ABSTRACT: We were interested in defining the gene signature of volar skin. Punch biopsies of skin were split into epidermis and dermis after dispase treatment. We collected RNA from dermis of palms, backs of hand, soles and backs of feet and submitted for Affymetrix Exon arrays. 3 replicates of each site from distinct human donors were included; total of 12 samples analyzed
Project description:We were interested in defining the gene signature of volar skin. Punch biopsies of skin were split into epidermis and dermis after dispase treatment. We collected RNA from epidermis of palms, backs of hand, soles and backs of feet and submitted for Affymetrix Exon arrays. 3 replicates of each site from distinct human donors were included; total of 12 samples analyzed
Project description:We were interested in defining the gene signature of volar skin. Punch biopsies of skin were split into epidermis and dermis after dispase treatment. Epidermis was trypsinized and sorted for alpha 6 integrin positive basal layer keratinocytes We collected RNA from basal layer keratinocytes of soles and backs of feet and submitted for Affymetrix Exon arrays. 2 replicates of each site from distinct human donors were included; total of 4 samples analyzed
Project description:We were interesed in defining the gene signautre of volar skin. Whole skin punch biopsies of palms, backs of hand, soles and backs of feet were submitted for Affymetrix Exon arrays. 4 replicates of each site from distinct human donors were included; total of 16 samples analyzed.
Project description:We were interested in defining the gene signature of volar skin. Dermal fibroblasts were expanded from punch biopsies of skin. We collected RNA from fibroblasts of palms, backs of hand, soles and backs of feet and submitted for Affymetrix Exon arrays. 3 replicates of each site from distinct human donors were included; because of 1 failed sample(Palm_rep2), total of 11 samples analyzed
Project description:Emerging evidence suggests that tumor cells metastasize by co-opting stem cell transcriptional networks, although the molecular underpinnings of this process are poorly understood. Here, we show for the first time that the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) gene drives metastatic progression in triple negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) by reprogramming cancer cells to a stem-like state. We discovered an HMGA1 signature in triple negative breast cancer cells that is highly enriched in embryonic stem cells. Together, these findings indicate that HMGA1 is a master regulator of tumor progression in breast cancer by reprogramming cancer cells through stem cell transcriptional networks. Future studies are needed to determine how to target HMGA1 in therapy. HMGA1 was knocked-down in MDA-MB-231 cells using siRNA as we previously described (Tesfaye A 2007). RNA from three independent knockdown experiements along with 3 control populations were collected by Rneasy miniprep (Qiagen) and analyzed by Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST platform.
Project description:Sub-thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) reversibly modulates ParkinsonM-bM-^@M-^Ys disease (PD) motor symptoms, providing an unusual opportunity to compare leukocyte transcripts in the same subjects before and after neurosurgery and after disconnecting the stimulus (ON-and OFF-stimulus). Here, we report rapid stimulus-induced and largely reversible changes in PD leukocyte transcripts, which were larger in scope than the disease-induced changes. These transcript changes classified advanced pre- from post-surgery PD patients and discriminated patients from controls. Moreover, the extent of changes correlated with the neurological efficacy of the DBS neurosurgery, and covered both regulatory pathways and individual transcript changes, e.g. SNCA, PARK7 and the splicing factor SFRS1. Following 1 hour OFF-stimulus, these changes were largely reversed. We extracted from these differences a modified transcripts signature which discriminated controls from advanced PD patients, pre- from post-surgery and ON-from OFF-stimulus conditions. A further gene-list independent analysis detected reversed pathways. Our findings suggest future uses of this approach and the discovered molecular signature for early diagnostics of PD and for identifying novel targets for therapeutic intervention in this and other DBS-treatable neurological diseases. 27 Total samples were analyzed. Study design included four conditions. PD patients (n=7) leukocyte blood samples were examined at 3 time points, and healthy control subjects (n=6) were examined once each. Samples were taken 1 day prior to sub-thalamic nucleous (STN) DBS treatment, several months after STN-DBS treatment upon optimal stimulation and following one hour electrical stimulation cessation. The off stimulation caused recruitment of the disease symptoms as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor section (UPDRS-III). The different stages are designated: S1 (pre-treatment), S2 (post STN-DBS) and S3 (upon off stimulation). All patients were on dopamine replacement therapy (DRT) when examined pre- and post-DBS off stimulation (albeit with reduced therapy dose post-DBS). To reduce biological variability among the samples which is not related to the study, only male subjects were included in this study. Samples from six age- and gender- matched healthy control subjects served to detect disease modified transcripts and for pre- and post- treatment comparisons. The study was approved by the human review board at the Hadassah University Hospital, Ein-Kerem (no. 6-07.09.07) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All study participants signed informed consent.
Project description:While blood transcriptional profiling has improved diagnosis and understanding of disease pathogenesis of adult tuberculosis (TB), no studies applying gene expression profiling of children with TB have been described so far. In this study, we have compared whole blood gene expression in childhood TB patients, as well as in healthy latently infected (LTBI) and uninfected (HC) children in a cohort of Warao Amerindians in the Delta Amacuro in Venezuela. We identified a 116-gene signature set by means of random forest analysis that showed an average prediction error of 11% for TB vs. LTBI and for TB vs. LTBI vs. HC in our dataset. Furthermore, a minimal set of only 9 genes showed a significant predictive value for all previously published adult studies using whole blood gene expression, with average prediction errors between 17% and 23%. Additionally, a minimal gene set of 42 genes with a comparable predictive value to the 116-gene set in both our dataset and the previously published literature cohorts for the comparsion of TB vs. LTBI vs. HC was identified. In order to identify a robust representative gene set that would hold stand among different ethnic populations, we selected ten genes that were highly discriminative between TB, LTBI and HC in all literature datasets as well as in our dataset. Functional annotation of these ten genes highlights a possible role for genes involved in calcium signaling and calcium metabolism as biomarkers for active TB. These ten genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in an additional cohort of 54 Warao Amerindian children with LTBI, HC and non-TB pneumonia. Decision tree analysis indicated that five of the ten genes were sufficient to diagnose 78% of the TB cases correctly with 100% specificity. We conclude that our data justify the further exploration of our signature set as biomarkers to diagnose childhood TB. Furthermore, as the identification of different biomarkers in ethnically distinct cohorts is apparent, it is important to cross-validate newly identified markers in all available cohorts. In this study, 27 children 1 to 15 years of age with TB (n=9), LTBI (n=9) and HC (n=9) were recruited between May 2010 and December 2010. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT-GIT) were performed on all children. A sputum sample was collected from all children with expectoration and a gastric aspirate was taken from all children under 6 years of age. Children with active TB were diagnosed based on culture of M. tuberculosis (n=2) or on the basis of clinical, epidemiological and radiological features (n=7). The latter group were children with a TST = 10 mm or a positive QFT-GIT result who presented all of: persistent fever >38M-BM-0C objectively recorded daily for at least two weeks, persistent cough for more than three weeks, weight loss (>5% reduction in weight compared with the highest weight recorded in last three months) or failure to thrive (documented crossing of percentile lines in the preceding three months), persistent lethargy or decrease in playfulness/activity reported by the parent and absence of clinical response on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Standard antero-posterior and lateral chest radiographs (CXRs) were taken from all children. Two independent experts, blinded to all clinical information, evaluated the CXRs and documented their findings on a standard report form. Where the two objective experts disagreed, a third expert was consulted and final consensus was achieved. A diagnosis of TB was only made when the CXR was consistent with TB9 and the child showed a positive clinical response to anti-TB treatment. Children were followed up clinically, radiologically and, in case of a negative TST at inclusion, by means of TST at six and 12 months after inclusion. LTBI was defined as a TST = 10mm and a positive QFT-GIT with a negative culture result on inclusion in the absence of radiological and clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion as well as on t=6 and t=12 months. HC were children with a TST = 0 mm at inclusion and at t=6 and t=12 months. The HC had a negative QFT-GIT and a negative culture result at inclusion without radiological or clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion nor on t=6 and t=12 months. TB patients were sampled before initiation of anti-TB treatment. Of three of the nine TB patients, a follow-up sample was taken when the patient was in anti-TB treatment for five months. All children were HIV-negative. 27 samples in total where analyzed, active TB infection (TB, n=9), Latent TB infection (LTBI, n=9) and healthy controls (HC, n=9) . Gene expression values were log2-transformed and differentially expressed genes were identified based on log2 fold changes (M-values). P values were calculated with a Bayes-regularized one-way ANOVA. Random Forest recursive feature elimination was used to find a signature geneset capable of discrimination active TB from latent TB and from non-infected individuals.
Project description:Alternative mRNA splicing is a major mechanism for gene regulation and transcriptome diversity. Despite the extent of the phenomenon, the regulation and specificity of the splicing machinery are only partially understood. Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing of pre-mRNA by ADAR enzymes has been linked to splicing regulation in several cases. Here we used bioinformatics approaches, RNA-seq and exon-specific microarray of ADAR knockdown cells to globally examine how ADAR and its A-to-I RNA editing activity influence alternative mRNA splicing. Although A-to-I RNA editing only rarely targets canonical splicing acceptor, donor, and branch sites, it was found to affect splicing regulatory elements (SREs) within exons. Cassette exons were found to be significantly enriched with A-to-I RNA editing sites compared with constitutive exons. RNA-seq and exon-specific microarray revealed that ADAR knockdown in hepatocarcinoma and myelogenous leukemia cell lines leads to global changes in gene expression, with hundreds of genes changing their splicing patterns in both cell lines. This global change in splicing pattern cannot be explained by putative editing sites alone. Genes showing significant changes in their splicing pattern are frequently involved in RNA processing and splicing activity. Analysis of recently published RNA-seq data from glioblastoma cell lines showed similar results. Our global analysis reveals that ADAR plays a major role in splicing regulation. Although direct editing of the splicing motifs does occur, we suggest it is not likely to be the primary mechanism for ADAR-mediated regulation of alternative splicing. Rather, this regulation is achieved by modulating trans-acting factors involved in the splicing machinery. HepG2 and K562 cell lines were stably transfected with plasmids containing siRNA designed to specifically knock down ADAR expression (ADAR KD). This in order to examine how ADAR affects alternative splicing globally.
Project description:The normal gene expression profiles of the tissues in the eye are a valuable resource for considering genes likely to be involved with disease processes. This is based on the assumption that transcript abundances in healthy tissue are correlated to the continued health of that tissue. Expression values were compared with publically available EST and RNA-sequencing resources. The estimated gene and exon level abundances are available online on the Ocular Tissue Database. Ten different tissues were obtained from 6 different individuals and RNA was pooled. The tissues included: retina, optic nerve head (ONH), optic nerve (ON), ciliary body (CB), trabecular meshwork (TM), sclera, lens, cornea, choroid/RPE and iris.