Ocular immune privilege (IP) limits immune surveillance of intraocular tumors as certain immunogenic tumor cell lines (P815, E.G7-OVA) that are rejected when transplanted in the skin grow progressively when placed in the anterior chamber (a.c.) of the eye. As splenectomy (SPLNX) is known to terminate ocular IP, we characterized immune mechanisms responsible for spontaneous rejection of intraocular tumors in SPLNX mice as a first step toward identifying how to restore tumoricidal activity within the eye. Microarray data showed a 3-fold increase in interferon (IFN)- and a 2.7-fold increase in Fas ligand (FasL). There was a robust increase in transcripts (127 of 408 surveyed) from interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes and a marked decrease (in 40 of 192 surveyed) in the expression of cell-cycle-associated genes. Non-microarray data confirmed that IFN, FasL and CD8+ T cells but not perforin or TNF were required for elimination of intraocular E.G7-OVA tumors that culminated in destruction of the eye (ocular phthsis). IFN and FasL did not target tumor cells directly as the majority of SPLNX IFNR1-/- mice and Fas-defective lpr mice failed to eliminate ocular E.G7-OVA tumors that expressed Fas and IFNR1. Bone marrow chimeras showed that immune cell expression of IFNR1 and Fas was critical and that SPLNX increased the frequency of activated macrophages within ocular tumors in an IFN- and Fas/FasL-dependent manner. Rejection of intraocular tumors was associated with increased ocular mRNA expression of several inflammatory genes including FasL, NOS2, CXCL2 and T-bet. Our data support a model in which IFN- and Fas/FasL-dependent activation of intratumoral macrophage by CD8+ T cells promotes severe intraocular inflammation that indirectly eliminates intraocular tumors by inducing phthisis. The immunosuppressive mechanisms which maintain ocular IP likely interfere with the interaction between CD8+ T cells and macrophage to limit immunosurveillance of intraocular tumors.
Splenectomy promotes indirect elimination of intraocular tumors by CD8+ T cells that is associated with IFNγ- and Fas/FasL-dependent activation of intratumoral macrophages.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesNull mutations in the SAL1 protein, a bi-functional protein with inositol polyphosphate-1-phosphotase activity and nucleosidase activity, result in mutants with altered leaf morphology, delayed growth and tolerance to drought stress. This experiment examines the gene expression of two SAL1 mutants, alx8 in the Col-0 background and fry1-1 in the C24 background, under normal growth conditions. In brief, RNA was extracted from the leaves of three plants of each mutant and their respective ecotypes two hours after lights on. Plants were grown under normal conditions for 5 weeks before harvesting. Each array represent a single biological replicate.
The nucleotidase/phosphatase SAL1 is a negative regulator of drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesWe studied a cohort of 221 high-risk pediatric B-progenitor ALL patients that excluded known high risk ALL subtypes (BCR-ABL1 and infant ALL), using Affymetrix single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays, gene expression profiling and candidate gene resequencing. A CNA poor outcome predictor was identified using a semi-supervised principal components approach, and tested in an independent validation cohort of 258 pediatric B-progenitor ALL cases. Over 50 regions of recurring somatically acquired CNA, with the most frequently targeted genes encoding regulators of B-lymphoid development (66.8% of cases; with PAX5 targeted in 31.7% and IKZF1 in 28.6%). A CNA classifier identified a very poor outcome subgroup in the high-risk cohort (P=4.2x10-5) and was strongly associated with the presence of deletions involving IKZF1, which encodes the early lymphoid transcription factor IKAROS. This classifier, and IKZF1 deletions, also predicted poor outcome and elevated minimal residual disease at the end of induction therapy in the validation cohort. The gene expression signature of the poor outcome group was characterized by reduced expression of B lineage specific genes, and was highly related to the expressing signature of BCR-ABL1 ALL, a known high-risk ALL subtype also characterized by a high frequency of IKZF1 deletion.Somatically acquired deletions involving IKZF1 identify a very poor outcome subgroup of pediatric ALL patients. Incorporation of molecular tests to identify IKZF1 deletion in diagnostic leukemic blasts should improve the ability to accurately risk stratify patients for appropriate therapy.
Deletion of IKZF1 and prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesIn order to identify genes with different overall transcript levels or differential exon levels (alternative processing) between the groups Control and Tat-SF1KD, we studied 11 hybridizations on the HumanExon10ST array using mixed model analysis of variance. 526 genes with significant transcript level differences between the groups and 1397 genes with significant differential exon levels were found, including 99 genes with both transcript and exon level differences (p<0.01).
Identification of Tat-SF1 cellular targets by exon array analysis reveals dual roles in transcription and splicing.
Cell line
View SamplesThe identifcation of alternatively spliced transcript variants specific to particular biological processes in tumours should increase our understanding of cancer. Hypoxia is an important factor in cancer biology and associated splice variants may present new markers to help with planning treatment. A method was developed to analyse alternative splicing in exon array data, using probeset multiplicity to identify genes with changes in expression across their loci, and a combination of the splicing index and a new metric based on the variation of reliability weighted fold changes to detect changes in the splicing patterns. The approach was validated on a cancer/normal sample dataset in which alternative splicing events had been confirmed using RT-PCR. We then analysed ten head and neck squamous cell carcinomas using exon arrays and identified differentially expressed splice variants in five samples with high versus five with low levels of hypoxia-associated genes (Winter et al, 2007; Cancer Res 67:3441-9). The analysis identified a splice variant of LAMA3 (Laminin 3), LAMA3-A, known to be involved in tumour cell invasion and progression. The full-length transcript of the gene (LAMA3-B) did not appear to be hypoxia-associated. The results were confirmed using qualitative real time PCR. In a series of 59 prospectively-collected head and neck tumours (Winter et al, 2007; Cancer Res 67:3441-9), expression of LAMA3-A had prognostic significance whereas LAMA3-B did not. This work illustrates the potential for alternatively spliced transcripts to act as biomarkers of disease prognosis with improved specificity for particular tissues or conditions over assays which do not discriminate between splice variants.
Exon array analysis of head and neck cancers identifies a hypoxia related splice variant of LAMA3 associated with a poor prognosis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesGonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) significantly inhibits proliferation of a proportion of cancer cell lines by activating GnRH receptor-G protein signaling. Therefore, manipulation of GnRH receptor signaling may have an under-utilized role in treating certain breast and ovarian cancers. However, the precise signaling pathways necessary for the effect and the features of cellular responses remain poorly defined. We used transcriptomic and proteomic profiling approaches to characterize the effects of GnRH receptor activation in sensitive cells (HEK293-GnRHR, SCL60) in in vitro and in vivo settings, compared to unresponsive HEK293. Analyses of gene expression demonstrated a dynamic SCL60 response to the GnRH super-agonist Triptorelin. Early and mid-phase changes (0.5-1.0 h) comprised mainly transcription factors. Later changes (8-24 h) included a GnRH target gene, CGA, and up or down-regulation of transcripts encoding signaling and cell division machinery. Pathway analysis exposed identified altered mitogen-activated protein kinase and cell cycle pathways, consistent with occurrence of G2/M arrest and apoptosis. NFB pathway gene transcripts were differentially expressed between control and Triptorelin-treated SCL60 cultures. Reverse phase protein and phospho-proteomic array analyses profiled responses in cultured cells and SCL60 xenografts in vivo during Triptorelin anti-proliferation. Increased phosphorylated NFB (p65) occurred in SCL60 in vitro, and p-NFB and IB were higher in treated xenografts than controls after 4 days Triptorelin. NFB inhibition enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of Triptorelin in SCL60 cultures. This study reveals details of pathways interacting with intense GnRH receptor signaling, identifies potential anti-proliferative target genes and implicates the NFB survival pathway as a node for enhancing GnRH agonist-induced anti-proliferation.
Transcript and protein profiling identifies signaling, growth arrest, apoptosis, and NF-κB survival signatures following GNRH receptor activation.
Cell line
View SamplesInduced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology allows for the generation of patient-specific pluripotent stem cells, from somatic cell sources, thereby providing a novel cell therapy platform for severe degenerative diseases. One of the key issues for clinical-grade iPSC derivation is the accessibility of donor cells used for reprogramming and subsequent feasiblity of reprogramming into a pluripotent state.
Induced pluripotent stem cells from GMP-grade hematopoietic progenitor cells and mononuclear myeloid cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesCD38, a multi-functional membrane receptor and enzyme, consumes NAD+ to generate products such as cyclic-ADP-ribose. CD38 knockout mice show elevated tissue and blood NAD+ level. Chronic feeding of high-fat, high-sucrose diet to wild type mice leads to exercise intolerance and reduced metabolic flexibility. Loss of CD38 by genetic mutation protects mice from diet-induced metabolic deficit. These animal model results suggest that elevation of tissue NAD+ through genetic ablation of CD38 can profoundly alter energy homeostasis in animals that are maintained on a calorically-excessive Western diet.
Genetic Ablation of CD38 Protects against Western Diet-Induced Exercise Intolerance and Metabolic Inflexibility.
Specimen part
View SamplesInhibition of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) promotes cyclic nucleotide signaling, increases striatal activation, and decreases behavioral activity. Enhanced cyclic nucleotide signaling is a well established route to producing changes in gene expression. We hypothesized that chronic suppression of PDE10A activity would have significant effects on gene expression in the striatum. A comparison of the expression profile of PDE10A knockout (KO) mice and wild-type mice after chronic PDE10A inhibition revealed altered expression of 19 overlapping genes with few significant changes outside the striatum or after administration of a PDE10A inhibitor to KO animals. Chronic inhibition of PDE10A produced up-regulation of mRNAs encoding genes that included prodynorphin, synaptotagmin10, phosphodiesterase 1C, glutamate decarboxylase 1, and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase and a down-regulation of mRNAs encoding choline acetyltransferase and Kv1.6, suggesting long-term suppression of the PDE10A enzyme is consistent with altered striatal excitability and potential utility as a antipsychotic therapy. In addition, up-regulation of mRNAs encoding histone 3 (H3) and down-regulation of histone deacetylase 4, follistatin, and claspin mRNAs suggests activation of molecular cascades capable of neuroprotection. We used lentiviral delivery of cAMP response element (CRE)-luciferase reporter constructs into the striatum and live animal imaging of 2-{4-[-pyridin-4-yl-1-(2,2,2-trifluoro-ethyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]-phenoxymethyl}-quinoline succinic acid (TP-10)-induced luciferase activity to further demonstrate PDE10 inhibition results in CRE-mediated transcription. Consistent with potential neuroprotective cascades, we also demonstrate phosphorylation of mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 and H3 in vivo after TP-10 treatment. The observed changes in signaling and gene expression are predicted to provide neuroprotective effects in models of Huntington's disease.
Chronic suppression of phosphodiesterase 10A alters striatal expression of genes responsible for neurotransmitter synthesis, neurotransmission, and signaling pathways implicated in Huntington's disease.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Chromatinized protein kinase C-θ directly regulates inducible genes in epithelial to mesenchymal transition and breast cancer stem cells.
Cell line, Treatment
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