Role of miRNAs in the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to an endothelial cell lineage
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ABSTRACT: To assess changes in the miRNA-ome during the early stages of endothelial differentiation, the expression of mature human miRNAs at days 2, 4 and 10 of endothelial differentiation (vs pluripotent time-matched samples) in SA461 hESC cell line was analysed in a two-channel microarray. Expression of the pluripotency-associated miRNAs miR-302a – d and miR-372 and miR-373 was significantly suppressed with progression of differentiation. The expression of miR-99b, miR-181a and miR-181b was, in contrast, increased in a time- and differentiation-dependent manner compared to time-matched pluripotent samples. The expression profiles were validated and good concordance was observed between microarray, Q-PCR and Northern blot analysis. This experiment includes a total of 28 samples which are divided in to 3 groups, each with 4 biological repeats: group 1, Parental pluripotent hESC control sample. group 2, time-matched pluripotent hESC control samples. Group 3, hESC cells directed toward endothelial differentiation at time points 2 days, 4 days and 10 days.
Project description:by use of the model of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurogenesis, miRNAs involved in the differentiation from neural stem cells (hNSC) to neurons were profiled and identified. HNSC were differentiated into the neural lineage, out of which the neuronal subset was enriched through cell sorting based on select combinatorial biomarkers: CD15-/CD29Low/CD24High. This relatively pure and viable subpopulation expressed the neuronal marker alpha III-tubulin. The miRNA array demonstrated that a number of miRNAs were simultaneously induced or suppressed in neurons, as compared to hNSC. Real-time PCR further validated the decrease in levels of miR214, but increase in brain-specific miR7 and miR9 in the derived neurons. This experiment includes a total of 6 samples which are divided in to 2 groups, each with 3 biological repeats: 3 untreated normal samples as controls and 3 differentiated samples as the treated condition
Project description:The mouse incisor is a remarkable tooth that grows throughout the animalM-bM-^@M-^Ys lifetime. This continuous renewal is fueled by epithelial stem cells that give rise to ameloblasts, which generate enamel, and little is known about the function of specific miRNAs in this process. Here we describe the role of a novel Pitx2:miR-200c/141:Noggin regulatory pathway in dental epithelial cell differentiation. miR-200c repressed noggin, an antagonist of Bmp signaling. Pitx2 expression caused an up-regulation of miR-200c and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed endogenous Pitx2 binding to the miR-200c/141 promoter. A positive feedback loop was discovered between miR-200c and Bmp signaling. miR-200c/141 induced expression of E-cadherin and the dental epithelial cell differentiation marker, amelogenin. In addition, miR-203 expression was activated by endogenous Pitx2 and targeted the Bmp antagonist Bmper to further regulate Bmp signaling. miR-200c/141 knockout mice showed defects in enamel formation with decreased E-cadherin and amelogenin expression and increased noggin expression. Our in vivo and in vitro studies reveal a multistep transcriptional program involving the Pitx2:miR-200c/141:Noggin regulatory pathway that is important in epithelial cell differentiation and tooth development. Lower incisors of 3-5 P0 WT and Pitx2-Cre;Dicer1 cKO mices from same litter were dissected and combined for RNA extraction. Two different litters were analyzed. For mRNA microarray, CodeLink Mouse Whole Genome chips (Applied Microarrays) were used according to manufacturerM-bM-^@M-^Ys instruction (done at Genomics Core of TAMU). miRNA from P0 Lower Incisor ameloblast and cervical loops.
Project description:BACKGROUND - MicroRNAs (miRs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Transgenic models have proved that a single miR can induce pathological cardiac hypertrophy and failure. The roles of miRs in the genesis of physiologic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), however, are not well elucidated. OBJECTIVE - To evaluate miRs expression in an experimental model of exercise-induced LVH. METHODS - Male Balb/c mice were divided into sedentary (SED) and exercise (EXE) groups. Voluntary exercise was performed in odometer-monitored metal wheels during 35 days. Analyses were performed after 7 and 35 days of training, and consisted of transthoracic echocardiography, maximal exercise test, miRs microarray (miRBase v.16) and real-time qRT-PCR analysis. RESULTS - Left ventricular weight/body weight ratio increased by 7% in the EXE group at day 7 (p<0.01) and by 11% at 35 days of training (p<0.001) After 7 days of training, microarray identified 35 deregulated miRs: 20 had an increase in their expression and 15 were down-regulated (p=0.01). At day 35 of training, 25 miRs were deregulated: 15 were up-regulated and 10 had decreased their expression compared to the SED group (p<0.01). qRT-PCR confirmed an increase in miR-150 levels at both time points and a decrease in miR-26b, miR-27a and miR-143 after 7 days of voluntary exercise. CONCLUSIONS M-bM-^@M-^S We unraveled new miRs that can modulate physiological cardiac hypertrophy, particularly miR-26b, -150, 27a and -143. Our data also indicate that previously established regulatory gene pathways involved in pathological LVH are not deregulated in physiologic LVH. Experimental model of left ventricular hypertrophy induced by voluntary exercise Male Balb/c mice, 8-10 weeks old, 4 groups analyzed, each group consisted of a pool from 4 animals
Project description:Background: There is a limited capacity to repair damage in the mammalian heart after birth, which is primarily due to the inability of cardiomyocytes to proliferate after birth. This is in contrast to zebrafish and salamander, in which cardiomyocytes retain the ability to proliferate throughout life and can regenerate their heart after significant damage. Recent studies in zebrafish and rodents implicate microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of genes responsible for cardiac cell cycle progression and regeneration, in particular, miR-133a, the miR-15 family, miR-199a and miR-590. However, the significance of these miRNAs and miRNA in general in the regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation in large mammals, including humans, where the timing of heart development relative to birth is very different than in rodents, is unclear. To determine the involvement of miRNAs in the down-regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation occurring before birth in large mammals, we investigated miRNA and target gene expression in sheep hearts before and after birth. The experimental approach included targeted transcriptional profiling of miRNA and target mRNA previously identified in rodent studies as well as genome-wide miRNA profiling using microarrays. Results: The cardiac expression of miR-133a increased and its target gene IGF1R decreased with increasing age, reaching their respective maximum and minimum abundance when the majority of ovine cardiomyocytes were quiescent. The expression of the miR-15 family members was variable with age, however, four of their target genes decreased with age. These latter profiles are inconsistent with the direct involvement of this family of miRNA in cardiomyocyte quiescence in late gestation sheep. The expression patterns of ‘pro-proliferative’ miR-199a and miR-590 were also inconsistent with their involvement in cardiomyocyte quiescence. Consequently, miRNA microarray analysis was undertaken, which identified six discrete clusters of miRNA with characteristic developmental profiles. The functions of predicted target genes for the miRNA in four of the six clusters were enriched for aspects of cell division and regulation of cell proliferation suggesting a potential role of these miRNA in regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the expression of miR-133a and one of its target genes is consistent with it being involved in the suppression of cardiomyocyte proliferation, which occurs across the last third of gestation in sheep. The expression patterns of the miR-15 family, miR-199a and miR-590 were inconsistent with direct involvement in the regulation cardiomyocyte proliferation in sheep, despite studies in rodents demonstrating that their manipulation can influence the degree of cardiomyocyte proliferation. miRNA microarray analysis suggests a coordinated and potentially more complex role of multiple miRNA in the regulation of cardiomyocyte quiescence and highlights significant differences between species that may reflect their substantial differences in the timing of this developmental process. RNA, (2 µg) from three heart samples from each of the 91 d (fetus), 141 d (fetus), 5 d (postnatal) and 173 d (postnatal) groups, was used for analysis according to standard procedures. The experimental design included three biological replicates from each of the four normal developmental ages in sheep and thus a total of 12 samples was analyzed.
Project description:Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world due to a limited regenerative capacity. In lieu of new muscle synthesis, the human heart replaces necrotic tissue with deposition of a non-contractile scar. In contrast, the adult zebrafish is endowed with a remarkable regenerative capacity, capable of de novo cardiomyocyte (CM) creation and scar tissue resolution when challenged with an acute injury. In these studies, we examined the contributions of the dynamically regulated microRNA, miR-101a, during adult zebrafish heart regeneration. We demonstrate that miR-101a expression is rapidly depleted within 3 days post-amputation (dpa) but is highly upregulated by 7-14 dpa, before returning to uninjured levels at the completion of the regenerative process. Employing heat-inducible transgenic strains and antisense oligonucleotides, we demonstrate that decreases in miR-101a levels at the onset of cardiac injury enhanced CM proliferation. Interestingly, prolonged suppression of miR-101a activity stimulates new muscle synthesis but with defects in scar tissue resolution. Upregulation of miR-101a expression between 7-14 dpa is critical to stimulate remodeling of the scar. Through a series of studies, we identified the proto-oncogene, fosab (cfos) as a potent miR-101a target gene, stimulator of CM proliferation, and inhibitor of scar tissue remodeling. Importantly, combinatorial depletion of fosab and miR-101a activity rescued defects in scar tissue resolution mediated by miR-101a inhibition alone. In summation, our studies indicate that the precise temporal modulation in the miR-101a/fosab genetic axis is critical for coordinating CM proliferation and scar tissue resolution during zebrafish heart regeneration. Pooled cardiac samples from uninjured and regenerating (6hpa) adult fish in biological triplicate.
Project description:The oncogenic isoform of HER2, HER2D16, was stably overexpressed in the MCF-7 breast tumor cell line (MCF-7/HER2D16) and miR expresion profiles between MCF-7 cell lines expressing a vector control (MCF-7/pcDNA) were compared to the MCF-7/HER2D16 cell line. This experiment includes a total of 4 samples which are divided in to 2 groups, each with 2 biological repeats
Project description:Spontaneous paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is one of the very common heart rhythm disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying PAF susceptibility and persistence are multiple and incompletely understood. To study the contribution of microRNAs (miRNAs) to the development and perpetuation of PAF, we used microarray/qPCR analyses to search for changes in miRNA expression in atrial myocardium upon pacing-induced PAF. The miRNA microarray analysis was performed at LC Sciences (Houston, TX, USA). Following screening-microarray, several miRNAs were selected for detailed real-time qPCR assay. Our results suggest that immediate-early miR remodeling of LAA underlies the development and persistence of PAF. A closed-chest model of PAF was established in postnatal pigs via a rapid atrial electrical stimulation with a controlled ventricular response rate. A pacing catheter (delivered into the right atrium via femoral vein access under fluoroscopic guidance) was connected with an external pulse generator for programmed pacing rates. The burst-pacing stimuli were repeated several times, and the induced PAF occurrence rates and durations were recorded. Burst pacing was not performed in sham-operated group. Animals were euthanized 24 hours after cessation of pacing. Given that the right atrium might have been damaged by catheter insertion, we studied miRNA expression changes associated with PAF in the left atrial appendage (LAA) from paced vs control pigs. Six piglet were randomized in two groups, the PAF group (3 replicates) and the sham-control group (3 replicates)
Project description:Porphyromonas gingivalis is a pathogen in severe periodontal disease. Able to exploit an intracellular lifestyle within primary gingival epithelial cells (GECs), a reservoir of P. gingivalis can persist within the gingival epithelia. This process is facilitated by manipulation of the host cell signal transduction cascades which can impact cell cycle, cell death and cytokine responses. Using microarrays, we investigated the ability of P. gingivalis 33277 to regulate microRNA (miRNA) expression in GECs. One of several miRNAs differentially regulated by GECs in the presence of P. gingivalis was miR-203, which was upregulated 4-fold compared with uninfected controls. Differential regulation of miR-203 was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Putative targets of miR-203, suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 3 and 6, were evaluated by qRT-PCR. SOCS3 and SOCS6 mRNA levels were reduced >5-fold and >2-fold, respectively, in P. gingivalis-infected GECs compared with controls. Silencing miR-203 using a si-RNA construct reversed the inhibition of SOCS3 expression. A dual luciferase assay confirmed binding of miR-203 to the putative target binding site of SOCS3 3’ UTR. Western blot analysis demonstrated that activation of Stat3, a downstream target of SOCS, was diminished following miR-203 silencing. This study shows that induction of miRNAs by P. gingivalis can modulate important host signaling responses. MicroRNAs differentially expressed in human gingival epithelial cells in response to P. gingivalis infection were identified. P. gingivalis were reacted with primary gingival epithelial cells at an MOI of 100 for 6 hours at 37C in 5% CO2. Co-cultures were carried out in triplicate. The GECs were lysed with Trizol (Invitrogen) prior to RNA extraction and total RNA isolation. The microarray assay was performed using a service provider (LC Sciences). The assay started from 4 to 8 µg total RNA sample which was size fractionated using a YM-100 Microcon centrifugal filter (Millipore) and the small RNAs (< 300 nt) isolated were 3’-extended with a poly(A) tail using poly(A) polymerase. An oligonucleotide tag was then ligated to the poly(A) tail for later fluorescent dye staining. Hybridization was performed overnight on a µParaflo microfluidic chip using a micro-circulation pump (Atactic Technologies). The hybridization melting temperatures were balanced by chemical modifications of the detection probes. Hybridization used 100 uL 6xSSPE buffer (0.90 M NaCl, 60 mM Na2HPO4, 6 mM EDTA, pH 6.8) containing 25% formamide at 34 °C. After RNA hybridization, tag-conjugating Cy3 dyes were circulated through the microfluidic chip for dye staining. Fluorescence images were collected using a laser scanner (GenePix 4000B, Molecular Device) and digitized using Array-Pro image analysis software (Media Cybernetics). Microarray data were analyzed by first subtracting the background and then normalizing the signals using a LOWESS filter (Locally-weighted Regression). For a transcript to be listed as detectable it had a signal intensity higher than 3×(background standard deviation) and spot coefficient of variance (CV) < 0.5. CV was calculated by (standard deviation)/(signal intensity). When repeating probes are present on an array, a transcript is listed as detectable only if the signals from at least 50% of the repeating probes are above detection level. t-Test is performed between “control” and “test” sample groups. T-values are calculated for each miRNA, and p-values are computed from the theoretical t-distribution. miRNAs with p-values below a critical p-value (typically 0.01) are selected for cluster analysis. The clustering is done using hierarchical method and is performed with average linkage and Euclidean distance metric. This experiment includes a total of 6 samples which are divided in to 2 groups, each with 3 biological repeats: 3 untreated normal samples as controls and 3 infected samples as the treated condition.
Project description:This is the microRNA experiment from the study of ethanol effects on the cultured cell line MCF-7, which is derived from a human malignancy. Cells were cultured in 6 well plates for a period of 4 weeks in the presence or absence of 25 mM ethanol. Cells were washed once with phosphate buffered saline pH 7.4, and RNA was extracted using the Mirvana kit for total RNA extraction. RNA samples were analyzed for microRNA prevalence by LC Sciences of Houston, Tx, USA. The results from 2 separate experiments were normalized and collected as the MultiArray Analysis Data presented here. The miR values are on an arbitrary scale. There are 2 experiments, each containing a control (no ethanol) sample and a sample that was exposed to 25 mM ethanol for 4 weeks.
Project description:A common characteristic of aging is the loss of skeletal muscle (sarcopenia) which can lead to falls and fractures. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are novel post-transcriptional modulators of gene expression with a potential role as a regulator of skeletal muscle mass and function. The purpose of this study was to profile miRNA expression patterns in aging human skeletal muscle using a miRNA array followed by in-depth functional and network analysis. Muscle biopsy samples from 36 men (young: 31±2; n=19; older: 73±3; n=17) were: 1) analyzed for the expression of miRNAs using a microRNA array 2) validated with Taqman quantitative real-time PCR assays, and 3) identified (and later validated) for potential gene targets using the bioinformatics knowledge base software, Ingenuity Pathways Analysis. We found that 18 miRNAs were differentially expressed in older humans (P<0.05 and >500 expression level). The Let-7 family members, Let-7b and Let-7e, were significantly elevated and further validated in older subjects (P<0.05). Functional and network analysis from Ingenuity determined that gene targets of the Let-7âs were associated with molecular networks involved in cell cycle control such as cellular proliferation and differentiation. We confirmed with real-time PCR that the mRNA expression of the cell cycle regulators, CDK6, CDC25A and CDC34 were downregulated in older subjects compared to the young (P<0.05). These data suggest that aging is characterized by an increased expression of Let-7 family members which may downregulate genes related to cellular proliferation. We propose that the increased Let-7 expression in older human muscle may be an indicator of impaired cell cycle function. We analyzed skeletal muscle biopsy samples from 19 young and 17 older male subjects that have participated in our previous and current research experiments. The subjects were not engaged in any regular exercise training at the time of the enrollment; however they were physically independent and overall healthy. Screening of subjects were performed with clinical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests including complete blood count with differential, liver and kidney function tests, coagulation profile, fasting blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance test, hepatitis B and C screening, HIV test, TSH, urinalysis, and drug screening. All subjects gave informed written consent before participating in the study, which was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Texas Medical Branch (which is in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki). Once recruited, a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan (Hologic QDR 4500W, Bedford, MA) was performed to measure body composition and lean mass. Study design. All subjects were admitted to the Clinical Research Center the day prior to the experiment, were provided a standardized dinner and were studied following an overnight fast under basal conditions. Subjects were studied during the same time of day to avoid potential circadian changes and refrained from exercise 48h prior to study participation. A muscle biopsy was obtained from the vastus lateralis of the leg. The biopsy was performed using a 5 mm Bergström biopsy needle, under sterile procedure and local anesthesia (1% lidocaine). Muscle biopsy sample was immediately blotted and frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80oC until analysis. The muscle biopsy sample was used for microRNA and gene analysis.