Multiple regulatory regions have the potential to regulate a single gene, yet how these elements combine to impact gene expression remains unclear. To uncover the combinatorial relationships between enhancers, we developed Enhancer-interference (Enhancer-i), a CRISPR interference-based approach that can prevent enhancer activation simultaneously at multiple regulatory regions. We applied Enhancer-i to promoter-distal estrogen receptor a binding sites (ERBS), which cluster around estradiol-responsive genes and therefore may collaborate to regulate gene expression. Targeting individual sites revealed predominant ERBS that are completely required for the transcriptional response, indicating a lack of redundancy. Simultaneous interference of different ERBS combinations identified supportive ERBS that contribute only when predominant sites are active. Using mathematical modeling, we find strong evidence for collaboration between predominant and supportive ERBS. Overall, our findings expose a complex functional hierarchy of enhancers, where multiple loci bound by the same transcription factor combine to fine tune the expression of target genes. Overall design: The effects of Enhancer interference (Enhancer-i) and control guide RNA treatment on the transcriptome before and after estrogen treatment, with 2 replicates per condition.
Multiplex Enhancer Interference Reveals Collaborative Control of Gene Regulation by Estrogen Receptor α-Bound Enhancers.
Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesEstrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) mutations have been identified in hormone therapy resistant breast cancer and primary endometrial cancer. Analyses in breast cancer suggests that mutant ESR1 exhibits estrogen independent activity. In endometrial cancer, ESR1 mutations are associated with worse outcomes and less obesity, however experimental investigation of these mutations has not been performed. Using a unique CRISPR/Cas9 strategy, we introduced the D538G mutation, a common endometrial cancer mutation that alters the ligand binding domain of ESR1, while epitope tagging the endogenous locus. We discovered estrogen-independent mutant ESR1 genomic binding that is significantly altered from wildtype ESR1. The D538G mutation impacted expression, including a large set of non-estrogen regulated genes, and chromatin accessibility, with most affected loci bound by mutant ESR1. Mutant ESR1 is unique from constitutive ESR1 activity as mutant-specific changes are not recapitulated with prolonged estrogen exposure. Overall, D538G mutant ESR1 confers estrogen-independent activity while causing additional regulatory changes in endometrial cancer cells that are distinct from breast cancer cells. Overall design: RNA-seq was used to study the effects of the D538G mutation on gene expression
Estrogen-independent molecular actions of mutant estrogen receptor 1 in endometrial cancer.
Cell line, Treatment, Subject, Time
View SamplesAn RNA-seq dataset obtained from neural fold-stage chicken (Gallus gallus, strain Special Black) embryos that were exposed to a pharmacologically-relevant alcohol concentration (52 mM for 90 min) or isotonic saline. The cranial headfolds were isolated 6 hours following the initial alcohol exposure. Following RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and quality assurance (20), paired-end reads (75 bp) were generated on an Illumina Genome Analyzer IIx (University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center). Overall design: Paired end runs with 2 replicate ethanol exposed samples (pool of 23 individual neural folds) and 2 saline control samples (pool of 23 individual neural folds).
Exon level machine learning analyses elucidate novel candidate miRNA targets in an avian model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesBackground: Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a primary contributor to low back pain, a leading cause of disability. Progression of DDD is aided by inflammatory cytokines in the intervertebral disc (IVD), particularly TNF-a and IL-1ß, but current treatments fail to effectively target this mechanism. The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of CRISPR epigenome editing based therapy for DDD, by modulation of TNFR1/IL1R1 signaling in pathological human IVD cells. Methods: Human IVD cells from the nucleus pulposus of patients receiving surgery for back pain were obtained and the regulation of TNFR1/IL1R1 signaling by a lentiviral CRISPR epigenome editing system was tested. These cells were tested for successful lentiviral transduction/expression of dCas9-KRAB system and regulation of TNFR1/IL1R1 expression. TNFR1/IL1R1 signaling disruption was investigated via measurement of NF-?B activity, apoptosis, and anabolic/catabolic changes in gene expression post inflammatory challenge. Results: CRISPR epigenome editing systems were effectively introduced into pathological human IVD cells and significantly downregulated TNFR1 and IL1R1. This downregulation significantly attenuated deleterious TNFR1 signaling but not IL1R1 signaling. This is attributed to less robust IL1R1 expression downregulation, and IL-1ß driven reversal of IL1R1 expression downregulation in a portion of patient IVD cells. Additionally, RNAseq data indicated a novel transcription factor targets, IRF1 and TFAP2C, as being a primary regulators of inflammatory signaling in IVD cells. Discussion: These results demonstrate the feasibility of CRISPR epigenome editing of inflammatory receptors in pathological IVD cells, but highlight a limitation in epigenome targeting of IL1R1. This method has potential application as a novel gene therapy for DDD, to attenuate the deleterious effect of inflammatory cytokines present in the degenerative IVD. Overall design: Patient nucleus pulposus cells (TNFR1kd and nontargeting control) were analyzed by RNA-seq with and without TNF-a treatment.
Lentiviral CRISPR Epigenome Editing of Inflammatory Receptors as a Gene Therapy Strategy for Disc Degeneration.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesFibroblasts and lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) are the most widely used cells in genetic, genomic, and transcriptomic studies in relation to human diseases. Examining the gene expression patterns in these two cell types will provide valuable information regarding the validity of using them to study gene expression related to various human diseases.
Genomic landscape of a three-generation pedigree segregating affective disorder.
Age, Disease
View SamplesGenetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) of cancer are powerful tools to study multiple aspects of caner biology. We developed a novel GEMM for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) by genetically combining overexpression of Sox2 with loss of Lkb1: Rosa26LSL-Sox2-IRES-GFP;Lkb1fl/fl (SL). We compared gene expression profiles of SL lung tumors with normal mouse lung tissue, mouse lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) tumors from KrasLSL-G12D/+;Trp53fl/fl (KP), mouse LSCC tumors from Lkb1fl/fl;Ptenfl/fl (LP) model as well as Lenti-Sox2-Cre Lkb1fl/fl. Overall design: Tumors were isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples by microdissection and nucleic acid isolation was performed followed by single-read or paired-end RNA sequencing.
The Lineage-Defining Transcription Factors SOX2 and NKX2-1 Determine Lung Cancer Cell Fate and Shape the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesTumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) can be conditioned to become “N2” pro-tumorigenic neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. TANs have been shown to acquire N2 features and promote multiple aspects of tumor growth in mouse models of many cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer. We developed a novel mouse model for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC): Rosa26LSL-Sox2-IRES-GFP;Nkx2-1fl/fl;Lkb1fl/fl (SNL). SNL mice develop tumors with short latency of ~3 months and SNL tumors have high neutrophil infiltration similar to other LSCC mouse models. We employed this novel model and single-cell RNA-sequencing to profile TANs in SNL lung tumors in comparison to peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) from tumor-bearing SNL mice. Overall design: Flow cytometry sorted neutrophils (CD45+CD11B+LY6G+) from freshly isolated SNL lung tumors or peripheral blood from tumor-bearing mice were single-cell RNA sequenced with 10X Genomics.
The Lineage-Defining Transcription Factors SOX2 and NKX2-1 Determine Lung Cancer Cell Fate and Shape the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesPrimordial germ cell (PGC) development is characterized by global epigenetic remodeling, which resets genomic potential and establishes an epigenetic ground state. Here we recapitulate PGC specification in vitro from naive embryonic stem cells and characterize the early events of epigenetic reprogramming during the formation of the human and mouse germline. Following rapid de novo DNA methylation during priming to epiblast-like cells, methylation is globally erased in PGC-like cells (PGCLCs). Repressive chromatin marks (H3K9me2/3) and transposable elements are enriched at demethylation resistant regions, while active chromatin marks (H3K4me3 or H3K27ac) are more prominent at regions that demethylate faster. The dynamics of specification and epigenetic reprogramming show species-specific differences, in particular markedly slower reprogramming kinetics in the human germline. Differences in developmental kinetics between species may be explained by differential regulation of epigenetic modifiers. Our work establishes a robust and faithful experimental system of the early events of epigenetic reprogramming and its regulation in the germline. Overall design: mRNA-seq, BS-seq and PBAT of different time-points during human and mouse in vitro PGC-like cell specification
Comparative Principles of DNA Methylation Reprogramming during Human and Mouse In Vitro Primordial Germ Cell Specification.
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Identifying and avoiding off-target effects of RNase H-dependent antisense oligonucleotides in mice.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesWe used microarrays to globally profile the gene expression changes observed in liver after 3 days when dosing antisense oligonucleotides in mice
Identifying and avoiding off-target effects of RNase H-dependent antisense oligonucleotides in mice.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples