The CD44hi compartment in human breast cancer is enriched in tumor-initiating cells, however the functional heterogeneity within this subpopulation remains poorly defined. From a human breast cancer cell line with a known bi-lineage phenotype we have isolated and cloned two CD44hi populations that exhibited mesenchymal/Basal B and luminal/Basal A features, respectively. Rather than CD44+/CD24-,Basal B (G4) cells, only CD44hi/CD24lo, epithelioid Basal A (A4) cells retained a tumor-initiating capacity in NOG mice, form mammospheres and exhibit resistance to standard chemotherapy.
Functional heterogeneity within the CD44 high human breast cancer stem cell-like compartment reveals a gene signature predictive of distant metastasis.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesNave, liver- and gut-activated CD8 OT-I T cells show differential migration behaviour. To analyze which genes could be responsible for different migration patterns, nave, liver-activated and gut-activated CD8 T cells were isolated and compared for their gene expression profile.
Influence of CD8 T cell priming in liver and gut on the enterohepatic circulation.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesWe explored the connection between C/EBPa (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein a) and Wnt signaling in gut homeostasis and carcinogenesis. C/EBPa was expressed in human and murine intestinal epithelia in the transit amplifying region of the crypts and was absent in intestinal stem cells and Paneth cells with activated Wnt signaling. In human colorectal cancer and murine APCMin/+ polyps, C/EBPa was absent from nuclear ß-catenin–positive tumor cells. In chemically induced intestinal carcinogenesis, C/EBPa KO in murine gut epithelia increased tumor volume. C/EBPa deletion extended the S-phase cell zone in intestinal organoids and activated typical proliferation gene expression signatures, including that of Wnt target genes. Genetic activation of ß-catenin in organoids attenuated C/EBPa expression. Comparing gene expression of wild type and C/EBPa KO organoids by RNA sequencing aimed to identify C/EBPa dependent alterations in gene expression. Overall design: These data suggest homeostatic and oncogenic suppressor functions of C/EBPa in the gut by restricting Wnt signaling.
A C/EBPα-Wnt connection in gut homeostasis and carcinogenesis.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesERG overexpression was conducted in stably transfected K562 cell line with a tet-on inducible plasmid habouring ERG3. Prolonged induction of ERG (8 days) produced spindle cell shape changes whereas non-induced cells retained the round morphology. In oder to determine the genes responsible for inducing cell shape changes, a genome wide transcriptional screen was conducted.
ERG induces a mesenchymal-like state associated with chemoresistance in leukemia cells.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesMS-275 and hydroxyurea treatment influences whole gene expression including DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoint signaling.
HDAC1 and HDAC2 integrate checkpoint kinase phosphorylation and cell fate through the phosphatase-2A subunit PR130.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesPhysiologically, Notch signal transduction plays a pivotal role in differentiation; pathologically, Notch signaling contributes to the development of cancer. Transcriptional activation of Notch target genes involves cleavage of the Notch receptor in response to ligand binding, production of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), and NICD migration into the nucleus and assembly of a coactivator complex. Posttranslational modifications of the NICD are important for its transcriptional activity and protein turnover. Deregulation of Notch signaling and stabilizing mutations of Notch1 have been linked to leukemia development. We found that the methyltransferase CARM1 (coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1; also known as PRMT4) methylated NICD at five conserved arginine residues within the C-terminal transactivation domain. CARM1 physically and functionally interacted with the NICD-coactivator complex and was found at gene enhancers in a Notch-dependent manner. Although a methylation-defective NICD mutant was biochemically more stable, this mutant was biologically less active as measured with Notch assays in embryos of Xenopus laevis and Danio rerio. Mathematical modeling indicated that full but short and transient Notch signaling required methylation of NICD.
Site-specific methylation of Notch1 controls the amplitude and duration of the Notch1 response.
Cell line
View SamplesWe compared gene expression profiles of Th cells, macrophages and monocytes isolated from the inflamed colon of colitis induced by the transfer of WT versus Tbx21-/- Th cells in Rag1-/- recipients.
T-bet expression by Th cells promotes type 1 inflammation but is dispensable for colitis.
Specimen part
View SamplesGene expression profiling on IL-10-secreting and non-secreting murine Th1 cells, stimulated in the presence or absence of the Notch ligand Delta-like 4 (Dll4), was performed to identify transcription factors co-expressed with IL-10.
Role of Blimp-1 in programing Th effector cells into IL-10 producers.
Specimen part
View SamplesIL-22 acts on epithelial cells and has been shown to induce tissue protective and wound healing responses in these cells. But it has recently been decribed that IL-22 exacerbates ileatis after infection with T. gondii.
Interleukin-22 induces interleukin-18 expression from epithelial cells during intestinal infection.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesTo characterize human bone marrow plasma cells that express or lack CD19 on a molecular level, we compared the global gene expression of primary CD38high/CD138+ plasma cells with or without CD19 expression.
A unique population of IgG-expressing plasma cells lacking CD19 is enriched in human bone marrow.
Specimen part
View Samples