Whole-genome sequencing recently identified recurrent missense mutations in the RNA helicase DDX3X in pediatric medulloblastoma (MB) and other tumors. The normal function of DDX3X is poorly understood, and the consequences of its cancer-associated mutations have not been explored. Here we used genomic, biochemical, cell biological, and animal modeling approaches to investigate normal DDX3X function and the impact of cancer-associated DDX3X mutations. Cross-linking immunoprecipitation–high-throughput sequencing (CLIPseq) analyses revealed that DDX3X binds primarily to ~1000 mature mRNA targets at binding sites spanning the full mRNA length; their enrichment in the coding regions suggests that DDX3X plays a role in translational elongation. The association of wild-type DDX3X with polysomes is consistent with this observation. Cancer-associated mutations result in loss of DDX3X from polysomes and accumulation of mutant DDX3X in stress granules (cytoplasmic accumulations of translationally arrested mRNAs). Mutation-dependent redistribution of DDX3X to stress granules is also observed in a Drosophila model system and in MB tumor cells from patients carrying DDX3X mutations. Importantly, mRNAs targeted by DDX3X are enriched in translation factors, suggesting that DDX3X regulates translation both directly and indirectly. Indeed, depletion of DDX3X by RNAi or over-expression of mutant DDX3X significantly impairs global protein synthesis. Ribosome profiling confirmed this observation and showed a 5’ bias in ribosomal occupancy, further confirming the role of DDX3X in translational elongation. Together, our data show that DDX3X is a key regulator of translation and that this function is impaired by cancer-associated mutations. Finally, we found that medulloblastoma-related mutant DDX3X can efficiently bind the wild-type form suggesting that mutant DDX3X could exert a dominant negative effect in vivo. Overall design: Examination of the whole tarnscriptome under conditions of DDX3X knockdown or overexpression of WT DDX3X or cancer-associated DDX3X mutants
Cancer-associated DDX3X mutations drive stress granule assembly and impair global translation.
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View SamplesWe previously identified the ZTRE in genes involved in zinc homeostasis and showed that it mediates transcriptional repression in response to zinc. We now report that ZNF658 acts at the ZTRE. ZNF658 was identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of a band excised after EMSA using a ZTRE probe. The protein contains a KRAB domain and 21 zinc fingers. It has similarity with ZAP1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which regulates the response to zinc restriction, including a conserved DNA binding region we show to be functional also in ZNF658. siRNA targeted to ZNF658 abrogated the zinc-induced, ZTRE-dependent reduction in SLC30A5 (ZnT5), SLC30A10 (ZnT10) and CBWD transcripts in human Caco-2 cells and the ability of zinc to repress reporter gene expression from corresponding promoter-reporter constructs. Microarray analysis of the effect of reducing ZNF658 expression by siRNA uncovered large changes in rRNA. We find that ZTREs are clustered within the 45S rRNA precursor. We also saw effects on expression of multiple ribosomal proteins. ZNF658 thus links zinc homeostasis with ribosome biogenesis, the most active transcriptional, and hence zinc-demanding, process in the cell. ZNF658 is thus a novel transcriptional regulator that plays a fundamental role in the orchestrated cellular response to zinc availability.
The zinc finger protein ZNF658 regulates the transcription of genes involved in zinc homeostasis and affects ribosome biogenesis through the zinc transcriptional regulatory element.
Cell line
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Enhanced stability of microRNA expression facilitates classification of FFPE tumour samples exhibiting near total mRNA degradation.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesMice lacking p53 and one or two alleles of the cyclin D-dependent kinase inhibitor p18Ink4c are prone to medulloblastoma development. The tumor frequency is increased by exposing postnatal animals to ionizing radiation at a time when their cerebella are developing. In irradiated mice engineered to express a floxed p53 allele and a Nestin-Cre transgene, tumor development can be restricted to the brain. Analysis of these animals indicated that inactivation of one or both Ink4c alleles did not affect the time of medulloblastoma onset but increased tumor invasiveness. All such tumors exhibited complete loss of function of the Patched 1 (Ptc1) gene encoding the receptor for sonic hedgehog, and many exhibited other recurrent genetic alterations, including trisomy of chromosome 6, amplification of N-Myc, modest increases in copy number of the Ccnd1 gene encoding cyclin D1, and other complex chromosomal rearrangements. In contrast, medulloblastomas arising in Ptc1+/- mice lacking one or both Ink4c alleles retained p53 function and exhibited only limited genomic instability. Nonetheless, complete inactivation of the wild type Ptc1 allele was a universal event, and trisomy of chromosome 6 was again frequent. The enforced expression of N-Myc or cyclin D1 in primary cerebellar granule neuron precursors isolated from Ink4c-/-, p53-/- mice enabled the cells to initiate medulloblastomas when injected back into the brains of immunocompromised recipient animals. These engineered tumors exhibited gene expression profiles indistinguishable from those of medulloblastomas that arose spontaneously. These results underscore the functional interplay between a network of specific genes that recurrently contribute to medulloblastoma formation.
Genetic alterations in mouse medulloblastomas and generation of tumors de novo from primary cerebellar granule neuron precursors.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Novel targets of the CbrAB/Crc carbon catabolite control system revealed by transcript abundance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe Drosophila wing disc has been a fundamental model system for the discovery of key signaling pathways and for our understanding of developmental processes. However, a complete map of gene expression in this tissue is lacking. To obtain a complete gene expression atlas in the wing disc, we employed single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) and developed a new method for analyzing scRNA-seq data based on gene expression correlations rather than cell mappings. This enables us to discover 824 genes with spatially restricted expression patterns, and to compute expression maps for all genes in the wing disc. This approach identifies both known and new clusters of genes with similar expression patterns and functional relevance. As proof of concept, we characterize the previously unstudied gene CG5151 and show it regulates Wnt signaling. This novel method will enable the leveraging of scRNA-seq data for generating expression atlases of undifferentiated tissues during development. Overall design: Single cell transcriptome experiments from female wandering 3rd instar wing discs were generated: two samples using Drop-seq and one sample using the 10x genomics platform. Bulk polyA-RNA-seq experiment from the same tissue was conducted for comparison.
Gene expression atlas of a developing tissue by single cell expression correlation analysis.
Sex, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesThe opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can utilize several carbon and nitrogen compounds as energy sources, which allows the bacterium to grow on a variety of different environments. Nevertheless, the uptake and utilization of these compounds is organized in a hierarchical manner, which is guaranteed by a mechanism named catabolite repression. In P. aeruginosa catabolite repression is a post-transcriptional process with the translational repressor protein, Crc, as the main component. Crc recognizes CA-motifs (acronym for catabolite activity) present in the vicinity of the ribosome binfing site of corresponding target mRNAs and therefore compete with ribosome binding. Certain conditions, which are mainly related to changes in the carbon to nitrogen ratio, induce the two component system CbrAB, which activates the transcription of the sRNA CrcZ. The sRNA sequesters Crc and allows the translation of the target mRNAs. The main focus of this study was to identify novel direct targets of the CbrAB/Crc system with the use of a transcriptome analysis in combination with the search for CA-motifs. We were able to identify five novel targets (estA, acsA, dctP, bkdR and aroP2), which were involved in the uptake and utilization of less preferred carbon sources and amino acids. Direct interaction of Crc with these genes and the resulting regulation by CbrB and CrcZ were verified using mutational analysis and in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, these targets were discussed in the light of growth and biofilm development in synthetic CF sputum medium which emphasised the importance of the CbrAB/Crc system as a regulator of chronic infection.
Novel targets of the CbrAB/Crc carbon catabolite control system revealed by transcript abundance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can utilize several carbon and nitrogen compounds as energy sources, which allows the bacterium to grow on a variety of different environments. Nevertheless, the uptake and utilization of these compounds is organized in a hierarchical manner, which is guaranteed by a mechanism named catabolite repression. In P. aeruginosa catabolite repression is a post-transcriptional process with the translational repressor protein, Crc, as the main component. Crc recognizes CA-motifs (acronym for catabolite activity) present in the vicinity of the ribosome binfing site of corresponding target mRNAs and therefore compete with ribosome binding. Certain conditions, which are mainly related to changes in the carbon to nitrogen ratio, induce the two component system CbrAB, which activates the transcription of the sRNA CrcZ. The sRNA sequesters Crc and allows the translation of the target mRNAs. The main focus of this study was to identify novel direct targets of the CbrAB/Crc system with the use of a transcriptome analysis in combination with the search for CA-motifs. We were able to identify five novel targets (estA, acsA, dctP, bkdR and aroP2), which were involved in the uptake and utilization of less preferred carbon sources and amino acids. Direct interaction of Crc with these genes and the resulting regulation by CbrB and CrcZ were verified using mutational analysis and in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, these targets were discussed in the light of growth and biofilm development in synthetic CF sputum medium which emphasised the importance of the CbrAB/Crc system as a regulator of chronic infection.
Novel targets of the CbrAB/Crc carbon catabolite control system revealed by transcript abundance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesDegradation and chemical modification of RNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples hamper their use in expression profiling studies. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of gene expression signature generation from archival FFPE materials. Nineteen cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and nine adenocarcinoma (AC) 10~16-year-old FFPE samples were profiled using Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST arrays. A comparison of the global gene expression changes between SCC and AC revealed 1217 differentially expressed genes. Of these, 1062 showed significantly higher expression levels in SCC relative to AC, and 155 genes were found to be specifically upregulated in AC. When the 1217-gene signature was tested on a fresh-frozen human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) series, it correctly separated the 58 NSCLC samples into SCC and AC. In conclusion, our results showed that clinically and biologically relevant gene expression profiles can be derived from FFPE samples with Exon array profiling.
Exon-array profiling unlocks clinically and biologically relevant gene signatures from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour samples.
Disease, Disease stage
View Samplesthere is presently no methodology that adequately isolates pure MaSCs. Seeking new markers of MaSCs, we characterized the stem-like properties and expression signature of label-retaining cells from the mammary gland of mice expressing a controllable H2b-GFP transgene. According to their transcriptome profile, H2b-GFPh MaSCs are enriched for pathways thought to play important roles in adult stem cells.
Molecular hierarchy of mammary differentiation yields refined markers of mammary stem cells.
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