Project description:In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the innate and adaptive immune systems attack and eventually destroy the insulin-secreting islet β cells. During this process, β cells activate inflammatory signaling pathways that augment the dysfunction and destruction imposed by cellular autoimmunity. The 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) pathway produces the pro-inflammatory eicosanoid 12-HETE, which induces oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress and results in diminished insulin secretion and apoptosis. The G protein-coupled receptor 31 (GPR31) has been identified as a putative receptor for 12-HETE. In this study, we generated conventional GPR31 knockout mice. To interrogate the role of GPR31 in β cells, we treated islets from wildtype and Gpr31b-/- mice with proinflammatory cytokines and subjected the islets to RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed genes in Gpr31b-/- islets included those pertaining to receptor signaling, inflammation, oxidative stress, and macrophage migration — effects that are reminiscent of 12-LOX inhibition. Bone-marrow derived macrophages from Gpr31b-/- mice had reduced macrophage migration compared to wildtype macrophages. To mimic islet and macrophage inflammation as seen in T1D, wildtype and Gpr31b-/- mice were treated with the pro-diabetic toxin streptozotocin. Compared to wildtype, Gpr31b-/- mice had improved glucose tolerance and preserved β-cell mass. These results are consistent with previously published data using 12-LOX knockout mice and suggests that GPR31 mediates the proinflammatory responses of 12-HETE in the β cell.
Project description:We report that the decreased expression of mitochondrial genes we observe in hepatocyte-specific Nampt knockout mice is normalized in primary hepatocytes, and that hepatocyte isolations causes major changes to the hepatocyte transcriptome for both knockouts and wildtype mice.
Project description:GPR31 signaling induced dendrite protrusion of lysozyme-expressing dendritic cells (LysoDCs) into basolateral pockets of M cells. To investigate the effect of GPR31 signaling on LysoDC function during infection, we analyzed the gene expression profile of LysoDCs from WT and Gpr31b-deficient mice at 2 days after L. monocytogenes infection.
Project description:Autophagy regulated 14 (ATG14) is a key regulator of autophagy; however, its role in the liver remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the hepatocyte-specific function of ATG14 in vivo. We generated Atg14 hepatocyte-specific knockout (HepKO) mice using adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) gene promoter-driven Cre into Atg14 floxed mice at an adult age and fed control and knockout mice with a Western diet for 4 weeks.
Project description:Gp130 dependent gene expression was analyzed in a previously established hepatocyte-specific gp130-knockout mouse model. Whole transcriptome analysis for isolated hepatocytes was performed to measure tissue specific responses after proinflammatory stimulus with IL-6 across different time points. We observed differences in the hepatocyte-specific transcriptional gp130 dependent response for genes associated with different aspects of the innate immune system. Our findings suggest a complex network of tightly-linked genes involved in the early activation of different parts of the innate immune response including acute phase proteins, complement and coagulation cascade. Total RNA obtained from a total number of 61 samples of isolated hepatocytes of hepatocyte-specific gp130-knockout and gp130flox mice, which were subjected to Il-6 treatment for 0, 1, 3, 6 or 12 hours, respectively.