Project description:The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway impacts various aspects of CD8 T cell homeostasis, such as effect versus memory cell differentiation, during viral infection. We used microarrays to determine which downstream molecules were affected and what other signaling pathways were interconnected with the Akt pathway by constitutive activation of Akt in LCMV-infected CD8 T cells. Splenocytes from naive P14/WT or P14/Akt mice were stained with anti-CD8 and anti-Ly5.1, and CD8 T cells were sorted using a FACSAria II instrument. Purified Ly5.1+ CD8 T cells from P14/WT or P14/Akt mice were transferred into B6 mice, which were subsequently infected with LCMV Armstrong. At day 8 post infection, splenocytes were stained with anti-CD8, anti-Ly5.1, anti-KLRG1, and anti-CD127. Following staining, short-lived effector cells (SLECs) and memory precursor effector cells (MPECs) were sorted using the FACSAria II instrument; the purity of the sorted cells was >95%. A total of 5 samples were analyzed, including WT naive, WT SLEC, WT MPEC, Akt naive and Akt SLEC.
Project description:Using CRISPR/Cas9 dropout screening, we identified superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) as a genetic dependency specific to PPM1D-mutant leukemia cells. We found that the mutant cells exhibited a compromised response to oxidative stress that can be rescued with SOD1 inhibitors. PPM1D-mutant fcells also exhibit significant genomic instability, highlighting the essential role of SOD1 in safeguarding against oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Project description:Misfolded soluble trimeric species of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are associated with increased death in neuron-like cell models and greater disease severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients compared to insoluble protein aggregates. The mechanism by which structurally independent SOD1 trimers cause cellular toxicity is unknown but may be a driver of disease pathology. Here, we uncovered the SOD1 trimer transcriptome. We identified key pathways using transcriptomic data from motor neuron-like cells (NSC-34s) expressing SOD1 trimers. We discovered differential gene expression in cells that express SOD1 trimers with selective enrichment of genes responsible for protein localization to membranes and a global upregulation of cellular senescence pathways. Our investigation highlights key protein factors and pathways within each system, revealing a plausible intersection of genetic and pathophysiological mechanisms in ALS through interactions involving SOD1 trimers.
Project description:CD4 T follicular helper (Tfh) cells provide the required signals to B cells for germinal center reactions that are necessary for longlived antibody responses. However, it remains unclear whether there are CD4+ memory T cells committed to the Tfh lineage after antigen clearance. Using adoptive transfer of antigen-specific memory CD4+ subpopulations (based on CXCR5 and Ly6c expression)in the LCMV infection model, we found that there are distinct memory CD4+ T cell populations with commitment to the Tfh and Th1 lineages. Our conclusions are based on gene expression profiles, epigenetic studies and phenotypic and functional analysis. The gene expression profiles of virus-specific CD4 T cell subets at effector and memory stages is presented here. The SMARTA TCR transgenic / adptive transfer system was used to identify and sort subsets of antigen-specific CD4 T cells (based on their expression of Ly6c and CXCR5) elicited after acute infection with LCMV (Arm).
Project description:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal motor neuron disease that progressively debilitates neuronal cells that control voluntary muscle activity. In a mouse model of ALS that expresses mutated human superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1-G93A) skeletal muscle is one of the tissues affected early by mutant SOD1 toxicity. Fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles are differentially affected in ALS patients and in the SOD1-G93A model, fast-twitch muscles being more vulnerable. We used miRNA microarrays to investigate miRNA alterations in fast-twitch (EDL) and slow-twitch (soleus) skeletal muscles of symptomatic SOD1-G93A animals and their age-matched wild type littermates.