Access to an unlimited number of human pancreatic beta cells represents a major challenge in the field of diabetes to better dissect human beta cell functions and to make significant progress in drug discovery and cell replacement therapies. We previously reported the generation of the EndoC-bH1 human beta cell line that was generated by targeted oncogenesis in human fetal pancreases followed by in vivo cell differentiation in mice. Such cell line displayed many functional properties of adult beta cells. Here we devised a novel strategy to generate conditionally immortalized human beta cell lines based on CRE-mediated excision of immortalizing transgenes. The resulting EndoC-bH2 cell line can be massively amplified in vitro. Transgenes are next efficiently excised upon CRE expression leading to cell proliferation arrest and strong enhancement of beta cell specific features such as insulin expression, content and secretion. Excised EndoC-bH2 cells are close to authentic human beta cells and represent a unique tool to further study beta cell function and to understand why adult human beta cells are refractory to proliferation and how to achieve drug-dependent mobilization towards beta cell expansion.
Development of a conditionally immortalized human pancreatic β cell line.
Specimen part
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Systems biology of the IMIDIA biobank from organ donors and pancreatectomised patients defines a novel transcriptomic signature of islets from individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Age
View SamplesPancreatic islet beta cell failure causes type 2 diabetes (T2D). The IMIDIA consortium has used a strategy entailing a stringent comparative transcriptomics analysis of islets isolated enzymatically or by laser microdissection from two large cohorts of non-diabetic (ND) and T2D organ donors (OD) or partially pancreatectomized patients (PPP). This work led to the identification of a signature of genes that were differentially expressed between T2D and ND regardless of the sample type (OD or PPP). This signature includes 19 genes, of which 9 have never been previously reported to be differentially expressed in T2D islets. The PPP cohort also includes samples from individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or recent onset diabetes associated with a pancreatic exocrine disorder (T3cD). Notably, none of the 19 signature genes of T2D islets were significantly dysregulated in islets of subjects with IGT or T3cD, suggesting that their changed expression reflects beta cell deterioration rather than a deficit preceding it.
Systems biology of the IMIDIA biobank from organ donors and pancreatectomised patients defines a novel transcriptomic signature of islets from individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Age
View SamplesPancreatic islet beta cell failure causes type 2 diabetes (T2D). The IMIDIA consortium has used a strategy entailing a stringent comparative transcriptomics analysis of islets isolated enzymatically or by laser microdissection from two large cohorts of non-diabetic (ND) and T2D organ donors (OD) or partially pancreatectomized patients (PPP). This work led to the identification of a signature of genes that were differentially expressed between T2D and ND regardless of the sample type (OD or PPP). This signature includes 19 genes, of which 9 have never been previously reported to be differentially expressed in T2D islets. The PPP cohort also includes samples from individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or recent onset diabetes associated with a pancreatic exocrine disorder (T3cD). Notably, none of the 19 signature genes of T2D islets were significantly dysregulated in islets of subjects with IGT or T3cD, suggesting that their changed expression reflects beta cell deterioration rather than a deficit preceding it.
Systems biology of the IMIDIA biobank from organ donors and pancreatectomised patients defines a novel transcriptomic signature of islets from individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Age
View SamplesIn the intestine, Hedgehog (Hh) signalling orchestrates epithelial homeostasis in a bidirectional loop. Differentiated enterocytes secrete the ligand leading to active downstream signaling exclusively in the stroma. In turn, Hh-driven stromal factors contribute to the control of intestinal stem cell numbers and induce epithelial differentiation.
Stromal Hedgehog signalling is downregulated in colon cancer and its restoration restrains tumour growth.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Indian Hedgehog Suppresses a Stromal Cell-Driven Intestinal Immune Response.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesEwing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) are aggressive bone and soft tissue tumors of unknown cellular origin. Most ESFT express EWS-FLI1, a chimeric protein which functions as a growth-promoting oncogene in ESFT but is toxic to most normal cells. A major difficulty in understanding EWS-FLI1 function has been the lack of an adequate model in which to study EWS-FLI1-induced transformation. Although the cell of origin of ESFT remains elusive, both mesenchymal (MSC) and neural crest (NCSC) have been implicated. We recently developed the tools to generate NCSC from human embryonic stem cells (hNCSC). In the current study we used this model to test the hypothesis that neural crest-derived stem cells are the cells of origin of ESFT and to evaluate the consequences of EWS-FLI1 expression on human neural crest biology.
Modeling initiation of Ewing sarcoma in human neural crest cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe full complement of molecular pathways contributing to Parkinsons disease (PD) pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, to address this issue, we began by using a high-resolution variant of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to pinpoint brainstem regions differentially affected by, and resistant to, the disease. Then, relying on the imaging information as a guide, we profiled gene expression levels of postmortem brain samples and used a factorial statistical model to identify a disease related decrease in the expression of the polyamine enzyme spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1). Next, a series of studies were performed to confirm the pathogenic relevance of this finding. First, to test for a causal link between polyamines and -synuclein toxicity, we investigated a yeast model expressing -synuclein. Polyamines were found to enhance the toxicity of -synuclein, and an unbiased genome-wide screen for modifiers of -synuclein toxicity identified Tpo4, a member of a family of proteins responsible for polyamine transport. Second, to test for a causal link between SAT1 activity and PD histopathology we investigated a mouse model expressing -synuclein. DENSPM (N1, N11-diethylnorspermine), a polyamine analog that increases SAT1 activity, was found to reduce PD histopathology, while Berenil (diminazene aceturate), a pharmacological agent that reduces SAT1 activity, worsened the histopathology. Third, we genotyped PD patients and controls and isolated a rare but novel variant in the SAT1 gene, although the functional significance of this genetic variant was not identified. Taken together, the results suggest that the polyamine pathway contributes to PD pathogenesis.
Polyamine pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease.
Sex, Age, Subject
View SamplesTranscriptome analysis may provide means to investigate the underlying genetic causes of shared and divergent phenotypes in different populations and help to identify potential targets of adaptive evolution. Applying RNA sequencing to whole male Drosophila melanogaster from the ancestral tropical African environment and a very recently colonized cold-temperate European environment at both standard laboratory conditions and following a cold shock, we seek to uncover the transcriptional basis of cold adaptation. In both the ancestral and the derived populations, the predominant characteristic of the cold shock response is the swift and massive upregulation of heat shock proteins and other chaperones. Although we find ~30% of the genome to be differentially expressed following a cold shock, only relatively few genes (n=26) are up- or down-regulated in a population-specific way. Intriguingly, 24 of these 26 genes show a greater degree of differential expression in the African population. Likewise, there is an excess of genes with particularly strong cold-induced changes in expression in Africa on a genome-wide scale. The analysis of the transcriptional cold shock response most prominently reveals an upregulation of components of a general stress response, which is conserved over many taxa and triggered by a plethora of stressors. Despite the overall response being fairly similar in both populations, there is a definite excess of genes with a strong cold-induced fold-change in Africa. This is consistent with a detrimental deregulation or an overshooting stress response. Thus, the canalization of European gene expression might be responsible for the increased cold tolerance of European flies. Overall design: mRNA profiles of whole Drosophila melanogaster adult males from a Africa (4 lines) and Europe (4 lines) during a 7h cold shock experiment. Samples include room temperature controls, 3.5h into the cold shock, 15 minutes after recovery and 90 minutes after recovery. 2 biological replicates each.
Canalization of gene expression is a major signature of regulatory cold adaptation in temperate Drosophila melanogaster.
Sex, Subject
View SamplesAdaptively evolved mutants of yeast on galactose were characterized by feremtation physiology and tools from systems biology.
Unravelling evolutionary strategies of yeast for improving galactose utilization through integrated systems level analysis.
Time
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