The alveolar type 1 (AT1) cell covers >95% of the gas exchange surface and is extremely thin to facilitate passive gas diffusion. The development of this highly specialized cell is poorly understood including fundamental questions regarding cell number and morphology. Using new molecular stereology and single cell imaging methods, we show that AT1 cells develop via a non-proliferative two-step process while maintaining proliferative potential. In the flattening step, AT1 cells remodel cell junctions and undergo molecular specification. In the folding step, AT1 cells are sculptured to match secondary septa formation, resulting in a single AT1 cell spanning multiple alveoli. AT1 cells grow in size by >10-fold, fueling most of the postnatal lung growth. Strikingly AT1 cells proliferate upon ectopic SOX2 expression and undergo stage-dependent cell fate reprogramming. These results contradict the traditional view of AT1 cells being terminally differentiated and provide insights to alveolar maturation. In this experiment, we conducted next-generation sequencing on flow-sorter AT1 cells isolated from mouse lungs ectopically expressing Sox2 under the control of the AT1-specific promoter Scnn1a versus control AT1 cells. Overall design: Two samples of Sox2-expressing AT1 cells versus two control AT1 samples.
The development and plasticity of alveolar type 1 cells.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesMultiple Myeloma (MM) is an hematological malignancy. MM cells are resistant to X-ray irradiations. We irradiated RPMI 8226 cancer cells with C-ions, which are more energetic than X-ray irradiations. We found that MM cells, RPMI 8226, are also resistant to C-ion irradiations.
HIF-1α and rapamycin act as gerosuppressant in multiple myeloma cells upon genotoxic stress.
Cell line
View SamplesAverage life expectancy for patients with metastatic melanoma is less than 6 months, and only a handful of treatment options are available. If the disease can be stopped before it spreads to other organs, life expectancy is greatly increased. The goal of this project is to identify possible regulators of melanoma metastasis by determining genes whose expression is modulated when the cells are grown in contact with endothelial cells. Identification of genes involved in this cell-cell communication could have therapeutic implications.
Integration of genotypic and phenotypic screening reveals molecular mediators of melanoma-stromal interaction.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesEpigenetic events, including covalent post-translational modification of histones, have frequently been demonstrated to play critical roles in tumor development and progression. The transcriptional coactivator, p300/CBP, possesses both histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity as well as scaffolding properties that directly influence transcriptional activation of targeted genes. We have used a recently reported small molecule inhibitor of p300 HAT activity, C646, to explore the specific contribution of p300/CBP HAT activity to tumor development and progression. We find that C646 inhibits the growth of lineage-specific tumor cell lines including human melanomas through direct transcriptional regulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins. Further evaluation of the p300 HAT transcriptome in human melanoma cells using comprehensive gene expression profiling reveals that p300 HAT activity globally promotes cell cycle progression, nucleosome assembly, and the DNA damage checkpoint through direct transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Additionally, C646 promotes sensitivity to DNA damaging agents leading to enhanced apoptosis of melanoma cells following combination treatment with cisplatin. Together our data suggest that p300 HAT activity regulates critical growth regulatory pathways in tumors and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for melanoma and other malignancies by promoting cellular responses to DNA damaging agents.
Selective inhibition of p300 HAT blocks cell cycle progression, induces cellular senescence, and inhibits the DNA damage response in melanoma cells.
Cell line, Treatment, Time
View SamplesTranscription factor Stat5 is constitutively active in human prostate cancer but not in normal prostate epithelium. Stat5 activation is associated with prostate cancer lesions of high histological grades, and is present in the majority of castration-resistant recurrent human prostate cancers. The molecular mechnisms underlying constitutive activation of Stat5 in primary and recurrent human prostate cancer are currently unclear.
Stat5 promotes metastatic behavior of human prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesWe synthesized the PAX8-NFE2L2 fusion transcript and cloned it into a lentiviral vector, and used this to overexpress it in the murine prostate adenocarcinoma cell line TRAMP-C1. Overall design: We used high coverage RNA sequencing (>30 million reads per sample) to compare the expression profiles of cells expressing the PAX8-NFE2L2 fusion transcript to cells transduced with an empty vector.
Global analysis of somatic structural genomic alterations and their impact on gene expression in diverse human cancers.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesExpression analysis of genes potentially regulated by BMPRII and beta-catenin. BMPRII has been linked as a genetic factor to the disease pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Disruption of PPARγ/β-catenin-mediated regulation of apelin impairs BMP-induced mouse and human pulmonary arterial EC survival.
Specimen part
View SamplesSome of the functions and mechanisms of PPAR?-mediated regulation of vascular homeostasis have been revealed, the potential role of PPAR? in angiogenesis is obscure. In human ECs, PPAR?-deficiency was studied using siRNA strategy and RNA sequencing was utilized to reveal angiogenesis-associated targets for PPARg. Overall design: Our aim is to reveal the possible role of PPARy in angiogenesis.
Loss of PPARγ in endothelial cells leads to impaired angiogenesis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesDevelopmental transitions can be described in terms of morphology and individual genes expression patterns, but also in terms of global transcriptional and epigenetic changes. Most of the large-scale studies of such transitions, however, have only been possible in synchronized cell culture systems. Here we generate a cell type specific transcriptome of an adult stem-cell lineage in the Arabidopsis leaf using RNA sequencing and microarrays. RNA profiles of stomatal entry, commitment, and differentiating cells, as well as of mature stomata and the entire aerial epidermis give a comprehensive view of the developmental progression.
Transcriptome dynamics of the stomatal lineage: birth, amplification, and termination of a self-renewing population.
Specimen part
View SamplesDevelopmental transitions can be described in terms of morphology and individual genes expression patterns, but also in terms of global transcriptional and epigenetic changes. Most of the large-scale studies of such transitions, however, have only been possible in synchronized cell culture systems. Here we generate a cell type specific transcriptome of an adult stem-cell lineage in the Arabidopsis leaf using RNA sequencing and microarrays. RNA profiles of stomatal entry, commitment, and differentiating cells, as well as of mature stomata and the entire aerial epidermis give a comprehensive view of the developmental progression.
Transcriptome dynamics of the stomatal lineage: birth, amplification, and termination of a self-renewing population.
Specimen part
View Samples