Project description:We observed different gene expression by overexpressing the transcription factor FOXP2 in U2OS cells compared to mock-transfected cells. Additionally, we found β-catenin as co-activator binding directly to FOXP2. Activation of Wnt signaling was changing the transcriptional activity of FOXP2. Other functional and regulatory elements were found within FOXP2 and were confirmed by RNA-Seq.
Project description:To study the underlying mechanism of tumor initation driven by FOXP2, we performed transcriptome analysis of transformed NIH3T3 overexpressing FOXP2 or FOXP2-CEPD1 and control cells to explore the FOXP2-related transcriptome in tumorigenesis.
Project description:Androgen receptor (AR) is the major therapeutic target in aggressive prostate cancer. However, targeting AR alone can result in drug resistance and disease recurrence. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of multiple pathways could in principle be an effective new approach to treating prostate cancer. Here we provide proof-of-concept that a small molecule inhibitor of nuclear β-catenin activity (called C3) can inhibit both the AR and β-catenin signaling pathways that are often misregulated in prostate cancer. Treatment with C3 ablated prostate cancer cell growth by disruption of both β-catenin/TCF and β-catenin/AR protein interaction, reflecting the fact that TCF and AR have overlapping binding sites on β-catenin. Given that AR interacts with, and is transcriptionally regulated by β-catenin, C3 treatment also resulted in decreased occupancy of β-catenin on the AR promoter and diminished AR and AR/β-catenin target gene expression. Interestingly, C3 treatment resulted in decreased AR binding to target genes accompanied by decreased recruitment of an AR and β-catenin cofactor, CARM1, providing new insight into the unrecognized function of β-catenin in prostate cancer. Importantly, C3 inhibited tumor growth in an in vivo xenograft model, and blocked renewal of bicalutamide-resistant sphere forming cells, indicating the therapeutic potential of this approach. Compare and contrast the expression profile of prostate cancer cells treated with a Wnt inhibitor (C3) with respect to β-catenin and AR knockdown (all samples in duplicates).
Project description:It has been proposed that two amino acid substitutions in the transcription factor FOXP2 have been positively selected during human evolution due to effects on aspects of speech and language. Here, we introduce these substitutions into the endogenous Foxp2 gene.of mice. Although these mice are generally healthy, they have qualitatively different ultrasonic vocalizations, decreased exploratory behavior and decreased dopamine concentrations in the brain suggesting an effect of the humanized Foxp2 allele on basal ganglia. In the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia that is affected in humans with a speech deficit due to one non-functional FOXP2 allele, we find that medium spiny neurons have increased dendrite lengths and increased synaptic plasticity. Since mice carrying one non-functional Foxp2 allele show opposite effects, this suggests that alterations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits might have been important for the evolution of speech and language in humans. In this particular experiment, we investigate the effects of human Foxp2 (Foxp2hum) and the non-functional Foxp2 allele on striatal gene expression in embryonic, young and adult mice. We determined genome-wide gene expression patterns in striatal biopsies from Foxp2hum/hum, Foxp2wt/ko and Foxp2wt/wt mice using high-density oligonucleotide arrays. The animals were derived from two independent FoxP2 knock-in strains and one knock-out strain. In total 71 animals were used, 29 males and 42 females. The mice ages were E16.5, P15, P18, P21 and P95 when sacrificed. The microarrays were processed in totally six batches.
Project description:It has been proposed that two amino acid substitutions in the transcription factor FOXP2 have been positively selected during human evolution due to effects on aspects of speech and language. Here, we introduce these substitutions into the endogenous Foxp2 gene.of mice. Although these mice are generally healthy, they have qualitatively different ultrasonic vocalizations, decreased exploratory behavior and decreased dopamine concentrations in the brain suggesting an effect of the humanized Foxp2 allele on basal ganglia. In the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia that is affected in humans with a speech deficit due to one non-functional FOXP2 allele, we find that medium spiny neurons have increased dendrite lengths and increased synaptic plasticity. Since mice carrying one non-functional Foxp2 allele show opposite effects, this suggests that alterations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits might have been important for the evolution of speech and language in humans. In this particular experiment, we investigate the effects of human Foxp2 (Foxp2hum) and the non-functional Foxp2 allele on striatal gene expression in embryonic, young and adult mice.
Project description:Androgen receptor (AR) is the major therapeutic target in aggressive prostate cancer. However, targeting AR alone can result in drug resistance and disease recurrence. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of multiple pathways could in principle be an effective new approach to treating prostate cancer. Here we provide proof-of-concept that a small molecule inhibitor of nuclear β-catenin activity (called C3) can inhibit both the AR and β-catenin signaling pathways that are often misregulated in prostate cancer. Treatment with C3 ablated prostate cancer cell growth by disruption of both β-catenin/TCF and β-catenin/AR protein interaction, reflecting the fact that TCF and AR have overlapping binding sites on β-catenin. Given that AR interacts with, and is transcriptionally regulated by β-catenin, C3 treatment also resulted in decreased occupancy of β-catenin on the AR promoter and diminished AR and AR/β-catenin target gene expression. Interestingly, C3 treatment resulted in decreased AR binding to target genes accompanied by decreased recruitment of an AR and β-catenin cofactor, CARM1, providing new insight into the unrecognized function of β-catenin in prostate cancer. Importantly, C3 inhibited tumor growth in an in vivo xenograft model, and blocked renewal of bicalutamide-resistant sphere forming cells, indicating the therapeutic potential of this approach.
Project description:Alterations to corticostriatal glutamatergic function are early pathophysiological changes associated with Huntington?s disease (HD). The factors that regulate the maintenance of corticostriatal glutamatergic synapses post-developmentally are not well understood. Recently, the striatum-enriched transcription factor Foxp2 was implicated in the development of these synapses. Here we show that, in mice, overexpression of Foxp2 in the adult striatum of two models of HD leads to rescue of HD-associated behaviors, while knockdown of Foxp2 in wild-type mice leads to development of HD-associated behaviors. We note that Foxp2 encodes the longest polyglutamine repeat protein in the human reference genome, and we show that it can be sequestered into aggregates with polyglutamine-expanded mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT). Foxp2 overexpression in HD model mice leads to altered expression of several genes associated with synaptic function, genes which present new targets for normalization of corticostriatal dysfunction in HD.
Project description:In humans, mutations in the transcription factor encoding gene, FOXP2, are associated with language and Autism Spectrum (ASD) Disorders, the latter characterized by deficits in social interactions. However, little is known regarding the function of Foxp2 in male or female social behavior. Our previous studies in mice revealed high expression of Foxp2 within the medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA), a limbic brain region highly implicated in innate social behaviors such as mating, aggression, and parental care. Here, using a comprehensive panel of behavioral tests in male and female Foxp2+/- heterozygous mice, we investigated the role Foxp2 plays in MeA-linked innate social behaviors. We reveal significant deficits in olfactory processing, social interaction, mating, aggressive and parental behaviors. Interestingly, some of these deficits displayed in a sex-specific manner. To examine the consequences of Foxp2 loss of function specifically in the MeA, we conducted a proteomic analysis of microdissected MeA tissue and found sex differences in a host of proteins implicated in neuronal communication, connectivity and dopamine signaling. Consistent with this, we discovered that MeA Foxp2-lineage cells were responsive to dopamine with differences between males and females. Thus, our findings reveal a central and sex-specific role for Foxp2 in social behavior and MeA function.
Project description:The transcription repressor FOXP2 is a crucial player in nervous system evolution and development of humans and songbirds. In spite of its relevance, the FOXP2-controlled network and its functional implications are only partially understood. Therefore, we analyzed the transcriptomes of human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) stably overexpressing human, chimpanzee, macaque, and marmoset FOXP2 cDNAs. Clones carrying empty vector served as a standard of baseline expression. All conditions were represented by two biological replicates (A, B), each. By comparing expression levels (bases which map per kb of exon model per million mapped bases) across the different conditions we were able to identify genes with differential expression in clones overexpressing human FOXP2 relative to each other condition.