Project description:To further characterize the downstream targets of uc.323, we performed global microarray analysis after knockdown of uc.323 in cardiomyocytes to gain broad insight into uc.323-mediated transcriptome changes.
Project description:A total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is considered the surgery of choice for definitive management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and selected patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, this surgical treatment often associates with a long-term complication, pouchitis, which occurs mostly in UC patients. To better define the molecular background of pouchitis, the microarray-based survey was performed using pouch mucosal samples collected from 28 and 8 patients operated for UC and FAP, respectively. A number of 4771 genes was significantly differentiating uninflamed from inflamed mucosal samples, and their functional features were represented mostly by alerted metabolic and cell proliferation pathways. In contrast, functional analyses of aberrantly expressed probe sets between UC and FAP samples, irrespectively of mucosal inflammation status, revealed multiple pathways and terms which were linked to changes in immune response. Noteworthy, the comparison of uninflamed UC and FAP samples distinguished a set of 26 altered mRNAs including inflammation-related transcript encoding a Charcot-Leyden crystal (CLC) protein. The most discrete changes in gene expression profiles differentiating uninflamed UC and FAP mucosal samples were attributed to a Gene Ontology category innate immune response. Our study confirmed alterations of the immune responses as dominant in UC pouchitis which were earlier found in the studies using analyses of singular molecular elements. This observation may be important when managing IPAA patients. Each sample represents three biopsies taken from single patient, from the same areas of the lower part of the pouch mucosa (above the rectal cuff) during endoscopic examination. 28 patients underwent surgery for UC and 8 patients for FAP.
Project description:A total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is considered the surgery of choice for definitive management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and selected patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, this surgical treatment often associates with a long-term complication, pouchitis, which occurs mostly in UC patients. To better define the molecular background of pouchitis, the microarray-based survey was performed using pouch mucosal samples collected from 28 and 8 patients operated for UC and FAP, respectively. A number of 4771 genes was significantly differentiating uninflamed from inflamed mucosal samples, and their functional features were represented mostly by alerted metabolic and cell proliferation pathways. In contrast, functional analyses of aberrantly expressed probe sets between UC and FAP samples, irrespectively of mucosal inflammation status, revealed multiple pathways and terms which were linked to changes in immune response. Noteworthy, the comparison of uninflamed UC and FAP samples distinguished a set of 26 altered mRNAs including inflammation-related transcript encoding a Charcot-Leyden crystal (CLC) protein. The most discrete changes in gene expression profiles differentiating uninflamed UC and FAP mucosal samples were attributed to a Gene Ontology category innate immune response. Our study confirmed alterations of the immune responses as dominant in UC pouchitis which were earlier found in the studies using analyses of singular molecular elements. This observation may be important when managing IPAA patients.
Project description:Although miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation has been investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy for diseases, its exact functional regulatory contributions to neuropathic pain have not yet been fully elucidated. Herein, we revealed miR-323-3p as a key functional noncoding RNA in modulating trigeminal neuropathic pain. Through combined high-throughput sequencing and qPCR analysis, we revealed that miR-323-3p was most significantly upregulated in the injured trigeminal ganglion (TG). The administration of a miR-323-3p antagomir via intra-TG injection or blockade of miR-323-3p through lentiviral delivery specifically targeting neurons in injured TGs suppressed established trigeminal neuropathic pain. While miR-323-3p inhibition had no effect on inflammatory pain, local induction of miR-323-3p in naive TGs directly elicited pain hypersensitivity. Mechanistically, nerve injury caused upregulated protein expression of arginine methyltransferase 2 (PRMT2), which promotes asymmetric demethylation of H3R8 (H3R8me2a), thereby facilitating the binding of the forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) transcription factor to the miR-323-3p promoter and resulting in the upregulation of miR-323-3p expression. Furthermore, the increase in miR-323-3p expression induced significant reductions in Kv2.1 protein expression and channel currents, resulting in TG neuronal hyperexcitability. Conversely, downregulation of miR-323-3p in the injured TG reversed the decrease in Kv2.1 expression and attenuated nerve injury-induced mechanical allodynia. Thus, miR-323-3p upregulation is causally involved in the development of trigeminal neuropathic pain through the regulation of Kv2.1 channels in the TG. The mechanistic understanding of the PRMT2/FOXA2/miR-323-3p/Kv2.1 signaling axis in sensory neurons may enable the discovery of new therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain management.
Project description:Early Life Stress (ELS) refers to exposure to adverse childhood experiences such as neglect, abuse, or parental separation. These stressors can disrupt brain development and increase susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent evidence suggests that these effects are mediated by transcriptional regulation and may be driven by epigenetic processes, including chromatin reorganization. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are highly expressed in the brain, have emerged as key modulators of these epigenetic processes. Using maternal separation (MS) as an early-life stress model, differential expression of uc.123, uc.382, uc.429 and uc.104 was noted, with significant upregulation observed for uc.123 and uc.382 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of MS rats. Genome-wide chromatin mapping using chromatin isolation by RNA purification sequencing (ChIRP-seq) demonstrated that the lncRNAs uc.123 and uc.382 were associated with chromatin regions and subsequent gene regulation. Integration with PFC RNA-seq results highlighted that uc.123 and uc.382 regulate distinct yet functionally complementary gene networks. Chromatin binding by uc.123 and uc.382 in ELS rats differentially regulated genes involved in synaptic plasticity and neuroinflammation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR for H3K27ac displayed increased chromatin accessibility at key target loci of uc.123 and uc.382. This further supports their role in modulating histone marks and gene transcription under MS. Altogether, our results demonstrate that ELS induce persistent transcriptional changes via lncRNA-mediated chromatin remodeling. These findings provide new insights into how ELS induces long-lasting transcriptional and epigenetic changes, advancing our understanding of the molecular basis of stress-related neuropathology.