Project description:Chronic stress (CS) is a debilitating condition that negatively affects body and brain. In mice, CS effects range from changes in behaviour down to the level of gene expression. These effects are partly mediated by sex and sex steroid hormones, which in turn are affected by the palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC7. ZDHHC7 might modulate also the response to CS via palmitoylation of sex steroid hormone receptors and other proteins critical for neuronal structure and functions. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of ZDHHC7 in response to CS on different system levels in a mouse model of Zdhhc7-deficiency. Female and male Zdhhc7-knockout (KO) and -wildtype (WT) mice underwent a four-week-mild CS paradigm or non-stress control (C) condition. After C or CS, amongst other analyses, brain gene expression profiles (via mRNA-seq transcriptomics) were investigated. Analyses focused on effects of genotype (KO vs. WT) or condition (C vs. CS) separately in both sexes. Our results revealed significant effects particularly in females. Female KOs showed upregulated cortistatin expression after CS (C vs. CS: p<0.05). Zdhhc7-deficiency seemed to be related to a sex-specific stress response and may reveal genetic factors of CS-resilience in female mice.
Project description:In order to investigate how chronic steroid treatment affects mouse skin at molecular levels, we shaved the back hair of 7 week-old female C57BL/6 mice and applied steroid (5 μg fluocinolone acetonide in 200 μl acetone) or vehicle once every three days for 12 days and then collected the skin samples 1, 15, or 30 days later for transcriptomic analysis.
Project description:Global transcriptome analysis revealed altered expression of 291 genes, including mRNAs for several AR-interacting proteins and multiple enzymes involved in steroid metabolism. The data indicate that antiandrogens modify the androgen signaling in VCaP xenografts at multiple levels by reducing concentrations of active androgens, increasing AR expression and inducing alterations in the expression of AR interacting proteins, steroid metabolizing enzymes and AR downstream target genes.
Project description:Background: Autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS), results from cortisol-producing adenomas (CPA), causes endogenous steroid-induced osteoporosis (SIOP). However, how other adrenal steroid metabolites affect bone status is unclear. Methods: ACS was diagnosed at serum cortisol after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST-cortisol) ≥ 1.8 g/dL. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we measured 21 plasma steroid metabolites in 73 patients with ACS and 85 with non-functioning adrenal tumors (NFAT). We also examined expression of steroidogenic enzymes and relevant steroid metabolites in some of CPA tissues. Results: In discriminant and principal component analysis, steroid profiles distinguished between the ACS and NFAT groups in premenopausal women. Premenopausal women with ACS exhibited higher levels of a mineralocorticoid metabolite; 11-deoxycorticosterone (11-DOC), with lower androgen metabolites; dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and androsterone-glucuronide. In premenopausal women with ACS, DST-cortisol was negatively correlated with trabecular bone score (TBS). Additionally, 11-DOC was negatively correlated with lumbar spine-bone mineral density (r = -0.603), while androsterone-glucuronide was positively correlated with TBS (r = 0.681), which was supported by Bayesian kernel machine regression analysis. There were no such correlations in postmenopausal women and men. The CPA tissues showed increased levels of 11-DOC, with increased expression of CYP21A2, which is essential for 11-DOC synthesis. The adrenal non-tumor tissues were atrophied with reduced expression of CYB5A, which is required for androgen synthesis. Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence that unbalanced production of adrenal steroid metabolites, which are derived from both adrenal tumors and non-tumor tissues, play a role in the pathogenesis of endogenous SIOP in premenopausal women with ACS.
Project description:The production of steroid hormones by the adrenal cortex is essential for maintaining homeostasis in response to stress. Disruptions to this process have been linked to various diseases, including congenital defects in steroid synthesis, Cushing syndrome, and adrenal tumors. Therefore, proper regulation of steroid hormone levels is essential for maintaining physiological balance and overall health. Hypoxia is a key regulator of adrenal steroidogenesis acting via the stabilization of HIF-1α transcription factors. We recently identified HIF-1α as a regulator of adrenal steroidogenesis through its control of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) that target key steroidogenic enzymes. However, the mechanisms by which HIF-1α influences miRNA expression remain unclear. To address this, we used the Cleavage Under Targets & Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) technique to map HIF-1α binding sites across the genome in a murine adrenocortical cell line. Our analysis of the HIF-1α binding profile revealed putative binding sites not only in classic steroidogenic gene loci, including Cyp11a1, but also in miRNA loci involved in steroid regulation. Crucially, HIF-1α-bound regions included genes involved in miRNA biogenesis and function, such as nuclear microprocessor and cytoplasmic RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) components. Subsequent analysis of hypoxic transcriptomic profiles demonstrated widespread repression of these miRNA biogenesis and function genes by hypoxia, that could be modulated by HIF-1α. Based on our previous identification of HIF-1α as a regulator of adrenal steroidogenesis, our current findings further support its dual role in directly controlling steroidogenic gene expression via both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. These results reinforce the HIF pathway as a master regulator of steroid hormone output under hypoxic conditions.
Project description:eQTL is a powerful method to detect genotype-expression correlation. To be able to identify the genes whose expression levels are correlated with melanoma-associated common variants, eQTL analysis was performed in 59 early passage melanoma cell lines
Project description:eQTL is a powerful method to detect genotype-expression correlation. To be able to identify the genes whose expression levels are correlated with germline genetic variants including the ones associated with melanoma, eQTL analysis was performed in 106 primary melanocyte cultrures
Project description:Steroid-refractory acute rejection is a risk factor for inferior renal allograft outcome. We aimed to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying steroid resistance by identifying novel molecular markers of steroid-refractory acute rejection. Eighty-three kidney transplant recipients (1995-2005), who were treated with methylprednisolone during a first acute rejection episode, were included in this study. Gene expression patterns were investigated in a discovery cohort of 36 acute rejection biopsies, and verified in a validation cohort of 47 acute rejection biopsies. In the discovery set, expression of metallothioneins (MT) was significantly (P<0.000001) associated with decreased response to steroid treatment. Multivariate analysis resulted in a predictive model containing MT-1 as an independent covariate (AUC=0.88, P<0.0000001). In the validation set, MT-1 expression was also significantly associated with steroid resistance (P=0.029). Metallothionein expression was detected in macrophages and tubular epithelial cells. Parallel to the findings in patients, in vitro experiments of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 donors showed that non-response to methylprednisolone treatment is related to highly elevated MT levels. High expression of metallothioneins in renal allografts is associated with resistance to steroid treatment. Metallothioneins regulate intracellular concentrations of zinc, through which they may diminish the zinc-requiring anti-inflammatory effect of the glucocorticoid receptor. Transcriptional profiles of 40 renal allograft biopsy samples were analyzed using Illumina HumanRef-8 v3.0 BeadChips (Illumina, San Diego, CA). Expression profiles were investigated in total RNA isolated from biopsy samples of 18 patients with steroid responsive acute rejection and 18 patients with steroid resistant acute rejection. Four biopsies, taken during acute decrease of graft function but with no histomorphologic indication of rejection, were included as controls.