The mechanisms by which the epidermis responds to disturbances in barrier function and restores homeostasis are unknown. With a disruption of the epidermal barrier, water is lost resulting in an increase in extracellular sodium concentration. We demonstrate that the sodium channel Nax functions as the sodium sensor. With increased extracellular sodium, Nax up-regulates prostasin which results in activation of the sodium channel ENaC, resulting in increased sodium flux and increased downstream mRNA synthesis of inflammatory mediators. The same pathways are present in lung epithelial cells.
Sodium channel Nax is a regulator in epithelial sodium homeostasis.
Sex, Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Time
View SamplesThe response of drosophila to bacterial and fungal infections involves two signaling pathways, Toll and Imd, which both activate NF-kB family members. We have studied the global transcriptional response of flies to infection with drosophila C virus. Viral infection induced a set of genes distinct from those regulated by the Toll or Imd pathways, and triggered activation of a STAT binding activity. Genetic experiments showed that the JAK kinase Hopscotch was involved in the control of the viral load in infected flies, and was required, though not sufficient, for the induction of some virus-regulated genes. Our results indicate that in addition to Toll and Imd, a third evolutionary conserved innate immunity pathway operates in drosophila and counters viral infection.
The Jak-STAT signaling pathway is required but not sufficient for the antiviral response of drosophila.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAlveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS) is an aggressive sarcoma of skeletal muscle characterized by expression of the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion gene. Despite its discovery over almost 20 years ago, PAX3-FOXO1 remains an enigmatic tumor driver. Previously, we reported that PAX3-FOXO1 supports aRMS initiation by enabling bypass of cellular senescence. Here, we show that bypass occurs in part by PAX3-FOXO1-mediated upregulation of RASSF4, a Ras-association domain family (RASSF) member, which then suppresses the evolutionarily conserved mammalian Hippo/Mst1 pathway. RASSF4 loss-of-function activates Hippo/Mst1 and inhibits downstream YAP, causing aRMS cell cycle arrest and senescence. This is the first evidence for an oncogenic role for RASSF4, and a novel mechanism for Hippo signaling suppression in human cancer.
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma-associated PAX3-FOXO1 promotes tumorigenesis via Hippo pathway suppression.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesSenescent cells accumulate in many ageing-associated diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, and targeting these cells has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic approach. Here, we take advantage of the high ß-galactosidase activity of senescent cells to design a targeted drug delivery system based on the encapsulation of drugs with galacto-oligosaccharides (GalNP beads). In this experiment we show that gal-encapsulated rhodamine target senescent cells in the context of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Overall design: 8- to 10-week-old C57BL/6 wild-type mice were intratracheally inoculated with bleomycin at 1.5 U/kg of body weight. Two weeks later mice were i.v. injected with 200 µl of a solution of GalNP beads loaded with rhodamine [GalNP(rho)] at 4 mg/ml, equivalent to 1 mg/kg of deliverable rhodamine. 6 hours later mice were sacrificed and lung cells were analysed by flow cytometry and sorted into Rho+ or Rho- cells, all CD45-CD31-.
A versatile drug delivery system targeting senescent cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesAffymetrix microarrays were used to determine the mRNA composition of mRNPs obtained by immunoprecipitation with IRP1 (iron regulatory protein 1).
Identification of target mRNAs of regulatory RNA-binding proteins using mRNP immunopurification and microarrays.
Sex
View SamplesShiga toxins (Stxs) are bacterial cytotoxins produced by the enteric pathogens Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 and some serotypes of Escherichia coli that cause bacillary dysentery and hemorrhagic colitis, respectively. To date, approaches to studying the capacity of Stxs to alter gene expression in intoxicated cells have been limited to individual genes. However, it is known that many of the signaling pathways activated by Stxs regulate the expression of multiple genes in mammalian cells. To expand the scope of analysis of gene expression and to better understand the underlying mechanisms for the various effects of Stxs on cell functions, we carried out comparative microarray analyses to characterize the global transcriptional response of human macrophage-like THP-1 cells to Shiga toxin type 1 (Stx1) and LPS. Data were analyzed using a rigorous combinatorial approach with three separate statistical algorithms. Thirty-six genes met the criteria of up-regulated expression in response to Stx1 treatment with 14 genes uniquely up-regulated by Stx1. Microarray data were validated by real time RT-PCR for genes encoding Egr-1 (transcriptional regulator), COX-2 (inflammation), and DUSP1, 5 and 10 (regulation of MAPK signaling). Stx1-mediated signaling through ERK1/2 and Egr-1 appears to be involved in the increased expression of the proinflammatory mediator TNF-. Activation of COX-2 expression is associated with the increased production of proinflammatory and vasoactive eicosanoids. However, the capacity of Stx1 to increase the expression of genes encoding phosphatases suggests that mechanisms to dampen the macrophage proinflammatory response may be built into host response to the toxins.
Global transcriptional response of macrophage-like THP-1 cells to Shiga toxin type 1.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesMesothelia, which cover all coelomic organs and body cavities in vertebrates, perform diverse functions in embryonic and adult life. Yet, mesothelia are traditionally viewed as simple, uniform epithelia.
Autotaxin signaling governs phenotypic heterogeneity in visceral and parietal mesothelia.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe construced combinations of genetic deletions to infer genetic interactions in genomic expression data.
Prediction of phenotype and gene expression for combinations of mutations.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesSwiss-Webster female mice (Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA) 5-6 weeks of age were infected intranasally with 5 LD50 of either WT or lpp mutant of Y. pestis CO92. Uninfected mice were used as controls. At either 12 or 48 h post infection (p.i.), 3 mice per group were euthanized and the lungs, livers, and spleens were harvested and homogenized in 1 ml of RNALater (Ambion/Applied Biosystems, Austin, TX) using 50-ml tissue homogenizers (Kendell, Mansfield, MA). RNA was isolated from the tissue homogenates and purified using RNAqueous (Ambion). After an overnight precipitation, the RNA was resuspended in 20 ul of diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC)-treated water and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 arrays, performed by the Molecular Genomics Core at UTMB Galveston, Texas, per manufacture protocols. The arrays had 45,000 probe sets representing more than 39,000 transcripts derived from ~34,000 well-substantiated mouse genes. The experiments were performed in triplicate (biological replicates), generating a total of 45 arrays.
Comparative Analyses of Transcriptional Profiles in Mouse Organs Using a Pneumonic Plague Model after Infection with Wild-Type Yersinia pestis CO92 and Its Braun Lipoprotein Mutant.
Sex, Specimen part, Time
View SamplesBackground: Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is predicted to play a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Our goal was to elucidate a mechanism of tumor proliferation and metastasis using a novel murine model of EMT.
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of murine liver tumor cells promotes invasion.
Specimen part
View Samples