Project description:This study aims to demonstrate the link between epigenome-wide methylation aberrations at birth and genomic transcriptional changes upon allergen sensitization that occur in the neonatal dendritic cells (DC) due to maternal asthma. In an in vivo model reproducing human epidemiology findings, maternal but not paternal asthma predisposes the neonate to increased asthma risk, the effect is allergen-independent and is not genetic or environmental. Earlier we demonstrated that neonates of asthmatic mothers are born with a functional skew in splenic DCs that mediates the early-life asthma origin. These allergen-naive cells convey allergy responses to normal recipients, however minimal to no transcriptional or phenotypic changes were found to explain the functional pro-allergic alterations. In this study we profiled both allergen-naïve dendritic cells, and cells after allergen sensitization in vivo. We found that while allergen-naive DCs from asthma-at-risk neonates have minimal transcriptional change compared to controls, upon allergen sensitization, multiple genes with pre-existing epigenetic alterations show significant transcriptional change. . 24 samples from 2 batches, 3-4 replicates in each of 4 groups
Project description:This study aims to demonstrate the link between epigenome-wide methylation aberrations at birth and genomic transcriptional changes upon allergen sensitization that occur in the neonatal dendritic cells (DC) due to maternal asthma. In an in vivo model reproducing human epidemiology findings, maternal but not paternal asthma predisposes the neonate to increased asthma risk, the effect is allergen-independent and is not genetic or environmental. Earlier we demonstrated that neonates of asthmatic mothers are born with a functional skew in splenic DCs that mediates the early-life asthma origin. These allergen-naive cells convey allergy responses to normal recipients, however minimal to no transcriptional or phenotypic changes were found to explain the functional pro-allergic alterations. In this study we profiled both allergen-naïve dendritic cells, and cells after allergen sensitization in vivo. We found that while allergen-naive DCs from asthma-at-risk neonates have minimal transcriptional change compared to controls, upon allergen sensitization, multiple genes with pre-existing epigenetic alterations show significant transcriptional change. .
Project description:RATIONALE: In a mouse model of maternal transmission of asthma risk (J. Immunol 170:1683, 2003), baby mice of asthmatic (As), but not normal (Nrm), mothers show increased susceptibility to allergy. We previously showed that adoptive transfer to normal baby mice of dendritic cells (DCs) harvested from asthma-susceptible but allergen-naïve neonates reproduces the increased susceptibility to asthma. Hence, the maternal effect is mediated by altered neonatal DCs, which skew immune responses towards a pro-allergic Th2 phenotype. To identify potential molecular mechanisms, we performed epigenomic profiling of isolated neonatal DCs. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized by 2 i.p. injections of ovalbumin (OVA) in alum and repeatedly challenged with OVA aerosols (As) prior to mating with normal males. Purified splenic CD11c+ DCs of 14-day old allergen-naïve offspring from these As and control Nrm mothers were isolated using magnetic beads. Methylation profiles of genomic DNA were obtained using Switchgear epigenomic chip arrays. After normalization and background correction analysis using significance analysis for microarrays (SAM) and ANOVA was performed. RESULTS: We identified 300 to 6000 (depending on stringency) chromosomal regions with significantly different methylation status, (2 â 10 fold). Clustering methods and pathway analysis identified several interrelated gene groups that merit further study. CONCLUSION: Maternal asthma causes multiple significant epigenetic changes in neonatal dendritic cells. Keywords: Dendritic cells, genomic DNA, DNA methylation, allergy, asthma The analysis includes 9 samples of genomic DNA from isolated splenic CD11c+ dendritic cells (>95% pure) per group. The two groups are neonates born to mothers with induced allergy to ovalbumin, and normal control neonates. All neonates are genetically and environmentally identical, and allergen-naive.
Project description:RATIONALE: In a mouse model of maternal transmission of asthma risk (J. Immunol 170:1683, 2003), baby mice of asthmatic (As), but not normal (Nrm), mothers show increased susceptibility to allergy. We previously showed that adoptive transfer to normal baby mice of dendritic cells (DCs) harvested from asthma-susceptible but allergen-naïve neonates reproduces the increased susceptibility to asthma. Hence, the maternal effect is mediated by altered neonatal DCs, which skew immune responses towards a pro-allergic Th2 phenotype. To identify potential molecular mechanisms, we performed epigenomic profiling of isolated neonatal DCs. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized by 2 i.p. injections of ovalbumin (OVA) in alum and repeatedly challenged with OVA aerosols (As) prior to mating with normal males. Purified splenic CD11c+ DCs of 14-day old allergen-naïve offspring from these As and control Nrm mothers were isolated using magnetic beads. Methylation profiles of genomic DNA were obtained using Switchgear epigenomic chip arrays. After normalization and background correction analysis using significance analysis for microarrays (SAM) and ANOVA was performed. RESULTS: We identified 300 to 6000 (depending on stringency) chromosomal regions with significantly different methylation status, (2 – 10 fold). Clustering methods and pathway analysis identified several interrelated gene groups that merit further study. CONCLUSION: Maternal asthma causes multiple significant epigenetic changes in neonatal dendritic cells. Keywords: Dendritic cells, genomic DNA, DNA methylation, allergy, asthma
Project description:Goat’s milk (GM), as compared to Cow’s milk (CM), is easier for human to digest and absorb. GM feeding can improve colic, minor digestive disorders, asthma or eczema in infants. It has been demonstrated that GM have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Whether GM consumed in pregnant mothers has any immune-modulating effects on their newborns is still unclear. In this study, we used pregnant mothers and their offspring mice to verify this hypothesis. we collected feces of offspring before allergen sensitization (day 0) and two days after i.t. allergen challenge (day 16). Detection of cDNA of feces using Applied Biosystems™ Axiom™ Microbiome Array found the phyla of Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Flavobacteriia, Deferribacteres, Verrucomicrobiae and Gammaproteobacteria as well as some unclassified viruses. Comparison in ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B ratio), water-fed (W0) group had higher F/B ratio (0.79) than GM-fed (G0) (0.50) and CM-fed (C0) group (0.54) at Day 0. After HDM allergen sensitization and challenge, there was a remarkable increase of F/B ratio in water-fed mice (0.63 in WN vs. 0.84 in WA), while there was no change of F/B ratio in GM-fed (GN vs. GA) and CM-fed mice (CN vs. CA)
Project description:We investigated the effects on the lungs during fetal in the offspring of asthmatic mothers. Lung ILC2 of offspring of asthmatic mothers altered phenotypically during fetal life.
Project description:We investigated the effects on the lungs during fetal in the offspring of asthmatic mothers. We examined H3K4me3 modification of ILC2 in the adult lungs of offspring of asthmatic mothers.
Project description:We investigated the effects on the lungs during fetal in the offspring of asthmatic mothers. ILC2 in the fetal and adult lungs of offspring of asthmatic mothers showed overlapping chromatin accessible altered regions