Project description:Stem cells need to balance self-renewal and differentiation for correct tissue development and homeostasis. Defects in this balance can lead to developmental defects or tumor formation. In recent years, mRNA splicing has emerged as one important mechanism regulating cell fate decisions. Here we address the role of the evolutionary conserved splicing co-factor Barricade (Barc)/CUS2/Tat-SF1 in Drosophila neural stem cell (neuroblast) lineage formation. We show that Barc is required for the generation of neurons during Drosophila brain development by ensuring correct neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation. Barc associates with components of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleic proteins (snRNP), and its depletion causes alternative splicing in form of intron retention in a subset of genes. Using bioinformatics analysis and a cell culture based splicing assay, we found that Barc dependent introns share three major traits: they are short, GC rich and have weak 3’ splice sites. Our results show that Barc, together with the U2snRNP, plays an important role in regulating neural stem cell lineage progression during brain development and facilitates correct splicing of a subset of introns.
Project description:Stem cells need to balance self-renewal and differentiation for correct tissue development and homeostasis. Defects in this balance can lead to developmental defects or tumor formation. In recent years, mRNA splicing has emerged as one important mechanism regulating cell fate decisions. Here we address the role of the evolutionary conserved splicing co-factor Barricade (Barc)/CUS2/Tat-SF1 in Drosophila neural stem cell (neuroblast) lineage formation. We show that Barc is required for the generation of neurons during Drosophila brain development by ensuring correct neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation. Barc associates with components of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleic proteins (snRNP), and its depletion causes alternative splicing in form of intron retention in a subset of genes. Using bioinformatics analysis and a cell culture based splicing assay, we found that Barc dependent introns share three major traits: they are short, GC rich and have weak 3’ splice sites. Our results show that Barc, t...
Project description:Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET)/adenomas are classified according to cell lineage, which requires immunohistochemistry for the transcription factors (TFs) PIT1, SF1, and TPIT. Co-expression of PIT1/SF1 was previously reported in PitNETs, which otherwise correspond to the somatotroph lineage. However, little is known about the clinicopathological features of these tumors. We compiled an in-house case series of 100 tumors, previously diagnosed as densely or sparsely granulated somatotroph PitNETs. Following TF staining, histopathological features associated with PIT1/SF1-coexpression were assessed. Global DNA methylation profiling was conducted on 31 of 100 in-house samples and integrated with publicly available sample data. The majority (74%, 52/70) of our densely granulated somatotroph PitNETs (DGST) unequivocally co-expressed PIT1 and SF1 (DGST-PIT1/SF1). None of our SGST (0%, 0/30) stained positive for SF1 (SGST-PIT1). Integrated molecular analyses including publicly available sample data confirmed that DGST-PIT1/SF1, DGST-PIT1 and SGST-PIT1 represent distinct tumour subtypes. In summary, we spotlight that a substantial proportion of previously diagnosed densely granulated somatotroph PitNET co-express PIT1 and SF1 and exhibit clinical, histopathological, and molecular distinctness from other pure PIT1-lineage somatotroph PitNET.
Project description:Our previous work demonstrated that HIV-1 infection progressively reduces TCR/CD3 expression due to a defect in CD3g gene transcripts. We further found that knocking down expression of the viral tat and/or nef genes was correlated with CD3g transcript and TCR/CD3 surface receptor levels on HIV-1 infected cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the direct effect of HIV-1 Tat expression on the TCR/CD3 machinery. Progressive downregulation from TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3? was observed on Tat expressing cells in a manner that emulated HIV-1 infection, with a lack of CD3g transcripts again responsible for the defect. When Tat cell cultures containing a mixture of TCR/CD3 surface densities were separated into TCR/CD3hi and TCR/CD3lo/? populations, they quickly reverted to a mixed CD3 phenotype. Thus, the progression TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3? is an active, reversible process with receptor levels fluctuating in response to intracellular dynamics. Examination of tat mutants found that the regions involved in Tat-mediated transactivation and TAR binding are required for TCR/CD3 downregulation while the lysine at position 28 and Tat exon 2 are dispensable. Global gene expression, assessed in association with TCR/CD3 downregulation in HIV-1 infected and Tat expressing cells, detected broad suppression of TCR/CD3 signaling, co-stimulation and negative regulatory genes along with target transcription factors, ligands and receptors. A significant subset of the genes altered in HIV-1 infected cells was specifically targeted by Tat in association with TCR/CD3 loss. Our finding that Tat negatively regulates many facets of the TCR/CD3 machinery has important implications for disease pathogenesis. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below. Refer to individual Series
Project description:Our previous work demonstrated that HIV-1 infection progressively reduces TCR/CD3 expression due to a defect in CD3g gene transcripts. We further found that knocking down expression of the viral tat and/or nef genes was correlated with CD3g transcript and TCR/CD3 surface receptor levels on HIV-1 infected cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the direct effect of HIV-1 Tat expression on the TCR/CD3 machinery. Progressive downregulation from TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3â was observed on Tat expressing cells in a manner that emulated HIV-1 infection, with a lack of CD3g transcripts again responsible for the defect. When Tat cell cultures containing a mixture of TCR/CD3 surface densities were separated into TCR/CD3hi and TCR/CD3lo/â populations, they quickly reverted to a mixed CD3 phenotype. Thus, the progression TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3â is an active, reversible process with receptor levels fluctuating in response to intracellular dynamics. Examination of tat mutants found that the regions involved in Tat-mediated transactivation and TAR binding are required for TCR/CD3 downregulation while the lysine at position 28 and Tat exon 2 are dispensable. Global gene expression, assessed in association with TCR/CD3 downregulation in HIV-1 infected and Tat expressing cells, detected broad suppression of TCR/CD3 signaling, co-stimulation and negative regulatory genes along with target transcription factors, ligands and receptors. A significant subset of the genes altered in HIV-1 infected cells was specifically targeted by Tat in association with TCR/CD3 loss. Our finding that Tat negatively regulates many facets of the TCR/CD3 machinery has important implications for disease pathogenesis. We used microarrays to investigate changes in CD4+ T cell gene expression induced by expression of the HIV-1 Tat protein. Examine changes in gene expression in HIV-1 Tat transduced cells compared with cells transduced with an antisense Tat sequence used as a control.
Project description:Our previous work demonstrated that HIV-1 infection progressively reduces TCR/CD3 expression due to a defect in CD3g gene transcripts. We further found that knocking down expression of the viral tat and/or nef genes was correlated with CD3g transcript and TCR/CD3 surface receptor levels on HIV-1 infected cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the direct effect of HIV-1 Tat expression on the TCR/CD3 machinery. Progressive downregulation from TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3â was observed on Tat expressing cells in a manner that emulated HIV-1 infection, with a lack of CD3g transcripts again responsible for the defect. When Tat cell cultures containing a mixture of TCR/CD3 surface densities were separated into TCR/CD3hi and TCR/CD3lo/â populations, they quickly reverted to a mixed CD3 phenotype. Thus, the progression TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3â is an active, reversible process with receptor levels fluctuating in response to intracellular dynamics. Examination of tat mutants found that the regions involved in Tat-mediated transactivation and TAR binding are required for TCR/CD3 downregulation while the lysine at position 28 and Tat exon 2 are dispensable. Global gene expression, assessed in association with TCR/CD3 downregulation in HIV-1 infected and Tat expressing cells, detected broad suppression of TCR/CD3 signaling, co-stimulation and negative regulatory genes along with target transcription factors, ligands and receptors. A significant subset of the genes altered in HIV-1 infected cells was specifically targeted by Tat in association with TCR/CD3 loss. Our finding that Tat negatively regulates many facets of the TCR/CD3 machinery has important implications for disease pathogenesis. We used microarrays to investigate changes in CD4+ T cell gene expression induced by HIV-1 infection for comparison with the Tat expressing cells. Examine changes in gene expression in TCR/CD3 negative HIV-1 infected cells compared to TCR/CD3 positive uninfected controls.
Project description:Our previous work demonstrated that HIV-1 infection progressively reduces TCR/CD3 expression due to a defect in CD3g gene transcripts. We further found that knocking down expression of the viral tat and/or nef genes was correlated with CD3g transcript and TCR/CD3 surface receptor levels on HIV-1 infected cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the direct effect of HIV-1 Tat expression on the TCR/CD3 machinery. Progressive downregulation from TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3− was observed on Tat expressing cells in a manner that emulated HIV-1 infection, with a lack of CD3g transcripts again responsible for the defect. When Tat cell cultures containing a mixture of TCR/CD3 surface densities were separated into TCR/CD3hi and TCR/CD3lo/− populations, they quickly reverted to a mixed CD3 phenotype. Thus, the progression TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3− is an active, reversible process with receptor levels fluctuating in response to intracellular dynamics. Examination of tat mutants found that the regions involved in Tat-mediated transactivation and TAR binding are required for TCR/CD3 downregulation while the lysine at position 28 and Tat exon 2 are dispensable. Global gene expression, assessed in association with TCR/CD3 downregulation in HIV-1 infected and Tat expressing cells, detected broad suppression of TCR/CD3 signaling, co-stimulation and negative regulatory genes along with target transcription factors, ligands and receptors. A significant subset of the genes altered in HIV-1 infected cells was specifically targeted by Tat in association with TCR/CD3 loss. Our finding that Tat negatively regulates many facets of the TCR/CD3 machinery has important implications for disease pathogenesis. We used microarrays to investigate changes in CD4+ T cell gene expression induced by HIV-1 infection for comparison with the Tat expressing cells.
Project description:Our previous work demonstrated that HIV-1 infection progressively reduces TCR/CD3 expression due to a defect in CD3g gene transcripts. We further found that knocking down expression of the viral tat and/or nef genes was correlated with CD3g transcript and TCR/CD3 surface receptor levels on HIV-1 infected cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the direct effect of HIV-1 Tat expression on the TCR/CD3 machinery. Progressive downregulation from TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3− was observed on Tat expressing cells in a manner that emulated HIV-1 infection, with a lack of CD3g transcripts again responsible for the defect. When Tat cell cultures containing a mixture of TCR/CD3 surface densities were separated into TCR/CD3hi and TCR/CD3lo/− populations, they quickly reverted to a mixed CD3 phenotype. Thus, the progression TCR/CD3hi to TCR/CD3lo to TCR/CD3− is an active, reversible process with receptor levels fluctuating in response to intracellular dynamics. Examination of tat mutants found that the regions involved in Tat-mediated transactivation and TAR binding are required for TCR/CD3 downregulation while the lysine at position 28 and Tat exon 2 are dispensable. Global gene expression, assessed in association with TCR/CD3 downregulation in HIV-1 infected and Tat expressing cells, detected broad suppression of TCR/CD3 signaling, co-stimulation and negative regulatory genes along with target transcription factors, ligands and receptors. A significant subset of the genes altered in HIV-1 infected cells was specifically targeted by Tat in association with TCR/CD3 loss. Our finding that Tat negatively regulates many facets of the TCR/CD3 machinery has important implications for disease pathogenesis. We used microarrays to investigate changes in CD4+ T cell gene expression induced by expression of the HIV-1 Tat protein.