Project description:Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3 (SRC-3) knockdown in human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) blocks their decidualization. This result provides translational support for recent studies in the mouse in which conditional SRC-3 knockout in progesterone receptor-positive cells of the endometrium results in early pregnancy loss due to a defect in normal decidualization. RNAseq was performed on the telomerase-immortalised endometrial stromal cell line T-HESC (CRL-4003; American Type Culture Collection) with or without SRC-3 knockdown to identify the transcriptome that is dependent on SRC-3 prior to hormone-dependent HESC decidualization.
Project description:Building on the observation that metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) correlates with activation of Src-family tyrosine kinases, we showed that the expression of activated Src renders LNCaP androgen-independent. Here, we report on RNA-seq and/or AR ChIP-seq analyses of LNCaP, LNCaP[Src], VCaP, 22Rv1 cells grown in the presence or absence of 10 nM DHT for 16h, or LuCaP35.1 tumors grown in androgen-supplemented vs. castrated mice (androgen-dependent vs. castration-resistant). We identify an 11-gene Src-induced signature found only in CRPC in response to DHT, and moreover, the differentail expression of a subset (DPP4, BCAT1, CNTNAP4, CDH3) correlates with earlier PC metastasis onset and poorer survival.
Project description:Activation of the human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-signature genes has been observed in various epithelial cancers. In this study, we found that the hESC signature is selectively induced in the airway basal stem/progenitor cell population of healthy smokers (BC-S), with a pat-tern similar to that activated in all major types of human lung cancer. We further identified a subset of 6 BC-S hESC genes, whose coherent overexpression in lung AdCa was associated with reduced lung function, poorer differentiation grade, more advanced tumor stage, remarkably shorter survival and higher frequency of TP53 mutations. BC-S shared with hESC and a consid-erable subset of lung carcinomas a common TP53 inactivation molecular pattern which strongly correlated with the BC-S hESC gene expression. These data provide transcriptome-based evi-dence that smoking-induced reprogramming of airway BC towards the hESC-like phenotype might represent a common early molecular event in the development of aggressive lung carci-nomas in humans.
Project description:Building on the observation that metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) correlates with activation of Src-family tyrosine kinases, we showed that the expression of activated Src renders LNCaP androgen-independent. Here, we report on RNA-seq and/or AR ChIP-seq analyses of LNCaP, LNCaP[Src], VCaP, 22Rv1 cells grown in the presence or absence of 10 nM DHT for 16h, or LuCaP35.1 tumors grown in androgen-supplemented vs. castrated mice (androgen-dependent vs. castration-resistant). We identify an 11-gene Src-induced signature found only in CRPC in response to DHT, and moreover, the differentail expression of a subset (DPP4, BCAT1, CNTNAP4, CDH3) correlates with earlier PC metastasis onset and poorer survival.
Project description:Ovarian estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) are indispensable for embryo-implantation and endometrial stromal decidualization; however, the molecular mechanisms that underpin these reproductive processes are unclear. Steroid receptor coregulator-2 (SRC-2) belongs to the multifunctional SRC/p160 family which also includes SRC-1 and SRC-3. Sharing strong sequence homology, all three SRCs exert diverse regulatory effects by modulating the transcriptional potency of nuclear receptor family members, including the estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PR respectively). Importantly, absence of SRC-2 in PR positive cells in the epithelial, stromal, and myometrial compartments of the murine uterus results in a striking infertility defect. This reproductive phenotype highlights a key role for SRC-2 in uterine function which is not shared with other coregulators. Intriguingly, abrogation of uterine SRC-2 does not block embryo apposition or attachment to the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells of the endometrium but rather prevents P4-dependent local decidualization of the sub-epithelial stroma. Remarkably, epithelial-specific ablation of SRC-2 in the murine uterus does not compromise endometrial functionality, again underscoring the unique importance of stromal derived SRC-2 in uterine function. The stromal decidualization defect resulting from SRC-2 ablation is reflected at the molecular level by a marked attenuation in P4 responsive target genes known to be critical for P4 dependent decidualization (i.e. ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1, Follistatin and Fkbp5). Conversely, the induction of E2 or P4 target genes involved in embryo implantation (i.e. leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Indian hedgehog (Ihh) respectively) is not affected by SRC-2’s absence. As with mouse studies, decidualization of primary human stromal cells (HESCs) in culture is blocked by SRC-2 knockdown; however, HESC decidualization is unaffected by knockdown of SRC-1 or SRC-3. As a consequence of SRC-2 knockdown, molecular studies disclose a striking decrease in the induction of a subset of P4 target genes (i.e. WNT4 and FKBP5) which are essential for the stromal-epithelioid transformation step, the cellular hallmark of endometrial decidualization. Collectively, these studies not only showcase the evolutionary importance of SRC-2 in endometrial biology but also suggest that deregulation of this coregulator may underpin a spectrum of hormone-dependent uterine pathologies such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Microarray analysis was performed on mouse uteri using eighteen SRC-2flox/flox (SRC-2f/f) and eighteen PRCre/+ SRC-2flox/flox (SRC-2d/d) mice. Mice were ovariectomized at 6 weeks and after 2 weeks mice were either treated with sesame oil (vehicle) or 1 mg of P4. RNA from three mice per genotype per treatment were pooled and assigned as one sample (three samples per genotype per treatment). multiple group comparison
Project description:Ovarian estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) are indispensable for embryo-implantation and endometrial stromal decidualization; however, the molecular mechanisms that underpin these reproductive processes are unclear. Steroid receptor coregulator-2 (SRC-2) belongs to the multifunctional SRC/p160 family which also includes SRC-1 and SRC-3. Sharing strong sequence homology, all three SRCs exert diverse regulatory effects by modulating the transcriptional potency of nuclear receptor family members, including the estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PR respectively). Importantly, absence of SRC-2 in PR positive cells in the epithelial, stromal, and myometrial compartments of the murine uterus results in a striking infertility defect. This reproductive phenotype highlights a key role for SRC-2 in uterine function which is not shared with other coregulators. Intriguingly, abrogation of uterine SRC-2 does not block embryo apposition or attachment to the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells of the endometrium but rather prevents P4-dependent local decidualization of the sub-epithelial stroma. Remarkably, epithelial-specific ablation of SRC-2 in the murine uterus does not compromise endometrial functionality, again underscoring the unique importance of stromal derived SRC-2 in uterine function. The stromal decidualization defect resulting from SRC-2 ablation is reflected at the molecular level by a marked attenuation in P4 responsive target genes known to be critical for P4 dependent decidualization (i.e. ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1, Follistatin and Fkbp5). Conversely, the induction of E2 or P4 target genes involved in embryo implantation (i.e. leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Indian hedgehog (Ihh) respectively) is not affected by SRC-2’s absence. As with mouse studies, decidualization of primary human stromal cells (HESCs) in culture is blocked by SRC-2 knockdown; however, HESC decidualization is unaffected by knockdown of SRC-1 or SRC-3. As a consequence of SRC-2 knockdown, molecular studies disclose a striking decrease in the induction of a subset of P4 target genes (i.e. WNT4 and FKBP5) which are essential for the stromal-epithelioid transformation step, the cellular hallmark of endometrial decidualization. Collectively, these studies not only showcase the evolutionary importance of SRC-2 in endometrial biology but also suggest that deregulation of this coregulator may underpin a spectrum of hormone-dependent uterine pathologies such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer.
Project description:We analyzed the global transcriptome signature over the time course of the cardiac differentiation from hESC by RNA-seq. We characterized the genome-wide transcriptome profile of 5 distinct stages; undifferentiated hESC (day 0), mesodermal precursor stage (hMP, day 2), cardiac progenitor stage (hCP, day 5), immature cardiomyocyte (hCM14) and hESC-CMS differentiated for 14 additional days (hCM28). While the stem cell signature decreases over the five stages, the signatures associated with heart and smooth muscle development increase, indicating the efficient cardiac differentiation of our protocol.
Project description:We have derived hESC from biopsied blastomeres of cleavage stage embryos under virtually the same conditions we used for the derivation of hESC lines from inner cell mass of blastocyst stage embryos. Blastomere-derived hESC lines exhibited all the standard characteristics of hESC including undifferentiated proliferation, genomic stability, expression of pluripotency markers and the ability to differentiate into the cells of all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. To examine whether hESC lines derived from two developmental stages of the embryo differ in gene expression, we have subjected three blastomere-derived hESC lines and two ICM-derived hESC lines grown under identical culture conditions to transcriptome analysis using gene expression arrays. Unlike previously reported comparisons of hESC lines which demonstrated, apart from core hESC-associated pluripotency signature, significant variations in gene expression profiles of different lines, our data show that hESC lines derived and grown under well-controlled defined culture conditions adopt nearly identical gene expression profiles. Moreover, blastomere-derived and ICM-derived hESC exhibited very similar transcriptional profiles independent of the developmental stage of the embryo from which they originated. Furthermore, this profile was evident in very early passages of the cells and did not appear to be affected by extensive passaging. These results suggest that during derivation process cells which give rise to hESC acquire virtually identical stable phenotype and are not affected by the developmental stage of the starting cell population.
Project description:Activation of the human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-signature genes has been observed in various epithelial cancers. In this study, we found that the hESC signature is selectively induced in the airway basal stem/progenitor cell population of healthy smokers (BC-S), with a pat-tern similar to that activated in all major types of human lung cancer. We further identified a subset of 6 BC-S hESC genes, whose coherent overexpression in lung AdCa was associated with reduced lung function, poorer differentiation grade, more advanced tumor stage, remarkably shorter survival and higher frequency of TP53 mutations. BC-S shared with hESC and a consid-erable subset of lung carcinomas a common TP53 inactivation molecular pattern which strongly correlated with the BC-S hESC gene expression. These data provide transcriptome-based evi-dence that smoking-induced reprogramming of airway BC towards the hESC-like phenotype might represent a common early molecular event in the development of aggressive lung carci-nomas in humans. Affymetrix arrays were used to assess gene expression data of genes realted to human embryonic stem cells in large airway epithelium obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy of 21 healthy non-smokers and 31 healthy smokers, basal cell culture of large airway epithelium obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy of 4 healthy nonsmokers and 4 healthy smokers and cells obtained from tumor tissues of 4 individuals.