Project description:To investigate the relationship between histones, chaperone function, and cataracts, we performed RNA-seq, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), size-exclusion chromatography, and gel electrophoresis of histones. The RNA-seq of postnatal lenses from 2-day-old cryaa -R49C mice revealed increased histone gene expression, suggesting that a α-crystallin mutation regulates histones via a transcriptional mechanism .
Project description:We profiled the skeletal muscle transcriptome between wild type and αB-crystallin/HspB2 knock mice exposed to normal chow and high fat diets to examine the role of αB-crystallin/HspB2 in diet induced obesity. Combined with metabolic profiling of the mice, these data reveal that αB-crystallin/HspB2 is involved in the genesis of insulin resistance on a high fat diet, and we provide extensive RNA profiling to illuminate potential mechanistic insights into the muscle-specific role of αB-crystallin/HspB2. Hind limb muscle mRNA profiles of wild type and αB-crystallin/HspB2 knock mice exposed to either normal chow or high fat diets using RNAseq analysis
Project description:We profiled the skeletal muscle transcriptome between wild type and αB-crystallin/HspB2 knock mice exposed to normal chow and high fat diets to examine the role of αB-crystallin/HspB2 in diet induced obesity. Combined with metabolic profiling of the mice, these data reveal that αB-crystallin/HspB2 is involved in the genesis of insulin resistance on a high fat diet, and we provide extensive RNA profiling to illuminate potential mechanistic insights into the muscle-specific role of αB-crystallin/HspB2.
Project description:Here we report RNA-Seq data from RNA isolated from newborn lenses from FVB/N control mice as well as from newborn lenses of two different transgenic mouse lines (Le-Cre and P0-3.9GFPCre). Sequence reads of 51 bp were obtained from an illumine HiSeq 2000 system and mapped to the C57BL/6 reference genome (assembly GRCm38 (mm10)) using GSNAP software. Adapters and poor-quality regions were trimmed using Trimmomatic-0.36 software. Gene and isoform abundance was quantified using RSEM-1.3.0 software. Differential expression analysis was completed using DESeq2-1.10.1 software. For differential expression we used a cutoff value of equal to or greater than 1.5-fold change with an adjusted p value ≤ 0.05. The transcriptomes of both Le-Cre and P0-3.9GFPCre lenses closely matched the FVB/N control lenses. However, Le-Cre lenses exhibited deregulation of 15 murine genes, several of which are associated with apoptosis. In contrast, P0-3.9GFPCre lenses only deregulated two murine genes.
Project description:The Dbl family of proteins represents a large group of proto-oncogenes involved in cell growth regulation. Alterations of the normal function of these proteins lead to pathological processes such as developmental disorders and neoplastic transformation. We have generated transgenic mice introducing the onco-Dbl cDNA sequences linked to the metallothionein promoter into the germ line of FVB mice and found that onco-Dbl expression affected proliferation, migration and differentiation of lens epithelial cells. We used high density oligonucleotide microarray to define the transcriptional profile induced by Dbl in the lenses of transgenic mice and observed modulation of genes encoding proteins promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, genes encoding proteins involved in the positive regulation of apoptosis were markedly down regulated while anti-apoptotic genes were strongly up-regulated. Finally, several genes encoding proteins involved in the process of angiogenesis were up-regulated. These observations were validated by histological and immunohistochemical examination of the transgenic lenses, where vascularization can be readily observed. Thus, onco-Dbl expression in mouse lenses induces disruption of the lens architecture, epithelial cell proliferation, EMT, evasion from cell death, and aberrant angiogenesis. Whole lenses were removed from 2, 14, and 42 day old Dbl transgenic and wild type mice. 4 to 8 individual lenses were pooled . Three independent pools from each time and condition were used as replicates.
Project description:The Dbl family of proteins represents a large group of proto-oncogenes involved in cell growth regulation. Alterations of the normal function of these proteins lead to pathological processes such as developmental disorders and neoplastic transformation. We have generated transgenic mice introducing the onco-Dbl cDNA sequences linked to the metallothionein promoter into the germ line of FVB mice and found that onco-Dbl expression affected proliferation, migration and differentiation of lens epithelial cells. We used high density oligonucleotide microarray to define the transcriptional profile induced by Dbl in the lenses of transgenic mice and observed modulation of genes encoding proteins promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, genes encoding proteins involved in the positive regulation of apoptosis were markedly down regulated while anti-apoptotic genes were strongly up-regulated. Finally, several genes encoding proteins involved in the process of angiogenesis were up-regulated. These observations were validated by histological and immunohistochemical examination of the transgenic lenses, where vascularization can be readily observed. Thus, onco-Dbl expression in mouse lenses induces disruption of the lens architecture, epithelial cell proliferation, EMT, evasion from cell death, and aberrant angiogenesis.
Project description:ObjectiveUnderstanding the mechanisms of cataract formation is important for age-related and hereditary cataracts caused by mutations in lens protein genes. Lens proteins of the crystallin gene families α-, β-, and γ-crystallin are the most abundant proteins in the lens. Single point mutations in crystallin genes cause autosomal dominant cataracts in multigenerational families. Our previous proteomic and RNAseq studies identified genes and proteins altered in the early stages of cataract formation in mouse models. Histones H2A, H2B, and H4 increase in abundance in αA- and αB-crystallin mutant mouse lenses and in cultured cells expressing the mutant form of αA-crystallin linked with hereditary cataracts.ResultsIn this study of histones in mutant lenses, we extracted histones from adult mouse lenses from cryaa-R49C and cryab-R120G mutant knock-in mice. We characterized the histones using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF)-mass spectrometric analysis and gel electrophoresis and characterized the lens nucleus morphology using electron microscopy (EM). The relative abundance of histone H3 protein decreased in lenses from cryaa-R49C mutant mice and the relative abundance of histone H2 increased in these lenses. Electron microscopy of nuclei from cryaa-R49C-homozygous mutant mouse lenses revealed a pronounced alteration in the distribution of heterochromatin.
Project description:A large variety of low molecular weight (LMW) peptides, derived from the breakdown of crystallins, have been reported in middle to old age human lenses. The proliferation of these LMW peptides coincides with the earliest stages of cataract formation, suggesting that the protein cleavages involved may contribute to the aggregation and insolubilisation of crystallins – these being hall marks of cataractogenesis. This study reports the identification of 238 endogenous LMW crystallin peptides from the cortical extracts of human lenses aged 16, 44, 75 and 83 years. Analysis of the peptide terminal amino acids showed that Lys and Arg were situated at the C-terminus with significantly higher frequency compared to other residues, suggesting that trypsin-like proteolysis may be active in the lens cortical fibre cells. Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) analysis of a prominent αA-crystallin peptide (αA57-65) showed that the concentration of this peptide in the human lens increased gradually to middle age, after which the rate of αA57-65 formation escalated significantly. Using 2-D gel electrophoresis and nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS, 13 protein complexes of 40-150 kDa consisting of multiple crystallin components were characterised from the water soluble cortical extracts of an adult human lens. The detection of these protein complexes suggested the possibility of crystallin cross-linking, with these complexes potentially acting to stabilise degraded crystallins by sequestration into water soluble complexes.