Although many genes have been proposed to be involved in prostate carcinogenesis, no single gene or gene profile has shown to have prognostic value. The main challenge for clinical management is to distinguish slowly growing tumors from those that will relapse. In this study, we compared expression profiles of 18 prostate samples (7 with Gleason 6, 8 with Gleason 7 and 3 with Gleason score equal or higher than 8) and 5 non-neoplastic prostate samples, using the GeneChip Human Exon Array 1.0 ST of Affymetrix. Microarray analysis revealed 99 genes showing statistically significant differences among tumors with Gleason score 6, 7 and 8. In addition, mRNA expression of 29 selected genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR with microfluidic cards in an extended series of 30 prostate tumors. From these, 29 were selected to be validated and the differential expression of 18 of them (62%) was independently confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (14 upregulated and 4 downregulated in higher Gleason scores) in the extended series. This list was further narrowed down to 12 genes that were differentially expressed in tumors with Gleason score of 6-7 vs 8. Finally, the protein levels of two genes from the 12-gene signature (SEC14L1 and TCEB1) were additionally validated by immunohistochemistry. Strong protein levels of both genes were correlated with Gleason score, stage, and PSA progression.
A 12-gene expression signature is associated with aggressive histological in prostate cancer: SEC14L1 and TCEB1 genes are potential markers of progression.
Specimen part
View SamplesEpidermal stem cells ensure proper faring of skin homeostatic processes under both physiological and challenging conditions. Currently, the molecular events underpinning ageing within the epidermal stem cell niche are poorly understood.
In Silico Analysis of the Age-Dependent Evolution of the Transcriptome of Mouse Skin Stem Cells.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesWe analysed whole PolyA+ RNA from human osteosarcoma U2OS cells depleted for human Cactin or transfected with a control shRNA. Overall design: Two independent shRNAs targeting human Cactin (shCac_C and shCac_D), a control shRNA (shCtrl), a single cell line (U2OS)
Human cactin interacts with DHX8 and SRRM2 to assure efficient pre-mRNA splicing and sister chromatid cohesion.
Cell line, Treatment, Subject, Time
View SamplesThe importance of regulatory T cells (Treg) for immune tolerance is well recognized, yet the signaling molecules influencing their suppressive activity are relatively poorly understood. We identified the cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 as a novel endogenous brake and modifier of the suppressive ability of Treg cells; consistent with this notion, loss of SHP-1 expression strongly augments the ability of Treg cells to suppress inflammation in a mouse model. Specific harmacological inhibition of SHP-1 enzymatic activity via the cancer drug sodium stibogluconate (SSG) potently augmented Treg cell suppressor activity both in vivo and ex vivo.
The protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 modulates the suppressive activity of regulatory T cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesSampangine, a plant-derived alkaloid found in the Annonaceae family, exhibits strong inhibitory activity against the opportunistic fungal pathogens Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In the present study, transcriptional profiling experiments coupled with the analysis of mutants were performed in an effort to elucidate its mechanism of action. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism, we show that sampangine produces a transcriptional response indicative of hypoxia, altering the expression of genes known to respond to low oxygen conditions. Several additional lines of evidence obtained suggest that these responses could involve effects on heme. First, the hem1 deletion mutant lacking the first enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway showed increased sensitivity to sampangine, and exogenously supplied hemin partially rescued the inhibitory activity of sampangine in wild-type cells. In addition, heterozygous mutants with deletions in genes involved in five out of eight steps in the heme biosynthetic pathway showed increased susceptibility to sampangine. Furthermore, spectral analysis of pyridine extracts indicated significant accumulation of free porphyrins in sampangine-treated cells. Transcriptional profiling experiments were also performed in C. albicans to investigate the response of a pathogenic fungal species to sampangine. Taking into account the known differences in the physiological responses of C. albicans and S. cerevisiae to low oxygen, significant correlations were observed between the two transcription profiles suggestive of heme-related defects. Our results indicate that the antifungal activity of the plant alkaloid sampangine is due, at least in part, to perturbations in the biosynthesis or metabolism of heme.
Role of heme in the antifungal activity of the azaoxoaporphine alkaloid sampangine.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesSampangine, a plant-derived alkaloid found in the Annonaceae family, exhibits strong inhibitory activity against the opportunistic fungal pathogens Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In the present study, transcriptional profiling experiments coupled with the analysis of mutants were performed in an effort to elucidate its mechanism of action. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism, we show that sampangine produces a transcriptional response indicative of hypoxia, altering the expression of genes known to respond to low oxygen conditions. Several additional lines of evidence obtained suggest that these responses could involve effects on heme. First, the hem1 deletion mutant lacking the first enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway showed increased sensitivity to sampangine, and exogenously supplied hemin partially rescued the inhibitory activity of sampangine in wild-type cells. In addition, heterozygous mutants with deletions in genes involved in five out of eight steps in the heme biosynthetic pathway showed increased susceptibility to sampangine. Furthermore, spectral analysis of pyridine extracts indicated significant accumulation of free porphyrins in sampangine-treated cells. Transcriptional profiling experiments were also performed in C. albicans to investigate the response of a pathogenic fungal species to sampangine. Taking into account the known differences in the physiological responses of C. albicans and S. cerevisiae to low oxygen, significant correlations were observed between the two transcription profiles suggestive of heme-related defects. Our results indicate that the antifungal activity of the plant alkaloid sampangine is due, at least in part, to perturbations in the biosynthesis or metabolism of heme.
Role of heme in the antifungal activity of the azaoxoaporphine alkaloid sampangine.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe aim of this experiment was to identify the genes involved in the detoxification of the toxic pollutant and explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotolune (TNT). Fourteen-day-old, liquid culture grown, Arabidopsis seedlings, ecotype Col0 (NASC stock code N1093), were dosed with 60 uM TNT dissolved in 60 ul dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent, or 60 ul DMF only. After six hours, RNA was extracted and used for the microarray analysis. Further details and characterisation of glucosyltransferases identified using this method are presented in citation below.
Detoxification of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in Arabidopsis: discovery of bifunctional O- and C-glucosyltransferases.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesArabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures (ACSC) were subjected to 30-min, mild chemical treatments with three different singlet oxygen elicitors at low-medium light conditions (150 E m2 s1) with the aim of getting a better understanding of singlet oxygen-mediated defence responses in plants. The three elicitors Indigo Carmine (IC), Methylene Violet (MV) and Rose Bengal (RB) at a concentration of 0.5 M were chosen because they exhibited different abilities to permeate the plasma membrane and to accumulate in the cell soma or organelles such as chloroplasts. In addition, ACSC were treated with 500 M H2O2 for comparison. Confocal image analysis of Arabidopsis cells revealed that IC was not retained in cells, whereas MV and RB permeated the plasma membrane and accumulated in the chloroplast envelope and inside chloroplasts, respectively. As a consequence of their different cellular location, the physiological, transcriptional and photosynthetic responses of Arabidopsis cells to singlet oxygen production varied from each other and the activation of programmed cell death (PCD) was observed in ACSC treated with 0.5 M RB, but not with the other elicitor nor with 500 M H2O2. The role of chloroplasts in the activation of PCD was further investigated when this physiological response was analyzed in dark-grown cell cultures containing undifferentiated plastids. Interestingly, PCD was only activated in light-grown, but not in dark-grown, Arabidopsis cell cultures, suggesting that singlet oxygen-mediated defence responses were initiated inside chloroplasts. Genome-wide transcriptional profile analyses were performed as well and the results proved that there were only statistically significant changes in the transcript expression of light-grown ACSC treated with 0.5 M RB and 500 M H2O2, but not with IC nor with MV. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that GO/Biological process terms associated with defence responses were common in the treatments with 0.5 M RB and 500 M H2O2; however, resistance response to pathogen and PCD terms were only significantly over-represented in the RB treatment. Moreover, the analysis of the up-regulated transcripts in ACSC treated with 0.5 M RB brought out that both specific markers for singlet oxygen from the conditional fluorescence (flu) mutant of Arabidopsis and transcripts with a key role in hormone-activated PCD (i.e. ethylene and jasmonic acid) were present, although there was no evidence for the up-regulation of EDS1 encoding the ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY PROTEIN 1. Finally, a co-regulation analysis proved that ACSC treated with 0.5 M RB exhibited higher correlation with the flu family mutants than with other singlet oxygen producer mutants of Arabidopsis or wild-type plants of Arabidopsis subjected to high light treatments, where singlet oxygen was produced in photosystem II and an acclimatory response was activated instead of PCD.
Programmed cell death activated by Rose Bengal in Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures requires functional chloroplasts.
Treatment
View SamplesWe have investigated the genomic response of Arabidopsis cell suspension culture under high light. Our main goal has been twofold: first, to establish whether chloroplasts in Arabidopsis cell suspension culture are functional and, as such, can act as sensors of adverse external stimuli leading to the activation of genomic defence responses in a manner similar to that described in whole plants exposed to a wide range of environmental stresses and; second, to distinguish which of the ROS that would be probably generated in the chloroplasts is predominant.
Early transcriptional defense responses in Arabidopsis cell suspension culture under high-light conditions.
Disease
View SamplesCircadian clocks are cell-autonomous oscillators regulating daily rhythms in a wide range of physiological, metabolic and behavioral processes. Conversely, metabolic signals such as redox state, NAD+/NADH and AMP/ADP ratios or heme feed back to and modulate circadian mechanisms to optimize energy utilization across the 24-hour cycle. We show that the signaling molecule carbon monoxide (CO) generated by rhythmic heme degradation is required for normal circadian rhythms as well as circadian metabolic outputs.
Reciprocal regulation of carbon monoxide metabolism and the circadian clock.
Sex, Specimen part
View Samples