Photoreceptor disorders are collectively known as retinal degeneration (RD), and include retinitis pigmentosa (RP), cone-rod dystrophy and age related macular degeneration (AMD). These disorders are largely genetic in origin; individual mutations in any one of >200 genes cause RD, making mutation specific therapies prohibitively expensive. A better treatment plan, particularly for late stage disease, may involve stem cell transplants into the photoreceptor or ganglion cell layers of the retina. Stem cells from young mouse retinas can be transplanted, and can form photoreceptors in adult retinas. These cells can be grown in tissue culture, but can no longer form photoreceptors. We have used microarrays to investigate differences in gene expression between cultured retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that have lost photoreceptor potential, postnatal day 1 (pn1) retinas and the postnatal day 5 (pn5) retinas that contain transplantable photoreceptors. We have also compared FACS sorted Rho-eGFP expressing rod photoreceptors from pn5 retinas with Rho-eGFP negative cells from the same retinas. We have identified over 300 genes upregulated in rod photoreceptor development in multiple comparisons, 37 of which have been previously identified as causative of retinal disease when mutated. It is anticipated that this research should bring us closer to growing photoreceptors in culture and therefore better treatments for RD. This dataset is also a resource for those seeking to identify novel retinopathy genes in RD patients.
Gene expression changes during retinal development and rod specification.
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View Samplesp63 mutations have been associated with several human hereditary disorders characterized by ectodermal dysplasia such as EEC syndrome, ADULT syndrome and AEC syndrome . The location and functional effects of the mutations that underlie these syndromes reveal a striking genotype-phenotype correlation. Unlike EEC and ADULT that result from missense mutations in the DNA-binding domain of p63, AEC is solely caused by missense mutations in the SAM domain of p63. We report a study on the TAp63a isoform, the first to be expressed during development of the embryonic epithelia, and on its naturally occurring Q540L mutant derived from an AEC patient. To assess the effects of the Q540L mutation, we generated stable cell lines expressing TAp63a wt, DeltaNp63 alpha or the TAp63 alpha-Q540L mutant protein and used them to systematically compare the cell growth regulatory activity of the mutant and wt p63 proteins and to generate, by microarray analysis, a comprehensive profile of differential gene expression. We found that the Q540L substitution impairs the transcriptional activity of TAp63a and causes misregulation of genes involved in the control of cell growth and epidermal differentiation.
The Hay Wells syndrome-derived TAp63alphaQ540L mutant has impaired transcriptional and cell growth regulatory activity.
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View SamplesOchratoxin A gene expression profiling in liver and kidney, with time points of exposure from 7 days to 12 motnhs
A toxicogenomics approach to identify new plausible epigenetic mechanisms of ochratoxin a carcinogenicity in rat.
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View SamplesExposure to common environmental chemicals, including those found in personal care products has been linked to mammary cancer at high doses in animal models. Their effects at low doses at levels comparable to human exposure, especially during critical windows of development remain poorly understood. Using a Sprague-Dawley rat model, we investigated the effects of of three environmental chemicals diethyl phthalate (DEP), methyl paraben (MPB) and triclosan (TCS) on the transcriptome of normal developing mammary glands at low doses mimicking human exposure. Rats were exposed during three windows of early development perinatal (gestation day (GD) 1 - 20 or postnatal day (PND) 1 - 20), prepubertal (PND 21 - 41) and pubertal (PND 42 - 62), as well as chronic exposure from birth to end of lactation (PND 1 - 146). Mammary gland whole-transcriptomes were profiled by Affymetrix rat gene 2.0 st arrays.
Changes in mammary histology and transcriptome profiles by low-dose exposure to environmental phenols at critical windows of development.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThere is a lack of systematic investigations of large-scale transcriptome patterns associated with normal breast development. Herein, we profiled whole-transcriptome (by microarrays) of normal mammary glands in female Sprague-Dawley rats, an animal model widely used in breast cancer research, across six distinctive developmental stages pre-pubertal, peri-pubertal, pubertal, lactation, and adult parous and age-matched nulliparous.
Histology and Transcriptome Profiles of the Mammary Gland across Critical Windows of Development in Sprague Dawley Rats.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesHepatic fibrosis, the wound-healing response to repeated liver injury, ultimately leads to cirrhosis. There is an urgent need to develop effective antifibrotic therapies. Ghrelin (encoded by Ghrl) is an orexigenic hormone that has pleiotrophic functions including protection against cell death1. Here we investigate whether ghrelin modulates liver fibrosis and protects from acute liver injury. Recombinant ghrelin reduced the fibrogenic response to prolonged bile duct ligation in rats. This effect was associated with decreased liver injury and myofibroblast accumulation as well as attenuation of the altered gene expression profile. Ghrelin also reduced fibrogenic properties in cultured hepatic stellate cells. Moreover, Ghrl-/- mice developed exacerbated hepatic fibrosis and liver damage after chronic injury. Ghrelin also protected rat livers from acute liver injury and reduced the extent of oxidative stress and the inflammatory response. In patients with chronic liver diseases, ghrelin serum levels decreased in those with advanced fibrosis and hepatic expression of the ghrelin gene correlated with expression of fibrogenic genes. Finally, in patients with chronic hepatitis C, single nucleotide polymorphisms of the ghrelin gene (-994CT and 604GA) influenced the progression of liver fibrosis. We conclude that ghrelin exerts antifibrotic effects on the liver and may represent a novel antifibrotic therapy.
Ghrelin attenuates hepatocellular injury and liver fibrogenesis in rodents and influences fibrosis progression in humans.
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View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Activated stress response pathways within multicellular aggregates utilize an autocrine component.
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View SamplesMammalian cells were grown as multicellular aggregates (spheroids) in an effort to determine the signaling events required for two cellular transformations states; primary foreskin fibroblasts (HFF-2) and glioblastoma cancer (T98G) cells, to survive at room temperature under oxygen and nutrient-deprived conditions for extended periods of time (2 weeks) and subsequently grown out from the arrested state as adherent monolayers. HFF-2 cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum and 5% carbon dioxide humidified air at 37 degrees C. T98G cells were cultured in EMEM with 10% FBS, 5% non-essential amino acids and 5% carbon dioxide humidified air at 37 degreesC. Monolayers were grown in T-185 flasks to 60% confluency then split into T-185 flasks coated with a 1% agarose mix in a 2:1 media/water ratio. Cells were suspended in 30 ml of supplemented media and grown for 4 days in order to form multicellular spheroids as described previously by our group (J. Cell. Physiol., 206 [2006] 526-536; see GSE1364 and GSE1455 for similar experiments with HEK293 cells). The suspension was removed from the flasks and centrifuged (1500 x g, 2 min) and the media removed. The pellet was returned to the flasks and then placed in vacuum bags (Dri-shield 2000 moisture barrier bag from Surmount Inc., USA; Cat. number 70068), which were sealed immediately under vacuum (Deni Magic Vac, Champion model; Keystone Manufacturing, USA). Vacuum-sealed flasks were stored for 2 weeks (in the dark) at room temperature. Recovery was initiated by removing the flask from the bag and resuspending the spheroids in supplemented media and placing the flasks in a 5% CO2/humidified air incubator maintained at 37 degreesC. Timepoints for transcriptional analysis were monolayer (control), 4 day growth spheroids, 2 week stored spheroids and 7 day growth back to monolayers.
Activated stress response pathways within multicellular aggregates utilize an autocrine component.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMammalian cells were grown as multicellular aggregates (spheroids) in an effort to determine the signaling events required for two cellular transformations states; primary foreskin fibroblasts (HFF-2) and glioblastoma cancer (T98G) cells, to survive at room temperature under oxygen and nutrient-deprived conditions for extended periods of time (2 weeks) and subsequently grown out from the arrested state as adherent monolayers. HFF-2 cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum and 5% carbon dioxide humidified air at 37 degrees C. T98G cells were cultured in EMEM with 10% FBS, 5% non-essential amino acids and 5% carbon dioxide humidified air at 37 degreesC. Monolayers were grown in T-185 flasks to 60% confluency then split into T-185 flasks coated with a 1% agarose mix in a 2:1 media/water ratio. Cells were suspended in 30 ml of supplemented media and grown for 4 days in order to form multicellular spheroids as described previously by our group (J. Cell. Physiol., 206 [2006] 526-536; see GSE1364 and GSE1455 for similar experiments with HEK293 cells). The suspension was removed from the flasks and centrifuged (1500 x g, 2 min) and the media removed. The pellet was returned to the flasks and then placed in vacuum bags (Dri-shield 2000 moisture barrier bag from Surmount Inc., USA; Cat. number 70068), which were sealed immediately under vacuum (Deni Magic Vac, Champion model; Keystone Manufacturing, USA). Vacuum-sealed flasks were stored for 2 weeks (in the dark) at room temperature. Recovery was initiated by removing the flask from the bag and resuspending the spheroids in supplemented media and placing the flasks in a 5% CO2/humidified air incubator maintained at 37 degreesC. Timepoints for transcriptional analysis were monolayer (control), 4 day growth spheroids, 2 week stored spheroids and 7 day growth back to monolayers.
Activated stress response pathways within multicellular aggregates utilize an autocrine component.
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View SamplesThe E-protein transcription factors E2A and HEB play important roles at several stages of hematopoiesis. However, the exact mechanism for theire action and the main targets in the LY6D negative common lymphoid progentior (CLP) compartment remains unknown. By adressing this question, we will gain important infromation regarding the early events leading to B-cell specification.
The transcription factors E2A and HEB act in concert to induce the expression of FOXO1 in the common lymphoid progenitor.
Specimen part
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