Project description:To examine the effect of wtAPE1 and ubiquitin-APE1 fusion proteins on global gene expression. Total RNA from HEK293 derivatives that express vector alone (ctl), wt-APE1, or ubiquitin-APE1 fusion in the presence of doxycycline were analyzed. Three HEK293 derivatives expressing none (vector), wtAPE1, or Ub-APE1 fusion linked at APE1's 24th Lys were incubated with/without doxycycline (dox) 2 µg/ml for 16 hr. Each -/+ dox cultures were triplicated. Total RNA was extracted (Qiagen) and then analyzed by LSU's bioinformatics core. The quality and quantity of total RNA was assessed using an ND-1000 Spectrophometer (NanoDrop, Wilmington, DE), NanoChip assay and Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent). All samples were of high integrity with RIN # greater than 7 and A260/280 greater than 1.8. Procedures for cDNA synthesis, sense target labeling, and hybridization were carried out as described at http://media.affymetrix.com/support/technical/appnotes/wt_appnote.pdf (Affymetrix, Redwood City, CA). All experiments were performed using GeneChip Exon 1.0 ST Arrays and Whole Transcript Sense Target labeling Assay (version 4, Affymetrix). Overnight hybridization of fragmented single-stranded DNA was carried out in an Affymetrix GeneChip Hybridization Oven 640, then washed and stained with streptavidin-phycoerythrin using GeneChip 450 Microfluidics Station (Affymetrix). Chips were scanned with an Affymetrix High Resolution 3000 (G7) scanner. Signal and background intensities were quantitated by pixel intensity using Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software (GCOS 1.4). Array quality control assessment was carried out using Robust Multi-chip Analysis (RMA) workflow for Core probesets in Expression Console (Affymetrix). Gene-level analysis for differential gene expression was analyzed in GeneSpring 7.3x (Agilent Technologies) using the sample CHP files. The RMA method was used for the background correction, normalization and average expression measures for the probesets. An expression filter (20th percentile cutoff) was applied to remove genes with low signal intensity values. For differential gene expression analysis, the Welch ANOVA test with asymptotic p-value computation was applied and transcripts with p-value (< 0.05) and fold change (2.0 fold) were selected. Three cell lines (HEK293/pcDNA-FRT empty vector, HEK293/pcDNA-FRT wtAPE1, HEK293/pcDNA-FRT ubAPE1), +/- 2µg/ml doxycycline for 16 h. Triplicates of each cell line/condition. Replicates were averaged.
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:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.
Project description:As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain.A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development.Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.
Project description:PurposeWe investigated the evidence of recent positive selection in the human phototransduction system at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and gene level.MethodsSNP genotyping data from the International HapMap Project for European, Eastern Asian, and African populations was used to discover differences in haplotype length and allele frequency between these populations. Numeric selection metrics were computed for each SNP and aggregated into gene-level metrics to measure evidence of recent positive selection. The level of recent positive selection in phototransduction genes was evaluated and compared to a set of genes shown previously to be under recent selection, and a set of highly conserved genes as positive and negative controls, respectively.ResultsSix of 20 phototransduction genes evaluated had gene-level selection metrics above the 90th percentile: RGS9, GNB1, RHO, PDE6G, GNAT1, and SLC24A1. The selection signal across these genes was found to be of similar magnitude to the positive control genes and much greater than the negative control genes.ConclusionsThere is evidence for selective pressure in the genes involved in retinal phototransduction, and traces of this selective pressure can be demonstrated using SNP-level and gene-level metrics of allelic variation. We hypothesize that the selective pressure on these genes was related to their role in low light vision and retinal adaptation to ambient light changes. Uncovering the underlying genetics of evolutionary adaptations in phototransduction not only allows greater understanding of vision and visual diseases, but also the development of patient-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression.