Project description:The goal of the study was to characterize the whole genome transcriptome profiles of human ameloblasts and odontoblasts, evaluate molecular pathways and advance our knowledge of the human tooth development. We found that during primary tooth formation, odontoblasts expressed 14,802 genes, presecretory ameloblasts 15,179 genes and secretory ameloblasts 14,526 genes. Four human fetuses were obtained at ages 15-20 weeks gestation, immediately placed on ice and the tooth buds dissected from the jaws, placed in RNAlater and refrigerated at 4C for 1-4 weeks to allow decalcification by EDTA. The tissue was then frozen and stored at -80C. The tissue was sectioned at -35C at a thickness of 7 microns. These sections were used for laser capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate the human odontoblasts and ameloblasts in different stages of enamel formation, using static image settings. In total, 4 odontoblast, 4 pre-secretory ameloblast and 4 secretory ameloblast pooled samples were used for RNA extraction and microarray analysis.
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:Enamel, the hardest material in the human body, is required to protect the living organ, tooth. However, over 90% of adults have lost or damaged enamel and cannot regenerate the protective structure due to lack of enamel producing cells, ameloblasts. iPSC derived secretory Ameloblasts (isAM) have promise in future regenerative dentistry. Today it is not known why iAM maturation requires intimate contact with the dentin producing cell type, odontoblast. Here we reveal that one of the critical signaling ligands emanating from odontoblasts for ameloblast maturation is Delta, the ligand for Notch receptor. We showed that our designed, soluble Notch agonist can induce iAM organoid maturation in an unprecedented manner, without interactions with odontoblast layer. Notably, soluble Notch agonist induces the iAM maturation to a novel, WDR72 positive mature secretory AM stage (ismAM) in our ameloblast organoid model. When transplanted under the kidney capsule of NOD-SCID mice, these ismAM organoids generated enamel-like calcified material, as confirmed by microCT analysis, marking the first demonstration that Notch-activated iAM organoids can form such tissue in vivo. This novel maturation procedure enabled us to analyze the specific requirements of DLX3 function in ameloblasts, independent of its known function in odontoblasts. We now show that DLX3, the gene associated with Amelogenesis Imperfecta, is required on a cell-autonomous manner in human ameloblasts for the expression of Enamelin, MMP20 and WDR72, a role not previously demonstrated in mouse models.
Project description:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by airway inflammation and remodeling. The role of 15-oxo-5Z,8Z,11Z,13E-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-oxoETE), a 15-HETE metabolite catalyzed by 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), has been relatively unexplored in asthma. In this study, we used RNA-seq to explore the effect of 15-KETE on the transcriptome of airway epithelial cells, aiming to identify its potential downstream targets and mechanisms of action.
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.
Project description:Background: Ameloblast differentiation is the most critical stepwise process in amelogenesis and controlled by a precisely molecules synergistically. To better understand the molecular events defining cell differentiation between preameloblasts and secretory ameloblasts during amelogenesis, a more precise identification of molecules and signaling networks would shed light on the mechanisms governing enamel formation and help lay a foundation for enamel regeneration. Results: Gene expression profiles of human preameloblast and secretory ameloblast cells were obtained using human genome microarrays. From a total of 28,869 analyzed transcripts, 923 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with FDR<0.01 and Fold-change > 2 were obtained. Among them, more than twice DEGs were found enriched in PAB (n = 647) compared with SAB (n = 276). Notably, 38 genes were identified significantly differentially expressed between PAB and SAB (Fold Change > 8). Comparison of transcriptional profiles of PAB and SAB together with KEGG pathway analysis revealed genes enrichment in PAB were chiefly involved in cell cycle control, DNA damage repair and apoptosis, while genes related to cell adhesion and extracellular matrix had elevated expression level in SAB. Two co-expression modules were further identified significantly associated with the ameloblast differentiation process by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).These gene networks seem to contribute to cell adhesion, tissue development, cell signaling and division. Furthermore, the co-expression associations of RunX2 and BMP8A were also observed in these modules. Conclusions: In this study, we uncovered that the differentiation from PAB to SAB may rely on a highly regulated network of interactions between conserved signal transduction pathways, including members of BMP/TGF-β, Notch, MAPK pathways to coordinate all aspects of ameloblast in intracellular processes and their social contexts. Specifically, expression of genes associated with cell cycle control, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis pathways regulates pre-ameloblast maturation during tooth development. And the SAB cells are regulated by several signaling pathways controlling enamel matrix proteins secretion and cell adhesion, which are critical for enamel formation and cell-cell interactions. Apart from showing the transcriptional patterns of PAB and SAB, the application of bioinformatic analysis also explored the potential key genes and gene-associations in ameloblast differentiation. These findings will aid in the design of new strategies to promote ameloblast functional differentiation in the regeneration and tissue engineering of teeth. Human tooth buds (18-22 weeks) were obtained from fetal cadaver tissue within 3 hours after legal abortion. Teeth were dissected from the mandibles under a laminar flow hood, embedded in OCT compound, and cryosectioned at 10-μm thickness. These sections were used for laser capture microdissection (LCM). In total of 3 pre-ameloblasts and 3 secretory ameloblasts pooled samples were used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarray.
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.
Project description:We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3’ and/or 5’ end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5’ differences and in support of this we report that a 5’ isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5’ isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes