Transgenic animals were engineered to express human amyloid peptide controlled by a muscle-specific, heat-inducible promoter. At low temperatures (16C) Abeta expression is minimal, while at higher temperatures (20-25C) Abeta accummulates in large quantities and causes paralysis.
Identifying Aβ-specific pathogenic mechanisms using a nematode model of Alzheimer's disease.
Time
View SamplesMaternal smoking has a severe negative effect on all stages of pregnancy that in consequence impairs fetal growth and development. Tobacco smoke-related defects are well established at the clinical level; however, little is known about molecular mechanisms underlying these pathological conditions. We thus employed a genomic approach to determine transcriptome alterations induced by maternal smoking in pregnancy. We assayed gene expression profiles in peripheral blood (M) leukocytes and placentas (PL) of pregnant smokers and those without significant exposure, and in cord blood (D) leukocytes of their babies. Comparative analyses defined significant deregulation of 193 genes in M cells, 329 genes in placentas, and 49 genes in D cells of smokers. These genes were mainly involved in xenobiotic metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, immunity, hematopoiesis, trophoblast differentiation, and vascularization. Functional annotation of the deregulated genes outlined processes and pathways affected by tobacco smoke. In smoker newborns, we identified several deregulated pathways associated with autoimmune diseases. The study demonstrates a limited ability of placenta to modulate toxic effects of maternal tobacco use at the gene expression level.
Transcriptome alterations in maternal and fetal cells induced by tobacco smoke.
Age, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesPassive smoke intake by pregnant women may have detrimental effects such as spontaneous abortion, lower birth weight, stillbirth, and reduced infant lung function. To extend our knowledge on molecular effects of tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy, we analyzed transcriptome alterations in passive smokers (PS) and compared them to those in active smokers (AS). Using Illumina Expression Beadchip with 24,526 transcript probes, gene expression patterns were assayed in placentas from PS (N=25) exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) throughout pregnancy and non-exposed (NS) counterparts (N=35), and in cord blood cells from their newborns. The ETS exposure was evaluated by questionnaire disclosure and cotinine measurement in maternal and cord bloods. A total of 196 genes were significantly deregulated in placentas of PS compared to NS. These genes were primary associated with extracellular matrix, apoptosis, blood clotting, response to stress, embryonic morphogenesis, and lipid metabolism. Cord blood of newborns of PS displayed differential expression of 116 genes encoding mainly neuronal factors, regulators of immunologic response, and protooncogenes. Gene ontology analyses highlighted some important biological processes that might be associated with placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction in PS, such as fatty acid catabolism, coagulation, regulation of growth, and response to steroid hormone stimulus. The study demonstrates that even low dose exposure to ETS during pregnancy leads to the significant deregulation of transcriptional regulation in placental and fetal cells. The data suggest the effect of ETS on the fetus is primary indirect, mediated via deregulation of placental functions. Comparison of PS and AS indicated that ETS exposure and active smoking in pregnancy partly employ the same molecular mechanisms.
Deregulation of gene expression induced by environmental tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy.
Age
View SamplesThe response of drosophila to bacterial and fungal infections involves two signaling pathways, Toll and Imd, which both activate NF-kB family members. We have studied the global transcriptional response of flies to infection with drosophila C virus. Viral infection induced a set of genes distinct from those regulated by the Toll or Imd pathways, and triggered activation of a STAT binding activity. Genetic experiments showed that the JAK kinase Hopscotch was involved in the control of the viral load in infected flies, and was required, though not sufficient, for the induction of some virus-regulated genes. Our results indicate that in addition to Toll and Imd, a third evolutionary conserved innate immunity pathway operates in drosophila and counters viral infection.
The Jak-STAT signaling pathway is required but not sufficient for the antiviral response of drosophila.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a good model to unravel the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity, and has led to some important discoveries on the sensing and signalling of microbial infections. The response of drosophila to virus infections remains poorly characterized, and appears to involve two facets. On one hand RNA interference (RNAi) involves the recognition and processing of dsRNA into small interfering (si) RNAs by the host ribonuclease Dicer-2 (Dcr-2), whereas on the other hand an inducible response controlled by the evolutionarily conserved JAK/STAT pathway contributes to the antiviral host defence. In order to clarify the contribution of the siRNA and JAK/STAT pathways to the control of viral infections, we have compared the resistance of flies wild-type or mutant for Dcr-2 or the JAK kinase Hopscotch (Hop) to infections by seven RNA or DNA viruses belonging to different families. Our results reveal a unique susceptibility of hop mutant flies to infection by DCV and CrPV, two members of the Dicistroviridae family. Genome-wide microarray analysis confirmed that different sets of genes were induced following infection by DCV (GSE2828) or two unrelated RNA viruses, FHV and SINV. Overall, our data reveal that RNAi is an efficient antiviral mechanism, operating against a large range of viruses, including a DNA virus. By contrast, the antiviral contribution of the JAK/STAT pathway appears to be virus-specific.
Broad RNA interference-mediated antiviral immunity and virus-specific inducible responses in Drosophila.
Time
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Protection afforded by an HIV vaccine candidate in macaques depends on the dose of SIVmac251 at challenge exposure.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe SIVmac251 macaque model has been used to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine for HIV. Exposure of macaques to a single high dose of SIVmac251 results in transmission of multiple viral variants, which contrasts the few HIV variants typically transmitted in humans. In here, we investigated whether the dose of SIVmac251 challenge affected vaccination efficacy and found that exposure of the immunized macaques to single high dose of SIVmac251 resulted in no vaccine efficacy, whereas exposure to a tenfold lower dose resulted in protection from SIVmac251 acquisition and protection from disease in animals that become infected. The dose of challenge did not affect the expression of inflammatory genes in the gut in acute infection, but at set point, a significant down regulation of interferon responsive genes and up regulation of genes involved in B and T-cell responses, was observed only in vaccinated animals exposed to a lower dose of SIVmac251. Accordingly, in these animals, we also found a significant correlation with vaccine induced T-cell responses and protection from disease. These data demonstrate that the evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine candidates for HIV relies on accurate modeling in macaques to better mimic HIV transmission to humans.
Protection afforded by an HIV vaccine candidate in macaques depends on the dose of SIVmac251 at challenge exposure.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe SIVmac251 macaque model has been used to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine for HIV. Exposure of macaques to a single high dose of SIVmac251 results in transmission of multiple viral variants, which contrasts the few HIV variants typically transmitted in humans. In here, we investigated whether the dose of SIVmac251 challenge affected vaccination efficacy and found that exposure of the immunized macaques to single high dose of SIVmac251 resulted in no vaccine efficacy, whereas exposure to a tenfold lower dose resulted in protection from SIVmac251 acquisition and protection from disease in animals that become infected. The dose of challenge did not affect the expression of inflammatory genes in the gut in acute infection, but at set point, a significant down regulation of interferon responsive genes and up regulation of genes involved in B and T-cell responses, was observed only in vaccinated animals exposed to a lower dose of SIVmac251. Accordingly, in these animals, we also found a significant correlation with vaccine induced T-cell responses and protection from disease. These data demonstrate that the evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine candidates for HIV relies on accurate modeling in macaques to better mimic HIV transmission to humans.
Protection afforded by an HIV vaccine candidate in macaques depends on the dose of SIVmac251 at challenge exposure.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe Melanoma-associated Antigen gene family (MAGE) generally encodes for tumour antigens. We recently have identified one of the MAGE gene members, Mageb16 to be highly expressed in undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs). The role of Mageb16 for the differentiation of the pluripotent stem cells is completely unknown. Here we demonstrate that Mageb16 (41 kDa) is distributed in cytosol and/or in surface membrane in undifferentiated mESCs. A transcriptome study was performed with differentiated short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated Mageb16 knockdown (KD ESCs) and scrambled control (SCR) ESCs until a period of 22 days. Mageb16 KD ESCs mainly differentiated towards mesodermal derivatives such as cardiovascular lineages. Mesoderm-oriented differentiation initiated biological processes such as adipogenesis, osteogenesis, limb morphogenesis and spermatogenesis were significantly enriched in the differentiated Mageb16 KD ESCs. Cardiomyogenesis in differentiated KD mESCs was stronger when compared to differentiated SCR and wild mESCs. The expression of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) Lin28a and other epigenetic regulatory genes, nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and genes participating in spermatogenesis have also declined faster in the differentiating Mageb16 KD ESCs. We conclude that Mageb16 plays a crucial role for differentiation of ESCs, specifically to the mesodermal lineages. Regulative epigenetic networks and nucleocytoplasmic modifications induced by Mageb16 may play a role for the critical role of Mageb16 for the ESCs differentiation.
Depletion of Mageb16 induces differentiation of pluripotent stem cells predominantly into mesodermal derivatives.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesICU acquired weakness (ICUAW) is a complication of critical illness characterized by structural and functional impairment of skeletal muscle that may persist for years after ICU discharge with many survivors developing protracted courses with few regaining functional independence. Elucidating molecular mechanisms underscoring sustained ICUAW is crucial to understanding outcomes linked to different morbidity trajectories as well as for the development of novel therapies. Quadriceps muscle biopsies and functional measures of muscle strength and mass were obtained at 7 days and 6 months post-ICU discharge from a cohort of ICUAW patients. Unsupervised co-expression network analysis of transcriptomic profiles identified discrete modules of co-expressed genes associated with the degree of muscle weakness and atrophy in early and sustained ICUAW. Modules were enriched for genes involved in skeletal muscle regeneration and extracellular matrix deposition. Collagen deposition in persistent ICUAW was confirmed by histochemical stain. Modules were further validated in an independent cohort of critically ill patients with sepsis-induced multi-organ failure and a porcine model of ICUAW, demonstrating disease-associated conservation across species and peripheral muscle type. Our findings provide a pathomolecular basis for sustained ICUAW, implicating aberrant expression of distinct skeletal muscle structural and regenerative genes in early and persistent ICUAW.
Transcriptomic analysis reveals abnormal muscle repair and remodeling in survivors of critical illness with sustained weakness.
Sex, Age
View Samples