Project description:SPO11-promoted DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) formation is a crucial step for meiotic recombination, and it is indispensable to detect the broken DNA ends accurately for dissecting the molecular mechanisms behind. Here, we report a novel technique, named DEtail-seq (DNA End tailing followed by sequencing), that can directly and quantitatively capture the meiotic DSB 3’ overhang hotspots at single-nucleotide resolution.
Project description:The biological effects of the pesticide and complex I inhibitor tebufenpyrad (TEBU) on liver cells were investigated by proteomic approaches. Cell culture media were analyzed in dose-response experiments on differentiated HepaRG cell line. Moreover, kinetics were also investigated on HepaRG cells.
Project description:Purpose: Toxicogenomics analyses may provide information about DNA-damaging properties of test compounds but are not routinely used for identification of a genotoxic potential. In this study, metabolically active human HepaRG hepatocarcinoma cells were exposed to six food-relevant genotoxic carcinogens. Method: Transcriptomic responses were analyzed using RNA sequencing technology
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:During embryonic development DNA methylation is highly dynamic, although less is known about the stability and fine-tuning of DNA methylation at later stages of differentiation. To understand the role of DNA methylation during hepatocyte differentiation, we profiled approximately 450k methylation sites at different time points in the progression from hepatoblast to hepatocyte stages using the bipotent liver progenitor HepaRG cell line. Progressive demethylation of HNF4A P1 was highly correlated with increased expression of the shorter isoforms of HNF4A. In addition, the absence of cell division at later stages of differentiation and the increased expression of TET1 and TET2 transcripts indicates that a process of active demethylation is taking place at this specific locus. These data suggest that liver progenitors are poised for targeted demethylation at specific genomic locations involved in terminal stages of hepatocyte differentiation.
Project description:To identify the molecular mechanisms and environmental inducers contributing to reprogramming of hepatocytes into progenitors in HCC context, we used the HepaRG cell line as model.
Project description:We used scRNA-seq to characterise the differentiation status of HepaRG cells after applying standard differentiation protocols on these cells. For downstream Perturb-seq we also characterised two cell lines of different genotype; Wt and cells transduced with dCas9-KRAB.