Project description:PC-3 cells stably transfected with PIM1 overexpressing vector and transiently transfected with wt or multi-mutant NFATC1 overexpressing vector
Project description:Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an aging-associated disease characterized by the accumulation of myofibroblasts leading to the progressive scarring of the lung. To identify transcriptional gene programs driving persistent fibrosis in aged lungs, we performed a comparative RNA-seq analysis of fibroblasts freshly isolated from young and aged mouse lungs 30 days post-bleomycin injury. We discovered that lung fibroblasts isolated from young animals at this time point post-injury were transcriptionally similar to those isolated from uninjured mice. In contrast, aged lung fibroblasts isolated at the same time point exhibited a sustained pro-fibrotic state characterized by the elevated expression of genes implicated in inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cell survival. We identified the protein kinase pro-viral integration site of Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (PIM1) and its direct target Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells-1 (NFATc1) as putative drivers of the sustained profibrotic gene signatures observed in aged lung fibroblasts post-injury. PIM1 and NFATc1 transcripts were highly enriched in a pathogenic fibroblast population recently discovered in IPF lungs, and their protein expression was detected in fibroblastic foci. Overexpression of PIM1 in normal human lung fibroblasts potentiated their fibrogenic activation and this effect was dependent on NFATc1. Pharmacological inhibition of PIM1 in IPF-derived lung fibroblasts attenuated their activation and sensitized them to apoptotic stimuli. Finally, inhibition of PIM1 strongly reduced the expression of ECM remodeling and pro-survival genes and blocked the secretion of collagen in IPF lung explants ex vivo. Targeting PIM1/NFATc1 axis in pathogenic lung fibroblasts may represent a therapeutic strategy to limit their activation and promote fibrosis resolution in IPF.
Project description:To identify the downstream molecules that mediate PIM1 induced aggressive prostate cancer cells, p53 and Rb-deficient mouse prostate epithelial cells were transduced with PIM1 lentivirus and performed a gene expression profile microarray.
Project description:We performed the newly mapping of genome-wide NFATc1 binding events in VEGF-stimulated primary cultured endothelial cells, by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq). Combined NFATc1 ChIP-seq profile and the epigenetic histone marks revealed that predominant NFATc1-occupied peaks were overlapped with promoter marking but not silencer marking. DNA microarrays with NFATc1 expression or knockdown indicated the predominant NFATc1 binding targets were correlated with induced patterns. To determine NFATc1-regulated genes, a total of 5 samples were derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with or without 50ng/mL VEGF (VEGF 60min and 0min, respectively), pretreated with cyclosporine A (VEGF 60min plus CsA) and infected with adenovirus expressing the control or constitutively active NFATc1 (Ad-control and Ad-NFATc1).
Project description:We performed the newly mapping of genome-wide NFATc1 binding events in VEGF-stimulated primary cultured endothelial cells, by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq). Combined NFATc1 ChIP-seq profile and the epigenetic histone marks revealed that predominant NFATc1-occupied peaks were overlapped with promoter marking but not silencer marking. DNA microarrays with NFATc1 expression or knockdown indicated the predominant NFATc1 binding targets were correlated with induced patterns.
Project description:Our aim was to study the effect of FGF-8 on prostate tumor growth and to identify FGF-8b-associated molecular targets in the orthotopic PC-3 nude mouse model of prostate cancer.
Project description:PIM1 is an oncogenic serine/threonine kinase that promotes and maintains prostate
tumorigenesis. To more fully understand the mechanism by which PIM1 promotes oncogenesis,
we performed a chemical genetic screen to identify direct PIM1 substrates in prostate cancer
cells. To identify PIM1 substrates and their phosphorylation sites in LNCaP cells, we coupled a
chemical genetic screen with a peptide capture, mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach. We
mutated the PIM1 gatekeeper residue in the ATP binding site to accept a bulky ATP analog. By
using an ATP analog labeled with a thiol group on the gamma-phosphate, we were able specifically
label PIM1 substrates even in the presence of other cellular kinases.
Project description:To investigate potential molecular targets that regulate metastasis and metabolism in anoikis-resistance of prostate cancer cells, we have establised anoikis-resistant prostate PC-3 cells with ultra-low attachment 6-well plates (Corning) and employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify differentially expressed genes between anoikis-resistant PC-3 cells and corresponding parental cells.
Project description:Genome wide expression changes following 50uM Casodex treatment were investigated to determine regulatory targets commonly overlooked in gene function specific microarrays and for comparison of the effects the wild-type AR expressing PC-346C cells against the mutant androgen receptor (AR) LNCaP cell line. PC-346C Prostate Cancer cells were treated for a period of 48h with or without 50uM Casodex following a 36h seeding period. At the selected time point, total RNA was harvested from the cells for hybridization and analysis by Nimblgen Systems Inc using the homo sapiens gene expression array.
Project description:Metastatic prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in tumor progression and metastasis, including in prostate cancer. There is an obvious and urgent need for effective cancer stem cells specific therapies in metastatic prostate cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of pervasive genes that are involved in a variety of biological functions, especially in cancer. The goal of this study was to identify miRNAs involved in prostate cancer metastasis and cancer stem cells. Several published reports have demonstrated that non-adherent spheres culture is increasingly used as an effective method to enrich and identify stem cells or putative CSCs.In our previous study, we enriched prostate cancer stem cells from PC-3 sphere cells in serum-free suspension culture and characterized their CSCs properties.Thus, we used spheres as a prostate cancer stem cells model to elucidate its metastatic mechanisms. We examined the miRNA expression profiles of PC-3 sphere cells of prostate cancer compared with PC-3 adherent cells by miRNA microarray.