This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Loss of neuronal 3D chromatin organization causes transcriptional and behavioural deficits related to serotonergic dysfunction.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThe interior of the eukaryotic cell nucleus is a highly organized 3D structure. In mature hippocampal and cortical pyramidal neurons, transcriptionally silent DNA is typically compacted in a few clusters referred to as chromocenters that are strongly stained with DNA intercalating agents like DAPI and whose function is still uncertain. We found that this 3D structure was severely disrupted by the incorporation of the chimeric histone H2BGFP into neuronal chromatin. Experiments in inducible and forebrain restricted bitransgenic mice demonstrated that the expression of this histone alters the higher-order organization of neuronal heterochromatin and causes a complex behavioral phenotype that includes hyperactivity, and social interaction, prepulse inhibition and cognitive defects. This phenotype was associated with highly specific transcriptional deficits that affected several serotonin receptor genes located at the edge of gene desert regions. Pharmacological and electrophysiological experiments indicate that this epigenetically-induced hyposerotonergic state may underlie the behavioral defects. Our results suggest a new role for perinuclear heterochromatin and chromocenter organization in the epigenetic regulation of neuronal gene expression and mental illness.
Loss of neuronal 3D chromatin organization causes transcriptional and behavioural deficits related to serotonergic dysfunction.
Specimen part
View SamplesCryopreservation consists of preserving living cells or tissues at <-100C and has many applications in, for instance, stem cell and organ banking. Cryoprotectant agents, like ethylene glycol, are required for successful cryopreservation but have toxic side effects due to largely unknown mechanisms. In this work, we studied the toxicity of ethylene glycol in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). Exposing cells to 60% ethylene glycol for two hours at 4C resulted in a slight decrease in cell growth, suggesting a modest toxicity of ethylene glycol and that HUVECs do not exhibit particular sensitivity to it. Gene expression analysis with whole genome micro-arrays revealed signatures indicative of a generalized stress response at 24 hours after stress and recovery at 72 hours, involving signaling pathways, glycoproteins, and genes involved in extracellular and transmembrane functions. These results reveal a new paradigm and signatures for future experiments in elucidating the toxicity effects of ethylene glycol in vascular endothelial cells.
Insights on cryoprotectant toxicity from gene expression profiling of endothelial cells exposed to ethylene glycol.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesMolecular mechanisms that influence susceptibility to multiple sclerosis are poorly understood. We conducted a gene expression study in healthy subjects that subsequently developed the disease. Gene expression profiles (HG U133A and A2, Affymetrix, 22,215 transcripts) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed in 9 healthy subjects (mean age 19.8+1.1 years) up to 9 years (mean 5.11.2 years) before onset of MS (MS to be, MS2b), 11 age-, gender-, and origin-matched subjects that remained MS-free (MSf), and 31 clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients. Most informative genes (p<0.05) and significant biological processes were compared. 1051 genes (611 up-regulated, 440 down-regulated) were significantly different between MS2b and MSf subjects. MS2b signature was characterized by down-regulation of the nuclear receptor (NR) family genes including NR subfamily 4 group A member1 (NR4A1, p=0.01), member 3 (NR4A3, p=0.01), NR subfamily 2 group F member 2 (NR2F1, p=0.03) and vitamin D receptor (VDR, p=0.02), all known to be involved in T-cell regulation by apoptosis. Comparison between MS2b and CIS operating networks demonstrated evolution of the altered NR dependent apoptosis regulation. Decreased NR4A1 expression was verified at the mRNA and protein level in an independent cohort of 20 relapsing-remitting MS patients. The identified MS trait is associated with suppressed transcription of NR networks that leads to altered apoptosis of activated T cells and the development of clinical disease. MS2b subjects have already an ongoing process that eventually will lead to clinical disease and our finding are of importance as they suggest the possibility of early detection and prevention of MS.
Microarray analysis identifies altered regulation of nuclear receptor family members in the pre-disease state of multiple sclerosis.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesWe used microarray analysis to further our understanding of the mode of action of the well know caloric restriction mimetic rapamycin and the compound Allantoin first studied in the context of aging in this study. His work helps build on our understanding of potential caloric restriction mimetics predicted from our bioinformatic aproach of quering the Connectivity Map, a database of drug-induced gene expression profiles, using the transcriptional profile of CR to identify drugs that induce a similar or opposite gene expression profile.
A network pharmacology approach reveals new candidate caloric restriction mimetics in C. elegans.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesInterferon (IFN) beta-1a is an approved treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and has been examined for use in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). However, no information regarding blood transcriptional changes induced by IFN treatment in SPMS patients is available.
Transcriptional response to interferon beta-1a treatment in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Sex, Age, Treatment
View SamplesBackground: We report the detailed development of biomarkers to predict the clinical outcome under dengue infection. Transcriptional signatures from purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells were derived from whole-genome gene-expression microarray data and validated by quantitative PCR and tested in independent samples. Methodology/Principal Findings: The study was performed on patients of a well-characterized dengue cohort from Recife, Brazil. The samples analyzed were collected prospectively from acute febrile dengue patients who evolved with different degrees of disease severity, classic dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and compared with similar samples from other non-dengue febrile illnesses. The DHF samples were collected 2-3 days before the presentation of the plasma leakage symptoms. Differentially-expressed genes were selected by univariate statistical tests as well as multivariate classification techniques. The results showed that at early stages of dengue infection, the genes involved in effector mechanisms of innate immune response presented a weaker activation on patients who later developed hemorrhagic fever, whereas the genes involved in apoptosis were expressed in higher levels. Conclusions/Significance: Some of the gene expression signatures displayed estimated accuracy rates of more than 95%, indicating that expression profiling with these signatures may provide a useful means of DHF prognosis at early stages of infection
Gene expression profiling during early acute febrile stage of dengue infection can predict the disease outcome.
Sex, Age
View SamplesWe performed RNA-Seq transcriptome profiling on 29 immune cell types consituting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) sorted from 4 Singaporean-Chinese individuals (S4 cohort). We also performed RNA-Seq and microarray transcriptome profiling of PBMCs from an extended cohort of 13 individuals (S13 cohort). The data was used first to characterize the transcriptomic signatures and relationships among the 29 immune cell types. Then we explored the difference in mRNA composition in terms of transcripts proportions and abundance. Lastly, we performed deep deconvolution for both microarray and RNA-Seq technologies. Overall design: Total RNA of 29 immune cell types (from 4 individuals) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, from 13 individuals) was extracted for gene expression profiling. The 13 PBMCs samples were processed with both microarray and RNA-Seq platforms.
RNA-Seq Signatures Normalized by mRNA Abundance Allow Absolute Deconvolution of Human Immune Cell Types.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Subject
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Sumoylation coordinates the repression of inflammatory and anti-viral gene-expression programs during innate sensing.
Specimen part
View SamplesBone marrow derived dendritic cells were generated from Ubc9[fl;-] and Ubc9[+/+] mice. After in vitro derivation in the presence of GM-CSF, dendritic cells were treated with tamoxifen for four days to cause CreERT2 activation, and induce Ubc9 floxed allele deletion. This allowed comparative transcriptomic analysis of Ubc9[+/+] and Ubc9[-/-] dendritic cells unstimulated or stimulated with 10ng/ml LPS for one hour and six hours.
Sumoylation coordinates the repression of inflammatory and anti-viral gene-expression programs during innate sensing.
Specimen part
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