Project description:The goal of this study is to compare NGS-derived pancreatic acinar cell-based transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) to evaluate ERR gamma-driven transcriptional program
Project description:The goal of this study is to compare NGS-derived pancreatic acinar cell transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) to analyze the alteration of transcriptional program depending on ERR gamma expression.
Project description:Lamin A/C was ablated in pancreatic acinar cells using Elastase1 driven, Cre-ErT mediated, LoxP recombination, causing excision of exons 10 and 11 of the Lmna gene
Project description:To investigate the underlying changes during acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, pancreatic acinar cells were isolated from 5 week old KrasG12D-mice. RNA was isolated immediately after isolation (t=0 days) or after 3 days embedded in collagen.
Project description:Phosphoproteomic analysis to elucidate whether high-fat diet induced hyperinsulinemia contributes to pancreatic cancer directly through insulin receptor (INSR) signaling in KrasG12D-expressing pancreatic acinar cells.
Project description:Oncogenic KrasG12D, a driver mutation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), induces neoplastic transformation of acinar cells through acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). Here, we show that both functional complexes of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase, mTORC1 and mTORC2) are specifically activated in ADM. Murine models uncover that mTORC1 and mTORC2 cooperate to promote KrasG12D-driven ADM development. Proteomic analyses identify Arp2/3 complex, an actin nucleator, as the common downstream effector: mTORC1 is responsible for the protein synthesis of Rac1 and Arp3 while mTORC2 promotes the Arp2/3 complex activity via Akt/Rac1 signalling. Genetic ablation of Arp2/3 complex completely arrests KrasG12D-driven ADM development. The Arp2/3 complex-mediated y-branching of actin network promotes the basolateral spread of filamentous actin, which is indispensable for acinar cells-initiated carcinogenesis. Induced by oncogenic KrasG12D, ADM is a metaplastic phenotype of acinar cells that requires extensive actin rearrangements. mTORC1 and mTORC2, downstream targets of KrasG12D, have well-established oncogenic functions in PDAC development. The actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex is the first identified actin nucleator. Regarded as textbook knowledge, it is activated by EGFR/Rac1 signalling to promote the polymerisation of branched actin filaments from pre-existing filaments in numerous biological contexts. Hereby, we identify that mTORC1 and mTORC2 attain a dual, yet non-redundant, regulatory role in promoting Arp2/3 complex function, which is responsible for generating basolateral filamentous actin in ADM. Thus, the role of Arp2/3 complex fills up the missing gap between putative oncogenic signals and actin dynamics underlying PDAC initiation.
Project description:Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 3 (Spink3) is a trypsin inhibitor in the pancreas. Spink3-/- pancreatic acinar cells are dead with excessive autophagy at birth (p0.5). To prove the role of nonapoptotic cell death with autophagy, we generated by transgenic technology the pancreas of Spink3-/-;XKI/+ mice contained both normal and dying acinar cells with autophagy. In this new mouse model, chronic inflammation occurred in the pancreas, indicating that some signals from nonapoptotic dead cell induce chronic inflammation in the pancreas. All samples were the pancreas at p0.5. Sample 1 and 2 are the pancreas from wild type (Spink3+/+, control) mice. Sample 3 and 4 are the pancreas from Spink3-/-, which all pancreatic acinar cells show induced nonapoptotic cell death with autophagy. Sample 5 and 6 are the pancreas from Spink3-/-XKI/+, about half acinar cells are normal, but other acinar cells show induced nonapoptotic cell death with autophagy.