Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. Familial predisposition to PDAC occurs in ~10% of cases, but causative genes have not been identified in most families. Uncovering the genetic basis for PDAC susceptibility has immediate prognostic implications for families and can provide mechanistic clues to PDAC pathogenesis. Here, we perform whole-genome sequence analysis in a family with multiple cases of PDAC and identify a germline nonsense mutation in the member of RAS oncogene family-like 3 (RABL3) gene never before directly associated with hereditary cancer. The truncated mutant allele (RABL3_p.S36*) co-segregates with cancer occurrence. To evaluate the contribution of the RABL3 mutant allele in hereditary cancer, we generated rabl3 heterozygous mutant zebrafish and found increased susceptibility to cancer formation in two independent cancer models. Unbiased approaches implicate RABL3 in RAS pathway regulation: the transcriptome of juvenile rabl3 mutants reveals a KRAS upregulation signature, and affinity-purification mass spectrometry for proteins associated with RABL3 or RABL3_p.S36* identifies Rap1 GTPase-GDP Dissociation Stimulator 1 (RAP1GDS1, SmgGDS), a chaperone that regulates prenylation of RAS GTPases. Indeed, we find that RABL3_p.S36* accelerates KRAS prenylation and requires RAS proteins to promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, rabl3 homozygous mutant zebrafish develop severe craniofacial, skeletal, and growth defects consistent with human RASopathies, and these defects are partially rescued with the MEK inhibitor trametinib. Finally, we identify additional germline mutations in RABL3 that impact RAS activity in vivo and have a significant burden in a cohort of patients with developmental disorders, suggesting a role in undiagnosed RASopathies. Moreover, RABL3 is upregulated in multiple human PDAC cell lines and knockdown abrogates proliferation, consistent with a broader role for RABL3 in PDAC. Our studies identify the RABL3 mutation as a new target for genetic testing in cancer families and uncover a novel mechanism for dysregulated RAS activity in development and cancer. Overall design: WT (4 replicates) and homozygous rabl3-TR41 mutant (3 replicates) larval zebrafish at 21 days of age.
Mutations in RABL3 alter KRAS prenylation and are associated with hereditary pancreatic cancer.
Age, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesObjective : To study molecular changes in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone of the tibial plateau from mice deficient in frizzled related protein (Frzb) compared to wild-type mice by transcriptome analysis.
Tight regulation of wingless-type signaling in the articular cartilage - subchondral bone biomechanical unit: transcriptomics in Frzb-knockout mice.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disorder that results in progressive joint damage when insufficiently treated. In order to prevent joint destruction and functional disability in RA, early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment with Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) is needed. However, in daily clinical practice, patients may initially display symptoms of arthritis that do not fulfil the classification criteria for a definite diagnosis of RA, or any other joint disease, a situation called Undifferentiated Arthritis (UA). Out of the patients with UA, 30 to 50% usually develop RA, and early identification of these remains a challenge.
Identification of distinct gene expression profiles in the synovium of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Treatment
View SamplesObjective: Rituximab displays therapeutic benefits in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients resistant to TNF blockade. However, the precise role of B cells in the pathogenesis of RA is still unknown. In this study we investigated the global molecular effects of rituximab in synovial biopsies obtained from anti-TNF resistant RA patients before and after administration of the drug.
Rituximab treatment induces the expression of genes involved in healing processes in the rheumatoid arthritis synovium.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Treatment
View SamplesA genetic association between the ANP32A gene and osteoarthritis has been suggested. We compared transcriptome profiles of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone from mice deficient in ANP32A with wild-type mice to get insights into the role of ANP32A in the pathogenesis of ostearthritis.
ANP32A regulates ATM expression and prevents oxidative stress in cartilage, brain, and bone.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
RNA expression profiling of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in a cardiac hypertrophy model.
Specimen part
View SamplesCardiac hypertrophy is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and heart failure. There is increasing evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) and the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. However, the ability to comprehensively study cardiac hypertrophy on a gene regulatory level is impacted by the limited availability of human cardiomyocytes. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) offer the opportunity for disease modeling.
RNA expression profiling of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in a cardiac hypertrophy model.
Specimen part
View SamplesTo assess the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, HDACi 4b, treatment on muscle function on a molecular level, we performed microarray analysis on skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius) samples from wt and N17182Q mice treated with the HDAC inhibitor 4b for 3 months (50 mg/kg; s.c. injection 3x weekly; n=4 per group). The transcriptome pattern in N17182Q mice compared to wt controls consisted of deficits in the expression of genes related to mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism. In addition, we noted that numerous genes associated with basal contractile function were altered in HD N17182Q mice. These include genes related to the muscle contractile complex, Tnnt3 and Myh8, as well as several additional myosin genes: myosin heavy chain genes, Myh10 and Myh4, and myosin light chain genes, Myl1, Mylc2 and Mylk. These findings implicate deficits in the underlying contractile function in skeletal muscle from HD mice. Further, we found robust effects of 4b treatment on the expression of genes in skeletal muscle, with 556 genes showing significantly altered expression, at p<0.005, in 4b-treated N17182Q muscle compared to vehicle-treated control mice.
HDAC inhibition imparts beneficial transgenerational effects in Huntington's disease mice via altered DNA and histone methylation.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesDEAD-box RNA helicases eIF4A and Ded1 are believed to promote translation initiation by resolving mRNA secondary structures that impede ribosome attachment at the mRNA 5' end or subsequent scanning of the 5'UTR, but whether they perform distinct functions or act redundantly in vivo is poorly understood. We compared the effects of mutations in Ded1 or eIF4A on global translational efficiencies (TEs) in yeast by ribosome footprint profiling. Despite similar reductions in bulk translation, inactivation of a cold-sensitive Ded1 mutant substantially reduced the TEs of >600 mRNAs, whereas inactivation of a temperature-sensitive eIF4A mutant yielded <40 similarly impaired mRNAs. The broader requirement for Ded1 did not reflect more pervasive secondary structures at low temperature, as inactivation of temperature-sensitive and cold-sensitive ded1 mutants gave highly correlated results. Interestingly, Ded1-dependent mRNAs exhibit greater than average 5'UTR length and propensity for secondary structure, implicating Ded1 in scanning though structured 5' UTRs. Reporter assays confirmed that cap- distal stem-loop insertions increase dependence on Ded1 but not eIF4A for efficient translation. While only a small fraction of mRNAs is strongly dependent on eIF4A, this dependence is significantly correlated with requirements for Ded1 and 5'UTR features characteristic of Ded1- dependent mRNAs. Our findings suggest that Ded1 is critically required to promote scanning through secondary structures within 5'UTRs; and while eIF4A cooperates with Ded1 in this function, it also promotes a step of initiation common to virtually all yeast mRNAs. Overall design: We compared the effects of mutations in Ded1 or eIF4A on global translational efficiencies (TEs) in yeast by ribosome footprint profiling.The study includes 32 samples, comprised of 16 mRNA-Seq samples and 16 ribosome footprint profiling samples, derived from biological replicates of 3 mutant strains, ded1-cs, ded1-ts and tif1-ts, and the corresponding wild-type strains. The tif1-ts mutant and its wild-type counterpart were analyzed at 30°C and 37°C.
Functional interplay between DEAD-box RNA helicases Ded1 and Dbp1 in preinitiation complex attachment and scanning on structured mRNAs in vivo.
Subject
View SamplesSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most common inherited forms of neurological disease leading to infant mortality. Patients exhibit selective loss of lower motor neurons resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis, and often death. Although patient fibroblasts have been used extensively to study SMA, motor neurons have a unique anatomy and physiology which may underlie their vulnerability to the disease process. Here we report the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from skin fibroblast samples taken from a child with SMA. These cells expanded robustly in culture, maintained the disease genotype, and generated motor neurons that showed selective deficits compared to those derived from the childs unaffected mother. This is the first study to show human iPS cells can be used to model the specific pathology seen in a genetically inherited disease. As such, it represents a promising resource to study disease mechanisms, screen novel drug compounds, and develop new therapies.
Induced pluripotent stem cells from a spinal muscular atrophy patient.
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