Project description:Understanding the DNA elements that constitute and control the regulatory genome is critical for the appropriate therapeutic management of complex diseases. Here, using chromosome Y (ChrY) consomic mouse strains on the C57BL/6J background, we show that susceptibility to two diverse animal models of autoimmune disease, including experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental myocarditis, correlates with the natural variation in copy number of Sly and Rbmy multicopy ChrY genes. In the B6 background, ChrY possesses gene regulatory properties that impact both genome-wide gene expression and the presence of alternative splice variants in pathogenic CD4+ T cells compared to CD4+ T cells. An inverse correlation exists between the number of Sly and Rbmy ChrY gene copies and the number of significantly upregulated genes in immune cells, thereby supporting a link between copy number variation of Sly and Rbmy and the ChrY genetic element exerting regulatory properties. Thus, these data establish ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome in mammals due to its ability to regulate gene expression and alternative splicing in immune cells linked to disease. Three biological replicates for each strain were pooled from the axillary, brachial, and inguinal lymph nodes from 5 mice for each replicate. RNA was isolated from CD4+TCRB+ FAC sorted cells.
Project description:The prevalence of some autoimmune diseases (AID) is greater in females compared with males, notwithstanding that disease severity is often greater in males. The reason for this sexual dimorphism (SD) is unknown, but may reflect negative selection of Y chromosome (ChrY) bearing sperm during spermatogenesis or male fetuses early in the course of conception/pregnancy. Previously, we showed that the SD in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is associated with copy number variation (CNV) in ChrY multicopy genes. Here, we test the hypothesis that CNV in ChrY multicopy genes influences the paternal parent-of-origin effect on EAE susceptibility in female mice. We show that C57BL/6J consomic strains of mice possessing an identical ChrX and CNV in ChrY multicopy genes exhibit a female biased sex-ratio and sperm head abnormalities, consistent with X-Y intragenomic conflict arising from an imbalance in CNV between homologous ChrX:ChrY multicopy genes. These males also display paternal transmission of EAE to female offspring and differential loading of miRNAs within the sperm nucleus. These findings provide evidence for a genetic mechanism at the level of the male gamete that contributes to the SD in EAE and paternal parent-of-origin effects in female mice, raising the possibility that a similar mechanism may contribute to the SD in MS. Three biological replicates for each strain were pooled from the axillary, brachial, and inguinal lymph nodes from 5 mice for each replicate. RNA was isolated from CD4+TCRB+ FAC sorted cells.
Project description:Understanding the DNA elements that constitute and control the regulatory genome is critical for the appropriate therapeutic management of complex diseases. Here, using chromosome Y (ChrY) consomic mouse strains on the C57BL/6J background, we show that susceptibility to two diverse animal models of autoimmune disease, including experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental myocarditis, correlates with the natural variation in copy number of Sly and Rbmy multicopy ChrY genes. In the B6 background, ChrY possesses gene regulatory properties that impact both genome-wide gene expression and the presence of alternative splice variants, but not miRNA expression in pathogenic CD4+ T cells. An inverse correlation exists between the number of Sly and Rbmy ChrY gene copies and the number of significantly upregulated genes in immune cells, thereby supporting a link between copy number variation of Sly and Rbmy and the ChrY genetic element exerting regulatory properties. Thus, these data establish ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome in mammals due to its ability to regulate gene expression and alternative splicing in immune cells linked to disease. Three biological replicates for each strain were pooled from the axillary, brachial, and inguinal lymph nodes from 5 mice for each replicate. RNA was isolated from CD4+TCRB+ FAC sorted cells.
Project description:Understanding the DNA elements that constitute and control the regulatory genome is critical for the appropriate therapeutic management of complex diseases. Here, using chromosome Y (ChrY) consomic mouse strains on the C57BL/6J background, we show that susceptibility to two diverse animal models of autoimmune disease, including experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental myocarditis, correlates with the natural variation in copy number of Sly and Rbmy multicopy ChrY genes. In the B6 background, ChrY possesses gene regulatory properties that impact both genome-wide gene expression and the presence of alternative splice variants in pathogenic CD4+ T cells. Using a ChrY consomic strain on the SJL background, we discovered a preference for ChrY-mediated gene regulation in macrophages, the immune cell subset underlying the EAE sexual dimorphism in SJL mice, rather than CD4+ T cells. Importantly, in both genetic backgrounds, an inverse correlation exists between the number of Sly and Rbmy ChrY gene copies and the number of significantly upregulated genes in immune cells, thereby supporting a link between copy number variation of Sly and Rbmy with the ChrY genetic element exerting regulatory properties. Moreover, in humans, an analysis of the CD4+ T cell transcriptome from male multiple sclerosis patients versus healthy controls provides further evidence for an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of gene regulation by ChrY. Thus, these data establish ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome in mammals due to its ability to regulate gene expression and alternative splicing in immune cells linked to disease. Three biological replicates from young (M-bM-^IM-$4 weeks) and old (M-bM-^IM-% 6 months) mice from each strain were pooled from 5 mice for each replicate. RNA was isolated from CD4+TCRB+ FAC sorted cells and from thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages.
Project description:The prevalence of some autoimmune diseases (AID) is greater in females compared with males, notwithstanding that disease severity is often greater in males. The reason for this sexual dimorphism (SD) is unknown, but may reflect negative selection of Y chromosome (ChrY) bearing sperm during spermatogenesis or male fetuses early in the course of conception/pregnancy. Previously, we showed that the SD in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is associated with copy number variation (CNV) in ChrY multicopy genes. Here, we test the hypothesis that CNV in ChrY multicopy genes influences the paternal parent-of-origin effect on EAE susceptibility in female mice. We show that C57BL/6J consomic strains of mice possessing an identical ChrX and CNV in ChrY multicopy genes exhibit a female biased sex-ratio and sperm head abnormalities, consistent with X-Y intragenomic conflict arising from an imbalance in CNV between homologous ChrX:ChrY multicopy genes. These males also display paternal transmission of EAE to female offspring and differential loading of miRNAs within the sperm nucleus. These findings provide evidence for a genetic mechanism at the level of the male gamete that contributes to the SD in EAE and paternal parent-of-origin effects in female mice, raising the possibility that a similar mechanism may contribute to the SD in MS. miRNA expression was analyzed in epidydimal sperm pooled from 5 mice for each replicate per strain.
Project description:A major barrier to research on Parkinson’s disease (PD) is inaccessibility of diseased tissue for study. One solution is to derive induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients with PD and differentiate them into neurons affected by disease. We created an iPSC model of PD caused by triplication of SNCA encoding α-synuclein. α-Synuclein dysfunction is common to all forms of PD, and SNCA triplication leads to fully penetrant familial PD with accelerated pathogenesis. After differentiation of iPSCs into neurons enriched for midbrain dopaminergic subtypes, those from the patient contain double α-synuclein protein compared to those from an unaffected relative, precisely recapitulating the cause of PD in these individuals. A measurable biomarker makes this model ideal for drug screening for compounds that reduce levels of α-synuclein, and for mechanistic experiments to study PD pathogenesis. This gene expression microarray study was carried out as part of the validation process for demonstrating that the generated iPSC lines are pluripotent. 15 samples were analysed: the two parent fibroblast lines (AST denoting alpha-synuclein triplication and NAS denoting normal alpha-synuclein), two iPSC lines from each parent fibroblast line (four in total), a human embryonic stem cell line (SHEF4) and eight neuronal samples (each iPSC line differentiated into a neuronal population enriched for dopaminergic neurons, at two different time points).
Project description:Interactions of cancer cells with the primary tumor microenvironment are important determinants of cancer progression towards metastasis but it is unknown whether additional prometastatic signals are provided during the intravascular transit to the site of metastasis. Here, we show that transient platelet-tumor cell interactions are sufficient to prime tumor cells for subsequent metastasis. Platelet-derived TGF-beta and direct platelet-tumor cell contacts synergistically activate the TGF-beta/Smad and NF-kappaB pathways in cancer cells, resulting in their transition to an invasive mesenchymal-like phenotype and enhanced metastasis in vivo. Inhibition of NF-kappaB signaling in cancer cells or ablation of TGF-beta1 expression solely in platelets protects against lung metastasis in vivo. Thus, cancer cells rely on platelet-derived signals outside of the primary tumor for efficient metastasis. MoEx-1_0-st: Five replicates of Ep5 tumor cells cultured alone, five replicates of tumor cells cultured in combination with platelets, and three replicates of tumor cells combined with platelets just prior to RNA isolation to control for the presence of platelet RNAs. MoGene-1_0-st: Three replicates of tumor cells cultured alone, three replicates of tumor cells cultured in combination with platelets, three replicates of tumor cells cultured with centrifuged platelets and three replicates of tumor cells cultured with supernate (releasate) from centrifuged platelets.
Project description:The in-vitro analysis of the hypomethylation of the imprinting control region 1 (ICR1) within the IGF2/H19 locus is challenged by the mosaic distribution of the epimutation in tissues from children with Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS). For excluding mosaicism, clonal cultures of skin fibroblasts from four children with SRS and three controls were analyzed. Cell proliferation, IGF-II secretion, and expression of IGF2 and H19 were measured. Microarray expression analysis was performed. Single cell expansion established severely ICR1 hypomethylated clones (SRShypo) and normomethylated clones (SRSnormo) from patients and controls (Cnormo). IGF2 expression was below the detection limit of the qRT-PCR assay, while H19 expression was detectable, without differences between fibroblast clones. Cell count-related IGF-II release was comparable in supernatants of SRShypo and Cnormo. Cell proliferation was diminished in SRShypo compared to Cnormo (p=.035). Microarray analysis revealed gene expression changes in SRS clones predicting a decrease of cell proliferation and a delay of mitosis. The analysis of severely ICR1 hypomethylated clonal fibroblasts did not reveal any functional differences towards the normomethylated clones with respect to IGF2 and H19 expression. Furthermore, a clear difference to the clones from healthy individuals was not detected except from a lower proliferation rate arisen from impaired cell cycle progression. 16 samples: 8 SRShypo, 4 SRSnormo, 4 Cnormo
Project description:We previously showed that epigenetic transcriptional silencing of the amoebapore gene (Ehap-a) in E. histolytica G3 trophozoites was accompanied by the down-regulation of two other members of the saposin-like gene family (Ehap-b, and EhSaplip1). Comparison of the transcriptomes of G3 trophozoites with those of the parent HM-1:IMSS strain revealed 72 additional transcripts that were either down- or up-regulated at least 7 fold. One of the polyA+, up-regulated (>200) transcripts (459.m00030), had the potential to encode a 66 amino acid protein. Antibodies raised against a synthetic N-terminal peptide of the gene did not recognize any such protein in trophozoite lysates. Trophozoite cultures grown with the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 to prevent protein degradation, also did not have any detectable protein. Transfections with a plasmid in which the Ehactin gene promoter elements were used to flank the 459.m gene, significantly increased their level transcript but again, no protein was detected. Transfectants in which the 459.m ORF was placed downstream to the GST gene, expressed a fused protein which reacted with the antibody against the m.459 peptide. Constructs with the CAT reporter gene placed under the 459.m gene promoter element or fused to the C-terminal sequence of the 459.m ORF were prepared to determine if the higher levels of 459.m transcript found in the G3 trophozoites were due to changes in the stability of the transcript or increased transcription. No difference was observed in the very weak expressions seen in both G3 and HM-1:IMSS transfectants. Similarly, transfectants with a plasmid construct in which the 459.m gene was placed under its regulatory elements, did not induce an increase in the transcript levels. Our conclusions are that the transcript of the 459.m gene is an mRNA-like ncRNA and that modulations of transcript levels, especially of hypothetical genes, may not correlate with changes in the proteome. Samples include two replicates of the HM-1:IMSS strain and the amoebapore a silenced G3 strain (G3(A))