Project description:We use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to explore the transcriptional changes associated with estrogen-induced dysplasia in mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells
Project description:The functional status of the tumor repressor protein (TP53 or TRP53) is a defining feature of ovarian cancer. Mutant or null alleles of TP53 are expressed in greater than 90% of all high-grade serous adenocarcinomas. Wild type TP53 is elevated in low-grade serous adenocarcinomas in women and in our Pten/Kras/Amhr2-Cre mutant mouse model. Disruption of the Trp53 gene in this mouse model did not lead to high-grade ovarian cancer but did increase expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha; ESR1) and markedly enhanced the responsiveness of these cells to estrogen. Specifically, when Trp53 positive and Trp53 null mutant mice were treated with estradiol or vehicle, only the Trp53 null and Esr1 positive tumors respond vigorously to estradiol in vivo and exhibit features characteristic of high-grade type ovarian cancer: invasive growth into the ovarian stroma, rampant metastases to the peritoneal cavity and signs of genomic instability. Estrogen promoted and progesterone suppressed the growth of Trp53 null ovarian tumors and tumor cells injected intraperitoneally (IP), subcutaneously (SC) or when grown in matrigel. Exposure of the Trp53 depleted cells to estrogen also has a profound impact on the tumor microenvironment and immune-related events. These results led to the new paradigm that TRP53 status is related to the susceptibility of transformed ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells to estradiol-induced metastases and genomic instability. This novel finding is relevant not only for women during their reproductive years but also for women on hormone (estradiol) replacement therapies. A direct comparison of ovarian surface epithelia cells from two different genotype mice
Project description:We have developed mouse models for serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) based on conditional inactivation of p53 and Rb tumor suppression (RB-TS) in combination with or without Brca1/2 following injection of adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase into the ovarian bursa. These models develop metastatic (Stage IV) disease with key histopathological features resembling human SEOC.To determine whether these mouse tumors resemble human SEOC at the molecular level, we conducted global gene expression analysis on 27 ovarian carcinomas and 3 pooled normal ovarian surface epithelium samples (single epithelial layer isolated from ovarian surface by laser capture). RNA was isolated from flash frozen ovarian tumors or from ovarian surface epithelial cells microdissected from frozen sections using PixCell IIe laser capture microdissection instrument.
Project description:The functional status of the tumor repressor protein (TP53 or TRP53) is a defining feature of ovarian cancer. Mutant or null alleles of TP53 are expressed in greater than 90% of all high-grade serous adenocarcinomas. Wild type TP53 is elevated in low-grade serous adenocarcinomas in women and in our Pten/Kras/Amhr2-Cre mutant mouse model. Disruption of the Trp53 gene in this mouse model did not lead to high-grade ovarian cancer but did increase expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha; ESR1) and markedly enhanced the responsiveness of these cells to estrogen. Specifically, when Trp53 positive and Trp53 null mutant mice were treated with estradiol or vehicle, only the Trp53 null and Esr1 positive tumors respond vigorously to estradiol in vivo and exhibit features characteristic of high-grade type ovarian cancer: invasive growth into the ovarian stroma, rampant metastases to the peritoneal cavity and signs of genomic instability. Estrogen promoted and progesterone suppressed the growth of Trp53 null ovarian tumors and tumor cells injected intraperitoneally (IP), subcutaneously (SC) or when grown in matrigel. Exposure of the Trp53 depleted cells to estrogen also has a profound impact on the tumor microenvironment and immune-related events. These results led to the new paradigm that TRP53 status is related to the susceptibility of transformed ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells to estradiol-induced metastases and genomic instability. This novel finding is relevant not only for women during their reproductive years but also for women on hormone (estradiol) replacement therapies.
Project description:In a mouse model of ovarian cancer, we have established that prolonged exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) accelerates tumour onset and increases the incidence of morphologically dysplastic ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). OSE cell proliferation and morphology are tightly regulated by the asymmetrical distribution of polarity proteins that provide positional cues for surface localization and growth inhibition. We hypothesized that E2 causes OSE dysplasia by inhibiting a tumour suppressor gene called Disabled-2 (Dab2). Dab2 is critical in mediating the polarized distribution of cell surface proteins and is highly expressed in normal OSE, but is absent in the majority of ovarian cancers. In this study, Dab2 is shown to be suppressed by E2 and we investigated the possibility that this occurs through E2 up-regulation of microRNAs. microRNA microarray analysis comparing control vs. E2 treated mouse ovarian cancer cells (MASE) was used to identify candidate miRNAs that have a seeding sequence capable of targeting the 3-prime untranslated region (3’UTR) of both human and mouse Dab2 transcript.
Project description:A major technology for generating oocytes by in vitro gametogenesis involves generating ovary models called reconstituted ovaries (rOvaries). Widespread use of rOvaries depends on the reliable manufacturing of primordial germ cell like cells (PGCLCs) and fetal ovarian somatic cells (FOSCs). Using scRNA-seq, we identify that upon thaw, FOSCs are composed largely of Foxl2+ pre-granulosa cells, KRT19+ epithelial cells and Nr2f2+ mesenchymal cells which self-assemble together with PGCLCs into disc-like organoids containing multiple follicles embedded in NR2F2 stroma without an ovarian surface epithelium and no steroidogenic theca. The absence of an ovarian surface epithelium combined with the small size of GV-oocytes indicates that follicle production in the rOvary corresponds to first-wave folliculogenesis.
Project description:In contrast to epithelial derived carcinomas that arise in most human organs, ovarian surface epithelial cells become more rather than less differentiated as the malignancy progresses. To test the hypothesis that ovarian surface epithelial cells retain properties of relatively uncommitted pluripotent cells until undergoing neoplastic transformation, we conducted gene expression profiling analysis (Affymetrix, U133 Plus 2.0) of 12 ovarian surface epithelial cells and 12 laser capture microdissected serous papillary ovarian cances. We find that over 2000 genes are significantly differentially expressed between the surface epithelial and cancer samples. Network analysis implicates key signaling pathways and pathway interactions in ovarian cancer development. Genes previously associated with adult stem cell maintenance are expressed in ovarian surface epithelial cells and significantly down-regulated in ovarian cancer cells. Our results indicate that the surface of the ovary is an adult stem cell niche and that deregulation of genes involved in maintaining the quiescence of ovarian surface epithelial cells is instrumental in the initiation and development of ovarian cancer.
Project description:The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of adrenergic signaling on the transcriptome of cell line models postulated to be the cells of origin of epithelial ovarian cancers using RNA-Seq. Here we explored the effects of the stress-related hormone, norepinephrine, on normal human ovarian and fallopian tube surface epithelial cellss. We investigated the early transcriptional response to norepinephrine in normal immortalized ovarian surface epithelial cells and fallopian tube secretory cells. RNA-Seq data of treated and untreated cells were analyzed to identify genes with differential expression.
Project description:We leverage RNA sequencing to identify the transcriptional changes assocaited with a TGFB1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the mouse ovarian surface epithelium