Description

We have investigated the initial responses in human lung tissue explants to Mtb infection, focusing primarily on gene expression patterns in different tissue resident innate cell types Overall design: Cells sorted from uninfected and infected lung tissue (24 hrs. post infection)

Publication Title

<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Invasion of the Human Lung: First Contact.

Sample Metadata Fields

Specimen part, Subject

Description

We have investigated the initial responses in human lung tissue explants to Mtb infection, focusing primarily on gene expression patterns in different tissue resident innate cell types Overall design: Cells sorted from uninfected and infected lung tissue (24 hrs. post infection)

Publication Title

<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Invasion of the Human Lung: First Contact.

Sample Metadata Fields

Specimen part, Subject

Description

Murine B cells can be activated via the surface receptors TLR4 and CD40. For a global assessment of differences in gene expression between these two different modes of B cell activation a genome wide transcriptome analysis was performed. In order to dissect different gene expression profiles of B cells, activation was induced by LPS or LPS + anti-CD40 for 24h and 72h. Both activation states were compared to each other but also to nave B cells.

Publication Title

IL-35-producing B cells are critical regulators of immunity during autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Specimen part

Description

Cancer-specific changes in DNA methylation can alter genetic stability, genomic structure, and gene expression. Promoter CpG island methylation can result in transcriptional silencing and plays an important role in the oncogenic process. We used genome-wide analysis to characterize the methylomes of breast cancers with diverse metastatic behavior. Here, we describe the identification of novel groups of breast tumors characterized by the presence or absence of coordinate hypermethylation at a large number of genes, demonstrating the existence of a breast-CpG island methylator phenotype (B-CIMP). B-CIMP imparts a distinct epigenomic profile and is a strong determinant of metastatic potential.

Publication Title

Breast cancer methylomes establish an epigenomic foundation for metastasis.

Sample Metadata Fields

Specimen part

Description

The goal of this study was to identify the molecular characteristics and putative markers distinguishing IL-10eGFP+CD138hi and IL-10eGFP-CD138hi plasmocytes. To this end, IL-10eGFP B-green mice were challenged intravenously with Salmonella typhimurium (strain SL7207, 10e7 CFU), and IL-10eGFP+CD138hi as well as IL-10eGFP-CD138hi plasmocytes were isolated from the spleen on the next day. For this, single cell suspensions were prepared, cells were treated with Fc block (10 g/ml, anti-CD16/CD32, clone 2.4G2), and then stained with an antibody against CD138 conjugated to PE (1/400; from BD Pharmingen) followed by incubation with anti-PE microbeads (Miltenyi Biotech). CD138+ cells were then enriched on Automacs (Miltenyi Biotech) using the program possel_d2. Cells were then stained with anti-CD19-PerCP, anti-CD138-PE, and antibodies against CD11b, CD11c, and TCR conjugated to APC as a dump channel to exclude possible contaminants. DAPI was added to exclude dead cells. Live IL-10eGFP+CD138hi and IL-10eGFP-CD138hi cells were subsequently isolated on a cell sorter. The purity of the samples was always above 98%. This led to the identification of LAG-3 as a cell surface receptor specifically expressed on IL-10eGFP+CD138hi cells but not on IL-10eGFP-CD138hi cells.

Publication Title

LAG-3 Inhibitory Receptor Expression Identifies Immunosuppressive Natural Regulatory Plasma Cells.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Specimen part

Description

Identification of blood biomarkers that prospectively predict progression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease might lead to interventions that combat the tuberculosis epidemic. We aimed to assess whether global gene expression measured in whole blood of healthy people allowed identification of prospective signatures of risk of active tuberculosis disease. RESULTS:Between July 6, 2005, and April 23, 2007, we enrolled 6363 from the ACS study and 4466 from independent South African and Gambian cohorts. 46 progressors and 107 matched controls were identified in the ACS cohort. A 16 gene signature of risk was identified. The signature predicted tuberculosis progression with a sensitivity of 66·1% (95% CI 63·2–68·9) and a specificity of 80·6% (79·2–82·0) in the 12 months preceding tuberculosis diagnosis. The risk signature was validated in an untouched group of adolescents (p=0·018 for RNA sequencing and p=0·0095 for qRT-PCR) and in the independent South African and Gambian cohorts (p values <0·0001 by qRT-PCR) with a sensitivity of 53·7% (42·6–64·3) and a specificity of 82·8% (76·7–86) in 12 months preceding tuberculosis. Interpretation: The whole blood tuberculosis risk signature prospectively identified people at risk of developing active tuberculosis, opening the possibility for targeted intervention to prevent the disease. Overall design: In this prospective cohort study, we followed up healthy, South African adolescents aged 12–18 years from the adolescent cohort study (ACS) who were infected with M tuberculosis for 2 years. We collected blood samples from study participants every 6 months and monitored the adolescents for progression to tuberculosis disease. A prospective signature of risk was derived from whole blood RNA sequencing data by comparing participants who developed active tuberculosis disease (progressors) with those who remained healthy (matched controls). After adaptation to multiplex qRT-PCR, the signature was used to predict tuberculosis disease in untouched adolescent samples and in samples from independent cohorts of South African and Gambian adult progressors and controls. Participants of the independent cohorts were household contacts of adults with active pulmonary tuberculosis disease.

Publication Title

A blood RNA signature for tuberculosis disease risk: a prospective cohort study.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Age, Specimen part, Race, Subject

Description

Publication Title

Increasing alpha 7 beta 1-integrin promotes muscle cell proliferation, adhesion, and resistance to apoptosis without changing gene expression.

Sample Metadata Fields

No sample metadata fields

Description

Analysis of integrin alpha7 transgenic mice skeletal muscle transcription profiles comparing to wild type controls. Integrin alpha7 is the major laminin binding integrin in muscle cells. Enhancing its expression has been demonstrated to alleviate pathology in a murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Results of this study provide insights into the effects of increasing integrin alpha7 expression on skeletal muscle transcription and physiology in vivo. This analysis also evaluates any potential possible side effects associate with enhancing integrin alpha7 in skeletal muscle.

Publication Title

Increasing alpha 7 beta 1-integrin promotes muscle cell proliferation, adhesion, and resistance to apoptosis without changing gene expression.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Age, Specimen part

Description

Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) in Lewis rats is a model for the clinical heterogeneity of human uveitis. The autoantigens inducing disease in the rat are also seen in human disease. Depending upon the specific autoantigen used, the experimental disease course can be either monophasic or relapsing/remitting and appears to be dictated by the T cell effector phenotype elicited. We investigated potential differences between monophasic and relapsing/remitting effector T cells using transcriptomic profiling and pathway analysis. RNA samples isolated from three independent T cell lines derived from each specificity where analyzed by microarrays.

Publication Title

Effector T cells driving monophasic vs. relapsing/remitting experimental autoimmune uveitis show unique pathway signatures.

Sample Metadata Fields

Specimen part

Description

NKL homeobox genes encode developmental transcription factors regulating basic processes in cell differentiation. According to their physiological expression pattern in early hematopoiesis and B-cell development, particular members of this homeobox gene subclass constitute an NKL-code. These B-cell specific genes generate a regulatory network and their deregulation is implicated in B-cell lymphomagenesis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects B-cells and influences the activity of signalling pathways including JAK/STAT and several genes encoding developmental regulators. Therefore, EBV-infection impacts the pathogenesis and the outcome of B-cell malignancies including Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here, we isolated EBV-positive and EBV-negative subclones from the DLBCL derived cell line DOHH-2. These subclones served as model to investigate the role of EBV in deregulation of the B-cell specific NKL-code members HHEX, HLX, MSX1 and NKX6-3. We showed that the EBV-encoded factors LMP1 and LMP2A activated the expression of HLX via STAT3. HLX in turn repressed NKX6-3, SPIB and IL4R which normally mediate plasma cell differentiation. In addition, HLX repressed pro-apoptotic factor BCL2L11/BIM supporting cell survival. Thus, EBV aberrantly activated HLX thereby disturbing both B-cell differentiation and apoptosis in DLBCL. The results of our study contribute to better understand the pathogenic role of EBV in B-cell malignancies.

Publication Title

The NKL-code for innate lymphoid cells reveals deregulated expression of NKL homeobox genes HHEX and HLX in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Sample Metadata Fields

Cell line, Treatment