Somatic cancer driver mutations may result in distinctly diverging phenotypic outputs. Thus, a common driver lesion may result in cancer subtypes with distinct clinical presentations and outcomes. The diverging phenotypic outputs of mutations result from the superimposition of the mutations with distinct progenitor cell populations that have differing lineage potential. However, our ability to test this hypothesis has been challenged by currently available tools. For example, flow cytometry is limited in its inability to resolve lineage commitment of early progenitors. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) may provide higher resolution mapping of the early progenitor populations as long as high throughput technology is available to sequence thousands of single cells. Nevertheless, high throughput scRNA-seq is limited in its inability to jointly and robustly detect the mutational status and the transcriptional profile from the same cell. To overcome these limitations, we propose the use of scRNA-seq combined with targeted mutation sequencing from transcrptional read-outs. Overall design: We apply this method to study myeloid neopasms, in which the comlex process of hematopoiesis is corrupted by mutated stem and progenitor cells.
Somatic mutations and cell identity linked by Genotyping of Transcriptomes.
Sex, Age, Disease, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesWe examined the patterns of gene expression of mouse thymic leukemias extracted from Mb1-CreDPB mice by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Our goal was to integrate RNA-seq data with whole-exome sequencing (WES) to determined secondary driver mutations of leukemogenesis in the absence of Spi-B and PU.1, Overall design: Thymic leukemias were isolated from diseased Mb1-CreDPB mice. In summary, thymuses were homogenized and red blood cells were removed with ACK buffer, washed with PBS and counted. The amount of 8 million cells were pelleted an RNA was extracted using Rneasy RNA Isolation Kit (Qiagen). RNA was quantified and the purity was checked by spectophotrometer. RNA was sent to subsequently sequencing procedures.
Driver mutations in Janus kinases in a mouse model of B-cell leukemia induced by deletion of PU.1 and Spi-B.
Disease, Disease stage, Cell line, Subject
View Samplesp53 inactivation occurs only rarely in neuroblastoma, although miR-34, a transcriptional target of p53, is often deleted in neuroblastoma, suggesting another way in which p53 signaling might be impaired. In this study we show that miR-34 directly targets and downregulates the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) and its associated histone demethylase, JARID1A, in a p53-dependent manner,
KDM5A Regulates a Translational Program that Controls p53 Protein Expression.
Cell line
View SamplesIntercellular communication is critical for integrating complex signals in multicellular eukaryotes. Vascular endothelial cells and T lymphocytes closely interact during the recirculation and trans-endothelial migration of T cells. In addition to direct cell-cell contact, we show that T cell derived extracellular vesicles can interact with endothelial cells and modulate their cellular functions. Thrombospondin-1 and its receptor CD47 are expressed on exosomes/ectosomes derived from T cells, and these extracellular vesicles are internalized and modulate signaling in both T cells and endothelial cells. Extracellular vesicles released from cells expressing or lacking CD47 differentially regulate activation of T cells induced by engaging the T cell receptor. Similarly, T cell-derived extracellular vesicles modulate endothelial cell responses to vascular endothelial growth factor and tube formation in a CD47-dependent manner. Uptake of T cell derived extracellular vesicles by recipient endothelial cells globally alters gene expression in a CD47-dependent manner. CD47 also regulates the mRNA content of extracellular vesicles in a manner consistent with some of the resulting alterations in target endothelial cell gene expression. Therefore, the thrombospondin-1 receptor CD47 directly or indirectly regulates intercellular communication mediated by the transfer of extracellular vesicles between vascular cells.
CD47-dependent immunomodulatory and angiogenic activities of extracellular vesicles produced by T cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesTriple-Negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is associated with poor prognosis due to its propensity to form metastases. Unfortunately, the current treatment options are limited to chemotherapy such that identification of actionable targets are needed. The receptor tyrosine kinase AXL plays a role in the tumor cell dissemination and its expression in TNBC correlates with poor patients? survival. Here, we explored whether exploiting an AXL knockdown gene signature in TNBC cells may offer an opportunity for drug repurposing. To this end, we queried the PharmacoGx pharmacogenomics platform with an AXL gene signature which revealed Phenothiazines, a class of Dopamine Receptors antagonists (Thioridazine, Fluphenazine and Trifluoperazine) typically used as anti-psychotics. We next tested if drugs may be active to limit growth and metastatic progression of TNBC cells, similarly to AXL depletion. We found that the Phenothiazines were able to reduce cel l invasion, proliferation and viability, and also increased apoptosis of TNBC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, these drugs did not affect AXL activity but instead reduced PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK signaling. When administered to mice bearing TNBC xenografts, these drugs showed were able to reduce tumor growth and metastatic burden. Collectively, these results suggest that these antipsychotics are novel anti-tumor and anti-metastatic agents that could potentially be repurposed, in combination with standard chemotherapy, for use in TNBC. Overall design: RNA-seq of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 treated with siCt or siAXL Differential gene expression profile between MDA-MB-231 siCt and siAXL by RNA sequencing (Illumina HiSEq 2000)
AXL knockdown gene signature reveals a drug repurposing opportunity for a class of antipsychotics to reduce growth and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer.
Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesErythropoiesis in mammals replenishes the circulating red blood cell (RBC) pool from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Two distinct erythropoietic programs have been described. In the first trimester, hematopoietic precursors in the fetal yolk sac follow a primitive pattern of erythropoiesis. However, in the second trimester, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the fetal liver and later from the bone marrow differentiate by a definitive program of erythropoiesis to yield enucleated erythrocytes. RBCs can also be derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and can express many of the red cell proteins required for normal erythrocyte function, presaging in vitro RBC production for clinical use. However, expansion and enucleation from hiPSCs is less efficient than with erythroblasts (EBs) derived from adult or cord blood progenitors. We hypothesized that substantial differential gene expression during erythroid development from hiPSCs compared to that from adult blood or cord blood precursors could account for these hitherto unexplained differences in proliferation and enucleation. We have therefore grown EBs from human adult and cord blood progenitors and from hiPSCs. Gene expression during erythroid culture from each erythroblast source was analyzed using algorithms designed to cluster co-expressed genes in an unsupervised manner and the function of differentially expressed genes explored by gene ontology. Using these methods we identify specific patterns of gene regulation for adult- and cord- derived EBs, regardless of the medium used, that are substantially distinct from those observed during the differentiation of EBs from hiPSC progenitors which largely follows a pattern of primitive erythropoiesis.
Distinct gene expression program dynamics during erythropoiesis from human induced pluripotent stem cells compared with adult and cord blood progenitors.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer progression, but the precise mechanisms by which stromal cells influence the tumor epithelium are poorly understood. The signaling adapter p62 has been implicated as a positive regulator of epithelial tumorigenesis; however, its role in the stroma is unknown. We show here that p62 levels are reduced in the stroma of several tumors. Also, orthotopic and organotypic studies demonstrate that the loss of p62 in the tumor microenvironment or stromal fibroblasts resulted in increased tumorigenesis of epithelial prostate cancer cells. The mechanism involves the regulation of cellular redox through an mTORC1/c-Myc pathway of stromal glucose and amino acid metabolism. Inhibition of the pathway by p62 deficiency results in increased stromal IL-6 production, which is required for tumor promotion in the epithelial compartment. Thus, p62 is an anti-inflammatory tumor suppressor that acts through modulation of metabolism in the tumor stroma.
Metabolic reprogramming of stromal fibroblasts through p62-mTORC1 signaling promotes inflammation and tumorigenesis.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis study uses whole-transcriptome sequencing to characterize the transcriptomes of the AOM/DSS mouse model. In this model, mice are treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce colitis. When this treatment is preceded by injections of the weak carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM) the mice develop intestinal tumors. Our results identify sets of differentially expressed genes which are correlated with methylation changes of the corresponding genes. Overall design: Whole transcriptome analysis of Mus musculus. Three conditions were sequenced and analyzed, the first is an untreated control, the second corresponds to inflammation induced by applying DSS, the third to cancer induced by inflammation and application of AOM. The control condition as well as the AOM-induced cancer condition were analyzed using three replicates, the second condition using 4 replicates.
Chronic inflammation induces a novel epigenetic program that is conserved in intestinal adenomas and in colorectal cancer.
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View SamplesUOK257 cell line was derived from a BHD patient. It harbors a germline mutation in FLCN (c.1285dupC) and LOH. UOK257-2 cells were generated from UOK257 cells by introducing wildtype FLCN using retrovirus. FLCN inactivation induces TFE3 transcriptional activity by increasing its nuclear localization. Thus expression microarray was used to identify the genes regulated by FLCN and TFE3.
The UOK 257 cell line: a novel model for studies of the human Birt-Hogg-Dubé gene pathway.
Cell line
View SamplesDespite numerous observations of effects of estrogens on spermatogenesis, identification of estrogen-regulated genes in the testis is limited. We previously showed in rats, in which irradiation had completely blocked spermatogonial differentiation, that testosterone (T) suppression with GnRH-antagonist and antiandrogen stimulated spermatogenic recovery and addition of estradiol (E2) to this regimen accelerated this recovery. We report here the global changes in testicular cell gene expression induced by the E2 treatment. By minimizing the changes in other hormones and also having concurrent data on the regulation of the genes by those hormones, we were able to dissect the effects of estrogen on gene expression, independent of gonadotropin or T changes. Expression of 20 genes, largely in somatic cells, was up- or down-regulated between 2- and 5-fold by E2. There were also early germ cell genes whose expression increased but this was a result of a small increase in spermatogonial numbers. The striking enrichment of transcripts not corresponding to known genes among the E2-downregulated probes led to the identification of one as micro-RNA miR-34a. We propose that genes whose expression levels are altered in one direction by irradiation and in the opposite direction by both T suppression and E2 treatment are candidates for controlling the block in differentiation. Several genes, including insulin-like 3 (Insl3), satisfied those criteria. If they are indeed involved in the inhibition of spermatogonial differentiation, they may be candidate targets for clinical treatments to enhance recovery of spermatogenesis following gonadotoxic exposures, such as those resulting from cancer therapy.
Estrogen-regulated genes in rat testes and their relationship to recovery of spermatogenesis after irradiation.
Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples