A multitude of genes have been associated with bipolar disorder via SNP genotyping studies. However, many of these associated SNPs are found within intronic or intergenic regions of the human genome. We were interested in studying transcriptional profiles/splice variation of genes associated with bipolar disorder within the human striatum. Understanding how these associated genes are transcribed in the human brain may help to guide the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of bipolar disorder and other neuropsychiatric illnesses. Overall design: NEBNext Ultra Directional RNAseq libraries were generated from putamen and caudate nucleus tissues from 4 healthy control individuals and 4 individuals with bipolar disorder. These libraries were then multiplexed and run on an Illumina HiSeq platform using single read 100bp chemistries.
Novel PDE10A transcript diversity in the human striatum: Insights into gene complexity, conservation and regulation.
Specimen part, Disease stage, Subject
View SamplesSkin-mammary specific knockout (SSKO) of Pygo2 (K14-cre; Pygo2 flox/-) , a WNT signaling co-activator, results in defective mouse mammary gland development.
Chromatin effector Pygo2 mediates Wnt-notch crosstalk to suppress luminal/alveolar potential of mammary stem and basal cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesNotch1 signaling is absolutely essential for steady-state thymic lymphopoiesis, but the role of other Notch receptors, and their potential overlap with the function of Notch1, remains unclear. Here we show that like Notch1, Notch3 is differentially expressed by progenitor thymocytes, peaking at the DN3 progenitor stage. Using mice carrying a gene-trapped allele, we show that thymic cellularity is slightly reduced in the absence of Notch3, although progression through the defined sequence of TCR- development is normal, as are NKT and TCR cell production.
Nonoverlapping functions for Notch1 and Notch3 during murine steady-state thymic lymphopoiesis.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesInteraction of hematopoietic progenitors with the thymic stromal microenvironment induces them to proliferate, adopt the T cell fate, and asymmetrically diverge into multiple T lineages. Progenitors at various developmental stages are stratified among different regions of the thymus, implying that the corresponding microenvironments differ from one another, and provide unique sets of signals to progenitors migrating between them. The nature of these differences remains undefined. Here we use novel physical and computational approaches to characterize these stromal subregions, distinguishing gene expression in microdissected tissues from that of their lymphoid constituents. Using this approach, we comprehensively map gene expression in functionally distinct stromal microenvironments, and identify clusters of genes that define each region. Quite unexpectedly, we find that the central cortex lacks distinctive features of its own, and instead appears to function by sequestering unique microenvironments found at the cortical extremities, and modulating the relative proximity of progenitors moving between them.
Spatial mapping of thymic stromal microenvironments reveals unique features influencing T lymphoid differentiation.
Specimen part
View SamplesEpithelial cells possess remarkable plasticity, having the ability to become mesenchymal cells through alterations in adhesion and motility (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT). However, it is still unknown whether and how epithelial plasticity is kept in check in epithelial cells during development. Here we show that restricting the EMT of mammary epithelial cells by transcription factor Ovol2 is required for proper morphogenesis and regeneration. Deletion of Ovol2 blocks mammary ductal morphogenesis, depletes stem/progenitor cell reservoirs, and leads epithelial cells to undergo EMT in vivo to become non-epithelial cell types. Ovol2 directly represses myriad EMT inducers and its absence switches response to TGF-beta from growth arrest to EMT. Furthermore, forced expression of the repressor isoform of Ovol2 is able to reprogram metastatic breast cancer cells from a mesenchymal to an epithelial state. Our findings underscore the critical importance of exquisitely regulating epithelial plasticity in development and cancer.
Mammary morphogenesis and regeneration require the inhibition of EMT at terminal end buds by Ovol2 transcriptional repressor.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesEpithelial cells possess remarkable plasticity, having the ability to become mesenchymal cells through alterations in adhesion and motility (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT). Recent studies suggest that EMT endows differentiated epithelial cells with stem cell traits, posing the interesting question of how epithelial plasticity is properly restricted to ensure epithelial differentiation during tissue morphogenesis. Here we identify zinc-finger transcription factor Ovol2 as a key suppressor of EMT of mammary epithelial cells. Epithelia-specific deletion of Ovol2 completely arrests mammary ductal morphogenesis, and depletes epithelial stem/progenitor cell reservoirs. Further, Ovol2-deficient epithelial cells undergo EMT in vivo to become non-epithelial cell types, and that Ovol2 directly represses key EMT inducers such as Zeb1 and regulates stem/progenitor cell responsiveness to TGF-beta. We also provide evidence for a suppressive role of Ovol2 in breast cancer progression. Our findings underscore the critical importance of exquisitely regulating epithelial plasticity to balance stemness with epithelial differentiation in development and cancer.
Mammary morphogenesis and regeneration require the inhibition of EMT at terminal end buds by Ovol2 transcriptional repressor.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesMeiotic recombination is initiated by the Spo11 endonuclease, which directs DNA double strand breaks at discrete regions in the genome coined hotspots. Here we report the profiles and dynamics of histone modifications at the cores of mouse recombination hotspots in early meiotic prophase. To define the spectrum of possible regulators of histone methylation and acetylation at all stages of meiosis I, expression analyses of histone acetylases/deacetylases (HATs/HDACs) and and HMTs/HDMTs genes when comparing those expressed in spermatogonia, pre-leptotene and leptotene/zygotene versus pachytene meiotic stages.
Functional Roles of Acetylated Histone Marks at Mouse Meiotic Recombination Hot Spots.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Functional Roles of Acetylated Histone Marks at Mouse Meiotic Recombination Hot Spots.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Transcriptional mechanisms link epithelial plasticity to adhesion and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesDuring epithelial tissue morphogenesis, developmental progenitor cells undergo dynamic adhesive and cytoskeletal remodeling to trigger proliferation and migration. Transcriptional mechanisms that restrict such mild form of epithelial plasticity to maintain lineage-restricted differentiation in committed epithelial tissues are poorly understood. Here we report that simultaneous ablation of transcriptional repressor-encoding Ovol1 and Ovol2 results in expansion and blocked terminal differentiation of embryonic epidermal progenitor cells. Conversely, mice overexpressing Ovol2 in their skin epithelia exhibit precocious differentiation accompanied by smaller progenitor cell compartments. We show that Ovol1/2-deficient epidermal cells fail to undertake alpha-catenindriven actin cytoskeletal reorganization and adhesive maturation, and exhibit changes that resemble epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Remarkably, these alterations as well as defective terminal differentiation are reversed upon depletion of EMT-promoting transcriptional factor Zeb1. Collectively, our findings reveal Ovol-Zeb1-a-catenin sequential repression and highlight novel functions of Ovol as gatekeepers of epithelial adhesion and differentiation by inhibiting progenitor-like traits and epithelial plasticity.
Transcriptional mechanisms link epithelial plasticity to adhesion and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples