TTP-deficient and TTP-expressing macrophages upon short LPS stimulation suggested an effective inactivation of TTP by MK2 under these conditions whereas retained RNA-binding capacity of TTP-AA to 3’UTRs caused profound changes in the transcriptome and translatome, altered NF-κB-activation and induced cell death. Increased TTP binding to the 3'UTR of feedback inhibitor mRNAs, such as Ier3, Dusp1 or Tnfaip3, in the absence of MK2-dependent TTP neutralization resulted in a strong reduction of their protein synthesis contributing to the deregulation of the NF-κB-signaling pathway. Taken together, our study uncovers a role for TTP in NF-κB-signaling and highlights the importance of fine-tuned TTP activity-regulation by MK2 in order to control feedback signaling during the inflammatory response.