This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Sox9 Controls Self-Renewal of Oncogene Targeted Cells and Links Tumor Initiation and Invasion.
Specimen part
View SamplesSox9 is a transcription factor expressed in most solid tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Sox9 function during tumorigenesis remain unclear. Here, using a genetic mouse model of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most frequent cancer in human, we show that Sox9 is expressed from the earliest step of tumor formation in a Wnt/-catenin dependent manner. Deletion of Sox9 together with the constitutive activation of Hedgehog (HH) signaling completely prevents BCC formation and leads to a progressive loss of oncogene expressing cells. Transcriptional profiling of oncogene expressing cells with Sox9 deletion, combined with in vivo ChIP-sequencing uncovers a cancer-specific gene network regulated by Sox9 that promotes stemness, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and cytoskeleton remodeling while repressing epidermal differentiation. Our study identifies the molecular mechanisms regulated by Sox9 that links tumor initiation and invasion.
Sox9 Controls Self-Renewal of Oncogene Targeted Cells and Links Tumor Initiation and Invasion.
Specimen part
View SamplesHomologue of Enhancer-of-split 1 (Hes1) is a transcription factor that regulates neuronal plasticity, promoting the growth of dendrites and increasing the GABAergic input. A higher expression of Hes1 also results in neuronal resistance against the noxious activity of amyloid beta, the main agent in the advent and progression of the Alzheimer's disease. As a transcription factor, Hes1 controls de expression of many genes. Using the microarray technology we have detected that the expression of one secreted synaptic protein, cerebellin 4 (Cbln4) was particularly increased upon overexpression of Hes1. We also present evidence that Cbln4 plays an essential role in the formation and maintenance of inhibitory GABAergic connections and that either overexpression of Cbln4 in cultured hippocampal neurons or the application of recombinant Cbln4 to the cultures increased the number of GABAergic varicosities and rescued neurons from amyloid beta induced cell death.
Cerebellin 4, a synaptic protein, enhances inhibitory activity and resistance of neurons to amyloid-β toxicity.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe have characterized a mutation affecting the Arabidopsis EARLY IN SHORT DAYS 7 (ESD7) gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase epsilon (e), AtPOL2A. esd7-1 mutations causes early flowering independently of photoperiod, shortened inflorescence internodes and altered leaf and root development. esd7-1 was a hypomorphic allele whereas KO alleles displayed an embryo-lethal phenotype. The SAM and the RAM in the esd7-1 seedlings were found to exhibit an altered disposition that might correlate with the abnormal expression pattern of SAM and RAM marker genes. esd7-1 showed higher sensitivity to DNA damaging reagents than wild type plants and altered expression of genes involved in DNA repair mechanisms by homologous recombination. Moreover, esd7 early flowering phenotype requires functional FT and SOC1 proteins and might be also related to the mis-regulation of AG and AG-like gene expression found in esd7. Loci involved in the modulation of the chromatin structural dynamics, such as TFL2 and EBS, which negatively regulate FT expression, were found to interact genetically with ESD7, and the carboxy terminus of ESD7 interacted with TFL2 in vitro. Besides, fasciata2 (fas2) mutations suppressed esd7 early flowering phenotype and INCURVATA 2 (ICU2) was found to be epistatic to ESD7. Discrete regions of the chromatin of FT and AG loci were enriched in activating epigenetic marks in the esd7-1 mutant. We concluded that ESD7 might be participating in processes involved in chromatin-mediated cellular memory.
EARLY IN SHORT DAYS 7 (ESD7) encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase epsilon and is required for flowering repression through a mechanism involving epigenetic gene silencing.
Specimen part
View SamplesAlthough recent studies support regenerative potential based on cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs), it remains unclear what cues regulate CPC fate. Using 2- and 3D-culture models, we demonstrate that the two most abundantly expressed matrix proteins in the heart, laminin and fibronectin, have opposite roles in CPC fate decision. CPCs on fibronectin showed predominantly nuclear localization of the transcriptional co-activator YAP and maintained proliferation. In contrast, seeding on laminin induced cytosolic retention and degradation of YAP and altered gene expression, which preceded decreased proliferation and enhanced lineage commitment. RNA-sequencing identified Plk2 as candidate target gene of YAP. Plk2 expression depended on YAP stability, was rapidly downregulated on laminin, and its regulation was sufficient to rescue and/or mimic the CPC response to laminin and fibronectin, respectively. These findings propose a novel role of Plk2 and identify an early molecular mechanism in matrix-instructed CPC fate with potential implications for therapeutic cardiac regeneration. Overall design: Expression profiling of cardiac progenitor cells in suspension and cultured on dishes coated with laminin or fibronectin or on non-coated dishes (biological triplicates each)
Polo-Like Kinase 2 is Dynamically Regulated to Coordinate Proliferation and Early Lineage Specification Downstream of Yes-Associated Protein 1 in Cardiac Progenitor Cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTo identify genes implicated in metastatic colonization of the liver in colorectal cancer, we collected pairs of primary tumors and hepatic metastases before chemotherapy in 13 patients. We compared mRNA expression in the pairs of patients to identify genes deregulated during metastatic evolution. We then validated the identified genes using data obtained by different groups. The 33-gene signature was able to classify 87% of hepatic metastases, 98% of primary tumors, 97% of normal colon mucosa, and 95% of normal liver tissues in six datasets obtained using five different microarray platforms. The identified genes are specific to colon cancer and hepatic metastases since other metastatic locations and hepatic metastases originating from breast cancer were not classified by the signature. Gene Ontology term analysis showed that 50% of the genes are implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, and more precisely in cell adhesion, extracellular matrix organization and angiogenesis. Because of the high efficiency of the signature to classify colon hepatic metastases, the identified genes represent promising targets to develop new therapies that will specifically affect hepatic metastasis microenvironment.
Specific extracellular matrix remodeling signature of colon hepatic metastases.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesCancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reported in various cancers including skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The molecular mechanisms regulating tumour initiation and stemness are still poorly characterized. Here, we found that Sox2, a transcription factor expressed in various types of embryonic and adult stem cells (SCs), was the most upregulated transcription factor in CSCs of squamous skin tumours. Sox2 is absent in normal epidermis and begins to be expressed in the vast majority of mouse and human pre-neoplastic skin tumours and continues to be expressed in a heterogeneous manner in invasive mouse and human SCCs. In contrast to other SCCs, in which Sox2 is frequently genetically amplified, the expression of Sox2 in mouse and human skin SCCs is transcriptionally regulated. Conditional deletion of Sox2 in the mouse epidermis dramatically decreases skin tumour formation following chemical induced carcinogenesis. Using Sox2-GFP knockin mice, we showed that Sox2 expressing cells in invasive SCC are greatly enriched in tumour propagating cells (TPCs) that further increase upon serial transplantations. Lineage ablation of Sox2 expressing cells within primary benign and malignant SCCs leads to tumour regression, consistent with the critical role of Sox2 expressing cells in tumour maintenance. Conditional Sox2 deletion in pre-existing skin papilloma and SCC leads to their regression and decreases their ability to be propagated upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, supporting the essential role of Sox2 in regulating CSC functions. Transcriptional profiling of Sox2-GFP expressing CSC and upon Sox2 deletion uncovered a gene network regulated by Sox2 in primary tumour cells in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified several direct Sox2 target genes controlling tumour stemness, survival, proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and paraneoplastic syndrome. Altogether, our study demonstrates that Sox2, by marking and regulating the functions of skin tumour initiating cells and CSCs, establishes a continuum between tumour initiation and progression in primary skin tumours.
SOX2 controls tumour initiation and cancer stem-cell functions in squamous-cell carcinoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesCancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reported in various cancers including skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The molecular mechanisms regulating tumour initiation and stemness are still poorly characterized. Here, we found that Sox2, a transcription factor expressed in various types of embryonic and adult stem cells (SCs), was the most upregulated transcription factor in CSCs of squamous skin tumours. Sox2 is absent in normal epidermis and begins to be expressed in the vast majority of mouse and human pre-neoplastic skin tumours and continues to be expressed in a heterogeneous manner in invasive mouse and human SCCs. In contrast to other SCCs, in which Sox2 is frequently genetically amplified, the expression of Sox2 in mouse and human skin SCCs is transcriptionally regulated. Conditional deletion of Sox2 in the mouse epidermis dramatically decreases skin tumour formation following chemical induced carcinogenesis. Using Sox2-GFP knockin mice, we showed that Sox2 expressing cells in invasive SCC are greatly enriched in tumour propagating cells (TPCs) that further increase upon serial transplantations. Lineage ablation of Sox2 expressing cells within primary benign and malignant SCCs leads to tumour regression, consistent with the critical role of Sox2 expressing cells in tumour maintenance. Conditional Sox2 deletion in pre-existing skin papilloma and SCC leads to their regression and decreases their ability to be propagated upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, supporting the essential role of Sox2 in regulating CSC functions. Transcriptional profiling of Sox2-GFP expressing CSC and upon Sox2 deletion uncovered a gene network regulated by Sox2 in primary tumour cells in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified several direct Sox2 target genes controlling tumour stemness, survival, proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and paraneoplastic syndrome. Altogether, our study demonstrates that Sox2, by marking and regulating the functions of skin tumour initiating cells and CSCs, establishes a continuum between tumour initiation and progression in primary skin tumours.
SOX2 controls tumour initiation and cancer stem-cell functions in squamous-cell carcinoma.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Genomic characterization of liver metastases from colorectal cancer patients.
Sex, Age, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesVentricular chambers are essential for the rhythmic contraction and relaxation that occurs in every hearbeat throughout life. Congenital abnormalities in ventricular chamber formation cause severe human heart defects. How the early trabecular meshwork of myocardial fibres forms and subsequently develops into mature chambers is still poorly understood. Here we show that Notch signalling first connects chamber endocardium and myocardium to sustain trabeculation and later coordinates ventricular patterning and compaction with coronary vessel development to give rise to the mature chamber via a temporal sequence of ligand signalling determined by the glycosyltransferase Manic Fringe (Mfng). The early endocardial expression of Mfng favours Dll4-Notch1 signalling, Which induces trabeculation in the developing ventricle.Ventricular maturation and compaction in turn require Mfng and Dll4 downregulation in the endocardium, Which allows myocardial Jag1- And Jag2- Signalling to Notch1 in this tissue.Timely and spatial perturbation of this signalling equilibrium severely disrupts heart chamber formation. Our results open a new research avenue into the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies. Overall design: Dll4 and Notch1 conditional KOs using Nfact1 and/or Tie2 driven Cre expression: RNA was isolated from pooled whole hearts of 8 (Nfact1) or 9 (Tie2) E9.5 embryos per replicate. Dll4flox;Nfatc1-Cre and WT siblings (4 KO and 4 WT replicates), Notch1flox;Nfatc1-Cre and WT siblings (3 KO and 2 WT replicates), Dll4flox;Tie2-Cre and WT siblings (3 KO and 3 WT replicates). Jag1, Jag2 and Jag1Jag2 conditional KOs using cTnT driven Cre expression: RNA was isolated from pooled heart ventricles of 4 E15.5 embryos per replicate. Jag1flox;cTnT-Cre and WT siblings (3 KO and 3 WT replicates), Jag2flox;cTnT-Cre and WT siblings (3 KO and 2 WT replicates). Jag1flox;jag2flox;cTnT-Cre and WT siblings (3 KO and 2 WT replicates). MFng Gain Of Function using Tie2 driven Cre expression: RNA was isolated from pooled heart ventricles of 4 E15.5 embryos per replicate. MFng;Tie2-Cre and WT siblings (4 GOF and 4 WT replicates). For Dll4, Noth1 and Jag1 KOs, libraries were prepared using the standard Illumina TrueSeq RNASeq library preparation kit and sequenced in a GAIIx Illumina sequencer using a 75bp single end elongation protocol. For Jag2 and Jag1Jag2 KOs and MFng GOF libraries were prepared prepared using the NEBNext Ultra RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina and sequenced in a HiSeq2500 Illumina sequencer using a 61bp single end elongation protocol
Sequential Notch activation regulates ventricular chamber development.
No sample metadata fields
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