Project description:MicroRNAs are important negative regulators of protein coding gene expression, and have been studied intensively over the last few years. To this purpose, different measurement platforms to determine their RNA abundance levels in biological samples have been developed. In this study, we have systematically compared 12 commercially available microRNA expression platforms by measuring an identical set of 20 standardized positive and negative control samples, including human universal reference RNA, human brain RNA and titrations thereof, human serum samples, and synthetic spikes from homologous microRNA family members. We developed novel quality metrics in order to objectively assess platform performance of very different technologies such as small RNA sequencing, RT-qPCR and (microarray) hybridization. We assessed reproducibility, sensitivity, quantitative performance, and specificity. The results indicate that each method has its strengths and weaknesses, which helps guiding informed selection of a quantitative microRNA gene expression platform in function of particular study goals.
Project description:Recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the study of extracellular vesicles (EV) geared towards biological understanding, diagnostics and therapy. The interpretation of EV data however remains challenging owing to the complexity of biofluids and the technical variability that are introduced during sample preparation. To understand and mitigate these errors we present the use of traceable recombinant EV (rEV) that mimic endogenous EV both physically and biochemically. The informed use of rEV ensures standardized measurements in various research and biomedical applications. In this dataset we performed mass spectrometry-based proteomics analyses to compare the protein content of endogenous EVs (eEV) and traceable recombinant EV (rEV). The analysis showed that both types of EVs are very similar and that more than 90% of proteins are equally abundant in rEV and eEV isolated from HEK293T cells.
Project description:This experiment was performed to elucidate the effects of CDK6 on CALR-mutant Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. VavCre CALRdel52 knockin mice were crossed with full-body Cdk6-/- mice to obtain Cdk6-/- CALRdel52 mice. Bone marrow from mice of the four genotypes Cdk6+/+ CALR+/+ (wild-type), Cdk6+/+ CALRdel52 (CALR-mutant), Cdk6-/- CALR+/+ (Cdk6 knockout) and Cdk6-/- CALRdel52 (CALR-mutant with Cdk6 knockout) was isolated and stained for flow cytometry. To obtain megakaryocyte progenitors (MkPs) from the bone marrow, Lineage (CD11b, Gr-1, Ter119, CD3, CD19), c-Kit, sca-1, CD150 and CD41 surface markers were used. From the gating strategy: Lineage- c-Kit+ sca-1- CD150+ CD41+, MkPs were sorted into round-bottom collection tubes via fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). These cells were then used for RNA-isolation and subsequent RNA-Sequencing. The samples were harvested in two batches (Sample dates: \"February\" and \"April\").
Project description:Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been recognized as important contributors to cancer development and progression. However, opposing evidence has been published whether CAFs, in addition to epigenetic, also undergo somatic genetic alterations and whether these changes contribute to carcinogenesis and tumour progression. We combined multiparameter DNA flow cytometry, flow-sorting and 6K SNP-arrays to study DNA aneuploidy, % S-phase, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and copy number alterations (CNAs) to study somatic genetic alterations in cervical cancer-associated stromal cell fractions (n = 58) from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. Tissue sections were examined for the presence of CAFs. Microsatellite analysis was used to study LOH. By flow cytometry we found no proof for DNA aneuploidy in the vimentin-positive stromal cell fractions of any samples (CV G0G1 population 3.7% +/- 1.2; S-phase 1.4% +/- 1.8). The genotype concordance between the stromal cells and the paired normal endometrium samples was > 99.9%. No evidence for CNAs or LOH was found in the stromal cell fractions. In contrast, high frequencies of DNA content abnormalities (43/57), a significant higher S-phase (14.6% +/- 8.5)(p = 0.0001) and substantial numbers of CNAs and LOH were identified in the keratin-positive epithelial cell fractions (CV G0G1 population 4.1% +/- 1.0). Smooth muscle actin and vimentin immunohistochemistry verified the presence of CAFs in all cases tested. LOH hot-spots on chromosomes 3p, 4p and 6p were confirmed by microsatellite analysis but the stromal cell fractions showed retention of heterozygosity only. From our study we conclude that stromal cell fractions from cervical carcinomas are DNA diploid, have a genotype undistinguishable from patient-matched normal tissue and are genetically stable. Stromal genetic changes do not seem to play a role during cervical carcinogenesis and progression. In addition, the stromal cell fraction of cervical carcinomas can be used as reference allowing large retrospective studies of archival FFPE tissues for which no normal reference tissue is available. Paired experiment, Endometrial (non-tumor) cells vs stromal cells from cervical tumors. Biological replicates: 58 patients. From 5 tumors also the tumor fraction was profiled.