Project description:Removal of the transcription factor SAP1a member of the Ternary Complex Factor (TCF) group of transcription factors which in conjunction with Serum Response Factor (SRF) has been shown to have a profound effect on positive selection in the thymus. When another TCF Elk1 is knocked out in mice there is no effect on positive selection unless it is on a Sap1a KO background where the phenotype is very severe. We have stimulated isolated double positive T cells (DPs) with anti-CD3 to mimic positive selection and compared basal and stimulated transcription across the four genotypes to discover the downstream targets of Sap1a involved in positive selection.
Project description:Removal of the transcription factor SAP1a member of the Ternary Complex Factor (TCF) group of transcription factors which in conjunction with Serum Response Factor (SRF) has been shown to have a profound effect on positive selection in the thymus. When another TCF Elk1 is knocked out in mice there is no effect on positive selection unless it is on a Sap1a KO background where the phenotype is very severe. We have stimulated isolated double positive T cells (DPs) with anti-CD3 to mimic positive selection and compared basal and stimulated transcription across the four genotypes to discover the downstream targets of Sap1a involved in positive selection. The Affymetrix mouse Chip Mouse430_2 arrays were used to define gene expression profiles in purified DPs with and with out CD3 treatment from 3 mice for each genotype (Wt,SapKO, ElkKO and SAP/Elk double KO)
Project description:The importance of unanchored Ub in innate immunity has been shown only for a limited number of unanchored Ub-interactors. We investigated what additional cellular factors interact with unanchored Ub and whether unanchored Ub plays a broader role in innate immunity. To identify unanchored Ub-interacting factors from murine lungs, we used His-tagged recombinant poly-Ub chains as bait. These chains were mixed with lung tissue lysates and protein complexes were isolated with Ni-NTA beads. Sample elutions were subjected to mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analysis.
Project description:A transcriptome study in mouse hematopoietic stem cells was performed using a sensitive SAGE method, in an attempt to detect medium and low abundant transcripts expressed in these cells. Among a total of 31,380 unique transcript, 17,326 (55%) known genes were detected, 14,054 (45%) low-copy transcripts that have no matches to currently known genes. 3,899 (23%) were alternatively spliced transcripts of the known genes and 3,754 (22%) represent anti-sense transcripts from known genes. Mouse hematopoietic stem cells were purified from bone marrow cells using negative and positive selection with a Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorter (MACS). total RNA and mRNA were purified from the purified cells using Trizol reagent and magnetic oligo dT beads. Double strand cDNAs were synthesized using a cDNA synthesis kit and anchored oligo dT primers. After NlaIII digestion, 3’ cDNAs were isolated and amplified through 16-cycle PCR. SAGE tags were released from the 3’ cDNA after linker ligation. Ditags were formed, concatemerized and cloned into a pZERO vector. Sequencing reactions were performed with the ET sequencing terminator kit. Sequences were collected using a Megabase 1000 sequencer. SAGE tag sequences were extracted using SAGE 2000 software.
Project description:To characterize the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility in detail, we used a systems genetics approach, integrating mapping of gene expression traits with sterility phenotypes and QTL. We measured genome-wide testis expression in 305 male F2s from a cross between wild-derived inbred strains of M. musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. We identified several thousand cis- and trans-acting QTL contributing to expression variation (eQTL). Many trans eQTL cluster into eleven ‘hotspots,’ seven of which co-localize with QTL for sterility phenotypes identified in the cross. The number and clustering of trans eQTL - but not cis eQTL - were substantially lower when mapping was restricted to a ‘fertile’ subset of mice, providing evidence that trans eQTL hotspots are related to sterility. Functional annotation of transcripts with eQTL provides insights into the biological processes disrupted by sterility loci and guides prioritization of candidate genes. Using a conditional mapping approach, we identified eQTL dependent on interactions between loci, revealing a complex system of epistasis. Our results illuminate established patterns, including the role of the X chromosome in hybrid sterility.