Project description:The Th-inducing POK (Th-POK, also known as cKrox or ZBTB7B) transcription factor is a key regulator of lineage commitment of immature T cell precursors. It is yet unclear the physiological functions of Th-POK besides helper T cell differentiation. We found that Th-POK is restrictedly expressed in the luminal epithelial cells in the mammary glands. Th-POK is not required for mammary gland development in puberty and alveologenesis in pregnancy. Th-POK-deficient mice are defective in secretory activation upon parturition with large cellular lipid droplets retained within alveolar epithelial cells. We compared microarray gene expression in mammary glands of lactating wild-type or Th-POK-deficient mice. We show that Th-POK directly regulates expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and insulin-induced Akt-mTOR-SREBP signaling. Th-POK deficiency compromises IRS-1 expression and Akt-mTOR-SREBP signaling in the mammary glands. Thus, Th-POK function as an important regulator of insulin signaling in mammary gland lactation.
Project description:This study was performed to identify transcripts that are differentially expressed in the mammary gland at 4 stages of developmental (virgin, pregnant, lactating and involution) in wild type C57BL/6J mice. Experiment Overall Design: Whole mammary glands No4 (inguinal) were obtained from female mice at 4 stages of development: Virgin (puberty, 6 wks of age), Pregnant (14 days of pregnancy), Lactating (day 10 postpartum) and Involution (4 days post weaning of pups). Three biological replicates were obtained from Virgin females and two biological replicates for the three other stages. mice
Project description:To identify genes specifically expressed in lactating mammary glands, the gene expression profiles of luminal and basal cells from different developmental stages were compared. Comparison of gene expression in luminal and basal cells harvested from the mammary glands of virgin, 18.5 day pregnant and 2 day lactating mice (2 mice per stage).
Project description:The present experiments were performed to determine the roles of estrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ) in normal and neoplastic development in the mouse mammary gland. In wild-type mice, in vivo administration of estradiol (E) + progesterone (P) stimulated mammary ductal growth and alveolar differentiation. Mammary glands from mice in which the ERβ gene has been deleted (βERKO mice) demonstrated normal ductal growth and differentiation in response to E + P. By contrast, mammary glands from mice in which the ERα gene has been deleted (αERKO mice) demonstrated only rudimentary ductal structures that did not differentiate in response to E + P. EGF demonstrates estrogen-like activity in the mammary glands of αERKO mice: treatment of αERKO mice with EGF + P (without E) supported normal mammary gland development, induced expression of progesterone receptor (PR), and increased levels of G- protein-coupled receptor (GPR30) protein. Mammary gland development in βERKO mice treated with EGF + P was comparable to that of wild-type mice receiving EGF + P; EGF had no statistically significant effects on the induction of PR or expression of GPR30 in mammary glands harvested from either wild-type mice or βERKO mice. In vitro exposure of mammary glands to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced preneoplastic mammary alveolar lesions (MAL) in glands from wild-type mice and βERKO mice, but failed to induce MAL in mammary glands from αERKO mice. Microarray analysis of DMBA-treated mammary glands identified 28 functional pathways whose expression was significantly different in αERKO mice versus both βERKO and wild-type mice; key functions that were differentially expressed in αERKO mice included cell division, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The data demonstrate distinct roles for ERα and ERβ in normal and neoplastic development in the mouse mammary gland, and suggest that EGF can mimic the ERα-mediated effects of E in this organ.
Project description:To study effect of VRK1 deletion on spermatogenesis of the mouse, transciptomic analysis of genes in postnatal 8-day testicular cells of wild type and VRK1-deficient Mus musculus was performed.
Project description:Akt1, a serine-threonine protein kinase member of the PKB/Akt gene family, plays a critical role in the regulation of several cellular processes including cell proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we utilized Akt1+/+ and Akt1¬-/- C57/Bl6 female mice to demonstrate that Akt1 is required for normal mammary gland postnatal development and homeostasis. Akt1 deficiency resulted in severely delayed postnatal mammary gland growth as well as a significant decrease in the number of terminal end buds during puberty. Adult Akt1-/- mammary glands exhibited significantly fewer alveolar buds coupled with a significant increase in epithelial cell apoptosis compared to their wild-type counterparts. Microarray analysis revealed that Akt1 deficiency resulted in several altered gene expression changes and biological processes in adult mammary glands, including organismal development, cell death, and tissue morphology. Of particular importance, a significant decrease in expression of Btn1a1, a gene involved in milk lipid secretion, was observed in Akt1-/- mammary glands by both microarray and RT-PCR validation. Transcriptome analysis of Akt1 wild type and akt1-homozygous mouse mammary glands wild type mammary glands from 3 mice and Akt1-deficient mammary glands from 3 mice were analyzed for differences in gene expression at postnatal day 70
Project description:To study effect of VRK1 deletion on spermatogenesis of the mouse, transciptomic analysis of genes in postnatal 8-day testicular cells of wild type and VRK1-deficient Mus musculus was performed. Gene expression in testes from from wild type and VRK1-deficient mutant Mus musculus, respectively, was measured. Four independent experiments for wild type and mutant, respectively, were performed.