Inflammation plays a central role in many human diseases. Human parturition also resembles an inflammatory reaction, where progesterone (P4) and progesterone receptors (PRs) have already been demonstrated to suppress contraction-associated gene expression. In our previous studies, we have found that the progesterone actions, including progesterone-induced gene expression and progesterones anti-inflammatory effect, are mediated by PR, GR or both.
Progesterone and the Repression of Myometrial Inflammation: The Roles of MKP-1 and the AP-1 System.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesImplantation is dependent on synchronized interactions between the conceptus and surrounding decidual cells but the involvement of clock genes in this process is not well understood. Circadian oscillations are predicated on transcriptional-translational feedback loops, which balance the activities of the transcriptional activators CLOCK and BMAL1 and repressors encoded by PER and CRY genes. Here we show that loss of PER2 expression silences circadian oscillations in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Downregulation was preceded by reduced CLOCK binding to a noncanonical E-box enhancer in the PER2 promoter and occurred between 12 - 24 h after exposure to a deciduogenic stimulus. RNA sequencing revealed that premature inhibition of PER2 by siRNA knockdown leads to a grossly disorganised decidual response. Gene ontology analysis highlighted a preponderance of cell cycle regulators amongst the 1,121 genes perturbed upon PER2 knockdown. Congruently, PER2 inhibition abrogated mitotic expansion of differentiating HESCs by inducing cell cycle block at G2/M. Analysis of mid-luteal endometrial biopsies revealed an inverse correlation between PER2 transcript levels and the number of miscarriages in women suffering reproductive failure. Thus, PER2 synchronizes mitotic expansion of HESCs with a periodic decidual gene expression; uncoupling of these events may cause persistent pregnancy failure. Overall design: Endometrial mRNA profiles of paired control (siRNA-NT) and siRNA-PER2 were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate using Illumina
The clock protein period 2 synchronizes mitotic expansion and decidual transformation of human endometrial stromal cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTo clarify mineralcorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor-dependent gene networks in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells.
Induction of 11β-HSD 1 and activation of distinct mineralocorticoid receptor- and glucocorticoid receptor-dependent gene networks in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThe endometrial perivascular microenvironment is rich in mesenchymal stem-like cells that express type 1 integral membrane protein Sushi domain containing 2 (SUSD2) but the role of these cells in the decidual transformation of this tissue in pregnancy is unknown. We used an antibody directed against SUSD2 (W5C5) to isolate perivascular (W5C5+) and non-perivascular (W5C5-) fibroblasts from mid-luteal biopsies. We show that SUSD2 expression, and hence the ratio of W5C5+ to W5C5- cells, changes in culture depending on cell-cell contact and activation of the Notch signaling pathway. RNA sequencing revealed that cultures derived from W5C5+ progenitor cells remain phenotypically distinct by the enrichment of novel and established endometrial perivascular signature genes. In an undifferentiated state, W5C5+-derived cells produced lower levels of various chemokines and inflammatory modulators when compared to their W5C5- counterparts. This divergence in secretomes became more pronounced upon decidualization, which transformed perivascular W5C5+ cells into the dominant source of a range of trophic and immunomodulatory cytokines, including leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Our findings indicate that the decidual response is spatially organized with differentiating perivascular cells establishing distinct cytokine and chemokine gradients that could direct trophoblast towards maternal vessels and govern local immune responses in pregnancy. Overall design: Analysis of paired human endometrial stromal cultures, originating from either W5C5+ or W5C5- cells, from four biological replicates - a total of 8 samples - by Illumina RNAseq.
Decidualization induces a secretome switch in perivascular niche cells of the human endometrium.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesIn order to try and identify characteristics of gene expression in the endometrium of women suffering infertility or recurrenty miscarriage, we performed RNAseq on endometrial pipelle biopsies from 20 women. The endometrial transcriptome in the mid-luteal phase of the cycle (window of implantation) is highly divergent in women suffering infertility or miscarriages. Overall design: 20 mid-luteal endometrial biopsies were analysed from infertile women and patients suffering recurrent pregnancy loss.Â
Loss of Endometrial Plasticity in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAnalysis of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF7 cell total RNA expression and polysome-assiciated RNA expression following treatment with estradiol (E2) and vehicle (etoh).
Estrogen coordinates translation and transcription, revealing a role for NRSF in human breast cancer cells.
Cell line
View SamplesHypothesis: Overexpression of the GLUT1 facilitative glucose transporter, in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells, is sufficient and/or necessary to induce alterations in gene expression which influence apoptosis, growth, and proliferation.
GLUT1-induced cFLIP expression promotes proliferation and prevents apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells.
Cell line
View SamplesDiabetic Neuropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes. Currently, there is no drug treatment to prevent or slow the development of DN. Rosiglitazone (Rosi) is a potent insulin sensitizer and may also slow the development of DN by a mechanism independent of its effect on hyperglycemia. A two by two design was used to test the effect of Rosi treatment on the development of DN. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic DBA/2J mice were treated with Rosi. DN and oxidative stress were quantified, and gene expression was profiled using the Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 microarray platform. An informatics approach identified key regulatory elements activated by Rosi. Diabetic DBA/2J mice developed severe hyperglycemia, DN and elevated oxidative stress. Rosi treatment did not affect hyperglycemia but did reduce oxidative stress and prevented development of thermal hypoalgesia. Two novel transcription factor binding modules were identified that may control genes correlated to changes in DN following Rosi treatment: SP1F_ZBPF and EGRF_EGRF. Rosi treatment reduced oxidative stress and DN independent of its insulin sensitizing effects. Gene expression profiling identified two novel targets activated by Rosi treatment. These targets may be useful in designing drugs with the same efficacy as Rosi in treating DN but with fewer undesirable effects.
Rosiglitazone treatment reduces diabetic neuropathy in streptozotocin-treated DBA/2J mice.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesLoss-of-function studies are fundamental for dissecting gene function. Yet, methods to rapidly and effectively perturb genes in mammalian cells are scarce. We present a novel system, deliverable with only two lentiviral vectors, which enables simultaneous control over two different proteins in the same cell. By harnessing the plant auxin and jasmonate hormone-induced degradation pathways, combined with RNA interference, this system allows constitutive depletion of two endogenous proteins and their replacement with two exogenous proteins whose degradation is rapidly and reversibly induced by external ligands, representing a dual analog molecular tuner. Focusing on NANOG, CHK1 and NOTCH1 in embryonic stem cells and p53 in cancer cells we have validated the efficiency, rapidity, reversibility, titratability and multiplicity of the engineered tuners, and demonstrated their potential to facilitate previously-unfeasible experimental approaches and to generate novel biological insights. Overall design: For mRNA-Seq preparation, coronatine/DMSO treated cells were collected.
A dual molecular analogue tuner for dissecting protein function in mammalian cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPurpose: The ability to rationally manipulate the transcriptional states of cells would be of great use in medicine and bioengineering. We have developed a novel algorithm, NetSurgeon, which utilizes genome-wide gene regulatory networks to identify interventions that force a cell toward a desired expression state. Results: We used NetSurgeon to select transcription factor deletions aimed at improving ethanol production in S. cerevisiae cultures that are catabolizing xylose. We reasoned that interventions that move the transcriptional states of cells utilizing xylose toward the fermentative state typical of cells that are producing ethanol rapidly (while utilizing glucose) might improve xylose fermentation. Some of the interventions selected by NetSurgeon successfully promoted a fermentative transcriptional state in the absence of glucose, resulting in strains with a 2.7-fold increase in xylose import rates, a 4-fold improvement in xylose integration into central carbon metabolism, or a 1.3-fold increase in ethanol production rate. Conclusions: We conclude by presenting an integrated model of transcriptional regulation and metabolic flux that will enable future metabolic engineering efforts aimed at improving xylose fermentation to prioritize functional regulators of central carbon metabolism. Overall design: Mutant and wildtype S. cerevisiae cells were put into 48 hour aerobic batch fermentations of synthetic complete medium supplmented with 2% glucose and 5% xylose and culture samples were taken at 4 hours and 24 hours for transcriptional profiling performed by RNA-Seq analysis. In addition, wildtype S. cerevisiae cells were grown in various single carbon sources for 12 hours and culture samples were taken for transcriptional profiling performed by RNA-Seq analysis.
Model-based transcriptome engineering promotes a fermentative transcriptional state in yeast.
Subject
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