scholarly journals Research Resource: Preovulatory LH Surge Effects on Follicular Theca and Granulosa Transcriptomes

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1153-1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lane K. Christenson ◽  
Sumedha Gunewardena ◽  
Xiaoman Hong ◽  
Marion Spitschak ◽  
Anja Baufeld ◽  
...  

Abstract The molecular mechanisms that regulate the pivotal transformation processes observed in the follicular wall following the preovulatory LH surge, are still not established, particularly for cells of the thecal layer. To elucidate thecal cell (TC) and granulosa cell (GC) type-specific biologic functions and signaling pathways, large dominant bovine follicles were collected before and 21 hours after an exogenous GnRH-induced LH surge. Antral GCs (aGCs; aspirated by follicular puncture) and membrane-associated GCs (mGCs; scraped from the follicular wall) were compared with TC expression profiles determined by mRNA microarrays. Of the approximately 11 000 total genes expressed in the periovulatory follicle, only 2% of thecal vs 25% of the granulosa genes changed in response to the LH surge. The majority of the 203 LH-regulated thecal genes were also LH regulated in GCs, leaving a total of 57 genes as LH-regulated TC-specific genes. Of the 57 thecal-specific LH-regulated genes, 74% were down-regulated including CYP17A1 and NR5A1, whereas most other genes are being identified for the first time within theca. Many of the newly identified up-regulated thecal genes (eg, PTX3, RND3, PPP4R4) were also up-regulated in granulosa. Minimal expression differences were observed between aGCs and mGCs; however, transcripts encoding extracellular proteins (NID2) and matrix modulators (ADAMTS1, SASH1) dominated these differences. We also identified large numbers of unknown LH-regulated GC genes and discuss their putative roles in ovarian function. This Research Resource provides an easy-to-access global evaluation of LH regulation in TCs and GCs that implicates numerous molecular pathways heretofore unknown within the follicle.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Tang ◽  
Delong Feng ◽  
Min Li ◽  
Jinxue Zhou ◽  
Xiaoyuan Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Fully elucidating the molecular mechanisms of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including micro RNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), underlying hepatocarcinogenesis is challenging. We characterized the expression profiles of ncRNAs and constructed a regulatory mRNA-lncRNA-miRNA (MLMI) network based on transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 9) patients. Of the identified miRNAs (n = 203) and lncRNAs (n = 1,090), we found 16 significantly differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs and three DE lncRNAs. The DE RNAs were highly enriched in 21 functional pathways implicated in HCC (p < 0.05), including p53, MAPK, and NAFLD signaling. Potential pairwise interactions between DE ncRNAs and mRNAs were fully characterized using in silico prediction and experimentally-validated evidence. We for the first time constructed a MLMI network of reciprocal interactions for 16 miRNAs, three lncRNAs, and 253 mRNAs in HCC. The predominant role of MEG3 in the MLMI network was validated by its overexpression in vitro that the expression levels of a proportion of MEG3-targeted miRNAs and mRNAs was changed significantly. Our results suggested that the comprehensive MLMI network synergistically modulated carcinogenesis, and the crosstalk of the network provides a new avenue to accurately describe the molecular mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-109
Author(s):  
Yongjun Fei ◽  
Caroline Luo ◽  
Wei Tang

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play key roles in the regulation of plant growth and development by modifying the expression of their target genes. However, the influence of miRNAs on root formation and development in woody plants, such as Taxus chinensis, remains largely unknown. In the current study, we explored the phytohormone-response and nutrition-response miRNA expression profiles during T. chinensis rooting by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). We identified six phytohormone-response miRNAs, namely, miR164a, miR165, miR167a, miR171b, miR319, and miR391, and eight nutrition-response miRNAs, namely, miR169b, miR395a, miR399c, miR408, miR826, miR827, miR857, and miR2111a, that were differentially expressed at different rooting phases of T. chinensis. Using northern blot analysis of the putative target genes of these miRNAs, we detected the relative gene expression changes of the target genes. Taken together, our results suggest that miRNAs are involved in root formation of T. chinensis and that miRNAs may play important regulatory roles in primary root, crown root, and root hair formation by targeting phytohormone and/or nutrition response genes in T. chinensis. For the first time, these results expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant root formation and development in a conifer species.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Tan ◽  
Mathieu Coureuil ◽  
Elodie Ramond ◽  
Daniel Euphrasie ◽  
Marion Dupuis ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundChronic lung infection of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients by Staphylococcus aureus is a well-established epidemiological fact. Indeed, S. aureus is the most commonly identified pathogen in the lungs of CF patients. Strikingly the molecular mechanisms underlying S. aureus persistency are not understood.MethodsWe selected pairs of sequential S. aureus isolates from 3 patients with CF and from one patient with non-CF chronic lung disease. We used a combination of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches with functional assays for in-depth characterization of S. aureus long-term persistence.ResultsFor the first time, we show that late S. aureus isolates from CF patients have an increased ability for intracellular survival in CFBE-F508del cells compared to ancestral early isolates. Importantly, the increased ability to persist intracellularly was confirmed for S. aureus isolates within the own patient F508del epithelial cells. An increased ability to form biofilm was also demonstrated.Furthermore, we identified the underlying genetic modifications inducing altered protein expression profiles and notable metabolic changes. These modifications affect several metabolic pathways and virulence regulators that could constitute therapeutic targets.ConclusionsOur results strongly suggest that the intracellular environment might constitute an important niche of persistence and relapse necessitating adapted antibiotic treatments.SummaryS. aureus persists for years in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis despite antibiotic therapies. We demonstrate that S. aureus adaptation leads to increased intracellular persistence suggesting a key role for intracellular niche during S. aureus chronic lung infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. N. Paskalev ◽  
B. T. Galunska ◽  
D. Petkova-Valkova

Tamm–Horsfall Protein (uromodulin) is named after Igor Tamm and Franc Horsfall Jr who described it for the first time in 1952. It is a glycoprotein, secreted by the cells in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. This protein will perform a number of important pathophysiological functions, including protection against uroinfections, especially caused by E. Сoli, and protection against formation of calcium concernments in the kidney. Igor Tamm (1922-1995) is an outstanding cytologist, virologist and biochemist. He is one of the pioneers in the study of viral replication. He was born in Estonia and died in the USA. In 1964 he was elected for a professorship in Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, where has been working continuously. Since 1959, he became a head of the virology lab established by his mentor and co-author Franc Horsfall. In the course of studies on the natural inhibitor of viral replication, Tamm and Horsfall isolated and characterized biochemically a new protein named after their names. Franc Lappin Horsfall Jr (1906-1971) was a well-known clinician and virologist with remarkable achievements in internal medicine. He was born and died in the USA. He worked in the Rockefeller Hospital from 1934 to 1960, then in the Center for Cancer Research at the Sloan-Kettering Institute. Here he was a leader of a research team studying the molecular mechanisms of immunity, the effects of chemotherapy with benzimidazole compounds (together with I. Tamm), coxsackie viruses, herpes simplex virus, etc. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Hana Votavova ◽  
Zuzana Urbanova ◽  
David Kundrat ◽  
Michaela Dostalova Merkerova ◽  
Martin Vostry ◽  
...  

Deferasirox (DFX) is an oral iron chelator used to reduce iron overload (IO) caused by frequent blood cell transfusions in anemic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. To study the molecular mechanisms by which DFX improves outcome in MDS, we analyzed the global gene expression in untreated MDS patients and those who were given DFX treatment. The gene expression profiles of bone marrow CD34+ cells were assessed by whole-genome microarrays. Initially, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined between patients with normal ferritin levels and those with IO to address the effect of excessive iron on cellular pathways. These DEGs were annotated to Gene Ontology terms associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, adaptive immune response and protein folding and were enriched in cancer-related pathways. The deregulation of multiple cancer pathways in iron-overloaded patients suggests that IO is a cofactor favoring the progression of MDS. The DEGs between patients with IO and those treated with DFX were involved predominantly in biological processes related to the immune response and inflammation. These data indicate DFX modulates the immune response mainly via neutrophil-related genes. Suppression of negative regulators of blood cell differentiation essential for cell maturation and upregulation of heme metabolism observed in DFX-treated patients may contribute to the hematopoietic improvement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kolja Becker ◽  
Holger Klein ◽  
Eric Simon ◽  
Coralie Viollet ◽  
Christian Haslinger ◽  
...  

AbstractDiabetic Retinopathy (DR) is among the major global causes for vision loss. With the rise in diabetes prevalence, an increase in DR incidence is expected. Current understanding of both the molecular etiology and pathways involved in the initiation and progression of DR is limited. Via RNA-Sequencing, we analyzed mRNA and miRNA expression profiles of 80 human post-mortem retinal samples from 43 patients diagnosed with various stages of DR. We found differentially expressed transcripts to be predominantly associated with late stage DR and pathways such as hippo and gap junction signaling. A multivariate regression model identified transcripts with progressive changes throughout disease stages, which in turn displayed significant overlap with sphingolipid and cGMP–PKG signaling. Combined analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression further uncovered disease-relevant miRNA/mRNA associations as potential mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation. Finally, integrating human retinal single cell RNA-Sequencing data revealed a continuous loss of retinal ganglion cells, and Müller cell mediated changes in histidine and β-alanine signaling. While previously considered primarily a vascular disease, attention in DR has shifted to additional mechanisms and cell-types. Our findings offer an unprecedented and unbiased insight into molecular pathways and cell-specific changes in the development of DR, and provide potential avenues for future therapeutic intervention.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Li Zhou ◽  
Zhengyang Wu ◽  
Wenguang Zhang ◽  
Miao Xu ◽  
Jianzhuang Ren ◽  
...  

AbstractGrowing evidence has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role as functional RNAs in diverse cancers. However, most circRNAs involved in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain undefined, and the underlying molecular mechanisms mediated by circRNAs are largely unclear. Here, we screened human circRNA expression profiles in ESCC tissues and found significantly increased expression of hsa_circ_0000277 (termed circPDE3B) in ESCC tissues and cell lines compared to the normal controls. Moreover, higher circPDE3B expression in patients with ESCC was correlated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and dismal prognosis. Functional experiments demonstrated that circPDE3B promoted the tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, and anti-AGO2 RNA immunoprecipitation showed that circPDE3B could act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by harboring miR-4766-5p to eliminate the inhibitory effect on the target gene laminin α1 (LAMA1). In addition, LAMA1 was significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and was positively associated with the aggressive oncogenic phenotype. More importantly, rescue experiments revealed that the oncogenic role of circPDE3B in ESCC is partly dependent on the miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis combined with validation experiments showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activation was involved in the oncogenic functions of the circPDE3B–miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis in ESCC. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time that the circPDE3B/miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis functions as an oncogenic factor in promoting ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by inducing EMT, implying its potential prognostic and therapeutic significance in ESCC.


Author(s):  
Qiao Li ◽  
Manran Liu ◽  
Yan Sun ◽  
Ting Jin ◽  
Pengpeng Zhu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Hypoxia is a key hallmark of TNBC. Metabolic adaptation promotes progression of TNBC cells that are located within the hypoxic tumor regions. However, it is not well understood regarding the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of metabolic adaptions by hypoxia. Methods RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the gene expression profiles in MDA-MB-231 cell line (20% O2 and 1% O2). Expressions of Slc6a8, which encodes the creatine transporter protein, were detected in breast cancer cells and tissues by quantitative real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect SLC6A8 protein abundances in tumor tissues. Clinicopathologic correlation and overall survival were evaluated by chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier analysis, respectively. Cell viability assay and flow cytometry analysis with Annexin V/PI double staining were performed to investigate the impact of SLC6A8-mediated uptake of creatine on viability of hypoxic TNBC cells. TNBC orthotopic mouse model was used to evaluate the effects of creatine in vivo. Results SLC6A8 was aberrantly upregulated in TNBC cells in hypoxia. SLC6A8 was drastically overexpressed in TNBC tissues and its level was tightly associated with advanced TNM stage, higher histological grade and worse overall survival of TNBC patients. We found that SLC6A8 was transcriptionally upregulated by p65/NF-κB and mediated accumulation of intracellular creatine in hypoxia. SLC6A8-mediated accumulation of creatine promoted survival and suppressed apoptosis via maintaining redox homeostasis in hypoxic TNBC cells. Furthermore, creatine was required to facilitate tumor growth in xenograft mouse models. Mechanistically, intracellular creatine bolstered cell antioxidant defense by reducing mitochondrial activity and oxygen consumption rates to reduce accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, ultimately activating AKT-ERK signaling, the activation of which protected the viability of hypoxic TNBC cells via mediating the upregulation of Ki-67 and Bcl-2, and the downregulation of Bax and cleaved Caspase-3. Conclusions Our study indicates that SLC6A8-mediated creatine accumulation plays an important role in promoting TNBC progression, and may provide a potential therapeutic strategy option for treatment of SLC6A8 high expressed TNBC.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 794
Author(s):  
Luca M. Scolari ◽  
Robert D. Hancock ◽  
Pete E. Hedley ◽  
Jenny Morris ◽  
Kay Smith ◽  
...  

‘Crumbly’ fruit is a developmental disorder in raspberry that results in malformed and unsaleable fruits. For the first time, we define two distinct crumbly phenotypes as part of this work. A consistent crumbly fruit phenotype affecting the majority of fruits every season, which we refer to as crumbly fruit disorder (CFD) and a second phenotype where symptoms vary across seasons as malformed fruit disorder (MFD). Here, segregation of crumbly fruit of the MFD phenotype was examined in a full-sib family and three QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) were identified on a high density GbS (Genotype by Sequencing) linkage map. This included a new QTL and more accurate location of two previously identified QTLs. A microarray experiment using normal and crumbly fruit at three different developmental stages identified several genes that were differentially expressed between the crumbly and non-crumbly phenotypes within the three QTL. Analysis of gene function highlighted the importance of processes that compromise ovule fertilization as triggers of crumbly fruit. These candidate genes provided insights regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the genetic control of crumbly fruit in red raspberry. This study will contribute to new breeding strategies and diagnostics through the selection of molecular markers associated with the crumbly trait.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1163
Author(s):  
Gaia Palmini ◽  
Cecilia Romagnoli ◽  
Simone Donati ◽  
Roberto Zonefrati ◽  
Gianna Galli ◽  
...  

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is an aggressive variant of osteosarcoma (OS) with distinctive radiographic, gross, microscopic features, and prognostic implications. Despite several studies on OS, we are still far from understanding the molecular mechanisms of TOS. In recent years, many studies have demonstrated not only that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in OS tumorigenesis, development, and metastasis, but also that the presence in high-grade types of OS of cancer stem cells (CSCs) plays an important role in tumor progression. Despite these findings, nothing has been described previously about the expression of miRNAs and the presence of CSCs in human TOS. Therefore, we have isolated/characterized a putative CSC cell line from human TOS (TOS-CSCs) and evaluated the expression levels of several miRNAs in TOS-CSCs using real-time quantitative assays. We show, for the first time, the existence of CSCs in human TOS, highlighting the in vitro establishment of this unique stabilized cell line and an identification of a preliminary expression of the miRNA profile, characteristic of TOS-CSCs. These findings represent an important step in the study of the biology of one of the most aggressive variants of OS and the role of miRNAs in TOS-CSC behavior.


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