Project description:During embryonic development, the lymphatic system emerges by transdifferentiation from the cardinal vein. Although lymphatic and blood vasculature share a close molecular and developmental relationship, they display distinct features and functions. However, even after terminal differentiation, transitions between the two endothelial cell types have been reported. Since changes in phenotypic plasticity and cellular differentiation processes frequently involve epigenetic mechanisms, we wondered whether DNA methylation might play a role in regulating cell type-specific expression in endothelial cells. By analyzing global gene expression and methylation patterns of primary human dermal lymphatic and blood endothelial cells, we identified a highly significant set of genes, which were differentially methylated and expressed. Pathway analyses of the differentially methylated and upregulated genes in lymphatic endothelial cells revealed involvement in developmental and transdifferentiation processes. We further identified a set of novel genes, which might be implicated in regulating BEC-LEC plasticity and could serve as therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers in vascular diseases associated with alterations in the endothelial phenotype.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE32709: DNA methylation regulates lineage-specifying genes in the human vascular system [expression array]. GSE34486: DNA methylation regulates lineage-specifying genes in the human vascular system [methylation array]. Refer to individual Series
Project description:During embryonic development, the lymphatic system emerges by transdifferentiation from the cardinal vein. Although lymphatic and blood vasculature share a close molecular and developmental relationship, they display distinct features and functions. However, even after terminal differentiation, transitions between the two endothelial cell types have been reported. Since changes in phenotypic plasticity and cellular differentiation processes frequently involve epigenetic mechanisms, we wondered whether DNA methylation might play a role in regulating cell type-specific expression in endothelial cells. By analyzing global gene expression and methylation patterns of primary human dermal lymphatic and blood endothelial cells, we identified a highly significant set of genes, which were differentially methylated and expressed. Pathway analyses of the differentially methylated and upregulated genes in lymphatic endothelial cells revealed involvement in developmental and transdifferentiation processes. We further identified a set of novel genes, which might be implicated in regulating BEC-LEC plasticity and could serve as therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers in vascular diseases associated with alterations in the endothelial phenotype. Bisulphite converted DNA from the 16 samples were hybridised to the Illumina Infinium 450k Human Methylation Beadchip v1.1
Project description:During embryonic development, the lymphatic system emerges by transdifferentiation from the cardinal vein. Although lymphatic and blood vasculature share a close molecular and developmental relationship, they display distinct features and functions. However, even after terminal differentiation, transitions between the two endothelial cell types have been reported. Since changes in phenotypic plasticity and cellular differentiation processes frequently involve epigenetic mechanisms, we wondered whether DNA methylation might play a role in regulating cell type-specific expression in endothelial cells. By analyzing global gene expression and methylation patterns of primary human dermal lymphatic and blood endothelial cells, we identified a highly significant set of genes, which were differentially methylated and expressed. Pathway analyses of the differentially methylated and upregulated genes in lymphatic endothelial cells revealed involvement in developmental and transdifferentiation processes. We further identified a set of novel genes, which might be implicated in regulating BEC-LEC plasticity and could serve as therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers in vascular diseases associated with alterations in the endothelial phenotype. Expression profile of 10 lymphatic endothelial cells was compared to that of 6 blood endothelial cells, no replicates, no control samples.
Project description:During embryonic development, the lymphatic system emerges by transdifferentiation from the cardinal vein. Although lymphatic and blood vasculature share a close molecular and developmental relationship, they display distinct features and functions. However, even after terminal differentiation, transitions between the two endothelial cell types have been reported. Since changes in phenotypic plasticity and cellular differentiation processes frequently involve epigenetic mechanisms, we wondered whether DNA methylation might play a role in regulating cell type-specific expression in endothelial cells. By analyzing global gene expression and methylation patterns of primary human dermal lymphatic and blood endothelial cells, we identified a highly significant set of genes, which were differentially methylated and expressed. Pathway analyses of the differentially methylated and upregulated genes in lymphatic endothelial cells revealed involvement in developmental and transdifferentiation processes. We further identified a set of novel genes, which might be implicated in regulating BEC-LEC plasticity and could serve as therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers in vascular diseases associated with alterations in the endothelial phenotype.
Project description:We report a distinctive gene-targeted RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) activity in the Arabidopsis thaliana male sexual lineage that regulates gene expression in meiocytes. Loss of sexual-lineage-specific RdDM causes mis-splicing of the MPS1 gene (also known as PRD2), thereby disrupting meiosis. Our results establish a regulatory paradigm in which de novo methylation creates a cell-lineage-specific epigenetic signature that controls gene expression and contributes to cellular function in flowering plants.
Project description:Endothelial cells line the inside of all blood vessels forming a single layer of quiescent, non-proliferating cells. While the mechanisms of sprouting angiogenesis, network formation and vascular remodelling are molecularly unravelled in increasing detail, the molecular mechanisms of vascular maturation are still poorly understood. We performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on endothelial cells isolated from infant and adult mice to establish the epigenetic landscape of vascular maturation.