BRAF is the most frequently mutated gene in melanoma. Constitutive activation of mutant BRAFV600E leads to aberrant Ras-independent MAPK signaling and cell transformation. Inhibition of mutant BRAF is a current front-line therapy for such cases, with improved survival compared with chemotherapy. Unfortunately, reactivation of MAPK signaling by several mechanisms has been shown to cause drug resistance and disease recurrence. In this work, we describe the co-occurrence of an in-frame deletion within an amplified BRAFV600E locus, and a missense point mutation of the transcriptional repressor BCORL1, in vemurafenib-resistant A375 melanoma cells. Functional data confirmed that truncated p47BRAFV600E and mutant BCORL1Q1076H both contribute to resistance. Interestingly, either endogenous BCORL1 silencing or ectopic BCORL1Q1076H expression mimicked the effects of a CRISPR/Cas9-edited BCORL1Q1076H locus, suggesting a change-of-function mutation. Transcriptomic data confirmed this hypothesis. Finally, we show that the pan-RAF inhibitor sorafenib is not affected by expression of BRAF deletion variant and effectively synergizes with vemurafenib to block resistant cells, suggesting a possible intervention for this class of mutants. Overall design: Nine total samples: 3 parental plus 3 BCORL1-WT and 3 BCORL1-MUT overexpressing cells
Concomitant BCORL1 and BRAF Mutations in Vemurafenib-Resistant Melanoma Cells.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesThe ecto-enzyme CD38 is a marker of unfavorable prognosis for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and an indicator of activation and proliferation of leukemic cells. Here we show that CD38 is enzymatically active in primary CLL cells and that its forced expression increases disease aggressiveness in a xenograft model. The effect is completely lost when using an enzyme deficient version of CD38 with a single amino-acid mutation. Through the enzymatic conversion of NAD, CD38 increases cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations, positively influencing proliferation, chemotaxis, adhesion and matrix digestion. Inhibition of the enzymatic activities of CD38 using the flavonoid kuromanin blocks CLL homing. In a short-term xenograft model using primary cells, kuromanin treatment traps CLL cells in the blood, increasing responses to chemotherapy.
The enzymatic activities of CD38 enhance CLL growth and trafficking: implications for therapeutic targeting.
No sample metadata fields
View Samplesassess the efficacy of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor with anti-lymphoma activity as single agent and in combination
PQR309 Is a Novel Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor with Preclinical Antitumor Activity in Lymphomas as a Single Agent and in Combination Therapy.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View Samplesassess the gene expression profiling of 61 cell lines
PQR309 Is a Novel Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor with Preclinical Antitumor Activity in Lymphomas as a Single Agent and in Combination Therapy.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesDJ-1 is an atypical peroxiredoxin-like peroxidase that may act as a redox-dependent chaperone and a regulator of transcription. To explore DJ-1-mediated transcriptional control in Parkinsons disease (PD), we generated human neuroblastoma cells with inducible knock-down of DJ-1 expression. We then used functional genomic techniques to identify novel pathways dysregulated by loss of DJ-1 function. Using microarray gene expression profiling, we found that DJ-1 silencing alters the expression of 26 genes, with 10 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated transcripts. Among the down-regulated genes we found Ret, tyrosine kinase receptor for the neurotrophic factor GDNF. Taking advantage of Ingenuity Pathways Analysis, we identified hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (Hif1a) as a possible mediator of the interplay between DJ-1 and Ret. We show that Hif1a is stabilized in the absence of DJ-1, and that loss of DJ-1 generates hypoxia and accumulation of free radical species (ROS). Overexpression of wt DJ-1, but not of C106A and L166P mutants deficient in ROS scavenger activity, rescues Ret expression in neuroblastoma cells. These findings reveal novel players in PD pathogenesis and provide evidence for additional pathways involved in DJ-1-mediated neurodegeneration.
Parkinson disease-associated DJ-1 is required for the expression of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor receptor RET in human neuroblastoma cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View Sampleswe report additional phenotypes of mHtt mice that are modified in Pin1 knock-out mice Overall design: RNAs from the striatum of three mice of 12 months of age were purified for each of the genotypes (PinWT/HttWT; PinKO/HttWT; PinWT/HttKI; PinKO/HttKi) to carry out gene expression profiling
Effects of Pin1 Loss in Hdh(Q111) Knock-in Mice.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMurine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection leads to the activation of various immune cells, including dendritic cells (DCs) and Natural Killer (NK) cells. This activation is partly driven by innate cytokines including IFN-I, which are induced early after infection. The objective was to address the role of different innate cytokines in shaping DC subsets and NK cell responses, in particular the role of cell intrinsic responses to IFN-I.
Differential responses of immune cells to type I interferon contribute to host resistance to viral infection.
Specimen part
View SamplesDendritic cells (DCs) are a complex group of cells which play a critical role in vertebrate immunity. They are subdivided into conventional DC (cDC) subsets (CD11b and CD8alpha in mouse) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). Natural killer cells are innate lymphocytes involved in the recognition and killing of abnormal self cells, including virally infected cells or tumor cells. DCs and NK cells are activated very early upon viral infections and regulate one another. However, the global responses of DC and NK cells early after viral infection in vivo and their molecular regulation are not entirely characterized. The goal of this experiment was to use global gene expression profiling to assess the global genetic reprogramming of DC and NK cells during a viral infection in vivo, as compared to B lymphocytes, and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms
Differential responses of immune cells to type I interferon contribute to host resistance to viral infection.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThe injection of the pathogen-associated molecular pattern Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) leads to the activation of various immune cells, including dendritic cells (DCs) and Natural Killer (NK) cells. This activation is due to different innate cytokines produced early after injection, in particular IFN-I. The objective of the study was to compare the pattern of expression of IFN-I stimulated genes between DC and NK cells.
Differential responses of immune cells to type I interferon contribute to host resistance to viral infection.
Specimen part
View SamplesTuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a disease caused by autosomal dominant mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes, and is characterized by tumor susceptibility, brain lesions, seizures and behavioral impairments. The TSC1 and TSC2 genes encode proteins forming a complex (TSC), which is a major regulator and suppressor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in complex 1 (mTORC1), a signaling complex that promotes cell growth and proliferation. TSC1/2 loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and the subsequent complete loss of TSC regulatory activity in null cells causes mTORC1 dysregulation and TSC-associated brain lesions or other tissue tumors. However, it is not clear whether TSC1/2 heterozygous brain cells are abnormal and contribute to TSC neuropathology. To investigate this issue, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from TSC patients and unaffected controls, and utilized these to obtain neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and differentiated neurons in vitro. These patient-derived TSC2 heterozygous NPCs were delayed in their ability to differentiate into neurons. Patient-derived progenitor cells also exhibited a modest activation of mTORC1 signaling downstream of TSC, and a marked attenuation of upstream PI3K/AKT signaling. We further show that pharmacologic AKT inhibition, but not mTORC1 inhibition, causes a neuronal differentiation delay, mimicking the patient phenotype. Together these data suggest that heterozygous TSC2 mutations disrupt neuronal development, potentially contributing to the disease neuropathology, and that this defect may result from dysregulated AKT signaling in neural progenitor cells. Overall design: Two replicates each of TSC#1 and CON#1 NPC cell RNA were prepared for sequencing library preparation and seqeuencing.
Neural progenitors derived from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex patients exhibit attenuated PI3K/AKT signaling and delayed neuronal differentiation.
Specimen part, Subject
View Samples