Project description:PGC-1s (PGC-1alpha and PGC-1beta) are transcriptional coactivators involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, metabolism, and antioxidant defense. Given the existing links between PGC-1s and aging, we wanted to investigate the contribution of PGC-1s to skin aging. Keratinocytes form a self-renewable layer that differentiate to generate full epidermis. Defects in keratinocyte metabolism related to aging or PGC-1s depletion could impair normal function of keratinocytes and contribute to skin thinning. We used microarrays to detail the global gene expression changes shared by the aging process and the depletion in PGC-1s.
Project description:The genetic expression profile of a Wnt signal agonist, BIO, was evaluated in human primary keratinocytes. Accelerating scaling up of primary keratinocytes benefits skin autografts for severely burned patients. Wnt signal, a conserved pathway controlling cell cycle and morphogenesis of embryo, has been postulated to promote the cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in adult. Here, the effects of Wnt signal on the growth of interfollicular keratinocytes were investigated. We demonstrated that recombinant Wnt3a significantly promoted the primary keratinocyte growth at a low cell density. A well-characterized GSK-3beta inhibitor, BIO, activated the Wnt signals and also enhanced the colony formation of keratinocytes dose-dependently. Gene expression profile of the BIO-treated keratinocytes revealed the linkage of the BIO with the cell mitosis and indicated that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a Wnt target gene, was upregulated. Comparing to the EpCAM- keratinocytes, the EpCAM+ cells showed higher proliferation rate and efficacy of the colony formation. Especially, inhibiting the EpCAM expression by shRNA attenuated the proliferation effect of BIO and the growth advantage of the EpCAM+ keratinocytes. These evidences emphasize the positive role of canonical Wnt and EpCAM on the regulation of cell growth and self-renewal for human keratinocytes.
Project description:Brains are sexually dimorphic in adult zebrafish. We dissected brains from young and old, adult zebrafish, from both males and females. Brains are not pooled but analyzed as indivual samples.
Project description:We conducted gene expression profile analysis by using peripheral CD4+ T cells from young and old mice.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed the most prominent biological processes altered in peripheral CD4+ T cells from young and old mice were associated with cytoplasmic DNA-sensing, AKT signaling and autoimmune disease.