Transcriptional cofactors communicate regulatory cues from enhancers to promoters and are central effectors of transcription activation and gene expression, which is a hallmark of all multicellular organisms. However, the extent to which different cofactors display intrinsic specificity for distinct promoters is unclear. Testing intrinsic COF – core promoter (CP) compatibilities requires the systematic assessment of transcriptional activation for many CPs in the presence or absence of a given COF in an otherwise constant standardized reporter system. We therefore combined a plasmid-based high-throughput reporter assay, Self-Transcribing Active Core Promoter-sequencing (STAP-seq), with the specific recruitment of individual COFs to create a high-throughput activator bypass-like assay. Using this assay, we tested whether 5 different individually tethered human COFs (MED15, BRD4, EP300, MLL3 and EMSY) activate transcription from a selection of 12,000 candidate sequences encompassing different types of gene core promoters, enhancers and control sequences. In addition, we used the strong transcriptional activator P65 as a positive control and GFP as a negative control. We found that different COFs preferentially activate different CPs. For instance, MED15 prefers TATA-box containing CPs, while MLL3 preferentially activates CpG island promoters. The observed compatibilities between cofactors and promoters can explain how different enhancers specifically activate distinct sets of genes or alternative promoters within the same gene, and may underlie distinct transcriptional programs in human cells. Overall design: STAP-seq upon recruitment of individual transcriptional cofactor in HCT116 cells with 5 different cofactors and 2 controls, each in biological triplicate.
Transcriptional cofactors display specificity for distinct types of core promoters.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesGene expression analysis of three sets of patient-derived T-ALL xenografted murine lines treated or not treated with Givinostat, to investigate the immediate anti-leukemic effects after 6 hours of in vivo treatment with this histone deacetylase inhibitor.
An immediate transcriptional signature associated with response to the histone deacetylase inhibitor Givinostat in T acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenografts.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThe heat shock response (HSR) is a mechanism to cope with proteotoxic stress by inducing the expression of molecular chaperones and other heat shock response genes. The HSR is evolutionarily well conserved and has been widely studied in bacteria, cell lines and lower eukaryotic model organisms. However, mechanistic insights into the HSR in higher eukaryotes, in particular in mammals, are limited. We have developed an in vivo heat shock protocol to analyze the HSR in mice and dissected heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-dependent and -independent pathways. Whilst the induction of proteostasis-related genes was dependent on HSF1, the regulation of circadian function related genes, indicating that the circadian clock oscillators have been reset, was independent of its presence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the in vivo HSR is impaired in mouse models of Huntington's disease but we were unable to corroborate the general repression of transcription after a heat shock found in lower eukaryotes. Overall design: RNA-Seq was performed on mRNA isolated from quadriceps femoris muscle of 24 mice. These mice were of wild type, R6/2, and Hsf1-/- genotypes. Two mice of each genotype were tested in four conditions: (1) heat shock, (2) control heat shock, (3) HSP90 inhibition (NVP-HSP990), and (4) HSP90 inhibition vehicle.
HSF1-dependent and -independent regulation of the mammalian in vivo heat shock response and its impairment in Huntington's disease mouse models.
Age, Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesAlthough intensification of chemotherapy approaches considerably increased the outcome of pediatric T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) patients, a subgroup of them still experience treatment failure and relapse. In this context, we hypothesized that the Nrf2 signalling and its downstream effectors could be involved in sustain therapy resistance in T-ALL, as previously reported in other cancers. Indeed, in this study we identified the Aldo-Keto Reductase (AKR) enzymes AKR1C1-3, as over-expressed in T-ALL samples from therapy-resistant patients, demonstrating their fundamental role in the control of the response to vincristine (VCR) treatment. In particular, we evidence that the modulation of AKR1C1-3 gene expression and activity is sufficient to strongly affect the sensitivity of T-ALL cell lines and primary cells to VCR treatment, but not to daunorubicin, cytarabine or L-asparaginase. Moreover, we found a correlation between the degree of VCR response and the amount of AKR1Cs expression in patient-derived T-ALL xenografts. Interestingly, we show that daunorubicin and cytarabine are able to induce the over-activation of AKR1C enzymes, thus establishing a potential resistance loop generated by the combination of these drugs during T-ALL treatment.
AKR1C enzymes sustain therapy resistance in paediatric T-ALL.
Specimen part, Disease stage
View SamplesZNF521 is a multiple zinc finger transcription factor previously identified because abundantly and selectively expressed in normal CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. From microarray datasets, aberrant expression of ZNF521 has been reported in both pediatric and adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with MLL gene rearrangements. However, a proper validation of microarray data is lacking, likewise ZNF521 contribution in MLL-rearranged AML is still uncertain. In this study, we show that ZNF521 is significantly upregulated in MLL translocated AML patients from a large pediatric cohort, regardless of the type of MLL translocations such as MLL-AF9, MLL-ENL, MLL-AF10 and MLL-AF6 fusion genes. Our in vitro functional studies demonstrate that ZNF521 play a critical role in the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of MLL-rearranged cells. Furthermore, analysis of the ZNF521 gene promoter region shows that ZNF521 is a direct downstream target of both MLL-AF9 and MLL-ENL fusion proteins. Gene expression profiling of MLL-AF9-rearranged THP-1 cells after depletion of ZNF521 reveals correlation with several expression signatures including stem cell-like and MLL fusion dependent programs. These data suggest that MLL fusion proteins activate ZNF521 expression to maintain the undifferentiated state and contribute to leukemogenesis.
ZNF521 sustains the differentiation block in MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesTo formally address the tumor suppressor activity of Sh2b3 in vivo, we tested the interaction between oncogenic NOTCH1 and Sh2b3 loss in a retroviral- transduction bone marrow transplantation model of NOTCH-induced T-ALL
Genetic loss of SH2B3 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Specimen part
View SamplesDisruption of local iron homeostasis is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases. We focused on dopaminergic neurons, asking how iron transport proteins modulate iron homeostasis in vivo. Inactivation of the transmembrane iron exporter ferroportin had no apparent consequences. However, loss of the transferrin receptor 1, involved in iron uptake, caused profound, age-progressive neurodegeneration with features similar to Parkinsons disease. There was gradual loss of dopaminergic projections in the striatum with subsequent death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. After depletion of 30% of the neurons the mice developed neurobehavioral parkinsonism, with evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial autophagy. Molecular analysis revealed strong signatures indicative of attempted axonal regeneration, a metabolic switch to glycolysis and the unfolded protein response. We speculate that cellular iron deficiency may contribute to neurodegeneration in human patients
Altered dopamine metabolism and increased vulnerability to MPTP in mice with partial deficiency of mitochondrial complex I in dopamine neurons.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesHuntingtons disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with the deposition of proteinaceous aggregates in the brains of HD patients and mouse models. Previous studies have suggested that wide-scale disruption of protein homeostasis occurs in protein folding diseases. Protein homeostasis can be maintained by activation of the heat shock response (HSR) via the transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), the pharmacological activation of which can be achieved by Hsp90 inhibition and has been demonstrated to be beneficial in cell and invertebrate models of HD. Whether the HSR is functional in HD and whether its activation has therapeutic potential in mammalian HD models is currently unknown. To address these issues, we used a novel, brain penetrant Hsp90 inhibitor to activate the HSR in brain after systemic administration. Microarrays, quantitative PCR and western blotting showed that the HSR becomes impaired with disease progression in two mouse models of HD and that this originates at the level of transcription.
Altered chromatin architecture underlies progressive impairment of the heat shock response in mouse models of Huntington disease.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesTmprss6 is the master inhibitor of hepcidin and its inactivation causes iron refractory iron deficiency anemia both in human and in mice. Mice with iron deficiency anemia (IDA)-low hepcidin show a pro-inflammatory response that is blunted in iron deficienct-high hepcidin Tmprss6 null mice. We investigated the transcriptional response associated with chronic hepcidin overexpression by comparing whole genome transcription profiling of the liver of Tmprss6 KO mice and IDA animals, irrespective of iron deficiency.
A strong anti-inflammatory signature revealed by liver transcription profiling of Tmprss6-/- mice.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesOur study reveals up-regulation of the TAK1 pathway when compared with the uninjured hindlimb in our model of trauma-induced heterotopic ossification (tHO) consisting of hindlimb Achilles' tendon transection with dorsal burn injury. Overall design: Using a model of musculoskeletal injury, we sought to determine the role that TGF-ß activated kinase 1 (TAK1) signaling has on MSC cellular differentiation and inappropriate tissue formation (heterotopic ossification).
Endogenous CCN family member WISP1 inhibits trauma-induced heterotopic ossification.
Cell line, Subject, Time
View Samples