Project description:BLNK (BASH/SLP-65) encodes an adaptor protein within the B-cell receptor signaling. Loss-of-function mutations of BLNK are observed in human preB-ALL, and a subset of Blnk knock-out mice develop preB-ALL. To understand the molecular mechanism of preB-ALL development associated with the Blnk mutation, retroviral tagging was applied on Blnk KO mice using Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV). The Blnk mutation significantly accelerated the disease onset of MoMLV-induced leukemia and increased the incidence of preB-ALL. Cebpb was identified as the most frequent common retroviral integration site, suggesting that Cebpb upregulation cooperates with Blnk mutation. Transgenic expression of the LAP (liver-enriched activator protein) isoform of C/EBP-beta significantly accelerated preB-ALL development of Blnk ko mice. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression in mouse preB-ALL
Project description:BLNK (BASH/SLP-65) encodes an adaptor protein within the B-cell receptor signaling. Loss-of-function mutations of BLNK are observed in human preB-ALL, and a subset of Blnk knock-out mice develop preB-ALL. To understand the molecular mechanism of preB-ALL development associated with the Blnk mutation, retroviral tagging was applied on Blnk KO mice using Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV). The Blnk mutation significantly accelerated the disease onset of MoMLV-induced leukemia and increased the incidence of preB-ALL. Cebpb was identified as the most frequent common retroviral integration site, suggesting that Cebpb upregulation cooperates with Blnk mutation. Transgenic expression of the LAP (liver-enriched activator protein) isoform of C/EBP-beta significantly accelerated preB-ALL development of Blnk ko mice. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression in mouse preB-ALL
Project description:CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPb) is a member of a family of highly conserved transcription factors that regulates numerous genes involved in proliferation and differentiation in a variety of tissues. C/EBPb is deregulated in human breast cancer and germline deletion of this gene results in multiple defects in mammary gland development. We hypothesized that C/EBPb regulates mammary stem cell self-renewal, maintenance and/or differentiation through the regulation of multiple target genes that coordinate mammary gland development. Utilizing both a germline knockout mouse model and a conditional knockout strategy, we demonstrated that mammosphere formation was significantly decreased in C/EBPb-deficient mammary epithelial cells (MECs). The ability of C/EBPb-deleted MECs to regenerate the mammary gland in vivo was severely impaired when transplanted at limiting dilution. Furthermore, serial transplantation of C/EBPb-null mammary tissue resulted in decreased outgrowth potential when compared to wildtype, and an early senescence phenotype. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that C/EBPb-null MECs contain a lower frequency of repopulating stem cells accompanied by an increase in committed, differentiated luminal cells as compared to wildtype. Microarray analysis of stem/progenitor cell populations was performed and revealed an alteration in cell fate specification in C/EBPb-null glands, exemplified by the aberrant expression of basal markers in the luminal cell compartment. Collectively, our studies demonstrate that C/EBPb is a critical regulator of mammary stem cell differentiation, and an important determinant of luminal cell fate specification. Experiment Overall Design: To identify potential signaling pathways regulated by C/EBPb in stem/progenitor cells, microarray analysis was performed on two stem/progenitor cell subpopulations. For this analysis, subpopulations defined by LIN-CD24+CD29hi and LIN-CD24hiCD29lo were FACS sorted from wildtype and germline C/EBPb-/- glands, and RNA was isolated from each group.
Project description:CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPb) is a member of a family of highly conserved transcription factors that regulates numerous genes involved in proliferation and differentiation in a variety of tissues. C/EBPb is deregulated in human breast cancer and germline deletion of this gene results in multiple defects in mammary gland development. We hypothesized that C/EBPb regulates mammary stem cell self-renewal, maintenance and/or differentiation through the regulation of multiple target genes that coordinate mammary gland development. Utilizing both a germline knockout mouse model and a conditional knockout strategy, we demonstrated that mammosphere formation was significantly decreased in C/EBPb-deficient mammary epithelial cells (MECs). The ability of C/EBPb-deleted MECs to regenerate the mammary gland in vivo was severely impaired when transplanted at limiting dilution. Furthermore, serial transplantation of C/EBPb-null mammary tissue resulted in decreased outgrowth potential when compared to wildtype, and an early senescence phenotype. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that C/EBPb-null MECs contain a lower frequency of repopulating stem cells accompanied by an increase in committed, differentiated luminal cells as compared to wildtype. Microarray analysis of stem/progenitor cell populations was performed and revealed an alteration in cell fate specification in C/EBPb-null glands, exemplified by the aberrant expression of basal markers in the luminal cell compartment. Collectively, our studies demonstrate that C/EBPb is a critical regulator of mammary stem cell differentiation, and an important determinant of luminal cell fate specification. Keywords: multiple group comparison
Project description:To know the role of C/EBPb in the changes of H3K27ac during desidualization, we compared the H3K27 profiles between cAMP-stimulation and cAMP-stimulation under C/EBPb-knockdown.
Project description:The sequential activation of distinct developmental gene networks governs the ultimate identity of a cell, but the mechanisms by which downstream programs are activated are incompletely understood. The preB-cell receptor (preBCR) is an important checkpoint of B-cell development and essential for a preB-cell to traverse into an immature B-cell. Here, we show that activation of Mef2 transcription factors by preBCR is necessary for initiating the subsequent genetic network. We demonstrate that B-cell development is blocked at the preB-cell stage in mice deficient for Mef2c and Mef2d transcription factors and that preBCR signaling enhances the transcriptional activity of Mef2c/d through phosphorylation by the ERK5 mitogen activating kinase. This activation is instrumental in inducing Krüppel-like factor 2 and several immediate early genes of the AP1 and Egr family. Finally, we show that Mef2 proteins cooperate with the products of their target genes (Irf4 and Egr2) to induce secondary waves of transcriptional regulation. Our findings uncover a novel role for Mef2c/d in coordinating the transcriptional network that promotes early B-cell development. RNA-seq experiments were performed from Blnk-/- preB-cells with an integration of BLNK-ERt2 to identify genes regulated after preBCR signaling