Project description:Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (Ch25h) has been previously demonstrated to be required for anti-inflammatory effect and anti-viral activity, while also promoting foam cell formation. In order to delineate the role of Ch25h in atherosclerosis, we isolated peritoneal macrophages (PMs) from mice lacking ApoE and Ch25h (i.e., ApoE-/-/Ch25h-/-) compared to their wildtype littermates (i.e., ApoE-/-/Ch25h+/+) for transcriptome analysis, in biological duplicates (n=12 pooled mice per group). Deep-sequencing analysis revealed that PMs ablated with Ch25h were prone to the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype as well as increased cholesterol biosynthesis. Overall, we found that Ch25h is integral to atheroprotection through the preservation of M2 polarization and suppression of intracelllular cholesterol content.
Project description:Here we study the effect of LPS in the transcriptome of thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages isolated from Ldlr knock out and Ch25h;Ldlr double knock out mice
Project description:Background: Atherosclerosis leads high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Protein kinases orchestrate multiple cellular events in atherosclerosis and may provide new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis. Here, we identified a protein kinase, WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1), promoting inflammatory response in atherosclerosis. Methods: The ApoE-/- mice without macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1f/f) and ApoE-/- mice with macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1MCKO) were generated using bone marrow transplantation. These mice and WEE1 inhibitor MK1775 were used in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerotic model. Human atherosclerotic tissues, mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), 293T cells, and recombinant proteins were utilized to investigate the pathogenic role and underlying mechanisms of WEE1. Results: We identified up-regulated p-WEE1 in macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions of HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis indicated that WEE1 promotes oxLDL-induced inflammation in macrophages. We then demonstrated that macrophage-specific deletion or pharmacological inhibition of WEE1 attenuates atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. The overexpression of wild-type WEE1 or activating-mutant WEE1, but not inactivating-mutant WEE1, exacerbates inflammation in macrophages. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing analysis and co-immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative proteomics analysis identified p65 as a binding protein of WEE1. We confirmed that WEE1 directly interacts with the RHD domain of p65 via kinase domain and phosphorylates p65 at S536, thereby facilitating subsequent NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in macrophages. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that macrophage WEE1 promotes inflammatory atherosclerosis by directly binding to p65 and phosphorylate it at S536. This study provides WEE1 as a new p65 regulator in inflammation and a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
Project description:To investigate in vivo transcriptome profiles of macrophages from CTR and Mac-GsαKO mice , we isolated and cultured peritoneal macrophages. Our data indicates that macrophages from CTR and Mac-GsαKO mice show different mRNA expressions. Compared with macrophages from CTR mice, macrophages from Mac-GsαKO mice expressed more genes related to lipid metabolism.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
Project description:To examine function of PKCh for atherosclerosis, we compared the gene expression profiles of control Apoe-/- and Prkch-/-Apoe-/- mice by microarray analysis. In peritoneal macrophages, higher expression of Arginase, type II gene were found in Prkch-/-Apoe-/- cells. Expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis were upregulated in Prkch-/-Apoe-/- liver.