Project description:Aim: To identify the genes and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in the neuroprotective actions of a dietary anti-oxidant (saffron) and of photobiomodulation. Methods: We used a previously published assay of photoreceptor damage, in which albino Sprague Dawley rats raised in dim cyclic illumination (12h 5 lux, 12h darkness) are challenged by 24h exposure to bright (1,000 lux) light. Experimental groups were protected against light damage by pretreatment with dietary saffron (1mg/kg/day for 21d) or photobiomodulation (10 J/cm2 at the eye, daily for 5d). RNA from 1 eye of each of 4 animals in each of the 6 experimental groups (control, light damage (LD), saffron, photobiomodulation (PBM), saffronLD, and PBMLD) was hybridized to Affymetrix rat genome ST arrays. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of 14 selected genes was used to validate microarray results. Results: LD caused the regulation of 175 entities (genes and ncRNAs) beyond criterion levels (P < 0.05 in comparisons with controls, fold-change >2). PBM pretreatment reduced the expression of 126 of these 175 LD-regulated entities below criterion; saffron pretreatment reduced the expression of 53 entities (50 in common with PBM). In addition, PBM pretreatment regulated the expression of 67 entities not regulated by LD, while saffron pretreatment regulated 122 entities not regulated by LD (48 in common with PBM). PBM and saffron, given without LD, regulated genes and ncRNAs beyond criterion levels, but in lesser numbers than during their protective action. A high proportion of the entities regulated by LD (>90%) were known genes; by contrast, ncRNAs where prominent among the entities regulated by PBM and saffron in their neuroprotective roles (73% and 62% respectively). Conclusions: Given alone, saffron and (more prominently) PBM both regulated significant numbers of genes and ncRNAs. Given prior to retinal exposure to damaging light, thus while exerting their neuroprotective action, they regulated much larger numbers of entities, among which ncRNAs were prominent. Further, the downregulation of known genes and of ncRNAs was prominent in the protective actions of both neuroprotectants. These comparisons provide an overview of gene expression induced by two neuroprotectants and provide a basis for more focused study of their mechanisms. The were 3 biological repliactes of each of the following groups: Control, Saffron pretreated, Photobiomodulation pretreated, Light Damage, Saffron Light Damage and Photobiomodulation Light Damage. 18 chips in total were performed.
Project description:Aim: To identify the genes and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in the neuroprotective actions of a dietary anti-oxidant (saffron) and of photobiomodulation. Methods: We used a previously published assay of photoreceptor damage, in which albino Sprague Dawley rats raised in dim cyclic illumination (12h 5 lux, 12h darkness) are challenged by 24h exposure to bright (1,000 lux) light. Experimental groups were protected against light damage by pretreatment with dietary saffron (1mg/kg/day for 21d) or photobiomodulation (10 J/cm2 at the eye, daily for 5d). RNA from 1 eye of each of 4 animals in each of the 6 experimental groups (control, light damage (LD), saffron, photobiomodulation (PBM), saffronLD, and PBMLD) was hybridized to Affymetrix rat genome ST arrays. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of 14 selected genes was used to validate microarray results. Results: LD caused the regulation of 175 entities (genes and ncRNAs) beyond criterion levels (P < 0.05 in comparisons with controls, fold-change >2). PBM pretreatment reduced the expression of 126 of these 175 LD-regulated entities below criterion; saffron pretreatment reduced the expression of 53 entities (50 in common with PBM). In addition, PBM pretreatment regulated the expression of 67 entities not regulated by LD, while saffron pretreatment regulated 122 entities not regulated by LD (48 in common with PBM). PBM and saffron, given without LD, regulated genes and ncRNAs beyond criterion levels, but in lesser numbers than during their protective action. A high proportion of the entities regulated by LD (>90%) were known genes; by contrast, ncRNAs where prominent among the entities regulated by PBM and saffron in their neuroprotective roles (73% and 62% respectively). Conclusions: Given alone, saffron and (more prominently) PBM both regulated significant numbers of genes and ncRNAs. Given prior to retinal exposure to damaging light, thus while exerting their neuroprotective action, they regulated much larger numbers of entities, among which ncRNAs were prominent. Further, the downregulation of known genes and of ncRNAs was prominent in the protective actions of both neuroprotectants. These comparisons provide an overview of gene expression induced by two neuroprotectants and provide a basis for more focused study of their mechanisms.
Project description:Comprehensive Profiling of Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded miRNAome Associated with Specific Latent Type in Tumor Cells Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an etiological cause of many human lymphocytic and epithelial malignancies. EBV expressed different genes associated with three latent types. So far as many as 44 EBV-encoded miRNA species have been found but their comprehensive and comparative profiling is not well documented in three latent infection states linked to various tumor cells. In this study, we utilized the polyA-tailed quantitative real time RT-PCR procedure to measure the relative abundance of viral miRNA species that linked to individual viral genome locations in combination with microarray evaluation in a subset of representative lymphoid and epithelial tumor cells undergoing various types of EBV latent infection. The results showed that miR-BHRF1 family and miR-BART family are expressed differentially in a tissue-dependent and latency-dependent manner. In particular, in NPC tissue and the only EBV consistently harboring cell line C666-1 with latency type II, there were highly abundant miR-BART family but not miR-BHRF1 family members that accounted for more than 10% of the whole known human miRNA library, implicating their important roles in maintaining EBV latent infection and driving NPC tumorigenesis. In addition, EBV miRNAome-based clustering analysis could classify three distinct EBV latency types, meanwhile, for the first time, we found and subsequently evaluated a novel secret latent switch in BL cell line Daudi from type I to III, which was unable to be identified by traditional latent biomarkers. Together, our data provided an in-depth and comparative profiling of EBV miRNA transcriptome in correspondence with three EBV latent infections, suggesting that different viral miRNA species were involved in divergent host cell carcinogenesis. Finally, EBV miRNAome, as a cluster of novel latency biomarkers expressed variedly in tumor cells, greatly complements and improves the classical typing criteria in conjunction with other latently expressed marker genes. 2 NPC tissue samples and 2 NPC cell lines and 5 lymphocytic cell lines
Project description:This work represents the first epigenomic study carried out on saffron crocus. Five accessions of saffron, showing differences in tepal pigmentation, yield of saffron and flowering time, were analysed at the epigenetic level by applying a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme-sequencing (MRE-seq) approach. Five accession-specific hypomethylomes plus a reference hypomethylome, generated by combining the sequence data from the single accessions, were obtained. Assembled sequences were annotated against existing online databases. In the absence of the Crocus genome, the rice genome was mainly used as the reference as it is the best annotated genome among monocot plants. Comparison of the hypomethylomes revealed many differentially methylated regions, confirming the high epigenetic variability present among saffron accessions, including sequences encoding for proteins that could be good candidates to explain the accessions’ alternative phenotypes. In particular, transcription factors involved in flowering process (MADS-box and TFL) and for the production of pigments (MYB) were detected. Finally, by comparing the generated sequences of the different accessions, a high number of SNPs, likely having arisen as a consequence of the prolonged vegetative propagation, were detected, demonstrating surprisingly high genetic variability. Gene ontology (GO) was performed to map and visualise sequence polymorphisms located within the GOs and to compare their distributions among different accessions. As well as suggesting the possible existence of alternative phenotypes with a genetic basis, a clear difference in polymorphic GO is present among accessions based on their geographic origin, supporting a possible signature of selection in the Indian accession with respect to the Spanish ones.
Project description:Comprehensive Profiling of Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded miRNAome Associated with Specific Latent Type in Tumor Cells Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an etiological cause of many human lymphocytic and epithelial malignancies. EBV expressed different genes associated with three latent types. So far as many as 44 EBV-encoded miRNA species have been found but their comprehensive and comparative profiling is not well documented in three latent infection states linked to various tumor cells. In this study, we utilized the polyA-tailed quantitative real time RT-PCR procedure to measure the relative abundance of viral miRNA species that linked to individual viral genome locations in combination with microarray evaluation in a subset of representative lymphoid and epithelial tumor cells undergoing various types of EBV latent infection. The results showed that miR-BHRF1 family and miR-BART family are expressed differentially in a tissue-dependent and latency-dependent manner. In particular, in NPC tissue and the only EBV consistently harboring cell line C666-1 with latency type II, there were highly abundant miR-BART family but not miR-BHRF1 family members that accounted for more than 10% of the whole known human miRNA library, implicating their important roles in maintaining EBV latent infection and driving NPC tumorigenesis. In addition, EBV miRNAome-based clustering analysis could classify three distinct EBV latency types, meanwhile, for the first time, we found and subsequently evaluated a novel secret latent switch in BL cell line Daudi from type I to III, which was unable to be identified by traditional latent biomarkers. Together, our data provided an in-depth and comparative profiling of EBV miRNA transcriptome in correspondence with three EBV latent infections, suggesting that different viral miRNA species were involved in divergent host cell carcinogenesis. Finally, EBV miRNAome, as a cluster of novel latency biomarkers expressed variedly in tumor cells, greatly complements and improves the classical typing criteria in conjunction with other latently expressed marker genes.