Caenorhabditis elegans is a major eukaryotic experimental system employed to unravel a broad range of cellular and biological processes. Despite the many advantages of C. elegans, biochemical approaches to study tissue-specific gene expression in postembryonic stages are challenging. Here we report a novel experimental approach that enables the efficient determination of tissue-enriched transcriptomes by rapidly releasing nuclei from major tissues of postembryonic animals followed by fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS). Furthermore, we developed and applied a deep sequencing method, named 3'end-seq, which is designed to examine gene expression and identify 3' ends of transcripts using a small quantity of input RNA. In agreement with intestinal specific gene expression, promoter elements of highly expressed genes are enriched for GATA elements and their functional properties are associated with processes that are characteristic for the intestine. In addition, we systematically mapped pre-mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation sites, or polyA sites, including >3,000 sites that have previously not been identified. The analysis of nuclear mRNA revealed widespread alternative polyA site use in intestinally expressed genes. We describe several novel approaches that will be of significance to the analysis of tissue specific gene expression using small quantity RNA samples from C. elegans and beyond. Overall design: 3'end-seq of transcriptomes for input and sorted nuclei
Analysis of C. elegans intestinal gene expression and polyadenylation by fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting and 3'-end-seq.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIn animals, microRNAs frequently form families with related sequences. The functional relevance of miRNA families and the relative contribution of family members to target repression have remained, however, largely unexplored. Here, we used the C. elegans miR-58 miRNA family, comprised primarily of four highly abundant members: miR-58.1, miR-80, miR-81 and miR-82, as a model to investigate the redundancy of miRNA family members and their impact on target expression in an in vivo setting. Overall design: RNA was extracted from different miR-58 family mutants (mir-58.1, mir-80; mir-58.1 and mir-80; mir-58.1; mir-81-82) and wild-type Bristol C. elegans strain at late L4 stage and submitted to transcriptome sequencing with Illumina HiSeq2000. The goal was to compare miR-58 target RNA expression and system-wide perturbations across various samples.
Cooperative target mRNA destabilization and translation inhibition by miR-58 microRNA family in C. elegans.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesRIP-chip-SRM : a New Combinatorial Large Scale Approach Identifies a Set of Translationally Regulated bantam/miR 58 Targets in C. elegans
RIP-chip-SRM--a new combinatorial large-scale approach identifies a set of translationally regulated bantam/miR-58 targets in C. elegans.
Specimen part
View SamplesTo discover new miRNA targets, we generated a C.elegans transgenic line expressing a functional N-terminally Tandem Affinity Purification (TAP) tagged ALG-1 protein (C. elegans strain WS4303). We crossed the TAP::ALG-1 transgene into the mir-58(n4640) mutant background to generate the strain WS5041. For simplicity, we will hereafter term the TAP::ALG-1 transgenic animals as wild typeand the transgenic WS5041 animals as mir-58.
RIP-chip-SRM--a new combinatorial large-scale approach identifies a set of translationally regulated bantam/miR-58 targets in C. elegans.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe in vitro test battery of the European research consortium ESNATS (novel stem cell-based test systems) has been used to screen for potential human developmental toxicants. As part of this effort, the migration of neural crest (MINC) assay has been used to evaluate chemical effects on neural crest function. It identified some drug-like compounds in addition to known environmental toxicants. The hits included the HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin, the chemotherapeutic arsenic trioxide, the flame-retardant PBDE-99, the pesticide triadimefon and the histone deacetylase inhibitors valproic acid and trichostatin A. Transcriptome changes triggered by these substances in human neural crest cells were recorded and analysed here to answer three questions: (1) can toxicants be individually identified based on their transcript profile; (2) how can the toxicity pattern reflected by transcript changes be compacted/ dimensionality-reduced for practical regulatory use; (3) how can a reduced set of biomarkers be selected for large-scale follow up? Transcript profiling allowed clear separation of different toxicants and the identification of toxicant types in a blinded test study. We also developed a diagrammatic system to visualize and compare toxicity patterns of a group of chemicals by giving a quantitative overview of altered superordinate biological processes (e.g. activation of KEGG pathways or overrepresentation of gene ontology terms). The transcript data were mined for potential markers of toxicity, and 39 transcripts were selected to either indicate general developmental toxicity or distinguish compounds with different modes-of-action in read-across. In summary, we found inclusion of transcriptome data to largely increase the information from the MINC phenotypic test.
Identification of transcriptome signatures and biomarkers specific for potential developmental toxicants inhibiting human neural crest cell migration.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesMost commonly used models of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are diets based on specific gene knockouts or represent extreme manipulations of diet. We have examined the effects of modest increased caloric intake and high dietary unsaturated fat content on the development of NASH in male rats using a model in which overfeeding is accomplished via intragastric infusion of liquid diets as a part of total enteral nutrition. Male Sprague dawley rats were fed diets 5% corn oil containing diets at 187 Kcal/kg3/4/d or fed 70% corn oil containing diets at 220 Kcal/kg3/4/d for a period of 3 weeks. Hepatic gene expression were assessed at the end of the study. Our results indicate that overfeeding of high unsaturated fat diets leads to pathological, endocrine and metabolic changes characteristic of NASH patients and is associated with increased oxidative stress and TNF-a.
A new model for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the rat utilizing total enteral nutrition to overfeed a high-polyunsaturated fat diet.
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View SamplesEDI3 was shown to be relevant in cell migration, adhesion and spreading. Gene expression analysis was performed to determine the effect of EDI3 silencing in MCF7 cells in order to gain insight into potential underlying mechanisms.
EDI3 links choline metabolism to integrin expression, cell adhesion and spreading.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesSoy foods have been suggested to have both positive health benefits and potentially adverse effects largely as a result of their content of isoflavone phytoestrogens. Since soy protein isolate (SPI) contains isoflavones, in addition to purported health benefits, safety concerns have been raised regarding the use of SPI and soy formulas, because of potential estrogenic actions during the neonatal period, including the potential for reproductive toxicity, infertility, and the possibility of increased risk for development and recurrence of estrogen sensitive cancers such as breast cancer. In the current study, we used a rat model to compare the effects of SPI with those of 17b-estradiol (E2), on global gene expression profiles and morphology in the female rat mammary gland. Rats were either fed AIN-93G diets containing casein (CAS) or SPI beginning on postnatal day (PND) 30.
Mammary gland morphology and gene expression differ in female rats treated with 17β-estradiol or fed soy protein isolate.
Sex
View SamplesThe current study was designed to determine if dietary fatty acid concentration and composition affects the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Male SD rats were overfed diets low (5%) or high (70%) fat diets via total enteral nutrition where the fat source was olive oil (monounsaturated), or corn oil (polyunsaturated). Overfeeding 5% corn oil produced little steatosis relative to feeding 5% olive oil. This was associated with lower fatty acid synthesis and reduced SREBP-c signaling in the 5% corn oil group. Overfeeding 70% fat diets increased steatosis and lead to increased liver necrosis in the 70% corn oil but not olive oil group. Increased injury after feeding polyunsaturated fat diets was linked to peroxidizability of hepatic free fatty acids and triglycerides and appearance of peroxidaized lipid products HETES and HODES previously linked to clinical nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Dietary fat source alters hepatic gene expression profile and determines the type of liver pathology in rats overfed via total enteral nutrition.
Sex
View SamplesIn order to properly understand whether xenoestrogens act as estrogens, it is essential to possess a solid portrait of the physiological effects of exogenous estradiol. Because the estrogen-dependent gene expression is one of the primary biomarkers of estrogenic action, we have assessed effects of three doses of exogenous estradiol (0.1, 1.0 and 10 g/kg of body weight/day) on the mammary gland morphology and gene expression profiles by microarray analysis of prepubertal male and female rats of both sexes compared to untreated controls. Estradiol was administered subcutaneously with minipumps from weaning at PND21 to the end of the experiment at PND33. The data suggest that the male mammary is a sensitive tissue for estrogenicity assessment.
Mammary gland morphology and gene expression signature of weanling male and female rats following exposure to exogenous estradiol.
Sex
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