Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding, short, single-stranded RNAs with essential roles in gene regulation in various organisms including higher plants. In contrast to the vast information on miRNAs from many economically important plants, almost nothing has been reported on the identification or analysis of miRNAs from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis L.), the most important natural rubber-producing crop. To identify miRNAs and their target genes in rubber tree, high throughput sequencing combined with a computational approach was performed. Four small RNA libraries were constructed for deep sequencing from mature and young leaves of two rubber tree clones, PB 260 and PB 217, which provide high and low latex yield, respectively. 237 miRNAs belonging to 37 known miRNA families were identified, and northern hybridization validated miRNA expression and revealed developmental stage-dependent and clone-specific expression for some miRNAs. We took advantage of the newly released rubber tree genome assembly as well as the genomic databases from leafy spurge and cassava, two species related to rubber tree, and predicted 15 novel miRNAs.
Project description:The study of dominantly heritable cancers has provided significant insights about tumor development. Basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), or Gorlin syndrome (OMIM #109400), is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder that is characterized by developmental abnormalities and postnatal occurrence of various neoplasms, principally basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). We performed an exploratory gene expression profiling of primary cultures, including keratinocytes and fibroblasts derived from clinically unaffected skin biopsies of BCNS gene-carriers (PTCH1 +/-) and normal individuals.
Project description:The aim of this study was to decode the gene expression program characterizing odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) development, by performing a comprehensive transcriptomics analysis applied on whole OKC tissue derived from sporadic and Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome (BCNS)-associated OKCs, and control samples of pericoronal tissues of impacted teeth (dental follicles, DFs) derived from healthy individuals.
Project description:Purpose: de novo sequencing and comparative analysis of the bark transciptomes of Hevea brasiliensis induced without ethephon (C), with ethephon for 8 hours (E8) and 24 hours (E24) to identify the genes and pathways related to the stimulation of rubber production by ethylene. The goals of this study are to reveal the molecular mechanism behind the stimulation of rubber production by ethylene. Methods: Bark RNA was extracted using the TRIzol® Reagent (Invitrogen) and two cDNA libraries, H (healthy rubber trees) and T (TPD-affected trees), were prepared using the mRNA-Seq 8 sample prep Kit (Illumina). The libraries were deep sequenced using Illumina HiSeqTM 2000 (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Raw reads produced from sequencing machines were resorted to de novo assembly and gene annotation. Results: De novo sequencing and assembly of the bark transciptomes of Hevea brasiliensis induced with ethephon for 8 hours (E8) and 24 hours (E24) were performed. 51,965,770, 52,303,714 and 53,177,976 high-quality clean reads from E8, E24 and C (control) samples were assembled into 81,335, 80,048 and 80,800 unigenes respectively, with a total of 84,425 unigenes and an average length of 1,101 bp generated. 10,216 and 9,374 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in E8 and E24 compared with C were respectively detected. The expression of several enzymes in crucial points of regulation in glycolysis were up-regulated and DEGs were not significantly enriched in isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) biosynthesis pathway. In addition, up-regulated genes of great regulatory importance in carbon fixation (Calvin cycle) were identified. Conclusions: The rapid acceleration of glycolytic pathway supplying precursors for the biosynthesis of IPP and natural rubber, instead of rubber biosynthesis per se, may be responsible for ethylene stimulation of latex yield in rubber tree. The elevated rate of flux throughout the Calvin cycle may account for some durability of ethylene-induced stimulation. Our finding lays the foundations for molecular diagnostic and genetic engineering for high-yielding improvement of rubber tree.
Project description:Melanocytes within benign human nevi are the paradigm for tumor suppressive senescent cells in a pre-malignant neoplasm. These cells typically contain mutations in either the BRAF or N-RAS oncogene and express markers of senescence, including p16. However, a nevus can contain 10s to 100s of thousands of clonal melanocytes and approximately 20-30% of melanoma are thought to arise in association with a pre-existing nevus. Neither observation is indicative of fail-safe senescence-associated proliferation arrest and tumor suppression. We set out to better understand the status of nevus melanocytes. Proliferation-promoting Wnt target genes, such as cyclin D1 and c-myc, were repressed in oncogene-induced senescent melanocytes in vitro, and repression of Wnt signaling in these cells induced a senescent-like state. In contrast, cyclin D1 and c-myc were expressed in many melanocytes of human benign nevi. Specifically, activated Wnt signalling in nevi correlated inversely with nevus maturation, an established dermatopathological correlate of clinical benignancy. Single cell analyses of lone epidermal melanocytes and nevus melanocytes showed that expression of proliferation-promoting Wnt targets correlates with prior proliferative expansion of p16-expressing nevus melanocytes. In a mouse model, activation of Wnt signaling delayed, but did not bypass, senescence of oncogene-expressing melanocytes, leading to massive accumulation of proliferation-arrested, p16-positive non-malignant melanocytes. We conclude that clonal hyperproliferation of oncogene-expressing melanocytes to form a nevus is facilitated by transient delay of senescence due to activated Wnt signaling. The observation that activation of Wnt signaling correlates inversely with nevus maturation, an indicator of clinical benignancy, supports the notion that persistent destabilization of senescence by Wnt signaling contributes to the malignant potential of nevi. We used RNA-Seq to detail the global programme of gene expression in human melanoma cell lines
