Project description:SV7tert AML cells were obtained from ATCC and cultured in Dulbecco's modified essential medium (DMEM), glutamine (4mmol) and 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS). Two million SV7tertAML cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice either with or without subcutaneous oestrogen pellets (n=4 per group); oestrogen was added using 0.36mg 60 day release oestrogen pellets implanted sub-cutaneously. Mice were housed in pathoflex isolators at 26°C, on 12 hour light / dark cycles. Irradiated RB2 diet and autoclaved water provided ad libertum. All oestrogen treated mice inoculated with SV7tertAML cells developed subcutaneous tumours which required termination of the animals at six weeks due to tumour load. These primary tumours were removed and fragments placed subcutaneously in further nude mice which went on to develop tumours both in the presence and absence of oestrogen. Mice were weighed weekly and their clinical condition closely monitored by a trained observer. Mice were terminated individually when the tumour cross-sectional area reached 250mm2 or sooner, which has previously been seen to be below the limit of 10% of initial body weight set by the UKCCCR guidelines. Tumours were removed and a portion flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. RNA was extracted from five tumours from oestrogen treated and control animals. Equal quantities of RNA was pooled and quality checked by Agilent Bioanylyser. Experimenter name = Simon Johnson Experimenter institute = Queens Medical Centre Keywords: estrogen treatment, angiomyolipoma xenograft tumors
Project description:To identify the effect of 16 weeks of neoadjuvant anastrozole treatment on gene expression profiles of oestrogen receptor positive breast tumours from post-menopausal patients.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.