Project description:E2A is an essential regulator of early B-cell development. Here we demonstrated that E2A together with E2-2 controlled germinal-center B-cell and plasma cell development. As shown by identification of regulated E2A,E2-2 targets in activated B-cells, these E-proteins directly activated genes with important functions in germinal-center B-cells and plasma cells by inducing or maintaining DNase I hypersensitive sites. Through controlling multiple enhancers in the Igh 3â regulatory region and Aicda locus, E-proteins regulated class switching by inducing both Igh germline transcription and AID expression. By regulating 3â Igk enhancers and a distal element at the Prdm1 (Blimp1) locus, E-proteins contributed to Igk, Igh and Prdm1 activation in plasmablasts. These data identified E2A and E2-2 as central regulators of B-cell immunity. 56 samples in total: A) 38 RNA-Seq samples in 5 cell types: Follicular B cells (FO B cell, 2 genotypes, 2 replicates each) Activated B cells (Act B cell, 2 genoytpes, 6 stimulations, 2 replicates each) Pre-Plasmablasts (Pre-PB, 1 genotype, 2 stimulations, 2 replicates each) Plasmablasts (PB, 1 genotype, 2 stimulations, 2 replicates each) Germline Center B cells (GC B cell, 1 genotype, 2 replicates); B) 13 ChIP-Seq samples in 5 cell types: FO B cell (E2A, 2 crosslinking types, 1 replicate each) Act B cell (E2A, 2 crosslinking types, 2 stimulations, 1 replicate each; H3K27ac, 1 crosslinking type, 1 stimulation, 2 genotypes, 1 replicate each) Pre-PB (E2A, 2 crosslinking types, 1 stimulation, 1 replicate each) PB (E2A, 2 crosslinking types, 1 stimulation, 1 replicate each) Mature B cell (input); C) 5 ATAC Seq samples in 2 cell types: Act B cell (2 stimulations, 2 genotypes, 1 replicate each), Pre-PB (1 stimulation, 1 genotype, 1 replicate).
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Humoral responses of mice specifically deleted for Moz (a histone acetyltransferase) or c-Myb (a transcription factor) in B cells were aberrant. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to assess gene expression differences compared to wild-type controls in germinal center B cells or plasmablasts.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.