Project description:Small RNA libraries were constructed from total RNA from Jasminum sambac plants exhibiting virus-like symptoms. After sequencing, small RNAs were assembled into contigs with MetaVelvet and assembled contigs were aligned against the NR database of NCBI using BLASTx. Top hits that reported a virus as subject were considered putative viral sequences. Based on such alignments, the whole genome of a virus, we tentatively name Jasmine Virus H was recovered and cloned. Two more small RNA libraries were made in a confirmatory experiment. One from Jasminum sambac and another one from Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with the newly-cloned virus. The small RNA libraries were aligned against the full-length sequence of Jasmine Virus H to determine the spacial distribution of virus-derived small RNAs along the virus genome.
Project description:Cardiac myxoma is a commonly encountered, potentially life-threatening tumor within the heart. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the identification and characterization of cellular subtypes, cell trajectory analysis, and intercellular communication of cardiac myxoma tissues.
Project description:We report the application of high throughput sequencing technology for investigating the transcriptional regulatory network of the human innate immune response. With ChIP-seq, we generated genome-wide virus-activated transcription factor and transcription machinery maps of infected and uninfected human Namalwa B cells. Analysis of ChIP-seq data reveals extensive collaboration of IRF3 and NF-κB with Mediator throughout the human genome, and implicates additional transcription factor partners in antiviral responses. Moreover, analysis of Pol II occupancy and elongation status during virus infection indicates that IRF3 and NF-κB drive both de novo polymerase recruitment and mediate polymerase pause-release at their target sites, stimulating the expression of a variety of protein-coding, non-coding, and unannotated loci. Examination of 6 different proteins before and after virus infection in 1 cell type.
Project description:Myxomas, the most common primary tumor of the heart, usually develop in the atria and consist of a myxoid matrix composed of an acid-mucopolysaccharide-rich stroma with polygonal stromal cells scattered throughout the matrix. These benign tumors, despite their rarity, are a research focus because of their clinical presentation and uncertain histogenesis. The objective of this study was to assess whether adult cardiac stem/progenitor cells (CSCs) give rise to myxoma stromal cells and secrete the typical myxoid matrix. 23 collected tumors showed the typical histological features of cardiac atrial myxoma with polygonal cells positive for the myxoma tumor-cell marker, calretinin, dispersed in an abundant myxoid matrix. We detected myxoma cells positive for c-kit (c-kitpos) but very rare Isl-1 positive cells. Most of these c-kitpos cells were lineage-committed CD45pos/CD31pos cells. However, c-kitpos /CD45neg/CD31neg cardiac myxoma cells expressed stemness and cardiac progenitor cell transcription factors. Some (<10%) of these c-kitpos/ CD45neg/CD31neg/ myxoma cells expressed also calretinin, representing myxoma stromal precursor cells. c-kitpos/CD45neg/CD31neg cardiac myxoma cells secrete in vitro chondroitin-6-sulfate and hyaluronic acid, composing the gelatinous matrix of cardiac myxoma in vivo. In vitro, c-kitpos/CD45neg/CD31neg myxoma cells have stem cell properties being clonogenic, self-renewing and sphere forming. On the other hand, they exhibited an abortive cardiac differentiation potential with significant changes in their mRNA and microRNA transcriptome compared to normal c-kitpos/CD45neg /CD31neg CSCs. Importantly, myxoma-derived CSCs seed human atrial myxoma in xenograft’s experiments in NOD/SCID mice. Thus, un-committed c-kitpos/CD45neg /CD31neg cells fulfill the criteria of myxoma stem cells in atrial myxoma. Myxomas appear to be the first CSC-related human cardiac disease.
Project description:Myxomas, the most common primary tumor of the heart, usually develop in the atria and consist of a myxoid matrix composed of an acid-mucopolysaccharide-rich stroma with polygonal stromal cells scattered throughout the matrix. These benign tumors, despite their rarity, are a research focus because of their clinical presentation and uncertain histogenesis. The objective of this study was to assess whether adult cardiac stem/progenitor cells (CSCs) give rise to myxoma stromal cells and secrete the typical myxoid matrix. 23 collected tumors showed the typical histological features of cardiac atrial myxoma with polygonal cells positive for the myxoma tumor-cell marker, calretinin, dispersed in an abundant myxoid matrix. We detected myxoma cells positive for c-kit (c-kitpos) but very rare Isl-1 positive cells. Most of these c-kitpos cells were lineage-committed CD45pos/CD31pos cells. However, c-kitpos /CD45neg/CD31neg cardiac myxoma cells expressed stemness and cardiac progenitor cell transcription factors. Some (<10%) of these c-kitpos/ CD45neg/CD31neg/ myxoma cells expressed also calretinin, representing myxoma stromal precursor cells. c-kitpos/CD45neg/CD31neg cardiac myxoma cells secrete in vitro chondroitin-6-sulfate and hyaluronic acid, composing the gelatinous matrix of cardiac myxoma in vivo. In vitro, c-kitpos/CD45neg/CD31neg myxoma cells have stem cell properties being clonogenic, self-renewing and sphere forming. On the other hand, they exhibited an abortive cardiac differentiation potential with significant changes in their mRNA and microRNA transcriptome compared to normal c-kitpos/CD45neg /CD31neg CSCs. Importantly, myxoma-derived CSCs seed human atrial myxoma in xenograft’s experiments in NOD/SCID mice. Thus, un-committed c-kitpos/CD45neg /CD31neg cells fulfill the criteria of myxoma stem cells in atrial myxoma. Myxomas appear to be the first CSC-related human cardiac disease.
Project description:Long-range RNA-RNA pairing impacts the genome structure and function of SARS-CoV-2 variants. To understand structure and function relationships of different SARS-CoV-2 variants that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, we performed high throughput structure probing and modelling of the genomic structures of the wildtype (WT), Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2. We observed that genomes of SARS-CoV-2 variants are generally structurally conserved, and that single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and interactions with RNA binding proteins (RBPs) can impact RNA structures across the viruses. Importantly, using proximity ligation sequencing, we identified many conserved ultra-long-range RNA-RNA interactions, including one that spans more than 17kb in both the WT virus and Omicron variant. We showed that mutations that disrupt this 17kb long-range interacting structure reduce virus fitness at late stages of its infection cycle, while compensatory mutations partially restore virus fitness. Additionally, we showed that this ultra-long-range RNA-RNA interaction binds directly to ADAR1 to alter the RNA editing levels on the viral genome. These studies deepen our understanding of RNA structures in SARS-CoV-2 genome and their ability to interact with host factors to facilitate virus infectivity.