The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential biological process during embryonic development and has also been implicated in cancer metastasis. Previous studies have characterized transcriptional regulation and key transcription factors that impact EMT. However, the role of alternative splicing (AS) regulation in EMT has only recently emerged and remains relatively uncharacterized. Here we used a robust in vitro EMT model to dynamically and comprehensively characterize splicing switches during EMT in a temporal manner. Overall design: We generated a H358 clone stably expressing a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible cDNA encoding a Zeb1-mCherry fusion protein. Over a 7-day time course following Dox treatment, cells have undergone EMT. We harvested total RNA and protein at each day of the EMT time course and a no Dox-treated control in biological triplicates. We made cDNA libraries for each replicate and subjected them to RNA-seq.
Determination of a Comprehensive Alternative Splicing Regulatory Network and Combinatorial Regulation by Key Factors during the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.
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View SamplesEpithelial specific splicing regulatory protein 1 and 2 (ESRP1 and ESRP2) are important regulators of alternative splicing during EMT. To study the alternative splicing events regulated by ESRP1/2 at a genome wide scale, we used lentiviral shRNAs to knockdown ESRP1/2 in H358 cells and performed RNA-seq in biological triplicates. Overall design: We used lentiviral based shRNAs targeting ESRP1 and ESRP2 to knockdown both regulators in human H358 cells. We harvested total RNA and protein from ESRP1/2 knockdown and control knockdown in biological triplicates. We made cDNA libraries for each replicate and subjected them to RNA-seq.
Determination of a Comprehensive Alternative Splicing Regulatory Network and Combinatorial Regulation by Key Factors during the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.
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View SamplesOsteoarthritis is characterized by degeneration of cartilage and bone in the synovial joints. Recent findings suggest that inflammation may play a role in osteoarthritis, with synovitis being associated with the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, we have found that levels of inflammatory complement components are abnormally high in the synovial fluid of individuals with osteoarthritis.
Identification of a central role for complement in osteoarthritis.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe goal of the study was to identify genes whose aberrant expression can contribute to diabetic retinopathy. We determined differential response in gene expression to high glucose in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from matched type 1 diabetic individuals with and without retinopathy. Those genes exhibiting the largest difference in glucose response between diabetic subjects with and without retinopathy were assessed for association to diabetic retinopathy utilizing genotype data from a meta-genome-wide association study. All genetic variants associated with gene expression (expression QTLs; eQTLs) of the glucose response genes were tested for association with diabetic retinopathy. We detected an enrichment of the glucose response gene eQTLs among small association p-values for diabetic retinopathy. Among these, we identified FLCN as a susceptibility gene for diabetic retinopathy. Expression of FLCN in response to glucose is greater in individuals with diabetic retinopathy compared to diabetic individuals without retinopathy. Three large, independent cohorts of diabetic individuals revealed an enhanced association of FLCN eQTL to diabetic retinopathy. Mendelian randomization confirmed a direct positive effect of increased FLCN expression on retinopathy in diabetic individuals. Together, our studies integrating genetic association and gene expression implicate FLCN as a disease gene in diabetic retinopathy.
Integration of genomics and transcriptomics predicts diabetic retinopathy susceptibility genes.
Cell line
View SamplesThe ability to form memories is a prerequisite for an organism’s behavioural adaptation to environmental changes. At the molecular level, the acquisition and maintenance of memory requires changes in chromatin modifications. In an effort to unravel the epigenetic network underlying both short- and long-term memory, we examined chromatin modification changes in two distinct mouse brain regions, two cell-types, and three time-points before and after contextual learning. Here we show that histone modifications predominantly change during memory acquisition and correlate surprisingly little with changes in gene expression. While long-lasting changes are almost exclusive to neurons, learning-related histone modification and DNA methylation changes occur also in non-neuronal cell types, suggesting a functional role for non-neuronal cells in epigenetic learning. Finally, our data provides evidence for a molecular framework of memory acquisition and maintenance, wherein DNA methylation could alter the expression and splicing of genes involved in functional plasticity and synaptic wiring. Overall design: We examined chromatin modification changes in two distinct mouse brain regions (CA1 and ACC), two cell-types (neurons, non-neurons), and three time-points before and after contextual learning (naive, 1h, 4w).
DNA methylation changes in plasticity genes accompany the formation and maintenance of memory.
Sex, Age, Cell line, Subject
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