The neurobiological functions of a number of kinases expressed in the brain are unknown. Here, we report new findings on DCLK3 (Doublecortin-like kinase 3) which is preferentially expressed in neurons in the striatum and dentate gyrus. Its function has never been investigated. DCLK3 expression is markedly reduced in Huntington''s disease. Recent data obtained in studies related to cancer suggest DCLK3 could have anti-apoptotic effect. Thus, we hypothesized that early loss of DCLK3 in Huntington''s disease may render striatal neurons more susceptible to mutant huntingtin (mHtt). We discovered that DCLK3 silencing in the striatum of mice exacerbated the toxicity of an N-terminal fragment of mHtt. Conversely, overexpression of DCLK3 reduced neurodegeneration produced by mHtt. DCLK3 also produced beneficial effects on motor symptoms in a knock-in mouse model of Huntington''s disease. Using different mutants of DCLK3, we found that the kinase activity of the protein plays a key role in neuroprotection. To investigate the potential mechanisms underlying DCLK3 effects, we studied the transcriptional changes produced by the kinase domain in human striatal neurons in culture. Results show that DCLK3 regulates in a kinase-dependent manner the expression of many genes involved in transcription regulation and nucleosome/chromatin remodeling. Consistent with this, histological evaluation showed DCLK3 is present in the nucleus of striatal neurons and, protein-protein interaction experiments suggested that the kinase domain interacts with zinc finger proteins, including TADA3, a core component of SAGA complex. Our novel findings suggest that the presence of DCLK3 in striatal neurons may play a key role in transcription regulation and chromatin remodeling in these brain cells, and show that reduced expression of the kinase in Huntington's disease could render the striatum highly vulnerable to neurodegeneration. Examination of DCLK3 as neuroprotector against mutant huntingtin in vivo and in vitro models. Overall design: Examination of DCLK3 as neuroprotector against mutant huntingtin in vitro experiments.
The striatal kinase DCLK3 produces neuroprotection against mutant huntingtin.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesPurpose: the goal of this project is to study the effects of the PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonate) in the transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) of exposed zebrafish larvae. Methods: Total RNA was isolated from the samples using AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, CA, USA) as described by the manufacturer. Three high quality sample per condition were chosen to the mRNA enrichment using KAPA Stranded mRNA-Seq Kit Illumina® Platforms (Kapa Biosystems). Transcriptomic profiles were generated by deep sequencing using Illumina TruSeq SBS Kit v3-HS (pair-ended; 2x76bp) on a HiSeq2000 sequencing system. Image analysis, base calling and quality scoring of the run were processed using the manufacturer's software Real Time Analysis (RTA 1.13.48) and followed by generation of FASTQ sequence files by CASAVA. Statistical analysis: RNA-seq reads were aligned to the D. rerio reference genome (GRCz10) using STAR version 2.5.1b . Genes annotated in GRCz10.84 were quantified using RSEM version 1.2.28 with default parameters. Differential expression analysis between all PFOS conditions was performed with the DESeq2 (v.1.10.1) R package with the Likelihood ratio test option. ANOVA-PLS was performed on the normalized data using the lmdme package in R (v. 1.0.136, R Core Team). Results: We generated on average 39 million paired-end reads for each sample and identified aproximatelly 24500 transcripts. 1434 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected which could be divided in 2 clusters including 767 and 667 genes, respectively. Affected metabolic pathways were analyzed from the DEGs: lipid transport and metabolism, protein ubiquination, antigen processing, immune system, apoptosis, trans-membrane, cell matrix, Zn-ion binding, cytokines and JAK-STAT signaling pathways', among others, were down or upregulated. Conclusions: Our results suggest a complex, multiple endocrine disruption-like toxic effects at a concentrations well bellow the 1 mg/L, considered as the LOAEC/NOAEC for many of the macroscopic effects traditionally linked to PFOS toxicity in zebrafish embryos. While our results confirm the known effect of PFOS in lipid metabolism, we found a clear decrease on expression of many genes related to natural immunity and defense against infections. We propose that this transcriptional pattern may be a marker for the immunotoxic effects of PFOS and other related substances in fish and other vertebrates, including humans. We concluded that our analysis allowed us the identification of underlying molecular mechanisms occurring simultaneously at the exposed animals. While this approach is very useful to analyze the effects of compounds, like PFOS, able to interact with different cellular targets, we believe that it can be also applied to the characterization of the different toxic components present in complex natural mixtures. Overall design: Whole embryo (5 dpf; wild type zebrafish) mRNA profiles of 4 groups (control, 0.03, 0.3 and 1 ppm of PFOS) were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate, using Illumina TruSeq SBS Kit v3-HS (pair-ended) on a HiSeq2000 sequencing system.
Unravelling the mechanisms of PFOS toxicity by combining morphological and transcriptomic analyses in zebrafish embryos.
Age, Subject
View SamplesIn this placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial, we tested whether remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) elicited by four 5-minute cycles of 300 mmHg of cuff inflation/deflation of the lower limb would reduce myocardial necrosis in isoflurane-anesthetized patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Secondary outcomes were the perioperative release of the biomarkers NTproBNP, hsCRP, S100, atrial transcriptional profiles, and short- and long-term clinical outcomes. RIPC with concomitantly applied isoflurane did not affect the release of biomarkers or clinical outcome. NTproBNP release correlated with isoflurane- but not RIPC-induced transcriptional changes.
Remote ischemic preconditioning applied during isoflurane inhalation provides no benefit to the myocardium of patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: lack of synergy or evidence of antagonism in cardioprotection?
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesWe used microarrays to detail transcriptional changes in the rat heart in response to doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic drug known to induce cardiac disfunction/heart failure
Early effects of doxorubicin in perfused heart: transcriptional profiling reveals inhibition of cellular stress response genes.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTo investigate the time-dependent and coordinated sequence of inflammation-related events, and the dynamic features of macrophage polarisation/activation, we build and validated an in vitro model based on primary human monocytes
Transcriptomic profiling of the development of the inflammatory response in human monocytes in vitro.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe identification of subtype-specific translocations has revolutionized diagnostics of sarcoma and provided new insight into oncogenesis. We used RNA-Seq to investigate samples diagnosed as small round cell tumors of bone, possibly Ewing sarcoma, but lacking the canonical EWSR1-ETS translocation. A new fusion was observed between the BCL6 co-repressor (BCOR) and the testis specific cyclin B3 (CCNB3) genes on chromosome X. RNA-Seq results were confirmed by RT-PCR and cloning the tumor-specific genomic translocation breakpoints. 24 BCOR-CCNB3-positive tumors were identified among a series of 594 sarcomas. Gene profiling experiments indicate that BCOR-CCNB3-positive cases are biologically distinct from other sarcomas, particularly Ewings sarcoma. Finally, we show that CCNB3 immunohistochemistry is a powerful diagnostic marker for this group of sarcoma and that over-expression of BCOR-CCNB3 or of a truncated CCNB3 activates S-phase in NIH3T3 cells. Thus the intrachromosomal X fusion described here represents a new subtype of bone sarcoma caused by a novel gene fusion mechanism.
A new subtype of bone sarcoma defined by BCOR-CCNB3 gene fusion.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesWe used microarrays to detail transcriptional changes in cultured human smooth muscle cells in response to acute and chronic 2-methoxyestradiol treatment
2-Methoxyestradiol blocks the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway in human aortic smooth muscle cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAnesthetic gases elicit organ protection in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This study aimed at identifying myocardial transcriptional phenotypes and anesthetic-induced changes in gene expression to predict cardiovascular biomarkers and cardiac function after off-pump CABG.
Gene regulatory control of myocardial energy metabolism predicts postoperative cardiac function in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: inhalational versus intravenous anesthetics.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPulmonary sarcomatoid carcinomas (PSCs) are rare and aggressive histological types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a median overall survival of about 9-12 months. In detail, PSCs comprise five different histological subtypes: pleomorphic carcinoma (PLC), giant cell carcinoma (GCC), spindle cell carcinoma (SCC), carcinosarcoma (CS) and pulmonary blastoma (PB). Preoperative pathological diagnosis may fail to identify these tumors and therapeutic options are still limited. PSCs have been scarcely characterized from a molecular point of view because of their rarity, and to date no specific markers have been found for PSCs in comparison with other NSCLC types. In this study a highly sensitive amplicon based whole transcriptome quantification analysis was performed, using the Ion AmpliSeq Transcriptome Human Gene Expression Kit (Life Technologies) on a selected series of 14 PSCs (1 PB, 4 CS, 2 SCC, 2 GCC, 5 PLC) and 3 samples of normal lung parenchyma. PSCs expression data were then compared with transcriptome data of lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma available on The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Thirty-eight genes specifically deregulated in PSC samples were identified. Among these, IGJ and SLMAP were validated by immunohistochemistry on an independent cohort (30 PSCs, 31 lung adenocarcinoma and 31 squamous cell carcinoma cases). Furthermore, a pathway enrichment analysis, performed on differentially expressed genes, revealed that FOXO signalling and Fanconi Anemia pathways, playing a pivotal role in cancer development and progression, are enriched in PSC tumors. The description of peculiar molecular profiles besides increasing our knowledge on PSCs biology may suggest new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Overall design: Whole transcriptome targeted gene quantification analysis was perfomed on a selected series of 14 pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinomas (1 pulmonary blastoma, 4 carcinosarcomas, 2 spindle cell carcinomas, 2 giant cell carcinomas, 5 pleomorphic carcinomas) and 3 samples of normal lung parenchyma, using the Ion AmpliSeq Transcriptome Human Gene Expression Kit ( Life Technologies).
Whole transcriptome targeted gene quantification provides new insights on pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinomas.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesGene expression profiling was carried out on primary ovarian carcinomas from 10 patients. The primary research question is whether gene expression differs in tissues from individuals with high vs low symptoms of psychological depression.
Depression, social support, and beta-adrenergic transcription control in human ovarian cancer.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples