Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3’ and/or 5’ end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5’ differences and in support of this we report that a 5’ isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5’ isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes
Project description:Elevated levels of androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer confer resistance to current antiandrogens and play a causal role in disease progression due to persistent target gene activation. Through pharmacologic and genetic approaches, we show that half of all direct AR target genes, including TMPRSS2, the primary driver of ETS fusion transcripts in 70 percent of human prostate cancers, require histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity for transcriptional activation by AR. Surprisingly, the HDAC3-NCoR complex, which typically functions to repress gene expression by nuclear receptors, is required for AR target gene activation. Prostate cancer cells treated with HDAC inhibitors have reduced AR protein levels, but we show that the mechanism of blockade of AR activity is through failure to assemble a coactivator/RNA polymerase II complex after AR binds to the enhancers of target genes. Failed complex assembly is associated with a phase shift in the cyclical wave of AR recruitment that typically occurs in response to ligand treatment. HDAC inhibitors retain the ability to block AR activity in hormone refractory prostate cancer models and therefore merit clinical investigation in this setting. HDAC-regulated AR target genes defined here can serve as biomarkers to ensure sufficient levels of HDAC inhibition. Experiment Overall Design: LNCaP prostate cancer cells were grown in charcoal stripped, androgen deplete medium. They were then stimulated with or without 1nM R1881 and with or without two doses of HDAC inhibitors TSA, SAHA, and LBH 589. Cyclohexamide was include to block new protein synthesis. Cells were harvested 16 hours after treatment.
