Project description:Organoids are a valuable 3D model to study the differentiated functions of the human intestinal epithelium. They are a particularly powerful tool to measure epithelial transport processs in health and disease. Though biological assays such as organoid swelling and intraluminal pH measurements are well established, their underlying functional genomics are not well characterized. Here we combine genome-wide analysis of open chromatin by ATAC-seq with transcriptome mapping by RNA-seq to define the genomic signature of human intestinal organoids (HIOs). These data provide an important tool for investigating key physiological and biochemical processes in the intestinal epithelium. We next compared the transcriptome and open chromatin profiles of HIOs with equivalent datasets from the Caco2 colorectal carcinoma line, which is an important 2D model of the intestinal epithelium. Our results define common features of the intestinal epithelium in HIO and Caco2 and further illustrate the cancer-associated program of the cell line. Generation of Caco2 organoids enabled interrogation of the molecular divergence of the 2D and 3D cultures. Over-represented motif analysis of open chromatin peaks identified Caudal Type Homeobox 2 (CDX2) as a key activating transcription factor in HIO, but not in monolayer cultures of Caco2. However, the CDX2 motif becomes overrepresented in open chromatin from Caco2 organoids, reinforcing the importance of this factor in intestinal epithelial differentiation and function. Intersection of the HIO and Caco2 transcriptomes further showed functional overlap in pathways of ion transport and tight junction integrity among others. These data make an important contribution to understanding human intestinal organoid biology.
Project description:Organoids are a valuable 3D model to study the differentiated functions of the human intestinal epithelium. They are a particularly powerful tool to measure epithelial transport processs in health and disease. Though biological assays such as organoid swelling and intraluminal pH measurements are well established, their underlying functional genomics are not well characterized. Here we combine genome-wide analysis of open chromatin by ATAC-seq with transcriptome mapping by RNA-seq to define the genomic signature of human intestinal organoids (HIOs). These data provide an important tool for investigating key physiological and biochemical processes in the intestinal epithelium. We next compared the transcriptome and open chromatin profiles of HIOs with equivalent datasets from the Caco2 colorectal carcinoma line, which is an important 2D model of the intestinal epithelium. Our results define common features of the intestinal epithelium in HIO and Caco2 and further illustrate the cancer-associated program of the cell line. Generation of Caco2 organoids enabled interrogation of the molecular divergence of the 2D and 3D cultures. Over-represented motif analysis of open chromatin peaks identified Caudal Type Homeobox 2 (CDX2) as a key activating transcription factor in HIO, but not in monolayer cultures of Caco2. However, the CDX2 motif becomes overrepresented in open chromatin from Caco2 organoids, reinforcing the importance of this factor in intestinal epithelial differentiation and function. Intersection of the HIO and Caco2 transcriptomes further showed functional overlap in pathways of ion transport and tight junction integrity among others. These data make an important contribution to understanding human intestinal organoid biology.
Project description:Experiment intended to obtain expression profiles of iPSC-derived human colon organoids compared to undifferentiated human iPSCs and a patient-derived colon organoid line
Project description:We aimed to investigate transcriptional changes in human colon cancer organoids with the BRAF-V600E mutation and in human colon cancer organoids in which the BRAF-V600E mutation was corrected by means of CRISPR genome editing. RNAseq was performed at USEQ at the UMC Utrecht (The Netherlands).
Project description:We aimed to investigate genome wide DNA methylation changes in human colon organoids in which the BRAF-V600E mutation was introduced by means of CRISPR genome editing and in BRAF-wildtype human colon cancer organoids. DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC beadchip at the Pathology department of the UMC Utrecht (The Netherlands).
Project description:Background and aims: Cell-cell adhesion structures (desmosomes and, especially, tight junctions) are known to play important roles in control of transepithelial permeability in the colon. The involvement of cell-matrix interactions in permeability control is less clear. The goals of the present study were to: i) determine if disruption of colon epithelial cell interactions with the extracellular matrix alters permeability control and ii) determine if increasing the elaboration of protein components of cell-matrix adhesion complexes improves permeability control and mitigates the effects of cell-matrix disruption. Results: Treatment of colon organoids with Aquamin® increased the expression of multiple basement membrane and hemidesmosomal proteins as well as keratin 8 and 18. TEER values were higher in the presence of Aquamin® than they were under control conditions. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that cell-matrix interactions contribute to permeability control in the colon. They suggest that the elaboration of proteins important to cell-matrix interactions can be increased in human colon organoids by exposure to a multi-mineral natural product. Increasing the elaboration of such proteins may help to mitigate the consequences of disrupting cell-matrix interactions on permeability control.