Efforts to unravel the mechanisms underlying taste sensation (gustation) have largely focused on rodents. The first comprehensive database of gene expression in primate (Macaca fascicularis) taste buds is presented. This database provides a foundation for further studies in diverse aspects of taste biology. A taste bud gene expression database was generated using laser capture microdissection (LCM) of tissue freeze medium OTC embedded macaque tongue tissue blocks. We collected fungiform (FG) taste buds at the front of the tongue, circumvallate (CV) taste buds at the back of the tongue, as well as non-gustatory lingual epithelium (LE). Gene expression was also analyzed in the top and bottom portions of CV taste buds collected using LCM. Samples were collected from 10 animals - 7 female, 3 male.
Genome-wide analysis of gene expression in primate taste buds reveals links to diverse processes.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesWe apply the cellular reprogramming experimental paradigm to two disorders caused by symmetrical copy number variations (CNV) of 7q11.23 and displaying a striking combination of shared as well as symmetrically opposite phenotypes: Williams Beuren syndrome (WBS) and 7q microduplication syndrome (7dupASD). Through a uniquely large and informative cohort of transgene-free patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), along with their differentiated derivatives, we find that 7q11.23 CNV disrupt transcriptional circuits in disease-relevant pathways already at the pluripotent state. These alterations are then selectively amplified upon differentiation into disease-relevant lineages, thereby establishing the value of large iPSC cohorts in the elucidation of disease-relevant developmental pathways. In addition, we functionally define the quota of transcriptional dysregulation specifically caused by dosage imbalances in GTF2I (also known as TFII-I), a transcription factor in 7q11.23 thought to play a critical role in the two conditions, which we found associated to key repressive chromatin modifiers. Finally, we created an open-access web-based platform (accessible at http://bio.ieo.eu/wbs/ ) to make accessible our multi-layered datasets and integrate contributions by the entire community working on the molecular dissection of the 7q11.23 syndromes. Overall design: We reprogrammed skin fibroblasts from patients harbouring a 7q11.23 hemi-deletion (WBS, 4 patients; +1 atypical deletion, AtWBS) or microduplication (7dupASD; 2 patients), as well as from one unaffected relative and two unrelated controls, using integration-free mRNA-reprogramming, leading to the establishment of a total of 27 characterized iPSC clones. We profiled these by RNAseq (either polyA or ribo-zero). To isolate the contribution of GTF2I to the transcriptional dysregulation, we created stable lines expressing a short hairpin against GTF2I from a representative subset of these iPSC clones, and profiled by RNAseq 7 such lines along with their respective scramble controls. Finally, we also profiled by RNAseq mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from a representative subset of the lines.
RNAontheBENCH: computational and empirical resources for benchmarking RNAseq quantification and differential expression methods.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesRett syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), an epigenetic regulator of mRNA transcription. Here we report a test of the hypothesis of shared pathophysiology of Rett syndrome and fragile X, another monogenic cause of autism and intellectual disability. In fragile X, the loss of the mRNA translational repressor FMRP leads to exaggerated protein synthesis downstream of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). We found that mGluR5- and protein synthesis-dependent synaptic plasticity is similarly altered in area CA1 of Mecp2 KO mice. CA1 pyramidal cell-type-specific, genome-wide profiling of ribosome-bound mRNAs was performed in wild-type and Mecp2 KO hippocampal CA1 neurons to reveal the MeCP2-regulated 'translatome'. We found significant overlap between ribosome-bound transcripts overexpressed in the Mecp2 KO and FMRP mRNA targets. These tended to encode long genes that are functionally related to either cytoskeleton organization or the development of neuronal connectivity. In the Fmr1 KO mouse, chronic treatment with mGluR5 negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) has been shown to ameliorate many mutant phenotypes by correcting excessive protein synthesis. In the Mecp2 KO mice we found that mGluR5 NAM treatment significantly reduces the level of overexpressed ribosome-associated transcripts, particularly those that are also FMRP targets. Some Rett phenotypes were also ameliorated by treatment, most notably hippocampal cell size and life span. Together, these results suggest a potential mechanistic link between MeCP2-mediated transcription regulation and mGluR5/FMRP-mediated protein translation regulation through co-regulation of a subset of genes relevant to synaptic functions. Overall design: TRAP-seq analysis of the effect of negative modulator of mGluR5 on the CA1 neurons (marked by Cck-EGFP-L10a) of a mouse model of Rett syndrome
Negative Allosteric Modulation of mGluR5 Partially Corrects Pathophysiology in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesThe 14-week experiment included three groups: 1) the Acute Cpn group, with one C. pneumoniae inoculation at the age of 9 wks; 2) the Chronic Cpn group, with three C. pneumoniae inoculations at the age of 9, 11, and 13 wks; and 3) the control group, with three SPG inoculations at the age of 9, 11, and 13 wks. The mice were sacrificed at the age of 14 wks. The 24-week experiment included four groups: 1) the recurrent A. actinomycetemcomitans infection group, with ten A. actinomycetemcomitans inoculations once a week from the age of 14 to 23 wks; 2) the chronic C. pneumoniae infection group, with three C. pneumoniae inoculations at the age of 9, 11, and 13 wks; 3) the combined chronic C. pneumoniae and recurrent A. actinomycetemcomitans infection group, with three C. pneumoniae inoculations at the age of 9, 11, and 13 wks, and ten A. actinomycetemcomitans inoculations once a week from the age of 14 to 23 wks; and 4) the control group, with three SPG inoculations at the age of 9, 11, and 13 wks, and ten 0.9% NaCl inoculations once a week from the age of 14 to 23 wks. The mice were sacrificed at the age of 24 wks.Epididymal and inguinal AT gene expression was analyzed using an Illumina Mouse WG-6 v2.0 platform.
The effect of proatherogenic pathogens on adipose tissue transcriptome and fatty acid distribution in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesPheochromocytomas (PCC) are mostly benign tumors, amenable to complete surgical resection. However, 1017% of cases can become malignant, and once metastasized, there is no curative treatment for this disease. Given the need to identify effective therapeutic approaches for PCC, we evaluated the antitumor potential of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 against these tumors. We employed an in vivo model of endogenous PCCs (MENX mutant rats), which closely recapitulate the human tumors. Mutant rats with PCCs were treated with 2 doses of BEZ235 (20 and 30 mg/kg), or with placebo, for 2 weeks. Treatment with BEZ235 induced cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on rat PCCs, which could be appreciated by both staining the tumors ex vivo with appropriate markers, and non-invasively by functional imaging (diffusion weighted-DW-MRI) in vivo.
Targeting PI3K/mTOR signaling exerts potent antitumor activity in pheochromocytoma in vivo.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesMalignant gliomas constitute one of the most significant areas of unmet medical need, due to the invariable failure of surgical eradication and their marked molecular heterogeneity. Accumulating evidence has revealed a critical contribution by the Polycomb axis of epigenetic repression. However, a coherent understanding of the regulatory networks affected by Polycomb during gliomagenesis is still lacking. Here we integrate transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses to define Polycomb-dependent networks that promote gliomagenesis, validating them both in two independent mouse models and in a large cohort of human samples. We found that Polycomb dysregulation in gliomagenesis affects transcriptional networks associated to invasiveness and de-differentiation. The dissection of these networks uncovers Zfp423 as a crtitical Polycomb-dependent transcription factor whose silencing negatively impacts survival. The anti-gliomagenic activity of Zfp423 requires interaction with the SMAD proteins within the BMP signaling pathway, pointing to a novel synergic circuit through which Polycomb inhibits BMP signaling. Overall design: Transcriptomic analysis of two different stages of gliomagenesis
Polycomb dysregulation in gliomagenesis targets a Zfp423-dependent differentiation network.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesAnalysis of epigenetic changes of pericytes after ischemia-reperfusion renal injury. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that epigenetic change develope in pericytes after acute kidney injury. This phenotype change would cause pericyte to be more proliferative and profibrotic. Results provide important information of the epigenetic change of pericytes, such as specific mechano-responsive genes, up-regulated specific proliferative and profibrotic functions.
Methylation in pericytes after acute injury promotes chronic kidney disease.
Specimen part
View SamplesmiRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to investigate endometriosis lesion-specific miRNA expression profiles by comparing a set of paired samples of peritoneal endometriotic lesions and matched healthy surrounding tissue together with eutopic endometrium of the same patients. We found that miRNAs of surrounding peritoneal tissue mask most of the miRNA expression differences that could originate from endometriotic tissue and thus only miRNAs with significantly different levels in the endometriotic lesions compared to peritoneal tissue were detected. According to the results of this study, two miRNAs – miR-34c and miR-449a showed remarkably higher expression in lesions compared to healthy tissue. Overall design: Eleven tissue samples (two endometria, five peritoneal lesions and four matched adjacent normal-appearing tissues) were analysed from two patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of moderate-severe endometriosis (III-IV stage)
High-throughput sequencing approach uncovers the miRNome of peritoneal endometriotic lesions and adjacent healthy tissues.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTranscription factor (TF)-induced reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) is associated with genome-wide changes in chromatin modifications. Polycomb-mediated histone H3 lysine-27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) has been proposed as a defining mark that distinguishes the somatic from the iPSC epigenome. Here, we dissected the functional role of H3K27me3 in TF-induced reprogramming through the inactivation of the H3K27 methylase EZH2 at the onset of reprogramming. Our results demonstrate that surprisingly the establishment of functional iPSC proceeds despite global loss of H3K27me3. iPSC lacking EZH2 efficiently silenced the somatic transcriptome and differentiated into tissues derived from the three germ layers. Remarkably, the genome-wide analysis of H3K27me3 in Ezh2 mutant iPSC cells revealed the retention of this mark on a highly selected group of Polycomb targets enriched for developmental regulators controlling the expression of lineage specific genes. Erasure of H3K27me3 from these targets led to a striking impairment in TF-induced reprogramming. These results indicate that PRC2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation is required on a highly selective core of Polycomb targets whose repression enables TF-dependent cell reprogramming.
Cell reprogramming requires silencing of a core subset of polycomb targets.
Specimen part
View SamplesCell-type specific RNA-seq is a powerful approach for unravelling molecular processes of endometrial receptivity, and to detect novel sensitive biomarkers of receptivity. Overall design: 16 paired endometrial tissue samples from pre-receptive (defined as LH2) and receptive phase endometria (defined as LH8) from Estonia (defined as E) and Spain (defined as S) were collected. CD9-positive epithelial cells (defined as epithelium) and CD13-positive stromal cells (defined as stroma) were isolated with fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) and full transcriptome analysis was performed by RNA-seq.
Meta-signature of human endometrial receptivity: a meta-analysis and validation study of transcriptomic biomarkers.
Specimen part, Subject
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