Project description:In absence of selenium, proerythroblasts exhibited delay in differentation into basophilic erythroblasts during phenylhydrazine induced stress erythropoiesis. This microarray project was aiming to explore gene expression patterns in erythroblasts in the function of selenium status.
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: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:Erythropoietic homeostasis is coordinated by erythroblast development and challenged by a number of genetic diseases including polycythemia vera. Erythroblasts and central macrophages form erythroblastic islands to provide a specific environment for erythropoiesis. However, how central macrophages interplay with erythroblasts during erythropoiesis remains to be further clarified. In this study, we found that erythroid-specific TFPI knockout decreased the number of erythroblasts under both steady-state and stress conditions, and the function of TFPI in erythropoiesis was mediated by macrophages. TFPI affects the downstream heme synthesis pathway of central macrophages, as shown by RNA sequencing analysis, and the deletion of TFPI reduced the heme content of macrophages by inhibiting ferrochelatase (Fech) expression. Our results show that TFPI plays an important role in the regulation of erythropoiesis and reveal a new mechanism of interplay between erythroblasts and macrophages. TFPI will also provide a new potential treatment strategy for polycythemia vera.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with mutated SF3B1 gene have many features including a favorable outcome that are distinct from MDS with mutations in other splicing factor genes SRSF2 or U2AF1. Molecular bases of these divergences are poorly understood. Here we show that SF3B1-mutated MDS are characterized by a dramatically reduced R-loop formation predominating in gene bodies, which tightly associates with reduced retention of introns specifically found in SF3B1-mutated, but not in U2AF1- or SRSF2-mutated MDS. Compared to erythroblasts from SRSF2- or U2AF1-mutated patients, SF3B1-mutated erythroblasts exhibited augmented DNA synthesis, accelerated replication forks, and single-stranded DNA exposure upon differentiation, which were recapitulated in murine Sf3b1K700E/+ proerythroblasts. Importantly, R-loop formation was restored by histone deacetylase inhibition using SAHA/vorinostat, which improved Sf3b1K700E/+ erythroblast differentiation. In conclusion, loss of R-loops with associated DNA replication stress is a hallmark of SF3B1- mutated MDS ineffective erythropoiesis, which could be used as a new therapeutic target.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with mutated SF3B1 gene have many features including a favorable outcome that are distinct from MDS with mutations in other splicing factor genes SRSF2 or U2AF1. Molecular bases of these divergences are poorly understood. Here we show that SF3B1-mutated MDS are characterized by a dramatically reduced R-loop formation predominating in gene bodies, which tightly associates with reduced retention of introns specifically found in SF3B1-mutated, but not in U2AF1- or SRSF2-mutated MDS. Compared to erythroblasts from SRSF2- or U2AF1-mutated patients, SF3B1-mutated erythroblasts exhibited augmented DNA synthesis, accelerated replication forks, and single-stranded DNA exposure upon differentiation, which were recapitulated in murine Sf3b1K700E/+ proerythroblasts. Importantly, R-loop formation was restored by histone deacetylase inhibition using SAHA/vorinostat, which improved Sf3b1K700E/+ erythroblast differentiation. In conclusion, loss of R-loops with associated DNA replication stress is a hallmark of SF3B1- mutated MDS ineffective erythropoiesis, which could be used as a new therapeutic target.
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:The importance of unanchored Ub in innate immunity has been shown only for a limited number of unanchored Ub-interactors. We investigated what additional cellular factors interact with unanchored Ub and whether unanchored Ub plays a broader role in innate immunity. To identify unanchored Ub-interacting factors from murine lungs, we used His-tagged recombinant poly-Ub chains as bait. These chains were mixed with lung tissue lysates and protein complexes were isolated with Ni-NTA beads. Sample elutions were subjected to mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analysis.