To understand the role of prostaglandin (PG) receptor EP2 (Ptger2) signaling in ovulation and fertilization, we investigated time-dependent expression profiles in wild-type (WT) and Ptger2-/- cumuli before and after ovulation by using microarrays.
Expression profiling of cumulus cells reveals functional changes during ovulation and central roles of prostaglandin EP2 receptor in cAMP signaling.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesMore effective therapeutic approaches for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are urgently needed, thus reinforcing the need to understand how prostate tumors progress to castration resistance. We have established a novel mouse xenograft model of prostate cancer, KUCaP-2, which expresses the wild-type androgen receptor (AR) and which produces the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). In this model, tumors regress soon after castration, but then reproducibly restore their ability to proliferate after 1 to 2 months without AR mutation, mimicking the clinical behavior of CRPC. In the present study, we used this model to identify novel therapeutic targets for CRPC. Evaluating tumor tissues at various stages by gene expression profiling, we discovered that the prostaglandin E receptor EP4 subtype (EP4) was significantly upregulated during progression to castration resistance. Immunohistochemical results of human prostate cancer tissues confirmed that EP4 expression was higher in CRPC compared with hormone-nave prostate cancer. Ectopic overexpression of EP4 in LNCaP cells (LNCaP-EP4 cells) drove proliferation and PSA production in the absence of androgen supplementation in vitro and in vivo. Androgen-independent proliferation of LNCaP-EP4 cells was suppressed when AR expression was attenuated by RNA interference. Treatment of LNCaP-EP4 cells with a specific EP4 antagonist, ONO-AE3-208, decreased intracellular cyclic AMP levels, suppressed PSA production in vitro, and inhibited castration-resistant growth of LNCaP-EP4 or KUCaP-2 tumors in vivo. Our findings reveal that EP4 overexpression, via AR activation, supports an important mechanism for castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, they prompt further evaluation of EP4 antagonists as a novel therapeutic modality to treat CRPC.
Identification of EP4 as a potential target for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer using a novel xenograft model.
Specimen part
View SamplesArabidopsis ABA hpersensitive germination2-1 mutant shows an enhanced sensitivity to ABA. This mutant has higher levels of endogenous ABA. This mutant also exhibited SA hypersensitivity and dwarf phenotype. Regarding SA hypersensitivity, ahg2-1 exhibits higher endogenous SA level and an enhanced resistance to pathogenic bacteria. Since AHG2 encodes the Arabidopsis polyA specific ribonuclease that is involved in mRNA degradation, presumably abnormal accumulation of some mRNAs confers the unique phenotype. Transcriptome analyses are expected to offer information on the target of AHG2. In order to eliminate secondary effects of higher levels of ABA and SA, ahg2-1abi1-1 and ahg2-1sid2-2 double mutants were also examined. The transcriptome data revealed that; ahg2-1 confers unique gene expression profiles, ABA and SA affect the expression profiles of this mutant but many genes are independent of those plant hormone responses. Comparing with expression profiles of other mutants indicated that the ahg2-1 might affect mitochondrial function.
ABA hypersensitive germination2-1 causes the activation of both abscisic acid and salicylic acid responses in Arabidopsis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesEffector CD8+ T cells are believed to be terminally differentiated cells having cytotoxic activity and the ability to produce effector cytokines such as INF- and TNF-. We investigated the difference between CXCR1+ and CXCR1- subsets of human effector CD27-CD28-CD8+ T cells. Both subsets similarly expressed cytolytic molecules and exerted substantial cytolytic activity, whereas only the CXCR1- subset had IL-2 productivity and self-proliferative activity and was more resistant to cell death than the CXCR1+ subset. These differences were explained by the specific up-regulation of CAMK4, SPRY2, and IL-7R in the CXCR1- subset and that of pro-apoptotic DAPK1 in the CXCR1+ subset. The IL-2 producers were more frequently found in the IL-7R+ subset of the CXCR1- effector CD8+ T cells than in the IL-7R- subset. IL-7/IL-7R signaling promoted cell survival only in the CXCR1- subset. The present study has highlighted a novel subset of effector CD8+ T cells producing IL-2 and suggests the importance of this subset in the homeostasis of effector CD8+ T cells.
Functional heterogeneity of human effector CD8+ T cells.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesTo identify the specific genes for subtyping.
Discovery of a Good Responder Subtype of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Signatures Activated by Chemoradiotherapy.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesIn depth temporal profiling of transcript changes at 10 time points during germination in Arabidopsis seed was carried out. The time course utilised, encompassed seed maturation, stratification, germination and post-germination and provided a global investigation into the tightly regulated, phasic changes that define seed germination.
In-depth temporal transcriptome profiling reveals a crucial developmental switch with roles for RNA processing and organelle metabolism that are essential for germination in Arabidopsis.
Specimen part, Disease, Time
View SamplesPlasmodium falciparum malaria severely impacts human health. In order to broaden our understanding of merozoite invasion of erythrocytes which is responsible for clinical disease, a P. falciparum -irradiated "long-lived merozoite" (LLM) line was investigated. Cell-sieve purified LLM invaded human erythrocytes with an improved efficiency of 10- to 300-fold greater than wild-type (WT) parasites. A comparison of their genomes identified limited changes in the open reading frame of LLM; while only marginal differences were observed in the transcriptomes. Analysis of their proteomes by quantitative mass-spectrometry identified 446 out of 981 proteins of known or unknown function with a significant change in protein abundance (ANOVA p < 0.05). Furthermore, the relative molar concentration of nearly 1100 merozoite proteins was established. Unfortunately, a specific change being responsible for the LLM phenotype was not identified. However, immunoblot analyses of LLM lysates showed proteolytic processing of some proteins of the MSP1 complex and AMA1 were delayed, suggesting that this delayed proteolysis positively impacted merozoite viability and subsequent invasion.
Profiling invasive Plasmodium falciparum merozoites using an integrated omics approach.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesIn response to bacterial infection, early transcriptional re-programming occurs in the host plant.
Antagonistic, overlapping and distinct responses to biotic stress in rice (Oryza sativa) and interactions with abiotic stress.
Specimen part
View SamplesIn response to WRKY40 and WRKY60 perturbation (and high light stress), significant transcriptional re-programming occurs particularly for genes encoding stress responsive mitochondrial and choloplast proteins.
AtWRKY40 and AtWRKY63 modulate the expression of stress-responsive nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial and chloroplast proteins.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesNutritional status influences feeding behaviors, food preferences and taste sensations. For example, zinc-deficient rats have been reported to show reduced and cyclic food intake patterns with increased preferences for NaCl. Although some impairments of the central nervous and endocrine systems have been speculated to be involved in these phenomena, the effects of short-term zinc deficiency on the brain have not been well examined to date. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the gene expression patterns in the rat diencephalon, which is a portion of the brain that includes the hypothalamus and thalamus, after short-term zinc deficiency and also during zinc recovery. The rats showed reduced and cyclic food intake patterns with increased salt preferences after a 10-day dietary zinc deficiency. A comparative analysis of their diencephalons using cDNA microarrays revealed that approximately 1% of the genes expressed in the diencephalons showed significantly altered expression levels. On the other hand, a 6-day zinc supplementation following the deprivation allowed for the recovery to initial food intake behaviors and salt preferences. The expression levels of most of the genes that had been altered by exposure to zinc deficient conditions were also recovered. These results show that feeding behaviors, taste preferences and gene expression patterns in the diencephalon respond quickly to changing zinc levels. This suggests that the gene expression changes observed in the diencephalon and the accompanying functional changes may be related to the development of deviations in feeding behaviors and increased preferences for NaCl in zinc-deficient rats.
Dietary zinc status reversibly alters both the feeding behaviors of the rats and gene expression patterns in diencephalon.
Sex, Treatment
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