Project description:4 weeks old rooted plantlets (P. tremula × tremuloides) of wildtype (T89), PICKLE:RNAi (line 417-4 and 417-17) and FDL2:RNAi (line 510-12 and 510-18) were potted in soil in 1.5 l pots and were kept in a glass chamber. The plants were grown for eight weeks and well irrigated before the treatment started. Well-watered and drought stress treatments were applied. Woody samples were collected after 4 weeks of treatment for RNA extraction and RNA sequencing.
Project description:Identifying resistance mutations in a drug target provides crucial information. Lentiviral transduction creates multiple types of mutations due to the error-prone nature of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). We optimized and leveraged this property to identify drug resistance mutations, a technique we term LentiMutate. After validating this technique by identifying clinically relevant EGFR resistance mutations, we applied this technique to two additional anti-cancer drugs, imatinib and AMG 510. We find novel deletions in BCR-ABL1 that confer resistance to BCR-ABL1 inhibitors and point mutations in the AMG 510 binding pocket or oncogenic non-G12C mutations, in KRAS-G12C or wild-type KRAS, respectively, that confer resistance to AMG 510. LentiMutate may prove highly valuable to clinical and preclinical cancer drug development.
Project description:Caloric restriction (CR) is one of the most robust interventions shown to delay aging in diverse species, including rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Identification of factors involved in CR brings a promise of translatability to human health and aging. Here, we show that CR induced a profound change in abundance of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) linked to growth and insulin signaling pathway, suggesting that miRNAs are involved in CR’s mechanisms of action in primates. Deep sequencing of plasma RNA extracts enriched for short species revealed a total of 243 unique species of miRNAs including 47 novel species. Approxi- mately 70% of the plasma miRNAs detected were conserved between rhesus monkeys and humans. CR induced or repressed 24 known and 10 novel miRNA species. Regression analysis revealed correlations between bodyweight, adiposity, and insulin sensitivity for 10 of the CR-regulated known miRNAs. Sequence alignment and target identification for these 10 miRNAs identify a role in signaling downstream of the insulin receptor. The highly abundant miR-125a-5p correlated positively with adiposity and negatively with insulin sensitivity and was negatively regulated by CR. Putative target pathways of CR- associated miRNAs were highly enriched for growth and insulin signaling that have previously been implicated in delayed aging. Clustering analysis further pointed to CR-induced miRNA regula- tion of ribosomal, mitochondrial, and spliceosomal pathways. These data are consistent with a model where CR recruits miRNA- based homeostatic mechanisms to coordinate a program of delayed aging.
Project description:Identifying resistance mutations in a drug target provides crucial information. Lentiviral transduction creates multiple types of mutations due to the error-prone nature of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and we show this property can be leveraged to identify mutations that confer resistance to targeted anti-cancer drugs, a technique we term “LentiMutate”. First, we improved LentiMutate by making the lentiviral RT more error-prone. Next, we applied this technique to two anti-cancer drugs, imatinib and AMG 510. We find novel deletions in BCR-ABL that confer resistance to BCR-ABL inhibitors and point mutations in the AMG 510 binding pocket or oncogenic non-G12C mutations, in KRAS-G12C or wild-type KRAS, respectively, that confer resistance to AMG 510. LentiMutate may prove highly valuable to clinical and preclinical cancer drug development
Project description:Identifying resistance mutations in a drug target provides crucial information. Lentiviral transduction creates multiple types of mutations due to the error-prone nature of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and we show this property can be leveraged to identify mutations that confer resistance to targeted anti-cancer drugs, a technique we term “LentiMutate”. First, we improved LentiMutate by making the lentiviral RT more error-prone. Next, we applied this technique to two anti-cancer drugs, imatinib and AMG 510. We find novel deletions in BCR-ABL that confer resistance to BCR-ABL inhibitors and point mutations in the AMG 510 binding pocket or oncogenic non-G12C mutations, in KRAS-G12C or wild-type KRAS, respectively, that confer resistance to AMG 510. LentiMutate may prove highly valuable to clinical and preclinical cancer drug development
Project description:We report the results of RNA-Seq from an HCA-7 derived cell line with high levels of miR-100 and miR-125b (CC-CR) and knockout cell lines generated from the high expressing cells. CC-CR cells had miR-100, miR-125b or both miRNAs knocked out using CRISPR Cas9. Since miRNAs function to negatively regulate their target, the knockout cell lines should have the potential mRNA targets upregulated in comparison to CC-CR cells. Results were used to identify potential mRNAs that were upregulated in the knockout cell lines compared to CC-CR cells
Project description:The prime focus of the current therapeutic strategy for Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an early and deep tumour burden reduction; this characterizes and defines the complete response (CR). To date, no description of the characteristics of the plasma cells (PC) prone to achieve CR has been reported. This study aimed at the molecular characterization of PC derived from MM patients who achieved CR after bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone (VTD) first line therapy. One hundred and eighteen MM primary tumours obtained from homogeneously treated patients were globally profiled both for gene expression and for single nucleotide polymorphism genotype. Genomic results were used to obtain a predictor of sensitivity to VTD induction therapy, as well as to describe both the transcription and the genomic profile of PC derived from patients with MM who will respond optimally to primary induction therapy. By analysing the gene profiles of CR patients, we identified a 5-gene signature predicting CR with an overall median accuracy of 75% (range: 72%-85%). In addition, we highlighted the differential expression of a series of genes, whose deregulation, accordingly to their reported functions, might explain the CR patients’ sensitivity to VTD therapy. We also showed that a small copy number loss, covering 606Kb on chromosome 1p22.1 was the most significantly associated with CR patients. The study provides insights into the genomic landscape of PC obtained from newly diagnosed MM patients achieving CR after VTD and shows that patients might be accurately stratified according to their sensitivity to VTD.
Project description:Although caloric restriction (CR) was first shown to extend the lifespan of rodents over 75 years ago, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Additionally, the majority of published studies have focused on the effects of short-term CR. To better understand cell signaling alterations in a tissue known to be highly impacted by CR, we sought to assess the impact of aging and lifelong CR on skeletal muscle protein phosphorylation dynamics. We performed phosphoproteomic analysis on skeletal muscle from young mice, old mice fed on an ad libitum diet, and old mice fed a CR diet. This analysis revealed distinct phosphoproteomic signatures associated with both aging and diet. Importantly, CR appeared to promote a signature that was more similar to young mice than old mice fed on an ad lib diet. From the phosphorylation measurements on its known substrates, we deciphered that aging promotes Protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, and CR inhibits this signaling cascade. Given the demonstrated role of PKA signaling as a “pro-aging” pathway in various model organisms, including yeast and mice, we propose that CR exerts its longevity-enhancing effects partially via the suppression of this pathway.
Project description:Neurogenesis in the developing neocortex begins with the generation of the preplate, which consists of early-born neurons including Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells and subplate neurons. Here, utilizing the Ebf2-EGFP transgenic mouse in which EGFP initially labels the preplate neurons then persists in CR cells, we reveal the dynamic transcriptome profiles of early neurogenesis and CR cell differentiation. Genome-wide RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses at multiple early neurogenic stages have revealed the temporal gene expression dynamics of early neurogenesis and distinct histone modification patterns in early differentiating neurons. We have identified a new set of coding genes and lncRNAs involved in early neuronal differentiation and validated with functional assays in vitro and in vivo. In addition, at E15.5 when Ebf2-EGFP+ cells are mostly CR neurons, single-cell sequencing analysis of purified Ebf2-EGFP+ cells uncovers molecular heterogeneity in CR neurons, but without apparent clustering of cells with distinct regional origins. Along a pseudotemporal trajectory these cells are classified into three different developing states, revealing genetic cascades from early generic neuronal differentiation to late fate specification during the establishment of CR neuron identity and function. Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms governing the early differentiation steps during cortical development, especially CR neuron differentiation.