Project description:We report the application of RNA-Seq technology for transcriptome analysis on Pdx1 + Ngn3 co-transfected bmMSCs. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that clean reads of the two libraries accounted for 97.24% and 97.97% of the total reads, which indicated high quality of the raw datasets. Total 2325 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in reprogrammed bmMSCs compared to the negative control, including 1476 genes up-regulated and 849 genes down-regulated. The RNA-Seq analysis globally validated in the reprogrammed cells the expression of a large number of genes involved in pancreas development, endocrine specification and islet differentiation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of RNA-Seq analysis on reprogrammed MSCs towards pancreatic cells.
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), as a degenerative multifactorial disease, affects the quality of life and mental health of patients, and also brings a huge socioeconomic burden. Treating synovitis have shown promise as anti-inflammatory therapeutics in mitigating OA symptoms and disease progression. Here, by analysing synovial single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from KOA, we found that synovial fibroblasts (FLS) in OA synovium showed a distinct pro-inflammatory phenotype. We collected synovial tissue from patients with clinical OA as well as from healthy donors, and histological examination was consistent with findings in scRNA-seq. Inspired by recent cross-tissue fibroblast lineage studies, we identified by sequencing that healthy FLS in synovial tissues share transcriptome-level similarities with dermal fibroblasts (DFb). Subsequently, we revealed the local as well as systemic distribution of intra-articular injected DFbs by constructing/extracting two types of rat fibroblasts (luciferase DFbs as well as GFP DFbs). The results demonstrate that DFbs can be locally retained in the synovium for up to three weeks following targeted engrafting on it. And intra-articular injection does not result in DFbs migration to vital organs or the occurrence of histological changes in these organs. A rat model of KOA was constructed by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) in order to study the therapeutic effect of DFbs on KOA. After injection, the rats showed improvement in painful gait. In addition, histological as well as imaging results showed reduced synovitis and improvement in articular cartilage. Finally we verified the protective effect of DFbs on cytokine-stimulated chondrocytes in a co-culture system.
Project description:Analysis of LBNF1 rat testes from controls, containing both somatic and all germ cell types and from irradiated rats in which all cells germ cells except type A spermatgogonia are eliminated. Results provide insight into distinguishing germ and somatic cell genes and identification of somatic cell genes that are upregulated after irradiation.
Project description:During pancreatic development, Neurogenin3 (Ngn3) promotes the differentiation of endocrine cells, including insulin-producing β-cells. Our previous work has shown that Ngn3 phosphorylation on multiple serine-proline (SP) sites increases protein stability and endocrine differentiation (Azzarelli et al., DevCell 2017). Here, we aim to exploit our recent data to investigate whether manipulation of Ngn3 phosphostatus might improve in vitro generation of β-cells for replacement therapies in diabetes. A potential source of β-cells comes from fate conversion of exocrine pancreatic cells into the endocrine lineage, by overexpression of 3 transcription factors, Ngn3, Pdx1 and MafA. Using this approach we show that pancreatic ductal cells grown in vitro as 3D organoids can be reprogrammed to express insulin. The efficiency can be strongly enhanced by substituting wild type Ngn3 with a the un(der)phosphorylated and more active Ngn3 form (6S-A Ngn3). Here we perform transcriptomic analysis of a low number of pancreatic organoid cells expressing wild type or phosphomutant Ngn3, alone or in various combination Pdx1 and/or MafA. The analysis revealed endocrine differentiation and in particular β-like cell gene expression in the conditions where Ngn3 was in combination with both Pdx1 and MafA.
Project description:NGN3 is a transcription factor whose transient expression during pancreatic development is vital for the generation of endocrine pancreatic cells, including beta cells. NGN3 stabilisation has been shown to induce exocrine-to-endocrine cell plasticity in the murine pancreas, making it a viable target for therapies aiming to replenish beta cells after immune-mediated destruction in type 1 diabetes patients. Here, we set out to identify new interactors of NGN3 that could play a role in its post-translational regulation. We transfected HEK293A cells with HA-tagged NGN3 and carried out immunoprecipitation of the HA-tag, followed by analysis of co-immunoprecipitated interactors via LC-MS/MS.
Project description:Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), as a degenerative multifactorial disease, affects the quality of life and mental health of patients, and also brings a huge socioeconomic burden. Treating synovitis have shown promise as anti-inflammatory therapeutics in mitigating OA symptoms and disease progression. Here, by analysing synovial single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from KOA, we found that synovial fibroblasts (FLS) in OA synovium showed a distinct pro-inflammatory phenotype. We collected synovial tissue from patients with clinical OA as well as from healthy donors, and histological examination was consistent with findings in scRNA-seq. Inspired by recent cross-tissue fibroblast lineage studies, we identified by sequencing that healthy FLS in synovial tissues share transcriptome-level similarities with dermal fibroblasts (DFb). Subsequently, we revealed the local as well as systemic distribution of intra-articular injected DFbs by constructing/extracting two types of rat fibroblasts (luciferase DFbs as well as GFP DFbs). The results demonstrate that DFbs can be locally retained in the synovium for up to three weeks following targeted engrafting on it. And intra-articular injection does not result in DFbs migration to vital organs or the occurrence of histological changes in these organs. A rat model of KOA was constructed by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) in order to study the therapeutic effect of DFbs on KOA. After injection, the rats showed improvement in painful gait. In addition, histological as well as imaging results showed reduced synovitis and improvement in articular cartilage. Finally we verified the protective effect of DFbs on cytokine-stimulated chondrocytes in a co-culture system.
Project description:Induced overexpression of Pdx1 in activin-induced endoderm population resulted in the upregulation of pancreas-related genes such as insulin 1 and 2 at day 20. To enhance the developmental progression from the pancreatic bud to the formation of the endocrine lineages, we next expressed neurogenin3 (Ngn3) together with Pdx-1. Induced overexpression of Pdx1 together with Ngn3 dramatically increased Insulin 1 mRNA by day 9 differentiation. The levels of insulin 1 mRNA present in the induced EBs represented approximately 100 % of that found in insulinoma cell line, betaTC6. We also confirmed insulin and C-peptide staining by immunohistochemistry. These cells process and secrete insulin and respond to various insulin secretagogues. These inductive effects were restricted to c-kit+ endoderm enriched EB-derived populations suggesting that Pdx1/Ngn3 functions at the level of pancreatic specification of endoderm in this model. Microarray analysis showed that Pdx1/Ngn3 regulated the expression of a broad spectrum of pancreatic endocrine cell-related genes.