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Sample records for cancer reduces transcriptome

  1. Transcriptome profiling of the cancer, adjacent non-tumor and distant normal tissues from a colorectal cancer patient by deep sequencing.

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    Yan'an Wu

    Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the world. A genome-wide screening of transcriptome dysregulation between cancer and normal tissue would provide insight into the molecular basis of CRC initiation and progression. Compared with microarray technology, which is commonly used to identify transcriptional changes, the recently developed RNA-seq technique has the ability to detect other abnormal regulations in the cancer transcriptome, such as alternative splicing, novel transcripts or gene fusion. In this study, we performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing at ~50× coverage on CRC, adjacent non-tumor and distant normal tissue. The results revealed cancer-specific, differentially expressed genes and differential alternative splicing, suggesting that the extracellular matrix and metabolic pathways are activated and the genes related to cell homeostasis are suppressed in CRC. In addition, one tumor-restricted gene fusion, PRTEN-NOTCH2, was also detected and experimentally confirmed. This study reveals some common features in tumor invasion and provides a comprehensive survey of the CRC transcriptome, which provides better insight into the complexity of regulatory changes during tumorigenesis.

  2. Transcriptomics in cancer diagnostics: developments in technology, clinical research and commercialization.

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    Sager, Monica; Yeat, Nai Chien; Pajaro-Van der Stadt, Stefan; Lin, Charlotte; Ren, Qiuyin; Lin, Jimmy

    2015-01-01

    Transcriptomic technologies are evolving to diagnose cancer earlier and more accurately to provide greater predictive and prognostic utility to oncologists and patients. Digital techniques such as RNA sequencing are replacing still-imaging techniques to provide more detailed analysis of the transcriptome and aberrant expression that causes oncogenesis, while companion diagnostics are developing to determine the likely effectiveness of targeted treatments. This article examines recent advancements in molecular profiling research and technology as applied to cancer diagnosis, clinical applications and predictions for the future of personalized medicine in oncology.

  3. A transcriptome anatomy of human colorectal cancers

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    Lü, Bingjian; Xu, Jing; Lai, Maode; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Jian

    2006-01-01

    Accumulating databases in human genome research have enabled integrated genome-wide study on complicated diseases such as cancers. A practical approach is to mine a global transcriptome profile of disease from public database. New concepts of these diseases might emerge by landscaping this profile. In this study, we clustered human colorectal normal mucosa (N), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adenoma (A) and cancer (T) related expression sequence tags (EST) into UniGenes via an in-house GetUni software package and analyzed the transcriptome overview of these libraries by GOTree Machine (GOTM). Additionally, we downloaded UniGene based cDNA libraries of colon and analyzed them by Xprofiler to cross validate the efficiency of GetUni. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to validate the expression of β-catenin and. 7 novel genes in colorectal cancers. The efficiency of GetUni was successfully validated by Xprofiler and RT-PCR. Genes in library N, IBD and A were all found in library T. A total of 14,879 genes were identified with 2,355 of them having at least 2 transcripts. Differences in gene enrichment among these libraries were statistically significant in 50 signal transduction pathways and Pfam protein domains by GOTM analysis P < 0.01 Hypergeometric Test). Genes in two metabolic pathways, ribosome and glycolysis, were more enriched in the expression profiles of A and IBD than in N and T. Seven transmembrane receptor superfamily genes were typically abundant in cancers. Colorectal cancers are genetically heterogeneous. Transcription variants are common in them. Aberrations of ribosome and glycolysis pathway might be early indicators of precursor lesions in colon cancers. The electronic gene expression profile could be used to highlight the integral molecular events in colorectal cancers

  4. A pathology atlas of the human cancer transcriptome

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    Uhlén, Mathias; Zhang, Xi-Cheng; Lee, Sunjae

    2017-01-01

    Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, and there is great interest in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of individual tumors. We used systems-level approaches to analyze the genome-wide transcriptome of the protein-coding genes o...

  5. Transcriptomics and proteomics show that selenium affects inflammation, cytoskeleton, and cancer pathways in human rectal biopsies.

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    Méplan, Catherine; Johnson, Ian T; Polley, Abigael C J; Cockell, Simon; Bradburn, David M; Commane, Daniel M; Arasaradnam, Ramesh P; Mulholland, Francis; Zupanic, Anze; Mathers, John C; Hesketh, John

    2016-08-01

    Epidemiologic studies highlight the potential role of dietary selenium (Se) in colorectal cancer prevention. Our goal was to elucidate whether expression of factors crucial for colorectal homoeostasis is affected by physiologic differences in Se status. Using transcriptomics and proteomics followed by pathway analysis, we identified pathways affected by Se status in rectal biopsies from 22 healthy adults, including 11 controls with optimal status (mean plasma Se = 1.43 μM) and 11 subjects with suboptimal status (mean plasma Se = 0.86 μM). We observed that 254 genes and 26 proteins implicated in cancer (80%), immune function and inflammatory response (40%), cell growth and proliferation (70%), cellular movement, and cell death (50%) were differentially expressed between the 2 groups. Expression of 69 genes, including selenoproteins W1 and K, which are genes involved in cytoskeleton remodelling and transcription factor NFκB signaling, correlated significantly with Se status. Integrating proteomics and transcriptomics datasets revealed reduced inflammatory and immune responses and cytoskeleton remodelling in the suboptimal Se status group. This is the first study combining omics technologies to describe the impact of differences in Se status on colorectal expression patterns, revealing that suboptimal Se status could alter inflammatory signaling and cytoskeleton in human rectal mucosa and so influence cancer risk.-Méplan, C., Johnson, I. T., Polley, A. C. J., Cockell, S., Bradburn, D. M., Commane, D. M., Arasaradnam, R. P., Mulholland, F., Zupanic, A., Mathers, J. C., Hesketh, J. Transcriptomics and proteomics show that selenium affects inflammation, cytoskeleton, and cancer pathways in human rectal biopsies. © The Author(s).

  6. Transcriptomic alterations during ageing reflect the shift from cancer to degenerative diseases in the elderly.

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    Aramillo Irizar, Peer; Schäuble, Sascha; Esser, Daniela; Groth, Marco; Frahm, Christiane; Priebe, Steffen; Baumgart, Mario; Hartmann, Nils; Marthandan, Shiva; Menzel, Uwe; Müller, Julia; Schmidt, Silvio; Ast, Volker; Caliebe, Amke; König, Rainer; Krawczak, Michael; Ristow, Michael; Schuster, Stefan; Cellerino, Alessandro; Diekmann, Stephan; Englert, Christoph; Hemmerich, Peter; Sühnel, Jürgen; Guthke, Reinhard; Witte, Otto W; Platzer, Matthias; Ruppin, Eytan; Kaleta, Christoph

    2018-01-30

    Disease epidemiology during ageing shows a transition from cancer to degenerative chronic disorders as dominant contributors to mortality in the old. Nevertheless, it has remained unclear to what extent molecular signatures of ageing reflect this phenomenon. Here we report on the identification of a conserved transcriptomic signature of ageing based on gene expression data from four vertebrate species across four tissues. We find that ageing-associated transcriptomic changes follow trajectories similar to the transcriptional alterations observed in degenerative ageing diseases but are in opposite direction to the transcriptomic alterations observed in cancer. We confirm the existence of a similar antagonism on the genomic level, where a majority of shared risk alleles which increase the risk of cancer decrease the risk of chronic degenerative disorders and vice versa. These results reveal a fundamental trade-off between cancer and degenerative ageing diseases that sheds light on the pronounced shift in their epidemiology during ageing.

  7. Gene set-based module discovery in the breast cancer transcriptome

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    Zhang Michael Q

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although microarray-based studies have revealed global view of gene expression in cancer cells, we still have little knowledge about regulatory mechanisms underlying the transcriptome. Several computational methods applied to yeast data have recently succeeded in identifying expression modules, which is defined as co-expressed gene sets under common regulatory mechanisms. However, such module discovery methods are not applied cancer transcriptome data. Results In order to decode oncogenic regulatory programs in cancer cells, we developed a novel module discovery method termed EEM by extending a previously reported module discovery method, and applied it to breast cancer expression data. Starting from seed gene sets prepared based on cis-regulatory elements, ChIP-chip data, and gene locus information, EEM identified 10 principal expression modules in breast cancer based on their expression coherence. Moreover, EEM depicted their activity profiles, which predict regulatory programs in each subtypes of breast tumors. For example, our analysis revealed that the expression module regulated by the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2 is downregulated in triple negative breast cancers, suggesting similarity of transcriptional programs between stem cells and aggressive breast cancer cells. We also found that the activity of the PRC2 expression module is negatively correlated to the expression of EZH2, a component of PRC2 which belongs to the E2F expression module. E2F-driven EZH2 overexpression may be responsible for the repression of the PRC2 expression modules in triple negative tumors. Furthermore, our network analysis predicts regulatory circuits in breast cancer cells. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the gene set-based module discovery approach is a powerful tool to decode regulatory programs in cancer cells.

  8. Transcriptome sequencing in prostate cancer identifies inter-tumor heterogeneity

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    Janet Mendonca

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Given the dearth of gene mutations in prostate cancer, [1] ,[2] it is likely that genomic rearrangements play a significant role in the evolution of prostate cancer. However, in the search for recurrent genomic alterations, "private alterations" have received less attention. Such alterations may provide insights into the evolution, behavior, and clinical outcome of an individual tumor. In a recent report in "Genome Biology" Wyatt et al. [3] defines unique alterations in a cohort of high-risk prostate cancer patient with a lethal phenotype. Utilizing a transcriptome sequencing approach they observe high inter-tumor heterogeneity; however, the genes altered distill into three distinct cancer-relevant pathways. Their analysis reveals the presence of several non-ETS fusions, which may contribute to the phenotype of individual tumors, and have significance for disease progression.

  9. Integrated analysis of whole genome and transcriptome sequencing reveals diverse transcriptomic aberrations driven by somatic genomic changes in liver cancers.

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    Yuichi Shiraishi

    Full Text Available Recent studies applying high-throughput sequencing technologies have identified several recurrently mutated genes and pathways in multiple cancer genomes. However, transcriptional consequences from these genomic alterations in cancer genome remain unclear. In this study, we performed integrated and comparative analyses of whole genomes and transcriptomes of 22 hepatitis B virus (HBV-related hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs and their matched controls. Comparison of whole genome sequence (WGS and RNA-Seq revealed much evidence that various types of genomic mutations triggered diverse transcriptional changes. Not only splice-site mutations, but also silent mutations in coding regions, deep intronic mutations and structural changes caused splicing aberrations. HBV integrations generated diverse patterns of virus-human fusion transcripts depending on affected gene, such as TERT, CDK15, FN1 and MLL4. Structural variations could drive over-expression of genes such as WNT ligands, with/without creating gene fusions. Furthermore, by taking account of genomic mutations causing transcriptional aberrations, we could improve the sensitivity of deleterious mutation detection in known cancer driver genes (TP53, AXIN1, ARID2, RPS6KA3, and identified recurrent disruptions in putative cancer driver genes such as HNF4A, CPS1, TSC1 and THRAP3 in HCCs. These findings indicate genomic alterations in cancer genome have diverse transcriptomic effects, and integrated analysis of WGS and RNA-Seq can facilitate the interpretation of a large number of genomic alterations detected in cancer genome.

  10. Transcriptome complexity in a genome-reduced bacterium

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    Güell, Marc; van Noort, Vera; Yus, Eva

    2009-01-01

    To study basic principles of transcriptome organization in bacteria, we analyzed one of the smallest self-replicating organisms, Mycoplasma pneumoniae. We combined strand-specific tiling arrays, complemented by transcriptome sequencing, with more than 252 spotted arrays. We detected 117 previousl...

  11. Gene expression relationship between prostate cancer cells of Gleason 3, 4 and normal epithelial cells as revealed by cell type-specific transcriptomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pascal, Laura E; Liu, Alvin Y; Vêncio, Ricardo ZN; Page, Laura S; Liebeskind, Emily S; Shadle, Christina P; Troisch, Pamela; Marzolf, Bruz; True, Lawrence D; Hood, Leroy E

    2009-01-01

    Prostate cancer cells in primary tumors have been typed CD10 - /CD13 - /CD24 hi /CD26 + /CD38 lo /CD44 - /CD104 - . This CD phenotype suggests a lineage relationship between cancer cells and luminal cells. The Gleason grade of tumors is a descriptive of tumor glandular differentiation. Higher Gleason scores are associated with treatment failure. CD26 + cancer cells were isolated from Gleason 3+3 (G3) and Gleason 4+4 (G4) tumors by cell sorting, and their gene expression or transcriptome was determined by Affymetrix DNA array analysis. Dataset analysis was used to determine gene expression similarities and differences between G3 and G4 as well as to prostate cancer cell lines and histologically normal prostate luminal cells. The G3 and G4 transcriptomes were compared to those of prostatic cell types of non-cancer, which included luminal, basal, stromal fibromuscular, and endothelial. A principal components analysis of the various transcriptome datasets indicated a closer relationship between luminal and G3 than luminal and G4. Dataset comparison also showed that the cancer transcriptomes differed substantially from those of prostate cancer cell lines. Genes differentially expressed in cancer are potential biomarkers for cancer detection, and those differentially expressed between G3 and G4 are potential biomarkers for disease stratification given that G4 cancer is associated with poor outcomes. Differentially expressed genes likely contribute to the prostate cancer phenotype and constitute the signatures of these particular cancer cell types

  12. Meta-Transcriptomic Analysis of a Chromate-Reducing Aquifer Microbial Community

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    Beller, H. R.; Brodie, E. L.; Han, R.; Karaoz, U.

    2010-12-01

    A major challenge for microbial ecology that has become more tractable in the advent of new molecular techniques is characterizing gene expression in complex microbial communities. We are using meta-transcriptomic analysis to characterize functional changes in an aquifer-derived, chromate-reducing microbial community as it transitions through various electron-accepting conditions. We inoculated anaerobic microcosms with groundwater from the Cr-contaminated Hanford 100H site and supplemented them with lactate and electron acceptors present at the site, namely, nitrate, sulfate, and Fe(III). The microcosms progressed successively through various electron-accepting conditions (e.g., denitrifying, sulfate-reducing, and ferric iron-reducing conditions, as well as nitrate-dependent, chemolithotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing conditions). Cr(VI) was rapidly reduced initially and again upon further Cr(VI) amendments. Extensive geochemical sampling and analysis (e.g., lactate, acetate, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, dissolved Cr(VI), total Fe(II)), RNA/DNA harvesting, and PhyloChip analyses were conducted. Methods were developed for removal of rRNA from total RNA in preparation for meta-transcriptome sequencing. To date, samples representing denitrifying and fermentative/sulfate-reducing conditions have been sequenced using 454 Titanium technology. Of the non-rRNA related reads for the denitrifying sample (which was also actively reducing chromate), ca. 8% were associated with denitrification and ca. 0.9% were associated with chromate resistance/transport, in contrast to the fermentative/sulfate-reducing sample (in which chromate had already been reduced), which had zero reads associated with either of these categories but many predicted proteins associated with sulfate-reducing bacteria. We observed sequences for key functional transcripts that were unique at the nucleotide level compared to the GenBank non-redundant database [such as L-lactate dehydrogenase (iron

  13. Intra-tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer has limited impact on transcriptomic-based molecular profiling.

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    Karthik, Govindasamy-Muralidharan; Rantalainen, Mattias; Stålhammar, Gustav; Lövrot, John; Ullah, Ikram; Alkodsi, Amjad; Ma, Ran; Wedlund, Lena; Lindberg, Johan; Frisell, Jan; Bergh, Jonas; Hartman, Johan

    2017-11-29

    Transcriptomic profiling of breast tumors provides opportunity for subtyping and molecular-based patient stratification. In diagnostic applications the specimen profiled should be representative of the expression profile of the whole tumor and ideally capture properties of the most aggressive part of the tumor. However, breast cancers commonly exhibit intra-tumor heterogeneity at molecular, genomic and in phenotypic level, which can arise during tumor evolution. Currently it is not established to what extent a random sampling approach may influence molecular breast cancer diagnostics. In this study we applied RNA-sequencing to quantify gene expression in 43 pieces (2-5 pieces per tumor) from 12 breast tumors (Cohort 1). We determined molecular subtype and transcriptomic grade for all tumor pieces and analysed to what extent pieces originating from the same tumors are concordant or discordant with each other. Additionally, we validated our finding in an independent cohort consisting of 19 pieces (2-6 pieces per tumor) from 6 breast tumors (Cohort 2) profiled using microarray technique. Exome sequencing was also performed on this cohort, to investigate the extent of intra-tumor genomic heterogeneity versus the intra-tumor molecular subtype classifications. Molecular subtyping was consistent in 11 out of 12 tumors and transcriptomic grade assignments were consistent in 11 out of 12 tumors as well. Molecular subtype predictions revealed consistent subtypes in four out of six patients in this cohort 2. Interestingly, we observed extensive intra-tumor genomic heterogeneity in these tumor pieces but not in their molecular subtype classifications. Our results suggest that macroscopic intra-tumoral transcriptomic heterogeneity is limited and unlikely to have an impact on molecular diagnostics for most patients.

  14. Transcriptomic and genomic features of invasive lobular breast cancer.

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    Desmedt, Christine; Zoppoli, Gabriele; Sotiriou, Christos; Salgado, Roberto

    2017-06-01

    Accounting for 10-15% of all breast neoplasms, invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the second most common histological subtype of breast cancer after invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC). Understanding ILC biology, which differs from IDC in terms of clinical presentation, treatment response, relapse timing and patterns, is essential in order to adopt novel, disease-specific management strategies. While the contribution of the histological subtypes to tumour biology has been poorly investigated and acknowledged in the past, recently several major, independent efforts have led to the assembly and molecular characterization of well-annotated ILC case sets. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the literature exploring ILC, through comprehensive and multiomic methods. The first part specifically focuses on ILC transcriptomic features by reviewing the intrinsic molecular subtypes, the application of gene expression scores for the prediction of recurrence, and the identification of gene expression subtypes. The second part describes the main research efforts that lead to the identification of the genomic landscape of ILC, with a special focus to findings that differentiate ILC from IDC and carry potential clinical relevance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Systematic Identification and Assessment of Therapeutic Targets for Breast Cancer Based on Genome-Wide RNA Interference Transcriptomes

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    Yang Liu

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available With accumulating public omics data, great efforts have been made to characterize the genetic heterogeneity of breast cancer. However, identifying novel targets and selecting the best from the sizeable lists of candidate targets is still a key challenge for targeted therapy, largely owing to the lack of economical, efficient and systematic discovery and assessment to prioritize potential therapeutic targets. Here, we describe an approach that combines the computational evaluation and objective, multifaceted assessment to systematically identify and prioritize targets for biological validation and therapeutic exploration. We first establish the reference gene expression profiles from breast cancer cell line MCF7 upon genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi of a total of 3689 genes, and the breast cancer query signatures using RNA-seq data generated from tissue samples of clinical breast cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA. Based on gene set enrichment analysis, we identified a set of 510 genes that when knocked down could significantly reverse the transcriptome of breast cancer state. We then perform multifaceted assessment to analyze the gene set to prioritize potential targets for gene therapy. We also propose drug repurposing opportunities and identify potentially druggable proteins that have been poorly explored with regard to the discovery of small-molecule modulators. Finally, we obtained a small list of candidate therapeutic targets for four major breast cancer subtypes, i.e., luminal A, luminal B, HER2+ and triple negative breast cancer. This RNAi transcriptome-based approach can be a helpful paradigm for relevant researches to identify and prioritize candidate targets for experimental validation.

  16. Whole-genome and Transcriptome Sequencing of Prostate Cancer Identify New Genetic Alterations Driving Disease Progression

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    Ren, Shancheng; Wei, Gong-Hong; Liu, Dongbing

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Global disparities in prostate cancer (PCa) incidence highlight the urgent need to identify genomic abnormalities in prostate tumors in different ethnic populations including Asian men. OBJECTIVE: To systematically explore the genomic complexity and define disease-driven genetic......-scale and comprehensive genomic data of prostate cancer from Asian population. Identification of these genetic alterations may help advance prostate cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment....... alterations in PCa. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The study sequenced whole-genome and transcriptome of tumor-benign paired tissues from 65 treatment-naive Chinese PCa patients. Subsequent targeted deep sequencing of 293 PCa-relevant genes was performed in another cohort of 145 prostate tumors. OUTCOME...

  17. Identification of Human HK Genes and Gene Expression Regulation Study in Cancer from Transcriptomics Data Analysis

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    Zhang, Zhang; Liu, Jingxing; Wu, Jiayan; Yu, Jun

    2013-01-01

    The regulation of gene expression is essential for eukaryotes, as it drives the processes of cellular differentiation and morphogenesis, leading to the creation of different cell types in multicellular organisms. RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) provides researchers with a powerful toolbox for characterization and quantification of transcriptome. Many different human tissue/cell transcriptome datasets coming from RNA-Seq technology are available on public data resource. The fundamental issue here is how to develop an effective analysis method to estimate expression pattern similarities between different tumor tissues and their corresponding normal tissues. We define the gene expression pattern from three directions: 1) expression breadth, which reflects gene expression on/off status, and mainly concerns ubiquitously expressed genes; 2) low/high or constant/variable expression genes, based on gene expression level and variation; and 3) the regulation of gene expression at the gene structure level. The cluster analysis indicates that gene expression pattern is higher related to physiological condition rather than tissue spatial distance. Two sets of human housekeeping (HK) genes are defined according to cell/tissue types, respectively. To characterize the gene expression pattern in gene expression level and variation, we firstly apply improved K-means algorithm and a gene expression variance model. We find that cancer-associated HK genes (a HK gene is specific in cancer group, while not in normal group) are expressed higher and more variable in cancer condition than in normal condition. Cancer-associated HK genes prefer to AT-rich genes, and they are enriched in cell cycle regulation related functions and constitute some cancer signatures. The expression of large genes is also avoided in cancer group. These studies will help us understand which cell type-specific patterns of gene expression differ among different cell types, and particularly for cancer. PMID:23382867

  18. Characterizing the Genetic Basis for Nicotine Induced Cancer Development: A Transcriptome Sequencing Study.

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    Jasmin H Bavarva

    Full Text Available Nicotine is a known risk factor for cancer development and has been shown to alter gene expression in cells and tissue upon exposure. We used Illumina® Next Generation Sequencing (NGS technology to gain unbiased biological insight into the transcriptome of normal epithelial cells (MCF-10A to nicotine exposure. We generated expression data from 54,699 transcripts using triplicates of control and nicotine stressed cells. As a result, we identified 138 differentially expressed transcripts, including 39 uncharacterized genes. Additionally, 173 transcripts that are primarily associated with DNA replication, recombination, and repair showed evidence for alternative splicing. We discovered the greatest nicotine stress response by HPCAL4 (up-regulated by 4.71 fold and NPAS3 (down-regulated by -2.73 fold; both are genes that have not been previously implicated in nicotine exposure but are linked to cancer. We also discovered significant down-regulation (-2.3 fold and alternative splicing of NEAT1 (lncRNA that may have an important, yet undiscovered regulatory role. Gene ontology analysis revealed nicotine exposure influenced genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes. This study reveals previously unknown consequences of nicotine stress on the transcriptome of normal breast epithelial cells and provides insight into the underlying biological influence of nicotine on normal cells, marking the foundation for future studies.

  19. The integrative epigenomic-transcriptomic landscape of ER positive breast cancer.

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    Gao, Yang; Jones, Allison; Fasching, Peter A; Ruebner, Matthias; Beckmann, Matthias W; Widschwendter, Martin; Teschendorff, Andrew E

    2015-01-01

    While recent integrative analyses of copy number and gene expression data in breast cancer have revealed a complex molecular landscape with multiple subtypes and many oncogenic/tumour suppressor driver events, much less is known about the role of DNA methylation in shaping breast cancer taxonomy and defining driver events. Here, we applied a powerful integrative network algorithm to matched DNA methylation and RNA-Seq data for 724 estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) breast cancers and 111 normal adjacent tissue specimens from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, in order to identify putative epigenetic driver events and to explore the resulting molecular taxonomy. This revealed the existence of nine functionally deregulated epigenetic hotspots encompassing a total of 146 genes, which we were able to validate in independent data sets encompassing over 1000 ER+ breast cancers. Integrative clustering of the matched messenger RNA (mRNA) and DNA methylation data over these genes resulted in only two clusters, which correlated very strongly with the luminal-A and luminal B subtypes. Overall, luminal-A and luminal-B breast cancers shared the same epigenetically deregulated hotspots but with luminal-B cancers exhibiting increased aberrant DNA methylation patterns relative to normal tissue. We show that increased levels of DNA methylation and mRNA expression deviation from the normal state define a marker of poor prognosis. Our data further implicates epigenetic silencing of WNT signalling antagonists and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) as key events underlying both luminal subtypes but specially of luminal-B breast cancer. Finally, we show that DNA methylation changes within the identified epigenetic interactome hotspots do not exhibit mutually exclusive patterns within the same cancer sample, instead exhibiting coordinated changes within the sample. Our results indicate that the integrative DNA methylation and transcriptomic landscape of ER+ breast cancer is

  20. Meta-analysis of cancer transcriptomes: A new approach to uncover molecular pathological events in different cancer tissues

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    Sundus Iqbal

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available To explore secrets of metastatic cancers, individual expression of true sets of respective genes must spread across the tissue. In this study, meta-analysis for transcriptional profiles of oncogenes was carried out to hunt critical genes or networks helping in metastasizing cancers. For this, transcriptomic analysis of different cancerous tissues causing leukemia, lung, liver, spleen, colorectal, colon, breast, bladder, and kidney cancers was performed by extracting microarray expression data from online resource; Gene Expression Omnibus. A newly developed bioinformatics technique; Dynamic Impact Approach (DIA was applied for enrichment analysis of transcriptional profiles using Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID. Furthermore, oPOSSUM (v. 2.0 and Cytoscape (v. 2.8.2 were used for in-depth analysis of transcription factors and regulatory gene networks respectively. DAVID analysis uncovered the most significantly enriched pathways in molecular functions that were 'Ubiquitin thiolesterase activity' up regulated in blood, breast, bladder, colorectal, lung, spleen, prostrate cancer. 'Transforming growth factor beta receptor activity' was inhibited in all cancers except leukemia, colon and liver cancer. oPOSSUM further revealed highly over-represented Transcription Factors (TFs; Broad-complex_3, Broad-complex_4, and Foxd3 except for leukemia and bladder cancer. From these findings, it is possible to target genes and networks, play a crucial role in the development of cancer. In the future, these transcription factors can serve as potential candidates for the therapeutic drug targets which can impede the deadly spread.

  1. A genomic and transcriptomic approach for a differential diagnosis between primary and secondary ovarian carcinomas in patients with a previous history of breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyniel, Jean-Philippe; Alran, Séverine; Rapinat, Audrey; Gentien, David; Roman-Roman, Sergio; Mignot, Laurent; Sastre-Garau, Xavier; Cottu, Paul H; Decraene, Charles; Stern, Marc-Henri; Couturier, Jérôme; Lebigot, Ingrid; Nicolas, André; Weber, Nina; Fourchotte, Virginie

    2010-01-01

    The distinction between primary and secondary ovarian tumors may be challenging for pathologists. The purpose of the present work was to develop genomic and transcriptomic tools to further refine the pathological diagnosis of ovarian tumors after a previous history of breast cancer. Sixteen paired breast-ovary tumors from patients with a former diagnosis of breast cancer were collected. The genomic profiles of paired tumors were analyzed using the Affymetrix GeneChip ® Mapping 50 K Xba Array or Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 (for one pair), and the data were normalized with ITALICS (ITerative and Alternative normaLIzation and Copy number calling for affymetrix Snp arrays) algorithm or Partek Genomic Suite, respectively. The transcriptome of paired samples was analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip ® Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays, and the data were normalized with gc-Robust Multi-array Average (gcRMA) algorithm. A hierarchical clustering of these samples was performed, combined with a dataset of well-identified primary and secondary ovarian tumors. In 12 of the 16 paired tumors analyzed, the comparison of genomic profiles confirmed the pathological diagnosis of primary ovarian tumor (n = 5) or metastasis of breast cancer (n = 7). Among four cases with uncertain pathological diagnosis, genomic profiles were clearly distinct between the ovarian and breast tumors in two pairs, thus indicating primary ovarian carcinomas, and showed common patterns in the two others, indicating metastases from breast cancer. In all pairs, the result of the transcriptomic analysis was concordant with that of the genomic analysis. In patients with ovarian carcinoma and a previous history of breast cancer, SNP array analysis can be used to distinguish primary and secondary ovarian tumors. Transcriptomic analysis may be used when primary breast tissue specimen is not available

  2. Quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics addressing the estrogen receptor subtype-mediated effects in T47D breast cancer cells exposed to the phytoestrogen genistein

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    Sotoca Covaleda, A.M.; Sollewijn Gelpke, M.D.; Boeren, S.; Ström, A.; Gustafsson, J.A.; Murk, A.J.; Rietjens, I.M.C.M.; Vervoort, J.J.M.

    2011-01-01

    The present study addresses, by transcriptomics and quantitative SILAC-based proteomics, the estrogen receptor alpha (ER) and beta (ERß)-mediated effects on gene and protein expression in T47D breast cancer cells exposed to the phytoestrogen genistein. Using the T47D human breast cancer cell line

  3. Proteomic and transcriptomic profiling of in vitro established radiation resistant oral cancer cells for identification of radioresistance related biomarkers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Yasser; Pawar, Sagar; Teni, Tanuja

    2016-01-01

    Radiotherapy is an integral part of oral cancer treatment, either alone or in combination with surgery. But, during radiotherapy, oral tumours of a subset of patients develop radioresistance that creates major obstruction towards its efficacy. The aim of our study was to establish radioresistant cell lines from different oral subsites using clinically admissible low dose radiation and profile them by proteomic and transcriptomic approaches to identify proteins associated with radioresistance in oral cancer

  4. Transcriptome

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    ... Also: Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms Definitions for genetic terms used on this page En Español: Transcriptoma Transcriptome What is a transcriptome? What can a transcriptome tell us? How can transcriptome data be used to explore gene function? What is ...

  5. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Boulardii Reduces the Deoxynivalenol-Induced Alteration of the Intestinal Transcriptome

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    Imourana Alassane-Kpembi

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Type B trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON is one of the most frequently occurring food contaminants. By inducing trans-activation of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the stability of their mRNA, trichothecene can impair intestinal health. Several yeast products, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have the potential for improving the enteric health of piglets, but little is known about the mechanisms by which the administration of yeast counteracts the DON-induced intestinal alterations. Using a pig jejunum explant model, a whole-transcriptome analysis was performed to decipher the early response of the small intestine to the deleterious effects of DON after administration of S. cerevisiae boulardii strain CNCM I-1079. Compared to the control condition, no differentially expressed gene (DE was observed after treatment by yeast only. By contrast, 3619 probes—corresponding to 2771 genes—were differentially expressed following exposure to DON, and 32 signaling pathways were identified from the IPA software functional analysis of the set of DE genes. When the intestinal explants were treated with S. cerevisiae boulardii prior to DON exposure, the number of DE genes decreased by half (1718 probes corresponding to 1384 genes. Prototypical inflammation signaling pathways triggered by DON, including NF-κB and p38 MAPK, were reversed, although the yeast demonstrated limited efficacy toward some other pathways. S. cerevisiae boulardii also restored the lipid metabolism signaling pathway, and reversed the down-regulation of the antioxidant action of vitamin C signaling pathway. The latter effect could reduce the burden of DON-induced oxidative stress. Altogether, the results show that S. cerevisiae boulardii reduces the DON-induced alteration of intestinal transcriptome, and point to new mechanisms for the healing of tissue injury by yeast.

  6. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Boulardii Reduces the Deoxynivalenol-Induced Alteration of the Intestinal Transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alassane-Kpembi, Imourana; Pinton, Philippe; Hupé, Jean-François; Neves, Manon; Lippi, Yannick; Combes, Sylvie; Castex, Mathieu; Oswald, Isabelle P

    2018-05-15

    Type B trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most frequently occurring food contaminants. By inducing trans-activation of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the stability of their mRNA, trichothecene can impair intestinal health. Several yeast products, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae , have the potential for improving the enteric health of piglets, but little is known about the mechanisms by which the administration of yeast counteracts the DON-induced intestinal alterations. Using a pig jejunum explant model, a whole-transcriptome analysis was performed to decipher the early response of the small intestine to the deleterious effects of DON after administration of S. cerevisiae boulardii strain CNCM I-1079. Compared to the control condition, no differentially expressed gene (DE) was observed after treatment by yeast only. By contrast, 3619 probes-corresponding to 2771 genes-were differentially expressed following exposure to DON, and 32 signaling pathways were identified from the IPA software functional analysis of the set of DE genes. When the intestinal explants were treated with S. cerevisiae boulardii prior to DON exposure, the number of DE genes decreased by half (1718 probes corresponding to 1384 genes). Prototypical inflammation signaling pathways triggered by DON, including NF-κB and p38 MAPK, were reversed, although the yeast demonstrated limited efficacy toward some other pathways. S. cerevisiae boulardii also restored the lipid metabolism signaling pathway, and reversed the down-regulation of the antioxidant action of vitamin C signaling pathway. The latter effect could reduce the burden of DON-induced oxidative stress. Altogether, the results show that S. cerevisiae boulardii reduces the DON-induced alteration of intestinal transcriptome, and point to new mechanisms for the healing of tissue injury by yeast.

  7. Molecular portrait of breast cancer in China reveals comprehensive transcriptomic likeness to Caucasian breast cancer and low prevalence of luminal A subtype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Xiaoyan; Dugo, Matteo; Callari, Maurizio; Sandri, Marco; De Cecco, Loris; Valeri, Barbara; Carcangiu, Maria Luisa; Xue, Jingyan; Bi, Rui; Veneroni, Silvia; Daidone, Maria Grazia; Ménard, Sylvie; Tagliabue, Elda; Shao, Zhimin; Wu, Jiong; Orlandi, Rosaria

    2015-01-01

    The recent dramatic increase in breast cancer incidence across China with progressive urbanization and economic development has signaled the urgent need for molecular and clinical detailing of breast cancer in the Chinese population. Our analyses of a unique transethnic collection of breast cancer frozen specimens from Shanghai Fudan Cancer Center (Chinese Han) profiled simultaneously with an analogous Caucasian Italian series revealed consistent transcriptomic data lacking in batch effects. The prevalence of Luminal A subtype was significantly lower in Chinese series, impacting the overall prevalence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease in a large cohort of Chinese/Caucasian patients. Unsupervised and supervised comparison of gene and microRNA (miRNA) profiles of Chinese and Caucasian samples revealed extensive similarity in the comprehensive taxonomy of transcriptional elements regulating breast cancer biology. Partition of gene expression data using gene lists relevant to breast cancer as “intrinsic” and “extracellular matrix” genes identified Chinese and Caucasian subgroups with equivalent global gene and miRNA profiles. These findings indicate that in the Chinese and Caucasian groups, breast neoplasia and the surrounding stromal characteristics undergo the same differentiation and molecular processes. Transcriptional similarity across transethnic cohorts may simplify translational medicine approaches and clinical management of breast cancer patients worldwide

  8. Reducing milking frequency during nutrient restriction has no effect on the hepatic transcriptome of lactating dairy cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grala, T M; Kay, J K; Phyn, C V C; Bionaz, M; Walker, C G; Rius, A G; Snell, R G; Roche, J R

    2013-12-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate if a reduced milking frequency altered the effect of dietary energy restriction on the hepatic transcriptome of grazing dairy cows during early lactation. Multiparous Holstein-Friesian and Holstein-Friesian × Jersey cows (n = 120) were milked twice daily (2×) from calving until 34 ± 6 days in milk (mean ± SD). Cows were then allocated to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Treatments consisted of two milking frequencies [2× or once daily (1×)] and two feeding levels for 3 wk: adequately fed (AF) or underfed (UF, 60% of AF). Liver tissue was biopsied from 12 cows per treatment after 3 wk of treatment, and the hepatic transcriptome was profiled with an Agilent 4 × 44k bovine microarray. Over 2,900 genes were differentially expressed in response to the energy restriction; however, no effects resulted from changes to milking frequency. This may indicate that after 3 wk of 1× milking, any changes to the liver transcriptome that may have occurred earlier have returned to normal. After 3 wk of energy restriction, gene expression patterns indicate that glucose-sparing pathways were activated, and gluconeogenesis was increased in UF cows. Genes involved in hepatic stress were upregulated in response to the energy restriction indicative of the pressure energy restriction places on liver function. Other pathways upregulated included "cytoskeletal remodeling," indicating that a 3 wk energy restriction resulted in molecular changes to assist tissue remodeling. Overall, 1× milking does not modify the hepatic transcriptome changes that occur in response to an energy restriction.

  9. Statin use and reduced cancer-related mortality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Sune F; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Bojesen, Stig E

    2012-01-01

    A reduction in the availability of cholesterol may limit the cellular proliferation required for cancer growth and metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that statin use begun before a cancer diagnosis is associated with reduced cancer-related mortality.......A reduction in the availability of cholesterol may limit the cellular proliferation required for cancer growth and metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that statin use begun before a cancer diagnosis is associated with reduced cancer-related mortality....

  10. Replication and virus-induced transcriptome of HAdV-5 in normal host cells versus cancer cells--differences of relevance for adenoviral oncolysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominik E Dorer

    Full Text Available Adenoviruses (Ads, especially HAdV-5, have been genetically equipped with tumor-restricted replication potential to enable applications in oncolytic cancer therapy. Such oncolytic adenoviruses have been well tolerated in cancer patients, but their anti-tumor efficacy needs to be enhanced. In this regard, it should be considered that cancer cells, dependent on their tissue of origin, can differ substantially from the normal host cells to which Ads are adapted by complex virus-host interactions. Consequently, viral replication efficiency, a key determinant of oncolytic activity, might be suboptimal in cancer cells. Therefore, we have analyzed both the replication kinetics of HAdV-5 and the virus-induced transcriptome in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC in comparison to cancer cells. This is the first report on genome-wide expression profiling of Ads in their native host cells. We found that E1A expression and onset of viral genome replication are most rapid in HBEC and considerably delayed in melanoma cells. In squamous cell lung carcinoma cells, we observed intermediate HAdV-5 replication kinetics. Infectious particle production, viral spread and lytic activity of HAdV-5 were attenuated in melanoma cells versus HBEC. Expression profiling at the onset of viral genome replication revealed that HAdV-5 induced the strongest changes in the cellular transcriptome in HBEC, followed by lung cancer and melanoma cells. We identified prominent regulation of genes involved in cell cycle and DNA metabolism, replication and packaging in HBEC, which is in accord with the necessity to induce S phase for viral replication. Strikingly, in melanoma cells HAdV-5 triggered opposing regulation of said genes and, in contrast to lung cancer cells, no weak S phase induction was detected when using the E2F promoter as reporter. Our results provide a rationale for improving oncolytic adenoviruses either by adaptation of viral infection to target tumor cells or by

  11. Integration of copy number and transcriptomics provides risk stratification in prostate cancer: A discovery and validation cohort study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross-Adams, H.; Lamb, A.D.; Dunning, M.J.; Halim, S.; Lindberg, J.; Massie, C.M.; Egevad, L.A.; Russell, R.; Ramos-Montoya, A.; Vowler, S.L.; Sharma, N.L.; Kay, J.; Whitaker, H.; Clark, J.; Hurst, R.; Gnanapragasam, V.J.; Shah, N.C.; Warren, A.Y.; Cooper, C.S.; Lynch, A.G.; Stark, R.; Mills, I.G.; Grönberg, H.; Neal, D.E.

    2015-01-01

    Background Understanding the heterogeneous genotypes and phenotypes of prostate cancer is fundamental to improving the way we treat this disease. As yet, there are no validated descriptions of prostate cancer subgroups derived from integrated genomics linked with clinical outcome. Methods In a study of 482 tumour, benign and germline samples from 259 men with primary prostate cancer, we used integrative analysis of copy number alterations (CNA) and array transcriptomics to identify genomic loci that affect expression levels of mRNA in an expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) approach, to stratify patients into subgroups that we then associated with future clinical behaviour, and compared with either CNA or transcriptomics alone. Findings We identified five separate patient subgroups with distinct genomic alterations and expression profiles based on 100 discriminating genes in our separate discovery and validation sets of 125 and 103 men. These subgroups were able to consistently predict biochemical relapse (p = 0.0017 and p = 0.016 respectively) and were further validated in a third cohort with long-term follow-up (p = 0.027). We show the relative contributions of gene expression and copy number data on phenotype, and demonstrate the improved power gained from integrative analyses. We confirm alterations in six genes previously associated with prostate cancer (MAP3K7, MELK, RCBTB2, ELAC2, TPD52, ZBTB4), and also identify 94 genes not previously linked to prostate cancer progression that would not have been detected using either transcript or copy number data alone. We confirm a number of previously published molecular changes associated with high risk disease, including MYC amplification, and NKX3-1, RB1 and PTEN deletions, as well as over-expression of PCA3 and AMACR, and loss of MSMB in tumour tissue. A subset of the 100 genes outperforms established clinical predictors of poor prognosis (PSA, Gleason score), as well as previously published gene

  12. Transcriptome profiling identifies genes and pathways deregulated upon floxuridine treatment in colorectal cancer cells harboring GOF mutant p53

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arindam Datta

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Mutation in TP53 is a common genetic alteration in human cancers. Certain tumor associated p53 missense mutants acquire gain-of-function (GOF properties and confer oncogenic phenotypes including enhanced chemoresistance. The colorectal cancers (CRC harboring mutant p53 are generally aggressive in nature and difficult to treat. To identify a potential gene expression signature of GOF mutant p53-driven acquired chemoresistance in CRC, we performed transcriptome profiling of floxuridine (FUdR treated SW480 cells expressing mutant p53R273H (GEO#: GSE77533. We obtained several genes differentially regulated between FUdR treated and untreated cells. Further, functional characterization and pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of crucial biological processes and pathways upon FUdR treatment in SW480 cells. Our data suggest that in response to chemotherapeutics treatment, cancer cells with GOF mutant p53 can modulate key cellular pathways to withstand the cytotoxic effect of the drugs. The genes and pathways identified in the present study can be further validated and targeted for better chemotherapy response in colorectal cancer patients harboring mutant p53.

  13. In vitro downregulated hypoxia transcriptome is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Jamous, Basel; Buffa, Francesca M; Harris, Adrian L; Nandi, Asoke K

    2017-06-15

    Hypoxia is a characteristic of breast tumours indicating poor prognosis. Based on the assumption that those genes which are up-regulated under hypoxia in cell-lines are expected to be predictors of poor prognosis in clinical data, many signatures of poor prognosis were identified. However, it was observed that cell line data do not always concur with clinical data, and therefore conclusions from cell line analysis should be considered with caution. As many transcriptomic cell-line datasets from hypoxia related contexts are available, integrative approaches which investigate these datasets collectively, while not ignoring clinical data, are required. We analyse sixteen heterogeneous breast cancer cell-line transcriptomic datasets in hypoxia-related conditions collectively by employing the unique capabilities of the method, UNCLES, which integrates clustering results from multiple datasets and can address questions that cannot be answered by existing methods. This has been demonstrated by comparison with the state-of-the-art iCluster method. From this collection of genome-wide datasets include 15,588 genes, UNCLES identified a relatively high number of genes (>1000 overall) which are consistently co-regulated over all of the datasets, and some of which are still poorly understood and represent new potential HIF targets, such as RSBN1 and KIAA0195. Two main, anti-correlated, clusters were identified; the first is enriched with MYC targets participating in growth and proliferation, while the other is enriched with HIF targets directly participating in the hypoxia response. Surprisingly, in six clinical datasets, some sub-clusters of growth genes are found consistently positively correlated with hypoxia response genes, unlike the observation in cell lines. Moreover, the ability to predict bad prognosis by a combined signature of one sub-cluster of growth genes and one sub-cluster of hypoxia-induced genes appears to be comparable and perhaps greater than that of known

  14. Transcriptome Profiling in Human Diseases: New Advances and Perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casamassimi, Amelia; Federico, Antonio; Rienzo, Monica; Esposito, Sabrina; Ciccodicola, Alfredo

    2017-07-29

    In the last decades, transcriptome profiling has been one of the most utilized approaches to investigate human diseases at the molecular level. Through expression studies, many molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets have been found for several human pathologies. This number is continuously increasing thanks to total RNA sequencing. Indeed, this new technology has completely revolutionized transcriptome analysis allowing the quantification of gene expression levels and allele-specific expression in a single experiment, as well as to identify novel genes, splice isoforms, fusion transcripts, and to investigate the world of non-coding RNA at an unprecedented level. RNA sequencing has also been employed in important projects, like ENCODE (Encyclopedia of the regulatory elements) and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), to provide a snapshot of the transcriptome of dozens of cell lines and thousands of primary tumor specimens. Moreover, these studies have also paved the way to the development of data integration approaches in order to facilitate management and analysis of data and to identify novel disease markers and molecular targets to use in the clinics. In this scenario, several ongoing clinical trials utilize transcriptome profiling through RNA sequencing strategies as an important instrument in the diagnosis of numerous human pathologies.

  15. Does Metformin Reduce Cancer Risks? Methodologic Considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golozar, Asieh; Liu, Shuiqing; Lin, Joeseph A; Peairs, Kimberly; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

    2016-01-01

    The substantial burden of cancer and diabetes and the association between the two conditions has been a motivation for researchers to look for targeted strategies that can simultaneously affect both diseases and reduce their overlapping burden. In the absence of randomized clinical trials, researchers have taken advantage of the availability and richness of administrative databases and electronic medical records to investigate the effects of drugs on cancer risk among diabetic individuals. The majority of these studies suggest that metformin could potentially reduce cancer risk. However, the validity of this purported reduction in cancer risk is limited by several methodological flaws either in the study design or in the analysis. Whether metformin use decreases cancer risk relies heavily on the availability of valid data sources with complete information on confounders, accurate assessment of drug use, appropriate study design, and robust analytical techniques. The majority of the observational studies assessing the association between metformin and cancer risk suffer from methodological shortcomings and efforts to address these issues have been incomplete. Future investigations on the association between metformin and cancer risk should clearly address the methodological issues due to confounding by indication, prevalent user bias, and time-related biases. Although the proposed strategies do not guarantee a bias-free estimate for the association between metformin and cancer, they will reduce synthesis of and reporting of erroneous results.

  16. A Normalization-Free and Nonparametric Method Sharpens Large-Scale Transcriptome Analysis and Reveals Common Gene Alteration Patterns in Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi-Gang; He, Yong-Han; Wu, Huan; Yang, Cui-Ping; Pu, Shao-Yan; Fan, Song-Qing; Jiang, Li-Ping; Shen, Qiu-Shuo; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Chen, Xiao-Qiong; Yu, Qin; Li, Ying; Sun, Chang; Wang, Xiangting; Zhou, Jumin; Li, Hai-Peng; Chen, Yong-Bin; Kong, Qing-Peng

    2017-01-01

    Heterogeneity in transcriptional data hampers the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and understanding of cancer, essentially because current methods rely on cross-sample normalization and/or distribution assumption-both sensitive to heterogeneous values. Here, we developed a new method, Cross-Value Association Analysis (CVAA), which overcomes the limitation and is more robust to heterogeneous data than the other methods. Applying CVAA to a more complex pan-cancer dataset containing 5,540 transcriptomes discovered numerous new DEGs and many previously rarely explored pathways/processes; some of them were validated, both in vitro and in vivo , to be crucial in tumorigenesis, e.g., alcohol metabolism ( ADH1B ), chromosome remodeling ( NCAPH ) and complement system ( Adipsin ). Together, we present a sharper tool to navigate large-scale expression data and gain new mechanistic insights into tumorigenesis.

  17. Benchmarking Water Quality from Wastewater to Drinking Waters Using Reduced Transcriptome of Human Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Pu; Zhang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Hanxin; Wang, Pingping; Tian, Mingming; Yu, Hongxia

    2017-08-15

    One of the major challenges in environmental science is monitoring and assessing the risk of complex environmental mixtures. In vitro bioassays with limited key toxicological end points have been shown to be suitable to evaluate mixtures of organic pollutants in wastewater and recycled water. Omics approaches such as transcriptomics can monitor biological effects at the genome scale. However, few studies have applied omics approach in the assessment of mixtures of organic micropollutants. Here, an omics approach was developed for profiling bioactivity of 10 water samples ranging from wastewater to drinking water in human cells by a reduced human transcriptome (RHT) approach and dose-response modeling. Transcriptional expression of 1200 selected genes were measured by an Ampliseq technology in two cell lines, HepG2 and MCF7, that were exposed to eight serial dilutions of each sample. Concentration-effect models were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and to calculate effect concentrations (ECs) of DEGs, which could be ranked to investigate low dose response. Furthermore, molecular pathways disrupted by different samples were evaluated by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. The ability of RHT for representing bioactivity utilizing both HepG2 and MCF7 was shown to be comparable to the results of previous in vitro bioassays. Finally, the relative potencies of the mixtures indicated by RHT analysis were consistent with the chemical profiles of the samples. RHT analysis with human cells provides an efficient and cost-effective approach to benchmarking mixture of micropollutants and may offer novel insight into the assessment of mixture toxicity in water.

  18. Next-generation transcriptome assembly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, Jeffrey A.; Wang, Zhong

    2011-09-01

    Transcriptomics studies often rely on partial reference transcriptomes that fail to capture the full catalog of transcripts and their variations. Recent advances in sequencing technologies and assembly algorithms have facilitated the reconstruction of the entire transcriptome by deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), even without a reference genome. However, transcriptome assembly from billions of RNA-seq reads, which are often very short, poses a significant informatics challenge. This Review summarizes the recent developments in transcriptome assembly approaches - reference-based, de novo and combined strategies-along with some perspectives on transcriptome assembly in the near future.

  19. Breast cancer after bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skytte, A-B; Crüger, Dorthe Gylling; Gerster, M

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to evaluate the incidence of breast cancer after risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) in healthy BRCA mutation carriers. This study is a long-term follow-up of 307 BRCA mutation carriers of whom 96 chose RRM. None of the study participants had a previous history of breast or ovarian...... cancer nor had they undergone RRM or risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) prior to the time of BRCA testing. The annual incidence of post-mastectomy breast cancer was 0.8% compared with 1.7% in the non-operated group. Implications of these findings in relation to genetic counseling...

  20. Transcriptome Profiling in Human Diseases: New Advances and Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amelia Casamassimi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In the last decades, transcriptome profiling has been one of the most utilized approaches to investigate human diseases at the molecular level. Through expression studies, many molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets have been found for several human pathologies. This number is continuously increasing thanks to total RNA sequencing. Indeed, this new technology has completely revolutionized transcriptome analysis allowing the quantification of gene expression levels and allele-specific expression in a single experiment, as well as to identify novel genes, splice isoforms, fusion transcripts, and to investigate the world of non-coding RNA at an unprecedented level. RNA sequencing has also been employed in important projects, like ENCODE (Encyclopedia of the regulatory elements and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas, to provide a snapshot of the transcriptome of dozens of cell lines and thousands of primary tumor specimens. Moreover, these studies have also paved the way to the development of data integration approaches in order to facilitate management and analysis of data and to identify novel disease markers and molecular targets to use in the clinics. In this scenario, several ongoing clinical trials utilize transcriptome profiling through RNA sequencing strategies as an important instrument in the diagnosis of numerous human pathologies.

  1. Drug Reduces Cancer Treatment-Related Joint Pain

    Science.gov (United States)

    A Cancer Currents blog post about a clinical trial demonstrating that duloxetine (Cymbalta®) may reduce joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in women being treated for early-stage breast cancer.

  2. Comparative analyses of two Geraniaceae transcriptomes using next-generation sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jin; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Mower, Jeffrey P; Jansen, Robert K

    2013-12-29

    Organelle genomes of Geraniaceae exhibit several unusual evolutionary phenomena compared to other angiosperm families including accelerated nucleotide substitution rates, widespread gene loss, reduced RNA editing, and extensive genomic rearrangements. Since most organelle-encoded proteins function in multi-subunit complexes that also contain nuclear-encoded proteins, it is likely that the atypical organellar phenomena affect the evolution of nuclear genes encoding organellar proteins. To begin to unravel the complex co-evolutionary interplay between organellar and nuclear genomes in this family, we sequenced nuclear transcriptomes of two species, Geranium maderense and Pelargonium x hortorum. Normalized cDNA libraries of G. maderense and P. x hortorum were used for transcriptome sequencing. Five assemblers (MIRA, Newbler, SOAPdenovo, SOAPdenovo-trans [SOAPtrans], Trinity) and two next-generation technologies (454 and Illumina) were compared to determine the optimal transcriptome sequencing approach. Trinity provided the highest quality assembly of Illumina data with the deepest transcriptome coverage. An analysis to determine the amount of sequencing needed for de novo assembly revealed diminishing returns of coverage and quality with data sets larger than sixty million Illumina paired end reads for both species. The G. maderense and P. x hortorum transcriptomes contained fewer transcripts encoding the PLS subclass of PPR proteins relative to other angiosperms, consistent with reduced mitochondrial RNA editing activity in Geraniaceae. In addition, transcripts for all six plastid targeted sigma factors were identified in both transcriptomes, suggesting that one of the highly divergent rpoA-like ORFs in the P. x hortorum plastid genome is functional. The findings support the use of the Illumina platform and assemblers optimized for transcriptome assembly, such as Trinity or SOAPtrans, to generate high-quality de novo transcriptomes with broad coverage. In addition

  3. Understanding and potentially reducing second breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brenner, D.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Long term survival after breast cancer diagnosis has increased markedly in the last decade: 15-year relative survival after breast cancer diagnosis is now 75% in the US. Associated with these excellent survival prospects, however, long term studies suggest that contralateral second breast cancer rates are in the range from 10 to 15% at 15 years post treatment, and are still higher for BRCA1/2 carriers, as well as for still longer term survivors. These second cancer risks are much higher than those for a comparable healthy woman to develop a first breast cancer. It follows that women with breast cancer are highly prone to develop a second breast cancer. We propose here a new option for reducing the disturbingly high risk of a contralateral second breast cancer. in patients with both estrogen positive and negative primary breast cancer: prophylactic mammary irradiation (PMI) of the contralateral breast. The rationale behind PMI is evidence that standard post-Iumpectomy radiotherapy of the affected (ipsilateral) breast substantially reduces the long-term genetically-based second cancer risk in the ipsilateral breast, by killing the existing premalignant cells in that breast. This suggests that there are relatively few premalignant cells in the breast (hundreds or thousands, not millions), so even a fairly modest radiation cell-kill level across the whole breast would be expected to kill essentially all of them. If this is so, then a modest radiation dose-much lower than that to the affected breast--delivered uniformly to the whole contralateral breast, and typically delivered at the same time as the radiotherapy of the ipsilateral breast, would have the potential to markedly reduce second-cancer risks in the contralateral breast by killing essentially all the pre-malignant cells in that breast while causing only a very low level of radiation-induced sequelae. Therefore we hypothesize that low-dose prophylactic mammary irradiation of the contralateral breast

  4. Reducing cancer risk in rural communities through supermarket interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCool, Barent N; Lyford, Conrad P; Hensarling, Natalie; Pence, Barbara; McCool, Audrey C; Thapa, Janani; Belasco, Eric; Carter, Tyra M

    2013-09-01

    Cancer risk is high, and prevention efforts are often minimal in rural communities. Feasible means of encouraging lifestyles that will reduce cancer risk for residents of rural communities are needed. This project developed and tested a model that could be feasibly adopted by rural communities to reduce cancer risk. This model focuses on incorporating multi-faceted cancer risk education in the local supermarket. As the supermarket functions both as the primary food source and an information source in small rural communities, the supermarket focus encourages the development of a community environment supportive of lifestyles that should reduce residents' risk for cancer. The actions taken to implement the model and the challenges that communities would have in implementing the model are identified.

  5. Reduction in expression of the benign AR transcriptome is a hallmark of localised prostate cancer progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuchbery, Ryan; Macintyre, Geoff; Cmero, Marek; Harewood, Laurence M; Peters, Justin S; Costello, Anthony J; Hovens, Christopher M; Corcoran, Niall M

    2016-05-24

    Despite the importance of androgen receptor (AR) signalling to prostate cancer development, little is known about how this signalling pathway changes with increasing grade and stage of the disease. To explore changes in the normal AR transcriptome in localised prostate cancer, and its relation to adverse pathological features and disease recurrence. Publically accessible human prostate cancer expression arrays as well as RNA sequencing data from the prostate TCGA. Tumour associated PSA and PSAD were calculated for a large cohort of men (n=1108) undergoing prostatectomy. We performed a meta-analysis of the expression of an androgen-regulated gene set across datasets using Oncomine. Differential expression of selected genes in the prostate TCGA database was probed using the edgeR Bioconductor package. Changes in tumour PSA density with stage and grade were assessed by Student's t-test, and its association with biochemical recurrence explored by Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. Meta-analysis revealed a systematic decline in the expression of a previously identified benign prostate androgen-regulated gene set with increasing tumour grade, reaching significance in nine of 25 genes tested despite increasing AR expression. These results were confirmed in a large independent dataset from the TCGA. At the protein level, when serum PSA was corrected for tumour volume, significantly lower levels were observed with increasing tumour grade and stage, and predicted disease recurrence. Lower PSA secretion-per-tumour-volume is associated with increasing grade and stage of prostate cancer, has prognostic relevance, and reflects a systematic perturbation of androgen signalling.

  6. Reducing the Burden of Cancer in East Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    The mission of CGH is to advance global cancer research, build expertise, and leverage resources across nations to reduce cancer deaths worldwide. To carry out that mission, we facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise. CGH's latest effort, the East Africa Cancer Control Leadership Forum, carried out this mission by helping African partners develop their own individual cancer control programs.

  7. Risk-reducing mastectomy for the prevention of primary breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbine, Nora E; Lostumbo, Liz; Wallace, Judi; Ko, Henry

    2018-04-05

    Recent progress in understanding the genetic basis of breast cancer and widely publicized reports of celebrities undergoing risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) have increased interest in RRM as a method of preventing breast cancer. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2004 and previously updated in 2006 and 2010. (i) To determine whether risk-reducing mastectomy reduces death rates from any cause in women who have never had breast cancer and in women who have a history of breast cancer in one breast, and (ii) to examine the effect of risk-reducing mastectomy on other endpoints, including breast cancer incidence, breast cancer mortality, disease-free survival, physical morbidity, and psychosocial outcomes. For this Review update, we searched Cochrane Breast Cancer's Specialized Register, MEDLINE, Embase and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 9 July 2016. We included studies in English. Participants included women at risk for breast cancer in at least one breast. Interventions included all types of mastectomy performed for the purpose of preventing breast cancer. At least two review authors independently abstracted data from each report. We summarized data descriptively; quantitative meta-analysis was not feasible due to heterogeneity of study designs and insufficient reporting. We analyzed data separately for bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (BRRM) and contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy (CRRM). Four review authors assessed the methodological quality to determine whether or not the methods used sufficiently minimized selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, and attrition bias. All 61 included studies were observational studies with some methodological limitations; randomized trials were absent. The studies presented data on 15,077 women with a wide range of risk factors for breast cancer, who underwent RRM.Twenty-one BRRM studies looking at the incidence of breast cancer or disease-specific mortality, or

  8. A pan-cancer analysis of transcriptome changes associated with somatic mutations in U2AF1 reveals commonly altered splicing events.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela N Brooks

    Full Text Available Although recurrent somatic mutations in the splicing factor U2AF1 (also known as U2AF35 have been identified in multiple cancer types, the effects of these mutations on the cancer transcriptome have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we identified splicing alterations associated with U2AF1 mutations across distinct cancers using DNA and RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA. Using RNA-Seq data from 182 lung adenocarcinomas and 167 acute myeloid leukemias (AML, in which U2AF1 is somatically mutated in 3-4% of cases, we identified 131 and 369 splicing alterations, respectively, that were significantly associated with U2AF1 mutation. Of these, 30 splicing alterations were statistically significant in both lung adenocarcinoma and AML, including three genes in the Cancer Gene Census, CTNNB1, CHCHD7, and PICALM. Cell line experiments expressing U2AF1 S34F in HeLa cells and in 293T cells provide further support that these altered splicing events are caused by U2AF1 mutation. Consistent with the function of U2AF1 in 3' splice site recognition, we found that S34F/Y mutations cause preferences for CAG over UAG 3' splice site sequences. This report demonstrates consistent effects of U2AF1 mutation on splicing in distinct cancer cell types.

  9. Single-cell entropy for accurate estimation of differentiation potency from a cell's transcriptome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teschendorff, Andrew E.; Enver, Tariq

    2017-01-01

    The ability to quantify differentiation potential of single cells is a task of critical importance. Here we demonstrate, using over 7,000 single-cell RNA-Seq profiles, that differentiation potency of a single cell can be approximated by computing the signalling promiscuity, or entropy, of a cell's transcriptome in the context of an interaction network, without the need for feature selection. We show that signalling entropy provides a more accurate and robust potency estimate than other entropy-based measures, driven in part by a subtle positive correlation between the transcriptome and connectome. Signalling entropy identifies known cell subpopulations of varying potency and drug resistant cancer stem-cell phenotypes, including those derived from circulating tumour cells. It further reveals that expression heterogeneity within single-cell populations is regulated. In summary, signalling entropy allows in silico estimation of the differentiation potency and plasticity of single cells and bulk samples, providing a means to identify normal and cancer stem-cell phenotypes. PMID:28569836

  10. Periodontal disease with treatment reduces subsequent cancer risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Ing-Ming; Sun, Li-Min; Lin, Cheng-Li; Lee, Chun-Feng; Kao, Chia-Hung

    2014-10-01

    The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between routine treatment of periodontal disease (PD) and the subsequent risks for cancers in Taiwan. Study participants were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) system database. The PD with a routine treatment cohort contained 38 902 patients. For each treatment cohort participant, two age- and sex-matched comparison (control) cohort participants were randomly selected. Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of PD with treatment on the subsequent risk of cancer. The overall risk of developing cancer was significantly lower in the treatment cohort than in the patients without treatment (adjusted Hazard ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval = 0.68-0.76). The risks of developing most gastrointestinal tract, lung, gynecological and brain malignancies were significantly lower in the treatment cohort than in the comparison cohort. In contrast, the risks of prostate and thyroid cancers were significantly higher in the treatment cohort than in the comparison cohort. Our findings suggest that PD with treatment is associated with a significantly reduced overall risk of cancer and reduced risks of certain types of cancers. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. De Novo Transcriptome Assembly (NGS) of Curcuma longa L. Rhizome Reveals Novel Transcripts Related to Anticancer and Antimalarial Terpenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Vasanthan; Damodaran, Anand C.; Rao, Sudha Narayana; Katta, Mohan A. V. S. K.; Gopinathan, Sreeja; Sarma, Santosh Prasad; Senthilkumar, Vanitha; Niranjan, Vidya; Gopinath, Ashok; Mugasimangalam, Raja C.

    2013-01-01

    Herbal remedies are increasingly being recognised in recent years as alternative medicine for a number of diseases including cancer. Curcuma longa L., commonly known as turmeric is used as a culinary spice in India and in many Asian countries has been attributed to lower incidences of gastrointestinal cancers. Curcumin, a secondary metabolite isolated from the rhizomes of this plant has been shown to have significant anticancer properties, in addition to antimalarial and antioxidant effects. We sequenced the transcriptome of the rhizome of the 3 varieties of Curcuma longa L. using Illumina reversible dye terminator sequencing followed by de novo transcriptome assembly. Multiple databases were used to obtain a comprehensive annotation and the transcripts were functionally classified using GO, KOG and PlantCyc. Special emphasis was given for annotating the secondary metabolite pathways and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways. We report for the first time, the presence of transcripts related to biosynthetic pathways of several anti-cancer compounds like taxol, curcumin, and vinblastine in addition to anti-malarial compounds like artemisinin and acridone alkaloids, emphasizing turmeric's importance as a highly potent phytochemical. Our data not only provides molecular signatures for several terpenoids but also a comprehensive molecular resource for facilitating deeper insights into the transcriptome of C. longa. PMID:23468859

  12. De Novo transcriptome assembly (NGS of Curcuma longa L. rhizome reveals novel transcripts related to anticancer and antimalarial terpenoids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramasamy S Annadurai

    Full Text Available Herbal remedies are increasingly being recognised in recent years as alternative medicine for a number of diseases including cancer. Curcuma longa L., commonly known as turmeric is used as a culinary spice in India and in many Asian countries has been attributed to lower incidences of gastrointestinal cancers. Curcumin, a secondary metabolite isolated from the rhizomes of this plant has been shown to have significant anticancer properties, in addition to antimalarial and antioxidant effects. We sequenced the transcriptome of the rhizome of the 3 varieties of Curcuma longa L. using Illumina reversible dye terminator sequencing followed by de novo transcriptome assembly. Multiple databases were used to obtain a comprehensive annotation and the transcripts were functionally classified using GO, KOG and PlantCyc. Special emphasis was given for annotating the secondary metabolite pathways and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways. We report for the first time, the presence of transcripts related to biosynthetic pathways of several anti-cancer compounds like taxol, curcumin, and vinblastine in addition to anti-malarial compounds like artemisinin and acridone alkaloids, emphasizing turmeric's importance as a highly potent phytochemical. Our data not only provides molecular signatures for several terpenoids but also a comprehensive molecular resource for facilitating deeper insights into the transcriptome of C. longa.

  13. De Novo transcriptome assembly (NGS) of Curcuma longa L. rhizome reveals novel transcripts related to anticancer and antimalarial terpenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annadurai, Ramasamy S; Neethiraj, Ramprasad; Jayakumar, Vasanthan; Damodaran, Anand C; Rao, Sudha Narayana; Katta, Mohan A V S K; Gopinathan, Sreeja; Sarma, Santosh Prasad; Senthilkumar, Vanitha; Niranjan, Vidya; Gopinath, Ashok; Mugasimangalam, Raja C

    2013-01-01

    Herbal remedies are increasingly being recognised in recent years as alternative medicine for a number of diseases including cancer. Curcuma longa L., commonly known as turmeric is used as a culinary spice in India and in many Asian countries has been attributed to lower incidences of gastrointestinal cancers. Curcumin, a secondary metabolite isolated from the rhizomes of this plant has been shown to have significant anticancer properties, in addition to antimalarial and antioxidant effects. We sequenced the transcriptome of the rhizome of the 3 varieties of Curcuma longa L. using Illumina reversible dye terminator sequencing followed by de novo transcriptome assembly. Multiple databases were used to obtain a comprehensive annotation and the transcripts were functionally classified using GO, KOG and PlantCyc. Special emphasis was given for annotating the secondary metabolite pathways and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways. We report for the first time, the presence of transcripts related to biosynthetic pathways of several anti-cancer compounds like taxol, curcumin, and vinblastine in addition to anti-malarial compounds like artemisinin and acridone alkaloids, emphasizing turmeric's importance as a highly potent phytochemical. Our data not only provides molecular signatures for several terpenoids but also a comprehensive molecular resource for facilitating deeper insights into the transcriptome of C. longa.

  14. Sensitive detection of viral transcripts in human tumor transcriptomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven-Eric Schelhorn

    Full Text Available In excess of 12% of human cancer incidents have a viral cofactor. Epidemiological studies of idiopathic human cancers indicate that additional tumor viruses remain to be discovered. Recent advances in sequencing technology have enabled systematic screenings of human tumor transcriptomes for viral transcripts. However, technical problems such as low abundances of viral transcripts in large volumes of sequencing data, viral sequence divergence, and homology between viral and human factors significantly confound identification of tumor viruses. We have developed a novel computational approach for detecting viral transcripts in human cancers that takes the aforementioned confounding factors into account and is applicable to a wide variety of viruses and tumors. We apply the approach to conducting the first systematic search for viruses in neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in infancy. The diverse clinical progression of this disease as well as related epidemiological and virological findings are highly suggestive of a pathogenic cofactor. However, a viral etiology of neuroblastoma is currently contested. We mapped 14 transcriptomes of neuroblastoma as well as positive and negative controls to the human and all known viral genomes in order to detect both known and unknown viruses. Analysis of controls, comparisons with related methods, and statistical estimates demonstrate the high sensitivity of our approach. Detailed investigation of putative viral transcripts within neuroblastoma samples did not provide evidence for the existence of any known human viruses. Likewise, de-novo assembly and analysis of chimeric transcripts did not result in expression signatures associated with novel human pathogens. While confounding factors such as sample dilution or viral clearance in progressed tumors may mask viral cofactors in the data, in principle, this is rendered less likely by the high sensitivity of our approach and the number of biological replicates

  15. Transcriptomic changes in human breast cancer progression as determined by serial analysis of gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abba, Martin C; Aldaz, C Marcelo; Drake, Jeffrey A; Hawkins, Kathleen A; Hu, Yuhui; Sun, Hongxia; Notcovich, Cintia; Gaddis, Sally; Sahin, Aysegul; Baggerly, Keith

    2004-01-01

    Genomic and transcriptomic alterations affecting key cellular processes such us cell proliferation, differentiation and genomic stability are considered crucial for the development and progression of cancer. Most invasive breast carcinomas are known to derive from precursor in situ lesions. It is proposed that major global expression abnormalities occur in the transition from normal to premalignant stages and further progression to invasive stages. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was employed to generate a comprehensive global gene expression profile of the major changes occurring during breast cancer malignant evolution. In the present study we combined various normal and tumor SAGE libraries available in the public domain with sets of breast cancer SAGE libraries recently generated and sequenced in our laboratory. A recently developed modified t test was used to detect the genes differentially expressed. We accumulated a total of approximately 1.7 million breast tissue-specific SAGE tags and monitored the behavior of more than 25,157 genes during early breast carcinogenesis. We detected 52 transcripts commonly deregulated across the board when comparing normal tissue with ductal carcinoma in situ, and 149 transcripts when comparing ductal carcinoma in situ with invasive ductal carcinoma (P < 0.01). A major novelty of our study was the use of a statistical method that correctly accounts for the intra-SAGE and inter-SAGE library sources of variation. The most useful result of applying this modified t statistics beta binomial test is the identification of genes and gene families commonly deregulated across samples within each specific stage in the transition from normal to preinvasive and invasive stages of breast cancer development. Most of the gene expression abnormalities detected at the in situ stage were related to specific genes in charge of regulating the proper homeostasis between cell death and cell proliferation. The comparison of in situ lesions

  16. Reducing Breast Cancer Recurrence: The Role of Dietary Polyphenolics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea J. Braakhuis

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Evidence from numerous observational and clinical studies suggest that polyphenolic phytochemicals such as phenolic acids in olive oil, flavonols in tea, chocolate and grapes, and isoflavones in soy products reduce the risk of breast cancer. A dietary food pattern naturally rich in polyphenols is the Mediterranean diet and evidence suggests those of Mediterranean descent have a lower breast cancer incidence. Whilst dietary polyphenols have been the subject of breast cancer risk-reduction, this review will focus on the clinical effects of polyphenols on reducing recurrence. Overall, we recommend breast cancer patients consume a diet naturally high in flavonol polyphenols including tea, vegetables (onion, broccoli, and fruit (apples, citrus. At least five servings of vegetables and fruit daily appear protective. Moderate soy protein consumption (5–10 g daily and the Mediterranean dietary pattern show the most promise for breast cancer patients. In this review, we present an overview of clinical trials on supplementary polyphenols of dietary patterns rich in polyphenols on breast cancer recurrence, mechanistic data, and novel delivery systems currently being researched.

  17. Remodeling of the methylation landscape in breast cancer metastasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsha Reyngold

    Full Text Available The development of breast cancer metastasis is accompanied by dynamic transcriptome changes and dramatic alterations in nuclear and chromatin structure. The basis of these changes is incompletely understood. The DNA methylome of primary breast cancers contribute to transcriptomic heterogeneity and different metastatic behavior. Therefore we sought to characterize methylome remodeling during regional metastasis. We profiled the DNA methylome and transcriptome of 44 matched primary breast tumors and regional metastases. Striking subtype-specific patterns of metastasis-associated methylome remodeling were observed, which reflected the molecular heterogeneity of breast cancers. These divergent changes occurred primarily in CpG island (CGI-poor areas. Regions of methylome reorganization shared by the subtypes were also observed, and we were able to identify a metastasis-specific methylation signature that was present across the breast cancer subclasses. These alterations also occurred outside of CGIs and promoters, including sequences flanking CGIs and intergenic sequences. Integrated analysis of methylation and gene expression identified genes whose expression correlated with metastasis-specific methylation. Together, these findings significantly enhance our understanding of the epigenetic reorganization that occurs during regional breast cancer metastasis across the major breast cancer subtypes and reveal the nature of methylome remodeling during this process.

  18. Integration of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data identifies two biologically distinct subtypes of invasive lobular breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaut, Magali; Chin, Suet-Feung; Majewski, Ian; Severson, Tesa M; Bismeijer, Tycho; de Koning, Leanne; Peeters, Justine K; Schouten, Philip C; Rueda, Oscar M; Bosma, Astrid J; Tarrant, Finbarr; Fan, Yue; He, Beilei; Xue, Zheng; Mittempergher, Lorenza; Kluin, Roelof J C; Heijmans, Jeroen; Snel, Mireille; Pereira, Bernard; Schlicker, Andreas; Provenzano, Elena; Ali, Hamid Raza; Gaber, Alexander; O'Hurley, Gillian; Lehn, Sophie; Muris, Jettie J F; Wesseling, Jelle; Kay, Elaine; Sammut, Stephen John; Bardwell, Helen A; Barbet, Aurélie S; Bard, Floriane; Lecerf, Caroline; O'Connor, Darran P; Vis, Daniël J; Benes, Cyril H; McDermott, Ultan; Garnett, Mathew J; Simon, Iris M; Jirström, Karin; Dubois, Thierry; Linn, Sabine C; Gallagher, William M; Wessels, Lodewyk F A; Caldas, Carlos; Bernards, Rene

    2016-01-05

    Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most frequently occurring histological breast cancer subtype after invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), accounting for around 10% of all breast cancers. The molecular processes that drive the development of ILC are still largely unknown. We have performed a comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of a large ILC patient cohort and present here an integrated molecular portrait of ILC. Mutations in CDH1 and in the PI3K pathway are the most frequent molecular alterations in ILC. We identified two main subtypes of ILCs: (i) an immune related subtype with mRNA up-regulation of PD-L1, PD-1 and CTLA-4 and greater sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents in representative cell line models; (ii) a hormone related subtype, associated with Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), and gain of chromosomes 1q and 8q and loss of chromosome 11q. Using the somatic mutation rate and eIF4B protein level, we identified three groups with different clinical outcomes, including a group with extremely good prognosis. We provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular alterations driving ILC and have explored links with therapy response. This molecular characterization may help to tailor treatment of ILC through the application of specific targeted, chemo- and/or immune-therapies.

  19. Acupuncture Reduces Breast Cancer Joint Pain | Division of Cancer Prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    In the largest, most rigorous study of its kind, acupuncture was found to significantly reduce the debilitating joint pain experienced by tens of thousands of women each year while being treated for early stage breast cancer with aromatase inhibitors (AIs). |

  20. Reptilian Transcriptomes v2.0: An Extensive Resource for Sauropsida Genomics and Transcriptomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzika, Athanasia C; Ullate-Agote, Asier; Grbic, Djordje; Milinkovitch, Michel C

    2015-07-01

    Despite the availability of deep-sequencing techniques, genomic and transcriptomic data remain unevenly distributed across phylogenetic groups. For example, reptiles are poorly represented in sequence databases, hindering functional evolutionary and developmental studies in these lineages substantially more diverse than mammals. In addition, different studies use different assembly and annotation protocols, inhibiting meaningful comparisons. Here, we present the "Reptilian Transcriptomes Database 2.0," which provides extensive annotation of transcriptomes and genomes from species covering the major reptilian lineages. To this end, we sequenced normalized complementary DNA libraries of multiple adult tissues and various embryonic stages of the leopard gecko and the corn snake and gathered published reptilian sequence data sets from representatives of the four extant orders of reptiles: Squamata (snakes and lizards), the tuatara, crocodiles, and turtles. The LANE runner 2.0 software was implemented to annotate all assemblies within a single integrated pipeline. We show that this approach increases the annotation completeness of the assembled transcriptomes/genomes. We then built large concatenated protein alignments of single-copy genes and inferred phylogenetic trees that support the positions of turtles and the tuatara as sister groups of Archosauria and Squamata, respectively. The Reptilian Transcriptomes Database 2.0 resource will be updated to include selected new data sets as they become available, thus making it a reference for differential expression studies, comparative genomics and transcriptomics, linkage mapping, molecular ecology, and phylogenomic analyses involving reptiles. The database is available at www.reptilian-transcriptomes.org and can be enquired using a wwwblast server installed at the University of Geneva. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  1. Web services for transcriptomics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Neerincx, P.

    2009-01-01

    Transcriptomics is part of a family of disciplines focussing on high throughput molecular biology experiments. In the case of transcriptomics, scientists study the expression of genes resulting in transcripts. These transcripts can either perform a biological function themselves or function as

  2. Proton irradiation impacts age-driven modulations of cancer progression influenced by immune system transcriptome modifications from splenic tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wage, Justin; Ma, Lili; Peluso, Michael; Lamont, Clare; Hahnfeldt, Philip; Hlatky, Lynn; Beheshti, Afshin; Evens, Andrew M.

    2015-01-01

    Age plays a crucial role in the interplay between tumor and host, with additional impact due to irradiation. Proton irradiation of tumors induces biological modulations including inhibition of angiogenic and immune factors critical to 'hallmark' processes impacting tumor development. Proton irradiation has also provided promising results for proton therapy in cancer due to targeting advantages. Additionally, protons may contribute to the carcinogenesis risk from space travel (due to the high proportion of high-energy protons in space radiation). Through a systems biology approach, we investigated how host tissue (i.e. splenic tissue) of tumor-bearing mice was altered with age, with or without whole-body proton exposure. Transcriptome analysis was performed on splenic tissue from adolescent (68-day) versus old (736-day) C57BL/6 male mice injected with Lewis lung carcinoma cells with or without three fractionations of 0.5 Gy (1-GeV) proton irradiation. Global transcriptome analysis indicated that proton irradiation of adolescent hosts caused significant signaling changes within splenic tissues that support carcinogenesis within the mice, as compared with older subjects. Increases in cell cycling and immunosuppression in irradiated adolescent hosts with CDK2, MCM7, CD74 and RUVBL2 indicated these were the key genes involved in the regulatory changes in the host environment response (i.e. the spleen). Collectively, these results suggest that a significant biological component of proton irradiation is modulated by host age through promotion of carcinogenesis in adolescence and resistance to immunosuppression, carcinogenesis and genetic perturbation associated with advancing age. (author)

  3. A functional and transcriptomic analysis of NET1 bioactivity in gastric cancer

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Bennett, Gayle

    2011-02-01

    Abstract Background NET1, a RhoA guanine exchange factor, is up-regulated in gastric cancer (GC) tissue and drives the invasive phenotype of this disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of NET1 in GC by monitoring the proliferation, motility and invasion of GC cells in which NET1 has been stably knocked down. Additionally, we aimed to determine NET1-dependent transcriptomic events that occur in GC. Methods An in vitro model of stable knockdown of NET1 was achieved in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells via lentiviral mediated transduction of short-hairpin (sh) RNA targeting NET1. Knockdown was assessed using quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation was assessed using an MTS assay and cell migration was assessed using a wound healing scratch assay. Cell invasion was assessed using a transwell matrigel invasion assay. Gene expression profiles were examined using affymetrix oligonucleotide U133A expression arrays. A student\\'s t test was used to determine changes of statistical significance. Results GC cells were transduced with NET1 shRNA resulting in a 97% reduction in NET1 mRNA (p < 0.0001). NET1 knockdown significantly reduced the invasion and migration of GC cells by 94% (p < 0.05) and 24% (p < 0.001) respectively, while cell proliferation was not significantly altered following NET1 knockdown. Microarray analysis was performed on non-target and knockdown cell lines, treated with and without 10 μM lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) allowing us to identify NET1-dependent, LPA-dependent and NET1-mediated LPA-induced gene transcription. Differential gene expression was confirmed by quantitative PCR. Shortlisted NET1-dependent genes included STAT1, TSPAN1, TGFBi and CCL5 all of which were downregulatd upon NET1 downregulation. Shortlisted LPA-dependent genes included EGFR and PPARD where EGFR was upregulated and PPARD was downregulated upon LPA stimulation. Shortlisted NET1 and LPA dependent genes included IGFR1 and PIP5K3. These LPA induced genes were

  4. A functional and transcriptomic analysis of NET1 bioactivity in gastric cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, Gayle; Sadlier, Denise; Doran, Peter P; MacMathuna, Padraic; Murray, David W

    2011-01-01

    NET1, a RhoA guanine exchange factor, is up-regulated in gastric cancer (GC) tissue and drives the invasive phenotype of this disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of NET1 in GC by monitoring the proliferation, motility and invasion of GC cells in which NET1 has been stably knocked down. Additionally, we aimed to determine NET1-dependent transcriptomic events that occur in GC. An in vitro model of stable knockdown of NET1 was achieved in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells via lentiviral mediated transduction of short-hairpin (sh) RNA targeting NET1. Knockdown was assessed using quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation was assessed using an MTS assay and cell migration was assessed using a wound healing scratch assay. Cell invasion was assessed using a transwell matrigel invasion assay. Gene expression profiles were examined using affymetrix oligonucleotide U133A expression arrays. A student's t test was used to determine changes of statistical significance. GC cells were transduced with NET1 shRNA resulting in a 97% reduction in NET1 mRNA (p < 0.0001). NET1 knockdown significantly reduced the invasion and migration of GC cells by 94% (p < 0.05) and 24% (p < 0.001) respectively, while cell proliferation was not significantly altered following NET1 knockdown. Microarray analysis was performed on non-target and knockdown cell lines, treated with and without 10 μM lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) allowing us to identify NET1-dependent, LPA-dependent and NET1-mediated LPA-induced gene transcription. Differential gene expression was confirmed by quantitative PCR. Shortlisted NET1-dependent genes included STAT1, TSPAN1, TGFBi and CCL5 all of which were downregulatd upon NET1 downregulation. Shortlisted LPA-dependent genes included EGFR and PPARD where EGFR was upregulated and PPARD was downregulated upon LPA stimulation. Shortlisted NET1 and LPA dependent genes included IGFR1 and PIP5K3. These LPA induced genes were downregulated in NET1 knockdown cells

  5. Reduced cancer risk in vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanou, Amy Joy; Svenson, Barbara

    2010-12-20

    This report reviews current evidence regarding the relationship between vegetarian eating patterns and cancer risk. Although plant-based diets including vegetarian and vegan diets are generally considered to be cancer protective, very few studies have directly addressed this question. Most large prospective observational studies show that vegetarian diets are at least modestly cancer protective (10%-12% reduction in overall cancer risk) although results for specific cancers are less clear. No long-term randomized clinical trials have been conducted to address this relationship. However, a broad body of evidence links specific plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, plant constituents such as fiber, antioxidants and other phytochemicals, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight to reduced risk of cancer diagnosis and recurrence. Also, research links the consumption of meat, especially red and processed meats, to increased risk of several types of cancer. Vegetarian and vegan diets increase beneficial plant foods and plant constituents, eliminate the intake of red and processed meat, and aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The direct and indirect evidence taken together suggests that vegetarian diets are a useful strategy for reducing risk of cancer.

  6. The rectal cancer microRNAome - microRNA expression in rectal cancer and matched normal mucosa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaedcke, Jochen; Grade, Marian; Camps, Jordi

    2012-01-01

    PURPOSE: miRNAs play a prominent role in a variety of physiologic and pathologic biologic processes, including cancer. For rectal cancers, only limited data are available on miRNA expression profiles, whereas the underlying genomic and transcriptomic aberrations have been firmly established. We t...

  7. Transcriptome analysis of Wnt3a-treated triple-negative breast cancer cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvie Maubant

    Full Text Available The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is activated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC. The activation of this pathway leads to the expression of specific target genes depending on the cell/tissue context. Here, we analyzed the transcriptome of two different TNBC cell lines to define a comprehensive list of Wnt target genes. The treatment of cells with Wnt3a for 6h up-regulated the expression (fold change > 1.3 of 59 genes in MDA-MB-468 cells and 241 genes in HCC38 cells. Thirty genes were common to both cell lines. Beta-catenin may also be a transcriptional repressor and we found that 18 and 166 genes were down-regulated in response to Wnt3a treatment for 6h in MDA-MB-468 and HCC38 cells, respectively, of which six were common to both cell lines. Only half of the activated and the repressed transcripts have been previously described as Wnt target genes. Therefore, our study reveals 137 novel genes that may be positively regulated by Wnt3a and 104 novel genes that may be negatively regulated by Wnt3a. These genes are involved in the Wnt pathway itself, and also in TGFβ, p53 and Hedgehog pathways. Thorough characterization of these novel potential Wnt target genes may reveal new regulators of the canonical Wnt pathway. The comparison of our list of Wnt target genes with those published in other cellular contexts confirms the notion that Wnt target genes are tissue-, cell line- and treatment-specific. Genes up-regulated in Wnt3a-stimulated cell lines were more strongly expressed in TNBC than in luminal A breast cancer samples. These genes were also overexpressed, but to a much lesser extent, in HER2+ and luminal B tumors. We identified 72 Wnt target genes higher expressed in TNBCs (17 with a fold change >1.3 which may reflect the chronic activation of the canonical Wnt pathway that occurs in TNBC tumors.

  8. EPCR promotes breast cancer progression by altering SPOCK1/testican 1-mediated 3D growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naiara Perurena

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Activated protein C/endothelial protein C receptor (APC/EPCR axis is physiologically involved in anticoagulant and cytoprotective activities in endothelial cells. Emerging evidence indicates that EPCR also plays a role in breast stemness and human tumorigenesis. Yet, its contribution to breast cancer progression and metastasis has not been elucidated. Methods Transcriptomic status of EPCR was examined in a cohort of 286 breast cancer patients. Cell growth kinetics was evaluated in control and EPCR and SPARC/osteonectin, Cwcv, and kazal-like domains proteoglycan (SPOCK1/testican 1 silenced breast cancer cells in 2D, 3D, and in co-culture conditions. Orthotopic tumor growth and lung and osseous metastases were evaluated in several human and murine xenograft breast cancer models. Tumor-stroma interactions were further studied in vivo by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. An EPCR-induced gene signature was identified by microarray analysis. Results Analysis of a cohort of breast cancer patients revealed an association of high EPCR levels with adverse clinical outcome. Interestingly, EPCR knockdown did not affect cell growth kinetics in 2D but significantly reduced cell growth in 3D cultures. Using several human and murine xenograft breast cancer models, we showed that EPCR silencing reduced primary tumor growth and secondary outgrowths at metastatic sites, including the skeleton and the lungs. Interestingly, these effects were independent of APC ligand stimulation in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic analysis of EPCR-silenced tumors unveiled an effect mediated by matricellular secreted proteoglycan SPOCK1/testican 1. Interestingly, SPOCK1 silencing suppressed in vitro 3D growth. Moreover, SPOCK1 ablation severely decreased orthotopic tumor growth and reduced bone metastatic osteolytic tumors. High SPOCK1 levels were also associated with poor clinical outcome in a subset breast cancer patients. Our results suggest that EPCR

  9. Breast Cancer Detection with Reduced Feature Set

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmet Mert

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores feature reduction properties of independent component analysis (ICA on breast cancer decision support system. Wisconsin diagnostic breast cancer (WDBC dataset is reduced to one-dimensional feature vector computing an independent component (IC. The original data with 30 features and reduced one feature (IC are used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of the classifiers such as k-nearest neighbor (k-NN, artificial neural network (ANN, radial basis function neural network (RBFNN, and support vector machine (SVM. The comparison of the proposed classification using the IC with original feature set is also tested on different validation (5/10-fold cross-validations and partitioning (20%–40% methods. These classifiers are evaluated how to effectively categorize tumors as benign and malignant in terms of specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, F-score, Youden’s index, discriminant power, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve with its criterion values including area under curve (AUC and 95% confidential interval (CI. This represents an improvement in diagnostic decision support system, while reducing computational complexity.

  10. Supervised exercise reduces cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José F Meneses-Echávez

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Question: Does supervised physical activity reduce cancer-related fatigue? Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised trials. Participants: People diagnosed with any type of cancer, without restriction to a particular stage of diagnosis or treatment. Intervention: Supervised physical activity interventions (eg, aerobic, resistance and stretching exercise, defined as any planned or structured body movement causing an increase in energy expenditure, designed to maintain or enhance health-related outcomes, and performed with systematic frequency, intensity and duration. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was fatigue. Secondary outcomes were physical and functional wellbeing assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Fatigue Scale, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Piper Fatigue Scale, Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Methodological quality, including risk of bias of the studies, was evaluated using the PEDro Scale. Results: Eleven studies involving 1530 participants were included in the review. The assessment of quality showed a mean score of 6.5 (SD 1.1, indicating a low overall risk of bias. The pooled effect on fatigue, calculated as a standardised mean difference (SMD using a random-effects model, was –1.69 (95% CI –2.99 to –0.39. Beneficial reductions in fatigue were also found with combined aerobic and resistance training with supervision (SMD = –0.41, 95% CI –0.70 to –0.13 and with combined aerobic, resistance and stretching training with supervision (SMD = –0.67, 95% CI –1.17 to –0.17. Conclusion: Supervised physical activity interventions reduce cancer-related fatigue. These findings suggest that combined aerobic and resistance exercise regimens with or without stretching should be included as part of rehabilitation programs for people who have been diagnosed with cancer

  11. Consequences of normalizing transcriptomic and genomic libraries of plant genomes using a duplex-specific nuclease and tetramethylammonium chloride.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matvienko, Marta; Kozik, Alexander; Froenicke, Lutz; Lavelle, Dean; Martineau, Belinda; Perroud, Bertrand; Michelmore, Richard

    2013-01-01

    Several applications of high throughput genome and transcriptome sequencing would benefit from a reduction of the high-copy-number sequences in the libraries being sequenced and analyzed, particularly when applied to species with large genomes. We adapted and analyzed the consequences of a method that utilizes a thermostable duplex-specific nuclease for reducing the high-copy components in transcriptomic and genomic libraries prior to sequencing. This reduces the time, cost, and computational effort of obtaining informative transcriptomic and genomic sequence data for both fully sequenced and non-sequenced genomes. It also reduces contamination from organellar DNA in preparations of nuclear DNA. Hybridization in the presence of 3 M tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC), which equalizes the rates of hybridization of GC and AT nucleotide pairs, reduced the bias against sequences with high GC content. Consequences of this method on the reduction of high-copy and enrichment of low-copy sequences are reported for Arabidopsis and lettuce.

  12. Consequences of normalizing transcriptomic and genomic libraries of plant genomes using a duplex-specific nuclease and tetramethylammonium chloride.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Matvienko

    Full Text Available Several applications of high throughput genome and transcriptome sequencing would benefit from a reduction of the high-copy-number sequences in the libraries being sequenced and analyzed, particularly when applied to species with large genomes. We adapted and analyzed the consequences of a method that utilizes a thermostable duplex-specific nuclease for reducing the high-copy components in transcriptomic and genomic libraries prior to sequencing. This reduces the time, cost, and computational effort of obtaining informative transcriptomic and genomic sequence data for both fully sequenced and non-sequenced genomes. It also reduces contamination from organellar DNA in preparations of nuclear DNA. Hybridization in the presence of 3 M tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC, which equalizes the rates of hybridization of GC and AT nucleotide pairs, reduced the bias against sequences with high GC content. Consequences of this method on the reduction of high-copy and enrichment of low-copy sequences are reported for Arabidopsis and lettuce.

  13. Editor's Highlight: Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Bisphenol A Alternatives Activate Estrogen Receptor Alpha in Human Breast Cancer Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesnage, Robin; Phedonos, Alexia; Arno, Matthew; Balu, Sucharitha; Corton, J Christopher; Antoniou, Michael N

    2017-08-01

    Plasticizers with estrogenic activity, such as bisphenol A (BPA), have potential adverse health effects in humans. Due to mounting evidence of these health effects, BPA is being phased out and replaced by other bisphenol variants in "BPA-free" products. We have compared estrogenic activity of BPA with 6 bisphenol analogues [bisphenol S (BPS); bisphenol F (BPF); bisphenol AP (BPAP); bisphenol AF (BPAF); bisphenol Z (BPZ); bisphenol B (BPB)] in 3 human breast cancer cell lines. Estrogenicity was assessed (10-11-10-4 M) by cell growth in an estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated cell proliferation assay, and by the induction of estrogen response element-mediated transcription in a luciferase assay. BPAF was the most potent bisphenol, followed by BPB > BPZ ∼ BPA > BPF ∼ BPAP > BPS. The addition of ICI 182,780 antagonized the activation of ERs. Data mining of ToxCast high-throughput screening assays confirm our results but also show divergence in the sensitivities of the assays. Gene expression profiles were determined in MCF-7 cells by microarray analysis. The comparison of transcriptome profile alterations resulting from BPA alternatives with an ERα gene expression biomarker further indicates that all BPA alternatives act as ERα agonists in MCF-7 cells. These results were confirmed by Illumina-based RNA sequencing. In conclusion, BPA alternatives are not necessarily less estrogenic than BPA in human breast cancer cells. BPAF, BPB, and BPZ were more estrogenic than BPA. These findings point to the importance of better understanding the risk of adverse effects from exposure to BPA alternatives, including hormone-dependent breast cancer. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology.

  14. Pathway aberrations of murine melanoma cells observed in Paired-End diTag transcriptomes

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    Liu Edison

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Melanoma is the major cause of skin cancer deaths and melanoma incidence doubles every 10 to 20 years. However, little is known about melanoma pathway aberrations. Here we applied the robust Gene Identification Signature Paired End diTag (GIS-PET approach to investigate the melanoma transcriptome and characterize the global pathway aberrations. Methods GIS-PET technology directly links 5' mRNA signatures with their corresponding 3' signatures to generate, and then concatenate, PETs for efficient sequencing. We annotated PETs to pathways of KEGG database and compared the murine B16F1 melanoma transcriptome with three non-melanoma murine transcriptomes (Melan-a2 melanocytes, E14 embryonic stem cells, and E17.5 embryo. Gene expression levels as represented by PET counts were compared across melanoma and melanocyte libraries to identify the most significantly altered pathways and investigate the expression levels of crucial cancer genes. Results Melanin biosynthesis genes were solely expressed in the cells of melanocytic origin, indicating the feasibility of using the PET approach for transcriptome comparison. The most significantly altered pathways were metabolic pathways, including upregulated pathways: purine metabolism, aminophosphonate metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, galactose utilization, nitrobenzene degradation, and bisphenol A degradation; and downregulated pathways: oxidative phosphorylation, ATPase synthesis, TCA cycle, pyruvate metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. The downregulated pathways concurrently indicated a slowdown of mitochondrial activities. Mitochondrial permeability was also significantly altered, as indicated by transcriptional activation of ATP/ADP, citrate/malate, Mg++, fatty acid and amino acid transporters, and transcriptional repression of zinc and metal ion transporters. Upregulation of cell cycle progression, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt pathways were more limited to certain

  15. Reduced cancer risk in vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports

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    Amy Joy Lanou

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Amy Joy Lanou1, Barbara Svenson21Department of Health and Wellness, 2Ramsey Library, University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC, USAAbstract: This report reviews current evidence regarding the relationship between vegetarian eating patterns and cancer risk. Although plant-based diets including vegetarian and vegan diets are generally considered to be cancer protective, very few studies have directly addressed this question. Most large prospective observational studies show that vegetarian diets are at least modestly cancer protective (10%–12% reduction in overall cancer risk although results for specific cancers are less clear. No long-term randomized clinical trials have been conducted to address this relationship. However, a broad body of evidence links specific plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, plant constituents such as fiber, antioxidants and other phytochemicals, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight to reduced risk of cancer diagnosis and recurrence. Also, research links the consumption of meat, especially red and processed meats, to increased risk of several types of cancer. Vegetarian and vegan diets increase beneficial plant foods and plant constituents, eliminate the intake of red and processed meat, and aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The direct and indirect evidence taken together suggests that vegetarian diets are a useful strategy for reducing risk of cancer.Keywords: diet, vegan, prevention

  16. Transcriptomics and the Mediterranean Diet: A Systematic Review

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    Herrera-Marcos, Luis V.; Lou-Bonafonte, José M.; Arnal, Carmen; Navarro, María A.; Osada, Jesús

    2017-01-01

    The Mediterranean diet has been proven to be highly effective in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer and in decreasing overall mortality. Nowadays, transcriptomics is gaining particular relevance due to the existence of non-coding RNAs capable of regulating many biological processes. The present work describes a systematic review of current evidence supporting the influence of the Mediterranean diet on transcriptomes of different tissues in various experimental models. While information on regulatory RNA is very limited, they seem to contribute to the effect. Special attention has been given to the oily matrix of virgin olive oil. In this regard, monounsaturated fatty acid-rich diets prevented the expression of inflammatory genes in different tissues, an action also observed after the administration of olive oil phenolic compounds. Among these, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, and secoiridoids have been found to be particularly effective in cell cycle expression. Less explored terpenes, such as oleanolic acid, are important modulators of circadian clock genes. The wide range of studied tissues and organisms indicate that response to these compounds is universal and poses an important level of complexity considering the different genes expressed in each tissue and the number of different tissues in an organism. PMID:28486416

  17. Colorectal cancer stages transcriptome analysis.

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    Tianyao Huo

    Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the gene expression differences in different stages of CRC. Gene expression data on 433 CRC patient samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA. Gene expression differences were evaluated across CRC stages using linear regression. Genes with p≤0.001 in expression differences were evaluated further in principal component analysis and genes with p≤0.0001 were evaluated further in gene set enrichment analysis. A total of 377 patients with gene expression data in 20,532 genes were included in the final analysis. The numbers of patients in stage I through IV were 59, 147, 116 and 55, respectively. NEK4 gene, which encodes for NIMA related kinase 4, was differentially expressed across the four stages of CRC. The stage I patients had the highest expression of NEK4 genes, while the stage IV patients had the lowest expressions (p = 9*10-6. Ten other genes (RNF34, HIST3H2BB, NUDT6, LRCh4, GLB1L, HIST2H4A, TMEM79, AMIGO2, C20orf135 and SPSB3 had p value of 0.0001 in the differential expression analysis. Principal component analysis indicated that the patients from the 4 clinical stages do not appear to have distinct gene expression pattern. Network-based and pathway-based gene set enrichment analyses showed that these 11 genes map to multiple pathways such as meiotic synapsis and packaging of telomere ends, etc. Ten of these 11 genes were linked to Gene Ontology terms such as nucleosome, DNA packaging complex and protein-DNA interactions. The protein complex-based gene set analysis showed that four genes were involved in H2AX complex II. This study identified a small number of genes that might be associated with clinical stages of CRC. Our analysis was not able to find a molecular basis for the current clinical staging for CRC based on the gene expression patterns.

  18. A collection of annotated and harmonized human breast cancer transcriptome datasets, including immunologic classification [version 2; referees: 2 approved

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    Jessica Roelands

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The increased application of high-throughput approaches in translational research has expanded the number of publicly available data repositories. Gathering additional valuable information contained in the datasets represents a crucial opportunity in the biomedical field. To facilitate and stimulate utilization of these datasets, we have recently developed an interactive data browsing and visualization web application, the Gene Expression Browser (GXB. In this note, we describe a curated compendium of 13 public datasets on human breast cancer, representing a total of 2142 transcriptome profiles. We classified the samples according to different immune based classification systems and integrated this information into the datasets. Annotated and harmonized datasets were uploaded to GXB. Study samples were categorized in different groups based on their immunologic tumor response profiles, intrinsic molecular subtypes and multiple clinical parameters. Ranked gene lists were generated based on relevant group comparisons. In this data note, we demonstrate the utility of GXB to evaluate the expression of a gene of interest, find differential gene expression between groups and investigate potential associations between variables with a specific focus on immunologic classification in breast cancer. This interactive resource is publicly available online at: http://breastcancer.gxbsidra.org/dm3/geneBrowser/list.

  19. MiRNA Transcriptome Profiling of Spheroid-Enriched Cells with Cancer Stem Cell Properties in Human Breast MCF-7 Cell Line

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    Boo, Lily; Ho, Wan Yong; Ali, Norlaily Mohd; Yeap, Swee Keong; Ky, Huynh; Chan, Kok Gan; Yin, Wai Fong; Satharasinghe, Dilan Amila; Liew, Woan Charn; Tan, Sheau Wei; Ong, Han Kiat; Cheong, Soon Keng

    2016-01-01

    Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide as most patients often suffer cancer relapse. The reason is often attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Recent studies revealed that dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) are closely linked to breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. However, no specific study has comprehensively characterised the CSC characteristic and miRNA transcriptome in spheroid-enriched breast cells. This study described the generation of spheroid MCF-7 cell in serum-free condition and the comprehensive characterisation for their CSC properties. Subsequently, miRNA expression differences between the spheroid-enriched CSC cells and their parental cells were evaluated using next generation sequencing (NGS). Our results showed that the MCF-7 spheroid cells were enriched with CSCs properties, indicated by the ability to self-renew, increased expression of CSCs markers, and increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Additionally, spheroid-enriched CSCs possessed greater cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and wound healing ability. A total of 134 significantly (p<0.05) differentially expressed miRNAs were identified between spheroids and parental cells using miRNA-NGS. MiRNA-NGS analysis revealed 25 up-regulated and 109 down-regulated miRNAs which includes some miRNAs previously reported in the regulation of breast CSCs. A number of miRNAs (miR-4492, miR-4532, miR-381, miR-4508, miR-4448, miR-1296, and miR-365a) which have not been previously reported in breast cancer were found to show potential association with breast cancer chemoresistance and self-renewal capability. The gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the predicted genes were enriched in the regulation of metabolic processes, gene expression, DNA binding, and hormone receptor binding. The corresponding pathway analyses inferred from the GO results were closely related to the function of signalling pathway, self

  20. Breast Cancer Methylomes Establish an Epigenomic Foundation for Metastasis

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    Fang, Fang; Turcan, Sevin; Rimner, Andreas; Kaufman, Andrew; Giri, Dilip; Morris, Luc G. T.; Shen, Ronglai; Seshan, Venkatraman; Mo, Qianxing; Heguy, Adriana; Baylin, Stephen B.; Ahuja, Nita; Viale, Agnes; Massague, Joan; Norton, Larry; Vahdat, Linda T.; Moynahan, Mary Ellen; Chan, Timothy A.

    2011-01-01

    Cancer-specific alterations in DNA methylation are hallmarks of human malignancies; however, the nature of the breast cancer epigenome and its effects on metastatic behavior remain obscure. To address this issue, we used genome-wide analysis to characterize the methylomes of breast cancers with diverse metastatic behavior. Groups of breast tumors were characterized by the presence or absence of coordinate hypermethylation at a large number of genes, demonstrating a breast CpG island methylator phenotype (B-CIMP). The B-CIMP provided a distinct epigenomic profile and was a strong determinant of metastatic potential. Specifically, the presence of the B-CIMP in tumors was associated with low metastatic risk and survival, and the absence of the B-CIMP was associated with high metastatic risk and death. B-CIMP loci were highly enriched for genes that make up the metastasis transcriptome. Methylation at B-CIMP genes accounted for much of the transcriptomal diversity between breast cancers of varying prognosis, indicating a fundamental epigenomic contribution to metastasis. Comparison of the loci affected by the B-CIMP with those affected by the hypermethylator phenotype in glioma and colon cancer revealed that the CIMP signature was shared by multiple human malignancies. Our data provide a unifying epigenomic framework linking breast cancers with varying outcome and transcriptomic changes underlying metastasis. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of breast cancer oncogenesis and aid the development of new prognostic biomarkers for this common malignancy. PMID:21430268

  1. Reduced Pms2 expression in non-neoplastic flat mucosa from patients with colon cancer correlates with reduced apoptosis competence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernstein, Harris; Prasad, Anil; Holubec, Hana; Bernstein, Carol; Payne, Claire M; Ramsey, Lois; Dvorakova, Katerina; Wilson, Megan; Warneke, James A; Garewal, Harinder

    2006-06-01

    Pms2 protein is a component of the DNA mismatch repair complex responsible both for post-replication correction of DNA nucleotide mispairs and for early steps in apoptosis. Germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes give rise to hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, which accounts for about 4% of colon cancers. However, little is known about the expression of mismatch repair proteins in relation to sporadic colon cancer, which accounts for the great majority of colon cancers. Multiple samples were taken from the non-neoplastic flat mucosa of colon resections from patients with no colonic neoplasia, a tubulovillous adenoma, or an adenocarcinoma. Expression of Pms2 was assessed using semiquantitative immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was assessed in polychrome-stained epoxy sections using morphologic criteria. Samples from patients without colonic neoplasia had moderate to strong staining for Pms2 in cell nuclei at the base of crypts, while samples from 2 of the 3 colons with a tubulovillous adenoma, and from 6 of the 10 colons with adenocarcinomas, showed reduced Pms2 expression. Samples from patients with an adenocarcinoma that had reduced Pms2 expression also exhibited reduced apoptosis capability in nearby tissue samples, evidenced when this paired tissue was stressed ex vivo with bile acid. Reduced Pms2 expression in the colonic mucosa may be an early step in progression to colon cancer. This reduction may cause decreased mismatch repair, increased genetic instability, and/or reduced apoptotic capability. Immunohistochemical determination of reduced Pms2 expression, upon further testing, may prove to be a promising early biomarker of risk of progression to malignancy.

  2. A cohort study of permanently reduced work ability in breast cancer patients.

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    Hauglann, Beate; Benth, Jūratė Šaltytė; Fosså, Sophie D; Dahl, Alv A

    2012-09-01

    The aims of this cohort study were to explore various longitudinal aspects of employment and disability pension due to permanently reduced work ability among women with breast cancer and to investigate the impact of breast cancer on income. In a national register-based controlled cohort study from Norway, 1,548 women diagnosed with breast cancer (all stages) between 1992 and 1996 at the age 45-54 years and 1,548 cancer-free women matched for age, municipality and civil status were followed for up to 14 years. Medical data from the Cancer Registry of Norway were linked with longitudinal data on employment, social security benefits and socio-demography collected from other national official registries. Compared to cancer-free controls, breast cancer patients were significantly more likely to receive disability pension (hazard ratio (HR) 2.7, 95% CI 2.3-3.2) after adjustment for unmatched socio-demographic variables (education, income and children employment rates were higher in non-disabled patients than in non-disabled controls (82% vs. 77%, p = 0.008). Working breast cancer patients experienced a temporary negative effect on employment income. A considerable proportion of women with breast cancer will over time experience permanently reduced work ability and become disability pension holders. In case of reduced work ability in breast cancer survivors, medical personel caring for them should consider and discuss with them rehabilitation and workplace adjustment in order to prevent early disability pension.

  3. Unique transcriptomic response to sepsis is observed among patients of different age groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raymond, Steven L; López, María Cecilia; Baker, Henry V; Larson, Shawn D; Efron, Philip A; Sweeney, Timothy E; Khatri, Purvesh; Moldawer, Lyle L; Wynn, James L

    2017-01-01

    Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially at the extremes of age. To understand the human age-specific transcriptomic response to sepsis, a multi-cohort, pooled analysis was conducted on adults, children, infants, and neonates with and without sepsis. Nine public whole-blood gene expression datasets (636 patients) were employed. Age impacted the transcriptomic host response to sepsis. Gene expression from septic neonates and adults was more dissimilar whereas infants and children were more similar. Neonates showed reductions in inflammatory recognition and signaling pathways compared to all other age groups. Likewise, adults demonstrated decreased pathogen sensing, inflammation, and myeloid cell function, as compared to children. This may help to explain the increased incidence of sepsis-related organ failure and death in adults. The number of dysregulated genes in septic patients was proportional to age and significantly differed among septic adults, children, infants, and neonates. Overall, children manifested a greater transcriptomic intensity to sepsis as compared to the other age groups. The transcriptomic magnitude for adults and neonates was dramatically reduced as compared to children and infants. These findings suggest that the transcriptomic response to sepsis is age-dependent, and diagnostic and therapeutic efforts to identify and treat sepsis will have to consider age as an important variable.

  4. Transcriptomic dissection of tongue squamous cell carcinoma

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    Schwartz Joel L

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The head and neck/oral squamous cell carcinoma (HNOSCC is a diverse group of cancers, which develop from many different anatomic sites and are associated with different risk factors and genetic characteristics. The oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC is one of the most common types of HNOSCC. It is significantly more aggressive than other forms of HNOSCC, in terms of local invasion and spread. In this study, we aim to identify specific transcriptomic signatures that associated with OTSCC. Results Genome-wide transcriptomic profiles were obtained for 53 primary OTSCCs and 22 matching normal tissues. Genes that exhibit statistically significant differences in expression between OTSCCs and normal were identified. These include up-regulated genes (MMP1, MMP10, MMP3, MMP12, PTHLH, INHBA, LAMC2, IL8, KRT17, COL1A2, IFI6, ISG15, PLAU, GREM1, MMP9, IFI44, CXCL1, and down-regulated genes (KRT4, MAL, CRNN, SCEL, CRISP3, SPINK5, CLCA4, ADH1B, P11, TGM3, RHCG, PPP1R3C, CEACAM7, HPGD, CFD, ABCA8, CLU, CYP3A5. The expressional difference of IL8 and MMP9 were further validated by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The Gene Ontology analysis suggested a number of altered biological processes in OTSCCs, including enhancements in phosphate transport, collagen catabolism, I-kappaB kinase/NF-kappaB signaling cascade, extracellular matrix organization and biogenesis, chemotaxis, as well as suppressions of superoxide release, hydrogen peroxide metabolism, cellular response to hydrogen peroxide, keratinization, and keratinocyte differentiation in OTSCCs. Conclusion In summary, our study provided a transcriptomic signature for OTSCC that may lead to a diagnosis or screen tool and provide the foundation for further functional validation of these specific candidate genes for OTSCC.

  5. Transcriptome profiling of whole blood cells identifies PLEK2 and C1QB in human melanoma.

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    Yuchun Luo

    Full Text Available Developing analytical methodologies to identify biomarkers in easily accessible body fluids is highly valuable for the early diagnosis and management of cancer patients. Peripheral whole blood is a "nucleic acid-rich" and "inflammatory cell-rich" information reservoir and represents systemic processes altered by the presence of cancer cells.We conducted transcriptome profiling of whole blood cells from melanoma patients. To overcome challenges associated with blood-based transcriptome analysis, we used a PAXgene™ tube and NuGEN Ovation™ globin reduction system. The combined use of these systems in microarray resulted in the identification of 78 unique genes differentially expressed in the blood of melanoma patients. Of these, 68 genes were further analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR using blood samples from 45 newly diagnosed melanoma patients (stage I to IV and 50 healthy control individuals. Thirty-nine genes were verified to be differentially expressed in blood samples from melanoma patients. A stepwise logit analysis selected eighteen 2-gene signatures that distinguish melanoma from healthy controls. Of these, a 2-gene signature consisting of PLEK2 and C1QB led to the best result that correctly classified 93.3% melanoma patients and 90% healthy controls. Both genes were upregulated in blood samples of melanoma patients from all stages. Further analysis using blood fractionation showed that CD45(- and CD45(+ populations were responsible for the altered expression levels of PLEK2 and C1QB, respectively.The current study provides the first analysis of whole blood-based transcriptome biomarkers for malignant melanoma. The expression of PLEK2, the strongest gene to classify melanoma patients, in CD45(- subsets illustrates the importance of analyzing whole blood cells for biomarker studies. The study suggests that transcriptome profiling of blood cells could be used for both early detection of melanoma and monitoring of patients

  6. Low dose irradiation reduces cancer mortality rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luckey, T.D.

    2000-01-01

    Low doses of ionizing radiation stimulate development, growth, memory, sensual acuity, fecundity, and immunity (Luckey, T.D., ''Radiation Hormesis'', CRC Press, 1991). Increased immune competence reduces cancer mortality rates and provides increased average lifespan in animals. Decreased cancer mortality rates in atom bomb victims who received low dose irradiation makes it desirable to examine populations exposed to low dose irradiation. Studies with over 300,000 workers and 7 million person-years provide a valid comparison of radiation exposed and control unclear workers (Luckey, T.D., Nurture with Ionizing Radiation, Nutrition and Cancer, 34:1-11, 1999). Careful selection of controls eliminated any ''healthy worker effect''. The person-year corrected average indicated the cancer mortality rate of exposed workers was only 51% that of control workers. Lung cancer mortality rates showed a highly significant negative correlation with radon concentrations in 272,000 U.S. homes (Cohen, B.L., Health Physics 68:157-174, 1995). In contrast, radon concentrations showed no effect on lung cancer rates in miners from different countries (Lubin, J.H. Am. J. Epidemiology 140:323-332, 1994). This provides evidence that excessive lung cancer in miners is caused by particulates (the major factor) or toxic gases. The relative risk for cancer mortality was 3.7% in 10,000 Taiwanese exposed to low level of radiation from 60 Co in their steel supported homes (Luan, Y.C. et al., Am. Nuclear Soc. Trans. Boston, 1999). This remarkable finding needs further study. A major mechanism for reduced cancer mortality rates is increased immune competence; this includes both cell and humoral components. Low dose irradiation increases circulating lymphocytes. Macrophage and ''natural killer'' cells can destroy altered (cancer) cells before the mass becomes too large. Low dose irradiation also kills suppressor T-cells; this allows helper T-cells to activate killer cells and antibody producing cells

  7. Genetic dissection of the Arabidopsis spaceflight transcriptome: Are some responses dispensable for the physiological adaptation of plants to spaceflight?

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    Anna-Lisa Paul

    Full Text Available Experimentation on the International Space Station has reached the stage where repeated and nuanced transcriptome studies are beginning to illuminate the structural and metabolic differences between plants grown in space compared to plants on the Earth. Genes that are important in establishing the spaceflight responses are being identified, their roles in spaceflight physiological adaptation are increasingly understood, and the fact that different genotypes adapt differently is recognized. However, the basic question of whether these spaceflight responses are actually required for survival has yet to be posed, and the fundamental notion that spaceflight responses may be non-adaptive has yet to be explored. Therefore the experiments presented here were designed to ask if portions of the plant spaceflight response can be genetically removed without causing loss of spaceflight survival and without causing increased stress responses. The CARA experiment compared the spaceflight transcriptome responses in the root tips of two Arabidopsis ecotypes, Col-0 and WS, as well as that of a PhyD mutant of Col-0. When grown with the ambient light of the ISS, phyD plants displayed a significantly reduced spaceflight transcriptome response compared to Col-0, suggesting that altering the activity of a single gene can actually improve spaceflight adaptation by reducing the transcriptome cost of physiological adaptation. The WS genotype showed an even simpler spaceflight transcriptome response in the ambient light of the ISS, more broadly indicating that the plant genotype can be manipulated to reduce the cost of spaceflight adaptation, as measured by transcriptional response. These differential genotypic responses suggest that genetic manipulation could further reduce, or perhaps eliminate the metabolic cost of spaceflight adaptation. When plants were germinated and then left in the dark on the ISS, the WS genotype actually mounted a larger transcriptome response

  8. Transcriptome and DNA Methylome Analysis in a Mouse Model of Diet-Induced Obesity Predicts Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer

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    Ruifang Li

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC tends to occur at older age; however, CRC incidence rates have been rising sharply among young age groups. The increasing prevalence of obesity is recognized as a major risk, yet the mechanistic underpinnings remain poorly understood. Using a diet-induced obesity mouse model, we identified obesity-associated molecular changes in the colonic epithelium of young and aged mice, and we further investigated whether the changes were reversed after weight loss. Transcriptome analysis indicated that obesity-related colonic cellular metabolic switch favoring long-chain fatty acid oxidation happened in young mice, while obesity-associated downregulation of negative feedback regulators of pro-proliferative signaling pathways occurred in older mice. Strikingly, colonic DNA methylome was pre-programmed by obesity at young age, priming for a tumor-prone gene signature after aging. Furthermore, obesity-related changes were substantially preserved after short-term weight loss, but they were largely reversed after long-term weight loss. We provided mechanistic insights into increased CRC risk in obesity.

  9. Selecting Superior De Novo Transcriptome Assemblies: Lessons Learned by Leveraging the Best Plant Genome.

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    Loren A Honaas

    Full Text Available Whereas de novo assemblies of RNA-Seq data are being published for a growing number of species across the tree of life, there are currently no broadly accepted methods for evaluating such assemblies. Here we present a detailed comparison of 99 transcriptome assemblies, generated with 6 de novo assemblers including CLC, Trinity, SOAP, Oases, ABySS and NextGENe. Controlled analyses of de novo assemblies for Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa transcriptomes provide new insights into the strengths and limitations of transcriptome assembly strategies. We find that the leading assemblers generate reassuringly accurate assemblies for the majority of transcripts. At the same time, we find a propensity for assemblers to fail to fully assemble highly expressed genes. Surprisingly, the instance of true chimeric assemblies is very low for all assemblers. Normalized libraries are reduced in highly abundant transcripts, but they also lack 1000s of low abundance transcripts. We conclude that the quality of de novo transcriptome assemblies is best assessed through consideration of a combination of metrics: 1 proportion of reads mapping to an assembly 2 recovery of conserved, widely expressed genes, 3 N50 length statistics, and 4 the total number of unigenes. We provide benchmark Illumina transcriptome data and introduce SCERNA, a broadly applicable modular protocol for de novo assembly improvement. Finally, our de novo assembly of the Arabidopsis leaf transcriptome revealed ~20 putative Arabidopsis genes lacking in the current annotation.

  10. Non-metastatic 2 (NME2)-mediated suppression of lung cancer metastasis involves transcriptional regulation of key cell adhesion factor vinculin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Ram Krishna; Yadav, Vinod Kumar; Kumar, Akinchan; Singh, Ankita; Pal, Krishnendu; Hoeppner, Luke; Saha, Dhurjhoti; Purohit, Gunjan; Basundra, Richa; Kar, Anirban; Halder, Rashi; Kumar, Pankaj; Baral, Aradhita; Kumar, MJ Mahesh; Baldi, Alfonso; Vincenzi, Bruno; Lorenzon, Laura; Banerjee, Rajkumar; Kumar, Praveen; Shridhar, Viji; Mukhopadhyay, Debabrata; Chowdhury, Shantanu

    2014-01-01

    Tumor metastasis refers to spread of a tumor from site of its origin to distant organs and causes majority of cancer deaths. Although >30 metastasis suppressor genes (MSGs) that negatively regulate metastasis have been identified so far, two issues are poorly understood: first, which MSGs oppose metastasis in a tumor type, and second, which molecular function of MSG controls metastasis. Herein, integrative analyses of tumor-transcriptomes (n = 382), survival data (n = 530) and lymph node metastases (n = 100) in lung cancer patients identified non-metastatic 2 (NME2) as a key MSG from a pool of >30 metastasis suppressors. Subsequently, we generated a promoter-wide binding map for NME2 using chromatin immunoprecipitation with promoter microarrays (ChIP-chip), and transcriptome profiling. We discovered novel targets of NME2 which are involved in focal adhesion signaling. Importantly, we detected binding of NME2 in promoter of focal adhesion factor, vinculin. Reduced expression of NME2 led to enhanced transcription of vinculin. In comparison, NME1, a close homolog of NME2, did not bind to vinculin promoter nor regulate its expression. In line, enhanced metastasis of NME2-depleted lung cancer cells was found in zebrafish and nude mice tumor models. The metastatic potential of NME2-depleted cells was remarkably diminished upon selective RNA-i-mediated silencing of vinculin. Together, we demonstrate that reduced NME2 levels lead to transcriptional de-repression of vinculin and regulate lung cancer metastasis. PMID:25249619

  11. Transcriptome-wide studies of prostate cancer cell lines in the context of medical radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammer, Paul

    2012-01-01

    The use of radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy and surgical removal is the most powerful instrument in the fight against malignant tumors in cancer medicine. After cardiovascular diseases, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the western world, in which prostate cancer is the most frequent male cancer. Despite continuous technological improvements in radiological instruments and prognosis, it may occur a recurrence up to many years after radiotherapy due to a high resistance capability of individual malignant cells of the locally occurring tumor. Although modern radiation biology has studied many aspects of the resistance mechanisms, questions are largely unanswered especially in regards to prognostic terms and time response of tumor cells to ionizing radiation. As cellular models four prostate cancer cell lines with different radiation sensitivities (PC3, DuCaP, DU-145, RWPE-1) were cultured and tested for their ability to survive after exposure to ionizing radiation by a trypane blue and MTT viability assay. The proliferative capacity of the four cell lines was determined using a colony formation assay. The PC3 cell line (radiation-resistant) and the DuCaP cell line (radiation-sensitive) showed the maximal differences in terms of radiation sensitivity. Based on these results the two cell lines were selected to allow identification of potential prognostic marker for predicting the effectiveness of radiation therapy via their transcriptome-wide gene expression. Furthermore, a time series experiment with the radiation-resistant PC3 cell line was performed. At 8 different time points, during the period from 00:00 - 42:53 (hh:mm) after exposure with 1 Gy, the mRNA was quantified by next generation sequencing to investigate the dynamic behavior of time-delayed gene expression and to discover resistance mechanisms. Of 10,966 expressed genes 730 were significant differentially expressed, determined by setting a fold change threshold in conjunction with a P

  12. Transcriptome sequencing revealed differences in the response of renal cancer cells to hypoxia and CoCl2 treatment [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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    Nadezhda Zhigalova

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Human cancer cells are subjected to hypoxic conditions in many tumours. Hypoxia causes alterations in the glycolytic pathway activation through stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1. Currently, two approaches are commonly used to model hypoxia: an alternative to generating low-oxygen conditions in an incubator, cells can be treated with CoCl2. We performed RNA-seq experiments to study transcriptomes of human Caki-1 cells under real hypoxia and after CoCl2 treatment. Despite causing transcriptional changes of a much higher order of magnitude for the genes in the hypoxia regulation pathway, CoCl2 treatment fails to induce alterations in the glycolysis / gluconeogenesis pathway. Moreover, CoCl2 caused aberrant activation of other oxidoreductases in glycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathways.

  13. Coupling Deep Transcriptome Analysis with Untargeted Metabolic Profiling in Ophiorrhiza pumila to Further the Understanding of the Biosynthesis of the Anti-Cancer Alkaloid Camptothecin and Anthraquinones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamazaki, Mami; Mochida, Keiichi; Asano, Takashi; Nakabayashi, Ryo; Chiba, Motoaki; Udomson, Nirin; Yamazaki, Yasuyo; Goodenowe, Dayan B.; Sankawa, Ushio; Yoshida, Takuhiro; Toyoda, Atsushi; Totoki, Yasushi; Sakaki, Yoshiyuki; Góngora-Castillo, Elsa; Buell, C. Robin; Sakurai, Tetsuya; Saito, Kazuki

    2013-01-01

    The Rubiaceae species, Ophiorrhiza pumila, accumulates camptothecin, an anti-cancer alkaloid with a potent DNA topoisomerase I inhibitory activity, as well as anthraquinones that are derived from the combination of the isochorismate and hemiterpenoid pathways. The biosynthesis of these secondary products is active in O. pumila hairy roots yet very low in cell suspension culture. Deep transcriptome analysis was conducted in O. pumila hairy roots and cell suspension cultures using the Illumina platform, yielding a total of 2 Gb of sequence for each sample. We generated a hybrid transcriptome assembly of O. pumila using the Illumina-derived short read sequences and conventional Sanger-derived expressed sequence tag clones derived from a full-length cDNA library constructed using RNA from hairy roots. Among 35,608 non-redundant unigenes, 3,649 were preferentially expressed in hairy roots compared with cell suspension culture. Candidate genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway for the monoterpenoid indole alkaloid camptothecin were identified; specifically, genes involved in post-strictosamide biosynthetic events and genes involved in the biosynthesis of anthraquinones and chlorogenic acid. Untargeted metabolomic analysis by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) indicated that most of the proposed intermediates in the camptothecin biosynthetic pathway accumulated in hairy roots in a preferential manner compared with cell suspension culture. In addition, a number of anthraquinones and chlorogenic acid preferentially accumulated in hairy roots compared with cell suspension culture. These results suggest that deep transcriptome and metabolome data sets can facilitate the identification of genes and intermediates involved in the biosynthesis of secondary products including camptothecin in O. pumila. PMID:23503598

  14. Comprehensive Transcriptome Profiling and Functional Analysis of the Frog (Bombina maxima) Immune System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Feng; Yan, Chao; Wang, Xuan; Yang, Yang; Wang, Guangyin; Lee, Wenhui; Xiang, Yang; Zhang, Yun

    2014-01-01

    Amphibians occupy a key phylogenetic position in vertebrates and evolution of the immune system. But, the resources of its transcriptome or genome are still little now. Bombina maxima possess strong ability to survival in very harsh environment with a more mature immune system. We obtained a comprehensive transcriptome by RNA-sequencing technology. 14.3% of transcripts were identified to be skin-specific genes, most of which were not isolated from skin secretion in previous works or novel non-coding RNAs. 27.9% of transcripts were mapped into 242 predicted KEGG pathways and 6.16% of transcripts related to human disease and cancer. Of 39 448 transcripts with the coding sequence, at least 1501 transcripts (570 genes) related to the immune system process. The molecules of immune signalling pathway were almost presented, several transcripts with high expression in skin and stomach. Experiments showed that lipopolysaccharide or bacteria challenge stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production and activation of pro-inflammatory caspase-1. These frog's data can remarkably expand the existing genome or transcriptome resources of amphibians, especially immunity data. The entity of the data provides a valuable platform for further investigation on more detailed immune response in B. maxima and a comparative study with other amphibians. PMID:23942912

  15. Identification of Reprogrammed Myeloid Cell Transcriptomes in NSCLC.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Durrans

    Full Text Available Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC as the most prevalent form. Despite advances in treatment options including minimally invasive surgery, CT-guided radiation, novel chemotherapeutic regimens, and targeted therapeutics, prognosis remains dismal. Therefore, further molecular analysis of NSCLC is necessary to identify novel molecular targets that impact prognosis and the design of new-targeted therapies. In recent years, tumor "activated/reprogrammed" stromal cells that promote carcinogenesis have emerged as potential therapeutic targets. However, the contribution of stromal cells to NSCLC is poorly understood. Here, we show increased numbers of bone marrow (BM-derived hematopoietic cells in the tumor parenchyma of NSCLC patients compared with matched adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissue. By sorting specific cellular fractions from lung cancer patients, we compared the transcriptomes of intratumoral myeloid compartments within the tumor bed with their counterparts within adjacent non-neoplastic tissue from NSCLC patients. The RNA sequencing of specific myeloid compartments (immature monocytic myeloid cells and polymorphonuclear neutrophils identified differentially regulated genes and mRNA isoforms, which were inconspicuous in whole tumor analysis. Genes encoding secreted factors, including osteopontin (OPN, chemokine (C-C motif ligand 7 (CCL7 and thrombospondin 1 (TSP1 were identified, which enhanced tumorigenic properties of lung cancer cells indicative of their potential as targets for therapy. This study demonstrates that analysis of homogeneous stromal populations isolated directly from fresh clinical specimens can detect important stromal genes of therapeutic value.

  16. Folic acid induces cell type-specific changes in the transcriptome of breast cancer cell lines: a proof-of-concept study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, R Jordan; Lillycrop, Karen A; Burdge, Graham C

    2016-01-01

    The effect of folic acid (FA) on breast cancer (BC) risk is uncertain. We hypothesised that this uncertainty may be due, in part, to differential effects of FA between BC cells with different phenotypes. To test this we investigated the effect of treatment with FA concentrations within the range of unmetabolised FA reported in humans on the expression of the transcriptome of non-transformed (MCF10A) and cancerous (MCF7 and Hs578T) BC cells. The total number of transcripts altered was: MCF10A, seventy-five (seventy up-regulated); MCF7, twenty-four (fourteen up-regulated); and Hs578T, 328 (156 up-regulated). Only the cancer-associated gene TAGLN was altered by FA in all three cell lines. In MCF10A and Hs578T cells, FA treatment decreased pathways associated with apoptosis, cell death and senescence, but increased those associated with cell proliferation. The folate transporters SLC19A1, SLC46A1 and FOLR1 were differentially expressed between cell lines tested. However, the level of expression was not altered by FA treatment. These findings suggest that physiological concentrations of FA can induce cell type-specific changes in gene regulation in a manner that is consistent with proliferative phenotype. This has implications for understanding the role of FA in BC risk. In addition, these findings support the suggestion that differences in gene expression induced by FA may involve differential activities of folate transporters. Together these findings indicate the need for further studies of the effect of FA on BC.

  17. Transcriptome and microRNome of Theileria annulata Host Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Rchiad, Zineb

    2016-06-01

    Tropical Theileriosis is a parasitic disease of calves with a profound economic impact caused by Theileria annulata, an apicomplexan parasite of the genus Theileria. Transmitted by Hyalomma ticks, T. annulata infects and transforms bovine lymphocytes and macrophages into a cancer-like phenotype characterized by all six hallmarks of cancer. In the current study we investigate the transcriptional landscape of T. annulata-infected lymphocytes to define genes and miRNAs regulated by host cell transformation using next generation sequencing. We also define genes and miRNAs differentially expressed as a result of the attenuation of a T.annulata-infected macrophage cell line used as a vaccine. By comparing the transcriptional landscape of one attenuated and two transformed cell lines we identify four genes that we propose as key factors in transformation and virulence of the T. annulata host cells. We also identify miR- 126-5p as a key regulator of infected cells proliferation, adhesion, survival and invasiveness. In addition to the host cell trascriptome we studied T. annulata transcriptome and identified the role of ROS and TGF-β2 in controlling parasite gene expression. Moreover, we have used the deep parasite ssRNA-seq data to refine the available T. annulata annotation. Taken together, this study provides the full list of host cell’s genes and miRNAs transcriptionally perturbed after infection with T. annulata and after attenuation and describes genes and miRNAs never identified before as players in this type of host cell transformation. Moreover, this study provides the first database for the transcriptome of T. annulata and its host cells using next generation sequencing.

  18. Transcriptome sequencing and comparative transcriptome analysis of the scleroglucan producer Sclerotium rolfsii

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    Stahl Ulf

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The plant pathogenic basidiomycete Sclerotium rolfsii produces the industrially exploited exopolysaccharide scleroglucan, a polymer that consists of (1 → 3-β-linked glucose with a (1 → 6-β-glycosyl branch on every third unit. Although the physicochemical properties of scleroglucan are well understood, almost nothing is known about the genetics of scleroglucan biosynthesis. Similarly, the biosynthetic pathway of oxalate, the main by-product during scleroglucan production, has not been elucidated yet. In order to provide a basis for genetic and metabolic engineering approaches, we studied scleroglucan and oxalate biosynthesis in S. rolfsii using different transcriptomic approaches. Results Two S. rolfsii transcriptomes obtained from scleroglucan-producing and scleroglucan-nonproducing conditions were pooled and sequenced using the 454 pyrosequencing technique yielding ~350,000 reads. These could be assembled into 21,937 contigs and 171,833 singletons, for which 6,951 had significant matches in public protein data bases. Sequence data were used to obtain first insights into the genomics of scleroglucan and oxalate production and to predict putative proteins involved in the synthesis of both metabolites. Using comparative transcriptomics, namely Agilent microarray hybridization and suppression subtractive hybridization, we identified ~800 unigenes which are differently expressed under scleroglucan-producing and non-producing conditions. From these, candidate genes were identified which could represent potential leads for targeted modification of the S. rolfsii metabolism for increased scleroglucan yields. Conclusions The results presented in this paper provide for the first time genomic and transcriptomic data about S. rolfsii and demonstrate the power and usefulness of combined transcriptome sequencing and comparative microarray analysis. The data obtained allowed us to predict the biosynthetic pathways of scleroglucan and

  19. Proteome Profiling Outperforms Transcriptome Profiling for Coexpression Based Gene Function Prediction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jing; Ma, Zihao; Carr, Steven A.; Mertins, Philipp; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Zhen; Chan, Daniel W.; Ellis, Matthew J. C.; Townsend, R. Reid; Smith, Richard D.; McDermott, Jason E.; Chen, Xian; Paulovich, Amanda G.; Boja, Emily S.; Mesri, Mehdi; Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Rodriguez, Henry; Rodland, Karin D.; Liebler, Daniel C.; Zhang, Bing

    2016-11-11

    Coexpression of mRNAs under multiple conditions is commonly used to infer cofunctionality of their gene products despite well-known limitations of this “guilt-by-association” (GBA) approach. Recent advancements in mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies have enabled global expression profiling at the protein level; however, whether proteome profiling data can outperform transcriptome profiling data for coexpression based gene function prediction has not been systematically investigated. Here, we address this question by constructing and analyzing mRNA and protein coexpression networks for three cancer types with matched mRNA and protein profiling data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). Our analyses revealed a marked difference in wiring between the mRNA and protein coexpression networks. Whereas protein coexpression was driven primarily by functional similarity between coexpressed genes, mRNA coexpression was driven by both cofunction and chromosomal colocalization of the genes. Functionally coherent mRNA modules were more likely to have their edges preserved in corresponding protein networks than functionally incoherent mRNA modules. Proteomic data strengthened the link between gene expression and function for at least 75% of Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes and 90% of KEGG pathways. A web application Gene2Net (http://cptac.gene2net.org) developed based on the three protein coexpression networks revealed novel gene-function relationships, such as linking ERBB2 (HER2) to lipid biosynthetic process in breast cancer, identifying PLG as a new gene involved in complement activation, and identifying AEBP1 as a new epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker. Our results demonstrate that proteome profiling outperforms transcriptome profiling for coexpression based gene function prediction. Proteomics should be integrated if not preferred in gene function and human disease studies

  20. Translating Research into Policy: Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities in Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dr. Carol Ferrans is internationally recognized for her work in disparities in health care and quality of life outcomes. She has a distinguished record of research that includes major grants funded by three institutes of the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, and National Institute for Nursing Research).    Dr. Ferrans’ work has been instrumental in reducing the disparity in breast cancer mortality Chicago, which at its peak was among the worst in the nation.  Efforts led by Dr. Ferrans and colleagues led directly to statewide legislation, to address the multifaceted causes of black/white disparity in deaths from breast cancer.  She was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force (MCBCTF), leading the team focusing on barriers to mammography screening, to identify reasons for the growing disparity in breast cancer mortality. Their findings (citing Ferrans’ research and others) and recommendations for action were translated directly into the Illinois Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities Act and two additional laws strengthening the Act.  These laws and other statewide efforts have improved access to screening and quality of mammography throughout the Illinois. In addition, Dr. Ferrans and her team identified cultural beliefs contributing to later stage diagnosis of breast cancer in African American and Latino women in Chicago, and most importantly, showed that these beliefs can be changed.  They reached more than 8,000 African American women in Chicago with a short film on DVD, which was effective in changing beliefs and promoting screening.  Her team’s published findings were cited by the American Cancer Society in their guidelines for breast cancer screening.  The Chicago black/white disparity in breast cancer deaths has decreased by 35% since the MCBCTF first released its report, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public

  1. Fish-T1K (Transcriptomes of 1,000 Fishes) Project: large-scale transcriptome data for fish evolution studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ying; Huang, Yu; Li, Xiaofeng; Baldwin, Carole C; Zhou, Zhuocheng; Yan, Zhixiang; Crandall, Keith A; Zhang, Yong; Zhao, Xiaomeng; Wang, Min; Wong, Alex; Fang, Chao; Zhang, Xinhui; Huang, Hai; Lopez, Jose V; Kilfoyle, Kirk; Zhang, Yong; Ortí, Guillermo; Venkatesh, Byrappa; Shi, Qiong

    2016-01-01

    Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) represent more than 50 % of extant vertebrates and are of great evolutionary, ecologic and economic significance, but they are relatively underrepresented in 'omics studies. Increased availability of transcriptome data for these species will allow researchers to better understand changes in gene expression, and to carry out functional analyses. An international project known as the "Transcriptomes of 1,000 Fishes" (Fish-T1K) project has been established to generate RNA-seq transcriptome sequences for 1,000 diverse species of ray-finned fishes. The first phase of this project has produced transcriptomes from more than 180 ray-finned fishes, representing 142 species and covering 51 orders and 109 families. Here we provide an overview of the goals of this project and the work done so far.

  2. Developmental Transcriptome for a Facultatively Eusocial Bee, Megalopta genalis

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, Beryl M.; Wcislo, William T.; Robinson, Gene E.

    2015-01-01

    Transcriptomes provide excellent foundational resources for mechanistic and evolutionary analyses of complex traits. We present a developmental transcriptome for the facultatively eusocial bee Megalopta genalis, which represents a potential transition point in the evolution of eusociality. A de novo transcriptome assembly of Megalopta genalis was generated using paired-end Illumina sequencing and the Trinity assembler. Males and females of all life stages were aligned to this transcriptome fo...

  3. Evaluating shielding effectiveness for reducing space radiation cancer risks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cucinotta, Francis A.; Kim, Myung-Hee Y.; Ren, Lei

    2006-01-01

    We discuss calculations of probability distribution functions (PDF) representing uncertainties in projecting fatal cancer risk from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE). The PDFs are used in significance tests for evaluating the effectiveness of potential radiation shielding approaches. Uncertainties in risk coefficients determined from epidemiology data, dose and dose-rate reduction factors, quality factors, and physics models of radiation environments are considered in models of cancer risk PDFs. Competing mortality risks and functional correlations in radiation quality factor uncertainties are included in the calculations. We show that the cancer risk uncertainty, defined as the ratio of the upper value of 95% confidence interval (CI) to the point estimate is about 4-fold for lunar and Mars mission risk projections. For short-stay lunar missions ( 180d) or Mars missions, GCR risks may exceed radiation risk limits that are based on acceptable levels of risk. For example, the upper 95% CI exceeding 10% fatal risk for males and females on a Mars mission. For reducing GCR cancer risks, shielding materials are marginally effective because of the penetrating nature of GCR and secondary radiation produced in tissue by relativistic particles. At the present time, polyethylene or carbon composite shielding cannot be shown to significantly reduce risk compared to aluminum shielding based on a significance test that accounts for radiobiology uncertainties in GCR risk projection

  4. Single-cell transcriptomics uncovers distinct molecular signatures of stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giustacchini, Alice; Thongjuea, Supat; Barkas, Nikolaos; Woll, Petter S; Povinelli, Benjamin J; Booth, Christopher A G; Sopp, Paul; Norfo, Ruggiero; Rodriguez-Meira, Alba; Ashley, Neil; Jamieson, Lauren; Vyas, Paresh; Anderson, Kristina; Segerstolpe, Åsa; Qian, Hong; Olsson-Strömberg, Ulla; Mustjoki, Satu; Sandberg, Rickard; Jacobsen, Sten Eirik W; Mead, Adam J

    2017-06-01

    Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics are ideally placed to unravel intratumoral heterogeneity and selective resistance of cancer stem cell (SC) subpopulations to molecularly targeted cancer therapies. However, current single-cell RNA-sequencing approaches lack the sensitivity required to reliably detect somatic mutations. We developed a method that combines high-sensitivity mutation detection with whole-transcriptome analysis of the same single cell. We applied this technique to analyze more than 2,000 SCs from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) throughout the disease course, revealing heterogeneity of CML-SCs, including the identification of a subgroup of CML-SCs with a distinct molecular signature that selectively persisted during prolonged therapy. Analysis of nonleukemic SCs from patients with CML also provided new insights into cell-extrinsic disruption of hematopoiesis in CML associated with clinical outcome. Furthermore, we used this single-cell approach to identify a blast-crisis-specific SC population, which was also present in a subclone of CML-SCs during the chronic phase in a patient who subsequently developed blast crisis. This approach, which might be broadly applied to any malignancy, illustrates how single-cell analysis can identify subpopulations of therapy-resistant SCs that are not apparent through cell-population analysis.

  5. Announcing the Launch of CPTAC’s Proteogenomics DREAM Challenge | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    This week, we are excited to announce the launch of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) Proteogenomics Computational DREAM Challenge.  The aim of this Challenge is to encourage the generation of computational methods for extracting information from the cancer proteome and for linking those data to genomic and transcriptomic information.  The specific goals are to predict proteomic and phosphoproteomic data from other multiple data types including transcriptomics and genetics.

  6. Machine Learning Detects Pan-cancer Ras Pathway Activation in The Cancer Genome Atlas

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    Gregory P. Way

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Precision oncology uses genomic evidence to match patients with treatment but often fails to identify all patients who may respond. The transcriptome of these “hidden responders” may reveal responsive molecular states. We describe and evaluate a machine-learning approach to classify aberrant pathway activity in tumors, which may aid in hidden responder identification. The algorithm integrates RNA-seq, copy number, and mutations from 33 different cancer types across The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA PanCanAtlas project to predict aberrant molecular states in tumors. Applied to the Ras pathway, the method detects Ras activation across cancer types and identifies phenocopying variants. The model, trained on human tumors, can predict response to MEK inhibitors in wild-type Ras cell lines. We also present data that suggest that multiple hits in the Ras pathway confer increased Ras activity. The transcriptome is underused in precision oncology and, combined with machine learning, can aid in the identification of hidden responders. : Way et al. develop a machine-learning approach using PanCanAtlas data to detect Ras activation in cancer. Integrating mutation, copy number, and expression data, the authors show that their method detects Ras-activating variants in tumors and sensitivity to MEK inhibitors in cell lines. Keywords: Gene expression, machine learning, Ras, NF1, KRAS, NRAS, HRAS, pan-cancer, TCGA, drug sensitivity

  7. Potential role of miR-9 and miR-223 in recurrent ovarian cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McGuinness Eamonn

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by binding to target mRNAs. miRNAs have not been comprehensively studied in recurrent ovarian cancer, yet an incurable disease. Results Using real-time RT-PCR, we obtained distinct miRNA expression profiles between primary and recurrent serous papillary ovarian adenocarcinomas (n = 6 in a subset of samples previously used in a transcriptome approach. Expression levels of top dysregulated miRNA genes, miR-223 and miR-9, were examined using TaqMan PCR in independent cohorts of fresh frozen (n = 18 and FFPE serous ovarian tumours (n = 22. Concordance was observed on TaqMan analysis for miR-223 and miR-9 between the training cohort and the independent test cohorts. Target prediction analysis for the above miRNA "recurrent metastatic signature" identified genes previously validated in our transcriptome study. Common biological pathways well characterised in ovarian cancer were shared by miR-9 and miR-223 lists of predicted target genes. We provide strong evidence that miR-9 acts as a putative tumour suppressor gene in recurrent ovarian cancer. Components of the miRNA processing machinery, such as Dicer and Drosha are not responsible for miRNA deregulation in recurrent ovarian cancer, as deluded by TaqMan and immunohistochemistry. Conclusion We propose a miRNA model for the molecular pathogenesis of recurrent ovarian cancer. Some of the differentially deregulated miRNAs identified correlate with our previous transcriptome findings. Based on integrated transcriptome and miRNA analysis, miR-9 and miR-223 can be of potential importance as biomarkers in recurrent ovarian cancer.

  8. Infertility diagnosis has a significant impact on the transcriptome of developing blastocysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCallie, Blair R; Parks, Jason C; Griffin, Darren K; Schoolcraft, William B; Katz-Jaffe, Mandy G

    2017-08-01

    Is the human blastocyst transcriptome associated with infertility diagnosis, specifically: polycystic ovaries (PCO), male factor (MF) and unexplained (UE)? The global blastocyst transcriptome was significantly altered in association with a PCO, MF and UE infertility diagnosis. Infertility diagnosis has an impact on the probability for a successful outcome following an IVF cycle. Limited information is known regarding the relationship between a specific infertility diagnosis and blastocyst transcription during preimplantation development. Blastocysts created during infertility treatment from patients with specific infertility diagnoses (PCO, MF and UE) were analyzed for global transcriptome compared to fertile donor oocyte blastocysts (control). Surplus cryopreserved blastocysts were donated with patient consent and institutional review board approval. Female patients were infertility diagnosis: PCO (n = 50), MF (n = 50), UE (n = 50) and fertile donor oocyte controls (n = 50). Pooled blastocysts were lysed for RNA isolation followed by microarray analysis using the SurePrint G3 Human Gene Expression Microarray. Validation was performed on significant genes of interest using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Transcription alterations were observed for all infertility etiologies compared to controls, resulting in differentially expressed genes: PCO = 869, MF = 348 and UE = 473 (P 2-fold). Functional annotation of biological and molecular processes revealed both similarities, as well as differences, across the infertility groups. All infertility etiologies displayed transcriptome alterations in signal transducer activity, receptor binding, reproduction, cell adhesion and response to stimulus. Blastocysts from PCO patients were also enriched for apoptotic genes while MF blastocysts displayed enrichment for genes involved in cancer processes. Blastocysts from couples with unexplained infertility displayed transcription alterations related to various disease states

  9. The Escherichia coli transcriptome linked to growth fitness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bei-Wen Ying

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A series of Escherichia coli strains with varied genomic sequences were subjected to high-density microarray analyses to elucidate the fitness-correlated transcriptomes. Fitness, which is commonly evaluated by the growth rate during the exponential phase, is not only determined by the genome but is also linked to growth conditions, e.g., temperature. We previously reported genetic and environmental contributions to E. coli transcriptomes and evolutionary transcriptome changes in thermal adaptation. Here, we describe experimental details on how to prepare microarray samples that truly represent the growth fitness of the E. coli cells. A step-by-step record of sample preparation procedures that correspond to growing cells and transcriptome data sets that are deposited at the GEO database (GSE33212, GSE52770, GSE61739 are also provided for reference. Keywords: Transcriptome, Growth fitness, Escherichia coli, Microarray

  10. Integrative investigation of metabolic and transcriptomic data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Önsan Z İlsen

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background New analysis methods are being developed to integrate data from transcriptome, proteome, interactome, metabolome, and other investigative approaches. At the same time, existing methods are being modified to serve the objectives of systems biology and permit the interpretation of the huge datasets currently being generated by high-throughput methods. Results Transcriptomic and metabolic data from chemostat fermentors were collected with the aim of investigating the relationship between these two data sets. The variation in transcriptome data in response to three physiological or genetic perturbations (medium composition, growth rate, and specific gene deletions was investigated using linear modelling, and open reading-frames (ORFs whose expression changed significantly in response to these perturbations were identified. Assuming that the metabolic profile is a function of the transcriptome profile, expression levels of the different ORFs were used to model the metabolic variables via Partial Least Squares (Projection to Latent Structures – PLS using PLS toolbox in Matlab. Conclusion The experimental design allowed the analyses to discriminate between the effects which the growth medium, dilution rate, and the deletion of specific genes had on the transcriptome and metabolite profiles. Metabolite data were modelled as a function of the transcriptome to determine their congruence. The genes that are involved in central carbon metabolism of yeast cells were found to be the ORFs with the most significant contribution to the model.

  11. Meta-analysis: Does garlic intake reduce risk of gastric cancer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodali, R T; Eslick, Guy D

    2015-01-01

    In the past 2 decades, various epidemiological studies investigated whether garlic can positively modify the risk of gastric cancer. Garlic contains numerous sulfide compounds, including diallyl trisulfide, which have anticarcinogenic properties. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine if garlic intake reduces the risk of gastric cancer. An electronic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE to June 2014 was completed. There were 14 case control studies, 2 randomized controlled studies, and 1 cohort study that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We used a random effects model to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk of gastric cancer with garlic consumption. Meta-analysis of a total of 8,621 cases and 14,889 controls was conducted. Significant variability in duration of garlic intake and reference categories for amount of intake was noted. High, low, and any garlic intake were all associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer. High intake had the most significant risk reduction, OR = 0.49 (95% CI: 0.38-0.62). Heterogeneity was low (I² = 30.85, P = 0.17). A more modest risk reduction was associated with low intake, OR = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.58-0.97). Half of the studies did not separate garlic intake into high or low amounts, intake was only noted as consumption vs. non-consumption. Any amount of consumption still showed a risk reduction similar to low intake, OR = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60-1.00). Low and any amount of consumption showed moderate heterogeneity (58% and 45%, respectively). Garlic intake appears to be associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer. Further high quality studies are required to confirm this finding and to assess the amount of garlic that needs to be consumed for protective effect.

  12. TRAM (Transcriptome Mapper: database-driven creation and analysis of transcriptome maps from multiple sources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danieli Gian

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several tools have been developed to perform global gene expression profile data analysis, to search for specific chromosomal regions whose features meet defined criteria as well as to study neighbouring gene expression. However, most of these tools are tailored for a specific use in a particular context (e.g. they are species-specific, or limited to a particular data format and they typically accept only gene lists as input. Results TRAM (Transcriptome Mapper is a new general tool that allows the simple generation and analysis of quantitative transcriptome maps, starting from any source listing gene expression values for a given gene set (e.g. expression microarrays, implemented as a relational database. It includes a parser able to assign univocal and updated gene symbols to gene identifiers from different data sources. Moreover, TRAM is able to perform intra-sample and inter-sample data normalization, including an original variant of quantile normalization (scaled quantile, useful to normalize data from platforms with highly different numbers of investigated genes. When in 'Map' mode, the software generates a quantitative representation of the transcriptome of a sample (or of a pool of samples and identifies if segments of defined lengths are over/under-expressed compared to the desired threshold. When in 'Cluster' mode, the software searches for a set of over/under-expressed consecutive genes. Statistical significance for all results is calculated with respect to genes localized on the same chromosome or to all genome genes. Transcriptome maps, showing differential expression between two sample groups, relative to two different biological conditions, may be easily generated. We present the results of a biological model test, based on a meta-analysis comparison between a sample pool of human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells and a sample pool of megakaryocytic cells. Biologically relevant chromosomal segments and gene

  13. Muscle mass as a target to reduce fatigue in patients with advanced cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neefjes, Elisabeth C W; van den Hurk, Renske M; Blauwhoff-Buskermolen, Susanne; van der Vorst, Maurice J D L; Becker-Commissaris, Annemarie; de van der Schueren, Marian A E; Buffart, Laurien M; Verheul, Henk M W

    2017-08-01

    Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) reduces quality of life and the activity level of patients with cancer. Cancer related fatigue can be reduced by exercise interventions that may concurrently increase muscle mass. We hypothesized that low muscle mass is directly related to higher CRF. A total of 233 patients with advanced cancer starting palliative chemotherapy for lung, colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer were studied. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as the patient's muscle mass on level L3 or T4 of a computed tomography scan, adjusted for height. Fatigue was assessed with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-fatigue questionnaire (cut-off for fatigue fatigue score was 36 (interquartile range 26-44). A higher SMI on level L3 was significantly associated with less CRF for men (B 0.447, P 0.004) but not for women (B - 0.401, P 0.090). No association between SMI on level T4 and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-fatigue score was found (n = 82). The association between SMI and CRF may lead to the suggestion that male patients may be able to reduce fatigue by exercise interventions aiming at an increased muscle mass. In women with advanced cancer, CRF is more influenced by other causes, because it is not significantly related to muscle mass. To further reduce CRF in both men and women with cancer, multifactorial assessments need to be performed in order to develop effective treatment strategies. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.

  14. Transcriptome Profiling of Caco-2 Cancer Cell Line following Treatment with Extracts from Iodine-Biofortified Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aneta A Koronowicz

    Full Text Available Although iodization of salt is the most common method used to obtain iodine-enriched food, iodine deficiency disorders are still a global health problem and profoundly affect the quality of human life. Iodine is required for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which are crucial regulators of human metabolism, cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis and have been reported to be involved in carcinogenesis. In this study, for the first time, we evaluated the effect of iodine-biofortified lettuce on transcriptomic profile of Caco-2 cancer cell line by applying the Whole Human Genome Microarray assay. We showed 1326 differentially expressed Caco-2 transcripts after treatment with iodine-biofortified (BFL and non-fortified (NFL lettuce extracts. We analysed pathways, molecular functions, biological processes and protein classes based on comparison between BFL and NFL specific genes. Iodine, which was expected to act as a free ion (KI-NFL or at least in part to be incorporated into lettuce macromolecules (BFL, differently regulated pathways of numerous transcription factors leading to different cellular effects. In this study we showed the inhibition of Caco-2 cells proliferation after treatment with BFL, but not potassium iodide (KI, and BFL-mediated induction of mitochondrial apoptosis and/or cell differentiation. Our results showed that iodine-biofortified plants can be effectively used by cells as an alternative source of this trace element. Moreover, the observed differences in action of both iodine sources may suggest a potential of BFL in cancer treatment.

  15. An expert system design to diagnose cancer by using a new method reduced rule base.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Başçiftçi, Fatih; Avuçlu, Emre

    2018-04-01

    A Medical Expert System (MES) was developed which uses Reduced Rule Base to diagnose cancer risk according to the symptoms in an individual. A total of 13 symptoms were used. With the new MES, the reduced rules are controlled instead of all possibilities (2 13 = 8192 different possibilities occur). By controlling reduced rules, results are found more quickly. The method of two-level simplification of Boolean functions was used to obtain Reduced Rule Base. Thanks to the developed application with the number of dynamic inputs and outputs on different platforms, anyone can easily test their own cancer easily. More accurate results were obtained considering all the possibilities related to cancer. Thirteen different risk factors were determined to determine the type of cancer. The truth table produced in our study has 13 inputs and 4 outputs. The Boolean Function Minimization method is used to obtain less situations by simplifying logical functions. Diagnosis of cancer quickly thanks to control of the simplified 4 output functions. Diagnosis made with the 4 output values obtained using Reduced Rule Base was found to be quicker than diagnosis made by screening all 2 13 = 8192 possibilities. With the improved MES, more probabilities were added to the process and more accurate diagnostic results were obtained. As a result of the simplification process in breast and renal cancer diagnosis 100% diagnosis speed gain, in cervical cancer and lung cancer diagnosis rate gain of 99% was obtained. With Boolean function minimization, less number of rules is evaluated instead of evaluating a large number of rules. Reducing the number of rules allows the designed system to work more efficiently and to save time, and facilitates to transfer the rules to the designed Expert systems. Interfaces were developed in different software platforms to enable users to test the accuracy of the application. Any one is able to diagnose the cancer itself using determinative risk factors. Thereby

  16. Whole transcriptome sequencing enables discovery and analysis of viruses in archived primary central nervous system lymphomas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher DeBoever

    Full Text Available Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL have a dramatically increased prevalence among persons living with AIDS and are known to be associated with human Epstein Barr virus (EBV infection. Previous work suggests that in some cases, co-infection with other viruses may be important for PCNSL pathogenesis. Viral transcription in tumor samples can be measured using next generation transcriptome sequencing. We demonstrate the ability of transcriptome sequencing to identify viruses, characterize viral expression, and identify viral variants by sequencing four archived AIDS-related PCNSL tissue samples and analyzing raw sequencing reads. EBV was detected in all four PCNSL samples and cytomegalovirus (CMV, JC polyomavirus (JCV, and HIV were also discovered, consistent with clinical diagnoses. CMV was found to express three long non-coding RNAs recently reported as expressed during active infection. Single nucleotide variants were observed in each of the viruses observed and three indels were found in CMV. No viruses were found in several control tumor types including 32 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma samples. This study demonstrates the ability of next generation transcriptome sequencing to accurately identify viruses, including DNA viruses, in solid human cancer tissue samples.

  17. Metabolomics and transcriptomics identify pathway differences between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesenfeld, David B; Grapov, Dmitry; Fahrmann, Johannes F; Salou, Mariam; Scherer, Dominique; Toth, Reka; Habermann, Nina; Böhm, Jürgen; Schrotz-King, Petra; Gigic, Biljana; Schneider, Martin; Ulrich, Alexis; Herpel, Esther; Schirmacher, Peter; Fiehn, Oliver; Lampe, Johanna W; Ulrich, Cornelia M

    2015-08-01

    Metabolic and transcriptomic differences between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) compartments, particularly in the context of obesity, may play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis. We investigated the differential functions of their metabolic compositions. Biochemical differences between adipose tissues (VAT compared with SAT) in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were investigated by using mass spectrometry metabolomics and gene expression profiling. Metabolite compositions were compared between VAT, SAT, and serum metabolites. The relation between patients' tumor stage and metabolic profiles was assessed. Presurgery blood and paired VAT and SAT samples during tumor surgery were obtained from 59 CRC patients (tumor stages I-IV) of the ColoCare cohort. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to measure 1065 metabolites in adipose tissue (333 identified compounds) and 1810 metabolites in serum (467 identified compounds). Adipose tissue gene expression was measured by using Illumina's HumanHT-12 Expression BeadChips. Compared with SAT, VAT displayed elevated markers of inflammatory lipid metabolism, free arachidonic acid, phospholipases (PLA2G10), and prostaglandin synthesis-related enzymes (PTGD/PTGS2S). Plasmalogen concentrations were lower in VAT than in SAT, which was supported by lower gene expression of FAR1, the rate-limiting enzyme for ether-lipid synthesis in VAT. Serum sphingomyelin concentrations were inversely correlated (P = 0.0001) with SAT adipose triglycerides. Logistic regression identified lipids in patients' adipose tissues, which were associated with CRC tumor stage. As one of the first studies, we comprehensively assessed differences in metabolic, lipidomic, and transcriptomic profiles between paired human VAT and SAT and their association with CRC tumor stage. We identified markers of inflammation in VAT, which

  18. Transcriptomic Response of Chinese Yew (Taxus chinensis to Cold Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianghua Yu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Taxus chinensis is a rare and endangered shrub, highly sensitive to temperature changes and widely known for its potential in cancer treatment. How gene expression of T. chinensis responds to low temperature is still unknown. To investigate cold response of the genus Taxus, we obtained the transcriptome profiles of T. chinensis grown under normal and low temperature (cold stress, 0°C conditions using Illumina Miseq sequencing. A transcriptome including 83,963 transcripts and 62,654 genes were assembled from 4.16 Gb of reads data. Comparative transcriptomic analysis identified 2,025 differently expressed (DE isoforms at p < 0.05, of which 1,437 were up-regulated by cold stress and 588 were down-regulated. Annotation of DE isoforms indicated that transcription factors (TFs in the MAPK signaling pathway and TF families of NAC, WRKY, bZIP, MYB, and ERF were transcriptionally activated. This might have been caused by the accumulation of secondary messengers, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS and Ca2+. While accumulation of ROS will have caused damages to cells, our results indicated that to adapt to low temperatures T. chinensis employed a series of mechanisms to minimize these damages. The mechanisms included: (i cold-enhanced expression of ROS deoxidant systems, such as peroxidase and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase, to remove ROS. This was further confirmed by analyses showing increased activity of POD, SOD, and CAT under cold stress. (ii Activation of starch and sucrose metabolism, thiamine metabolism, and purine metabolism by cold-stress to produce metabolites which either protect cell organelles or lower the ROS content in cells. These processes are regulated by ROS signaling, as the “feedback” toward ROS accumulation.

  19. Comparative genomics reveals conservative evolution of the xylem transcriptome in vascular plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xinguo; Wu, Harry X; Southerton, Simon G

    2010-06-21

    Wood is a valuable natural resource and a major carbon sink. Wood formation is an important developmental process in vascular plants which played a crucial role in plant evolution. Although genes involved in xylem formation have been investigated, the molecular mechanisms of xylem evolution are not well understood. We use comparative genomics to examine evolution of the xylem transcriptome to gain insights into xylem evolution. The xylem transcriptome is highly conserved in conifers, but considerably divergent in angiosperms. The functional domains of genes in the xylem transcriptome are moderately to highly conserved in vascular plants, suggesting the existence of a common ancestral xylem transcriptome. Compared to the total transcriptome derived from a range of tissues, the xylem transcriptome is relatively conserved in vascular plants. Of the xylem transcriptome, cell wall genes, ancestral xylem genes, known proteins and transcription factors are relatively more conserved in vascular plants. A total of 527 putative xylem orthologs were identified, which are unevenly distributed across the Arabidopsis chromosomes with eight hot spots observed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that evolution of the xylem transcriptome has paralleled plant evolution. We also identified 274 conifer-specific xylem unigenes, all of which are of unknown function. These xylem orthologs and conifer-specific unigenes are likely to have played a crucial role in xylem evolution. Conifers have highly conserved xylem transcriptomes, while angiosperm xylem transcriptomes are relatively diversified. Vascular plants share a common ancestral xylem transcriptome. The xylem transcriptomes of vascular plants are more conserved than the total transcriptomes. Evolution of the xylem transcriptome has largely followed the trend of plant evolution.

  20. DBGC: A Database of Human Gastric Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Zhang, Jun; Cai, Mingdeng; Zhu, Zhenggang; Gu, Wenjie; Yu, Yingyan; Zhang, Xiaoyan

    2015-01-01

    The Database of Human Gastric Cancer (DBGC) is a comprehensive database that integrates various human gastric cancer-related data resources. Human gastric cancer-related transcriptomics projects, proteomics projects, mutations, biomarkers and drug-sensitive genes from different sources were collected and unified in this database. Moreover, epidemiological statistics of gastric cancer patients in China and clinicopathological information annotated with gastric cancer cases were also integrated into the DBGC. We believe that this database will greatly facilitate research regarding human gastric cancer in many fields. DBGC is freely available at http://bminfor.tongji.edu.cn/dbgc/index.do PMID:26566288

  1. The Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine Reduces β-Catenin-Tcf Transcriptional Activity, Induces E-Cadherin Expression, and Reduces Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Qualtrough

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Colorectal cancer is a major global health problem resulting in over 600,000 deaths world-wide every year with the majority of these due to metastatic disease. Wnt signalling, and more specifically β-catenin-related transcription, has been shown to drive both tumorigenesis and the metastatic process in colorectal neoplasia, yet its complex interactions with other key signalling pathways, such as hedgehog, remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that the Hedgehog (HH signalling pathway is active in cells from colorectal tumours, and that inhibition of the pathway with cyclopamine induces apoptosis. We now show that cyclopamine treatment reduces β-catenin related transcription in colorectal cancer cell lines, and that this effect can be reversed by addition of Sonic Hedgehog protein. We also show that cyclopamine concomitantly induces expression of the tumour suppressor and prognostic indicator E-cadherin. Consistent with a role for HH in regulating the invasive potential we show that cyclopamine reduces the expression of transcription factors (Slug, Snail and Twist associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reduces the invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, Cancers 2015, 7 1886 these data show that pharmacological inhibition of the hedgehog pathway has therapeutic potential in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

  2. Lineage relationship of prostate cancer cell types based on gene expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ware Carol B

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prostate tumor heterogeneity is a major factor in disease management. Heterogeneity could be due to multiple cancer cell types with distinct gene expression. Of clinical importance is the so-called cancer stem cell type. Cell type-specific transcriptomes are used to examine lineage relationship among cancer cell types and their expression similarity to normal cell types including stem/progenitor cells. Methods Transcriptomes were determined by Affymetrix DNA array analysis for the following cell types. Putative prostate progenitor cell populations were characterized and isolated by expression of the membrane transporter ABCG2. Stem cells were represented by embryonic stem and embryonal carcinoma cells. The cancer cell types were Gleason pattern 3 (glandular histomorphology and pattern 4 (aglandular sorted from primary tumors, cultured prostate cancer cell lines originally established from metastatic lesions, xenografts LuCaP 35 (adenocarcinoma phenotype and LuCaP 49 (neuroendocrine/small cell carcinoma grown in mice. No detectable gene expression differences were detected among serial passages of the LuCaP xenografts. Results Based on transcriptomes, the different cancer cell types could be clustered into a luminal-like grouping and a non-luminal-like (also not basal-like grouping. The non-luminal-like types showed expression more similar to that of stem/progenitor cells than the luminal-like types. However, none showed expression of stem cell genes known to maintain stemness. Conclusions Non-luminal-like types are all representatives of aggressive disease, and this could be attributed to the similarity in overall gene expression to stem and progenitor cell types.

  3. Is cancer survivorship associated with reduced work engagement? A NOCWO Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg Gudbergsson, Saevar; Fosså, Sophie D; Dahl, Alv A

    2008-09-01

    This study explores work engagement in employed tumor-free cancer survivors (CSs) compared to matched controls from the general population (NORM). The sample consisted of 446 CSs tumor-free after primary treatment [226 females with breast cancer and 220 males (166 testicular cancer and 54 prostate cancer)] diagnosed 2-6 years prior to the study. All had returned to work and had favourable prognosis. NORM sample consisted of 588 employed controls (319 females, 269 males). All CSs and NORM filled in a mailed questionnaire covering demography, morbidity, and work-related issues including work engagement which was self-rated by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). No differences in work engagement were observed between the CSs and NORM measured by the UWES total scale score or by the Dedication and Absorption domain scores. The Vigor domains score was statistically lower among CSs (p = .03), but the effect size was only 0.19. The CSs reported significantly poorer work ability, poorer health status, greater numbers of disease symptoms, more anxiety, and reduced physical quality of life, and scored significantly higher on both neuroticism and extraversion. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR CSS: In spite of poorer health CSs who had returned to work after their treatment for breast, prostate, and testicular cancer showed similar work engagement as individuals without cancer. In such CSs employers have no reason to expect reduced work engagement. Future research should preferably have a prospective and comparative design.

  4. Metabolomic Dynamic Analysis of Hypoxia in MDA-MB-231 and the Comparison with Inferred Metabolites from Transcriptomics Data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, I-Lin [Department of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Section 1 Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Center for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); Kuo, Tien-Chueh [The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronic and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Room 410 BL Building, No. 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Ho, Tsung-Jung [The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Harn, Yeu-Chern [The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Wang, San-Yuan [The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Fu, Wen-Mei [Department of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University, 11 F No. 1 Sec. 1, Ren-ai Rd., Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); Kuo, Ching-Hua, E-mail: kuoch@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Section 1 Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Center for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); Tseng, Yufeng Jane, E-mail: kuoch@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Section 1 Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); The Metabolomics Group, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Center for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronic and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Room 410 BL Building, No. 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

    2013-05-03

    Hypoxia affects the tumor microenvironment and is considered important to metastasis progression and therapy resistance. Thus far, the majority of global analyses of tumor hypoxia responses have been limited to just a single omics level. Combining multiple omics data can broaden our understanding of tumor hypoxia. Here, we investigate the temporal change of the metabolite composition with gene expression data from literature to provide a more comprehensive insight into the system level in response to hypoxia. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to perform metabolomic profiling on the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line under hypoxic conditions. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the metabolic difference between hypoxia and normoxia was similar over 24 h, but became distinct over 48 h. Time dependent microarray data from the same cell line in the literature displayed different gene expressions under hypoxic and normoxic conditions mostly at 12 h or earlier. The direct metabolomic profiles show a large overlap with theoretical metabolic profiles deduced from previous transcriptomic studies. Consistent pathways are glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate, purine and arginine and proline metabolism. Ten metabolic pathways revealed by metabolomics were not covered by the downstream of the known transcriptomic profiles, suggesting new metabolic phenotypes. These results confirm previous transcriptomics understanding and expand the knowledge from existing models on correlation and co-regulation between transcriptomic and metabolomics profiles, which demonstrates the power of integrated omics analysis.

  5. Metabolomic Dynamic Analysis of Hypoxia in MDA-MB-231 and the Comparison with Inferred Metabolites from Transcriptomics Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, I-Lin; Kuo, Tien-Chueh; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Harn, Yeu-Chern; Wang, San-Yuan; Fu, Wen-Mei; Kuo, Ching-Hua; Tseng, Yufeng Jane

    2013-01-01

    Hypoxia affects the tumor microenvironment and is considered important to metastasis progression and therapy resistance. Thus far, the majority of global analyses of tumor hypoxia responses have been limited to just a single omics level. Combining multiple omics data can broaden our understanding of tumor hypoxia. Here, we investigate the temporal change of the metabolite composition with gene expression data from literature to provide a more comprehensive insight into the system level in response to hypoxia. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to perform metabolomic profiling on the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line under hypoxic conditions. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the metabolic difference between hypoxia and normoxia was similar over 24 h, but became distinct over 48 h. Time dependent microarray data from the same cell line in the literature displayed different gene expressions under hypoxic and normoxic conditions mostly at 12 h or earlier. The direct metabolomic profiles show a large overlap with theoretical metabolic profiles deduced from previous transcriptomic studies. Consistent pathways are glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate, purine and arginine and proline metabolism. Ten metabolic pathways revealed by metabolomics were not covered by the downstream of the known transcriptomic profiles, suggesting new metabolic phenotypes. These results confirm previous transcriptomics understanding and expand the knowledge from existing models on correlation and co-regulation between transcriptomic and metabolomics profiles, which demonstrates the power of integrated omics analysis

  6. Analysis of the transcriptome of Isodon rubescens and key enzymes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiuhong Su

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Isodon rubescens is an important medicinal plant in China that has been shown to reduce tumour growth due to the presence of the compound oridonin. In an effort to facilitate molecular research on oridonin biosynthesis, we reported the use of next generation massively parallel sequencing technologies and de novo transcriptome assembly to gain a comprehensive overview of I. rubescens transcriptome. In our study, a total of 50,934,276 clean reads, 101,640 transcripts and 44,626 unigenes were generated through de novo transcriptome assembly. A number of unigenes – 23,987, 10,263, 7359, 18,245, 17,683, 19,485, 9361 – were annotated in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI non-redundant protein (Nr, NCBI nucleotide sequences (Nt, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG Orthology (KO, Swiss-Prot, protein family (Pfam, gene ontology (GO, eukaryotic ortholog groups (KOG databases, respectively. Furthermore, the annotated unigenes were functionally classified according to the GO, KOG and KEGG. Based on these results, candidate genes encoding enzymes involved in terpenoids backbone biosynthesis were detected. Our data provided the most comprehensive sequence resource available for the study on I. rubescens, as well as demonstrated the effective use of Illumina sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly on a species lacking genomic information.

  7. Culturally-Relevant Online Cancer Education Modules Empower Alaska's Community Health Aides/Practitioners to Disseminate Cancer Information and Reduce Cancer Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cueva, Katie; Revels, Laura; Cueva, Melany; Lanier, Anne P; Dignan, Mark; Viswanath, K; Fung, Teresa T; Geller, Alan C

    2017-04-12

    To address a desire for timely, medically accurate cancer education in rural Alaska, ten culturally relevant online learning modules were developed with, and for, Alaska's Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps). The project was guided by the framework of Community-Based Participatory Action Research, honored Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and was informed by Empowerment Theory. A total of 428 end-of-module evaluation surveys were completed by 89 unique Alaska CHA/Ps between January and December 2016. CHA/Ps shared that as a result of completing the modules, they were empowered to share cancer information with their patients, families, friends, and communities, as well as engage in cancer risk reduction behaviors such as eating healthier, getting cancer screenings, exercising more, and quitting tobacco. CHA/Ps also reported the modules were informative and respectful of their diverse cultures. These results from end-of-module evaluation surveys suggest that the collaboratively developed, culturally relevant, online cancer education modules have empowered CHA/Ps to reduce cancer risk and disseminate cancer information. "brought me to tears couple of times, and I think it will help in destroying the silence that surrounds cancer".

  8. Determining the optimal number of independent components for reproducible transcriptomic data analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kairov, Ulykbek; Cantini, Laura; Greco, Alessandro; Molkenov, Askhat; Czerwinska, Urszula; Barillot, Emmanuel; Zinovyev, Andrei

    2017-09-11

    Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a method that models gene expression data as an action of a set of statistically independent hidden factors. The output of ICA depends on a fundamental parameter: the number of components (factors) to compute. The optimal choice of this parameter, related to determining the effective data dimension, remains an open question in the application of blind source separation techniques to transcriptomic data. Here we address the question of optimizing the number of statistically independent components in the analysis of transcriptomic data for reproducibility of the components in multiple runs of ICA (within the same or within varying effective dimensions) and in multiple independent datasets. To this end, we introduce ranking of independent components based on their stability in multiple ICA computation runs and define a distinguished number of components (Most Stable Transcriptome Dimension, MSTD) corresponding to the point of the qualitative change of the stability profile. Based on a large body of data, we demonstrate that a sufficient number of dimensions is required for biological interpretability of the ICA decomposition and that the most stable components with ranks below MSTD have more chances to be reproduced in independent studies compared to the less stable ones. At the same time, we show that a transcriptomics dataset can be reduced to a relatively high number of dimensions without losing the interpretability of ICA, even though higher dimensions give rise to components driven by small gene sets. We suggest a protocol of ICA application to transcriptomics data with a possibility of prioritizing components with respect to their reproducibility that strengthens the biological interpretation. Computing too few components (much less than MSTD) is not optimal for interpretability of the results. The components ranked within MSTD range have more chances to be reproduced in independent studies.

  9. Reduced mitochondrial DNA content associates with poor prognosis of prostate cancer in African American men.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahriar Koochekpour

    Full Text Available Reduction or depletion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA has been associated with cancer progression. Although imbalanced mtDNA content is known to occur in prostate cancer, differences in mtDNA content between African American (AA and Caucasian American (CA men are not defined. We provide the first evidence that tumors in AA men possess reduced level of mtDNA compared to CA men. The median tumor mtDNA content was reduced in AA men. mtDNA content was also reduced in normal prostate tissues of AA men compared to CA men, suggesting a possible predisposition to cancer in AA men. mtDNA content was also reduced in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH tissue from AA men. Tumor and BPH tissues from patients ≥ 60 years of age possess reduced mtDNA content compared to patients 7 compared to ≤ 7, whereas reduced mtDNA content was observed in tumors of Gleason grade >7 compared to ≤ 7. Together, our data suggest that AA men possess lower mtDNA levels in normal and tumor tissues compared to CA men, which could contribute to higher risk and more aggressive prostate cancer in AA men.

  10. Reduced mitochondrial DNA content associates with poor prognosis of prostate cancer in African American men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koochekpour, Shahriar; Marlowe, Timothy; Singh, Keshav K; Attwood, Kristopher; Chandra, Dhyan

    2013-01-01

    Reduction or depletion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been associated with cancer progression. Although imbalanced mtDNA content is known to occur in prostate cancer, differences in mtDNA content between African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) men are not defined. We provide the first evidence that tumors in AA men possess reduced level of mtDNA compared to CA men. The median tumor mtDNA content was reduced in AA men. mtDNA content was also reduced in normal prostate tissues of AA men compared to CA men, suggesting a possible predisposition to cancer in AA men. mtDNA content was also reduced in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissue from AA men. Tumor and BPH tissues from patients ≥ 60 years of age possess reduced mtDNA content compared to patients 7 compared to ≤ 7, whereas reduced mtDNA content was observed in tumors of Gleason grade >7 compared to ≤ 7. Together, our data suggest that AA men possess lower mtDNA levels in normal and tumor tissues compared to CA men, which could contribute to higher risk and more aggressive prostate cancer in AA men.

  11. Plant transcriptomics and responses to environmental stress: an ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    3Centre for Environmental Research, Near East University, 33010, Lefkosha, Turkish Republic of the Northern Cyprus. 4Department of ...... Transcriptomic analysis of sense and antisense strands of .... 2008 Stem cell transcriptome profiling via.

  12. Strategic and Operational Plan for Integrating Transcriptomics ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plans for incorporating high throughput transcriptomics into the current high throughput screening activities at NCCT; the details are in the attached slide presentation presentation on plans for incorporating high throughput transcriptomics into the current high throughput screening activities at NCCT, given at the OECD meeting on June 23, 2016

  13. Sequencing and characterization of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata transcriptome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodd F Helen

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Next-generation sequencing is providing researchers with a relatively fast and affordable option for developing genomic resources for organisms that are not among the traditional genetic models. Here we present a de novo assembly of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata transcriptome using 454 sequence reads, and we evaluate potential uses of this transcriptome, including detection of sex-specific transcripts and deployment as a reference for gene expression analysis in guppies and a related species. Guppies have been model organisms in ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behaviour for over 100 years. An annotated transcriptome and other genomic tools will facilitate understanding the genetic and molecular bases of adaptation and variation in a vertebrate species with a uniquely well known natural history. Results We generated approximately 336 Mbp of mRNA sequence data from male brain, male body, female brain, and female body. The resulting 1,162,670 reads assembled into 54,921 contigs, creating a reference transcriptome for the guppy with an average read depth of 28×. We annotated nearly 40% of this reference transcriptome by searching protein and gene ontology databases. Using this annotated transcriptome database, we identified candidate genes of interest to the guppy research community, putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, and male-specific expressed genes. We also showed that our reference transcriptome can be used for RNA-sequencing-based analysis of differential gene expression. We identified transcripts that, in juveniles, are regulated differently in the presence and absence of an important predator, Rivulus hartii, including two genes implicated in stress response. For each sample in the RNA-seq study, >50% of high-quality reads mapped to unique sequences in the reference database with high confidence. In addition, we evaluated the use of the guppy reference transcriptome for gene expression analyses in

  14. Transcriptome sequences resolve deep relationships of the grape family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Jun; Xiong, Zhiqiang; Nie, Ze-Long; Mao, Likai; Zhu, Yabing; Kan, Xian-Zhao; Ickert-Bond, Stefanie M; Gerrath, Jean; Zimmer, Elizabeth A; Fang, Xiao-Dong

    2013-01-01

    Previous phylogenetic studies of the grape family (Vitaceae) yielded poorly resolved deep relationships, thus impeding our understanding of the evolution of the family. Next-generation sequencing now offers access to protein coding sequences very easily, quickly and cost-effectively. To improve upon earlier work, we extracted 417 orthologous single-copy nuclear genes from the transcriptomes of 15 species of the Vitaceae, covering its phylogenetic diversity. The resulting transcriptome phylogeny provides robust support for the deep relationships, showing the phylogenetic utility of transcriptome data for plants over a time scale at least since the mid-Cretaceous. The pros and cons of transcriptome data for phylogenetic inference in plants are also evaluated.

  15. The utility of transcriptomics in fish conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connon, Richard E; Jeffries, Ken M; Komoroske, Lisa M; Todgham, Anne E; Fangue, Nann A

    2018-01-29

    There is growing recognition of the need to understand the mechanisms underlying organismal resilience (i.e. tolerance, acclimatization) to environmental change to support the conservation management of sensitive and economically important species. Here, we discuss how functional genomics can be used in conservation biology to provide a cellular-level understanding of organismal responses to environmental conditions. In particular, the integration of transcriptomics with physiological and ecological research is increasingly playing an important role in identifying functional physiological thresholds predictive of compensatory responses and detrimental outcomes, transforming the way we can study issues in conservation biology. Notably, with technological advances in RNA sequencing, transcriptome-wide approaches can now be applied to species where no prior genomic sequence information is available to develop species-specific tools and investigate sublethal impacts that can contribute to population declines over generations and undermine prospects for long-term conservation success. Here, we examine the use of transcriptomics as a means of determining organismal responses to environmental stressors and use key study examples of conservation concern in fishes to highlight the added value of transcriptome-wide data to the identification of functional response pathways. Finally, we discuss the gaps between the core science and policy frameworks and how thresholds identified through transcriptomic evaluations provide evidence that can be more readily used by resource managers. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  16. 3rd International Conference on Transcriptomics

    OpenAIRE

    John A Daniel

    2017-01-01

    Conference Series has been instrumental in conducting international Biochemistry meetings for seven years, and very excited to expand Europe, America and Asia Pacific continents. Previous meetings were held in major cities like Philadelphia, Orlando with success the meetings again scheduled in three continents. 3rd International Conference on Transcriptomics to be held during October 30 - November 01, 2017 at Bangkok, Thailand The Global Transcriptomics business sector to develop at a C...

  17. Direct Transcriptional Consequences of Somatic Mutation in Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Shlien

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Disordered transcriptomes of cancer encompass direct effects of somatic mutation on transcription, coordinated secondary pathway alterations, and increased transcriptional noise. To catalog the rules governing how somatic mutation exerts direct transcriptional effects, we developed an exhaustive pipeline for analyzing RNA sequencing data, which we integrated with whole genomes from 23 breast cancers. Using X-inactivation analyses, we found that cancer cells are more transcriptionally active than intermixed stromal cells. This is especially true in estrogen receptor (ER-negative tumors. Overall, 59% of substitutions were expressed. Nonsense mutations showed lower expression levels than expected, with patterns characteristic of nonsense-mediated decay. 14% of 4,234 rearrangements caused transcriptional abnormalities, including exon skips, exon reusage, fusions, and premature polyadenylation. We found productive, stable transcription from sense-to-antisense gene fusions and gene-to-intergenic rearrangements, suggesting that these mutation classes drive more transcriptional disruption than previously suspected. Systematic integration of transcriptome with genome data reveals the rules by which transcriptional machinery interprets somatic mutation.

  18. Reduced vaginal elasticity, reduced lubrication, and deep and superficial dyspareunia in irradiated gynecological cancer survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stinesen Kollberg, Karin; Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte; Bergmark, Karin; Dunberger, Gail; Rossander, Anna; Wilderäng, Ulrica; Åvall-Lundqvist, Elisabeth; Steineck, Gunnar

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not vaginal elasticity or lack of lubrication is associated with deep or superficial dyspareunia. We investigated gynecological cancer survivors treated with radiation therapy. In a population-based study with 616 women answering a questionnaire (participation rate 78%) and who were treated with radiotherapy for gynecological cancer, we analyzed information from 243 women (39%) who reported that they had had intercourse during the previous six months. Analyses included log-binomial regression (relative risks) and multiple imputations by chained equations in combination with Bayesian Model Averaging, yielding a posterior probability value. Age range of this cancer recurrent-free group of women was 29-80. Dyspareunia affected 164 of 243 of the women (67%). One hundred thirty-four women (55%) reported superficial pain, 97 women (40%) reported deep pain, and 87 women (36%) reported both types of dyspareunia. The relative risk (RR) of deep dyspareunia was 1.87 (CI 1.41-2.49) with impaired vaginal elasticity compared to normal vaginal elasticity. Age and lower abdominal swelling were separate risk factors for deep dyspareunia. However, effects remain after adjusting for these factors. The relative risk of deep dyspareunia was almost twice as high with impaired vaginal elasticity compared to normal vaginal elasticity. If we wish to treat or even prevent deep dyspareunia in women with gynecological cancer, we may use our knowledge of the pathophysiology of deep dyspareunia and increasingly provide dilators together with instructions on how to use them for stretching exercises in order to retain vaginal elasticity. Results highlight the need for studies with more precise questions distinguishing superficial from deep dyspareunia so that in the future we may be able to primarily try to avoid reduced vaginal elasticity and secondarily reduce the symptoms.

  19. Transcriptome sequences resolve deep relationships of the grape family.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Wen

    Full Text Available Previous phylogenetic studies of the grape family (Vitaceae yielded poorly resolved deep relationships, thus impeding our understanding of the evolution of the family. Next-generation sequencing now offers access to protein coding sequences very easily, quickly and cost-effectively. To improve upon earlier work, we extracted 417 orthologous single-copy nuclear genes from the transcriptomes of 15 species of the Vitaceae, covering its phylogenetic diversity. The resulting transcriptome phylogeny provides robust support for the deep relationships, showing the phylogenetic utility of transcriptome data for plants over a time scale at least since the mid-Cretaceous. The pros and cons of transcriptome data for phylogenetic inference in plants are also evaluated.

  20. The Human Transcriptome: An Unfinished Story

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihaela Pertea

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Despite recent technological advances, the study of the human transcriptome is still in its early stages. Here we provide an overview of the complex human transcriptomic landscape, present the bioinformatics challenges posed by the vast quantities of transcriptomic data, and discuss some of the studies that have tried to determine how much of the human genome is transcribed. Recent evidence has suggested that more than 90% of the human genome is transcribed into RNA. However, this view has been strongly contested by groups of scientists who argued that many of the observed transcripts are simply the result of transcriptional noise. In this review, we conclude that the full extent of transcription remains an open question that will not be fully addressed until we decipher the complete range and biological diversity of the transcribed genomic sequences.

  1. Elucidating the transcriptome of Fasciola hepatica - a key to fundamental and biotechnological discoveries for a neglected parasite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Neil D; Hall, Ross S; Jex, Aaron R; Cantacessi, Cinzia; Gasser, Robin B

    2010-01-01

    Liver flukes of animals are parasitic flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) of major socioeconomic importance in many countries. Key representatives, such as Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, cause "liver fluke disease" (= fascioliasis), which is of major animal health significance worldwide. In particular, F. hepatica is a leading cause of production losses to the livestock (mainly sheep and cattle) and meat industries due to clinical disease, reduced weight gain and milk production, and deaths. This parasite is also a major food-borne pathogen of humans throughout parts of the Middle East, Asia and South America. Currently, there is a significant focus on the development of new approaches for the prevention and control of fascioliasis in livestock. Recent technological advances in genomics and bioinformatics provide unique opportunities for the identification and prevalidation of drug targets and vaccines through a better understanding of the biology of F. hepatica and related species as well as their relationship with their hosts at the molecular level. Surprisingly, despite the widespread socioeconomic impact of fascioliasis, genomic datasets for F. hepatica are scant, limiting the molecular biological research of this parasite. The present article explores specifically the transcriptome of the adult stage of F. hepatica using an integrated genomic-bioinformatic platform. The analysis of the current data reveals numerous molecules of biological relevance, some of which are inferred to be involved in key biological processes or pathways that could serve as targets for new trematocidal drugs or vaccines. Improved insights into the transcriptome of F. hepatica should pave the way for future, comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of other developmental stages of this and related parasites, such as F. gigantica, cancer-causing flatworms (Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini) and blood flukes (Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum). Prediction of the

  2. External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) techniques used in breast cancer treatment to reduce cardiac exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fung, Esther; Hendry, Julie

    2013-01-01

    Radiotherapy in breast cancer treatment has been shown to reduce local recurrence and improve survival rates. However, there is a concern that breast radiotherapy can cause an increase in cardiac mortality, particularly in patients being treated for left-sided breast cancer. This review aims to investigate how cardiac exposure is minimised in breast radiotherapy and determine an optimal method for reducing cardiac dose, using literature from ScienceDirect, Medline and CINAHL. IMRT and breathing-adapted radiotherapy both reduce cardiac exposure but IMRT also increases the irradiated volume at low dose. Several issues were reported with regards to the clinical implementation of these techniques. It is suggested that inspiration breath-hold radiotherapy, is the preferred solution to minimising cardiac exposure but more research is warranted to confirm this. Long-term follow-up is required to determine dose–response relationships. Research needs to focus on breast cancer treatment as a whole in order to effectively reduce cardiac mortality.

  3. Immediate Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces Risk of Infection-Related Cancer During Early HIV Infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borges, Alvaro Humberto Diniz; Neuhaus, Jacqueline; Babiker, Abdel G

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND:  In the Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment (START) study, immediate combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation reduced cancer risk by 64%. We hypothesized that risk reduction was higher for infection-related cancer and determined by differences in CD4 cell counts a...

  4. Nutrigenomics: implications for breast and colon cancer prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riscuta, Gabriela; Dumitrescu, Ramona G

    2012-01-01

    Nutrigenomics refers to the interaction between one's diet and his/her genes. These interactions can markedly influence digestion, absorption, and the elimination of bioactive food components, as well as influence their site of actions/molecular targets. Nutrigenomics comprises nutrigenetics, epigenetics, and transcriptomics, coupled with other "omic," such as proteomics and metabolomics, that apparently account for the wide variability in cancer risk among individuals with similar dietary habits. Multiple food components including essential nutrients, phytochemical, zoochemicals, fungochemical, and bacterochemicals have been implicated in cancer risk and tumor behavior, admittedly with mixed results. Such findings suggest that not all individuals respond identically to a diet. This chapter highlights the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphism, copy number, epigenetic events, and transcriptomic homeostasis as factors influencing the response to food components and ultimately health, including cancer risk. Both breast and colorectal cancers are reviewed as examples about how nutrigenomics may influence the response to dietary intakes. As the concept that "one size fits all" comes to an end and personalized approaches surface, additional research data will be required to identify those who will benefit most from dietary change and any who might be placed at risk because of an adjustment.

  5. PIVOT: platform for interactive analysis and visualization of transcriptomics data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Qin; Fisher, Stephen A; Dueck, Hannah; Middleton, Sarah; Khaladkar, Mugdha; Kim, Junhyong

    2018-01-05

    Many R packages have been developed for transcriptome analysis but their use often requires familiarity with R and integrating results of different packages requires scripts to wrangle the datatypes. Furthermore, exploratory data analyses often generate multiple derived datasets such as data subsets or data transformations, which can be difficult to track. Here we present PIVOT, an R-based platform that wraps open source transcriptome analysis packages with a uniform user interface and graphical data management that allows non-programmers to interactively explore transcriptomics data. PIVOT supports more than 40 popular open source packages for transcriptome analysis and provides an extensive set of tools for statistical data manipulations. A graph-based visual interface is used to represent the links between derived datasets, allowing easy tracking of data versions. PIVOT further supports automatic report generation, publication-quality plots, and program/data state saving, such that all analysis can be saved, shared and reproduced. PIVOT will allow researchers with broad background to easily access sophisticated transcriptome analysis tools and interactively explore transcriptome datasets.

  6. Adherence of Primary Care Physicians to Evidence-Based Recommendations to Reduce Ovarian Cancer Mortality

    OpenAIRE

    Stewart, Sherri L.; Townsend, Julie S.; Puckett, Mary C.; Rim, Sun Hee

    2016-01-01

    Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Receipt of treatment from a gynecologic oncologist is an evidence-based recommendation to reduce mortality from the disease. We examined knowledge and application of this evidence-based recommendation in primary care physicians as part of CDC gynecologic cancer awareness campaign efforts and discussed results in the context of CDC National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). We analyzed primary care physician responses to questions...

  7. Metabolomic Dynamic Analysis of Hypoxia in MDA-MB-231 and the Comparison with Inferred Metabolites from Transcriptomics Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yufeng Jane Tseng

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Hypoxia affects the tumor microenvironment and is considered important to metastasis progression and therapy resistance. Thus far, the majority of global analyses of tumor hypoxia responses have been limited to just a single omics level. Combining multiple omics data can broaden our understanding of tumor hypoxia. Here, we investigate the temporal change of the metabolite composition with gene expression data from literature to provide a more comprehensive insight into the system level in response to hypoxia. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to perform metabolomic profiling on the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line under hypoxic conditions. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the metabolic difference between hypoxia and normoxia was similar over 24 h, but became distinct over 48 h. Time dependent microarray data from the same cell line in the literature displayed different gene expressions under hypoxic and normoxic conditions mostly at 12 h or earlier. The direct metabolomic profiles show a large overlap with theoretical metabolic profiles deduced from previous transcriptomic studies. Consistent pathways are glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate, purine and arginine and proline metabolism. Ten metabolic pathways revealed by metabolomics were not covered by the downstream of the known transcriptomic profiles, suggesting new metabolic phenotypes. These results confirm previous transcriptomics understanding and expand the knowledge from existing models on correlation and co-regulation between transcriptomic and metabolomics profiles, which demonstrates the power of integrated omics analysis.

  8. Relationships between drought, heat and air humidity responses revealed by transcriptome-metabolome co-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georgii, Elisabeth; Jin, Ming; Zhao, Jin; Kanawati, Basem; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Albert, Andreas; Winkler, J Barbro; Schäffner, Anton R

    2017-07-10

    Elevated temperature and reduced water availability are frequently linked abiotic stresses that may provoke distinct as well as interacting molecular responses. Based on non-targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic measurements from Arabidopsis rosettes, this study aims at a systematic elucidation of relevant components in different drought and heat scenarios as well as relationships between molecular players of stress response. In combined drought-heat stress, the majority of single stress responses are maintained. However, interaction effects between drought and heat can be discovered as well; these relate to protein folding, flavonoid biosynthesis and growth inhibition, which are enhanced, reduced or specifically induced in combined stress, respectively. Heat stress experiments with and without supplementation of air humidity for maintenance of vapor pressure deficit suggest that decreased relative air humidity due to elevated temperature is an important component of heat stress, specifically being responsible for hormone-related responses to water deprivation. Remarkably, this "dry air effect" is the primary trigger of the metabolomic response to heat. In contrast, the transcriptomic response has a substantial temperature component exceeding the dry air component and including up-regulation of many transcription factors and protein folding-related genes. Data level integration independent of prior knowledge on pathways and condition labels reveals shared drought and heat responses between transcriptome and metabolome, biomarker candidates and co-regulation between genes and metabolic compounds, suggesting novel players in abiotic stress response pathways. Drought and heat stress interact both at transcript and at metabolite response level. A comprehensive, non-targeted view of this interaction as well as non-interacting processes is important to be taken into account when improving tolerance to abiotic stresses in breeding programs. Transcriptome and metabolome

  9. The Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine Reduces β-Catenin-Tcf Transcriptional Activity, Induces E-Cadherin Expression, and Reduces Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qualtrough, David, E-mail: david.qualtrough@uwe.ac.uk [Department of Biological, Biomedical & Analytical Sciences, University of the West of England, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Frenchay, Bristol BS16 1QY (United Kingdom); Rees, Phil; Speight, Beverley; Williams, Ann C.; Paraskeva, Christos [School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD (United Kingdom)

    2015-09-17

    Colorectal cancer is a major global health problem resulting in over 600,000 deaths world-wide every year with the majority of these due to metastatic disease. Wnt signalling, and more specifically β-catenin-related transcription, has been shown to drive both tumorigenesis and the metastatic process in colorectal neoplasia, yet its complex interactions with other key signalling pathways, such as hedgehog, remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that the Hedgehog (HH) signalling pathway is active in cells from colorectal tumours, and that inhibition of the pathway with cyclopamine induces apoptosis. We now show that cyclopamine treatment reduces β-catenin related transcription in colorectal cancer cell lines, and that this effect can be reversed by addition of Sonic Hedgehog protein. We also show that cyclopamine concomitantly induces expression of the tumour suppressor and prognostic indicator E-cadherin. Consistent with a role for HH in regulating the invasive potential we show that cyclopamine reduces the expression of transcription factors (Slug, Snail and Twist) associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reduces the invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, these data show that pharmacological inhibition of the hedgehog pathway has therapeutic potential in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

  10. The Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine Reduces β-Catenin-Tcf Transcriptional Activity, Induces E-Cadherin Expression, and Reduces Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qualtrough, David; Rees, Phil; Speight, Beverley; Williams, Ann C.; Paraskeva, Christos

    2015-01-01

    Colorectal cancer is a major global health problem resulting in over 600,000 deaths world-wide every year with the majority of these due to metastatic disease. Wnt signalling, and more specifically β-catenin-related transcription, has been shown to drive both tumorigenesis and the metastatic process in colorectal neoplasia, yet its complex interactions with other key signalling pathways, such as hedgehog, remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that the Hedgehog (HH) signalling pathway is active in cells from colorectal tumours, and that inhibition of the pathway with cyclopamine induces apoptosis. We now show that cyclopamine treatment reduces β-catenin related transcription in colorectal cancer cell lines, and that this effect can be reversed by addition of Sonic Hedgehog protein. We also show that cyclopamine concomitantly induces expression of the tumour suppressor and prognostic indicator E-cadherin. Consistent with a role for HH in regulating the invasive potential we show that cyclopamine reduces the expression of transcription factors (Slug, Snail and Twist) associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reduces the invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, these data show that pharmacological inhibition of the hedgehog pathway has therapeutic potential in the treatment of colorectal cancer

  11. CD73 Regulates Stemness and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Ovarian Cancer-Initiating Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michela Lupia

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Cancer-initiating cells (CICs have been implicated in tumor development and aggressiveness. In ovarian carcinoma (OC, CICs drive tumor formation, dissemination, and recurrence, as well as drug resistance, thus accounting for the high death-to-incidence ratio of this neoplasm. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie such a pathogenic role of ovarian CICs (OCICs remain elusive. Here, we have capitalized on primary cells either from OC or from its tissues of origin to obtain the transcriptomic profile associated with OCICs. Among the genes differentially expressed in OCICs, we focused on CD73, which encodes the membrane-associated 5′-ectonucleotidase. The genetic inactivation of CD73 in OC cells revealed that this molecule is causally involved in sphere formation and tumor initiation, thus emerging as a driver of OCIC function. Furthermore, functional inhibition of CD73 via either a chemical compound or a neutralizing antibody reduced sphere formation and tumorigenesis, highlighting the druggability of CD73 in the context of OCIC-directed therapies. The biological function of CD73 in OCICs required its enzymatic activity and involved adenosine signaling. Mechanistically, CD73 promotes the expression of stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes, implying a regulation of OCIC function at the transcriptional level. CD73, therefore, is involved in OCIC biology and may represent a therapeutic target for innovative treatments aimed at OC eradication. : Cavallaro et al. characterized the transcriptome of OCIC-enriched primary cultures and found CD73 as an upregulated gene. CD73 was then shown to regulate the expression of stemness and EMT-associated genes. The expression and function of CD73 in OCICs is required for tumor initiation, and CD73-targeted drugs decrease the rate of tumor take and inhibit cancer growth. Keywords: CD73, ovarian cancer, cancer-initiating cells, cancer stem cells, EMT, adenosine

  12. Reduced risk of axillary lymphatic spread in triple-negative breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm-Rasmussen, Emil Villiam; Jensen, Maj-Britt; Balslev, Eva

    2015-01-01

    We examined the association between the hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of women with primary breast cancer and the risk of axillary lymph node (ALN) involvement at the time of diagnosis. Information on 20,009 women diagnosed with primary breast...... cancer between 2008 and 2012 was retrieved from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group database. The associations between clinical and pathological variables and ALN involvement at the time of diagnosis were evaluated in univariate and multivariate regression analyses, as well as the significance......-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients showed a significantly reduced risk of ALN involvement at the time of diagnosis compared to patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative tumors (OR 0.55; 95 % CI 0.49-0.62; P

  13. Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH) | Division of Cancer Prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speaker | "Reducing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Engagement: Working with Faith-Based Organizations (Project CHURCH)" will be presented by Lorna H. McNeill, PhD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Health Disparities at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Date: 2/20/2018; Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm; Location: NCI Shady Grove Campus,

  14. Transcriptomic signatures in seeds of apple (Malus domestica L. Borkh) during fruitlet abscission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrero, Sergio; Carretero-Paulet, Lorenzo; Mendes, Marta Adelina; Botton, Alessandro; Eccher, Giulia; Masiero, Simona; Colombo, Lucia

    2015-01-01

    Abscission is the regulated process of detachment of an organ from a plant. In apple the abscission of fruits occurs during their early development to control the fruit load depending on the nutritional state of the plant. In order to control production and obtain fruits with optimal market qualities, the horticultural procedure of thinning is performed to further reduce the number of fruitlets. In this study we have conducted a transcriptomic profiling of seeds from two different types of fruitlets, according to size and position in the fruit cluster. Transcriptomic profiles of central and lateral fruit seeds were obtained by RNAseq. Comparative analysis was performed by the functional categorization of differentially expressed genes by means of Gene Ontology (GO) annotation of the apple genome. Our results revealed the overexpression of genes involved in responses to stress, hormone biosynthesis and also the response and/or transport of auxin and ethylene. A smaller set of genes, mainly related to ion transport and homeostasis, were found to be down-regulated. The transcriptome characterization described in this manuscript contributes to unravelling the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in the physiological abscission of apple fruits and suggests a role for seeds in this process.

  15. Update on raloxifene: role in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vogel VG

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Victor G Vogel Cancer Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA Abstract: Risk factors allow us to define women who are at increased lifetime risk for breast cancer, and the most important factor is age. Benign breast disease increases risk, and the most important histologies are atypical lobular or ductal hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. Family history of breast cancer among first-degree relatives (mother, sisters, daughters also increases risk. Quantitative measures of risk give accurate predictions of breast cancer incidence for groups of women but not for individual subjects. Multiple published, randomized controlled trials, which employed selective estrogen receptor (ER modulators (SERMs, have demonstrated consistent reductions of 35% or greater in the risk of ER-positive invasive and noninvasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Professional organizations in the US now recommend the use of SERMs to reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk, postmenopausal women. Raloxifene and tamoxifen reduce the risk of ER-positive invasive breast cancer with equal efficacy, but raloxifene is associated with a lower risk of thromboembolic disease, benign uterine conditions, and cataracts than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women. No evidence exists establishing whether a reduction in breast cancer risk from either agent translates into reduced breast cancer mortality. Overall quality of life is similar with raloxifene or tamoxifen, but the incidence of dyspareunia, weight gain, and musculoskeletal complaints is higher with raloxifene use, whereas vasomotor symptoms, bladder incontinence, gynecologic symptoms, and leg cramps were higher with tamoxifen use. Keywords: selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs, raloxifene, risk reduction, chemoprevention

  16. Developmental Transcriptome for a Facultatively Eusocial Bee, Megalopta genalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Beryl M; Wcislo, William T; Robinson, Gene E

    2015-08-14

    Transcriptomes provide excellent foundational resources for mechanistic and evolutionary analyses of complex traits. We present a developmental transcriptome for the facultatively eusocial bee Megalopta genalis, which represents a potential transition point in the evolution of eusociality. A de novo transcriptome assembly of Megalopta genalis was generated using paired-end Illumina sequencing and the Trinity assembler. Males and females of all life stages were aligned to this transcriptome for analysis of gene expression profiles throughout development. Gene Ontology analysis indicates that stage-specific genes are involved in ion transport, cell-cell signaling, and metabolism. A number of distinct biological processes are upregulated in each life stage, and transitions between life stages involve shifts in dominant functional processes, including shifts from transcriptional regulation in embryos to metabolism in larvae, and increased lipid metabolism in adults. We expect that this transcriptome will provide a useful resource for future analyses to better understand the molecular basis of the evolution of eusociality and, more generally, phenotypic plasticity. Copyright © 2015 Jones et al.

  17. Characterization of a male reproductive transcriptome for Peromyscus eremicus (Cactus mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauren L. Kordonowy

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Rodents of the genus Peromyscus have become increasingly utilized models for investigations into adaptive biology. This genus is particularly powerful for research linking genetics with adaptive physiology or behaviors, and recent research has capitalized on the unique opportunities afforded by the ecological diversity of these rodents. Well characterized genomic and transcriptomic data is intrinsic to explorations of the genetic architecture responsible for ecological adaptations. Therefore, this study characterizes the transcriptome of three male reproductive tissues (testes, epididymis and vas deferens of Peromyscus eremicus (Cactus mouse, a desert specialist. The transcriptome assembly process was optimized in order to produce a high quality and substantially complete annotated transcriptome. This composite transcriptome was generated to characterize the expressed transcripts in the male reproductive tract of P. eremicus, which will serve as a crucial resource for future research investigating our hypothesis that the male Cactus mouse possesses an adaptive reproductive phenotype to mitigate water-loss from ejaculate. This study reports genes under positive selection in the male Cactus mouse reproductive transcriptome relative to transcriptomes from Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse and Mus musculus. Thus, this study expands upon existing genetic research in this species, and we provide a high quality transcriptome to enable further explorations of our proposed hypothesis for male Cactus mouse reproductive adaptations to minimize seminal fluid loss.

  18. Molecular targets in urothelial cancer: detection, treatment, and animal models of bladder cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smolensky, Dmitriy; Rathore, Kusum; Cekanova, Maria

    2016-01-01

    Bladder cancer remains one of the most expensive cancers to treat in the United States due to the length of required treatment and degree of recurrence. In order to treat bladder cancer more effectively, targeted therapies are being investigated. In order to use targeted therapy in a patient, it is important to provide a genetic background of the patient. Recent advances in genome sequencing, as well as transcriptome analysis, have identified major pathway components altered in bladder cancer. The purpose of this review is to provide a broad background on bladder cancer, including its causes, diagnosis, stages, treatments, animal models, as well as signaling pathways in bladder cancer. The major focus is given to the PI3K/AKT pathway, p53/pRb signaling pathways, and the histone modification machinery. Because several promising immunological therapies are also emerging in the treatment of bladder cancer, focus is also given on general activation of the immune system for the treatment of bladder cancer. PMID:27784990

  19. Free Base Lysine Increases Survival and Reduces Metastasis in Prostate Cancer Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim-Hashim, Arig; Wojtkowiak, Jonathan W; de Lourdes Coelho Ribeiro, Maria; Estrella, Veronica; Bailey, Kate M; Cornnell, Heather H; Gatenby, Robert A; Gillies, Robert J

    2011-11-19

    Malignant tumor cells typically metabolize glucose anaerobically to lactic acid even under normal oxygen tension, a phenomenon called aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect. This results in increased acid production and the acidification of the extracellular microenvironment in solid tumors. H + ions tend to flow along concentration gradients into peritumoral normal tissue causing extracellular matrix degradation and increased tumor cell motility thus promoting invasion and metastasis. We have shown that reducing this acidity with sodium bicarbonate buffer decreases the metastatic fitness of circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer and other cancer models. Mathematical models of the tumor-host dynamics predicted that buffers with a pka around 7 will be more effective in reducing intra- and peri-tumoral acidosis and, thus, and possibly more effective in inhibiting tumor metastasis than sodium bicarbonate which has a pKa around 6. Here we test this prediction the efficacy of free base lysine; a non-bicarbonate/non-volatile buffer with a higher pKa (~10), on prostate tumor metastases model. Oxygen consumption and acid production rate of PC3M prostate cancer cells and normal prostate cells were determined using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux (XF-96) analyzer. In vivo effect of 200 mM lysine started four days prior to inoculation on inhibition of metastasis was examined in PC3M-LUC-C6 prostate cancer model using SCID mice. Metastases were followed by bioluminescence imaging. PC3M prostate cancer cells are highly acidic in comparison to a normal prostate cell line indicating that reduction of intra- and perit-tumoral acidosis should inhibit metastases formation. In vivo administration of 200 mM free base lysine increased survival and reduced metastasis. PC3M prostate cancer cells are highly glycolytic and produce large amounts of acid when compared to normal prostate cells. Administration of non-volatile buffer decreased growth of metastases and improved survival

  20. Sequencing and analysis of the Mediterranean amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum transcriptome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvan Oulion

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The basally divergent phylogenetic position of amphioxus (Cephalochordata, as well as its conserved morphology, development and genetics, make it the best proxy for the chordate ancestor. Particularly, studies using the amphioxus model help our understanding of vertebrate evolution and development. Thus, interest for the amphioxus model led to the characterization of both the transcriptome and complete genome sequence of the American species, Branchiostoma floridae. However, recent technical improvements allowing induction of spawning in the laboratory during the breeding season on a daily basis with the Mediterranean species Branchiostoma lanceolatum have encouraged European Evo-Devo researchers to adopt this species as a model even though no genomic or transcriptomic data have been available. To fill this need we used the pyrosequencing method to characterize the B. lanceolatum transcriptome and then compared our results with the published transcriptome of B. floridae. RESULTS: Starting with total RNA from nine different developmental stages of B. lanceolatum, a normalized cDNA library was constructed and sequenced on Roche GS FLX (Titanium mode. Around 1.4 million of reads were produced and assembled into 70,530 contigs (average length of 490 bp. Overall 37% of the assembled sequences were annotated by BlastX and their Gene Ontology terms were determined. These results were then compared to genomic and transcriptomic data of B. floridae to assess similarities and specificities of each species. CONCLUSION: We obtained a high-quality amphioxus (B. lanceolatum reference transcriptome using a high throughput sequencing approach. We found that 83% of the predicted genes in the B. floridae complete genome sequence are also found in the B. lanceolatum transcriptome, while only 41% were found in the B. floridae transcriptome obtained with traditional Sanger based sequencing. Therefore, given the high degree of sequence conservation

  1. Transcriptome profiling of mice testes following low dose irradiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Belling, Kirstine C.; Tanaka, Masami; Dalgaard, Marlene Danner

    2013-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is used routinely to treat testicular cancer. Testicular cells vary in radio-sensitivity and the aim of this study was to investigate cellular and molecular changes caused by low dose irradiation of mice testis and to identify transcripts from different cell types...... in the adult testis. METHODS: Transcriptome profiling was performed on total RNA from testes sampled at various time points (n = 17) after 1 Gy of irradiation. Transcripts displaying large overall expression changes during the time series, but small expression changes between neighbouring time points were...... selected for further analysis. These transcripts were separated into clusters and their cellular origin was determined. Immunohistochemistry and in silico quantification was further used to study cellular changes post-irradiation (pi). RESULTS: We identified a subset of transcripts (n = 988) where changes...

  2. A Long-Read Transcriptome Assembly of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. and Intraspecific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Ashrafi

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Upland cotton ( L. has a narrow germplasm base, which constrains marker development and hampers intraspecific breeding. A pressing need exists for high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers that can be readily applied to germplasm in breeding and breeding-related research programs. Despite progress made in developing new sequencing technologies during the past decade, the cost of sequencing remains substantial when one is dealing with numerous samples and large genomes. Several strategies have been proposed to lower the cost of sequencing for multiple genotypes of large-genome species like cotton, such as transcriptome sequencing and reduced-representation DNA sequencing. This paper reports the development of a transcriptome assembly of the inbred line Texas Marker-1 (TM-1, a genetic standard for cotton, its usefulness as a reference for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq-based SNP identification, and the availability of transcriptome sequences of four other cotton cultivars. An assembly of TM-1 was made using Roche 454 transcriptome reads combined with an assembly of all available public expressed sequence tag (EST sequences of TM-1. The TM-1 assembly consists of 72,450 contigs with a total of 70 million bp. Functional predictions of the transcripts were estimated by alignment to selected protein databases. Transcriptome sequences of the five lines, including TM-1, were obtained using an Illumina Genome Analyzer-II, and the short reads were mapped to the TM-1 assembly to discover SNPs among the five lines. We identified >14,000 unfiltered allelic SNPs, of which ∼3,700 SNPs were retained for assay development after applying several rigorous filters. This paper reports availability of the reference transcriptome assembly and shows its utility in developing intraspecific SNP markers in upland cotton.

  3. Reduced expression of p27 is a novel mechanism of docetaxel resistance in breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Iain; Shalli, Kawan; McDonald, Sarah L; Moir, Susan E; Hutcheon, Andrew W; Heys, Steven D; Schofield, Andrew C

    2004-01-01

    Docetaxel is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancers can have an inherent or acquired resistance to docetaxel but the causes of this resistance remain unclear. However, apoptosis and cell cycle regulation are key mechanisms by which most chemotherapeutic agents exert their cytotoxic effects. We created two docetaxel-resistant human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and performed cDNA microarray analysis to identify candidate genes associated with docetaxel resistance. Gene expression changes were validated at the RNA and protein levels by reverse transcription PCR and western analysis, respectively. Gene expression cDNA microarray analysis demonstrated reduced p27 expression in docetaxel-resistant breast cancer cells. Although p27 mRNA expression was found to be reduced only in MCF-7 docetaxel-resistant sublines (2.47-fold), reduced expression of p27 protein was noted in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 docetaxel-resistant breast cancer cells (2.83-fold and 3.80-fold, respectively). This study demonstrates that reduced expression of p27 is associated with acquired resistance to docetaxel in breast cancer cells. An understanding of the genes that are involved in resistance to chemotherapy may allow further development in modulating drug resistance, and may permit selection of those patients who are most likely to benefit from such therapies

  4. TCW: transcriptome computational workbench.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol Soderlund

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The analysis of transcriptome data involves many steps and various programs, along with organization of large amounts of data and results. Without a methodical approach for storage, analysis and query, the resulting ad hoc analysis can lead to human error, loss of data and results, inefficient use of time, and lack of verifiability, repeatability, and extensibility. METHODOLOGY: The Transcriptome Computational Workbench (TCW provides Java graphical interfaces for methodical analysis for both single and comparative transcriptome data without the use of a reference genome (e.g. for non-model organisms. The singleTCW interface steps the user through importing transcript sequences (e.g. Illumina or assembling long sequences (e.g. Sanger, 454, transcripts, annotating the sequences, and performing differential expression analysis using published statistical programs in R. The data, metadata, and results are stored in a MySQL database. The multiTCW interface builds a comparison database by importing sequence and annotation from one or more single TCW databases, executes the ESTscan program to translate the sequences into proteins, and then incorporates one or more clusterings, where the clustering options are to execute the orthoMCL program, compute transitive closure, or import clusters. Both singleTCW and multiTCW allow extensive query and display of the results, where singleTCW displays the alignment of annotation hits to transcript sequences, and multiTCW displays multiple transcript alignments with MUSCLE or pairwise alignments. The query programs can be executed on the desktop for fastest analysis, or from the web for sharing the results. CONCLUSION: It is now affordable to buy a multi-processor machine, and easy to install Java and MySQL. By simply downloading the TCW, the user can interactively analyze, query and view their data. The TCW allows in-depth data mining of the results, which can lead to a better understanding of the

  5. TCW: transcriptome computational workbench.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soderlund, Carol; Nelson, William; Willer, Mark; Gang, David R

    2013-01-01

    The analysis of transcriptome data involves many steps and various programs, along with organization of large amounts of data and results. Without a methodical approach for storage, analysis and query, the resulting ad hoc analysis can lead to human error, loss of data and results, inefficient use of time, and lack of verifiability, repeatability, and extensibility. The Transcriptome Computational Workbench (TCW) provides Java graphical interfaces for methodical analysis for both single and comparative transcriptome data without the use of a reference genome (e.g. for non-model organisms). The singleTCW interface steps the user through importing transcript sequences (e.g. Illumina) or assembling long sequences (e.g. Sanger, 454, transcripts), annotating the sequences, and performing differential expression analysis using published statistical programs in R. The data, metadata, and results are stored in a MySQL database. The multiTCW interface builds a comparison database by importing sequence and annotation from one or more single TCW databases, executes the ESTscan program to translate the sequences into proteins, and then incorporates one or more clusterings, where the clustering options are to execute the orthoMCL program, compute transitive closure, or import clusters. Both singleTCW and multiTCW allow extensive query and display of the results, where singleTCW displays the alignment of annotation hits to transcript sequences, and multiTCW displays multiple transcript alignments with MUSCLE or pairwise alignments. The query programs can be executed on the desktop for fastest analysis, or from the web for sharing the results. It is now affordable to buy a multi-processor machine, and easy to install Java and MySQL. By simply downloading the TCW, the user can interactively analyze, query and view their data. The TCW allows in-depth data mining of the results, which can lead to a better understanding of the transcriptome. TCW is freely available from www.agcol.arizona.edu/software/tcw.

  6. High Throughput Transcriptomics @ USEPA (Toxicology ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ideal chemical testing approach will provide complete coverage of all relevant toxicological responses. It should be sensitive and specific It should identify the mechanism/mode-of-action (with dose-dependence). It should identify responses relevant to the species of interest. Responses should ideally be translated into tissue-, organ-, and organism-level effects. It must be economical and scalable. Using a High Throughput Transcriptomics platform within US EPA provides broader coverage of biological activity space and toxicological MOAs and helps fill the toxicological data gap. Slide presentation at the 2016 ToxForum on using High Throughput Transcriptomics at US EPA for broader coverage biological activity space and toxicological MOAs.

  7. Evaluating de Bruijn graph assemblers on 454 transcriptomic data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianwen Ren

    Full Text Available Next generation sequencing (NGS technologies have greatly changed the landscape of transcriptomic studies of non-model organisms. Since there is no reference genome available, de novo assembly methods play key roles in the analysis of these data sets. Because of the huge amount of data generated by NGS technologies for each run, many assemblers, e.g., ABySS, Velvet and Trinity, are developed based on a de Bruijn graph due to its time- and space-efficiency. However, most of these assemblers were developed initially for the Illumina/Solexa platform. The performance of these assemblers on 454 transcriptomic data is unknown. In this study, we evaluated and compared the relative performance of these de Bruijn graph based assemblers on both simulated and real 454 transcriptomic data. The results suggest that Trinity, the Illumina/Solexa-specialized transcriptomic assembler, performs the best among the multiple de Bruijn graph assemblers, comparable to or even outperforming the standard 454 assembler Newbler which is based on the overlap-layout-consensus algorithm. Our evaluation is expected to provide helpful guidance for researchers to choose assemblers when analyzing 454 transcriptomic data.

  8. Engineered reversal of drug resistance in cancer cells--metastases suppressor factors as change agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Vinod Kumar; Kumar, Akinchan; Mann, Anita; Aggarwal, Suruchi; Kumar, Maneesh; Roy, Sumitabho Deb; Pore, Subrata Kumar; Banerjee, Rajkumar; Mahesh Kumar, Jerald; Thakur, Ram Krishna; Chowdhury, Shantanu

    2014-01-01

    Building molecular correlates of drug resistance in cancer and exploiting them for therapeutic intervention remains a pressing clinical need. To identify factors that impact drug resistance herein we built a model that couples inherent cell-based response toward drugs with transcriptomes of resistant/sensitive cells. To test this model, we focused on a group of genes called metastasis suppressor genes (MSGs) that influence aggressiveness and metastatic potential of cancers. Interestingly, modeling of 84 000 drug response transcriptome combinations predicted multiple MSGs to be associated with resistance of different cell types and drugs. As a case study, on inducing MSG levels in a drug resistant breast cancer line resistance to anticancer drugs caerulomycin, camptothecin and topotecan decreased by more than 50-60%, in both culture conditions and also in tumors generated in mice, in contrast to control un-induced cells. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of engineered reversal of drug resistance in cancer cells based on a model that exploits inherent cellular response profiles.

  9. Study Shows Aspirin Reduces Colorectal Cancer in Those at High Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findings from the first large clinical trial of its kind indicate that taking high doses of aspirin daily for at least 2 years substantially reduces the risk of colorectal cancer among people at increased risk of the disease.

  10. The testes transcriptome derived from the New World Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax TSA

    Science.gov (United States)

    In a collaboration with National Center for Genome Resources researchers, we sequenced and assembled the testes transcriptome derived from the Pacora, Panama, production plant strain of the New World Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax. This transcriptome contains 4,149 unigenes and the Transcriptome...

  11. Aging Impacts Transcriptome but not Genome of Hormone-dependentBreast Cancers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yau, Christina; Fedele, Vita; Roydasgupta, Ritu; Fridlyand, Jane; Hubbard, Alan; Gray, Joe W.; Chew, Karen; Dairkee, Shanaz H.; Moore, DanH.; Schittulli, Francesco; Tommasi, Stefania; Paradiso, Angelo; Albertson, Donna G.; Benz, Christopher C.

    2007-10-09

    Age is one of the most important risk factors for human malignancies, including breast cancer; in addition, age-at-diagnosis has been shown to be an independent indicator of breast cancer prognosis. However, except for inherited forms of breast cancer, there is little genetic or epigenetic understanding of the biological basis linking aging with sporadic breast cancer incidence and its clinical behavior.

  12. Transcriptome analysis of recurrently deregulated genes across multiple cancers identifies new pan-cancer biomarkers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Tanaka, Yuji; Kawaji, Hideya

    2016-01-01

    Genes that are commonly deregulated in cancer are clinically attractive as candidate pan-diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. To globally identify such targets, we compared Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) profiles from 225 different cancer cell lines and 339 corresponding primary cell...

  13. Development of transcriptomic resources for interrogating the biosynthesis of monoterpene indole alkaloids in medicinal plant species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsa Góngora-Castillo

    Full Text Available The natural diversity of plant metabolism has long been a source for human medicines. One group of plant-derived compounds, the monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs, includes well-documented therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer (vinblastine, vincristine, camptothecin, hypertension (reserpine, ajmalicine, malaria (quinine, and as analgesics (7-hydroxymitragynine. Our understanding of the biochemical pathways that synthesize these commercially relevant compounds is incomplete due in part to a lack of molecular, genetic, and genomic resources for the identification of the genes involved in these specialized metabolic pathways. To address these limitations, we generated large-scale transcriptome sequence and expression profiles for three species of Asterids that produce medicinally important MIAs: Camptotheca acuminata, Catharanthus roseus, and Rauvolfia serpentina. Using next generation sequencing technology, we sampled the transcriptomes of these species across a diverse set of developmental tissues, and in the case of C. roseus, in cultured cells and roots following elicitor treatment. Through an iterative assembly process, we generated robust transcriptome assemblies for all three species with a substantial number of the assembled transcripts being full or near-full length. The majority of transcripts had a related sequence in either UniRef100, the Arabidopsis thaliana predicted proteome, or the Pfam protein domain database; however, we also identified transcripts that lacked similarity with entries in either database and thereby lack a known function. Representation of known genes within the MIA biosynthetic pathway was robust. As a diverse set of tissues and treatments were surveyed, expression abundances of transcripts in the three species could be estimated to reveal transcripts associated with development and response to elicitor treatment. Together, these transcriptomes and expression abundance matrices provide a rich resource

  14. Development of Transcriptomic Resources for Interrogating the Biosynthesis of Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids in Medicinal Plant Species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Góngora-Castillo, Elsa; Childs, Kevin L.; Fedewa, Greg; Hamilton, John P.; Liscombe, David K.; Magallanes-Lundback, Maria; Mandadi, Kranthi K.; Nims, Ezekiel; Runguphan, Weerawat; Vaillancourt, Brieanne; Varbanova-Herde, Marina; DellaPenna, Dean; McKnight, Thomas D.; O’Connor, Sarah; Buell, C. Robin

    2012-01-01

    The natural diversity of plant metabolism has long been a source for human medicines. One group of plant-derived compounds, the monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs), includes well-documented therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer (vinblastine, vincristine, camptothecin), hypertension (reserpine, ajmalicine), malaria (quinine), and as analgesics (7-hydroxymitragynine). Our understanding of the biochemical pathways that synthesize these commercially relevant compounds is incomplete due in part to a lack of molecular, genetic, and genomic resources for the identification of the genes involved in these specialized metabolic pathways. To address these limitations, we generated large-scale transcriptome sequence and expression profiles for three species of Asterids that produce medicinally important MIAs: Camptotheca acuminata, Catharanthus roseus, and Rauvolfia serpentina. Using next generation sequencing technology, we sampled the transcriptomes of these species across a diverse set of developmental tissues, and in the case of C. roseus, in cultured cells and roots following elicitor treatment. Through an iterative assembly process, we generated robust transcriptome assemblies for all three species with a substantial number of the assembled transcripts being full or near-full length. The majority of transcripts had a related sequence in either UniRef100, the Arabidopsis thaliana predicted proteome, or the Pfam protein domain database; however, we also identified transcripts that lacked similarity with entries in either database and thereby lack a known function. Representation of known genes within the MIA biosynthetic pathway was robust. As a diverse set of tissues and treatments were surveyed, expression abundances of transcripts in the three species could be estimated to reveal transcripts associated with development and response to elicitor treatment. Together, these transcriptomes and expression abundance matrices provide a rich resource for

  15. Nanomolar concentration of blood-soluble drag-reducing polymer inhibits experimental metastasis of human breast cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ding Z

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Zhijie Ding,1,* Marion Joy,1,* Marina V Kameneva,1-3 Partha Roy1,3-6 1Department of Bioengineering, 2Department of Surgery, 3McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, 4Department of Pathology, 5Department of Cell Biology, 6Magee Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer mortality. Extravasation of cancer cells is a critical step of metastasis. We report a novel proof-of-concept study that investigated whether non-toxic blood-soluble chemical agents capable of rheological modification of the near-vessel-wall blood flow can reduce extravasation of tumor cells and subsequent development of metastasis. Using an experimental metastasis model, we demonstrated that systemic administration of nanomolar concentrations of so-called drag-reducing polymer dramatically impeded extravasation and development of pulmonary metastasis of breast cancer cells in mice. This is the first proof-of-principle study to directly demonstrate physical/rheological, as opposed to chemical, way to prevent cancer cells from extravasation and developing metastasis and, thus, it opens the possibility of a new direction of adjuvant interventional approach in cancer. Keywords: breast cancer, metastasis, extravasation, hemodynamics, drag-reducing polymer, blood cell traffic, microvessels

  16. Low-dose BPA exposure alters the mesenchymal and epithelial transcriptomes of the mouse fetal mammary gland.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Perinaaz R Wadia

    Full Text Available Exposure of rodent fetuses to low doses of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA causes subtle morphological changes in the prenatal mammary gland and results in pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions during adulthood. To examine whether the BPA-induced morphological alterations of the fetal mouse mammary glands are a associated with changes in mRNA expression reflecting estrogenic actions and/or b dependent on the estrogen receptor α (ERα, we compared the transcriptomal effects of BPA and the steroidal estrogen ethinylestradiol (EE2 on fetal mammary tissues of wild type and ERα knock-out mice. Mammary glands from fetuses of dams exposed to vehicle, 250 ng BPA/kg BW/d or 10 ng EE2/kg BW/d from embryonic day (E 8 were harvested at E19. Transcriptomal analyses on the ductal epithelium and periductal stroma revealed altered expression of genes involved in the focal adhesion and adipogenesis pathways in the BPA-exposed stroma while genes regulating the apoptosis pathway changed their expression in the BPA-exposed epithelium. These changes in gene expression correlated with previously reported histological changes in matrix organization, adipogenesis, and lumen formation resulting in enhanced maturation of the fat-pad and delayed lumen formation in the epithelium of BPA-exposed fetal mammary glands. Overall similarities in the transcriptomal effects of BPA and EE2 were more pronounced in the epithelium, than in the stroma. In addition, the effects of BPA and EE2 on the expression of various genes involved in mammary stromal-epithelial interactions were suppressed in the absence of ERα. These observations support a model whereby BPA and EE2 act directly on the stroma, which expresses ERα, ERβ and GPR30 in fetal mammary glands, and that the stroma, in turn, affects gene expression in the epithelium, where ERα and ERβ are below the level of detection at this stage of development.

  17. Pan-Cancer Mutational and Transcriptional Analysis of the Integrator Complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Federico

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The integrator complex has been recently identified as a key regulator of RNA Polymerase II-mediated transcription, with many functions including the processing of small nuclear RNAs, the pause-release and elongation of polymerase during the transcription of protein coding genes, and the biogenesis of enhancer derived transcripts. Moreover, some of its components also play a role in genome maintenance. Thus, it is reasonable to hypothesize that their functional impairment or altered expression can contribute to malignancies. Indeed, several studies have described the mutations or transcriptional alteration of some Integrator genes in different cancers. Here, to draw a comprehensive pan-cancer picture of the genomic and transcriptomic alterations for the members of the complex, we reanalyzed public data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Somatic mutations affecting Integrator subunit genes and their transcriptional profiles have been investigated in about 11,000 patients and 31 tumor types. A general heterogeneity in the mutation frequencies was observed, mostly depending on tumor type. Despite the fact that we could not establish them as cancer drivers, INTS7 and INTS8 genes were highly mutated in specific cancers. A transcriptome analysis of paired (normal and tumor samples revealed that the transcription of INTS7, INTS8, and INTS13 is significantly altered in several cancers. Experimental validation performed on primary tumors confirmed these findings.

  18. Principle considerations for the use of transcriptomics in doping research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuberger, Elmo W I; Moser, Dirk A; Simon, Perikles

    2011-10-01

    Over the course of the past decade, technical progress has enabled scientists to investigate genome-wide RNA expression using microarray platforms. This transcriptomic approach represents a promising tool for the discovery of basic gene expression patterns and for identification of cellular signalling pathways under various conditions. Since doping substances have been shown to influence mRNA expression, it has been suggested that these changes can be detected by screening the blood transcriptome. In this review, we critically discuss the potential but also the pitfalls of this application as a tool in doping research. Transcriptomic approaches were considered to potentially provide researchers with a unique gene expression signature or with a specific biomarker for various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Since transcriptomic approaches are considerably prone to biological and technical confounding factors that act on study subjects or samples, very strict guidelines for the use of transcriptomics in human study subjects have been developed. Typical field conditions associated with doping controls limit the feasibility of following these strict guidelines as there are too many variables counteracting a standardized procedure. After almost a decade of research using transcriptomic tools, it still remains a matter of future technological progress to identify the ultimate biomarker using technologies and/or methodologies that are sufficiently robust against typical biological and technical bias and that are valid in a court of law. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. O-Linked β-N-Acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) in Primary and Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Clones and Effect of N-Acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase Silencing on Cell Phenotype and Transcriptome*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yehezkel, Galit; Cohen, Liz; Kliger, Adi; Manor, Esther; Khalaila, Isam

    2012-01-01

    O-Linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) glycosylation is a regulatory post-translational modification occurring on the serine or threonine residues of nucleocytoplasmic proteins. O-GlcNAcylation is dynamically regulated by O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAcase (OGA), which are responsible for O-GlcNAc addition and removal, respectively. Although O-GlcNAcylation was found to play a significant role in several pathologies such as type II diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, the role of O-GlcNAcylation in the etiology and progression of cancer remains vague. Here, we followed O-GlcNAcylation and its catalytic machinery in metastatic clones of human colorectal cancer and the effect of OGA knockdown on cellular phenotype and on the transcriptome. The colorectal cancer SW620 metastatic clone exhibited increased O-GlcNAcylation and decreased OGA expression compared with its primary clone, SW480. O-GlcNAcylation elevation in SW620 cells, through RNA interference of OGA, resulted in phenotypic alterations that included acquisition of a fibroblast-like morphology, which coincides with epithelial metastatic progression and growth retardation. Microarray analysis revealed that OGA silencing altered the expression of about 1300 genes, mostly involved in cell movement and growth, and specifically affected metabolic pathways of lipids and carbohydrates. These findings support the involvement of O-GlcNAcylation in various aspects of tumor cell physiology and suggest that this modification may serve as a link between metabolic changes and cancer. PMID:22730328

  20. Are we able to reduce the mortality and morbidity of oral cancer; Some considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Oral cancer makes up 1%-2% of all cancers that may arise in the body. The majority of oral cancers consists of squamous cell carcinomas. Oral cancer carries a considerable mortality rate, being mainly dependent on the stage of the disease at admission. Worldwide some 50% of the patients with oral cancer present with advanced disease. There are several ways of trying to diagnose oral cancer in a lower tumor stage, being 1) mass screening or screening in selected patients, 2) reduction of patients’ delay, and 3) reduction of doctors’ delay. Oral cancer population-based screening (“mass screening”) programs do not meet the guidelines for a successful outcome. There may be some benefit when focusing on high-risk groups, such as heavy smokers and heavy drinkers. Reported reasons for patients’ delay range from fear of a diagnosis of cancer, limited accessibility of primary health care, to unawareness of the possibility of malignant oral diseases. Apparently, information campaigns in news programs and TV have little effect on patients’ delay. Mouth self-examination may have some value in reducing patients’ delay. Doctors’ delay includes dentists’ delay and diagnostic delay caused by other medical and dental health care professionals. Doctors’ delay may vary from almost zero days up to more than six months. Usually, morbidity of cancer treatment is measured by quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. In the past decades this topic has drawn a lot of attention worldwide. It is a challenge to decrease the morbidity that is associated with the various treatment modalities that are used in oral cancer without substantially compromising the survival rate. Smoking cessation contributes to reducing the risk of oral cancers, with a 50% reduction in risk within five years. Indeed, risk factor reduction seems to be the most effective tool in an attempt to decrease the morbidity and mortality of oral cancer. Key words:Oral cancer, early diagnosis, quality of life

  1. Blood transcriptomics and metabolomics for personalized medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuzhao; Todor, Andrei; Luo, Ruiyan

    2016-01-01

    Molecular analysis of blood samples is pivotal to clinical diagnosis and has been intensively investigated since the rise of systems biology. Recent developments have opened new opportunities to utilize transcriptomics and metabolomics for personalized and precision medicine. Efforts from human immunology have infused into this area exquisite characterizations of subpopulations of blood cells. It is now possible to infer from blood transcriptomics, with fine accuracy, the contribution of immune activation and of cell subpopulations. In parallel, high-resolution mass spectrometry has brought revolutionary analytical capability, detecting > 10,000 metabolites, together with environmental exposure, dietary intake, microbial activity, and pharmaceutical drugs. Thus, the re-examination of blood chemicals by metabolomics is in order. Transcriptomics and metabolomics can be integrated to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the human biological states. We will review these new data and methods and discuss how they can contribute to personalized medicine.

  2. Breast cancer screening in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers after risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fakkert, I.E.; Jansen, L.; Meijer, K.; Kok, Theo; Oosterwijk, J.C.; Mourits, M.J.E.; de Bock, G.H.

    Breast cancer screening is offered to BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers from the age of 25 years because of their increased risk of breast cancer. As ovarian cancer screening is not effective, risk-reducing salpingho-oophorectomy (RRSO) is offered after child bearing age. RRSO before menopause

  3. Resveratrol Reduces Prostate Cancer Growth and Metastasis by Inhibiting the Akt/MicroRNA-21 Pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheth, Sandeep; Jajoo, Sarvesh; Kaur, Tejbeer; Mukherjea, Debashree; Sheehan, Kelly; Rybak, Leonard P.; Ramkumar, Vickram

    2012-01-01

    The consumption of foods containing resveratrol produces significant health benefits. Resveratrol inhibits cancer by reducing cell proliferation and metastasis and by inducing apoptosis. These actions could be explained by its ability to inhibit (ERK-1/2), Akt and suppressing the levels of estrogen and insulin growth factor -1 (IGF-1) receptor. How these processes are manifested into the antitumor actions of resveratrol is not clear. Using microarray studies, we show that resveratrol reduced the expression of various prostate-tumor associated microRNAs (miRs) including miR-21 in androgen-receptor negative and highly aggressive human prostate cancer cells, PC-3M-MM2. This effect of resveratrol was associated with reduced cell viability, migration and invasiveness. Additionally, resveratrol increased the expression of tumor suppressors, PDCD4 and maspin, which are negatively regulated by miR-21. Short interfering (si) RNA against PDCD4 attenuated resveratrol’s effect on prostate cancer cells, and similar effects were observed following over expression of miR-21 with pre-miR-21 oligonucleotides. PC-3M-MM2 cells also exhibited high levels of phospho-Akt (pAkt), which were reduced by both resveratrol and LY294002 (a PI3-kinase inhibitor). MiR-21 expression in these cells appeared to be dependent on Akt, as LY294002 reduced the levels of miR-21 along with a concurrent increase in PDCD4 expression. These in vitro findings were further corroborated in a severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse xenograft model of prostate cancer. Oral administration of resveratrol not only inhibited the tumor growth but also decreased the incidence and number of metastatic lung lesions. These tumor- and metastatic-suppressive effects of resveratrol were associated with reduced miR-21 and pAkt, and elevated PDCD4 levels. Similar anti-tumor effects of resveratrol were observed in DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells which were associated with suppression of Akt and PDCD4, but

  4. Cancer Pain Management Education Rectifies Patients' Misconceptions of Cancer Pain, Reduces Pain, and Improves Quality of Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Su-Jin; Keam, Bhumsuk; Hyun, Min Kyung; Ju Seo, Jeong; Uk Park, Keon; Oh, Sung Yong; Ahn, Jinseok; Lee, Ja Youn; Kim, JinShil

    2018-03-26

    More than half of the patients have reported improper management of breakthrough cancer pain. Empirical evidence is lacking concerning the effectiveness of cancer pain education on breakthrough pain control. This study aimed to examine the effects of individual pain education on pain control, use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain, quality of life outcomes, and rectification of patients' misconceptions regarding cancer pain. A quasi-experimental design was used. In total, 176 (102 inpatients and 74 outpatients) and 163 (93 inpatients and 70 outpatients) cancer patients completed questionnaires on pain intensity, quality of life, use of short-acting medication for breakthrough pain, and misconceptions about cancer pain and opioid use before and immediately and/or seven days after individual pain education. The mean age of the participants was 60.9 years (±11.2), and 56.3% were male. The most common cancers were lung cancer (17.0%), colon cancer (15.9%), and breast cancer (12.5%). The subjects' reasons for attrition were conditional deterioration, death, or voluntary withdrawal (N = 13, 7.4%). Following the education, there was a significant reduction in overall pain intensity over 24 hours (P < 0.001). The outpatients showed more use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain. Sleep quality change was most significantly associated with intervention; other quality of life aspects (e.g., general feelings and life enjoyment) also improved. Pain education also significantly reduced misconceptions regarding cancer pain management. The present educational intervention was effective in encouraging short-acting analgesic use for breakthrough pain, improving quality of life outcomes, and rectifying patients' misconceptions about analgesic use.

  5. Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breast cancer progression through Akt inhibition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flores Juana M

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background ErbB2-positive breast cancer is characterized by highly aggressive phenotypes and reduced responsiveness to standard therapies. Although specific ErbB2-targeted therapies have been designed, only a small percentage of patients respond to these treatments and most of them eventually relapse. The existence of this population of particularly aggressive and non-responding or relapsing patients urges the search for novel therapies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cannabinoids might constitute a new therapeutic tool for the treatment of ErbB2-positive breast tumors. We analyzed their antitumor potential in a well established and clinically relevant model of ErbB2-driven metastatic breast cancer: the MMTV-neu mouse. We also analyzed the expression of cannabinoid targets in a series of 87 human breast tumors. Results Our results show that both Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the most abundant and potent cannabinoid in marijuana, and JWH-133, a non-psychotropic CB2 receptor-selective agonist, reduce tumor growth, tumor number, and the amount/severity of lung metastases in MMTV-neu mice. Histological analyses of the tumors revealed that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce cancer cell apoptosis, and impair tumor angiogenesis. Cannabinoid antitumoral action relies, at least partially, on the inhibition of the pro-tumorigenic Akt pathway. We also found that 91% of ErbB2-positive tumors express the non-psychotropic cannabinoid receptor CB2. Conclusions Taken together, these results provide a strong preclinical evidence for the use of cannabinoid-based therapies for the management of ErbB2-positive breast cancer.

  6. Transcriptome dynamics-based operon prediction in prokaryotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortino, Vittorio; Smolander, Olli-Pekka; Auvinen, Petri; Tagliaferri, Roberto; Greco, Dario

    2014-05-16

    Inferring operon maps is crucial to understanding the regulatory networks of prokaryotic genomes. Recently, RNA-seq based transcriptome studies revealed that in many bacterial species the operon structure vary with the change of environmental conditions. Therefore, new computational solutions that use both static and dynamic data are necessary to create condition specific operon predictions. In this work, we propose a novel classification method that integrates RNA-seq based transcriptome profiles with genomic sequence features to accurately identify the operons that are expressed under a measured condition. The classifiers are trained on a small set of confirmed operons and then used to classify the remaining gene pairs of the organism studied. Finally, by linking consecutive gene pairs classified as operons, our computational approach produces condition-dependent operon maps. We evaluated our approach on various RNA-seq expression profiles of the bacteria Haemophilus somni, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. Our results demonstrate that, using features depending on both transcriptome dynamics and genome sequence characteristics, we can identify operon pairs with high accuracy. Moreover, the combination of DNA sequence and expression data results in more accurate predictions than each one alone. We present a computational strategy for the comprehensive analysis of condition-dependent operon maps in prokaryotes. Our method can be used to generate condition specific operon maps of many bacterial organisms for which high-resolution transcriptome data is available.

  7. Cancer panomics: computational methods and infrastructure for integrative analysis of cancer high-throughput "omics" data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brunak, Søren; De La Vega, Francisco M.; Rätsch, Gunnar

    2014-01-01

    Targeted cancer treatment is becoming the goal of newly developed oncology medicines and has already shown promise in some spectacular cases such as the case of BRAF kinase inhibitors in BRAF-mutant (e.g. V600E) melanoma. These developments are driven by the advent of high-throughput sequencing......, which continues to drop in cost, and that has enabled the sequencing of the genome, transcriptome, and epigenome of the tumors of a large number of cancer patients in order to discover the molecular aberrations that drive the oncogenesis of several types of cancer. Applying these technologies...... in the clinic promises to transform cancer treatment by identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities of each patient's tumor. These approaches will need to address the panomics of cancer--the integration of the complex combination of patient-specific characteristics that drive the development of each person's tumor...

  8. Breastfeeding Reduces Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in North India

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    Babita

    2014-01-01

    Conclusions: Breastfeeding has a significant role in reducing breast cancer, and so information, education, and communication activities for the promotion of breastfeeding and creating awareness about this fatal disease are the need of the hour.

  9. Cell-Type-Specific Gene Programs of the Normal Human Nephron Define Kidney Cancer Subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindgren, David; Eriksson, Pontus; Krawczyk, Krzysztof; Nilsson, Helén; Hansson, Jennifer; Veerla, Srinivas; Sjölund, Jonas; Höglund, Mattias; Johansson, Martin E; Axelson, Håkan

    2017-08-08

    Comprehensive transcriptome studies of cancers often rely on corresponding normal tissue samples to serve as a transcriptional reference. In this study, we performed in-depth analyses of normal kidney tissue transcriptomes from the TCGA and demonstrate that the histological variability in cellularity, inherent in the kidney architecture, lead to considerable transcriptional differences between samples. This should be considered when comparing expression profiles of normal and cancerous kidney tissues. We exploited these differences to define renal-cell-specific gene signatures and used these as a framework to analyze renal cell carcinoma (RCC) ontogeny. Chromophobe RCCs express FOXI1-driven genes that define collecting duct intercalated cells, whereas HNF-regulated genes, specific for proximal tubule cells, are an integral part of clear cell and papillary RCC transcriptomes. These networks may be used as a framework for understanding the interplay between genomic changes in RCC subtypes and the lineage-defining regulatory machinery of their non-neoplastic counterparts. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Cancer statistics for African Americans, 2016: Progress and opportunities in reducing racial disparities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSantis, Carol E; Siegel, Rebecca L; Sauer, Ann Goding; Miller, Kimberly D; Fedewa, Stacey A; Alcaraz, Kassandra I; Jemal, Ahmedin

    2016-07-01

    In this article, the American Cancer Society provides the estimated number of new cancer cases and deaths for blacks in the United States and the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, screening, and risk factors for cancer. Incidence data are from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, and mortality data are from the National Center for Health Statistics. Approximately 189,910 new cases of cancer and 69,410 cancer deaths will occur among blacks in 2016. Although blacks continue to have higher cancer death rates than whites, the disparity has narrowed for all cancers combined in men and women and for lung and prostate cancers in men. In contrast, the racial gap in death rates has widened for breast cancer in women and remained level for colorectal cancer in men. The reduction in overall cancer death rates since the early 1990s translates to the avoidance of more than 300,000 deaths among blacks. In men, incidence rates from 2003 to 2012 decreased for all cancers combined (by 2.0% per year) as well as for the top 3 cancer sites (prostate, lung, and colorectal). In women, overall rates during the corresponding time period remained unchanged, reflecting increasing trends in breast cancer combined with decreasing trends in lung and colorectal cancer rates. Five-year relative survival is lower for blacks than whites for most cancers at each stage of diagnosis. The extent to which these disparities reflect unequal access to health care versus other factors remains an active area of research. Progress in reducing cancer death rates could be accelerated by ensuring equitable access to prevention, early detection, and high-quality treatment. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:290-308. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society, Inc.

  11. Grantee Spotlight: Marvella Ford, Ph.D. - Reducing Barriers to Surgical Cancer Care among African Am

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drs. Marvella E. Ford and Nestor F. Esnaola were awarded a five-year NIH/NIMHD R01 grant to evaluate a patient navigation intervention to reduce barriers to surgical cancer care and improving surgical resection rates in African Americans with lung cancer.

  12. Perspectives on the use of transcriptomics to advance biofuels

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    Siseon Lee

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available As a field within the energy research sector, bioenergy is continuously expanding. Although much has been achieved and the yields of both ethanol and butanol have been improved, many avenues of research to further increase these yields still remain. This review covers current research related with transcriptomics and the application of this high-throughput analytical tool to engineer both microbes and plants with the penultimate goal being better biofuel production and yields. The initial focus is given to the responses of fermentative microbes during the fermentative production of acids, such as butyric acid, and solvents, including ethanol and butanol. As plants offer the greatest natural renewable source of fermentable sugars within the form of lignocellulose, the second focus area is the transcriptional responses of microbes when exposed to plant hydrolysates and lignin-related compounds. This is of particular importance as the acid/base hydrolysis methods commonly employed to make the plant-based cellulose available for enzymatic hydrolysis to sugars also generates significant amounts of lignin-derivatives that are inhibitory to fermentative bacteria and microbes. The article then transitions to transcriptional analyses of lignin-degrading organisms, such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium, as an alternative to acid/base hydrolysis. The final portion of this article will discuss recent transcriptome analyses of plants and, in particular, the genes involved in lignin production. The rationale behind these studies is to eventually reduce the lignin content present within these plants and, consequently, the amount of inhibitors generated during the acid/base hydrolysis of the lignocelluloses. All four of these topics represent key areas where transcriptomic research is currently being conducted to identify microbial genes and their responses to products and inhibitors as well as those related with lignin degradation/formation.

  13. Polymorphisms of XRCC4 are involved in reduced colorectal cancer risk in Chinese schizophrenia patients

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    Li Tao

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic factors related to the regulation of apoptosis in schizophrenia patients may be involved in a reduced vulnerability to cancer. XRCC4 is one of the potential candidate genes associated with schizophrenia which might induce colorectal cancer resistance. Methods To examine the genetic association between colorectal cancer and schizophrenia, we analyzed five SNPs (rs6452526, rs2662238, rs963248, rs35268, rs2386275 covering ~205.7 kb in the region of XRCC4. Results We observed that two of the five genetic polymorphisms showed statistically significant differences between 312 colorectal cancer subjects without schizophrenia and 270 schizophrenia subjects (rs6452536, p = 0.004, OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.86; rs35268, p = 0.028, OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.26. Moreover, the haplotype which combined all five markers was the most significant, giving a global p = 0.0005. Conclusions Our data firstly indicate that XRCC4 may be a potential protective gene towards schizophrenia, conferring reduced susceptibility to colorectal cancer in the Han Chinese population.

  14. Transcriptome profiling of Elettaria cardamomum (L. Maton (small cardamom

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    F. Nadiya

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Elettaria cardamomum (L. Maton, known as ‘queen of spices, is a perennial herbaceous monocot of the family Zingiberaceae, native to southern India. Cardamom is an economically valuable spice crop and used widely in culinary and medicinal purposes. In the present study, using Ion Proton RNA sequencing technology, we performed transcriptome sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly of a wild and five cultivar genotypes of cardamom. RNA-seq generated a total of 22,811,983 (92 base and 24,889,197 (75 base raw reads accounting for approximately 8.21GB and 7.65GB of sequence data for wild and cultivar genotypes of cardamom respectively. The raw data were submitted to SRA database of NCBI under the accession numbers SRX1141272 (wild and SRX1141276 (cultivars. The raw reads were quality filtered and assembled using MIRA assembler resulted with 112,208 and 264,161contigs having N50 value 616 and 664 for wild and cultivar cardamom respectively. The assembled unigenes were functionally annotated using several databases including PlantCyc for pathway annotation. This work represents the first report on cardamom transcriptome sequencing. In order to generate a comprehensive reference transcriptome, we further assembled the raw reads of wild and cultivar genotypes which might enrich the plant transcriptome database and trigger advanced research in cardamom genomics.

  15. The Embryonic Transcriptome of the Red-Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta.

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    Nicholas J Kaplinsky

    Full Text Available The bony shell of the turtle is an evolutionary novelty not found in any other group of animals, however, research into its formation has suggested that it has evolved through modification of conserved developmental mechanisms. Although these mechanisms have been extensively characterized in model organisms, the tools for characterizing them in non-model organisms such as turtles have been limited by a lack of genomic resources. We have used a next generation sequencing approach to generate and assemble a transcriptome from stage 14 and 17 Trachemys scripta embryos, stages during which important events in shell development are known to take place. The transcriptome consists of 231,876 sequences with an N50 of 1,166 bp. GO terms and EC codes were assigned to the 61,643 unique predicted proteins identified in the transcriptome sequences. All major GO categories and metabolic pathways are represented in the transcriptome. Transcriptome sequences were used to amplify several cDNA fragments designed for use as RNA in situ probes. One of these, BMP5, was hybridized to a T. scripta embryo and exhibits both conserved and novel expression patterns. The transcriptome sequences should be of broad use for understanding the evolution and development of the turtle shell and for annotating any future T. scripta genome sequences.

  16. The Embryonic Transcriptome of the Red-Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplinsky, Nicholas J; Gilbert, Scott F; Cebra-Thomas, Judith; Lilleväli, Kersti; Saare, Merly; Chang, Eric Y; Edelman, Hannah E; Frick, Melissa A; Guan, Yin; Hammond, Rebecca M; Hampilos, Nicholas H; Opoku, David S B; Sariahmed, Karim; Sherman, Eric A; Watson, Ray

    2013-01-01

    The bony shell of the turtle is an evolutionary novelty not found in any other group of animals, however, research into its formation has suggested that it has evolved through modification of conserved developmental mechanisms. Although these mechanisms have been extensively characterized in model organisms, the tools for characterizing them in non-model organisms such as turtles have been limited by a lack of genomic resources. We have used a next generation sequencing approach to generate and assemble a transcriptome from stage 14 and 17 Trachemys scripta embryos, stages during which important events in shell development are known to take place. The transcriptome consists of 231,876 sequences with an N50 of 1,166 bp. GO terms and EC codes were assigned to the 61,643 unique predicted proteins identified in the transcriptome sequences. All major GO categories and metabolic pathways are represented in the transcriptome. Transcriptome sequences were used to amplify several cDNA fragments designed for use as RNA in situ probes. One of these, BMP5, was hybridized to a T. scripta embryo and exhibits both conserved and novel expression patterns. The transcriptome sequences should be of broad use for understanding the evolution and development of the turtle shell and for annotating any future T. scripta genome sequences.

  17. Reduced metastasis of transgenic mammary cancer in urokinase-deficient mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Almholt, Kasper; Lund, L.R.; Rygaard, Jørgen

    2005-01-01

    A prominent phenotype of plasmin deficiency in mice is reduced metastasis in the MMTV-PymT transgenic breast cancer model. Proteolytically active plasmin is generated from inactive plasminogen by one of 2 activators, uPA or tPA. We now find that uPA deficiency alone significantly reduces metastasis...... >7-fold in the MMTV-PymT model. We studied a cohort of 55 MMTV-PymT transgenic mice, either uPA-deficient or wild-type controls. Tumor incidence, latency, growth rate and final primary tumor burden were not significantly affected by uPA deficiency. In contrast, average lung metastasis volume...

  18. Systems-wide RNAi analysis of CASP8AP2/FLASH shows transcriptional deregulation of the replication-dependent histone genes and extensive effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells

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    Hummon Amanda B

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Colorectal carcinomas (CRC carry massive genetic and transcriptional alterations that influence multiple cellular pathways. The study of proteins whose loss-of-function (LOF alters the growth of CRC cells can be used to further understand the cellular processes cancer cells depend upon for survival. Results A small-scale RNAi screen of ~400 genes conducted in SW480 CRC cells identified several candidate genes as required for the viability of CRC cells, most prominently CASP8AP2/FLASH. To understand the function of this gene in maintaining the viability of CRC cells in an unbiased manner, we generated gene specific expression profiles following RNAi. Silencing of CASP8AP2/FLASH resulted in altered expression of over 2500 genes enriched for genes associated with cellular growth and proliferation. Loss of CASP8AP2/FLASH function was significantly associated with altered transcription of the genes encoding the replication-dependent histone proteins as a result of the expression of the non-canonical polyA variants of these transcripts. Silencing of CASP8AP2/FLASH also mediated enrichment of changes in the expression of targets of the NFκB and MYC transcription factors. These findings were confirmed by whole transcriptome analysis of CASP8AP2/FLASH silenced cells at multiple time points. Finally, we identified and validated that CASP8AP2/FLASH LOF increases the expression of neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NEFH, a protein recently linked to regulation of the AKT1/ß-catenin pathway. Conclusions We have used unbiased RNAi based approaches to identify and characterize the function of CASP8AP2/FLASH, a protein not previously reported as required for cell survival. This study further defines the role CASP8AP2/FLASH plays in the regulating expression of the replication-dependent histones and shows that its LOF results in broad and reproducible effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells including the induction of

  19. Systems-wide RNAi analysis of CASP8AP2/FLASH shows transcriptional deregulation of the replication-dependent histone genes and extensive effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hummon, Amanda B; Pitt, Jason J; Camps, Jordi; Emons, Georg; Skube, Susan B; Huppi, Konrad; Jones, Tamara L; Beissbarth, Tim; Kramer, Frank; Grade, Marian; Difilippantonio, Michael J; Ried, Thomas; Caplen, Natasha J

    2012-01-04

    Colorectal carcinomas (CRC) carry massive genetic and transcriptional alterations that influence multiple cellular pathways. The study of proteins whose loss-of-function (LOF) alters the growth of CRC cells can be used to further understand the cellular processes cancer cells depend upon for survival. A small-scale RNAi screen of ~400 genes conducted in SW480 CRC cells identified several candidate genes as required for the viability of CRC cells, most prominently CASP8AP2/FLASH. To understand the function of this gene in maintaining the viability of CRC cells in an unbiased manner, we generated gene specific expression profiles following RNAi. Silencing of CASP8AP2/FLASH resulted in altered expression of over 2500 genes enriched for genes associated with cellular growth and proliferation. Loss of CASP8AP2/FLASH function was significantly associated with altered transcription of the genes encoding the replication-dependent histone proteins as a result of the expression of the non-canonical polyA variants of these transcripts. Silencing of CASP8AP2/FLASH also mediated enrichment of changes in the expression of targets of the NFκB and MYC transcription factors. These findings were confirmed by whole transcriptome analysis of CASP8AP2/FLASH silenced cells at multiple time points. Finally, we identified and validated that CASP8AP2/FLASH LOF increases the expression of neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NEFH), a protein recently linked to regulation of the AKT1/ß-catenin pathway. We have used unbiased RNAi based approaches to identify and characterize the function of CASP8AP2/FLASH, a protein not previously reported as required for cell survival. This study further defines the role CASP8AP2/FLASH plays in the regulating expression of the replication-dependent histones and shows that its LOF results in broad and reproducible effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells including the induction of expression of the recently described tumor suppressor gene NEFH.

  20. Information Framing Reduces Initial Negative Attitudes in Cancer Patients' Decisions About Hospice Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fridman, Ilona; Glare, Paul A; Stabler, Stacy M; Epstein, Andrew S; Wiesenthal, Alison; Leblanc, Thomas W; Higgins, E Tory

    2018-06-01

    Negative attitudes toward hospice care might prevent patients with cancer from discussing and choosing hospice as they approach end of life. When making a decision, people often naturally focus on either expected benefits or the avoidance of harm. Behavioral research has demonstrated that framing information in an incongruent manner with patients' underlying motivational focus reduces their negative attitudes toward a disliked option. Our study tests this communication technique with cancer patients, aiming to reduce negative attitudes toward a potentially beneficial but often-disliked option, that is, hospice care. Patients (n = 42) with active cancer of different types and/or stages completed a paper survey. Participants read a vignette about a patient with advanced cancer and a limited prognosis. In the vignette, the physician's advice to enroll in a hospice program was randomized, creating a congruent message or an incongruent message with patients' underlying motivational focus (e.g., a congruent message for someone most interested in benefits focuses on the benefits of hospice, whereas an incongruent message for this patient focuses on avoiding harm). Patients' attitudes toward hospice were measured before and after receiving the physician's advice. Regression analyses indicated that information framing significantly influenced patients with strong initial negative attitudes. Patients were more likely to reduce intensity of their initial negative attitude about hospice when receiving an incongruent message (b = -0.23; P negative reactions toward hospice care. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Global meta-analysis of transcriptomics studies.

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    José Caldas

    Full Text Available Transcriptomics meta-analysis aims at re-using existing data to derive novel biological hypotheses, and is motivated by the public availability of a large number of independent studies. Current methods are based on breaking down studies into multiple comparisons between phenotypes (e.g. disease vs. healthy, based on the studies' experimental designs, followed by computing the overlap between the resulting differential expression signatures. While useful, in this methodology each study yields multiple independent phenotype comparisons, and connections are established not between studies, but rather between subsets of the studies corresponding to phenotype comparisons. We propose a rank-based statistical meta-analysis framework that establishes global connections between transcriptomics studies without breaking down studies into sets of phenotype comparisons. By using a rank product method, our framework extracts global features from each study, corresponding to genes that are consistently among the most expressed or differentially expressed genes in that study. Those features are then statistically modelled via a term-frequency inverse-document frequency (TF-IDF model, which is then used for connecting studies. Our framework is fast and parameter-free; when applied to large collections of Homo sapiens and Streptococcus pneumoniae transcriptomics studies, it performs better than similarity-based approaches in retrieving related studies, using a Medical Subject Headings gold standard. Finally, we highlight via case studies how the framework can be used to derive novel biological hypotheses regarding related studies and the genes that drive those connections. Our proposed statistical framework shows that it is possible to perform a meta-analysis of transcriptomics studies with arbitrary experimental designs by deriving global expression features rather than decomposing studies into multiple phenotype comparisons.

  2. Transgenerational effects of the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin on the prostate transcriptome and adult onset disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anway, Matthew D; Skinner, Michael K

    2008-04-01

    The ability of an endocrine disruptor exposure during gonadal sex determination to promote a transgenerational prostate disease phenotype was investigated in the current study. Exposure of an F0 gestating female rat to the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin during F1 embryo gonadal sex determination promoted a transgenerational adult onset prostate disease phenotype. The prostate disease phenotype and physiological parameters were determined for males from F1 to F4 generations and the prostate transcriptome was assessed in the F3 generation. Although the prostate in prepubertal animals develops normally, abnormalities involving epithelial cell atrophy, glandular dysgenesis, prostatitis, and hyperplasia of the ventral prostate develop in older animals. The ventral prostate phenotype was transmitted for four generations (F1-F4). Analysis of the ventral prostate transcriptome demonstrated 954 genes had significantly altered expression between control and vinclozolin F3 generation animals. Analysis of isolated ventral prostate epithelial cells identified 259 genes with significantly altered expression between control and vinclozolin F3 generation animals. Characterization of regulated genes demonstrated several cellular pathways were influenced, including calcium and WNT. A number of genes identified have been shown to be associated with prostate disease and cancer, including beta-microseminoprotein (Msp) and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 6 (Fadd). The ability of an endocrine disruptor to promote transgenerational prostate abnormalities appears to involve an epigenetic transgenerational alteration in the prostate transcriptome and male germ-line. Potential epigenetic transgenerational alteration of prostate gene expression by environmental compounds may be important to consider in the etiology of adult onset prostate disease.

  3. Construction of coffee transcriptome networks based on gene annotation semantics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castillo Luis F.

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Gene annotation is a process that encompasses multiple approaches on the analysis of nucleic acids or protein sequences in order to assign structural and functional characteristics to gene models. When thousands of gene models are being described in an organism genome, construction and visualization of gene networks impose novel challenges in the understanding of complex expression patterns and the generation of new knowledge in genomics research. In order to take advantage of accumulated text data after conventional gene sequence analysis, this work applied semantics in combination with visualization tools to build transcriptome networks from a set of coffee gene annotations. A set of selected coffee transcriptome sequences, chosen by the quality of the sequence comparison reported by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST and Interproscan, were filtered out by coverage, identity, length of the query, and e-values. Meanwhile, term descriptors for molecular biology and biochemistry were obtained along the Wordnet dictionary in order to construct a Resource Description Framework (RDF using Ruby scripts and Methontology to find associations between concepts. Relationships between sequence annotations and semantic concepts were graphically represented through a total of 6845 oriented vectors, which were reduced to 745 non-redundant associations. A large gene network connecting transcripts by way of relational concepts was created where detailed connections remain to be validated for biological significance based on current biochemical and genetics frameworks. Besides reusing text information in the generation of gene connections and for data mining purposes, this tool development opens the possibility to visualize complex and abundant transcriptome data, and triggers the formulation of new hypotheses in metabolic pathways analysis.

  4. Poly (A+ transcriptome assessment of ERBB2-induced alterations in breast cell lines.

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    Dirce Maria Carraro

    Full Text Available We report the first quantitative and qualitative analysis of the poly (A⁺ transcriptome of two human mammary cell lines, differentially expressing (human epidermal growth factor receptor an oncogene over-expressed in approximately 25% of human breast tumors. Full-length cDNA populations from the two cell lines were digested enzymatically, individually tagged according to a customized method for library construction, and simultaneously sequenced by the use of the Titanium 454-Roche-platform. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis followed by experimental validation confirmed novel genes, splicing variants, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and gene fusions indicated by RNA-seq data from both samples. Moreover, comparative analysis showed enrichment in alternative events, especially in the exon usage category, in ERBB2 over-expressing cells, data indicating regulation of alternative splicing mediated by the oncogene. Alterations in expression levels of genes, such as LOX, ATP5L, GALNT3, and MME revealed by large-scale sequencing were confirmed between cell lines as well as in tumor specimens with different ERBB2 backgrounds. This approach was shown to be suitable for structural, quantitative, and qualitative assessment of complex transcriptomes and revealed new events mediated by ERBB2 overexpression, in addition to potential molecular targets for breast cancer that are driven by this oncogene.

  5. Downregulation of CD44 reduces doxorubicin resistance of CD44+CD24- breast cancer cells

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    Phuc PV

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Pham Van Phuc, Phan Lu Chinh Nhan, Truong Hai Nhung, Nguyen Thanh Tam, Nguyen Minh Hoang, Vuong Gia Tue, Duong Thanh Thuy, Phan Kim NgocLaboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh, VietnamBackground: Cells within breast cancer stem cell populations have been confirmed to have a CD44+CD24- phenotype. Strong expression of CD44 plays a critical role in numerous types of human cancers. CD44 is involved in cell differentiation, adhesion, and metastasis of cancer cells.Methods: In this study, we reduced CD44 expression in CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells and investigated their sensitivity to an antitumor drug. The CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells were isolated from breast tumors; CD44 expression was downregulated with siRNAs followed by treatment with different concentrations of the antitumor drug.Results: The proliferation of CD44 downregulated CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells was decreased after drug treatment. We noticed treated cells were more sensitive to doxorubicin, even at low doses, compared with the control groups.Conclusions: It would appear that expression of CD44 is integral among the CD44+CD24- cell population. Reducing the expression level of CD44, combined with doxorubicin treatment, yields promising results for eradicating breast cancer stem cells in vitro. This study opens a new direction in treating breast cancer through gene therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy.Keywords: antitumor drugs, breast cancer stem cells, CD44, CD44+CD24- cells, doxorubicin

  6. Adherence of Primary Care Physicians to Evidence-Based Recommendations to Reduce Ovarian Cancer Mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Sherri L.; Townsend, Julie S.; Puckett, Mary C.; Rim, Sun Hee

    2017-01-01

    Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Receipt of treatment from a gynecologic oncologist is an evidence-based recommendation to reduce mortality from the disease. We examined knowledge and application of this evidence-based recommendation in primary care physicians as part of CDC gynecologic cancer awareness campaign efforts and discussed results in the context of CDC National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). We analyzed primary care physician responses to questions about how often they refer patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer to gynecologic oncologists, and reasons for lack of referral. We also analyzed these physicians’ knowledge of tests to help determine whether a gynecologic oncologist is needed for a planned surgery. The survey response rate was 52.2%. A total of 84% of primary care physicians (87% of family/general practitioners, 81% of internists and obstetrician/gynecologists) said they always referred patients to gynecologic oncologists for treatment. Common reasons for not always referring were patient preference or lack of gynecologic oncologists in the practice area. A total of 23% of primary care physicians had heard of the OVA1 test, which helps to determine whether gynecologic oncologist referral is needed. Although referral rates reported here are high, it is not clear whether ovarian cancer patients are actually seeing gynecologic oncologists for care. The NCCCP is undertaking several efforts to assist with this, including education of the recommendation among women and providers and assistance with treatment summaries and patient navigation toward appropriate treatment. Expansion of these efforts to all populations may help improve adherence to recommendations and reduce ovarian cancer mortality. PMID:26978124

  7. Macrocyclic peptides decrease c-Myc protein levels and reduce prostate cancer cell growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhopadhyay, Archana; Hanold, Laura E; Thayele Purayil, Hamsa; Gisemba, Solomon A; Senadheera, Sanjeewa N; Aldrich, Jane V

    2017-08-03

    The oncoprotein c-Myc is often overexpressed in cancer cells, and the stability of this protein has major significance in deciding the fate of a cell. Thus, targeting c-Myc levels is an attractive approach for developing therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. In this study, we report the anti-cancer activity of the macrocyclic peptides [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 (cyclo[Phe-D-Pro-Phe-D-Trp]) and the natural product CJ-15,208 (cyclo[Phe-D-Pro-Phe-Trp]). [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 reduced c-Myc protein levels in prostate cancer cells and decreased cell proliferation with IC 50 values ranging from 2.0 to 16 µM in multiple PC cell lines. [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 induced early and late apoptosis in PC-3 cells following 48 hours treatment, and growth arrest in the G2 cell cycle phase following both 24 and 48 hours treatment. Down regulation of c-Myc in PC-3 cells resulted in loss of sensitivity to [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 treatment, while overexpression of c-Myc in HEK-293 cells imparted sensitivity of these cells to [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 treatment. This macrocyclic tetrapeptide also regulated PP2A by reducing the levels of its phosphorylated form which regulates the stability of cellular c-Myc protein. Thus [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 represents a new lead compound for the potential development of an effective treatment of prostate cancer.

  8. Transcriptome signature of the adult mouse choroid plexus

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    Marques Fernanda

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the gene expression profile of several tissues in humans and in rodent animal models has been explored, analysis of the complete choroid plexus (CP transcriptome is still lacking. A better characterization of the CP transcriptome can provide key insights into its functions as one of the barriers that separate the brain from the periphery and in the production of cerebrospinal fluid. Methods This work extends further what is known about the mouse CP transcriptome through a microarray analysis of CP tissue from normal mice under physiological conditions. Results We found that the genes most highly expressed are those implicated in energy metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and in ribosomal function, which is in agreement with the secretory nature of the CP. On the other hand, genes encoding for immune mediators are among those with lower expression in basal conditions. In addition, we found genes known to be relevant during brain development, and not previously identified to be expressed in the CP, including those encoding for various axonal guidance and angiogenesis molecules and for growth factors. Some of these are known to influence the neural stem cell niche in the subventricular zone, highlighting the involvement of the CP as a likely modulator of neurogenesis. Interestingly, our observations confirm that the CP transcriptome is unique, displaying low homology with that of other tissues. Of note, we describe here that the closest similarity is with the transcriptome of the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier. Conclusions Based on the data presented here, it will now be possible to further explore the function of particular proteins of the CP secretome in health and in disease.

  9. A framework for the use of single-chemical transcriptomics data in predicting the hazards associated with complex mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labib, Sarah; Williams, Andrew; Kuo, Byron; Yauk, Carole L; White, Paul A; Halappanavar, Sabina

    2017-07-01

    The assumption of additivity applied in the risk assessment of environmental mixtures containing carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated using transcriptomics. MutaTMMouse were gavaged for 28 days with three doses of eight individual PAHs, two defined mixtures of PAHs, or coal tar, an environmentally ubiquitous complex mixture of PAHs. Microarrays were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in lung tissue collected 3 days post-exposure. Cancer-related pathways perturbed by the individual or mixtures of PAHs were identified, and dose-response modeling of the DEGs was conducted to calculate gene/pathway benchmark doses (BMDs). Individual PAH-induced pathway perturbations (the median gene expression changes for all genes in a pathway relative to controls) and pathway BMDs were applied to models of additivity [i.e., concentration addition (CA), generalized concentration addition (GCA), and independent action (IA)] to generate predicted pathway-specific dose-response curves for each PAH mixture. The predicted and observed pathway dose-response curves were compared to assess the sensitivity of different additivity models. Transcriptomics-based additivity calculation showed that IA accurately predicted the pathway perturbations induced by all mixtures of PAHs. CA did not support the additivity assumption for the defined mixtures; however, GCA improved the CA predictions. Moreover, pathway BMDs derived for coal tar were comparable to BMDs derived from previously published coal tar-induced mouse lung tumor incidence data. These results suggest that in the absence of tumor incidence data, individual chemical-induced transcriptomics changes associated with cancer can be used to investigate the assumption of additivity and to predict the carcinogenic potential of a mixture.

  10. Genome-wide binding of transcription factor ZEB1 in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maturi, Varun; Enroth, Stefan; Heldin, Carl-Henrik; Moustakas, Aristidis

    2018-05-10

    Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a transcriptional regulator involved in embryonic development and cancer progression. ZEB1 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Triple-negative human breast cancers express high ZEB1 mRNA levels and exhibit features of EMT. In the human triple-negative breast cancer cell model Hs578T, ZEB1 associates with almost 2,000 genes, representing many cellular functions, including cell polarity regulation (DLG2 and FAT3). By introducing a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated 30 bp deletion into the ZEB1 second exon, we observed reduced migratory and anchorage-independent growth capacity of these tumor cells. Transcriptomic analysis of control and ZEB1 knockout cells, revealed 1,372 differentially expressed genes. The TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 3 and the teneurin transmembrane protein 2 genes showed increased expression upon loss of ZEB1, possibly mediating pro-tumorigenic actions of ZEB1. This work provides a resource for regulators of cancer progression that function under the transcriptional control of ZEB1. The data confirm that removing a single EMT transcription factor, such as ZEB1, is not sufficient for reverting the triple-negative mesenchymal breast cancer cells into more differentiated, epithelial-like clones, but can reduce tumorigenic potential, suggesting that not all pro-tumorigenic actions of ZEB1 are linked to the EMT. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Transcriptome of interstitial cells of Cajal reveals unique and selective gene signatures.

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    Moon Young Lee

    Full Text Available Transcriptome-scale data can reveal essential clues into understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms behind specific cellular functions and biological processes. Transcriptomics is a continually growing field of research utilized in biomarker discovery. The transcriptomic profile of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC, which serve as slow-wave electrical pacemakers for gastrointestinal (GI smooth muscle, has yet to be uncovered. Using copGFP-labeled ICC mice and flow cytometry, we isolated ICC populations from the murine small intestine and colon and obtained their transcriptomes. In analyzing the transcriptome, we identified a unique set of ICC-restricted markers including transcription factors, epigenetic enzymes/regulators, growth factors, receptors, protein kinases/phosphatases, and ion channels/transporters. This analysis provides new and unique insights into the cellular and biological functions of ICC in GI physiology. Additionally, we constructed an interactive ICC genome browser (http://med.unr.edu/physio/transcriptome based on the UCSC genome database. To our knowledge, this is the first online resource that provides a comprehensive library of all known genetic transcripts expressed in primary ICC. Our genome browser offers a new perspective into the alternative expression of genes in ICC and provides a valuable reference for future functional studies.

  12. Developmental transcriptome of Aplysia californica'

    KAUST Repository

    Heyland, Andreas; Vue, Zer; Voolstra, Christian R.; Medina, Mó nica; Moroz, Leonid L.

    2010-01-01

    developmental transcriptome with similar studies in the zebra fish Danio rerio, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and other studies on molluscs suggests an overall highly divergent pattern of gene regulatory mechanisms

  13. The transcriptome of the bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus reveals adaptations of the longest-lived mammal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seim, Inge; Ma, Siming; Zhou, Xuming; Gerashchenko, Maxim V.; Lee, Sang-Goo; Suydam, Robert; George, John C.; Bickham, John W.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

    2014-01-01

    Mammals vary dramatically in lifespan, by at least two-orders of magnitude, but the molecular basis for this difference remains largely unknown. The bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus is the longest-lived mammal known, with an estimated maximal lifespan in excess of two hundred years. It is also one of the two largest animals and the most cold-adapted baleen whale species. Here, we report the first genome-wide gene expression analyses of the bowhead whale, based on the de novo assembly of its transcriptome. Bowhead whale or cetacean-specific changes in gene expression were identified in the liver, kidney and heart, and complemented with analyses of positively selected genes. Changes associated with altered insulin signaling and other gene expression patterns could help explain the remarkable longevity of bowhead whales as well as their adaptation to a lipid-rich diet. The data also reveal parallels in candidate longevity adaptations of the bowhead whale, naked mole rat and Brandt's bat. The bowhead whale transcriptome is a valuable resource for the study of this remarkable animal, including the evolution of longevity and its important correlates such as resistance to cancer and other diseases. PMID:25411232

  14. Coupled Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis of Human Lymphotropic Tumor Viruses: Insights on the Detection and Discovery of Viral Genes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dresang, Lindsay R.; Teuton, Jeremy R.; Feng, Huichen; Jacobs, Jon M.; Camp, David G.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Gritsenko, Marina A.; Li, Zhihua; Smith, Richard D.; Sugden, Bill; Moore, Patrick S.; Chang, Yuan

    2011-12-20

    Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are related human tumor viruses that cause primary effusion lymphomas (PEL) and Burkitt's lymphomas (BL), respectively. Viral genes expressed in naturally-infected cancer cells contribute to disease pathogenesis; knowing which viral genes are expressed is critical in understanding how these viruses cause cancer. To evaluate the expression of viral genes, we used high-resolution separation and mass spectrometry coupled with custom tiling arrays to align the viral proteomes and transcriptomes of three PEL and two BL cell lines under latent and lytic culture conditions. Results The majority of viral genes were efficiently detected at the transcript and/or protein level on manipulating the viral life cycle. Overall the correlation of expressed viral proteins and transcripts was highly complementary in both validating and providing orthogonal data with latent/lytic viral gene expression. Our approach also identified novel viral genes in both KSHV and EBV, and extends viral genome annotation. Several previously uncharacterized genes were validated at both transcript and protein levels. Conclusions This systems biology approach coupling proteome and transcriptome measurements provides a comprehensive view of viral gene expression that could not have been attained using each methodology independently. Detection of viral proteins in combination with viral transcripts is a potentially powerful method for establishing virus-disease relationships.

  15. Transcriptome sequencing and characterization for the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867.

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    Huixia Du

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Sea cucumbers are a special group of marine invertebrates. They occupy a taxonomic position that is believed to be important for understanding the origin and evolution of deuterostomes. Some of them such as Apostichopus japonicus represent commercially important aquaculture species in Asian countries. Many efforts have been devoted to increasing the number of expressed sequence tags (ESTs for A. japonicus, but a comprehensive characterization of its transcriptome remains lacking. Here, we performed the large-scale transcriptome profiling and characterization by pyrosequencing diverse cDNA libraries from A. japonicus. RESULTS: In total, 1,061,078 reads were obtained by 454 sequencing of eight cDNA libraries representing different developmental stages and adult tissues in A. japonicus. These reads were assembled into 29,666 isotigs, which were further clustered into 21,071 isogroups. Nearly 40% of the isogroups showed significant matches to known proteins based on sequence similarity. Gene ontology (GO and KEGG pathway analyses recovered diverse biological functions and processes. Candidate genes that were potentially involved in aestivation were identified. Transcriptome comparison with the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus revealed similar patterns of GO term representation. In addition, 4,882 putative orthologous genes were identified, of which 202 were not present in the non-echinoderm organisms. More than 700 simple sequence repeats (SSRs and 54,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were detected in the A. japonicus transcriptome. CONCLUSION: Pyrosequencing was proven to be efficient in rapidly identifying a large set of genes for the sea cucumber A. japonicus. Through the large-scale transcriptome sequencing as well as public EST data integration, we performed a comprehensive characterization of the A. japonicus transcriptome and identified candidate aestivation-related genes. A large number of potential genetic

  16. Genome Annotation and Transcriptomics of Oil-Producing Algae

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-16

    AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0103 GENOME ANNOTATION AND TRANSCRIPTOMICS OF OIL-PRODUCING ALGAE Sabeeha Merchant UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Final...2010 To 12-31-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE GENOME ANNOTATION AND TRANSCRIPTOMICS OF OIL-PRODUCING ALGAE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA9550-10-1-0095 5b...NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Most algae accumulate triacylglycerols (TAGs) when they are starved for essential nutrients like N, S, P (or Si in the case of some

  17. A novel approach to breast cancer prevention: reducing excessive ovarian androgen production in elderly women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Secreto, Giorgio; Sieri, Sabina; Agnoli, Claudia; Grioni, Sara; Muti, Paola; Zumoff, Barnett; Sant, Milena; Meneghini, Elisabetta; Krogh, Vittorio

    2016-08-01

    Minimizing endogenous estrogen production and activity in women at high risk for breast cancer is a prominent approach to prevention of the disease. A number of clinical trials have shown that the administration of selective-estrogen receptor modulators or aromatase inhibitors significantly reduces the incidence of breast cancer in healthy women. Unfortunately, these drugs often produce adverse effects on the quality of life and are, therefore, poorly accepted by many women, even those who are at high risk for breast cancer. We propose a novel alternative approach to decreasing estrogen production: suppression of ovarian synthesis of the androgen precursors of estrogens by administration of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs to women with ovarian stromal hyperplasia. The specific target population would be elderly postmenopausal women, at increased risk of breast cancer, and with high blood levels of testosterone, marker of ovarian hyperandrogenemia, and recognized factor of risk for breast cancer. Testosterone levels are measured at baseline to identify women at risk and during the follow-up to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. The postmenopausal ovary is an important source of excessive androgen production which originates from the ovarian interstitial cell hyperplasia frequently present in breast cancer patients. We propose to counter the source of androgen excess in women with ovarian stromal hyperplasia, thus reducing the substrate for estrogen formation without completely inhibiting estrogen synthesis. Available evidence indicates that gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs can be safely used for breast cancer prevention in postmenopausal women.

  18. De novo transcriptome assembly of shrimp Palaemon serratus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Perina

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The shrimp Palaemon serratus is a coastal decapod crustacean with a high commercial value. It is harvested for human consumption. In this study, we used Illumina sequencing technology (HiSeq 2000 to sequence, assemble and annotate the transcriptome of P. serratus. RNA was isolated from muscle of adults individuals and, from a pool of larvae. A total number of 4 cDNA libraries were constructed, using the TruSeq RNA Sample Preparation Kit v2. The raw data in this study was deposited in NCBI SRA database with study accession number of SRP090769. The obtained data were subjected to de novo transcriptome assembly using Trinity software, and coding regions were predicted by TransDecoder. We used Blastp and Sma3s to annotate the identified proteins. The transcriptome data could provide some insight into the understanding of genes involved in the larval development and metamorphosis.

  19. Spiritual Well-being May Reduce the Negative Impacts of Cancer Symptoms on the Quality of Life and the Desire for Hastened Death in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yin-Chih; Lin, Chia-Chin

    2016-01-01

    Spirituality is a central component of the well-being of terminally ill cancer patients. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating or moderating role of spiritual well-being in reducing the impact of cancer-related symptoms on quality of life and the desire for hastened death in terminally ill cancer patients. Eighty-five terminally ill cancer patients were assessed using the Taiwanese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death. Spiritual well-being was significantly negatively correlated with symptom severity (r = -0.46, P quality of life (r = -0.54) and positively correlated with hopelessness (r = 0.51, P quality of life. Spiritual well-being was a partial mediator between symptom severity and the desire for hastened death. The meaning subscale of spiritual well-being was a more significant predictor of the desire for hastened death and quality of life than the faith subscale was. Spiritual well-being may reduce the negative impacts of cancer on quality of life and the desire for hastened death. Appropriate spiritual care may reduce the negative impact of severe cancer symptoms on quality of life and the desire for hastened death in terminally ill cancer patients.

  20. Electroacupuncture reduces duration of postoperative ileus after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Simon S M; Leung, Wing Wa; Mak, Tony W C; Hon, Sophie S F; Li, Jimmy C M; Wong, Cherry Y N; Tsoi, Kelvin K F; Lee, Janet F Y

    2013-02-01

    We investigated the efficacy of electroacupuncture in reducing the duration of postoperative ileus and hospital stay after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. We performed a prospective study of 165 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery for colonic and upper rectal cancer, enrolled from October 2008 to October 2010. Patients were assigned randomly to groups that received electroacupuncture (n = 55) or sham acupuncture (n = 55), once daily from postoperative days 1-4, or no acupuncture (n = 55). The acupoints Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Hegu, and Zhigou were used. The primary outcome was time to defecation. Secondary outcomes included postoperative analgesic requirement, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay. Patients who received electroacupuncture had a shorter time to defecation than patients who received no acupuncture (85.9 ± 36.1 vs 122.1 ± 53.5 h; P electroacupuncture also had a shorter time to defecation than patients who received sham acupuncture (85.9 ± 36.1 vs 107.5 ± 46.2 h; P = .007). Electroacupuncture was more effective than no or sham acupuncture in reducing postoperative analgesic requirement and time to ambulation. In multiple linear regression analysis, an absence of complications and electroacupuncture were associated with a shorter duration of postoperative ileus and hospital stay after the surgery. In a clinical trial, electroacupuncture reduced the duration of postoperative ileus, time to ambulation, and postoperative analgesic requirement, compared with no or sham acupuncture, after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00464425. Copyright © 2013 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Application of affymetrix array and massively parallel signature sequencing for identification of genes involved in prostate cancer progression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oudes, Asa J; Roach, Jared C; Walashek, Laura S; Eichner, Lillian J; True, Lawrence D; Vessella, Robert L; Liu, Alvin Y

    2005-01-01

    Affymetrix GeneChip Array and Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing (MPSS) are two high throughput methodologies used to profile transcriptomes. Each method has certain strengths and weaknesses; however, no comparison has been made between the data derived from Affymetrix arrays and MPSS. In this study, two lineage-related prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and C4-2, were used for transcriptome analysis with the aim of identifying genes associated with prostate cancer progression. Affymetrix GeneChip array and MPSS analyses were performed. Data was analyzed with GeneSpring 6.2 and in-house perl scripts. Expression array results were verified with RT-PCR. Comparison of the data revealed that both technologies detected genes the other did not. In LNCaP, 3,180 genes were only detected by Affymetrix and 1,169 genes were only detected by MPSS. Similarly, in C4-2, 4,121 genes were only detected by Affymetrix and 1,014 genes were only detected by MPSS. Analysis of the combined transcriptomes identified 66 genes unique to LNCaP cells and 33 genes unique to C4-2 cells. Expression analysis of these genes in prostate cancer specimens showed CA1 to be highly expressed in bone metastasis but not expressed in primary tumor and EPHA7 to be expressed in normal prostate and primary tumor but not bone metastasis. Our data indicates that transcriptome profiling with a single methodology will not fully assess the expression of all genes in a cell line. A combination of transcription profiling technologies such as DNA array and MPSS provides a more robust means to assess the expression profile of an RNA sample. Finally, genes that were differentially expressed in cell lines were also differentially expressed in primary prostate cancer and its metastases

  2. Single cell transcriptome profiling of developing chick retinal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laboissonniere, Lauren A; Martin, Gregory M; Goetz, Jillian J; Bi, Ran; Pope, Brock; Weinand, Kallie; Ellson, Laura; Fru, Diane; Lee, Miranda; Wester, Andrea K; Liu, Peng; Trimarchi, Jeffrey M

    2017-08-15

    The vertebrate retina is a specialized photosensitive tissue comprised of six neuronal and one glial cell types, each of which develops in prescribed proportions at overlapping timepoints from a common progenitor pool. While each of these cells has a specific function contributing to proper vision in the mature animal, their differential representation in the retina as well as the presence of distinctive cellular subtypes makes identifying the transcriptomic signatures that lead to each retinal cell's fate determination and development challenging. We have analyzed transcriptomes from individual cells isolated from the chick retina throughout retinogenesis. While we focused our efforts on the retinal ganglion cells, our transcriptomes of developing chick cells also contained representation from multiple retinal cell types, including photoreceptors and interneurons at different stages of development. Most interesting was the identification of transcriptomes from individual mixed lineage progenitor cells in the chick as these cells offer a window into the cell fate decision-making process. Taken together, these data sets will enable us to uncover the most critical genes acting in the steps of cell fate determination and early differentiation of various retinal cell types. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Analysis of the Citrullus colocynthis transcriptome during water deficit stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuoyu Wang

    Full Text Available Citrullus colocynthis is a very drought tolerant species, closely related to watermelon (C. lanatus var. lanatus, an economically important cucurbit crop. Drought is a threat to plant growth and development, and the discovery of drought inducible genes with various functions is of great importance. We used high throughput mRNA Illumina sequencing technology and bioinformatic strategies to analyze the C. colocynthis leaf transcriptome under drought treatment. Leaf samples at four different time points (0, 24, 36, or 48 hours of withholding water were used for RNA extraction and Illumina sequencing. qRT-PCR of several drought responsive genes was performed to confirm the accuracy of RNA sequencing. Leaf transcriptome analysis provided the first glimpse of the drought responsive transcriptome of this unique cucurbit species. A total of 5038 full-length cDNAs were detected, with 2545 genes showing significant changes during drought stress. Principle component analysis indicated that drought was the major contributing factor regulating transcriptome changes. Up regulation of many transcription factors, stress signaling factors, detoxification genes, and genes involved in phytohormone signaling and citrulline metabolism occurred under the water deficit conditions. The C. colocynthis transcriptome data highlight the activation of a large set of drought related genes in this species, thus providing a valuable resource for future functional analysis of candidate genes in defense of drought stress.

  4. Reduced incidence of skin cancer in patients with alopecia areata: A retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostaghimi, Arash; Qureshi, Sarah; Joyce, Cara; Guo, Ye; Huang, Kathie P

    2016-04-01

    The risk of skin cancer in patients with alopecia areata (AA) is unknown. While the risk of skin cancer in chronic inflammatory alopecias may be elevated, AA shares many characteristics with vitiligo, an autoimmune illness associated with decreased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. In this retrospective cohort study, we determined the risk of developing skin cancer among patients with AA in a validated cohort relative to matched controls at two tertiary care hospitals in Massachusetts. There was a significantly decreased risk of NMSC in AA patients than controls (OR=0.63, 95% CI=0.48-0.81). There was a trend towards a protective effect of AA associated with melanoma (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.39-1.09). There was no difference in anatomic distribution of skin cancer between patients with AA and controls. Our study demonstrates a decreased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer and a trend towards reduced risk of melanoma in patients with AA. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. NME2 reduces proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells to limit metastasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-fei Liu

    Full Text Available Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies and has a high rate of metastasis. We hypothesize that NME2 (Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase 2, which has previously been considered as an anti-metastatic gene, plays a role in the invasiveness of gastric cancer cells. Using a tissue chip technology and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that NME2 expression was associated with levels of differentiation of gastric cancer cells and their metastasis into the lymph nodes. When the NME2 gene product was over-expressed by ;in vitro stable transfection, cells from BGC823 and MKN45 gastric cancer cell lines had reduced rates of proliferation, migration, and invasion through the collagen matrix, suggesting an inhibitory activity of NME2 in the propagation and invasion of gastric cancer. NME2 could, therefore, severe as a risk marker for gastric cancer invasiveness and a potential new target for gene therapy to enhance or induce NME2 expression.

  6. Hereditary breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Martin J; Thomassen, Mads; Gerdes, Anne-Marie

    2014-01-01

    Pathogenic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are only detected in 25% of families with a strong history of breast cancer, though hereditary factors are expected to be involved in the remaining families with no recognized mutation. Molecular characterization is expected to provide new insight...... into the tumor biology to guide the search of new high-risk alleles and provide better classification of the growing number of BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance (VUS). In this review, we provide an overview of hereditary breast cancer, its genetic background, and clinical implications, before focusing...... on the pathologically and molecular features associated with the disease. Recent transcriptome and genome profiling studies of tumor series from BRCA1/2 mutation carriers as well as familial non-BRCA1/2 will be discussed. Special attention is paid to its association with molecular breast cancer subtypes as well...

  7. Reduced employment and financial hardship among middle-aged individuals with colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Louisa G; Beesley, Vanessa L; Mihala, Gabor; Koczwara, Bogda; Lynch, Brigid M

    2017-09-01

    Financial hardship may affect up to 30% of cancer survivors, however, little research has addressed the effect of employment change on financial hardship. This study compared the self-reported financial hardship of middle-aged (45-64 years) colorectal cancer survivors (n = 187) at 6 and 12 months following diagnosis with that of a matched general population group (n = 355). Colorectal cancer survivors were recruited through the Queensland Cancer Registry, Australia; data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey were used for the general population group. Pearson chi-square tests were used to assess the differences in proportions between the two groups and McNemar tests to assess differences across time among the same group. Generalised linear modelling was performed to produce prevalence ratios. A higher proportion of workers with colorectal cancer reported financial strain (money shortage for living essentials) at 6 months (15%) but eased and was comparable to the comparison group at 12 months (7%). Middle-aged working cancer survivors who ceased or reduced work were more likely to report not being financially comfortable, compared with those who had continued work (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.66, 95%CI: 1.12, 2.44) at 12 months. Health professionals, employers and government services should address the impact of impaired employment on financial hardship among cancer survivors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Aminopeptidase A initiates tumorigenesis and enhances tumor cell stemness via TWIST1 upregulation in colorectal cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Chuang, Hui-Yu; Jiang, Jeng-Kae; Yang, Muh-Hwa; Wang, Hsei-Wei; Li, Ming-Chun; Tsai, Chan-Yen; Jhang, Yau-Yun; Huang, Jason C.

    2017-01-01

    Metastasis accounts for the high mortality rate associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), but metastasis regulators are not fully understood. To identify a novel gene involved in tumor metastasis, we used oligonucleotide microarrays, transcriptome distance analyses, and machine learning algorithms to determine links between primary and metastatic colorectal cancers. Aminopeptidase A (APA; also known as ENPEP) was selected as our focus because its relationship with colorectal cancer requires cl...

  9. Genome, transcriptome and methylome sequencing of a primitively eusocial wasp reveal a greatly reduced DNA methylation system in a social insect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Standage, Daniel S; Berens, Ali J; Glastad, Karl M; Severin, Andrew J; Brendel, Volker P; Toth, Amy L

    2016-04-01

    Comparative genomics of social insects has been intensely pursued in recent years with the goal of providing insights into the evolution of social behaviour and its underlying genomic and epigenomic basis. However, the comparative approach has been hampered by a paucity of data on some of the most informative social forms (e.g. incipiently and primitively social) and taxa (especially members of the wasp family Vespidae) for studying social evolution. Here, we provide a draft genome of the primitively eusocial model insect Polistes dominula, accompanied by analysis of caste-related transcriptome and methylome sequence data for adult queens and workers. Polistes dominula possesses a fairly typical hymenopteran genome, but shows very low genomewide GC content and some evidence of reduced genome size. We found numerous caste-related differences in gene expression, with evidence that both conserved and novel genes are related to caste differences. Most strikingly, these -omics data reveal a major reduction in one of the major epigenetic mechanisms that has been previously suggested to be important for caste differences in social insects: DNA methylation. Along with a conspicuous loss of a key gene associated with environmentally responsive DNA methylation (the de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3), these wasps have greatly reduced genomewide methylation to almost zero. In addition to providing a valuable resource for comparative analysis of social insect evolution, our integrative -omics data for this important behavioural and evolutionary model system call into question the general importance of DNA methylation in caste differences and evolution in social insects. © 2016 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Profiling the venom gland transcriptomes of Costa Rican snakes by 454 pyrosequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanz Libia

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A long term research goal of venomics, of applied importance for improving current antivenom therapy, but also for drug discovery, is to understand the pharmacological potential of venoms. Individually or combined, proteomic and transcriptomic studies have demonstrated their feasibility to explore in depth the molecular diversity of venoms. In the absence of genome sequence, transcriptomes represent also valuable searchable databases for proteomic projects. Results The venom gland transcriptomes of 8 Costa Rican taxa from 5 genera (Crotalus, Bothrops, Atropoides, Cerrophidion, and Bothriechis of pitvipers were investigated using high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing. 100,394 out of 330,010 masked reads produced significant hits in the available databases. 5.165,220 nucleotides (8.27% were masked by RepeatMasker, the vast majority of which corresponding to class I (retroelements and class II (DNA transposons mobile elements. BLAST hits included 79,991 matches to entries of the taxonomic suborder Serpentes, of which 62,433 displayed similarity to documented venom proteins. Strong discrepancies between the transcriptome-computed and the proteome-gathered toxin compositions were obvious at first sight. Although the reasons underlaying this discrepancy are elusive, since no clear trend within or between species is apparent, the data indicate that individual mRNA species may be translationally controlled in a species-dependent manner. The minimum number of genes from each toxin family transcribed into the venom gland transcriptome of each species was calculated from multiple alignments of reads matched to a full-length reference sequence of each toxin family. Reads encoding ORF regions of Kazal-type inhibitor-like proteins were uniquely found in Bothriechis schlegelii and B. lateralis transcriptomes, suggesting a genus-specific recruitment event during the early-Middle Miocene. A transcriptome-based cladogram supports the large

  11. Classification of follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer by global RNA profiling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rossing, Maria

    2013-01-01

    The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing worldwide and thyroid nodules are a frequent clinical finding. Diagnosing follicular cell-derived cancers is, however, challenging both histopathologically and especially cytopathologically. The advent of high-throughput molecular technologies has...... profiling of follicular cell-derived thyroid cancers....... prompted many researchers to explore the transcriptome and, in recent years, also the miRNome in order to generate new molecular classifiers capable of classifying thyroid tumours more accurately than by conventional cytopathological and histopathological methods. This has led to a number of molecular...

  12. Transcriptomic analysis of the oleaginous microalga Neochloris oleoabundans reveals metabolic insights into triacylglyceride accumulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rismani-Yazdi Hamid

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The lack of sequenced genomes for oleaginous microalgae limits our understanding of the mechanisms these organisms utilize to become enriched in triglycerides. Here we report the de novo transcriptome assembly and quantitative gene expression analysis of the oleaginous microalga Neochloris oleoabundans, with a focus on the complex interaction of pathways associated with the production of the triacylglycerol (TAG biofuel precursor. Results After growth under nitrogen replete and nitrogen limiting conditions, we quantified the cellular content of major biomolecules including total lipids, triacylglycerides, starch, protein, and chlorophyll. Transcribed genes were sequenced, the transcriptome was assembled de novo, and the expression of major functional categories, relevant pathways, and important genes was quantified through the mapping of reads to the transcriptome. Over 87 million, 77 base pair high quality reads were produced on the Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform. Metabolite measurements supported by genes and pathway expression results indicated that under the nitrogen-limiting condition, carbon is partitioned toward triglyceride production, which increased fivefold over the nitrogen-replete control. In addition to the observed overexpression of the fatty acid synthesis pathway, TAG production during nitrogen limitation was bolstered by repression of the β-oxidation pathway, up-regulation of genes encoding for the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex which funnels acetyl-CoA to lipid biosynthesis, activation of the pentose phosphate pathway to supply reducing equivalents to inorganic nitrogen assimilation and fatty acid biosynthesis, and the up-regulation of lipases—presumably to reconstruct cell membranes in order to supply additional fatty acids for TAG biosynthesis. Conclusions Our quantitative transcriptome study reveals a broad overview of how nitrogen stress results in excess TAG production in N. oleoabundans, and

  13. Transcriptomic analysis of Petunia hybrida in response to salt stress using high throughput RNA sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo H Villarino

    Full Text Available Salinity and drought stress are the primary cause of crop losses worldwide. In sodic saline soils sodium chloride (NaCl disrupts normal plant growth and development. The complex interactions of plant systems with abiotic stress have made RNA sequencing a more holistic and appealing approach to study transcriptome level responses in a single cell and/or tissue. In this work, we determined the Petunia transcriptome response to NaCl stress by sequencing leaf samples and assembling 196 million Illumina reads with Trinity software. Using our reference transcriptome we identified more than 7,000 genes that were differentially expressed within 24 h of acute NaCl stress. The proposed transcriptome can also be used as an excellent tool for biological and bioinformatics in the absence of an available Petunia genome and it is available at the SOL Genomics Network (SGN http://solgenomics.net. Genes related to regulation of reactive oxygen species, transport, and signal transductions as well as novel and undescribed transcripts were among those differentially expressed in response to salt stress. The candidate genes identified in this study can be applied as markers for breeding or to genetically engineer plants to enhance salt tolerance. Gene Ontology analyses indicated that most of the NaCl damage happened at 24 h inducing genotoxicity, affecting transport and organelles due to the high concentration of Na+ ions. Finally, we report a modification to the library preparation protocol whereby cDNA samples were bar-coded with non-HPLC purified primers, without affecting the quality and quantity of the RNA-seq data. The methodological improvement presented here could substantially reduce the cost of sample preparation for future high-throughput RNA sequencing experiments.

  14. Transcriptomic analysis of Petunia hybrida in response to salt stress using high throughput RNA sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarino, Gonzalo H; Bombarely, Aureliano; Giovannoni, James J; Scanlon, Michael J; Mattson, Neil S

    2014-01-01

    Salinity and drought stress are the primary cause of crop losses worldwide. In sodic saline soils sodium chloride (NaCl) disrupts normal plant growth and development. The complex interactions of plant systems with abiotic stress have made RNA sequencing a more holistic and appealing approach to study transcriptome level responses in a single cell and/or tissue. In this work, we determined the Petunia transcriptome response to NaCl stress by sequencing leaf samples and assembling 196 million Illumina reads with Trinity software. Using our reference transcriptome we identified more than 7,000 genes that were differentially expressed within 24 h of acute NaCl stress. The proposed transcriptome can also be used as an excellent tool for biological and bioinformatics in the absence of an available Petunia genome and it is available at the SOL Genomics Network (SGN) http://solgenomics.net. Genes related to regulation of reactive oxygen species, transport, and signal transductions as well as novel and undescribed transcripts were among those differentially expressed in response to salt stress. The candidate genes identified in this study can be applied as markers for breeding or to genetically engineer plants to enhance salt tolerance. Gene Ontology analyses indicated that most of the NaCl damage happened at 24 h inducing genotoxicity, affecting transport and organelles due to the high concentration of Na+ ions. Finally, we report a modification to the library preparation protocol whereby cDNA samples were bar-coded with non-HPLC purified primers, without affecting the quality and quantity of the RNA-seq data. The methodological improvement presented here could substantially reduce the cost of sample preparation for future high-throughput RNA sequencing experiments.

  15. Endometrial cancer - reduce to the minimum. A new paradigm for adjuvant treatments?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheithauer, Heike R; Schulz, Diana S; Belka, Claus

    2011-01-01

    Up to now, the role of adjuvant radiation therapy and the extent of lymph node dissection for early stage endometrial cancer are controversial. In order to clarify the current position of the given adjuvant treatment options, a systematic review was performed. Both, Pubmed and ISI Web of Knowledge database were searched using the following keywords and MESH headings: 'Endometrial cancer', 'Endometrial Neoplasms', 'Endometrial Neoplasms/radiotherapy', 'External beam radiation therapy', 'Brachytherapy' and adequate combinations. Recent data from randomized trials indicate that external beam radiation therapy - particularly in combination with extended lymph node dissection - or radical lymph node dissection increases toxicity without any improvement of overall survival rates. Thus, reduced surgical aggressiveness and limitation of radiotherapy to vaginal-vault-brachytherapy only is sufficient for most cases of early stage endometrial cancer

  16. Transcriptome Analysis of Two Vicia sativa Subspecies: Mining Molecular Markers to Enhance Genomic Resources for Vetch Improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae-Sung Kim

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The vetch (Vicia sativa is one of the most important annual forage legumes globally due to its multiple uses and high nutritional content. Despite these agronomical benefits, many drawbacks, including cyano-alanine toxin, has reduced the agronomic value of vetch varieties. Here, we used 454 technology to sequence the two V. sativa subspecies (ssp. sativa and ssp. nigra to enrich functional information and genetic marker resources for the vetch research community. A total of 86,532 and 47,103 reads produced 35,202 and 18,808 unigenes with average lengths of 735 and 601 bp for V. sativa sativa and V. sativa nigra, respectively. Gene Ontology annotations and the cluster of orthologous gene classes were used to annotate the function of the Vicia transcriptomes. The Vicia transcriptome sequences were then mined for simple sequence repeat (SSR and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers. About 13% and 3% of the Vicia unigenes contained the putative SSR and SNP sequences, respectively. Among those SSRs, 100 were chosen for the validation and the polymorphism test using the Vicia germplasm set. Thus, our approach takes advantage of the utility of transcriptomic data to expedite a vetch breeding program.

  17. De novo transcriptome assembly of two different peach cultivars grown in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeonhwa Jo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Peach (Prunus persica is one of the most popular stone fruits worldwide. Next generation sequencing (NGS has facilitated genome and transcriptome analyses of several stone fruit trees. In this study, we conducted de novo transcriptome analyses of two peach cultivars grown in Korea. Leaves of two cultivars, referred to as Jangtaek and Mibaek, were harvested and used for library preparation. The two prepared libraries were paired-end sequenced by the HiSeq2000 system. We obtained 8.14 GB and 9.62 GB sequence data from Jangtaek and Mibaek (NCBI accession numbers: SRS1056585 and SRS1056587, respectively. The Trinity program was used to assemble two transcriptomes de novo, resulting in 110,477 (Jangtaek and 136,196 (Mibaek transcripts. TransDecoder identified possible coding regions in assembled transcripts. The identified proteins were subjected to BLASTP search against NCBI's non-redundant database for functional annotation. This study provides transcriptome data for two peach cultivars, which might be useful for genetic marker development and comparative transcriptome analyses.

  18. Understanding Cancer Genome and Its Evolution by Next Generation Sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hou, Yong

    Cancer will cause 13 million deaths by the year of 2030, ranking the second leading cause of death worldwide. Previous studies indicate that most of the cancers originate from cells that acquired somatic mutations and evolved as Darwin Theory. Ten biological insights of cancer have been summarized...... recently. Cutting-age technologies like next generation sequencing (NGS) enable exploring cancer genome and evolution much more efficiently. However, integrated cancer genome sequencing studies showed great inter-/intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and complex evolution patterns beyond the cancer biological...... knowledge we previously know. There is very limited knowledge of East Asia lung cancer genome except enrichment of EGFR mutations and lack of KRAS mutations. We carried out integrated genomic, transcriptomic and methylomic analysis of 335 primary Chinese lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 35 corresponding...

  19. Transcriptomics resources of human tissues and organs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uhlén, Mathias; Hallström, Björn M.; Lindskog, Cecilia

    2016-01-01

    a framework for defining the molecular constituents of the human body as well as for generating comprehensive lists of proteins expressed across tissues or in a tissue-restricted manner. Here, we review publicly available human transcriptome resources and discuss body-wide data from independent genome......Quantifying the differential expression of genes in various human organs, tissues, and cell types is vital to understand human physiology and disease. Recently, several large-scale transcriptomics studies have analyzed the expression of protein-coding genes across tissues. These datasets provide...

  20. Lipid Replacement Therapy: a Functional Food Approach with New Formulations for Reducing Cellular Oxidative Damage, Cancer-Associated Fatigue and the Adverse Effects of Cancer Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garth L. Nicolson

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Backgroud:Cancer-associated fatigue and the chronic adverse effects of cancer therapy can be reduced by Lipid Replacement Therapy (LRT using membrane phospholipid mixtures given as food supplements.Methods:This is a review of the published literature on LRT and its uses.Results: LRT significantly reduced fatigue in cancer patients as well as patients suffering from chronic fatiguing illnesses and other medical conditions. It also reduced the adverse effects of chemotherapy, resulting in improvements in incidence of fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, impaired taste, constipation, insomnia and other quality of life indicators. In other diseases, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome and other chronic fatiguing illnesses, LRT reduced fatigue by 35.5-43.1% in different clinical trials and increased mitochondrial function.Conclusions: LRT formulations appear to be useful as non-toxic dietary supplements for direct use or placed in functional foods to reduce fatigue and restore mitochondrial and other cellular membrane functions. Formulations of LRT phospholipids are suitable for addition to variousfood products for the treatment of a variety of chronic illnesses as well as their application inanti-aging and other health supplements and products.

  1. Transcriptome architecture across tissues in the pig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Folch Josep M

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Artificial selection has resulted in animal breeds with extreme phenotypes. As an organism is made up of many different tissues and organs, each with its own genetic programme, it is pertinent to ask: How relevant is tissue in terms of total transcriptome variability? Which are the genes most distinctly expressed between tissues? Does breed or sex equally affect the transcriptome across tissues? Results In order to gain insight on these issues, we conducted microarray expression profiling of 16 different tissues from four animals of two extreme pig breeds, Large White and Iberian, two males and two females. Mixed model analysis and neighbor – joining trees showed that tissues with similar developmental origin clustered closer than those with different embryonic origins. Often a sound biological interpretation was possible for overrepresented gene ontology categories within differentially expressed genes between groups of tissues. For instance, an excess of nervous system or muscle development genes were found among tissues of ectoderm or mesoderm origins, respectively. Tissue accounted for ~11 times more variability than sex or breed. Nevertheless, we were able to confidently identify genes with differential expression across tissues between breeds (33 genes and between sexes (19 genes. The genes primarily affected by sex were overall different than those affected by breed or tissue. Interaction with tissue can be important for differentially expressed genes between breeds but not so much for genes whose expression differ between sexes. Conclusion Embryonic development leaves an enduring footprint on the transcriptome. The interaction in gene × tissue for differentially expressed genes between breeds suggests that animal breeding has targeted differentially each tissue's transcriptome.

  2. Condition-dependent transcriptome reveals high-level regulatory architecture in Bacillus subtilis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicolas, Pierre; Mäder, Ulrike; Dervyn, Etienne

    2012-01-01

    Bacteria adapt to environmental stimuli by adjusting their transcriptomes in a complex manner, the full potential of which has yet to be established for any individual bacterial species. Here, we report the transcriptomes of Bacillus subtilis exposed to a wide range of environmental and nutrition...

  3. Condition-Dependent Transcriptome Reveals High-Level Regulatory Architecture in Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nicolas, Pierre; Maeder, Ulrike; Dervyn, Etienne; Rochat, Tatiana; Leduc, Aurelie; Pigeonneau, Nathalie; Bidnenko, Elena; Marchadier, Elodie; Hoebeke, Mark; Aymerich, Stephane; Becher, Doerte; Bisicchia, Paola; Botella, Eric; Delumeau, Olivier; Doherty, Geoff; Denham, Emma L.; Fogg, Mark J.; Fromion, Vincent; Goelzer, Anne; Hansen, Annette; Haertig, Elisabeth; Harwood, Colin R.; Homuth, Georg; Jarmer, Hanne; Jules, Matthieu; Klipp, Edda; Le Chat, Ludovic; Lecointe, Francois; Lewis, Peter; Liebermeister, Wolfram; March, Anika; Mars, Ruben A. T.; Nannapaneni, Priyanka; Noone, David; Pohl, Susanne; Rinn, Bernd; Ruegheimer, Frank; Sappa, Praveen K.; Samson, Franck; Schaffer, Marc; Schwikowski, Benno; Steil, Leif; Stuelke, Joerg; Wiegert, Thomas; Devine, Kevin M.; Wilkinson, Anthony J.; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Hecker, Michael; Voelker, Uwe; Bessieres, Philippe; Noirot, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    Bacteria adapt to environmental stimuli by adjusting their transcriptomes in a complex manner, the full potential of which has yet to be established for any individual bacterial species. Here, we report the transcriptomes of Bacillus subtilis exposed to a wide range of environmental and nutritional

  4. Deep RNA Sequencing of the Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Swimming Fish

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Palstra, A.P.; Beltran, S.; Burgerhout, E.; Brittijn, S.A.; Magnoni, L.J.; Henkel, C.V.; Jansen, A.; Thillart, G.E.E.J.M.; Spaink, H.P.; Planas, J.V.

    2013-01-01

    Deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to provide an in-depth view of the transcriptome of red and white skeletal muscle of exercised and non-exercised rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with the specific objective to identify expressed genes and quantify the transcriptomic effects of

  5. Transposable elements in the Anopheles funestus transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Medina, Rita D; Carareto, Claudia M A; Struchiner, Cláudio J; Ribeiro, José M C

    2017-06-01

    Transposable elements (TEs) are present in most of the eukaryotic genomes and their impact on genome evolution is increasingly recognized. Although there is extensive information on the TEs present in several eukaryotic genomes, less is known about the expression of these elements at the transcriptome level. Here we present a detailed analysis regarding the expression of TEs in Anopheles funestus, the second most important vector of human malaria in Africa. Several transcriptionally active TE families belonging both to Class I and II were identified and characterized. Interestingly, we have identified a full-length putative active element (including the presence of full length TIRs in the genomic sequence) belonging to the hAT superfamily, which presents active members in other insect genomes. This work contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the landscape of transposable elements in A. funestus transcriptome. Our results reveal that TEs are abundant and diverse in the mosquito and that most of the TE families found in the genome are represented in the mosquito transcriptome, a fact that could indicate activity of these elements.The vast diversity of TEs expressed in A. funestus suggests that there is ongoing amplification of several families in this organism.

  6. Red wine consumption not associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Chun; Haque, Reina; Caan, Bette J; Poon, Kwun-Yee T; Tseng, Hung-Fu; Quinn, Virginia P

    2010-01-01

    Red wine contains polyphenol antioxidants that inhibit colorectal cancer (CRC) development in animal studies. We investigated the effect of red wine intake on risk of CRC in the California Men's Health Study (CMHS). CMHS is a prospective, multiethnic cohort of middle-aged men who were members of the Kaiser Permanente (KP) California Health Plans and completed study questionnaires between 2002-2003. Incident CRC were identified from the health plan cancer registries through the end of 2007 (n = 287). To properly account for potential confounding by previous endoscopy screening, we restricted the primary analyses to CMHS men continuously enrolled in KP between 1998-2002 (n = 43,483 and CRC = 176). We used multivariable Cox regression to adjust for important confounders. We did not find an inverse association between moderate red wine intake and risk of CRC. The hazard ratio for consuming >/=1 drink/day (average = 2 drinks/day) was 1.16, 95% confidence intervals 0.56-2.40. There was no linear dose-response. The lack of clear association for red wine intake was consistently observed when we stratified the analyses by CRC stage at diagnosis and cancer site (colon or rectum). Moderate red wine consumption was not associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer in this population of middle-aged men.

  7. De novo assembly of the perennial ryegrass transcriptome using an RNA-Seq strategy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline D Farrell

    Full Text Available Perennial ryegrass is a highly heterozygous outbreeding grass species used for turf and forage production. Heterozygosity can affect de-Bruijn graph assembly making de novo transcriptome assembly of species such as perennial ryegrass challenging. Creating a reference transcriptome from a homozygous perennial ryegrass genotype can circumvent the challenge of heterozygosity. The goals of this study were to perform RNA-sequencing on multiple tissues from a highly inbred genotype to develop a reference transcriptome. This was complemented with RNA-sequencing of a highly heterozygous genotype for SNP calling.De novo transcriptome assembly of the inbred genotype created 185,833 transcripts with an average length of 830 base pairs. Within the inbred reference transcriptome 78,560 predicted open reading frames were found of which 24,434 were predicted as complete. Functional annotation found 50,890 transcripts with a BLASTp hit from the Swiss-Prot non-redundant database, 58,941 transcripts with a Pfam protein domain and 1,151 transcripts encoding putative secreted peptides. To evaluate the reference transcriptome we targeted the high-affinity K+ transporter gene family and found multiple orthologs. Using the longest unique open reading frames as the reference sequence, 64,242 single nucleotide polymorphisms were found. One thousand sixty one open reading frames from the inbred genotype contained heterozygous sites, confirming the high degree of homozygosity.Our study has developed an annotated, comprehensive transcriptome reference for perennial ryegrass that can aid in determining genetic variation, expression analysis, genome annotation, and gene mapping.

  8. Low-Dose Aspirin Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in Women with Diabetes: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yi-Sun; Kornelius, Edy; Chiou, Jeng-Yuan; Lai, Yung-Rung; Lo, Shih-Chang; Peng, Chiung-Huei; Huang, Chien-Ning

    2017-12-01

    Low-dose aspirin is commonly used for preventing cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes, but its association with cancer remains controversial. This study used a nationwide population-based reimbursement database to investigate the relationship between low-dose aspirin use and breast cancer incidence in women with diabetes. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2011. Women diagnosed as having diabetes with low-dose aspirin use (75-165 mg daily) were identified as the study population, whereas those without low-dose aspirin use were selected as the comparison group. We analyzed 148,739 patients with diabetes. Their mean age (standard deviation) was 63.3 (12.8) years. A total of 27,378 patients were taking aspirin. Overall, the use of aspirin in patients with diabetes reduced the risk of breast cancer by 18% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.94) after adjustment for potential confounders, namely age and comorbidities. Specifically, a cumulative dose of aspirin exceeding 88,900 mg was observed to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 47% (HR, 0.53, 95% CI, 0.43-0.67); however, low (aspirin did not reduce the risk of breast cancer. Our findings suggest that a cumulative aspirin dosage of more than 88,900 mg daily was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in women with diabetes. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

  9. Hepatoma targeting peptide conjugated bio-reducible polymer complexed with oncolytic adenovirus for cancer gene therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Joung-Woo; Kim, Hyun Ah; Nam, Kihoon; Na, Youjin; Yun, Chae-Ok; Kim, SungWan

    2015-12-28

    Despite adenovirus (Ad) vector's numerous advantages for cancer gene therapy, such as high ability of endosomal escape, efficient nuclear entry mechanism, and high transduction, and therapeutic efficacy, tumor specific targeting and antiviral immune response still remain as a critical challenge in clinical setting. To overcome these obstacles and achieve cancer-specific targeting, we constructed tumor targeting bioreducible polymer, an arginine grafted bio-reducible polymer (ABP)-PEG-HCBP1, by conjugating PEGylated ABP with HCBP1 peptides which has high affinity and selectivity towards hepatoma. The ABP-PEG-HCBP1-conjugated replication incompetent GFP-expressing ad, (Ad/GFP)-ABP-PEG-HCBP1, showed a hepatoma cancer specific uptake and transduction compared to either naked Ad/GFP or Ad/GFP-ABP. Competition assays demonstrated that Ad/GFP-ABP-PEG-HCBP1-mediated transduction was specifically inhibited by HCBP1 peptide rather than coxsackie and adenovirus receptor specific antibody. In addition, ABP-PEG-HCBP1 can protect biological activity of Ad against serum, and considerably reduced both innate and adaptive immune response against Ad. shMet-expressing oncolytic Ad (oAd; RdB/shMet) complexed with ABP-PEG-HCBP1 delivered oAd efficiently into hepatoma cancer cells. The oAd/ABP-PEG-HCBP1 demonstrated enhanced cancer cell killing efficacy in comparison to oAd/ABP complex. Furthermore, Huh7 and HT1080 cancer cells treated with oAd/shMet-ABP-PEG-HCBP1 complex had significantly decreased Met and VEGF expression in hepatoma cancer, but not in non-hepatoma cancer. In sum, these results suggest that HCBP1-conjugated bioreducible polymer could be used to deliver oncolytic Ad safely and efficiently to treat hepatoma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The 20-year effort to reduce access to mammography screening: historical facts dispute a commentary in Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopans, Daniel B; Webb, Matthew L; Cady, Blake

    2014-09-15

    Mammography screening fulfills all requirements for an effective screening test. It detects many cancers earlier when they are at a smaller size and earlier stage, and it has been demonstrated that this reduces breast cancer deaths in randomized controlled trials. When screening is introduced into the population, the death rate from breast cancer declines. Nevertheless, scientifically unsupported arguments that appear in the medical literature are passed on to the public and continue to confuse women and physicians regarding the value of screening. Methodologically flawed challenges to mammography have been almost continuous since the 1990s. And, as each challenge has been invalidated, a new, specious challenge has been raised. The authors of this report address the long history of misinformation that has developed in the effort to reduce access to screening, and they address the issues raised by commentators concerning their recent publication in this journal. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

  11. Assessing the Risk of Occult Cancer and 30-day Morbidity in Women Undergoing Risk-reducing Surgery: A Prospective Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogani, Giorgio; Tagliabue, Elena; Signorelli, Mauro; Chiappa, Valentina; Carcangiu, Maria Luisa; Paolini, Biagio; Casarin, Jvan; Scaffa, Cono; Gennaro, Massimiliano; Martinelli, Fabio; Borghi, Chiara; Ditto, Antonino; Lorusso, Domenica; Raspagliesi, Francesco

    To investigate the incidence and predictive factors of 30-day surgery-related morbidity and occult precancerous and cancerous conditions for women undergoing risk-reducing surgery. A prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). A gynecologic oncology referral center. Breast-related cancer antigen (BRCA) mutation carriers and BRCAX patients (those with a significant family history of breast and ovarian cancer). Minimally invasive risk-reduction surgery. Overall, 85 women underwent risk-reducing surgery: 30 (35%) and 55 (65%) had hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and BSO alone, respectively. Overall, in 6 (7%) patients, the final pathology revealed unexpected cancer: 3 early-stage ovarian/fallopian tube cancers, 2 advanced-stage ovarian cancers (stage IIIA and IIIB), and 1 serous endometrial carcinoma. Additionally, 3 (3.6%) patients had incidental finding of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma. Four (4.7%) postoperative complications within 30 days from surgery were registered, including fever (n = 3) and postoperative ileus (n = 1); no severe (grade 3 or more) complications were observed. All complications were managed conservatively. The presence of occult cancer was the only factor predicting the development of postoperative complications (p = .02). Minimally invasive risk-reducing surgery is a safe and effective strategy to manage BRCA mutation carriers. Patients should benefit from an appropriate counseling about the high prevalence of undiagnosed cancers observed at the time of surgery. Copyright © 2017 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Sequencing and De Novo Assembly of the Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy) Transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisberg, Alexandra J; Kim, Gunjune; Westwood, James H; Jelesko, John G

    2017-11-10

    Contact with poison ivy plants is widely dreaded because they produce a natural product called urushiol that is responsible for allergenic contact delayed-dermatitis symptoms lasting for weeks. For this reason, the catchphrase most associated with poison ivy is "leaves of three, let it be", which serves the purpose of both identification and an appeal for avoidance. Ironically, despite this notoriety, there is a dearth of specific knowledge about nearly all other aspects of poison ivy physiology and ecology. As a means of gaining a more molecular-oriented understanding of poison ivy physiology and ecology, Next Generation DNA sequencing technology was used to develop poison ivy root and leaf RNA-seq transcriptome resources. De novo assembled transcriptomes were analyzed to generate a core set of high quality expressed transcripts present in poison ivy tissue. The predicted protein sequences were evaluated for similarity to SwissProt homologs and InterProScan domains, as well as assigned both GO terms and KEGG annotations. Over 23,000 simple sequence repeats were identified in the transcriptome, and corresponding oligo nucleotide primer pairs were designed. A pan-transcriptome analysis of existing Anacardiaceae transcriptomes revealed conserved and unique transcripts among these species.

  13. Bacillus anthracis genome organization in light of whole transcriptome sequencing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, Jeffrey; Zhu, Wenhan; Passalacqua, Karla D.; Bergman, Nicholas; Borodovsky, Mark

    2010-03-22

    Emerging knowledge of whole prokaryotic transcriptomes could validate a number of theoretical concepts introduced in the early days of genomics. What are the rules connecting gene expression levels with sequence determinants such as quantitative scores of promoters and terminators? Are translation efficiency measures, e.g. codon adaptation index and RBS score related to gene expression? We used the whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing of a bacterial pathogen Bacillus anthracis to assess correlation of gene expression level with promoter, terminator and RBS scores, codon adaptation index, as well as with a new measure of gene translational efficiency, average translation speed. We compared computational predictions of operon topologies with the transcript borders inferred from RNA-Seq reads. Transcriptome mapping may also improve existing gene annotation. Upon assessment of accuracy of current annotation of protein-coding genes in the B. anthracis genome we have shown that the transcriptome data indicate existence of more than a hundred genes missing in the annotation though predicted by an ab initio gene finder. Interestingly, we observed that many pseudogenes possess not only a sequence with detectable coding potential but also promoters that maintain transcriptional activity.

  14. Impact of Transcriptomics on Our Understanding of Pulmonary Fibrosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukmirovic, Milica; Kaminski, Naftali

    2018-01-01

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal fibrotic lung disease characterized by aberrant remodeling of the lung parenchyma with extensive changes to the phenotypes of all lung resident cells. The introduction of transcriptomics, genome scale profiling of thousands of RNA transcripts, caused a significant inversion in IPF research. Instead of generating hypotheses based on animal models of disease, or biological plausibility, with limited validation in humans, investigators were able to generate hypotheses based on unbiased molecular analysis of human samples and then use animal models of disease to test their hypotheses. In this review, we describe the insights made from transcriptomic analysis of human IPF samples. We describe how transcriptomic studies led to identification of novel genes and pathways involved in the human IPF lung such as: matrix metalloproteinases, WNT pathway, epithelial genes, role of microRNAs among others, as well as conceptual insights such as the involvement of developmental pathways and deep shifts in epithelial and fibroblast phenotypes. The impact of lung and transcriptomic studies on disease classification, endotype discovery, and reproducible biomarkers is also described in detail. Despite these impressive achievements, the impact of transcriptomic studies has been limited because they analyzed bulk tissue and did not address the cellular and spatial heterogeneity of the IPF lung. We discuss new emerging technologies and applications, such as single-cell RNAseq and microenvironment analysis that may address cellular and spatial heterogeneity. We end by making the point that most current tissue collections and resources are not amenable to analysis using the novel technologies. To take advantage of the new opportunities, we need new efforts of sample collections, this time focused on access to all the microenvironments and cells in the IPF lung. PMID:29670881

  15. Characterizing Ancylostoma caninum transcriptome and exploring nematode parasitic adaptation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hawdon John

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hookworm infection is one of the most important neglected diseases in developing countries, with approximately 1 billion people infected worldwide. To better understand hookworm biology and nematode parasitism, the present study generated a near complete transcriptome of the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum to a very high coverage using high throughput technology, and compared it to those of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the parasite Brugia malayi. Results The generated transcripts from four developmental stages, infective L3, serum stimulated L3, adult male and adult female, covered 93% of the A. caninum transcriptome. The broad diversity among nematode transcriptomes was confirmed, and an impact of parasitic adaptation on transcriptome diversity was inferred. Intra-population analysis showed that A. caninum has higher coding sequence diversity than humans. Examining the developmental expression profiles of A. caninum revealed major transitions in gene expression from larval stages to adult. Adult males expressed the highest number of selectively expressed genes, but adult female expressed the highest number of selective parasitism-related genes. Genes related to parasitism adaptation and A. caninum specific genes exhibited more expression selectivity while those conserved in nematodes tend to be consistently expressed. Parasitism related genes were expressed more selectively in adult male and female worms. The comprehensive analysis of digital expression profiles along with transcriptome comparisons enabled identification of a set of parasitism genes encoding secretory proteins in animal parasitic nematode. Conclusions This study validated the usage of deep sequencing for gene expression profiling. Parasitic adaptation of the canine hookworm is related to its diversity and developmental dynamics. This comprehensive comparative genomic and expression study substantially improves our understanding of

  16. DOGMA: domain-based transcriptome and proteome quality assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohmen, Elias; Kremer, Lukas P M; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich; Kemena, Carsten

    2016-09-01

    Genome studies have become cheaper and easier than ever before, due to the decreased costs of high-throughput sequencing and the free availability of analysis software. However, the quality of genome or transcriptome assemblies can vary a lot. Therefore, quality assessment of assemblies and annotations are crucial aspects of genome analysis pipelines. We developed DOGMA, a program for fast and easy quality assessment of transcriptome and proteome data based on conserved protein domains. DOGMA measures the completeness of a given transcriptome or proteome and provides information about domain content for further analysis. DOGMA provides a very fast way to do quality assessment within seconds. DOGMA is implemented in Python and published under GNU GPL v.3 license. The source code is available on https://ebbgit.uni-muenster.de/domainWorld/DOGMA/ CONTACTS: e.dohmen@wwu.de or c.kemena@wwu.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Metformin reduces thyroid cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chin-Hsiao Tseng

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Whether metformin may affect thyroid cancer risk has not been studied. This study investigated the association between metformin use and thyroid cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The reimbursement databases of all diabetic patients from 1996 to 2009 were retrieved from the National Health Insurance. An entry date was set at 1 January 2006 and 1,414,723 patients with type 2 diabetes were followed for thyroid cancer incidence until the end of 2009. Incidences for ever-users, never-users and subgroups of metformin exposure using tertile cutoffs for cumulative duration of therapy and cumulative dose were calculated and adjusted hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression. Additional sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: There were 795,321 ever-users and 619,402 never-users, with respective numbers of incident thyroid cancer of 683 (0.09% and 1,614 (0.26%, and respective incidence of 24.09 and 87.33 per 100,000 person-years. The overall fully adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval was 0.683 (0.598-0.780, and all categories of the dose-response parameters showed significantly lower risk with P-trends < 0.0001. The protective effect of metformin on thyroid cancer incidence was also supported by sensitivity analyses, disregarding age (< 50 or ≥ 50 years and sex; and was not affected by excluding users of insulin, sulfonylurea, and insulin and/or sulfonylurea respectively, by previous diagnosis of other cancers or by potential detection examinations that might lead to differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for the first time that metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer.

  18. Fetal cyclophosphamide exposure induces testicular cancer and reduced spermatogenesis and ovarian follicle numbers in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comish, Paul B; Drumond, Ana Luiza; Kinnell, Hazel L; Anderson, Richard A; Matin, Angabin; Meistrich, Marvin L; Shetty, Gunapala

    2014-01-01

    Exposure to radiation during fetal development induces testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and reduces spermatogenesis in mice. However, whether DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents elicit these effects in mice remains unclear. Among such agents, cyclophosphamide (CP) is currently used to treat breast cancer in pregnant women, and the effects of fetal exposure to this drug manifested in the offspring must be better understood to offer such patients suitable counseling. The present study was designed to determine whether fetal exposure to CP induces testicular cancer and/or gonadal toxicity in 129 and in 129.MOLF congenic (L1) mice. Exposure to CP on embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 dramatically increased TGCT incidence to 28% in offspring of 129 mice (control value, 2%) and to 80% in the male offspring of L1 (control value 33%). These increases are similar to those observed in both lines of mice by radiation. In utero exposure to CP also significantly reduced testis weights at 4 weeks of age to ∼ 70% of control and induced atrophic seminiferous tubules in ∼ 30% of the testes. When the in utero CP-exposed 129 mice reached adulthood, there were significant reductions in testicular and epididymal sperm counts to 62% and 70%, respectively, of controls. In female offspring, CP caused the loss of 77% of primordial follicles and increased follicle growth activation. The results indicate that i) DNA damage is a common mechanism leading to induction of testicular cancer, ii) increased induction of testis cancer by external agents is proportional to the spontaneous incidence due to inherent genetic susceptibility, and iii) children exposed to radiation or DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents in utero may have increased risks of developing testis cancer and having reduced spermatogenic potential or diminished reproductive lifespan.

  19. Fetal cyclophosphamide exposure induces testicular cancer and reduced spermatogenesis and ovarian follicle numbers in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul B Comish

    Full Text Available Exposure to radiation during fetal development induces testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT and reduces spermatogenesis in mice. However, whether DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents elicit these effects in mice remains unclear. Among such agents, cyclophosphamide (CP is currently used to treat breast cancer in pregnant women, and the effects of fetal exposure to this drug manifested in the offspring must be better understood to offer such patients suitable counseling. The present study was designed to determine whether fetal exposure to CP induces testicular cancer and/or gonadal toxicity in 129 and in 129.MOLF congenic (L1 mice. Exposure to CP on embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 dramatically increased TGCT incidence to 28% in offspring of 129 mice (control value, 2% and to 80% in the male offspring of L1 (control value 33%. These increases are similar to those observed in both lines of mice by radiation. In utero exposure to CP also significantly reduced testis weights at 4 weeks of age to ∼ 70% of control and induced atrophic seminiferous tubules in ∼ 30% of the testes. When the in utero CP-exposed 129 mice reached adulthood, there were significant reductions in testicular and epididymal sperm counts to 62% and 70%, respectively, of controls. In female offspring, CP caused the loss of 77% of primordial follicles and increased follicle growth activation. The results indicate that i DNA damage is a common mechanism leading to induction of testicular cancer, ii increased induction of testis cancer by external agents is proportional to the spontaneous incidence due to inherent genetic susceptibility, and iii children exposed to radiation or DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents in utero may have increased risks of developing testis cancer and having reduced spermatogenic potential or diminished reproductive lifespan.

  20. Reduced incidence of lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with pirfenidone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miura, Yukiko; Saito, Takefumi; Tanaka, Toru; Takoi, Hiroyuki; Yatagai, Yohei; Inomata, Minoru; Nei, Takahito; Saito, Yoshinobu; Gemma, Akihiko; Azuma, Arata

    2018-01-01

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease with a worse prognosis than some types of cancer. In patients with IPF, lung cancer is critical because of the associated high mortality rate from its progression and fatal complications from anticancer treatments. Therefore, preventing lung cancer in patients with IPF is primordial. Pirfenidone is an anti-fibrotic agent that reduces the decline in forced vital capacity. This study aimed to assess the effect of pirfenidone in the development of lung cancer in patients with IPF. Data from 261 patients with IPF with and without pirfenidone were retrospectively reviewed, and the incidence of lung cancer was analyzed. In the pirfenidone group, the incidence of lung cancer was significantly lower than in the non-pirfenidone group (2.4% vs. 22.0%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that pirfenidone decreased the risk of lung cancer (hazard ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.46; P = 0.003), whereas coexisting emphysema increased the incidence of lung cancer (hazard ratio, 3.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.35 to 7.70; P = 0.009). Pirfenidone might correlate with a decreased risk of lung cancer in patients with IPF. However, no definite conclusion can be drawn from this retrospective study, and a multicenter, prospective cohort study is still warranted to confirm the effect of pirfenidone on lung cancer in patients with IPF. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Communication strategies to reduce cancer disparities: Insights from African-American mother-daughter dyads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosavel, Maghboeba; Wilson Genderson, Maureen; Ports, Katie A; Carlyle, Kellie E

    2015-12-01

    Mothers and daughters share a powerful and unique bond, which has potential for the dissemination of information on a variety of women's health issues, including the primary and secondary prevention of breast and cervical cancer. This study presents formative research from a long-term project examining the potential of mother-daughter communication in promoting cancer screening among African American women. Thirty-two mother-daughter pairs (N = 64) completed orally administered surveys regarding their cancer knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, and barriers to care. This study compares the attitudes and beliefs of low-income, urban, African American mothers and their adolescent daughters regarding cervical and breast cancer screening. Both mothers and daughters had fairly high levels of knowledge about breast and cervical cancer. In addition, there was a high concordance rate between mothers' and daughters' responses, suggesting a potential sharing of health knowledge between mother and daughter. These results have implications for selecting communication strategies to reduce health disparities, and support that the mother-daughter dyad could be a viable unit to disseminate targeted screening information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Sugarcane giant borer transcriptome analysis and identification of genes related to digestion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, Fernando Campos de Assis; Firmino, Alexandre Augusto Pereira; de Macedo, Leonardo Lima Pepino; Coelho, Roberta Ramos; de Souza Júnior, José Dijair Antonino; de Sousa Júnior, José Dijair Antonino; Silva-Junior, Orzenil Bonfim; Togawa, Roberto Coiti; Pappas, Georgios Joannis; de Góis, Luiz Avelar Brandão; da Silva, Maria Cristina Mattar; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria Fátima

    2015-01-01

    Sugarcane is a widely cultivated plant that serves primarily as a source of sugar and ethanol. Its annual yield can be significantly reduced by the action of several insect pests including the sugarcane giant borer (Telchin licus licus), a lepidopteran that presents a long life cycle and which efforts to control it using pesticides have been inefficient. Although its economical relevance, only a few DNA sequences are available for this species in the GenBank. Pyrosequencing technology was used to investigate the transcriptome of several developmental stages of the insect. To maximize transcript diversity, a pool of total RNA was extracted from whole body insects and used to construct a normalized cDNA database. Sequencing produced over 650,000 reads, which were de novo assembled to generate a reference library of 23,824 contigs. After quality score and annotation, 43% of the contigs had at least one BLAST hit against the NCBI non-redundant database, and 40% showed similarities with the lepidopteran Bombyx mori. In a further analysis, we conducted a comparison with Manduca sexta midgut sequences to identify transcripts of genes involved in digestion. Of these transcripts, many presented an expansion or depletion in gene number, compared to B. mori genome. From the sugarcane giant borer (SGB) transcriptome, a number of aminopeptidase N (APN) cDNAs were characterized based on homology to those reported as Cry toxin receptors. This is the first report that provides a large-scale EST database for the species. Transcriptome analysis will certainly be useful to identify novel developmental genes, to better understand the insect's biology and to guide the development of new strategies for insect-pest control.

  3. Sugarcane giant borer transcriptome analysis and identification of genes related to digestion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Campos de Assis Fonseca

    Full Text Available Sugarcane is a widely cultivated plant that serves primarily as a source of sugar and ethanol. Its annual yield can be significantly reduced by the action of several insect pests including the sugarcane giant borer (Telchin licus licus, a lepidopteran that presents a long life cycle and which efforts to control it using pesticides have been inefficient. Although its economical relevance, only a few DNA sequences are available for this species in the GenBank. Pyrosequencing technology was used to investigate the transcriptome of several developmental stages of the insect. To maximize transcript diversity, a pool of total RNA was extracted from whole body insects and used to construct a normalized cDNA database. Sequencing produced over 650,000 reads, which were de novo assembled to generate a reference library of 23,824 contigs. After quality score and annotation, 43% of the contigs had at least one BLAST hit against the NCBI non-redundant database, and 40% showed similarities with the lepidopteran Bombyx mori. In a further analysis, we conducted a comparison with Manduca sexta midgut sequences to identify transcripts of genes involved in digestion. Of these transcripts, many presented an expansion or depletion in gene number, compared to B. mori genome. From the sugarcane giant borer (SGB transcriptome, a number of aminopeptidase N (APN cDNAs were characterized based on homology to those reported as Cry toxin receptors. This is the first report that provides a large-scale EST database for the species. Transcriptome analysis will certainly be useful to identify novel developmental genes, to better understand the insect's biology and to guide the development of new strategies for insect-pest control.

  4. Major differences between human atopic dermatitis and murine models as determined by global transcriptomic profiling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ewald, David Adrian; Noda, Shinji; Oliva, Margeaux

    2017-01-01

    , and a comparison of these models with the human AD transcriptomic fingerprint is lacking. We sought to evaluate the transcriptomic profiles of six common murine models and determine how they relate to human AD skin. Transcriptomic profiling was performed using microarrays and qRT-PCR on biopsies from NC/Nga, flaky...

  5. Molecular Concordance Between Primary Breast Cancer and Matched Metastases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krøigård, Anne Bruun; Larsen, Martin Jakob; Thomassen, Mads

    2016-01-01

    Clinical management of breast cancer is increasingly personalized and based on molecular profiling. Often, primary tumors are used as proxies for systemic disease at the time of recurrence. However, recent studies have revealed substantial discordances between primary tumors and metastases, both....... The purpose of this review is to illuminate the extent of cancer genome evolution through disease progression and the degree of molecular concordance between primary breast cancers and matched metastases. We present an overview of the most prominent studies investigating the expression of endocrine receptors......, transcriptomics, and genome aberrations in primary tumors and metastases. In conclusion, biopsy of metastatic lesions at recurrence of breast cancer is encouraged to provide optimal treatment of the disease. Furthermore, molecular profiling of metastatic tissue provides invaluable mechanistic insight...

  6. Reduced male fertility in childhood cancer survivors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun Hee Lee

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available With advances in cancer treatment, more pediatric cancer patients have increased their life expectancy. Because cancer-related therapy causes various physical and psychological problems, many male survivors experience later problems with thyroid and sexual functions, and with growth. As outcomes have improved, more survivors need to maintain their reproductive function to maximize their long-term quality of life. Cancer and cancer-related treatment can impair fertility by damage to the testes, to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, or to the genitourinary organs. Prior radiation therapy to the testes, the use of alkylating agents, and central hypogonadism further impair fertility in male survivors of childhood cancer. Following any course of chemotherapy, peripubertal maturation, any testicular volume changes, and symptoms of androgen deficiency should be monitored systematically. If patients request fertility testing, spermatogenesis status can be evaluated either directly by semen analysis or indirectly by determination of the levels of testosterone/gonadotropins and by monitoring any changes in testicular volume. According to the patient's condition, semen cryopreservation, hormonal therapy, or assisted reproduction technologies should be provided.

  7. Psychosocial factors and uptake of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in women at high risk for ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiser, Bettina; Price, Melanie A; Butow, Phyllis N; Karatas, Janan; Wilson, Judy; Heiniger, Louise; Baylock, Brandi; Charles, Margaret; McLachlan, Sue-Anne; Phillips, Kelly-Anne

    2013-03-01

    Bilateral risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. This study assessed factors predicting uptake of RRSO. Women participating in a large multiple-case breast cancer family cohort study who were at increased risk for ovarian and fallopian tube cancer (i.e. BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carrier or family history including at least one first- or second-degree relative with ovarian or fallopian tube cancer), with no personal history of cancer and with at least one ovary in situ at cohort enrolment, were eligible for this study. Women who knew they did not carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation segregating in their family (true negatives) were excluded. Sociodemographic, biological and psychosocial factors, including cancer-specific anxiety, perceived ovarian cancer risk, optimism and social support, were assessed using self-administered questionnaires and interviews at cohort enrolment. RRSO uptake was self-reported every three years during systematic follow-up. Of 2,859 women, 571 were eligible. Mean age was 43.3 years; 62 women (10.9 %) had RRSO a median of two years after cohort entry. Factors predicting RRSO were: being parous (OR 3.3, p = 0.015); knowing one's mutation positive status (OR 2.9, p cancer (OR 2.5, p = 0.013). Psychological variables measured at cohort entry were not associated with RRSO. These results suggest that women at high risk for ovarian cancer make decisions about RRSO based on risk and individual socio-demographic characteristics, rather than in response to psychological factors such as anxiety.

  8. Transcriptomic network analysis of micronuclei-related genes: a case study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Leeuwen, D. M.; Pedersen, Marie; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.

    2011-01-01

    checkpoint and aneuploidy. The MN-related gene network was tested against a transcriptomics case study associated with MN measurements. In this case study, transcriptomic data from children and adults differentially exposed to ambient air pollution in the Czech Republic were analysed and visualised......Mechanistically relevant information on responses of humans to xenobiotic exposure in relation to chemically induced biological effects, such as micronuclei (MN) formation can be obtained through large-scale transcriptomics studies. Network analysis may enhance the analysis and visualisation...... of such data. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a 'MN formation' network based on a priori knowledge, by using the pathway tool MetaCore. The gene network contained 27 genes and three gene complexes that are related to processes involved in MN formation, e.g. spindle assembly checkpoint, cell cycle...

  9. Transcriptome Dynamics during Maize Endosperm Development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianzhou Qu

    Full Text Available The endosperm is a major organ of the seed that plays vital roles in determining seed weight and quality. However, genome-wide transcriptome patterns throughout maize endosperm development have not been comprehensively investigated to date. Accordingly, we performed a high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq analysis of the maize endosperm transcriptome at 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after pollination (DAP. We found that more than 11,000 protein-coding genes underwent alternative splicing (AS events during the four developmental stages studied. These genes were mainly involved in intracellular protein transport, signal transmission, cellular carbohydrate metabolism, cellular lipid metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, protein modification, histone modification, cellular amino acid metabolism, and DNA repair. Additionally, 7,633 genes, including 473 transcription factors (TFs, were differentially expressed among the four developmental stages. The differentially expressed TFs were from 50 families, including the bZIP, WRKY, GeBP and ARF families. Further analysis of the stage-specific TFs showed that binding, nucleus and ligand-dependent nuclear receptor activities might be important at 5 DAP, that immune responses, signalling, binding and lumen development are involved at 10 DAP, that protein metabolic processes and the cytoplasm might be important at 15 DAP, and that the responses to various stimuli are different at 20 DAP compared with the other developmental stages. This RNA-seq analysis provides novel, comprehensive insights into the transcriptome dynamics during early endosperm development in maize.

  10. The floral transcriptome of Eucalyptus grandis

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Vining, KJ

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available As a step toward functional annotation of genes required for floral initiation and development within the Eucalyptus genome, we used short read sequencing to analyze transcriptomes of floral buds from early and late developmental stages...

  11. Microbiome and ecotypic adaption of Holcus lanatus (L.) to extremes of its soil pH range, investigated through transcriptome sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Ellen; Carey, Manus; Meharg, Andrew A; Meharg, Caroline

    2018-03-20

    Plants can adapt to edaphic stress, such as nutrient deficiency, toxicity and biotic challenges, by controlled transcriptomic responses, including microbiome interactions. Traditionally studied in model plant species with controlled microbiota inoculation treatments, molecular plant-microbiome interactions can be functionally investigated via RNA-Seq. Complex, natural plant-microbiome studies are limited, typically focusing on microbial rRNA and omitting functional microbiome investigations, presenting a fundamental knowledge gap. Here, root and shoot meta-transcriptome analyses, in tandem with shoot elemental content and root staining, were employed to investigate transcriptome responses in the wild grass Holcus lanatus and its associated natural multi-species eukaryotic microbiome. A full factorial reciprocal soil transplant experiment was employed, using plant ecotypes from two widely contrasting natural habitats, acid bog and limestone quarry soil, to investigate naturally occurring, and ecologically meaningful, edaphically driven molecular plant-microbiome interactions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and non-AM fungal colonization was detected in roots in both soils. Staining showed greater levels of non-AM fungi, and transcriptomics indicated a predominance of Ascomycota-annotated genes. Roots in acid bog soil were dominated by Phialocephala-annotated transcripts, a putative growth-promoting endophyte, potentially involved in N nutrition and ion homeostasis. Limestone roots in acid bog soil had greater expression of other Ascomycete genera and Oomycetes and lower expression of Phialocephala-annotated transcripts compared to acid ecotype roots, which corresponded with reduced induction of pathogen defense processes, particularly lignin biosynthesis in limestone ecotypes. Ascomycota dominated in shoots and limestone soil roots, but Phialocephala-annotated transcripts were insignificant, and no single Ascomycete genus dominated. Fusarium-annotated transcripts were

  12. Researches on Transcriptome Sequencing in the Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xin, Jie; Zhang, Rong-chao; Wang, Lei

    2017-01-01

    Due to its incomparable advantages, the application of transcriptome sequencing in the study of traditional Chinese medicine attracts more and more attention of researchers, which greatly promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the applications of transcriptome sequencing in traditional Chinese medicine were summarized by reviewing recent related papers. PMID:28900463

  13. Transcriptome of pancreas-specific Bmpr1a-deleted islets links to TPH1–5-HT axis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Xu Jiang

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP signaling is crucial for the development and function of numerous organs, but its role on the function of pancreatic islets is not completely clear. To explore this question, we applied the high throughput transcriptomic analyses on the islets isolated from mice with a pancreas-specific deletion of the gene, Bmpr1a, encoding the type 1a BMP receptor. Consistently, these pBmpr1aKO mice had impaired glucose homeostasis at 3 months, and were more severely affected at 12 months of age. These had lower fasting blood insulin concentrations, with reduced expression of several key regulators of β-cell function. Importantly, transcriptomic profiling of 3-month pBmpr1aKO islets and bioinformatic analyses revealed abnormal expression of 203 metabolic genes. Critically among these, the tryptophan hydroxylase 1 gene (Tph1, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme for the production of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT was the highest over-expressed one. 5-HT is an important regulator of insulin secretion from β cells. Treatment with excess 5-HT inhibited this secretion. Thus our transcriptomic analysis links two highly conserved molecular pathways the BMP signaling and the TPH1–5-HT axis on glucose homeostasis.

  14. Improving transcriptome assembly through error correction of high-throughput sequence reads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew D. MacManes

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The study of functional genomics, particularly in non-model organisms, has been dramatically improved over the last few years by the use of transcriptomes and RNAseq. While these studies are potentially extremely powerful, a computationally intensive procedure, the de novo construction of a reference transcriptome must be completed as a prerequisite to further analyses. The accurate reference is critically important as all downstream steps, including estimating transcript abundance are critically dependent on the construction of an accurate reference. Though a substantial amount of research has been done on assembly, only recently have the pre-assembly procedures been studied in detail. Specifically, several stand-alone error correction modules have been reported on and, while they have shown to be effective in reducing errors at the level of sequencing reads, how error correction impacts assembly accuracy is largely unknown. Here, we show via use of a simulated and empiric dataset, that applying error correction to sequencing reads has significant positive effects on assembly accuracy, and should be applied to all datasets. A complete collection of commands which will allow for the production of Reptile corrected reads is available at https://github.com/macmanes/error_correction/tree/master/scripts and as File S1.

  15. Biobehavioral modulation of the exosome transcriptome in ovarian carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutgendorf, Susan K; Thaker, Premal H; Arevalo, Jesusa M; Goodheart, Michael J; Slavich, George M; Sood, Anil K; Cole, Steve W

    2018-02-01

    Social factors in the patient macroenvironment have been shown to influence molecular events in the tumor microenvironment and thereby influence cancer progression. However, biomarkers providing a window into the longitudinal effects of biobehavioral factors on tumor biology over time are lacking. Exosome analysis is a novel strategy for in vivo monitoring of dynamic changes in tumor cells. This study examined exosomal profiles from patients with low or high levels of social support for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) polarization and gene expression related to inflammation and β-adrenergic signaling. Exosomes were isolated from plasma sampled from a series of 40 women before primary surgical resection of advanced-stage, high-grade ovarian carcinoma. Samples were selected for analysis on the basis of extremes of low and high levels of social support. After exosomal isolation and RNA extraction, a microarray analysis of the transcriptome was performed. Primary analyses identified significant upregulation of 67 mesenchymal-characteristic gene transcripts and downregulation of 63 epithelial-characteristic transcripts in patients with low social support; this demonstrated increased EMT polarization (P = .0002). Secondary analyses using promoter sequence bioinformatics supported a priori hypotheses linking low social support to 1) increased activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB)/activating transcription factor (ATF) family transcription factors that mediate the β-adrenergic response to catecholamines via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling pathway (mean fold change for CREB: 2.24 ± 0.65; P = .0019; mean fold change for ATF: 2.00 ± 0.55; P = .0049) and 2) increased activity of the proinflammatory nuclear factor κB/Rel family of transcription factors (mean fold change: 2.10 ± 0.70; P = .0109). These findings suggest the possibility of leveraging exosomes as a

  16. ALTERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPING TESTIS TRANSCRIPTOME FOLLOWING EMBRYONIC VINCLOZOLIN EXPOSURE

    OpenAIRE

    Clement, Tracy M.; Savenkova, Marina I.; Settles, Matthew; Anway, Matthew D.; Skinner, Michael K.

    2010-01-01

    The current study investigates the direct effects of in utero vinclozolin exposure on the developing F1 generation rat testis transcriptome. Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure to vinclozolin during embryonic gonadal sex determination induces epigenetic modifications of the germ line and transgenerational adult onset disease states. Microarray analyses were performed to compare control and vinclozolin treated testis transcriptomes at embryonic day 13, 14 and 16. A total of 576 di...

  17. Differential transcriptomic response in the spleen and head kidney following vaccination and infection of Asian seabass with Streptococcus iniae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junhui Jiang

    Full Text Available Vaccination is an important strategy in the protection of aquaculture species from major diseases. However, we still do not have a good understanding of the mechanisms underlying vaccine-induced disease resistance. This is further complicated by the presence of several lymphoid organs that play different roles when mounting an immune response. In this study, we attempt to elucidate some of these mechanisms using a microarray-based approach. Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer were vaccinated against Streptococcus iniae and the transcriptomic changes within the spleen and head kidney at one and seven days post-vaccination were profiled. We subsequently challenged the seabass at three weeks post-vaccination with live S. iniae and similarly profiled the transcriptomes of the two organs after the challenge. We found that vaccination induced an early, but transient transcriptomic change in the spleens and a delayed response in the head kidneys, which became more similar to one another compared to un-vaccinated ones. When challenged with the pathogen, the spleen, but not the head kidneys, responded transcriptomically at 25-29 hours post-challenge. A unique set of genes, in particular those involved in the activation of NF-κB signaling, was up-regulated in the vaccinated spleens upon pathogen challenge but not in the un-vaccinated spleens. A semi-quantitative PCR detection of S. iniae using metagenomic DNA extracted from the water containing the seabass also revealed that vaccination resulted in reduction of pathogen shedding. This result indicated that vaccination not only led to a successful immune defense against the infection, but also reduced the chances for horizontal transmission of the pathogen. In conclusion, we have provided a transcriptomic analysis of how the teleost spleen and head kidneys responded to vaccination and subsequent infection. The different responses from the two organs are suggestive of their unique roles in establishing a

  18. Ovarian and Breast Cancer Spheres Are Similar in Transcriptomic Features and Sensitive to Fenretinide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiwei Wang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Cancer stem cells (CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and are ability to regenerate cancer cell populations, thus attracting much attention in cancer research. In this report, we first demonstrated that sphere cells from ovarian cancer cell line A2780 shared many features of CSCs, such as resistance to cisplatin and able to initiate tumors in an efficient manner. Then, we conducted cDNA microarray analysis on spheres from ovarian A2780 cells, and from breast MCF7 and SUM159 cells, and found that molecular pathways underlying spheres from these cancer cell lines were similar to a large extent, suggesting that similar mechanisms are involved in the genesis of CSCs in both ovarian and breast cancer types. In addition, we showed that spheres from these cancer types were highly sensitive to fenretinide, a stimulus of oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. Thus, our results not only provide important insights into mechanisms underlying CSCs in ovarian and breast cancer, but also lead to the development of more sophisticated protocols of cancer therapy in near future.

  19. The renal transcriptome in experimental hypertension

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wesseling, S.

    2007-01-01

    The renal transcriptome in experimental hypertension The kidneys importantly determine blood pressure. Kidney dysfunction can result in hypertension, which in turn leads to renal damage. In primary hypertension the cause is unknown. The condition is polygenic, however, which genetic defects cause

  20. Brain transcriptome atlases : A computational perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mahfouz, A.M.E.T.A.; Huisman, S.M.H.; Lelieveldt, B.P.F.; Reinders, M.J.T.

    2017-01-01

    The immense complexity of the mammalian brain is largely reflected in the underlying molecular signatures of its billions of cells. Brain transcriptome atlases provide valuable insights into gene expression patterns across different brain areas throughout the course of development. Such atlases

  1. HPV16 early gene E5 specifically reduces miRNA-196a in cervical cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chanzhen; Lin, Jianfei; Li, Lianqin; Zhang, Yonggang; Chen, Weiling; Cao, Zeyi; Zuo, Huancong; Chen, Chunling; Kee, Kehkooi

    2015-01-01

    High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16, which is responsible for greater than 50% of cervical cancer cases, is the most prevalent and lethal HPV type. However, the molecular mechanisms of cervical carcinogenesis remain elusive, particularly the early steps of HPV infection that may transform normal cervical epithelium into a pre-neoplastic state. Here, we report that a group of microRNAs (microRNAs) were aberrantly decreased in HPV16-positive normal cervical tissues, and these groups of microRNAs are further reduced in cervical carcinoma. Among these miRNAs, miR196a expression is the most reduced in HPV16-infected tissues. Interestingly, miR196a expression is low in HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell lines but high in HPV16-negative cervical cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we found that only HPV16 early gene E5 specifically down-regulated miRNA196a in the cervical cancer cell lines. In addition, HoxB8, a known miR196a target gene, is up-regulated in the HPV16 cervical carcinoma cell line but not in HPV18 cervical cancer cell lines. Various doses of miR196a affected cervical cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. Altogether, these results suggested that HPV16 E5 specifically down-regulates miR196a upon infection of the human cervix and initiates the transformation of normal cervix cells to cervical carcinoma. PMID:25563170

  2. Transcriptome responses of an ungrafted Phytophthora root rot tolerant avocado (Persea americana) rootstock to flooding and Phytophthora cinnamomi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeksting, B J; Olivier, N A; van den Berg, N

    2016-09-22

    Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a commercially important fruit crop worldwide. A major limitation to production is the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi, which causes root rot leading to branch-dieback and tree death. The decline of orchards infected with P. cinnamomi occurs much faster when exposed to flooding, even if flooding is only transient. Flooding is a multifactorial stress compromised of several individual stresses, making breeding and selection for tolerant varieties challenging. With more plantations occurring in marginal areas, with imperfect irrigation and drainage, understanding the response of avocado to these stresses will be important for the industry. Maintenance of energy production was found to be central in the response to flooding, as seen by up-regulation of transcripts related to glycolysis and induction of transcripts related to ethanolic fermentation. Energy-intensive processes were generally down-regulated, as evidenced by repression of transcripts related to processes such as secondary cell-wall biosynthesis as well as defence-related transcripts. Aquaporins were found to be down-regulated in avocado roots exposed to flooding, indicating reduced water-uptake under these conditions. The transcriptomic response of avocado to flooding and P. cinnamomi was investigated utilizing microarray analysis. Differences in the transcriptome caused by the presence of the pathogen were minor compared to transcriptomic perturbations caused by flooding. The transcriptomic response of avocado to flooding reveals a response to flooding that is conserved in several species. This data could provide key information that could be used to improve selection of stress tolerant rootstocks in the avocado industry.

  3. High-throughput molecular analysis in lung cancer: insights into biology and potential clinical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocak, S; Sos, M L; Thomas, R K; Massion, P P

    2009-08-01

    During the last decade, high-throughput technologies including genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic have been applied to further our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of this heterogeneous disease, and to develop strategies that aim to improve the management of patients with lung cancer. Ultimately, these approaches should lead to sensitive, specific and noninvasive methods for early diagnosis, and facilitate the prediction of response to therapy and outcome, as well as the identification of potential novel therapeutic targets. Genomic studies were the first to move this field forward by providing novel insights into the molecular biology of lung cancer and by generating candidate biomarkers of disease progression. Lung carcinogenesis is driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations that cause aberrant gene function; however, the challenge remains to pinpoint the key regulatory control mechanisms and to distinguish driver from passenger alterations that may have a small but additive effect on cancer development. Epigenetic regulation by DNA methylation and histone modifications modulate chromatin structure and, in turn, either activate or silence gene expression. Proteomic approaches critically complement these molecular studies, as the phenotype of a cancer cell is determined by proteins and cannot be predicted by genomics or transcriptomics alone. The present article focuses on the technological platforms available and some proposed clinical applications. We illustrate herein how the "-omics" have revolutionised our approach to lung cancer biology and hold promise for personalised management of lung cancer.

  4. Responses of grapevine rootstocks to drought through altered root system architecture and root transcriptomic regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yıldırım, Kubilay; Yağcı, Adem; Sucu, Seda; Tunç, Sümeyye

    2018-06-01

    Roots are the major interface between the plant and various stress factors in the soil environment. Alteration of root system architecture (RSA) (root length, spread, number and length of lateral roots) in response to environmental changes is known to be an important strategy for plant adaptation and productivity. In light of ongoing climate changes and global warming predictions, the breeding of drought-tolerant grapevine cultivars is becoming a crucial factor for developing a sustainable viticulture. Root-trait modeling of grapevine rootstock for drought stress scenarios, together with high-throughput phenotyping and genotyping techniques, may provide a valuable background for breeding studies in viticulture. Here, tree grafted grapevine rootstocks (110R, 5BB and 41B) having differential RSA regulations and drought tolerance were investigated to define their drought dependent root characteristics. Root area, root length, ramification and number of root tips reduced less in 110R grafted grapevines compared to 5BB and 41B grafted ones during drought treatment. Root relative water content as well as total carbohydrate and nitrogen content were found to be much higher in the roots of 110R than it was in the roots of other rootstocks under drought. Microarray-based root transcriptome profiling was also conducted on the roots of these rootstocks to identify their gene regulation network behind drought-dependent RSA alterations. Transcriptome analysis revealed totally 2795, 1196 and 1612 differentially expressed transcripts at the severe drought for the roots of 110R, 5BB and 41B, respectively. According to this transcriptomic data, effective root elongation and enlargement performance of 110R were suggested to depend on three transcriptomic regulations. First one is the drought-dependent induction in sugar and protein transporters genes (SWEET and NRT1/PTR) in the roots of 110R to facilitate carbohydrate and nitrogen accumulation. In the roots of the same rootstock

  5. Physiology and transcriptomics of water-deficit stress responses in wheat cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Srirama Krishna; Liu, Shuyu; Rudd, Jackie C; Xue, Qingwu; Payton, Paxton; Finlayson, Scott A; Mahan, James; Akhunova, Alina; Holalu, Srinidhi V; Lu, Nanyan

    2014-09-01

    Hard red winter wheat crops on the U.S. Southern Great Plains often experience moderate to severe drought stress, especially during the grain filling stage, resulting in significant yield losses. Cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112 are widely cultivated in the region, share parentage and showed superior but distinct adaption mechanisms under water-deficit (WD) conditions. Nevertheless, the physiological and molecular basis of their adaptation remains unknown. A greenhouse study was conducted to understand the differences in the physiological and transcriptomic responses of TAM 111 and TAM 112 to WD stress. Whole-plant data indicated that TAM 112 used more water, produced more biomass and grain yield under WD compared to TAM 111. Leaf-level data at the grain filling stage indicated that TAM 112 had elevated abscisic acid (ABA) content and reduced stomatal conductance and photosynthesis as compared to TAM 111. Sustained WD during the grain filling stage also resulted in greater flag leaf transcriptome changes in TAM 112 than TAM 111. Transcripts associated with photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, phytohormone metabolism, and other dehydration responses were uniquely regulated between cultivars. These results suggested a differential role for ABA in regulating physiological and transcriptomic changes associated with WD stress and potential involvement in the superior adaptation and yield of TAM 112. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  6. Evaluating sexual nursing care intervention for reducing sexual dysfunction in Indonesian cervical cancer survivors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yati Afiyanti

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This study aims to describe the factors affecting successful nursing care intervention on sexuality. Methods: A one-group pre- and post-test design was used. Fifty-three cervical cancer survivors and their spouses were administered with nursing care intervention on sexuality in three sessions and evaluated after 6 weeks. Results: Sexual intervention reduced dyspareunia symptoms, improved vaginal lubrication, improved sexual satisfaction, and enhanced sexual arousal, sexual desire, and orgasm among cancer survivors and their spouses. The other influencing factors also simultaneously contributed to the success of nursing care intervention. Conclusions: Nursing care intervention on sexuality could be a part of supportive nursing care and an important aspect in standard nursing care for cancer patients in Indonesia.

  7. Transcriptome Analysis of Barbarea vulgaris Infested with Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella) Larvae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Di; Wang, Haiping; Wu, Qingjun; Lu, Peng; Qiu, Yang; Song, Jiangping; Zhang, Youjun; Li, Xixiang

    2013-01-01

    Background The diamondback moth (DBM, Plutella xylostella) is a crucifer-specific pest that causes significant crop losses worldwide. Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae) can resist DBM and other herbivorous insects by producing feeding-deterrent triterpenoid saponins. Plant breeders have long aimed to transfer this insect resistance to other crops. However, a lack of knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory networks of these insecticidal saponins has hindered their practical application. A pyrosequencing-based transcriptome analysis of B. vulgaris during DBM larval feeding was performed to identify genes and gene networks responsible for saponin biosynthesis and its regulation at the genome level. Principal Findings Approximately 1.22, 1.19, 1.16, 1.23, 1.16, 1.20, and 2.39 giga base pairs of clean nucleotides were generated from B. vulgaris transcriptomes sampled 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h after onset of P. xylostella feeding and from non-inoculated controls, respectively. De novo assembly using all data of the seven transcriptomes generated 39,531 unigenes. A total of 37,780 (95.57%) unigenes were annotated, 14,399 of which were assigned to one or more gene ontology terms and 19,620 of which were assigned to 126 known pathways. Expression profiles revealed 2,016–4,685 up-regulated and 557–5188 down-regulated transcripts. Secondary metabolic pathways, such as those of terpenoids, glucosinolates, and phenylpropanoids, and its related regulators were elevated. Candidate genes for the triterpene saponin pathway were found in the transcriptome. Orthological analysis of the transcriptome with four other crucifer transcriptomes identified 592 B. vulgaris-specific gene families with a P-value cutoff of 1e−5. Conclusion This study presents the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis of B. vulgaris subjected to a series of DBM feedings. The biosynthetic and regulatory pathways of triterpenoid saponins and other DBM deterrent metabolites in this plant were

  8. Early molecular events involved in Pinus pinaster Ait. somatic embryo development under reduced water availability: transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morel, Alexandre; Teyssier, Caroline; Trontin, Jean-François; Eliášová, Kateřina; Pešek, Bedřich; Beaufour, Martine; Morabito, Domenico; Boizot, Nathalie; Le Metté, Claire; Belal-Bessai, Leila; Reymond, Isabelle; Harvengt, Luc; Cadene, Martine; Corbineau, Françoise; Vágner, Martin; Label, Philippe; Lelu-Walter, Marie-Anne

    2014-09-01

    Maritime pine somatic embryos (SEs) require a reduction in water availability (high gellan gum concentration in the maturation medium) to reach the cotyledonary stage. This key switch, reported specifically for pine species, is not yet well understood. To facilitate the use of somatic embryogenesis for mass propagation of conifers, we need a better understanding of embryo development. Comparison of both transcriptome (Illumina RNA sequencing) and proteome [two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with mass spectrometry (MS) identification] of immature SEs, cultured on either high (9G) or low (4G) gellan gum concentration, was performed, together with analysis of water content, fresh and dry mass, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA; gas chromatography-MS), soluble sugars (high-pressure liquid chromatography), starch and confocal laser microscope observations. This multiscale, integrated analysis was used to unravel early molecular and physiological events involved in SE development. Under unfavorable conditions (4G), the glycolytic pathway was enhanced, possibly in relation to cell proliferation that may be antagonistic to SE development. Under favorable conditions (9G), SEs adapted to culture constraint by activating specific protective pathways, and ABA-mediated molecular and physiological responses promoting embryo development. Our results suggest that on 9G, germin-like protein and ubiquitin-protein ligase could be used as predictive markers of SE development, whereas protein phosphatase 2C could be a biomarker for culture adaptive responses. This is the first characterization of early molecular mechanisms involved in the development of pine SEs following an increase in gellan gum concentration in the maturation medium, and it is also the first report on somatic embryogenesis in conifers combining transcriptomic and proteomic datasets. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  9. Cell type-specific responses to salinity - the epidermal bladder cell transcriptome of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Dong-Ha; Barkla, Bronwyn J; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Pantoja, Omar; Lee, Sang-Yeol; Bohnert, Hans J; Dassanayake, Maheshi

    2015-08-01

    Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) exhibits extreme tolerance to salt. Epidermal bladder cells (EBCs), developing on the surface of aerial tissues and specialized in sodium sequestration and other protective functions, are critical for the plant's stress adaptation. We present the first transcriptome analysis of EBCs isolated from intact plants, to investigate cell type-specific responses during plant salt adaptation. We developed a de novo assembled, nonredundant EBC reference transcriptome. Using RNAseq, we compared the expression patterns of the EBC-specific transcriptome between control and salt-treated plants. The EBC reference transcriptome consists of 37 341 transcript-contigs, of which 7% showed significantly different expression between salt-treated and control samples. We identified significant changes in ion transport, metabolism related to energy generation and osmolyte accumulation, stress signalling, and organelle functions, as well as a number of lineage-specific genes of unknown function, in response to salt treatment. The salinity-induced EBC transcriptome includes active transcript clusters, refuting the view of EBCs as passive storage compartments in the whole-plant stress response. EBC transcriptomes, differing from those of whole plants or leaf tissue, exemplify the importance of cell type-specific resolution in understanding stress adaptive mechanisms. No claim to original US government works. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  10. Transcriptomic signatures shaped by cell proportions shed light on comparative developmental biology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pantalacci, S.; Gueguen, L.; Petit, C.; Lambert, A.; Peterková, Renata; Sémon, E.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 18, feb (2017), s. 29 ISSN 1474-760X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GB14-37368G Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : comparative transcriptomics * developmental biology * transcriptomic signature Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 11.908, year: 2016

  11. Alternative splicing enriched cDNA libraries identify breast cancer-associated transcripts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Alternative splicing (AS) is a central mechanism in the generation of genomic complexity and is a major contributor to transcriptome and proteome diversity. Alterations of the splicing process can lead to deregulation of crucial cellular processes and have been associated with a large spectrum of human diseases. Cancer-associated transcripts are potential molecular markers and may contribute to the development of more accurate diagnostic and prognostic methods and also serve as therapeutic targets. Alternative splicing-enriched cDNA libraries have been used to explore the variability generated by alternative splicing. In this study, by combining the use of trapping heteroduplexes and RNA amplification, we developed a powerful approach that enables transcriptome-wide exploration of the AS repertoire for identifying AS variants associated with breast tumor cells modulated by ERBB2 (HER-2/neu) oncogene expression. Results The human breast cell line (C5.2) and a pool of 5 ERBB2 over-expressing breast tumor samples were used independently for the construction of two AS-enriched libraries. In total, 2,048 partial cDNA sequences were obtained, revealing 214 alternative splicing sequence-enriched tags (ASSETs). A subset with 79 multiple exon ASSETs was compared to public databases and reported 138 different AS events. A high success rate of RT-PCR validation (94.5%) was obtained, and 2 novel AS events were identified. The influence of ERBB2-mediated expression on AS regulation was evaluated by capillary electrophoresis and probe-ligation approaches in two mammary cell lines (Hb4a and C5.2) expressing different levels of ERBB2. The relative expression balance between AS variants from 3 genes was differentially modulated by ERBB2 in this model system. Conclusions In this study, we presented a method for exploring AS from any RNA source in a transcriptome-wide format, which can be directly easily adapted to next generation sequencers. We identified AS transcripts

  12. An integrative multi-dimensional genetic and epigenetic strategy to identify aberrant genes and pathways in cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lockwood William W

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genomics has substantially changed our approach to cancer research. Gene expression profiling, for example, has been utilized to delineate subtypes of cancer, and facilitated derivation of predictive and prognostic signatures. The emergence of technologies for the high resolution and genome-wide description of genetic and epigenetic features has enabled the identification of a multitude of causal DNA events in tumors. This has afforded the potential for large scale integration of genome and transcriptome data generated from a variety of technology platforms to acquire a better understanding of cancer. Results Here we show how multi-dimensional genomics data analysis would enable the deciphering of mechanisms that disrupt regulatory/signaling cascades and downstream effects. Since not all gene expression changes observed in a tumor are causal to cancer development, we demonstrate an approach based on multiple concerted disruption (MCD analysis of genes that facilitates the rational deduction of aberrant genes and pathways, which otherwise would be overlooked in single genomic dimension investigations. Conclusions Notably, this is the first comprehensive study of breast cancer cells by parallel integrative genome wide analyses of DNA copy number, LOH, and DNA methylation status to interpret changes in gene expression pattern. Our findings demonstrate the power of a multi-dimensional approach to elucidate events which would escape conventional single dimensional analysis and as such, reduce the cohort sample size for cancer gene discovery.

  13. Integrated Metabolo-Transcriptomics Reveals Fusarium Head Blight Candidate Resistance Genes in Wheat QTL-Fhb2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhananjay Dhokane

    Full Text Available Fusarium head blight (FHB caused by Fusarium graminearum not only causes severe losses in yield, but also reduces quality of wheat grain by accumulating mycotoxins. Breeding for host plant resistance is considered as the best strategy to manage FHB. Resistance in wheat to FHB is quantitative in nature, involving cumulative effects of many genes governing resistance. The poor understanding of genetics and lack of precise phenotyping has hindered the development of FHB resistant cultivars. Though more than 100 QTLs imparting FHB resistance have been reported, none discovered the specific genes localized within the QTL region, nor the underlying mechanisms of resistance.In our study recombinant inbred lines (RILs carrying resistant (R-RIL and susceptible (S-RIL alleles of QTL-Fhb2 were subjected to metabolome and transcriptome profiling to discover the candidate genes. Metabolome profiling detected a higher abundance of metabolites belonging to phenylpropanoid, lignin, glycerophospholipid, flavonoid, fatty acid, and terpenoid biosynthetic pathways in R-RIL than in S-RIL. Transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of several receptor kinases, transcription factors, signaling, mycotoxin detoxification and resistance related genes. The dissection of QTL-Fhb2 using flanking marker sequences, integrating metabolomic and transcriptomic datasets, identified 4-Coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL, callose synthase (CS, basic Helix Loop Helix (bHLH041 transcription factor, glutathione S-transferase (GST, ABC transporter-4 (ABC4 and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD as putative resistance genes localized within the QTL-Fhb2 region.Some of the identified genes within the QTL region are associated with structural resistance through cell wall reinforcement, reducing the spread of pathogen through rachis within a spike and few other genes that detoxify DON, the virulence factor, thus eventually reducing disease severity. In conclusion, we report that the wheat

  14. De novo Genome Assembly and Single Nucleotide Variations for Soybean Mosaic Virus Using Soybean Seed Transcriptome Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeonhwa Jo

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Soybean is the most important legume crop in the world. Several diseases in soybean lead to serious yield losses in major soybean-producing countries. Moreover, soybean can be infected by diverse viruses. Recently, we carried out a large-scale screening to identify viruses infecting soybean using available soybean transcriptome data. Of the screened transcriptomes, a soybean transcriptome for soybean seed development analysis contains several virus-associated sequences. In this study, we identified five viruses, including soybean mosaic virus (SMV, infecting soybean by de novo transcriptome assembly followed by blast search. We assembled a nearly complete consensus genome sequence of SMV China using transcriptome data. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the consensus genome sequence of SMV China was closely related to SMV isolates from South Korea. We examined single nucleotide variations (SNVs for SMVs in the soybean seed transcriptome revealing 780 SNVs, which were evenly distributed on the SMV genome. Four SNVs, C-U, U-C, A-G, and G-A, were frequently identified. This result demonstrated the quasispecies variation of the SMV genome. Taken together, this study carried out bioinformatics analyses to identify viruses using soybean transcriptome data. In addition, we demonstrated the application of soybean transcriptome data for virus genome assembly and SNV analysis.

  15. Functional food ingredients against colorectal cancer. An example project integrating functional genomics, nutrition and health

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stierum, R.; Burgemeister, R.; Helvoort, van A.; Peijnenburg, A.; Schütze, K.; Seidelin, M.; Vang, O.; Ommen, van B.

    2001-01-01

    Functional Food Ingredients Against Colorectal Cancer is one of the first European Union funded Research Projects at the cross-road of functional genomics [comprising transcriptomics, the measurement of the expression of all messengers RNA (mRNAs) and proteomics, the measurement of expression/state

  16. The Clinical Effects of Aromatherapy Massage on Reducing Pain for the Cancer Patients: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting-Hao Chen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Aromatherapy massage is an alternative treatment in reducing the pain of the cancer patients. This study was to investigate whether aromatherapy massage could improve the pain of the cancer patients. Methods. We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library for relevant randomized controlled trials without language limitations between 1 January 1990 and 31 July 2015 with a priori defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search terms included aromatherapy, essential oil, pain, ache, cancer, tumor, and carcinoma. There were 7 studies which met the selection criteria and 3 studies were eventually included among 63 eligible publications. Results. This meta-analysis included three randomized controlled trials with a total of 278 participants (135 participants in the massage with essential oil group and 143 participants in the control (usual care group. Compared with the control group, the massage with essential oil group had nonsignificant effect on reducing the pain (standardized mean difference = 0.01; 95% CI [-0.23,0.24]. Conclusion. Aromatherapy massage does not appear to reduce pain of the cancer patients. Further rigorous studies should be conducted with more objective measures.

  17. Hormones and breast cancer: can we use them in ways that could reduce the risk?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid Mahmud

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Many hormones promote or inhibit breast cancer in different ways. These effects and the mechanisms involved are reviewed in order to suggest a potentially safer use of hormones. Natural estrogens, administered transdermally, and natural progesterone may be the safest combination of female hormones. Increased intake of cruciferous vegetables could provide additional safety by improving 2-hydoxyestrone and diminishing 16 alphahydroxyestrone. Testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA may directly inhibit breast cancer, but could potentially stimulate it by being aromatized into estrogen in the breast. Modest doses with blood level monitoring appear logical. Melatonin and oxytocin are inhibitory to breast and other cancers. Insulin is a growth factor for breast cancer. Managing insulin resistance before the onset of diabetes could reduce the risk. Tri-iodothyronine (T3 has multiple anti-breast cancer effects. Synthroid may not increase T3 levels adequately. Human growth hormone does not appear to increase risk; but it should not be given for performance enhancement.

  18. Water enema CT examination of rectum cancer by reduced amount of water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palko, A.; Gyulai, Cs.; Fedinecz, N.; Balogh, A.; Nagy, F.

    2000-01-01

    To define whether volume of water, administered during water enema CT (WE-CT) for local staging of rectal cancer, may be reduced without compromising the diagnostic value of the examination. Materials and Methods: 29 patients with rectum cancer underwent preoperative WE-CT. Contrast-enhanced CT (equilibrium phase) measurements were performed after i.v. injection of smooth muscle relaxant and rectal administration of 400 - 500 ml lukewarm tap water. Quality of the obtained scans was evaluated and the images were analyzed for depth of tumor invasion. Results of the CT examinations were compared to findings at surgery. Results: Despite reduced dose of water enema, 19/29 examinations were of excellent quality, 6/29 good, and 4/29 poor, but still diagnostic. We achieved sensitivity (90.1), specificity (70.1) and accuracy (86.2) in differentiating tumors confined to the bowel wall from those extending beyond it. Conclusion: Large volume of water enema administered during CT examination of the rectum may cause complaints and increases the risk of complications. Our results prove that using lower amount of water does not impair the quality of examination and accuracy of local staging of rectum carcinomas. (orig.) [de

  19. A psychoeducational intervention reduces the need for anesthesia during radiotherapy for young childhood cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haeberli, Sonja; Grotzer, Michael A; Niggli, Felix K; Landolt, Markus A; Linsenmeier, Claudia; Ammann, Roland A; Bodmer, Nicole

    2008-01-01

    Radiotherapy (RT) has become an important treatment modality in pediatric oncology, but its delivery to young children with cancer is challenging and general anesthesia is often needed. To evaluate whether a psychoeducational intervention might reduce the need for anesthesia, 223 consecutive pediatric cancer patients receiving 4141 RT fractions during 244 RT courses between February 1989 and January 2006 were studied. Whereas in 154 RT courses corresponding with 2580 RT fractions patients received no psychoeducational intervention (group A), 90 RT courses respectively 1561 RT fractions were accomplished by using psychoeducational intervention (group B). This tailored psychoeducational intervention in group B included a play program and interactive support by a trained nurse according to age to get familiar with staff, equipment and procedure of radiotherapy. Group A did not differ significantly from group B in age at RT, gender, diagnosis, localization of RT and positioning during RT. Whereas 33 (21.4%) patients in group A got anesthesia, only 8 (8.9%) patients in group B needed anesthesia. The median age of cooperating patients without anesthesia decreased from 3.2 to 2.7 years. In both uni- and multivariate analyses the psychoeducational intervention significantly and independently reduced the need for anesthesia. We conclude that a specifically tailored psychoeducational intervention is able to reduce the need for anesthesia in children undergoing RT for cancer. This results in lower costs and increased cooperation during RT

  20. Reduced-port robotic total mesorectal resection for rectal cancer using a single-port access: a technical note.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Sung Uk; Jeong, Woon Kyung; Baek, Seong Kyu

    2017-12-01

    Single-port laparoscopic surgery has some advantages, including improved cosmetic outcomes and minimized parietal trauma. However, pure single-port laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery is challenging because of the difficulties in creating triangulation and applying the laparoscopic staplers with sufficient distal margins in the narrow pelvic cavity. Recently, a reduced-port robotic operation with a robotic single-port access plus one wristed robotic arm for colon cancer was introduced to overcome the limitations of single-port laparoscopic rectal surgery. Single-port laparoscopic surgery has some advantages, including improved cosmetic outcomes and minimized parietal trauma. However, the pure single-port laparoscopic rectal cancer operation is challenging. Recently, a reduced-port robotic operation with a robotic single-port access plus one wristed robotic arm for colon cancer was introduced to overcome the limitations of single-port laparoscopic rectal surgery. We performed a single-port plus an additional port robotic operation using a robotic single-port access through the umbilical incision, and the wristed robotic instruments were inserted through an additional robotic port in the right lower quadrant. The total operative and docking times were 310 min and 25 min, respectively. The total number of lymph nodes harvested was 12, and the proximal and distal resection margins were 11.1 and 2 cm, respectively. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 12 uneventfully. Based on a representative case, reduced-port robotic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer using the single-port access appears to be feasible and safe. This approach could overcome the limitations of single-port laparoscopic rectal surgery.

  1. A whole-blood transcriptome meta-analysis identifies gene expression signatures of cigarette smoking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huan, T. (Tianxiao); R. Joehanes (Roby); C. Schurmann (Claudia); K. Schramm (Katharina); L.C. Pilling (Luke); M.J. Peters (Marjolein); R. Mägi (Reedik); D.L. Demeo (Dawn L.); G.T. O'Connor (George); L. Ferrucci (Luigi); A. Teumer (Alexander); G. Homuth (Georg); R. Biffar (Reiner); U. Völker (Uwe); C. Herder (Christian); M. Waldenberger (Melanie); A. Peters (Annette); S. Zeilinger (Sonja); A. Metspalu (Andres); A. Hofman (Albert); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); D.G. Hernandez (Dena); A. Singleton (Andrew); S. Bandinelli (Stefania); P.J. Munson (Peter); H. Lin (Honghuang); E.J. Benjamin (Emelia); T. Esko (Tõnu); H.J. Grabe (Hans Jörgen); H. Prokisch (Holger); J.B.J. van Meurs (Joyce); D. Melzer (David); D. Levy (Daniel)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractCigarette smoking is a leading modifiable cause of death worldwide. We hypothesized that cigarette smoking induces extensive transcriptomic changes that lead to target-organ damage and smoking-related diseases. We performed a metaanalysis of transcriptome-wide gene expression using whole

  2. Integrative genome analyses identify key somatic driver mutations of small-cell lung cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peifer, Martin; Fernandez-Cuesta, Lynnette; Sos, Martin L.; George, Julie; Seidel, Danila; Kasper, Lawryn H.; Plenker, Dennis; Leenders, Frauke; Sun, Ruping; Zander, Thomas; Menon, Roopika; Koker, Mirjam; Dahmen, Ilona; Mueller, Christian; Di Cerbo, Vincenzo; Schildhaus, Hans-Ulrich; Altmueller, Janine; Baessmann, Ingelore; Becker, Christian; de Wilde, Bram; Vandesompele, Jo; Boehm, Diana; Ansen, Sascha; Gabler, Franziska; Wilkening, Ines; Heynck, Stefanie; Heuckmann, Johannes M.; Lu, Xin; Carter, Scott L.; Cibulskis, Kristian; Banerji, Shantanu; Getz, Gad; Park, Kwon-Sik; Rauh, Daniel; Gruetter, Christian; Fischer, Matthias; Pasqualucci, Laura; Wright, Gavin; Wainer, Zoe; Russell, Prudence; Petersen, Iver; Chen, Yuan; Stoelben, Erich; Ludwig, Corinna; Schnabel, Philipp; Hoffmann, Hans; Muley, Thomas; Brockmann, Michael; Engel-Riedel, Walburga; Muscarella, Lucia A.; Fazio, Vito M.; Groen, Harry; Timens, Wim; Sietsma, Hannie; Thunnissen, Erik; Smit, Egbert; Heideman, Danielle A. M.; Snijders, Peter J. F.; Cappuzzo, Federico; Ligorio, Claudia; Damiani, Stefania; Field, John; Solberg, Steinar; Brustugun, Odd Terje; Lund-Iversen, Marius; Saenger, Joerg; Clement, Joachim H.; Soltermann, Alex; Moch, Holger; Weder, Walter; Solomon, Benjamin; Soria, Jean-Charles; Validire, Pierre; Besse, Benjamin; Brambilla, Elisabeth; Brambilla, Christian; Lantuejoul, Sylvie; Lorimier, Philippe; Schneider, Peter M.; Hallek, Michael; Pao, William; Meyerson, Matthew; Sage, Julien; Shendure, Jay; Schneider, Robert; Buettner, Reinhard; Wolf, Juergen; Nuernberg, Peter; Perner, Sven; Heukamp, Lukas C.; Brindle, Paul K.; Haas, Stefan; Thomas, Roman K.

    2012-01-01

    Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive lung tumor subtype with poor prognosis(1-3). We sequenced 29 SCLC exomes, 2 genomes and 15 transcriptomes and found an extremely high mutation rate of 7.4 +/- 1 protein-changing mutations per million base pairs. Therefore, we conducted integrated

  3. A comparison of the Giardia lamblia trophozoite and cyst transcriptome using microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Widmer Giovanni

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Compared with many protists, Giardia lamblia has a simple life cycle alternating between cyst and trophozoite. Most research on the molecular biology of Giardia parasites has focused on trophozoites and the processes of excystation and encystation, whereas cysts have attracted less interest. The striking morphological differences between the dormant cyst and the rapidly dividing and motile trophozoite implies profound changes in the metabolism as the parasite encysts in the host's intestine and excysts upon ingestion by a new host. Results To investigate the magnitude of the transcriptional changes occurring during the G. lamblia life cycle we compared the transcriptome of G. lamblia trophozoites and cysts using single-color oligonucleotide microarrays. Cysts were found to possess a much smaller transcriptome, both in terms of mRNA diversity and abundance. Genes encoding proteins related to ribosomal functions are highly over-represented. The comparison of the transcriptome of cysts generated in culture or extracted from feces revealed little overlap, raising the possibility of significant biological differences between the two types of cysts. Conclusions The comparison of the G. lamblia cyst and trophozoite transcriptome showed that transcripts of most genes are present at a lower level in cysts. This global view of the cyst and trophozoite transcriptome complements studies focused on the expression of selected genes during trophozoite multiplication, encystation and excystation.

  4. Improving amphibian genomic resources: a multitissue reference transcriptome of an iconic invader.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Mark F; Sequeira, Fernando; Selechnik, Daniel; Carneiro, Miguel; Vallinoto, Marcelo; Reid, Jack G; West, Andrea J; Crossland, Michael R; Shine, Richard; Rollins, Lee A

    2018-01-01

    Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are an iconic invasive species introduced to 4 continents and well utilized for studies of rapid evolution in introduced environments. Despite the long introduction history of this species, its profound ecological impacts, and its utility for demonstrating evolutionary principles, genetic information is sparse. Here we produce a de novo transcriptome spanning multiple tissues and life stages to enable investigation of the genetic basis of previously identified rapid phenotypic change over the introduced range. Using approximately 1.9 billion reads from developing tadpoles and 6 adult tissue-specific cDNA libraries, as well as a transcriptome assembly pipeline encompassing 100 separate de novo assemblies, we constructed 62 202 transcripts, of which we functionally annotated ∼50%. Our transcriptome assembly exhibits 90% full-length completeness of the Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs data set. Robust assembly metrics and comparisons with several available anuran transcriptomes and genomes indicate that our cane toad assembly is one of the most complete anuran genomic resources available. This comprehensive anuran transcriptome will provide a valuable resource for investigation of genes under selection during invasion in cane toads, but will also greatly expand our general knowledge of anuran genomes, which are underrepresented in the literature. The data set is publically available in NCBI and GigaDB to serve as a resource for other researchers. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  5. Transcriptome complexity in cardiac development and diseases--an expanding universe between genome and phenome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Chen; Wang, Yibin

    2014-01-01

    With the advancement of transcriptome profiling by micro-arrays and high-throughput RNA-sequencing, transcriptome complexity and its dynamics are revealed at different levels in cardiovascular development and diseases. In this review, we will highlight the recent progress in our knowledge of cardiovascular transcriptome complexity contributed by RNA splicing, RNA editing and noncoding RNAs. The emerging importance of many of these previously under-explored aspects of gene regulation in cardiovascular development and pathology will be discussed.

  6. Effect of Brain Tumor Presence During Radiation on Tissue Toxicity: Transcriptomic and Metabolic Changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zawaski, Janice A; Sabek, Omaima M; Voicu, Horatiu; Eastwood Leung, Hon-Chiu; Gaber, M Waleed

    2017-11-15

    Radiation therapy (RT) causes functional and transcriptomic changes in the brain; however, most studies have been carried out in normal rodent brains. Here, the long-term effect of irradiation and tumor presence during radiation was investigated. Male Wistar rats ∼7 weeks old were divided into 3 groups: sham implant, RT+sham implant, and RT+tumor implant (C6 glioma). Hypofractionated irradiation (8 or 6 Gy/day for 5 days) was localized to a 1-cm strip of cranium starting 5 days after implantation, resulting in complete tumor regression and prolonged survival. Biopsy of tissue was performed in the implant area 65 days after implantation. RNA was hybridized to GeneChip Rat Exon 1.0 ST array. Data were analyzed using significant analysis of microarrays and ingenuity pathway analysis. 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) imaging was performed in the implantation site 65 to 70 days after implantation using a 9.4 T Biospec magnetic resonance imaging scanner with a quadrature rat brain array. Immunohistochemical staining for astrogliosis, HMG-CoA synthase 2, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine was performed at ∼65 days after implantation. Eighty-four genes had a false discovery rate <3.5%. We compared RT+tumor implant with RT+sham implant animals. The tumor presence affected networks associated with cancer/cell morphology/tissue morphology. 1 H-MRS showed significant reduction in taurine levels (P<.04) at the implantation site in both groups. However, the RT+tumor group also showed significant increase in levels of neurotransmitter GABA (P=.02). Hippocampal taurine levels were only significantly reduced in the RT+tumor group (P=.03). HMG-CoA synthase 2, GABA and taurine levels were confirmed using staining. Glial fibrillary acidic protein staining demonstrated a significant increase in inflammation that was heightened in the RT+tumor group. Our data indicate that tumor presence during radiation significantly affects long-term functional

  7. Comparative transcriptome analysis links distinct peritoneal tumor spread types, miliary and non-miliary, with putative origin, tubes and ovaries, in high grade serous ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auer, Katharina; Bachmayr-Heyda, Anna; Aust, Stefanie; Grunt, Thomas W; Pils, Dietmar

    2017-03-01

    High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is characterized by extensive local, i.e. peritoneal, tumor spread, manifested in two different clinical presentations, miliary (many millet sized peritoneal implants) and non-miliary (few large exophytically growing peritoneal nodes), and an overall unfavorable outcome. HGSOC is thought to arise from fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells, via so called serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STICs) but an ovarian origin was never ruled out for at least some cases. Comparative transcriptome analyses of isolated tumor cells from fresh HGSOC tissues and (immortalized) ovarian surface epithelial and fallopian tube secretory epithelial cell lines revealed a close relation between putative origin and tumor spread characteristic, i.e. miliary from tubes and non-miliary from ovaries. The latter were characterized by more mesenchymal cell characteristics, more adaptive tumor immune infiltration, and a favorable overall survival. Several molecular sub-classification systems (Crijns' overall survival signature, Yoshihara's subclasses, and a collagen-remodeling signature) seem to already indicate origin. Putative origin alone is a significant independent predictor for HGSOC outcome, validated in independent patient cohorts. Characteristics of both spread types could guide development of new targeted therapeutics, which are urgently needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterization of mango (Mangifera indica L.) transcriptome and chloroplast genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azim, M Kamran; Khan, Ishtaiq A; Zhang, Yong

    2014-05-01

    We characterized mango leaf transcriptome and chloroplast genome using next generation DNA sequencing. The RNA-seq output of mango transcriptome generated >12 million reads (total nucleotides sequenced >1 Gb). De novo transcriptome assembly generated 30,509 unigenes with lengths in the range of 300 to ≥3,000 nt and 67× depth of coverage. Blast searching against nonredundant nucleotide databases and several Viridiplantae genomic datasets annotated 24,593 mango unigenes (80% of total) and identified Citrus sinensis as closest neighbor of mango with 9,141 (37%) matched sequences. The annotation with gene ontology and Clusters of Orthologous Group terms categorized unigene sequences into 57 and 25 classes, respectively. More than 13,500 unigenes were assigned to 293 KEGG pathways. Besides major plant biology related pathways, KEGG based gene annotation pointed out active presence of an array of biochemical pathways involved in (a) biosynthesis of bioactive flavonoids, flavones and flavonols, (b) biosynthesis of terpenoids and lignins and (c) plant hormone signal transduction. The mango transcriptome sequences revealed 235 proteases belonging to five catalytic classes of proteolytic enzymes. The draft genome of mango chloroplast (cp) was obtained by a combination of Sanger and next generation sequencing. The draft mango cp genome size is 151,173 bp with a pair of inverted repeats of 27,093 bp separated by small and large single copy regions, respectively. Out of 139 genes in mango cp genome, 91 found to be protein coding. Sequence analysis revealed cp genome of C. sinensis as closest neighbor of mango. We found 51 short repeats in mango cp genome supposed to be associated with extensive rearrangements. This is the first report of transcriptome and chloroplast genome analysis of any Anacardiaceae family member.

  9. Comparative de novo transcriptome analysis of male and female Sea buckthorn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Ankush; Salaria, Mehul; Sharma, Tashil; Stobdan, Tsering; Kant, Anil

    2018-02-01

    Sea buckthorn is a dioecious medicinal plant found at high altitude. The plant has both male and female reproductive organs in separate individuals. In this article, whole transcriptome de novo assemblies of male and female flower bud samples were carried out using Illumina NextSeq 500 platform to determine the role of the genes involved in sex determination. Moreover, genes with differential expression in male and female transcriptomes were identified to understand the underlying sex determination mechanism. The current study showed 63,904 and 62,272 coding sequences (CDS) in female and male transcriptome data sets, respectively. 16,831 common CDS were screened out from both transcriptomes, out of which 625 were upregulated and 491 were found to be downregulated. To understand the potential regulatory roles of differentially expressed genes in metabolic networks and biosynthetic pathways: KEGG mapping, gene ontology, and co-expression network analysis were performed. Comparison with Flowering Interactive Database (FLOR-ID) resulted in eight differentially expressed genes viz. CHD3-type chromatin-remodeling factor PICKLE ( PKL ), phytochrome-associated serine/threonine-protein phosphatase ( FYPP ), protein TOPLESS ( TPL ), sensitive to freezing 6 ( SFR6 ), lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 homolog 1 ( LDL1 ), pre-mRNA-processing-splicing factor 8A ( PRP8A ), sucrose synthase 4 ( SUS4 ), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 12 ( UBP12 ), known to be broadly involved in flowering, photoperiodism, embryo development, and cold response pathways. Male and female flower bud transcriptome data of Sea buckthorn may provide comprehensive information at genomic level for the identification of genetic regulation involved in sex determination.

  10. Investigating the Correspondence Between Transcriptomic and Proteomic Expression Profiles Using Coupled Cluster Models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, Simon; Girolami, Mark; Kolch, Walter; Waters, Katrina M.; Liu, Tao; Thrall, Brian D.; Wiley, H. S.

    2008-01-01

    Modern transcriptomics and proteomics enable us to survey the expression of RNAs and proteins at large scales. While these data are usually generated and analyzed separately, there is an increasing interest in comparing and co-analyzing transcriptome and proteome expression data. A major open question is whether transcriptome and proteome expression is linked and how it is coordinated. Results: Here we have developed a probabilistic clustering model that permits analysis of the links between transcriptomic and proteomic profiles in a sensible and flexible manner. Our coupled mixture model defines a prior probability distribution over the component to which a protein profile should be assigned conditioned on which component the associated mRNA profile belongs to. By providing probabilistic assignments this approach sits between the two extremes of concatenating the data on the assumption that mRNA and protein clusters would have a one-to-one relationship, and independent clustering where the mRNA profile provides no information on the protein profile and vice-versa. We apply this approach to a large dataset of quantitative transcriptomic and proteomic expression data obtained from a human breast epithelial cell line (HMEC) stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) over a series of timepoints corresponding to one cell cycle. The results reveal a complex relationship between transcriptome and proteome with most mRNA clusters linked to at least two protein clusters, and vice versa. A more detailed analysis incorporating information on gene function from the gene ontology database shows that a high correlation of mRNA and protein expression is limited to the components of some molecular machines, such as the ribosome, cell adhesion complexes and the TCP-1 chaperonin involved in protein folding. Conclusions: The dynamic regulation of the transcriptome and proteome in mammalian cells in response to an acute mitogenic stimulus appears largely independent with very little

  11. A nonaxial boost may reduce late complications of radiotherapy for prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben-Josef, E; Mesina, C F; Choi, J; Forman, J D

    1995-07-01

    Purpose: The nonaxial external beam (NAEBT) prostate boost technique was designed to reduce late complications of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. It has been previously shown that with this beam arrangement, the volumes of bladder and rectum receiving high doses could be substantially reduced. This study was undertaken to find if these advantages in dose distribution would translate into clinically significant benefits. Materials and Methods: Follow-up was obtained on 106 prostate cancer patients who had been treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy. Late complications were scored using the RTOG scale. A standard four-field axial (STD) technique had been used to deliver 45 Gy to the prostate, seminal vesicles and periprostatic lymph-nodes. A subsequent 24 Gy boost had been delivered using a STD technique (58 patients) or a NAEBT technique (48 patients). In the latter, the opposing anterior and posterior pair of beams had been substituted for a right and left anterior infero-superior pair. Actuarial probabilities of developing late complications were calculated by the life-table method. The Mantel-Haenszel test was used to compare these probabilities between the two groups. Results: The groups were comparable in regard to age, race, pretreatment serum PSA, stage distribution and dose to prostate. With a median follow-up of 21 months, 18 patients have developed grade 1-2 gastrointestinal or genitourinary complications (14 in the STD group, 4 in the NAEBT group). There were no grade 3-4 complications. The actuarial 3-year complication probability was 58% and 11% in the STD and NAEBT groups, respectively. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary complications were reduced from 12.1% to 6.2% and from 15.5% to 4.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The use of a nonaxial boost technique has resulted in fewer complications in patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. The greater reduction

  12. Network-Based Isoform Quantification with RNA-Seq Data for Cancer Transcriptome Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Zhang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available High-throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq is widely used for transcript quantification of gene isoforms. Since RNA-Seq data alone is often not sufficient to accurately identify the read origins from the isoforms for quantification, we propose to explore protein domain-domain interactions as prior knowledge for integrative analysis with RNA-Seq data. We introduce a Network-based method for RNA-Seq-based Transcript Quantification (Net-RSTQ to integrate protein domain-domain interaction network with short read alignments for transcript abundance estimation. Based on our observation that the abundances of the neighboring isoforms by domain-domain interactions in the network are positively correlated, Net-RSTQ models the expression of the neighboring transcripts as Dirichlet priors on the likelihood of the observed read alignments against the transcripts in one gene. The transcript abundances of all the genes are then jointly estimated with alternating optimization of multiple EM problems. In simulation Net-RSTQ effectively improved isoform transcript quantifications when isoform co-expressions correlate with their interactions. qRT-PCR results on 25 multi-isoform genes in a stem cell line, an ovarian cancer cell line, and a breast cancer cell line also showed that Net-RSTQ estimated more consistent isoform proportions with RNA-Seq data. In the experiments on the RNA-Seq data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, the transcript abundances estimated by Net-RSTQ are more informative for patient sample classification of ovarian cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer. All experimental results collectively support that Net-RSTQ is a promising approach for isoform quantification. Net-RSTQ toolbox is available at http://compbio.cs.umn.edu/Net-RSTQ/.

  13. Synergistic effect of shape-selective silver nanostructures decorating reduced graphene oxide nanoplatelets for enhanced cytotoxicity against breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derakhshi, Maryam; Ashkarran, Ali Akbar; Bahari, Ali; Bonakdar, Shahin

    2018-07-01

    Graphene-based nanomaterials contain unique physicochemical properties and have been widely investigated due to a variety of applications particularly in cancer therapy. Furthermore, Ag has been known for its extensive historical background for biomedical applications. Therefore, conjugation of shape-selective Ag nanostructures with graphene may provide new horizons for pharmaceutical applications such as cancer treatments. Here we report on the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (NPs)/reduced graphene oxide (AgNPs/RGO) conjugate nanomaterials containing various shapes of AgNPs by a novel and simple synthesis route using the deformation of dimethylformamide (DMF) as the reducing and coupling agent. The cytotoxicity and anticancer properties of AgNPs, AgNPs/RGO conjugate nanomaterials, RGO and graphene oxide (GO) were probed against MDA-MB-231 cancer and MCF-10A normal human breast cells in vitro. The AgNPs/RGO nanocomposites exhibited a strong anticancer effect by penetration and apoptosis in cancer cells as well as the lowest influence on the viability of normal cells. It was found that cancer cell viability not only depends on the geometry of Ag nanostructures but also on the interaction between AgNPs and RGO nanoplatelets. It is suggested that AgNPs/RGO conjugate nanomaterials with various shapes of AgNPs is a promising therapeutic platform for cancer therapy.

  14. Cancer Exosomes Perform Cell-Independent MicroRNA Biogenesis and Promote Tumorigenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melo, Sonia A.; Sugimoto, Hikaru; O’Connell, Joyce T.; Kato, Noritoshi; Villanueva, Alberto; Vidal, August; Qiu, Le; Vitkin, Edward; Perelman, Lev T.; Melo, Carlos A.; Lucci, Anthony; Ivan, Cristina; Calin, George A.; Kalluri, Raghu

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY Exosomes are secreted by all cell types and contain proteins and nucleic acids. Here, we report that breast cancer associated exosomes contain microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with the RISC Loading Complex (RLC) and display cell-independent capacity to process precursor microRNAs (pre-miRNAs) into mature miRNAs. Pre-miRNAs, along with Dicer, AGO2, and TRBP, are present in exosomes of cancer cells. CD43 mediates the accumulation of Dicer specifically in cancer exosomes. Cancer exosomes mediate an efficient and rapid silencing of mRNAs to reprogram the target cell transcriptome. Exosomes derived from cells and sera of patients with breast cancer instigate non-tumorigenic epithelial cells to form tumors in a Dicer-dependent manner. These findings offer opportunities for the development of exosomes based biomarkers and therapies. PMID:25446899

  15. EFFICACIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS FOR REDUCING FATIGUE IN CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STATE OF THE QUESTION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco García Torres

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Cancer remains a major health problem worldwide. Due to the efficacy of the treatments and the improvements in healthcare systems, however, the number of cancer survivors has increased significantly over the years. Fatigue is one of the consequences of cancer that appears most frequently, causing significant changes in the lives of survivors. Different psychological treatments have been used to reduce fatigue in this patient group. Cognitive-behavioural techniques and mindfulness therapies are the ones that have the most data supporting their effectiveness, ahead of psycho-educational type interventions. The majority of studies, however, have been conducted with breast cancer survivors, and it would be desirable to test the effectiveness of these techniques with a greater variability of cancer types.

  16. Comparing de novo assemblers for 454 transcriptome data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sujai; Blaxter, Mark L

    2010-10-16

    Roche 454 pyrosequencing has become a method of choice for generating transcriptome data from non-model organisms. Once the tens to hundreds of thousands of short (250-450 base) reads have been produced, it is important to correctly assemble these to estimate the sequence of all the transcripts. Most transcriptome assembly projects use only one program for assembling 454 pyrosequencing reads, but there is no evidence that the programs used to date are optimal. We have carried out a systematic comparison of five assemblers (CAP3, MIRA, Newbler, SeqMan and CLC) to establish best practices for transcriptome assemblies, using a new dataset from the parasitic nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis. Although no single assembler performed best on all our criteria, Newbler 2.5 gave longer contigs, better alignments to some reference sequences, and was fast and easy to use. SeqMan assemblies performed best on the criterion of recapitulating known transcripts, and had more novel sequence than the other assemblers, but generated an excess of small, redundant contigs. The remaining assemblers all performed almost as well, with the exception of Newbler 2.3 (the version currently used by most assembly projects), which generated assemblies that had significantly lower total length. As different assemblers use different underlying algorithms to generate contigs, we also explored merging of assemblies and found that the merged datasets not only aligned better to reference sequences than individual assemblies, but were also more consistent in the number and size of contigs. Transcriptome assemblies are smaller than genome assemblies and thus should be more computationally tractable, but are often harder because individual contigs can have highly variable read coverage. Comparing single assemblers, Newbler 2.5 performed best on our trial data set, but other assemblers were closely comparable. Combining differently optimal assemblies from different programs however gave a more credible

  17. Reflections on multiple strategies to reduce transfusion in cancer patients: A joint narrative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goubran, Hadi; Seghatchian, Jerard; Prokopchuk-Gauk, Oksana; Radosevic, Julia; Sabry, Waleed; Iqbal, Nayyer; Burnouf, Thierry

    2017-06-01

    Transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma is widely used in the management of anemia and coagulopathy in cancer patients undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The decision to transfuse should not be made lightly as exposure to transfused blood, whether from an allogeneic or even autologous source, is not without risk and the long-term effect of blood transfusion on cancer outcomes remains questionable. Recognition of anemia associated with nutritional deficiency should be promptly corrected while avoiding the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents. Minimizing blood loss and the prompt control of bleeding, coupled with a restrictive transfusion strategy, seem to be a reasonable approach that does not appear to be associated with long-term sequelae. Limiting platelet transfusion to patients with severe hypo-proliferative thrombocytopenia, and implementation of local hemostatic measures, together with the use of fractionated coagulation factor concentrates, as an alternative to frozen plasma transfusion, may reduce the exposure of cancer patients to potentially harmful thrombogenic and pro-inflammatory cellular microparticles. This joint narrative highlights current opinions for minimizing blood usage in patients with cancer. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Population-based screening program for reducing oral cancer mortality in 2,334,299 Taiwanese cigarette smokers and/or betel quid chewers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Shu-Lin; Su, William Wang-Yu; Chen, Sam Li-Sheng; Yen, Amy Ming-Fang; Wang, Cheng-Ping; Fann, Jean Ching-Yuan; Chiu, Sherry Yueh-Hsia; Lee, Yi-Chia; Chiu, Han-Mo; Chang, Dun-Cheng; Jou, Yann-Yuh; Wu, Chien-Yuan; Chen, Hsiu-Hsi; Chen, Mu-Kuan; Chiou, Shu-Ti

    2017-05-01

    To reduce oral cancer mortality, an organized, population-based screening program for the early detection of oral premalignancy and oral cancer was designed for high-risk individuals with habits of betel quid chewing, cigarette smoking, or both. The objective of this report was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this program in reducing the incidence of advanced disease and deaths from oral cancer. A nationwide, population-based screening program for oral cancer has been conducted in Taiwan since 2004. Residents aged ≥ 18 years with oral habits of cigarette smoking and/or betel quid chewing were invited. The standardized mortality ratio method was used to compare the observed numbers of advanced oral cancers and deaths from oral cancer among screening attendees with the expected numbers derived from mortality among nonattendees. An intention-to-treat analysis of the relative rate of reductions in advanced-stage oral cancers and oral cancer mortality also was conducted. The overall screening rate was 55.1%. The relative risk of death from oral cancer was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.56) as a result of screening compared with the expected risk of oral cancer deaths in the absence of screening. The corresponding relative risk was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.72-0.77) after adjusting for self-selection bias. The relative risk of advanced oral cancer for the screened group versus the nonscreened group was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.59-0.64), which increased to 0.79 (95% CI, 0.76-0.82) after adjustment for self-selection bias. An organized, population-based oral cancer screening program targeting more than 2 million Taiwanese cigarette smokers and/or betel quid chewers demonstrated the effectiveness of reducing stage III or IV oral cancers and oral cancer mortality. These evidence-based findings corroborate and support the screening strategy of oral visual inspection for the prevention of oral cancer among high-risk individuals in areas with a high incidence of oral

  19. Liver transcriptome profile in pigs with extreme phenotypes of intramuscular fatty acid composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramayo-Caldas Yuliaxis

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background New advances in high-throughput technologies have allowed for the massive analysis of genomic data, providing new opportunities for the characterization of the transcriptome architectures. Recent studies in pigs have employed RNA-Seq to explore the transcriptome of different tissues in a reduced number of animals. The main goal of this study was the identification of differentially-expressed genes in the liver of Iberian x Landrace crossbred pigs showing extreme phenotypes for intramuscular fatty acid composition using RNA-Seq. Results The liver transcriptomes of two female groups (H and L with phenotypically extreme intramuscular fatty acid composition were sequenced using RNA-Seq. A total of 146 and 180 unannotated protein-coding genes were identified in intergenic regions for the L and H groups, respectively. In addition, a range of 5.8 to 7.3% of repetitive elements was found, with SINEs being the most abundant elements. The expression in liver of 186 (L and 270 (H lncRNAs was also detected. The higher reproducibility of the RNA-Seq data was validated by RT-qPCR and porcine expression microarrays, therefore showing a strong correlation between RT-qPCR and RNA-Seq data (ranking from 0.79 to 0.96, as well as between microarrays and RNA-Seq (r=0.72. A differential expression analysis between H and L animals identified 55 genes differentially-expressed between groups. Pathways analysis revealed that these genes belong to biological functions, canonical pathways and three gene networks related to lipid and fatty acid metabolism. In concordance with the phenotypic classification, the pathways analysis inferred that linolenic and arachidonic acids metabolism was altered between extreme individuals. In addition, a connection was observed among the top three networks, hence suggesting that these genes are interconnected and play an important role in lipid and fatty acid metabolism. Conclusions In the present study RNA-Seq was used

  20. Transcriptome data on maternal RNA of 24 individual zebrafish eggs from five sibling mothers

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    Johanna F.B. Pagano

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Maternal mRNA that is present in the mature oocyte plays an important role in the proper development of the early embryo. To elucidate the role of the maternal transcriptome we recently reported a microarray study on individual zebrafish eggs from five different clutches from sibling mothers and showed differences in maternal RNA abundance between and within clutches, “Mother-specific signature in the maternal transcriptome composition of mature, unfertilized Eggs” [1]. Here we provide in detail the applied preprocessing method as well as the R-code to identify expressed and non-expressed genes in the associated transcriptome dataset. Additionally, we provide a website that allows a researcher to search for the expression of their gene of interest in this experiment. Keywords: Zebrafish, Danio rerio, Egg transcriptome, Single egg

  1. The developmental transcriptome of Drosophila melanogaster

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    University of Connecticut; Graveley, Brenton R.; Brooks, Angela N.; Carlson, Joseph W.; Duff, Michael O.; Landolin, Jane M.; Yang, Li; Artieri, Carlo G.; van Baren, Marijke J.; Boley, Nathan; Booth, Benjamin W.; Brown, James B.; Cherbas, Lucy; Davis, Carrie A.; Dobin, Alex; Li, Renhua; Lin, Wei; Malone, John H.; Mattiuzzo, Nicolas R.; Miller, David; Sturgill, David; Tuch, Brian B.; Zaleski, Chris; Zhang, Dayu; Blanchette, Marco; Dudoit, Sandrine; Eads, Brian; Green, Richard E.; Hammonds, Ann; Jiang, Lichun; Kapranov, Phil; Langton, Laura; Perrimon, Norbert; Sandler, Jeremy E.; Wan, Kenneth H.; Willingham, Aarron; Zhang, Yu; Zou, Yi; Andrews, Justen; Bicke, Peter J.; Brenner, Steven E.; Brent, Michael R.; Cherbas, Peter; Gingeras, Thomas R.; Hoskins, Roger A.; Kaufman, Thomas C.; Oliver, Brian; Celniker, Susan E.

    2010-12-02

    Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most well studied genetic model organisms; nonetheless, its genome still contains unannotated coding and non-coding genes, transcripts, exons and RNA editing sites. Full discovery and annotation are pre-requisites for understanding how the regulation of transcription, splicing and RNA editing directs the development of this complex organism. Here we used RNA-Seq, tiling microarrays and cDNA sequencing to explore the transcriptome in 30 distinct developmental stages. We identified 111,195 new elements, including thousands of genes, coding and non-coding transcripts, exons, splicing and editing events, and inferred protein isoforms that previously eluded discovery using established experimental, prediction and conservation-based approaches. These data substantially expand the number of known transcribed elements in the Drosophila genome and provide a high-resolution view of transcriptome dynamics throughout development. Drosophila melanogaster is an important non-mammalian model system that has had a critical role in basic biological discoveries, such as identifying chromosomes as the carriers of genetic information and uncovering the role of genes in development. Because it shares a substantial genic content with humans, Drosophila is increasingly used as a translational model for human development, homeostasis and disease. High-quality maps are needed for all functional genomic elements. Previous studies demonstrated that a rich collection of genes is deployed during the life cycle of the fly. Although expression profiling using microarrays has revealed the expression of, 13,000 annotated genes, it is difficult to map splice junctions and individual base modifications generated by RNA editing using such approaches. Single-base resolution is essential to define precisely the elements that comprise the Drosophila transcriptome. Estimates of the number of transcript isoforms are less accurate than estimates of the number of genes

  2. Reduced lung cancer mortality in dairy farmers: is endotoxin exposure the key factor?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastrangelo, G; Marzia, V; Marcer, G

    1996-11-01

    From two areas in the Province of Padova, we selected 2,283 male farmers who worked either in cattle raising or in crop/orchard cultivation. There were 422 cohort deaths from 1970 to 1992. Using the regional population as a reference, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on the Poisson distribution. Cancer mortality was significantly reduced among the 1,561 dairy farmers (SMR = 0.65; CI = 0.53-0.81); there was a significant decrease in lung cancer (SMR = 0.49; CI = 0.31-0.74), whereas a significant increase from brain tumors was found (SMR = 2.83; CI = 1.04-6.17). Neither overall cancer mortality nor the lung cancer SMR deviated significantly from unity for the 722 crop/orchard farmers. Among dairy farmers, moreover, lung cancer SMRs showed a significant downward trend across the quartiles of increasing length of work, 0.96 in the first quartile, and 0.48, 0.40, and 0.25 in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. Moreover, lung cancer risk decreased with increasing farm land area, with SMRs in the quartiles of 0.89, 0.37, 0.41 and 0.19. This decrease cannot be attributed to either a selection (healthy worker effect) or a confounding (lower percentage of smokers) bias. Nor was it due to an artifact introduced by differences in age distribution among the quartiles. Dairy farmers are known to be exposed to higher airborne endotoxin concentrations; reasonably, this cumulative exposure increases further with years of work and area of farm. Endotoxins may have protected the dairy farmers against lung cancer through the tumor necrosis factor produced by alveolar macrophages.

  3. Human Transcriptome and Chromatin Modifications: An ENCODE Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Shen

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available A decade-long project, led by several international research groups, called the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE, recently released an unprecedented amount of data. The ambitious project covers transcriptome, cistrome, epigenome, and interactome data from more than 1,600 sets of experiments in human. To make use of this valuable resource, it is important to understand the information it represents and the techniques that were used to generate these data. In this review, we introduce the data that ENCODE generated, summarize the observations from the data analysis, and revisit a computational approach that ENCODE used to predict gene expression, with a focus on the human transcriptome and its association with chromatin modifications.

  4. Survey of the transcriptome of Aspergillus oryzae via massively parallel mRNA sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bin; Guo, Guangwu; Wang, Chao; Lin, Ying; Wang, Xiaoning; Zhao, Mouming; Guo, Yong; He, Minghui; Zhang, Yong; Pan, Li

    2010-08-01

    Aspergillus oryzae, an important filamentous fungus used in food fermentation and the enzyme industry, has been shown through genome sequencing and various other tools to have prominent features in its genomic composition. However, the functional complexity of the A. oryzae transcriptome has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we applied direct high-throughput paired-end RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to the transcriptome of A. oryzae under four different culture conditions. With the high resolution and sensitivity afforded by RNA-Seq, we were able to identify a substantial number of novel transcripts, new exons, untranslated regions, alternative upstream initiation codons and upstream open reading frames, which provide remarkable insight into the A. oryzae transcriptome. We were also able to assess the alternative mRNA isoforms in A. oryzae and found a large number of genes undergoing alternative splicing. Many genes and pathways that might be involved in higher levels of protein production in solid-state culture than in liquid culture were identified by comparing gene expression levels between different cultures. Our analysis indicated that the transcriptome of A. oryzae is much more complex than previously anticipated, and these results may provide a blueprint for further study of the A. oryzae transcriptome.

  5. CTDB: An Integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database for Functional and Applied Genomics

    OpenAIRE

    Verma, Mohit; Kumar, Vinay; Patel, Ravi K.; Garg, Rohini; Jain, Mukesh

    2015-01-01

    Chickpea is an important grain legume used as a rich source of protein in human diet. The narrow genetic diversity and limited availability of genomic resources are the major constraints in implementing breeding strategies and biotechnological interventions for genetic enhancement of chickpea. We developed an integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database (CTDB), which provides the comprehensive web interface for visualization and easy retrieval of transcriptome data in chickpea. The database fea...

  6. Microsatellite instability is associated with reduced disease specific survival in stage III colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, H M; Ryan, E; Balasubramanian, I; Kennelly, R; Geraghty, R; Sclafani, F; Fennelly, D; McDermott, R; Ryan, E J; O'Donoghue, D; Hyland, J M P; Martin, S T; O'Connell, P R; Gibbons, D; Winter, Des; Sheahan, K

    2016-11-01

    Up to 15% of colorectal cancers exhibit microsatellite instability (MSI), where errors in replication go unchecked due to defects in the mismatch repair system. This study aimed to determine survival in a large single-centre series of 1250 consecutive colorectal cancers subjected to universal MSI testing. Clinical and pathological features of patients with colorectal cancer identified on prospectively maintained colorectal and pathology databases at St. Vincent's University Hospital from 2004 to May 2012 were examined. Mismatch repair (MMR) status was determined by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier curves, the log-rank test and Cox regression were used to associate survival with clinical and pathological characteristics. Of the 1250 colorectal cancers in the study period, 11% exhibited MSI (n = 138). Patients with MSI tumours had significantly lower rates of lymph node and distant metastases (MSI N+ rate: 24.8% compared with MSS N+ rate: 46.2%, p colon cancer. However, patients with Stage III MSI colon cancers had a worse DSS than those with MSS tumours. Stage III MSI tumours exhibited higher rates of lymphovascular invasion and perineural invasion than Stage I/II MSI tumours. MSI is associated with a reduced risk of nodal and distant metastases, with an improved DSS in Stage I/II colon cancer. However, when MSI tumours progress to Stage III these patients had worse outcomes and pathological features. New strategies for this cohort of patients may be required to improve outcomes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Perceptions of Risk of Developing Skin Cancer for Diverse Audiences: Enhancing Relevance of Sun Protection to Reduce the Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, June K; Friedewald, John; Gordon, Elisa J

    2016-03-01

    Sixty-five percent of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) develop squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Perceptions of risk of developing skin cancer, amelioration of this risk with sun protection, and having choices among sun protection strategies may enhance sun protection use by KTRS, who are at greater risk than the general population. Thirty KTRs stratified among non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanic/Latinos evaluated three versions of the interactive, web-based, electronic sun protection program and suggested refinements. The sequence of content presentation prepared the participant to accept the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of the message. Beginning with informing participants that using sun protection reduces the chance of developing skin cancer made the information credible to KTRs. Showing skin cancer on all skin types and patient testimonials enhanced participants' awareness of their susceptibility to develop skin cancer and primed patients to receive their personal risk of developing skin cancer. Coupling presentation of knowledge about the benefits of sun protection in reducing the risk of developing skin cancer with the personal risk of getting the disease was essential to KTRs believing that they could influence their health outcome.

  8. De novo transcriptome assembly of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L. fruit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deden Derajat Matra

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Garcinia mangostana L. (Mangosteen, of the family Clusiaceae, is one of the economically important tropical fruits in Indonesia. In the present study, we performed de novo transcriptomic analysis of Garcinia mangostana L. through RNA-Seq technology. We obtained the raw data from 12 libraries through Ion Proton System. Clean reads of 191,735,809 were obtained from 307,634,890 raw reads. The raw data obtained in this study can be accessible in DDBJ database with accession number of DRA005014 with bioproject accession number of PRJDB5091. We obtained 268,851 transcripts as well as 155,850 unigenes, having N50 value of 555 and 433 bp, respectively. Transcript/unigene length ranged from 201 to 5916 bp. The unigenes were annotated with two main databases from NCBI and UniProtKB, respectively having annotated-sequences of 73,287 and 73,107, respectively. These transcriptomic data will be beneficial for studying transcriptome of Garcinia mangostana L.

  9. Histological chorioamnionitis shapes the neonatal transcriptomic immune response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weitkamp, Jörn-Hendrik; Guthrie, Scott O; Wong, Hector R; Moldawer, Lyle L; Baker, Henry V; Wynn, James L

    2016-07-01

    Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is commonly associated with preterm birth and deleterious post-natal outcomes including sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Transcriptomic analysis has been used to uncover gene signatures that permit diagnosis and prognostication, show new therapeutic targets, and reveal mechanisms that underlie differential outcomes with other complex disease states in neonates such as sepsis. To define the transcriptomic and inflammatory protein response in peripheral blood among infants with exposure to histologic chorioamnionitis. Prospective, observational study. Uninfected preterm neonates retrospectively categorized based on placental pathology with no HCA exposure (n=18) or HCA exposure (n=15). We measured the transcriptomic and inflammatory mediator response in prospectively collected whole blood. We found 488 significant (p<0.001), differentially expressed genes in whole blood samples among uninfected neonates with HCA exposure that collectively represented activated innate and adaptive immune cellular pathways and revealed a potential regulatory role for the pleotropic microRNA molecule miR-155. Differentially secreted plasma cytokines in patients with HCA exposure compared to patients without HCA included MCP-1, MPO, and MMP-9 (p<0.05). Exposure to HCA distinctively activates the neonatal immune system in utero with potentially long-term health consequences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Coevolutionary genetic variation in the legume-rhizobium transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath, Katy D; Burke, Patricia V; Stinchcombe, John R

    2012-10-01

    Coevolutionary change requires reciprocal selection between interacting species, where the partner genotypes that are favoured in one species depend on the genetic composition of the interacting species. Coevolutionary genetic variation is manifested as genotype × genotype (G × G) interactions for fitness in interspecific interactions. Although quantitative genetic approaches have revealed abundant evidence for G × G interactions in symbioses, the molecular basis of this variation remains unclear. Here we study the molecular basis of G × G interactions in a model legume-rhizobium mutualism using gene expression microarrays. We find that, like quantitative traits such as fitness, variation in the symbiotic transcriptome may be partitioned into additive and interactive genetic components. Our results suggest that plant genetic variation had the largest influence on nodule gene expression and that plant genotype and the plant genotype × rhizobium genotype interaction determine global shifts in rhizobium gene expression that in turn feedback to influence plant fitness benefits. Moreover, the transcriptomic variation we uncover implicates regulatory changes in both species as drivers of symbiotic gene expression variation. Our study is the first to partition genetic variation in a symbiotic transcriptome and illuminates potential molecular routes of coevolutionary change. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. Finasteride Reduces Risk of Bladder Cancer in a Large Prospective Screening Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, Edwin E; Grill, Sonja; Svatek, Robert S; Kaushik, Dharam; Thompson, Ian M; Ankerst, Donna P; Liss, Michael A

    2016-03-01

    The androgen receptor has been implicated in the development and progression of bladder cancer (BCa), largely based on studies of animal models. We investigated whether finasteride was associated with a reduced incidence of BCa as observed by self-report in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian cancer screening trial. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to determine the association of finasteride use with time to diagnosis of BCa, controlling for age and tobacco use. Of the 72,370 male participants who met inclusion criteria, 6069 (8.4%) had reported the use of finasteride. BCa was diagnosed in 1.07% (65 of 6069) of those who reported finasteride compared with 1.46% (966 of 66,301) of those who reported no use during the trial. In a multiple Cox regression analysis, self-reported use of finasteride was associated with a decreased risk of development of BCa (hazard ratio: 0.634; 95% confidence interval, 0.493-0.816; p=0.0004), controlling for age and smoking. Limitations of this study include that it is observational and not randomized, that many of the confounding variables for BCa, such as alcohol use, were not available for use in the analysis, and that finasteride use was by annual self-report, which is subject to missing values and error. Finasteride is a common medication used to reduce the size of the prostate and to promote hair growth by manipulating testosterone in men. Men are more likely than women to develop bladder cancer (BCa), but our study noted that men using finasteride were less likely to have a BCa diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparative whole genome transcriptome and metabolome analyses of five Klebsiella pneumonia strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soojin; Kim, Borim; Yang, Jeongmo; Jeong, Daun; Park, Soohyun; Shin, Sang Heum; Kook, Jun Ho; Yang, Kap-Seok; Lee, Jinwon

    2015-11-01

    The integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics can provide precise information on gene-to-metabolite networks for identifying the function of novel genes. The goal of this study was to identify novel gene functions involved in 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) biosynthesis by a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome of five mutated Klebsiella pneumonia strains (∆wabG = SGSB100, ∆wabG∆budA = SGSB106, ∆wabG∆budB = SGSB107, ∆wabG∆budC = SGSB108, ∆wabG∆budABC = SGSB109). First, the transcriptomes of all five mutants were analyzed and the genes exhibiting reproducible changes in expression were determined. The transcriptome was well conserved among the five strains, and differences in gene expression occurred mainly in genes coding for 2,3-BDO biosynthesis (budA, budB, and budC) and the genes involved in the degradation of reactive oxygen, biosynthesis and transport of arginine, cysteine biosynthesis, sulfur metabolism, oxidoreductase reaction, and formate dehydrogenase reaction. Second, differences in the metabolome (estimated by carbon distribution, CO2 emission, and redox balance) among the five mutant strains due to gene alteration of the 2,3-BDO operon were detected. The functional genomics approach integrating metabolomics and transcriptomics in K. Pneumonia presented here provides an innovative means of identifying novel gene functions involved in 2,3-BDO biosynthesis metabolism and whole cell metabolism.

  13. A psychoeducational intervention reduces the need for anesthesia during radiotherapy for young childhood cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linsenmeier Claudia

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Radiotherapy (RT has become an important treatment modality in pediatric oncology, but its delivery to young children with cancer is challenging and general anesthesia is often needed. Methods To evaluate whether a psychoeducational intervention might reduce the need for anesthesia, 223 consecutive pediatric cancer patients receiving 4141 RT fractions during 244 RT courses between February 1989 and January 2006 were studied. Whereas in 154 RT courses corresponding with 2580 RT fractions patients received no psychoeducational intervention (group A, 90 RT courses respectively 1561 RT fractions were accomplished by using psychoeducational intervention (group B. This tailored psychoeducational intervention in group B included a play program and interactive support by a trained nurse according to age to get familiar with staff, equipment and procedure of radiotherapy. Results Group A did not differ significantly from group B in age at RT, gender, diagnosis, localization of RT and positioning during RT. Whereas 33 (21.4% patients in group A got anesthesia, only 8 (8.9% patients in group B needed anesthesia. The median age of cooperating patients without anesthesia decreased from 3.2 to 2.7 years. In both uni- and multivariate analyses the psychoeducational intervention significantly and independently reduced the need for anesthesia. Conclusion We conclude that a specifically tailored psychoeducational intervention is able to reduce the need for anesthesia in children undergoing RT for cancer. This results in lower costs and increased cooperation during RT.

  14. Transcriptomic signatures in cartilage ageing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Age is an important factor in the development of osteoarthritis. Microarray studies provide insight into cartilage aging but do not reveal the full transcriptomic phenotype of chondrocytes such as small noncoding RNAs, pseudogenes, and microRNAs. RNA-Seq is a powerful technique for the interrogation of large numbers of transcripts including nonprotein coding RNAs. The aim of the study was to characterise molecular mechanisms associated with age-related changes in gene signatures. Methods RNA for gene expression analysis using RNA-Seq and real-time PCR analysis was isolated from macroscopically normal cartilage of the metacarpophalangeal joints of eight horses; four young donors (4 years old) and four old donors (>15 years old). RNA sequence libraries were prepared following ribosomal RNA depletion and sequencing was undertaken using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Differentially expressed genes were defined using Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction with a generalised linear model likelihood ratio test (P ageing cartilage. Conclusion There was an age-related dysregulation of matrix, anabolic and catabolic cartilage factors. This study has increased our knowledge of transcriptional networks in cartilage ageing by providing a global view of the transcriptome. PMID:23971731

  15. Ten Years of Tamoxifen Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrences, Improves Survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Common Cancer Types Recurrent Cancer Common Cancer Types Bladder Cancer Breast Cancer Colorectal Cancer Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer ... Nearly 7,000 women with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were enrolled in the trial ...

  16. Omics/systems biology and cancer cachexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Iain J; Jacobi, Carsten; Tardif, Nicolas; Rooyackers, Olav; Fearon, Kenneth

    2016-06-01

    Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome generated by interaction between the host and tumour cells with a background of treatment effects and toxicity. The complexity of the physiological pathways likely involved in cancer cachexia necessitates a holistic view of the relevant biology. Emergent properties are characteristic of complex systems with the result that the end result is more than the sum of its parts. Recognition of the importance of emergent properties in biology led to the concept of systems biology wherein a holistic approach is taken to the biology at hand. Systems biology approaches will therefore play an important role in work to uncover key mechanisms with therapeutic potential in cancer cachexia. The 'omics' technologies provide a global view of biological systems. Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics approaches all have application in the study of cancer cachexia to generate systems level models of the behaviour of this syndrome. The current work reviews recent applications of these technologies to muscle atrophy in general and cancer cachexia in particular with a view to progress towards integration of these approaches to better understand the pathology and potential treatment pathways in cancer cachexia. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. In-depth characterization of microRNA transcriptome in melanoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Kozubek

    Full Text Available The full repertoire of human microRNAs (miRNAs that could distinguish common (benign nevi from cutaneous (malignant melanomas remains to be established. In an effort to gain further insight into the role of miRNAs in melanoma, we applied Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS platform to carry out an in-depth analysis of miRNA transcriptome in biopsies of nevi, thick primary (>4.0 mm and metastatic melanomas with matched normal skin in parallel to melanocytes and melanoma cell lines (both primary and metastatic (n=28. From this data representing 698 known miRNAs, we defined a set of top-40 list, which properly classified normal from cancer; also confirming 23 (58% previously discovered miRNAs while introducing an additional 17 (42% known and top-15 putative novel candidate miRNAs deregulated during melanoma progression. Surprisingly, the miRNA signature distinguishing specimens of melanoma from nevus was significantly different than that of melanoma cell lines from melanocytes. Among the top list, miR-203, miR-204-5p, miR-205-5p, miR-211-5p, miR-23b-3p, miR-26a-5p and miR-26b-5p were decreased in melanomas vs. nevi. In a validation cohort (n=101, we verified the NGS results by qRT-PCR and showed that receiver-operating characteristic curves for miR-211-5p expression accurately discriminated invasive melanoma (AUC=0.933, melanoma in situ (AUC=0.933 and dysplastic (atypical nevi (AUC=0.951 from common nevi. Target prediction analysis of co-transcribed miRNAs showed a cooperative regulation of key elements in the MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, we found extensive sequence variations (isomiRs and other non-coding small RNAs revealing a complex melanoma transcriptome. Deep-sequencing small RNAs directly from clinically defined specimens provides a robust strategy to improve melanoma diagnostics.

  18. The Longitudinal Transcriptional Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with and without Bevacizumab in Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silwal-Pandit, Laxmi; Nord, Silje; von der Lippe Gythfeldt, Hedda; Møller, Elen K; Fleischer, Thomas; Rødland, Einar; Krohn, Marit; Borgen, Elin; Garred, Øystein; Olsen, Tone; Vu, Phuong; Skjerven, Helle; Fangberget, Anne; Holmen, Marit M; Schlitchting, Ellen; Wille, Elisabeth; Nordberg Stokke, Mette; Moen Vollan, Hans Kristian; Kristensen, Vessela; Langerød, Anita; Lundgren, Steinar; Wist, Erik; Naume, Bjørn; Lingjærde, Ole Christian; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Engebraaten, Olav

    2017-08-15

    Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced alterations to gene expression are due to transcriptional reprogramming of tumor cells or subclonal adaptations to treatment. The effect on whole-transcriptome mRNA expression was investigated in a randomized phase II clinical trial to assess the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the addition of bevacizumab. Experimental Design: Tumor biopsies and whole-transcriptome mRNA profiles were obtained at three fixed time points with 66 patients in each arm. Altogether, 358 specimens from 132 patients were available, representing the transcriptional state before treatment start, at 12 weeks and after treatment (25 weeks). Pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast and axillary nodes was the primary endpoint. Results: pCR was observed in 15 patients (23%) receiving bevacizumab and chemotherapy and 8 patients (12%) receiving only chemotherapy. In the estrogen receptor-positive patients, 11 of 54 (20%) treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy achieved pCR, while only 3 of 57 (5%) treated with chemotherapy reached pCR. In patients with estrogen receptor-positive tumors treated with combination therapy, an elevated immune activity was associated with good response. Proliferation was reduced after treatment in both treatment arms and most pronounced in the combination therapy arm, where the reduction in proliferation accelerated during treatment. Transcriptional alterations during therapy were subtype specific, and the effect of adding bevacizumab was most evident for luminal-B tumors. Conclusions: Clinical response and gene expression response differed between patients receiving combination therapy and chemotherapy alone. The results may guide identification of patients likely to benefit from antiangiogenic therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4662-70. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  19. Fentanyl induces autophagy via activation of the ROS/MAPK pathway and reduces the sensitivity of cisplatin in lung cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Jiaqi; Ma, Chi; Gao, Wei; Liang, Jinxiao; Liu, Chang; Yang, Hongfang; Yan, Qiu; Wen, Qingping

    2016-12-01

    Cancer pain is the most common complication of lung carcinoma. Opioid agonist fentanyl is widely used for relieving pain in cancer patients, and cisplatin (DDP)‑based chemotherapy is commonly used for the treatment of advanced lung cancer; these two drugs are always used together in lung carcinoma patients. However, the mechanisms and related biological pathways by which fentanyl influences cisplatin sensitivity are relatively poorly reported. Here, we found that fentanyl reduces the sensitivity of cisplatin in human lung cancer cells and induces autophagy. Fentanyl induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and JNK activation. N-acetyl‑L‑cysteine is a ROS scavenger and antioxidant, and the inhibition of JNK with SP600125 prevented fentanyl‑induced autophagy. We also found that 3-methyladenine (3-MA; an autophagy inhibitor) increased the sensitivity of DDP and weakened the inhibition of fentanyl. In conclusion, fentanyl reduces the sensitivity of cisplatin in lung cancer cells through the ROS-JNK-autophagy pathway, whereas the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA may weaken this effect.

  20. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of fecundity in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yifan; Zhang, Jianqing; Sun, Zhongxiang; Dong, Xiaolin; He, Yuan; Kang, Kui; Liu, Zhichao; Zhang, Wenqing

    2013-11-01

    As an r-strategy insect species, the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a serious pest of rice crops in the temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Australia, which may be due to its robust fecundity. Here we combined 2-DE comparative proteomic and RNA-seq transcriptomic analyses to identify fecundity-related proteins and genes. Using high- and low-fecundity populations as sample groups, a total of 54 and 75 proteins were significantly altered in the third and sixth day brachypterous female stages, respectively, and 39 and 54 of these proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. In addition, 71,966 unigenes were quantified by Illumina sequencing. On the basis of the transcriptomic analysis, 7408 and 1639 unigenes demonstrated higher expression levels in the high-fecundity population in the second day brachypterous female adults and the second day fifth instar nymphs, respectively, and 411 unigenes were up-regulated in both groups. Of these dozens of proteins and thousands of unigenes, five were differentially expressed at both the protein and mRNA levels at all four time points, suggesting that these genes may regulate fecundity. Glutamine synthetase (GS) was chosen for further functional studies. RNAi knockdown of the GS gene reduced the fecundity of N. lugens by 64.6%, disrupted ovary development, and inhibited vitellogenin (Vg) expression. Our results show that a combination of proteomic and transcriptomic analyses provided five candidate proteins and genes for further study. The knowledge gained from this study may lead to a more fundamental understanding of the fecundity of this important agricultural insect pest.

  1. Subtotal Colectomy for Colon Cancer Reduces the Need for Subsequent Surgery in Lynch Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renkonen-Sinisalo, Laura; Seppälä, Toni T; Järvinen, Heikki J; Mecklin, Jukka-Pekka

    2017-08-01

    The risk of metachronous colorectal cancer is high after surgical resection for first colon cancer in Lynch syndrome. This study aimed to examine whether extended surgery decreases the risk of subsequent colorectal cancer and improves long-term survival. This was a retrospective study. Data were collected from a nationwide registry. Two hundred forty-two Lynch syndrome pathogenic variant carriers who underwent surgery for a first colon cancer from 1984 to 2009 were included. Patients underwent standard segmental colectomy (n = 144) or extended colectomy (n = 98) for colon cancer. Patients were followed a median of 14.6 up to 25 years. Risk of subsequent colorectal cancer in either group, overall and disease-specific survival, and operative mortality were the primary outcomes measured. Subtotal colectomy decreased the risk of subsequent colorectal cancer (HR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.08-0.52; p = 0.001), compared with segmental resection. Subsequent colorectal cancer decreased in MLH1 carriers. The MSH2 carriers showed no statistical difference, possibly because of their small number. Disease-specific and overall survival within 25 years did not differ between the standard and extended surgeries (82.7% vs 87.2%, p = 0.76 and 47.2% vs 41.4%, p = 0.83). The cumulative risk of subsequent colorectal cancer was 20% in 10 years and 47% within 25 years after standard resection and 4% and 9% after extended surgery. The cumulative risk of metachronous colorectal cancer was 7% within 25 years after subtotal colectomy with ileosigmoidal anastomosis. One patient died of postoperative septicemia within 30 days after segmental colectomy. Data on surgical procedures were primarily collected retrospectively. Lynch syndrome pathogenic variant carriers may undergo subtotal colectomy to manage first colon cancer and avoid repetitive abdominal surgery and to reduce the remaining bowel to facilitate easier endoscopic surveillance. It provides no survival benefit, compared with segmental colon

  2. Comparative Transcriptomics to Identify Novel Genes and Pathways in Dinoflagellates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, D.

    2016-02-01

    The unarmored dinoflagellate Karenia brevis is among the most prominent harmful, bloom-forming phytoplankton species in the Gulf of Mexico. During blooms, the polyketides PbTx-1 and PbTx-2 (brevetoxins) are produced by K. brevis. Brevetoxins negatively impact human health and the Gulf shellfish harvest. However, the genes underlying brevetoxin synthesis are currently unknown. Because the K. brevis genome is extremely large ( 1 × 1011 base pairs long), and with a high proportion of repetitive, non-coding DNA, it has not been sequenced. In fact, large, repetitive genomes are common among the dinoflagellate group. High-throughput RNA sequencing technology enabled us to assemble Karenia transcriptomes de novo and investigate potential genes in the brevetoxin pathway through comparative transcriptomics. The brevetoxin profile varies among K. brevis clonal cultures. For example, well-documented Wilson-CCFWC268 typically produces 8-10 pg PbTx per cell, whereas SP1 produces differences in gene expression. Of the 85,000 transcripts in the K. brevis transcriptome, 4,600 transcripts, including novel unannotated orthologs and putative polyketide synthases (PKSs), were only expressed by brevetoxin-producing K. brevis and K. papilionacea, not K. mikimotoi. Examination of gene expression between the typical- and low-toxin Wilson clones identified about 3,500 genes with significantly different expression levels, including 2 putative PKSs. One of the 2 PKSs was only found in the brevetoxin-producing Karenia species. These transcriptomes could not have been characterized without high-throughput RNA sequencing.

  3. [Effectiveness of prayer in reducing anxiety in cancer patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Camila Csizmar; Chaves, Erika de Cássia Lopes; Iunes, Denise Hollanda; Simão, Talita Prado; Grasselli, Cristiane da Silva Marciano; Braga, Cristiane Giffoni

    2014-08-01

    To evaluate the effect of prayer on anxiety in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Quasi-experimental study, with pre and post-intervention. Twenty patients admitted to treatment of continuous intravenous chemotherapy were recruited. The volunteers were evaluated through interviews using a questionnaire of sociodemographic, clinical and spiritual characteristics, the Index of Religiosity Duke University and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Vital signs were measured and collected salivary cortisol. The intervention was applied prayer and data collection occurred in three phases: first collection (baseline), pre and post-intervention. The data found between the pre and post-intervention samples showed different statistically significant for state anxiety (p= Prayer, therefore, proved to be an effective strategy in reducing the anxiety of the patient undergoing chemotherapy.

  4. Novel mouse model recapitulates genome and transcriptome alterations in human colorectal carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeil, Nicole E; Padilla-Nash, Hesed M; Buishand, Floryne O; Hue, Yue; Ried, Thomas

    2017-03-01

    Human colorectal carcinomas are defined by a nonrandom distribution of genomic imbalances that are characteristic for this disease. Often, these imbalances affect entire chromosomes. Understanding the role of these aneuploidies for carcinogenesis is of utmost importance. Currently, established transgenic mice do not recapitulate the pathognonomic genome aberration profile of human colorectal carcinomas. We have developed a novel model based on the spontaneous transformation of murine colon epithelial cells. During this process, cells progress through stages of pre-immortalization, immortalization and, finally, transformation, and result in tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice. We analyzed our model for genome and transcriptome alterations using ArrayCGH, spectral karyotyping (SKY), and array based gene expression profiling. ArrayCGH revealed a recurrent pattern of genomic imbalances. These results were confirmed by SKY. Comparing these imbalances with orthologous maps of human chromosomes revealed a remarkable overlap. We observed focal deletions of the tumor suppressor genes Trp53 and Cdkn2a/p16. High-level focal genomic amplification included the locus harboring the oncogene Mdm2, which was confirmed by FISH in the form of double minute chromosomes. Array-based global gene expression revealed distinct differences between the sequential steps of spontaneous transformation. Gene expression changes showed significant similarities with human colorectal carcinomas. Pathways most prominently affected included genes involved in chromosomal instability and in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our novel mouse model therefore recapitulates the most prominent genome and transcriptome alterations in human colorectal cancer, and might serve as a valuable tool for understanding the dynamic process of tumorigenesis, and for preclinical drug testing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Characterizing the transcriptome and molecular markers information ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2008). Analyses of the genetic structure .... The annotations and classifications for the transcriptome ... Based on the Pfam classification, the predic- ..... J. Lipid. Res. 33, 251–262. Eckert C. G., Samis K. E. and Lougheed S. C. 2008 Genetic vari-.

  6. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the juvenile and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao-Xuan; Cong, Wei; Elsheikha, Hany M; Liu, Guo-Hua; Ma, Jian-Gang; Huang, Wei-Yi; Zhao, Quan; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2017-07-01

    Fasciola gigantica is regarded as the major liver fluke causing fasciolosis in livestock in tropical countries. Despite the significant economic and public health impacts of F. gigantica there are few studies on the pathogenesis of this parasite and our understanding is further limited by the lack of genome and transcriptome information. In this study, de novo Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to obtain a comprehensive transcriptome profile of the juvenile (42days post infection) and adult stages of F. gigantica. A total of 49,720 unigenes were produced from juvenile and adult stages of F. gigantica, with an average length of 1286 nucleotides (nt) and N50 of 2076nt. A total of 27,862 (56.03%) unigenes were annotated by BLAST similarity searches against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. Because F. gigantica needs to feed and/or digest host tissues, some proteases (including cysteine proteases and aspartic proteases), which play a role in the degradation of host tissues (protein), have been paid more attention in the present study. A total of 6511 distinct genes were found differentially expressed between juveniles and adults, of which 3993 genes were up-regulated and 2518 genes were down-regulated in adults versus juveniles, respectively. Moreover, stage-specific differentially expressed genes were identified in juvenile (17,009) and adult (6517) F. gigantica. The significantly divergent pathways of differentially expressed genes included cAMP signaling pathway (226; 4.12%), proteoglycans in cancer (256; 4.67%) and focal adhesion (199; 3.63%). The transcription pattern also revealed two egg-laying-associated pathways: cGMP-PKG signaling pathway and TGF-β signaling pathway. This study provides the first comparative transcriptomic data concerning juvenile and adult stages of F. gigantica that will be of great value for future research efforts into understanding parasite pathogenesis and developing vaccines against this important parasite

  7. Preeclampsia-Associated Hormonal Profiles and Reduced Breast Cancer Risk Among Older Mothers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-04-01

    Preeclampsia has been linked to reduced breast cancer risk, and this reduction may be especially marked among women who bear their first child later...in life. In this ongoing case-control study, we examine the hormonal profiles of older Colorado mothers with and without a history of preeclampsia in...premenopausal, and are free of serious chronic disease. Cases are 14 Denver area women who experienced preeclampsia in their first pregnancy; controls are 13

  8. Deciphering the Developmental Dynamics of the Mouse Liver Transcriptome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumedha S Gunewardena

    Full Text Available During development, liver undergoes a rapid transition from a hematopoietic organ to a major organ for drug metabolism and nutrient homeostasis. However, little is known on a transcriptome level of the genes and RNA-splicing variants that are differentially regulated with age, and which up-stream regulators orchestrate age-specific biological functions in liver. We used RNA-Seq to interrogate the developmental dynamics of the liver transcriptome in mice at 12 ages from late embryonic stage (2-days before birth to maturity (60-days after birth. Among 21,889 unique NCBI RefSeq-annotated genes, 9,641 were significantly expressed in at least one age, 7,289 were differently regulated with age, and 859 had multiple (> = 2 RNA splicing-variants. Factor analysis showed that the dynamics of hepatic genes fall into six distinct groups based on their temporal expression. The average expression of cytokines, ion channels, kinases, phosphatases, transcription regulators and translation regulators decreased with age, whereas the average expression of peptidases, enzymes and transmembrane receptors increased with age. The average expression of growth factors peak between Day-3 and Day-10, and decrease thereafter. We identified critical biological functions, upstream regulators, and putative transcription modules that seem to govern age-specific gene expression. We also observed differential ontogenic expression of known splicing variants of certain genes, and 1,455 novel splicing isoform candidates. In conclusion, the hepatic ontogeny of the transcriptome ontogeny has unveiled critical networks and up-stream regulators that orchestrate age-specific biological functions in liver, and suggest that age contributes to the complexity of the alternative splicing landscape of the hepatic transcriptome.

  9. Motivators and barriers of tamoxifen use as risk-reducing medication amongst women at increased breast cancer risk: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiser, B; Wong, W K T; Peate, M; Julian-Reynier, C; Kirk, J; Mitchell, G

    2017-01-01

    Selective estrogen receptor modulators, such as tamoxifen, reduce breast cancer risk by up to 50% in women at increased risk for breast cancer. Despite tamoxifen's well-established efficacy, many studies show that most women are not taking up tamoxifen. This systematic literature review aimed to identify the motivators and barriers to tamoxifen use 's amongst high-risk women. Using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase plus reviewing reference lists of relevant articles published between 1995 and 2016, 31 studies (published in 35 articles) were identified, which addressed high-risk women's decisions about risk-reducing medication to prevent breast cancer and were peer-reviewed primary clinical studies. A range of factors were identified as motivators of, and barriers to, tamoxifen uptake including: perceived risk, breast-cancer-related anxiety, health professional recommendation, perceived drug effectiveness, concerns about side-effects, knowledge and access to information about side-effects, beliefs about the role of risk-reducing medication, provision of a biomarker, preference for other forms of breast cancer risk reduction, previous treatment experience, concerns about randomization in clinical trial protocols and finally altruism. Results indicate that the decision for high-risk women regarding tamoxifen use or non-use as a risk-reducing medication is not straightforward. Support of women making this decision is essential and needs to encompass the full range of factors, both informational and psychological.

  10. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukesh Kumar

    Full Text Available The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae is a major pest of wheat (Triticum spp that reduces crop yields in many countries. Cyst nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites that reproduce by amphimixis. Here, we report the first transcriptome analysis of two stages of H. avenae. After sequencing extracted RNA from pre parasitic infective juvenile and adult stages of the life cycle, 131 million Illumina high quality paired end reads were obtained which generated 27,765 contigs with N50 of 1,028 base pairs, of which 10,452 were annotated. Comparative analyses were undertaken to evaluate H. avenae sequences with those of other plant, animal and free living nematodes to identify differences in expressed genes. There were 4,431 transcripts common to H. avenae and the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and 9,462 in common with more closely related potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. Annotation of H. avenae carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy revealed fewer glycoside hydrolases (GHs but more glycosyl transferases (GTs and carbohydrate esterases (CEs when compared to M. incognita. 1,280 transcripts were found to have secretory signature, presence of signal peptide and absence of transmembrane. In a comparison of genes expressed in the pre-parasitic juvenile and feeding female stages, expression levels of 30 genes with high RPKM (reads per base per kilo million value, were analysed by qRT-PCR which confirmed the observed differences in their levels of expression levels. In addition, we have also developed a user-friendly resource, Heterodera transcriptome database (HATdb for public access of the data generated in this study. The new data provided on the transcriptome of H. avenae adds to the genetic resources available to study plant parasitic nematodes and provides an opportunity to seek new effectors that are specifically involved in the H. avenae-cereal host interaction.

  11. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Mukesh; Gantasala, Nagavara Prasad; Roychowdhury, Tanmoy; Thakur, Prasoon Kumar; Banakar, Prakash; Shukla, Rohit N; Jones, Michael G K; Rao, Uma

    2014-01-01

    The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) is a major pest of wheat (Triticum spp) that reduces crop yields in many countries. Cyst nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites that reproduce by amphimixis. Here, we report the first transcriptome analysis of two stages of H. avenae. After sequencing extracted RNA from pre parasitic infective juvenile and adult stages of the life cycle, 131 million Illumina high quality paired end reads were obtained which generated 27,765 contigs with N50 of 1,028 base pairs, of which 10,452 were annotated. Comparative analyses were undertaken to evaluate H. avenae sequences with those of other plant, animal and free living nematodes to identify differences in expressed genes. There were 4,431 transcripts common to H. avenae and the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and 9,462 in common with more closely related potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. Annotation of H. avenae carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy) revealed fewer glycoside hydrolases (GHs) but more glycosyl transferases (GTs) and carbohydrate esterases (CEs) when compared to M. incognita. 1,280 transcripts were found to have secretory signature, presence of signal peptide and absence of transmembrane. In a comparison of genes expressed in the pre-parasitic juvenile and feeding female stages, expression levels of 30 genes with high RPKM (reads per base per kilo million) value, were analysed by qRT-PCR which confirmed the observed differences in their levels of expression levels. In addition, we have also developed a user-friendly resource, Heterodera transcriptome database (HATdb) for public access of the data generated in this study. The new data provided on the transcriptome of H. avenae adds to the genetic resources available to study plant parasitic nematodes and provides an opportunity to seek new effectors that are specifically involved in the H. avenae-cereal host interaction.

  12. Molecular subtyping of breast cancer improves identification of both high and low risk patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rossing, Maria; Østrup, Olga; Majewski, Wiktor W.

    2018-01-01

    classification and final reports were available prior to the multidisciplinary conference. Using a prognostic standard mortality rate index (PSMRi) developed by the Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) 39 patients were assigned with an intermediate risk and among these 16 (41%) were furthermore diagnosed...... by the multi-gene signature assigned with a luminal A tumor and consequently spared adjuvant chemotherapy. There was overall agreement between mRNA derived and IHC hormone receptor status, whereas IHC Ki67 protein proliferative index proved inaccurate, compared to the mRNA derived index. Forty-one patients...... with basal-like (basL) subtypes were screened for predisposing mutations regardless of clinical predisposition. Of those 17% carried pathogenic mutations. Conclusion: Transcriptome based subtyping of breast tumors evidently reduces the need for adjuvant chemotherapy and improves identification of women...

  13. Transcriptome dynamics of the microRNA inhibition response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wen, Jiayu; Leucci, Elenora; Vendramin, Roberto

    2015-01-01

    We report a high-resolution time series study of transcriptome dynamics following antimiR-mediated inhibition of miR-9 in a Hodgkin lymphoma cell-line-the first such dynamic study of the microRNA inhibition response-revealing both general and specific aspects of the physiological response. We show...... validate the key observations with independent time series qPCR and we experimentally validate key predicted miR-9 targets. Methodologically, we developed sensitive functional data analytic predictive methods to analyse the weak response inherent in microRNA inhibition experiments. The methods...... of this study will be applicable to similar high-resolution time series transcriptome analyses and provides the context for more accurate experimental design and interpretation of future microRNA inhibition studies....

  14. Scrimer: designing primers from transcriptome data

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mořkovský, Libor; Pačes, Jan; Rídl, Jakub; Reifová, R.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 15, č. 6 (2015), s. 1415-1420 ISSN 1755-098X R&D Projects: GA MŠk EE2.3.20.0303 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : next-generation sequencing * primer design * SNaPshot * SNP genotyping * transcriptome Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.298, year: 2015

  15. Widespread uncoupling between transcriptome and translatome variations after a stimulus in mammalian cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tebaldi Toma

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The classical view on eukaryotic gene expression proposes the scheme of a forward flow for which fluctuations in mRNA levels upon a stimulus contribute to determine variations in mRNA availability for translation. Here we address this issue by simultaneously profiling with microarrays the total mRNAs (the transcriptome and the polysome-associated mRNAs (the translatome after EGF treatment of human cells, and extending the analysis to other 19 different transcriptome/translatome comparisons in mammalian cells following different stimuli or undergoing cell programs. Results Triggering of the EGF pathway results in an early induction of transcriptome and translatome changes, but 90% of the significant variation is limited to the translatome and the degree of concordant changes is less than 5%. The survey of other 19 different transcriptome/translatome comparisons shows that extensive uncoupling is a general rule, in terms of both RNA movements and inferred cell activities, with a strong tendency of translation-related genes to be controlled purely at the translational level. By different statistical approaches, we finally provide evidence of the lack of dependence between changes at the transcriptome and translatome levels. Conclusions We propose a model of diffused independency between variation in transcript abundances and variation in their engagement on polysomes, which implies the existence of specific mechanisms to couple these two ways of regulating gene expression.

  16. Oral cryotherapy reduced oral mucositis in patients having cancer treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spivakovsky, Sylvia

    2016-09-01

    Data sourcesCochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, CANCERLIT, CINAHL, the US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry and the WHO Clinical Trials Registry Platform.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of oral cryotherapy in patients with cancer receiving treatment compared to usual care, no treatment or other interventions to prevent mucositis. The primary outcome was incidence of mucositis and its severity.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers carried out study assessment and data extraction independently. Treatment effect for continuous data was calculated using mean values and standard deviations and expressed as mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval. Risk ratio (RR) was calculated for dichotomous data. Meta-analysis was performed.ResultsFourteen studies with 1280 participants were included. Subgroup analysis was undertaken according to the main cancer treatment type. Cryotherapy reduced the risk of developing mucositis by 39% (RR = 0.61; 95%CI, 0.52 to 0.72) on patients treated with fluorouracil (5FU). For melphalan-based treatment the risk of developing mucositis was reduced by 41% (RR =0.59; 95%CI, 0.35 to 1.01). Oral cryotherapy was shown to be safe, with very low rates of minor adverse effects, such as headaches, chills, numbness/taste disturbance and tooth pain. This appears to contribute to the high rates of compliance seen in the included studies.ConclusionsThere is confidence that oral cryotherapy leads to a large reduction in oral mucositis in adults treated with 5FU. Although there is less certainty on the size of the reduction on patients treated with melphalan, it is certain there is reduction of severe mucositis.

  17. Assessment of pleiotropic transcriptome perturbations in Arabidopsis engineered for indirect insect defence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houshyani, Benyamin; van der Krol, Alexander R; Bino, Raoul J; Bouwmeester, Harro J

    2014-06-19

    Molecular characterization is an essential step of risk/safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops. Holistic approaches for molecular characterization using omics platforms can be used to confirm the intended impact of the genetic engineering, but can also reveal the unintended changes at the omics level as a first assessment of potential risks. The potential of omics platforms for risk assessment of GM crops has rarely been used for this purpose because of the lack of a consensus reference and statistical methods to judge the significance or importance of the pleiotropic changes in GM plants. Here we propose a meta data analysis approach to the analysis of GM plants, by measuring the transcriptome distance to untransformed wild-types. In the statistical analysis of the transcriptome distance between GM and wild-type plants, values are compared with naturally occurring transcriptome distances in non-GM counterparts obtained from a database. Using this approach we show that the pleiotropic effect of genes involved in indirect insect defence traits is substantially equivalent to the variation in gene expression occurring naturally in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome distance is a useful screening method to obtain insight in the pleiotropic effects of genetic modification.

  18. Screening and Validation of Highly-Efficient Insecticidal Conotoxins from a Transcriptome-Based Dataset of Chinese Tubular Cone Snail

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bingmiao Gao

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Most previous studies have focused on analgesic and anti-cancer activities for the conotoxins identified from piscivorous and molluscivorous cone snails, but little attention has been devoted to insecticidal activity of conotoxins from the dominant vermivorous species. As a representative vermivorous cone snail, the Chinese tubular cone snail (Conus betulinus is the dominant Conus species inhabiting the South China Sea. We sequenced related venom transcriptomes from C. betulinus using both the next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing technologies, and a comprehensive library of 215 conotoxin transcripts was constructed. In our current study, six conotoxins with potential insecticidal activity were screened out from our conotoxin library by homologous search with a reported positive control (alpha-conotoxin ImI from C. imperialis as the query. Subsequently, these conotoxins were synthesized by chemical solid-phase and oxidative folding for further insecticidal activity validation, such as MTT assay, insect bioassay and homology modeling. The final results proved insecticidal activities of our achieved six conotoxins from the transcriptome-based dataset. Interestingly, two of them presented a lot of high insecticidal activity, which supports their usefulness for a trial as insecticides in field investigations. In summary, our present work provides a good example for high throughput development of biological insecticides on basis of the accumulated genomic resources.

  19. Inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in ovarian cancer results in the loss of cancer stem cell-like characteristics and a reduced tumor burden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abubaker, Khalid; Luwor, Rodney B; Zhu, Hongjian; McNally, Orla; Quinn, Michael A; Burns, Christopher J; Thompson, Erik W; Findlay, Jock K; Ahmed, Nuzhat

    2014-01-01

    Current treatment of ovarian cancer patients with chemotherapy leaves behind a residual tumor which results in recurrent ovarian cancer within a short time frame. We have previously demonstrated that a single short-term treatment of ovarian cancer cells with chemotherapy in vitro resulted in a cancer stem cell (CSC)-like enriched residual population which generated significantly greater tumor burden compared to the tumor burden generated by control untreated cells. In this report we looked at the mechanisms of the enrichment of CSC-like residual cells in response to paclitaxel treatment. The mechanism of survival of paclitaxel-treated residual cells at a growth inhibitory concentration of 50% (GI50) was determined on isolated tumor cells from the ascites of recurrent ovarian cancer patients and HEY ovarian cancer cell line by in vitro assays and in a mouse xenograft model. Treatment of isolated tumor cells from the ascites of ovarian cancer patients and HEY ovarian cancer cell line with paclitaxel resulted in a CSC-like residual population which coincided with the activation of Janus activated kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway in paclitaxel surviving cells. Both paclitaxel-induced JAK2/STAT3 activation and CSC-like characteristics were inhibited by a low dose JAK2-specific small molecule inhibitor CYT387 (1 μM) in vitro. Subsequent, in vivo transplantation of paclitaxel and CYT387-treated HEY cells in mice resulted in a significantly reduced tumor burden compared to that seen with paclitaxel only-treated transplanted cells. In vitro analysis of tumor xenografts at protein and mRNA levels demonstrated a loss of CSC-like markers and CA125 expression in paclitaxel and CYT387-treated cell-derived xenografts, compared to paclitaxel only-treated cell-derived xenografts. These results were consistent with significantly reduced activation of JAK2 and STAT3 in paclitaxel and CYT387-treated cell-derived xenografts

  20. Characterization of the heart transcriptome of the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Vincent P; Suzuki, Haruo; Stanhope, Michael J; Shivji, Mahmood S

    2013-10-11

    The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a globally distributed, apex predator possessing physical, physiological, and behavioral traits that have garnered it significant public attention. In addition to interest in the genetic basis of its form and function, as a representative of the oldest extant jawed vertebrate lineage, white sharks are also of conservation concern due to their small population size and threat from overfishing. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the biology of white sharks, and genomic resources are unavailable. To address this deficit, we combined Roche-454 and Illumina sequencing technologies to characterize the first transciptome of any tissue for this species. From white shark heart cDNA we generated 665,399 Roche 454 reads (median length 387-bp) that were assembled into 141,626 contigs (mean length 503-bp). We also generated 78,566,588 Illumina reads, which we aligned to the 454 contigs producing 105,014 454/Illumina consensus sequences. To these, we added 3,432 non-singleton 454 contigs. By comparing these sequences to the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database we were able to annotate 21,019 translated open reading frames (ORFs) of ≥ 20 amino acids. Of these, 19,277 were additionally assigned Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotations. While acknowledging the limitations of our single tissue transcriptome, Fisher tests showed the white shark transcriptome to be significantly enriched for numerous metabolic GO terms compared to the zebra fish and human transcriptomes, with white shark showing more similarity to human than to zebra fish (i.e. fewer terms were significantly different). We also compared the transcriptome to other available elasmobranch sequences, for signatures of positive selection and identified several genes of putative adaptive significance on the white shark lineage. The white shark transcriptome also contained 8,404 microsatellites (dinucleotide, trinucleotide, or tetranucleotide motifs ≥ five perfect

  1. Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Mediator Complex Transcriptome Identifies CDK19 and CDK8 as Therapeutic Targets in Advanced Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brägelmann, Johannes; Klümper, Niklas; Offermann, Anne; von Mässenhausen, Anne; Böhm, Diana; Deng, Mario; Queisser, Angela; Sanders, Christine; Syring, Isabella; Merseburger, Axel S; Vogel, Wenzel; Sievers, Elisabeth; Vlasic, Ignacija; Carlsson, Jessica; Andrén, Ove; Brossart, Peter; Duensing, Stefan; Svensson, Maria A; Shaikhibrahim, Zaki; Kirfel, Jutta; Perner, Sven

    2017-04-01

    Purpose: The Mediator complex is a multiprotein assembly, which serves as a hub for diverse signaling pathways to regulate gene expression. Because gene expression is frequently altered in cancer, a systematic understanding of the Mediator complex in malignancies could foster the development of novel targeted therapeutic approaches. Experimental Design: We performed a systematic deconvolution of the Mediator subunit expression profiles across 23 cancer entities ( n = 8,568) using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Prostate cancer-specific findings were validated in two publicly available gene expression cohorts and a large cohort of primary and advanced prostate cancer ( n = 622) stained by immunohistochemistry. The role of CDK19 and CDK8 was evaluated by siRNA-mediated gene knockdown and inhibitor treatment in prostate cancer cell lines with functional assays and gene expression analysis by RNAseq. Results: Cluster analysis of TCGA expression data segregated tumor entities, indicating tumor-type-specific Mediator complex compositions. Only prostate cancer was marked by high expression of CDK19 In primary prostate cancer, CDK19 was associated with increased aggressiveness and shorter disease-free survival. During cancer progression, highest levels of CDK19 and of its paralog CDK8 were present in metastases. In vitro , inhibition of CDK19 and CDK8 by knockdown or treatment with a selective CDK8/CDK19 inhibitor significantly decreased migration and invasion. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed distinct transcriptional expression profiles of the Mediator complex across cancer entities indicating differential modes of transcriptional regulation. Moreover, it identified CDK19 and CDK8 to be specifically overexpressed during prostate cancer progression, highlighting their potential as novel therapeutic targets in advanced prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 23(7); 1829-40. ©2016 AACR . ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  2. Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic evaluation of gentamicin nephrotoxicity in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Com, Emmanuelle; Boitier, Eric; Marchandeau, Jean-Pierre; Brandenburg, Arnd; Schroeder, Susanne; Hoffmann, Dana; Mally, Angela; Gautier, Jean-Charles

    2012-01-01

    Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, which induces renal tubular necrosis in rats. In the context of the European InnoMed PredTox project, transcriptomic and proteomic studies were performed to provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were treated with 25 and 75 mg/kg/day subcutaneously for 1, 3 and 14 days. Histopathology observations showed mild tubular degeneration/necrosis and regeneration and moderate mononuclear cell infiltrate after long-term treatment. Transcriptomic data indicated a strong treatment-related gene expression modulation in kidney and blood cells at the high dose after 14 days of treatment, with the regulation of 463 and 3241 genes, respectively. Of note, the induction of NF-kappa B pathway via the p38 MAPK cascade in the kidney, together with the activation of T-cell receptor signaling in blood cells were suggestive of inflammatory processes in relation with the recruitment of mononuclear cells in the kidney. Proteomic results showed a regulation of 163 proteins in kidney at the high dose after 14 days of treatment. These protein modulations were suggestive of a mitochondrial dysfunction with impairment of cellular energy production, induction of oxidative stress, an effect on protein biosynthesis and on cellular assembly and organization. Proteomic results also provided clues for potential nephrotoxicity biomarkers such as AGAT and PRBP4 which were strongly modulated in the kidney. Transcriptomic and proteomic data turned out to be complementary and their integration gave a more comprehensive insight into the putative mode of nephrotoxicity of gentamicin which was in accordance with histopathological findings. -- Highlights: ► Gentamicin induces renal tubular necrosis in rats. ► The mechanisms of gentamicin nephrotoxicity remain still elusive. ► Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed to study this toxicity in rats. ► Transcriptomic and proteomic

  3. VlincRNAs controlled by retroviral elements are a hallmark of pluripotency and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    St Laurent, Georges; Shtokalo, Dmitry; Dong, Biao; Tackett, Michael R; Fan, Xiaoxuan; Lazorthes, Sandra; Nicolas, Estelle; Sang, Nianli; Triche, Timothy J; McCaffrey, Timothy A; Xiao, Weidong; Kapranov, Philipp

    2013-07-22

    The function of the non-coding portion of the human genome remains one of the most important questions of our time. Its vast complexity is exemplified by the recent identification of an unusual and notable component of the transcriptome - very long intergenic non-coding RNAs, termed vlincRNAs. Here we identify 2,147 vlincRNAs covering 10 percent of our genome. We show they are present not only in cancerous cells, but also in primary cells and normal human tissues, and are controlled by canonical promoters. Furthermore, vlincRNA promoters frequently originate from within endogenous retroviral sequences. Strikingly, the number of vlincRNAs expressed from endogenous retroviral promoters strongly correlates with pluripotency or the degree of malignant transformation. These results suggest a previously unknown connection between the pluripotent state and cancer via retroviral repeat-driven expression of vlincRNAs. Finally, we show that vlincRNAs can be syntenically conserved in humans and mouse and their depletion using RNAi can cause apoptosis in cancerous cells. These intriguing observations suggest that vlincRNAs could create a framework that combines many existing short ESTs and lincRNAs into a landscape of very long transcripts functioning in the regulation of gene expression in the nucleus. Certain types of vlincRNAs participate at specific stages of normal development and, based on analysis of a limited set of cancerous and primary cell lines, they appear to be co-opted by cancer-associated transcriptional programs. This provides additional understanding of transcriptome regulation during the malignant state, and could lead to additional targets and options for its reversal.

  4. Changes in the transcriptome of the human endometrial Ishikawa cancer cell line induced by estrogen, progesterone, tamoxifen, and mifepristone (RU486 as detected by RNA-sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karin Tamm-Rosenstein

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Estrogen (E2 and progesterone (P4 are key players in the maturation of the human endometrium. The corresponding steroid hormone modulators, tamoxifen (TAM and mifepristone (RU486 are widely used in breast cancer therapy and for contraception purposes, respectively. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Gene expression profiling of the human endometrial Ishikawa cancer cell line treated with E2 and P4 for 3 h and 12 h, and TAM and RU486 for 12 h, was performed using RNA-sequencing. High levels of mRNA were detected for genes, including PSAP, ATP5G2, ATP5H, and GNB2L1 following E2 or P4 treatment. A total of 82 biomarkers for endometrial biology were identified among E2 induced genes, and 93 among P4 responsive genes. Identified biomarkers included: EZH2, MDK, MUC1, SLIT2, and IL6ST, which are genes previously associated with endometrial receptivity. Moreover, 98.8% and 98.6% of E2 and P4 responsive genes in Ishikawa cells, respectively, were also detected in two human mid-secretory endometrial biopsy samples. TAM treatment exhibited both antagonistic and agonistic effects of E2, and also regulated a subset of genes independently. The cell cycle regulator cyclin D1 (CCND1 showed significant up-regulation following treatment with TAM. RU486 did not appear to act as a pure antagonist of P4 and a functional analysis of RU486 response identified genes related to adhesion and apoptosis, including down-regulated genes associated with cell-cell contacts and adhesion as CTNND1, JUP, CDH2, IQGAP1, and COL2A1. CONCLUSIONS: Significant changes in gene expression by the Ishikawa cell line were detected after treatments with E2, P4, TAM, and RU486. These transcriptome data provide valuable insight into potential biomarkers related to endometrial receptivity, and also facilitate an understanding of the molecular changes that take place in the endometrium in the early stages of breast cancer treatment and contraception usage.

  5. Microglia Transcriptome Changes in a Model of Depressive Behavior after Immune Challenge.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dianelys Gonzalez-Pena

    Full Text Available Depression symptoms following immune response to a challenge have been reported after the recovery from sickness. A RNA-Seq study of the dysregulation of the microglia transcriptome in a model of inflammation-associated depressive behavior was undertaken. The transcriptome of microglia from mice at day 7 after Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG challenge was compared to that from unchallenged Control mice and to the transcriptome from peripheral macrophages from the same mice. Among the 562 and 3,851 genes differentially expressed between BCG-challenged and Control mice in microglia and macrophages respectively, 353 genes overlapped between these cells types. Among the most differentially expressed genes in the microglia, serum amyloid A3 (Saa3 and cell adhesion molecule 3 (Cadm3 were over-expressed and coiled-coil domain containing 162 (Ccdc162 and titin-cap (Tcap were under-expressed in BCG-challenged relative to Control. Many of the differentially expressed genes between BCG-challenged and Control mice were associated with neurological disorders encompassing depression symptoms. Across cell types, S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9, interleukin 1 beta (Il1b and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (Kmo were differentially expressed between challenged and control mice. Immune response, chemotaxis, and chemokine activity were among the functional categories enriched by the differentially expressed genes. Functional categories enriched among the 9,117 genes differentially expressed between cell types included leukocyte regulation and activation, chemokine and cytokine activities, MAP kinase activity, and apoptosis. More than 200 genes exhibited alternative splicing events between cell types including WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 (Wnk1 and microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1(Macf1. Network visualization revealed the capability of microglia to exhibit transcriptome dysregulation in response to immune challenge still after resolution of sickness

  6. EMT is the dominant program in human colon cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tollenaar Rob AEM

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Colon cancer has been classically described by clinicopathologic features that permit the prediction of outcome only after surgical resection and staging. Methods We performed an unsupervised analysis of microarray data from 326 colon cancers to identify the first principal component (PC1 of the most variable set of genes. PC1 deciphered two primary, intrinsic molecular subtypes of colon cancer that predicted disease progression and recurrence. Results Here we report that the most dominant pattern of intrinsic gene expression in colon cancer (PC1 was tightly correlated (Pearson R = 0.92, P -135 with the EMT signature-- both in gene identity and directionality. In a global micro-RNA screen, we further identified the most anti-correlated microRNA with PC1 as MiR200, known to regulate EMT. Conclusions These data demonstrate that the biology underpinning the native, molecular classification of human colon cancer--previously thought to be highly heterogeneous-- was clarified through the lens of comprehensive transcriptome analysis.

  7. Whole transcriptome organisation in the dehydrated supraoptic nucleus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.C.T. Hindmarch

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The supraoptic nucleus (SON is part of the central osmotic circuitry that synthesises the hormone vasopressin (Avp and transports it to terminals in the posterior lobe of the pituitary. Following osmotic stress such as dehydration, this tissue undergoes morphological, electrical and transcriptional changes to facilitate the appropriate regulation and release of Avp into the circulation where it conserves water at the level of the kidney. Here, the organisation of the whole transcriptome following dehydration is modelled to fit Zipf's law, a natural power law that holds true for all natural languages, that states if the frequency of word usage is plotted against its rank, then the log linear regression of this is -1. We have applied this model to our previously published euhydrated and dehydrated SON data to observe this trend and how it changes following dehydration. In accordance with other studies, our whole transcriptome data fit well with this model in the euhydrated SON microarrays, but interestingly, fit better in the dehydrated arrays. This trend was observed in a subset of differentially regulated genes and also following network reconstruction using a third-party database that mines public data. We make use of language as a metaphor that helps us philosophise about the role of the whole transcriptome in providing a suitable environment for the delivery of Avp following a survival threat like dehydration.

  8. Crx broadly modulates the pineal transcriptome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rovsing, Louise; Clokie, Samuel; Bustos, Diego M

    2011-01-01

    Cone-rod homeobox (Crx) encodes Crx, a transcription factor expressed selectively in retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes, the major cell type of the pineal gland. In this study, the influence of Crx on the mammalian pineal gland was studied by light and electron microscopy and by use of micro......Cone-rod homeobox (Crx) encodes Crx, a transcription factor expressed selectively in retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes, the major cell type of the pineal gland. In this study, the influence of Crx on the mammalian pineal gland was studied by light and electron microscopy and by use......-type animals; only eight of these were also day/night expressed in the Crx-/- pineal gland. However, in the Crx-/- pineal gland 41 genes exhibited differential night/day expression that was not seen in wild-type animals. These findings indicate that Crx broadly modulates the pineal transcriptome and also...... influences differential night/day gene expression in this tissue. Some effects of Crx deletion on the pineal transcriptome might be mediated by Hoxc4 up-regulation....

  9. A Healthy Dietary Pattern Reduces Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yanlai; Li, Zhenxiang; Li, Jianning; Li, Zengjun; Han, Jianjun

    2016-03-04

    Diet and nutrients play an important role in cancer development and progress; a healthy dietary pattern has been found to be associated with several types of cancer. However, the association between a healthy eating pattern and lung cancer risk is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate whether a healthy eating pattern might reduce lung cancer risk. We identified relevant studies from the PubMed and Embase databases up to October 2015, and the relative risks were extracted and combined by the fixed-effects model when no substantial heterogeneity was observed; otherwise, the random-effects model was employed. Subgroup and publication bias analyses were also performed. Finally, eight observational studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk of lung cancer for the highest vs. lowest category of healthy dietary pattern was 0.81 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.75-0.86), and no significant heterogeneity was detected. The relative risks (RRs) for non-smokers, former smokers and current smokers were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.63-1.27), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62-0.89) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79-0.93), respectively. The results remained stable in subgroup analyses by other confounders and sensitivity analysis. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that a healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower lung cancer risk, and they provide more beneficial evidence for changing the diet pattern in the general population.

  10. Merging transcriptomics and metabolomics - advances in breast cancer profiling

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    Bathen Tone F

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Combining gene expression microarrays and high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR MAS MRS of the same tissue samples enables comparison of the transcriptional and metabolic profiles of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of combining these two different types of information. Methods Breast cancer tissue from 46 patients was analyzed by HR MAS MRS followed by gene expression microarrays. Two strategies were used to combine the gene expression and metabolic data; first using multivariate analyses to identify different groups based on gene expression and metabolic data; second correlating levels of specific metabolites to transcripts to suggest new hypotheses of connections between metabolite levels and the underlying biological processes. A parallel study was designed to address experimental issues of combining microarrays and HR MAS MRS. Results In the first strategy, using the microarray data and previously reported molecular classification methods, the majority of samples were classified as luminal A. Three subgroups of luminal A tumors were identified based on hierarchical clustering of the HR MAS MR spectra. The samples in one of the subgroups, designated A2, showed significantly lower glucose and higher alanine levels than the other luminal A samples, suggesting a higher glycolytic activity in these tumors. This group was also enriched for genes annotated with Gene Ontology (GO terms related to cell cycle and DNA repair. In the second strategy, the correlations between concentrations of myo-inositol, glycine, taurine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, choline and creatine and all transcripts in the filtered microarray data were investigated. GO-terms related to the extracellular matrix were enriched among the genes that correlated the most to myo-inositol and taurine, while cell cycle related GO-terms were enriched for the genes that correlated the most

  11. Merging transcriptomics and metabolomics - advances in breast cancer profiling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borgan, Eldrid; Sitter, Beathe; Lingjærde, Ole Christian; Johnsen, Hilde; Lundgren, Steinar; Bathen, Tone F; Sørlie, Therese; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Gribbestad, Ingrid S

    2010-01-01

    Combining gene expression microarrays and high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR MAS MRS) of the same tissue samples enables comparison of the transcriptional and metabolic profiles of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of combining these two different types of information. Breast cancer tissue from 46 patients was analyzed by HR MAS MRS followed by gene expression microarrays. Two strategies were used to combine the gene expression and metabolic data; first using multivariate analyses to identify different groups based on gene expression and metabolic data; second correlating levels of specific metabolites to transcripts to suggest new hypotheses of connections between metabolite levels and the underlying biological processes. A parallel study was designed to address experimental issues of combining microarrays and HR MAS MRS. In the first strategy, using the microarray data and previously reported molecular classification methods, the majority of samples were classified as luminal A. Three subgroups of luminal A tumors were identified based on hierarchical clustering of the HR MAS MR spectra. The samples in one of the subgroups, designated A2, showed significantly lower glucose and higher alanine levels than the other luminal A samples, suggesting a higher glycolytic activity in these tumors. This group was also enriched for genes annotated with Gene Ontology (GO) terms related to cell cycle and DNA repair. In the second strategy, the correlations between concentrations of myo-inositol, glycine, taurine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, choline and creatine and all transcripts in the filtered microarray data were investigated. GO-terms related to the extracellular matrix were enriched among the genes that correlated the most to myo-inositol and taurine, while cell cycle related GO-terms were enriched for the genes that correlated the most to choline. Additionally, a subset of transcripts was

  12. Comparing the DNA hypermethylome with gene mutations in human colorectal cancer.

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    Kornel E Schuebel

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available We have developed a transcriptome-wide approach to identify genes affected by promoter CpG island DNA hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing in colorectal cancer. By screening cell lines and validating tumor-specific hypermethylation in a panel of primary human colorectal cancer samples, we estimate that nearly 5% or more of all known genes may be promoter methylated in an individual tumor. When directly compared to gene mutations, we find larger numbers of genes hypermethylated in individual tumors, and a higher frequency of hypermethylation within individual genes harboring either genetic or epigenetic changes. Thus, to enumerate the full spectrum of alterations in the human cancer genome, and to facilitate the most efficacious grouping of tumors to identify cancer biomarkers and tailor therapeutic approaches, both genetic and epigenetic screens should be undertaken.

  13. Transcriptome Analysis Uncovers a Growth-Promoting Activity of Orosomucoid-1 on Hepatocytes

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    Xian-Yang Qin

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The acute phase protein orosomucoid-1 (Orm1 is mainly expressed by hepatocytes (HPCs under stress conditions. However, its specific function is not fully understood. Here, we report a role of Orm1 as an executer of HPC proliferation. Increases in serum levels of Orm1 were observed in patients after surgical resection for liver cancer and in mice undergone partial hepatectomy (PH. Transcriptome study showed that Orm1 became the most abundant in HPCs isolated from regenerating mouse liver tissues after PH. Both in vitro and in vivo siRNA-induced knockdown of Orm1 suppressed proliferation of mouse regenerating HPCs and human hepatic cells. Microarray analysis in regenerating mouse livers revealed that the signaling pathways controlling chromatin replication, especially the minichromosome maintenance protein complex genes were uniformly down-regulated following Orm1 knockdown. These data suggest that Orm1 is induced in response to hepatic injury and executes liver regeneration by activating cell cycle progression in HPCs.

  14. Parental diuron-exposure alters offspring transcriptome and fitness in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachère, Evelyne; Barranger, Audrey; Bruno, Roman; Rouxel, Julien; Menard, Dominique; Piquemal, David; Akcha, Farida

    2017-08-01

    One of the primary challenges in ecotoxicology is to contribute to the assessment of the ecological status of ecosystems. In this study, we used Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas to explore the effects of a parental exposure to diuron, a herbicide frequently detected in marine coastal environments. The present toxicogenomic study provides evidence that exposure of oyster genitors to diuron during gametogenesis results in changes in offspring, namely, transcriptomic profile alterations, increased global DNA methylation levels and reduced growth and survival within the first year of life. Importantly, we highlighted the limitations to identify particular genes or gene expression signatures that could serve as biomarkers for parental herbicide-exposure and further for multigenerational and transgenerational effects of specific chemical stressors. By analyzing samples from two independent experiments, we demonstrated that, due to complex confounding effects with both tested solvent vehicles, diuron non-specifically affected the offspring transcriptome. These original results question the potential development of predictive genomic tools for detecting specific indirect impacts of contaminants in environmental risk assessments. However, our results indicate that chronic environmental exposure to diuron over several generations may have significant long term impacts on oyster populations with adverse health outcomes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Robust identification of noncoding RNA from transcriptomes requires phylogenetically-informed sampling.

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    Stinus Lindgreen

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Noncoding RNAs are integral to a wide range of biological processes, including translation, gene regulation, host-pathogen interactions and environmental sensing. While genomics is now a mature field, our capacity to identify noncoding RNA elements in bacterial and archaeal genomes is hampered by the difficulty of de novo identification. The emergence of new technologies for characterizing transcriptome outputs, notably RNA-seq, are improving noncoding RNA identification and expression quantification. However, a major challenge is to robustly distinguish functional outputs from transcriptional noise. To establish whether annotation of existing transcriptome data has effectively captured all functional outputs, we analysed over 400 publicly available RNA-seq datasets spanning 37 different Archaea and Bacteria. Using comparative tools, we identify close to a thousand highly-expressed candidate noncoding RNAs. However, our analyses reveal that capacity to identify noncoding RNA outputs is strongly dependent on phylogenetic sampling. Surprisingly, and in stark contrast to protein-coding genes, the phylogenetic window for effective use of comparative methods is perversely narrow: aggregating public datasets only produced one phylogenetic cluster where these tools could be used to robustly separate unannotated noncoding RNAs from a null hypothesis of transcriptional noise. Our results show that for the full potential of transcriptomics data to be realized, a change in experimental design is paramount: effective transcriptomics requires phylogeny-aware sampling.

  16. De Novo Assembly of the Pea (Pisum sativum L. Nodule Transcriptome

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    Vladimir A. Zhukov

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The large size and complexity of the garden pea (Pisum sativum L. genome hamper its sequencing and the discovery of pea gene resources. Although transcriptome sequencing provides extensive information about expressed genes, some tissue-specific transcripts can only be identified from particular organs under appropriate conditions. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing of polyadenylated transcripts from young pea nodules and root tips on an Illumina GAIIx system, followed by de novo transcriptome assembly using the Trinity program. We obtained more than 58,000 and 37,000 contigs from “Nodules” and “Root Tips” assemblies, respectively. The quality of the assemblies was assessed by comparison with pea expressed sequence tags and transcriptome sequencing project data available from NCBI website. The “Nodules” assembly was compared with the “Root Tips” assembly and with pea transcriptome sequencing data from projects indicating tissue specificity. As a result, approximately 13,000 nodule-specific contigs were found and annotated by alignment to known plant protein-coding sequences and by Gene Ontology searching. Of these, 581 sequences were found to possess full CDSs and could thus be considered as novel nodule-specific transcripts of pea. The information about pea nodule-specific gene sequences can be applied for gene-based markers creation, polymorphism studies, and real-time PCR.

  17. Chicken hepatic response to chronic heat stress using integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis.

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    Sara F Jastrebski

    Full Text Available The liver plays a central role in metabolism and is important in maintaining homeostasis throughout the body. This study integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data to understand how the liver responds under chronic heat stress. Chickens from a rapidly growing broiler line were heat stressed for 8 hours per day for one week and liver samples were collected at 28 days post hatch. Transcriptome analysis reveals changes in genes responsible for cell cycle regulation, DNA replication, and DNA repair along with immune function. Integrating the metabolome and transcriptome data highlighted multiple pathways affected by heat stress including glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism along with glutathione production and beta-oxidation.

  18. Comparison of transcriptomic landscapes of bovine embryos using RNA-Seq

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    Khatib Hasan

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Advances in sequencing technologies have opened a new era of high throughput investigations. Although RNA-seq has been demonstrated in many organisms, no study has provided a comprehensive investigation of the bovine transcriptome using RNA-seq. Results In this study, we provide a deep survey of the bovine embryonic transcriptomes, the first application of RNA-seq in cattle. Embryos cultured in vitro were used as models to study early embryonic development in cattle. RNA amplified from limited amounts of starting total RNA were sequenced and mapped to the reference genome to obtain digital gene expression at single base resolution. In particular, gene expression estimates from more than 1.6 million unannotated bases in 1785 novel transcribed units were obtained. We compared the transcriptomes of embryos showing distinct developmental statuses and found genes that showed differential overall expression as well as alternative splicing. Conclusion Our study demonstrates the power of RNA-seq and provides further understanding of bovine preimplantation embryonic development at a fine scale.

  19. Transcriptome-wide studies of prostate cancer cell lines in the context of medical radiation; Transkriptomweite Untersuchungen von Prostata-Krebszelllinien im Kontext medizinischer Strahlentherapie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammer, Paul

    2012-06-26

    The use of radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy and surgical removal is the most powerful instrument in the fight against malignant tumors in cancer medicine. After cardiovascular diseases, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the western world, in which prostate cancer is the most frequent male cancer. Despite continuous technological improvements in radiological instruments and prognosis, it may occur a recurrence up to many years after radiotherapy due to a high resistance capability of individual malignant cells of the locally occurring tumor. Although modern radiation biology has studied many aspects of the resistance mechanisms, questions are largely unanswered especially in regards to prognostic terms and time response of tumor cells to ionizing radiation. As cellular models four prostate cancer cell lines with different radiation sensitivities (PC3, DuCaP, DU-145, RWPE-1) were cultured and tested for their ability to survive after exposure to ionizing radiation by a trypane blue and MTT viability assay. The proliferative capacity of the four cell lines was determined using a colony formation assay. The PC3 cell line (radiation-resistant) and the DuCaP cell line (radiation-sensitive) showed the maximal differences in terms of radiation sensitivity. Based on these results the two cell lines were selected to allow identification of potential prognostic marker for predicting the effectiveness of radiation therapy via their transcriptome-wide gene expression. Furthermore, a time series experiment with the radiation-resistant PC3 cell line was performed. At 8 different time points, during the period from 00:00 - 42:53 (hh:mm) after exposure with 1 Gy, the mRNA was quantified by next generation sequencing to investigate the dynamic behavior of time-delayed gene expression and to discover resistance mechanisms. Of 10,966 expressed genes 730 were significant differentially expressed, determined by setting a fold change threshold in conjunction with a P

  20. Comparing de novo assemblers for 454 transcriptome data

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    Blaxter Mark L

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Roche 454 pyrosequencing has become a method of choice for generating transcriptome data from non-model organisms. Once the tens to hundreds of thousands of short (250-450 base reads have been produced, it is important to correctly assemble these to estimate the sequence of all the transcripts. Most transcriptome assembly projects use only one program for assembling 454 pyrosequencing reads, but there is no evidence that the programs used to date are optimal. We have carried out a systematic comparison of five assemblers (CAP3, MIRA, Newbler, SeqMan and CLC to establish best practices for transcriptome assemblies, using a new dataset from the parasitic nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis. Results Although no single assembler performed best on all our criteria, Newbler 2.5 gave longer contigs, better alignments to some reference sequences, and was fast and easy to use. SeqMan assemblies performed best on the criterion of recapitulating known transcripts, and had more novel sequence than the other assemblers, but generated an excess of small, redundant contigs. The remaining assemblers all performed almost as well, with the exception of Newbler 2.3 (the version currently used by most assembly projects, which generated assemblies that had significantly lower total length. As different assemblers use different underlying algorithms to generate contigs, we also explored merging of assemblies and found that the merged datasets not only aligned better to reference sequences than individual assemblies, but were also more consistent in the number and size of contigs. Conclusions Transcriptome assemblies are smaller than genome assemblies and thus should be more computationally tractable, but are often harder because individual contigs can have highly variable read coverage. Comparing single assemblers, Newbler 2.5 performed best on our trial data set, but other assemblers were closely comparable. Combining differently optimal assemblies

  1. Transcriptional profiling of human breast cancer cells cultured under microgravity conditions revealed the key role of genetic gravity sensors previously detected in Drosophila melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdivia-Silva, Julio E.; Lavan, David; Diego Orihuela-Tacuri, M.; Sanabria, Gabriela

    2016-07-01

    Currently, studies in Drosophila melanogaster has shown emerging evidence that microgravity stimuli can be detected at the genetic level. Analysis of the transcriptome in the pupal stage of the fruit flies under microgravity conditions versus ground controls has suggested the presence of a few candidate genes as "gravity sensors" which are experimentally validated. Additionally, several studies have shown that microgravity causes inhibitory effects in different types of cancer cells, although the genes involved and responsible for these effects are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the genes suggested as the sensors of gravitational waves in Drosophila melanogaster and their human counterpart (orthologous genes) are highly involved in carcinogenesis, proliferation, anti-apoptotic signals, invasiveness, and metastatic potential of breast cancer cell tumors. The transcriptome analyses suggested that the observed inhibitory effect in cancer cells could be due to changes in the genetic expression of these candidates. These results encourage the possibility of new therapeutic targets managed together and not in isolation.

  2. Reduced Lung Cancer Mortality With Lower Atmospheric Pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, Ray M; Frutos, Aaron

    2018-01-01

    Research has shown that higher altitude is associated with lower risk of lung cancer and improved survival among patients. The current study assessed the influence of county-level atmospheric pressure (a measure reflecting both altitude and temperature) on age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rates in the contiguous United States, with 2 forms of spatial regression. Ordinary least squares regression and geographically weighted regression models were used to evaluate the impact of climate and other selected variables on lung cancer mortality, based on 2974 counties. Atmospheric pressure was significantly positively associated with lung cancer mortality, after controlling for sunlight, precipitation, PM2.5 (µg/m 3 ), current smoker, and other selected variables. Positive county-level β coefficient estimates ( P atmospheric pressure were observed throughout the United States, higher in the eastern half of the country. The spatial regression models showed that atmospheric pressure is positively associated with age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rates, after controlling for other selected variables.

  3. The transcriptome landscape of early maize meiosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiosis, particularly meiotic recombination, is a major factor affecting yield and breeding of plants. To gain insight into the transcriptome landscape during early initiation steps of meiotic recombination, we profiled early prophase I meiocytes from maize using RNA-seq. Our analyses of genes prefe...

  4. Using transcriptomic profiles in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to identify and prioritize stressors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osborn, Hannah L.; Hook, Sharon E.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Exposure to stressors with different modes of action generated unique gene expression profiles in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. •The gene expression profile generated by a multiple stressor exposure reflected exposure to individual components of the mixture. •Quantitative PCR assays were generated that could be used to identify exposure to individual stressors. -- Abstract: The transcriptomic profile of the marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, exposed to several ecologically relevant stressors, was used to develop toxicity identification evaluation (TIE)-like gene expression assays. Algal growth inhibition was measured by flow cytometry to determine exposure concentrations that elicited a sublethal toxic response. P. tricornutum was exposed to concentrations of copper (2 μg L −1 ), cadmium (5 μg L −1 ), silver (20 μg L −1 ), simazine (75 μg L −1 ), the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of weathered crude oil (5 mg L −1 ), 50 μg L −1 ammonia, a decreased salinity treatment (15‰), and a mixture exposure of ammonia, decreased salinity and cadmium (10 μg L −1 ). Analysis of the gene expression via microarray indicated that unique transcriptomic signals were generated for each of the individual treatments. Transcriptomic profiles of ammonia and the mixture treatment overlapped substantially. Photosynthesis related transcripts were altered in the simazine (herbicide) treatment. A transcript involved in degrading hydrocarbons, dioxygenase, had increased abundance after crude oil exposure. Overall, transcriptomic responses in the different treatments were associated with stress responses, membrane transport, transcription and translation and could be linked to contaminant mode of action. The transcriptomic profiles were used to design real-time (quantitative) polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays that would link changes in transcript abundance to a particular stressor in a TIE-based approach. At least one transcript

  5. Using transcriptomic profiles in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to identify and prioritize stressors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Osborn, Hannah L., E-mail: Hannah.Osborn@csiro.au; Hook, Sharon E., E-mail: Sharon.Hook@csiro.au

    2013-08-15

    Highlights: •Exposure to stressors with different modes of action generated unique gene expression profiles in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. •The gene expression profile generated by a multiple stressor exposure reflected exposure to individual components of the mixture. •Quantitative PCR assays were generated that could be used to identify exposure to individual stressors. -- Abstract: The transcriptomic profile of the marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, exposed to several ecologically relevant stressors, was used to develop toxicity identification evaluation (TIE)-like gene expression assays. Algal growth inhibition was measured by flow cytometry to determine exposure concentrations that elicited a sublethal toxic response. P. tricornutum was exposed to concentrations of copper (2 μg L{sup −1}), cadmium (5 μg L{sup −1}), silver (20 μg L{sup −1}), simazine (75 μg L{sup −1}), the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of weathered crude oil (5 mg L{sup −1}), 50 μg L{sup −1} ammonia, a decreased salinity treatment (15‰), and a mixture exposure of ammonia, decreased salinity and cadmium (10 μg L{sup −1}). Analysis of the gene expression via microarray indicated that unique transcriptomic signals were generated for each of the individual treatments. Transcriptomic profiles of ammonia and the mixture treatment overlapped substantially. Photosynthesis related transcripts were altered in the simazine (herbicide) treatment. A transcript involved in degrading hydrocarbons, dioxygenase, had increased abundance after crude oil exposure. Overall, transcriptomic responses in the different treatments were associated with stress responses, membrane transport, transcription and translation and could be linked to contaminant mode of action. The transcriptomic profiles were used to design real-time (quantitative) polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays that would link changes in transcript abundance to a particular stressor in a TIE

  6. Ovary transcriptome profiling via artificial intelligence reveals a transcriptomic fingerprint predicting egg quality in striped bass, Morone saxatilis.

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    Robert W Chapman

    Full Text Available Inherited gene transcripts deposited in oocytes direct early embryonic development in all vertebrates, but transcript profiles indicative of embryo developmental competence have not previously been identified. We employed artificial intelligence to model profiles of maternal ovary gene expression and their relationship to egg quality, evaluated as production of viable mid-blastula stage embryos, in the striped bass (Morone saxatilis, a farmed species with serious egg quality problems. In models developed using artificial neural networks (ANNs and supervised machine learning, collective changes in the expression of a limited suite of genes (233 representing 90% of the eventual variance in embryo survival. Egg quality related to minor changes in gene expression (<0.2-fold, with most individual transcripts making a small contribution (<1% to the overall prediction of egg quality. These findings indicate that the predictive power of the transcriptome as regards egg quality resides not in levels of individual genes, but rather in the collective, coordinated expression of a suite of transcripts constituting a transcriptomic "fingerprint". Correlation analyses of the corresponding candidate genes indicated that dysfunction of the ubiquitin-26S proteasome, COP9 signalosome, and subsequent control of the cell cycle engenders embryonic developmental incompetence. The affected gene networks are centrally involved in regulation of early development in all vertebrates, including humans. By assessing collective levels of the relevant ovarian transcripts via ANNs we were able, for the first time in any vertebrate, to accurately predict the subsequent embryo developmental potential of eggs from individual females. Our results show that the transcriptomic fingerprint evidencing developmental dysfunction is highly predictive of, and therefore likely to regulate, egg quality, a biologically complex trait crucial to reproductive fitness.

  7. Characterization of the abomasal transcriptome for mechanisms of resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle

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    Li Robert W

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The response of the abomasal transcriptome to gastrointestinal parasites was evaluated in parasite-susceptible and parasite-resistant Angus cattle using RNA-seq at a depth of 23.7 million sequences per sample. These cattle displayed distinctly separate resistance phenotypes as assessed by fecal egg counts. Approximately 65.3% of the 23 632 bovine genes were expressed in the fundic abomasum. Of these, 13 758 genes were expressed in all samples tested and likely represent core components of the bovine abomasal transcriptome. The gene (BT14427 with the most abundant transcript, accounting for 10.4% of sequences in the transcriptome, is located on chromosome 29 and has unknown functions. Additionally, PIGR (1.6%, Complement C3 (0.7%, and Immunoglobulin J chain (0.5% were among the most abundant transcripts in the transcriptome. Among the 203 genes impacted, 64 were significantly over-expressed in resistant animals at a stringent cutoff (FDR

  8. Site-specific RNase A activity was dramatically reduced in serum from multiple types of cancer patients.

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    Weiyan Huang

    Full Text Available Potent RNase activities were found in the serum of mammals but the physiological function of the RNases was never well illustrated, largely due to the caveats in methods of RNase activity measurement. None of the existing methods can distinguish between RNases with different target specificities. A systematic study was recently carried out in our lab to investigate the site-specificity of serum RNases on double-stranded RNA substrates, and found that serum RNases cleave double-stranded RNAs predominantly at 5'-U/A-3' and 5'-C/A-3' dinucleotide sites, in a manner closely resembling RNase A. Based on this finding, a FRET assay was developed in the current study to measure this site-specific serum RNase activity in human samples using a double stranded RNA substrate. We demonstrated that the method has a dynamic range of 10(-5 mg/ml- 10(-1 mg/ml using serial dilution of RNase A. The sera of 303 cancer patients were subjected to comparison with 128 healthy controls, and it was found that serum RNase activities visualized with this site-specific double stranded probe were found to be significantly reduced in patients with gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, ovary cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer and lung cancer, while only minor changes were found in breast and colon cancer patients. This is the first report using double stranded RNA as probe to quantify site-specific activities of RNase A in a serum. The results illustrated that RNase A might be further evaluated to determine if it can serve as a new class of biomarkers for certain cancer types.

  9. Site-Specific RNase A Activity Was Dramatically Reduced in Serum from Multiple Types of Cancer Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Weiyan; Zhao, Mei; Wei, Na; Wang, Xiaoxia; Cao, Huqing; Du, Quan; Liang, Zicai

    2014-01-01

    Potent RNase activities were found in the serum of mammals but the physiological function of the RNases was never well illustrated, largely due to the caveats in methods of RNase activity measurement. None of the existing methods can distinguish between RNases with different target specificities. A systematic study was recently carried out in our lab to investigate the site-specificity of serum RNases on double-stranded RNA substrates, and found that serum RNases cleave double-stranded RNAs predominantly at 5′-U/A-3′ and 5′-C/A-3′ dinucleotide sites, in a manner closely resembling RNase A. Based on this finding, a FRET assay was developed in the current study to measure this site-specific serum RNase activity in human samples using a double stranded RNA substrate. We demonstrated that the method has a dynamic range of 10−5 mg/ml- 10−1 mg/ml using serial dilution of RNase A. The sera of 303 cancer patients were subjected to comparison with 128 healthy controls, and it was found that serum RNase activities visualized with this site-specific double stranded probe were found to be significantly reduced in patients with gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, ovary cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer and lung cancer, while only minor changes were found in breast and colon cancer patients. This is the first report using double stranded RNA as probe to quantify site-specific activities of RNase A in a serum. The results illustrated that RNase A might be further evaluated to determine if it can serve as a new class of biomarkers for certain cancer types. PMID:24805924

  10. Establishment and analysis of a reference transcriptome for Spodoptera frugiperda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legeai, Fabrice; Gimenez, Sylvie; Duvic, Bernard; Escoubas, Jean-Michel; Gosselin Grenet, Anne-Sophie; Blanc, Florence; Cousserans, François; Séninet, Imène; Bretaudeau, Anthony; Mutuel, Doriane; Girard, Pierre-Alain; Monsempes, Christelle; Magdelenat, Ghislaine; Hilliou, Frédérique; Feyereisen, René; Ogliastro, Mylène; Volkoff, Anne-Nathalie; Jacquin-Joly, Emmanuelle; d'Alençon, Emmanuelle; Nègre, Nicolas; Fournier, Philippe

    2014-08-23

    Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae) is a major agricultural pest throughout the American continent. The highly polyphagous larvae are frequently devastating crops of importance such as corn, sorghum, cotton and grass. In addition, the Sf9 cell line, widely used in biochemistry for in vitro protein production, is derived from S. frugiperda tissues. Many research groups are using S. frugiperda as a model organism to investigate questions such as plant adaptation, pest behavior or resistance to pesticides. In this study, we constructed a reference transcriptome assembly (Sf_TR2012b) of RNA sequences obtained from more than 35 S. frugiperda developmental time-points and tissue samples. We assessed the quality of this reference transcriptome by annotating a ubiquitous gene family--ribosomal proteins--as well as gene families that have a more constrained spatio-temporal expression and are involved in development, immunity and olfaction. We also provide a time-course of expression that we used to characterize the transcriptional regulation of the gene families studied. We conclude that the Sf_TR2012b transcriptome is a valid reference transcriptome. While its reliability decreases for the detection and annotation of genes under strong transcriptional constraint we still recover a fair percentage of tissue-specific transcripts. That allowed us to explore the spatial and temporal expression of genes and to observe that some olfactory receptors are expressed in antennae and palps but also in other non related tissues such as fat bodies. Similarly, we observed an interesting interplay of gene families involved in immunity between fat bodies and antennae.

  11. A comparative transcriptomic approach to understanding the formation of cork.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boher, Pau; Soler, Marçal; Sánchez, Anna; Hoede, Claire; Noirot, Céline; Paiva, Jorge Almiro Pinto; Serra, Olga; Figueras, Mercè

    2018-01-01

    The transcriptome comparison of two oak species reveals possible candidates accounting for the exceptionally thick and pure cork oak phellem, such as those involved in secondary metabolism and phellogen activity. Cork oak, Quercus suber, differs from other Mediterranean oaks such as holm oak (Quercus ilex) by the thickness and organization of the external bark. While holm oak outer bark contains sequential periderms interspersed with dead secondary phloem (rhytidome), the cork oak outer bark only contains thick layers of phellem (cork rings) that accumulate until reaching a thickness that allows industrial uses. Here we compare the cork oak outer bark transcriptome with that of holm oak. Both transcriptomes present similitudes in their complexity, but whereas cork oak external bark is enriched with upregulated genes related to suberin, which is the main polymer responsible for the protective function of periderm, the upregulated categories of holm oak are enriched in abiotic stress and chromatin assembly. Concomitantly with the upregulation of suberin-related genes, there is also induction of regulatory and meristematic genes, whose predicted activities agree with the increased number of phellem layers found in the cork oak sample. Further transcript profiling among different cork oak tissues and conditions suggests that cork and wood share many regulatory mechanisms, probably reflecting similar ontogeny. Moreover, the analysis of transcripts accumulation during the cork growth season showed that most regulatory genes are upregulated early in the season when the cork cambium becomes active. Altogether our work provides the first transcriptome comparison between cork oak and holm oak outer bark, which unveils new regulatory candidate genes of phellem development.

  12. Detailed transcriptome description of the neglected cestode Taenia multiceps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xuhang; Fu, Yan; Yang, Deying; Zhang, Runhui; Zheng, Wanpeng; Nie, Huaming; Xie, Yue; Yan, Ning; Hao, Guiying; Gu, Xiaobin; Wang, Shuxian; Peng, Xuerong; Yang, Guangyou

    2012-01-01

    The larval stage of Taenia multiceps, a global cestode, encysts in the central nervous system (CNS) of sheep and other livestock. This frequently leads to their death and huge socioeconomic losses, especially in developing countries. This parasite can also cause zoonotic infections in humans, but has been largely neglected due to a lack of diagnostic techniques and studies. Recent developments in next-generation sequencing provide an opportunity to explore the transcriptome of T. multiceps. We obtained a total of 31,282 unigenes (mean length 920 bp) using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology and a new Trinity de novo assembler without a referenced genome. Individual transcription molecules were determined by sequence-based annotations and/or domain-based annotations against public databases (Nr, UniprotKB/Swiss-Prot, COG, KEGG, UniProtKB/TrEMBL, InterPro and Pfam). We identified 26,110 (83.47%) unigenes and inferred 20,896 (66.8%) coding sequences (CDS). Further comparative transcripts analysis with other cestodes (Taenia pisiformis, Taenia solium, Echincoccus granulosus and Echincoccus multilocularis) and intestinal parasites (Trichinella spiralis, Ancylostoma caninum and Ascaris suum) showed that 5,100 common genes were shared among three Taenia tapeworms, 261 conserved genes were detected among five Taeniidae cestodes, and 109 common genes were found in four zoonotic intestinal parasites. Some of the common genes were genes required for parasite survival, involved in parasite-host interactions. In addition, we amplified two full-length CDS of unigenes from the common genes using RT-PCR. This study provides an extensive transcriptome of the adult stage of T. multiceps, and demonstrates that comparative transcriptomic investigations deserve to be further studied. This transcriptome dataset forms a substantial public information platform to achieve a fundamental understanding of the biology of T. multiceps, and helps in the identification of drug targets and

  13. Analysis of the salivary gland transcriptome of Frankliniella occidentalis.

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    Candice A Stafford-Banks

    Full Text Available Saliva is known to play a crucial role in insect feeding behavior and virus transmission. Currently, little is known about the salivary glands and saliva of thrips, despite the fact that Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande (the western flower thrips is a serious pest due to its destructive feeding, wide host range, and transmission of tospoviruses. As a first step towards characterizing thrips salivary gland functions, we sequenced the transcriptome of the primary salivary glands of F. occidentalis using short read sequencing (Illumina technology. A de novo-assembled transcriptome revealed 31,392 high quality contigs with an average size of 605 bp. A total of 12,166 contigs had significant BLASTx or tBLASTx hits (E≤1.0E-6 to known proteins, whereas a high percentage (61.24% of contigs had no apparent protein or nucleotide hits. Comparison of the F. occidentalis salivary gland transcriptome (sialotranscriptome against a published F. occidentalis full body transcriptome assembled from Roche-454 reads revealed several contigs with putative annotations associated with salivary gland functions. KEGG pathway analysis of the sialotranscriptome revealed that the majority (18 out of the top 20 predicted KEGG pathways of the salivary gland contig sequences match proteins involved in metabolism. We identified several genes likely to be involved in detoxification and inhibition of plant defense responses including aldehyde dehydrogenase, metalloprotease, glucose oxidase, glucose dehydrogenase, and regucalcin. We also identified several genes that may play a role in the extra-oral digestion of plant structural tissues including β-glucosidase and pectin lyase; and the extra-oral digestion of sugars, including α-amylase, maltase, sucrase, and α-glucosidase. This is the first analysis of a sialotranscriptome for any Thysanopteran species and it provides a foundational tool to further our understanding of how thrips interact with their plant hosts and the

  14. Detailed transcriptome description of the neglected cestode Taenia multiceps.

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    Xuhang Wu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The larval stage of Taenia multiceps, a global cestode, encysts in the central nervous system (CNS of sheep and other livestock. This frequently leads to their death and huge socioeconomic losses, especially in developing countries. This parasite can also cause zoonotic infections in humans, but has been largely neglected due to a lack of diagnostic techniques and studies. Recent developments in next-generation sequencing provide an opportunity to explore the transcriptome of T. multiceps. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We obtained a total of 31,282 unigenes (mean length 920 bp using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology and a new Trinity de novo assembler without a referenced genome. Individual transcription molecules were determined by sequence-based annotations and/or domain-based annotations against public databases (Nr, UniprotKB/Swiss-Prot, COG, KEGG, UniProtKB/TrEMBL, InterPro and Pfam. We identified 26,110 (83.47% unigenes and inferred 20,896 (66.8% coding sequences (CDS. Further comparative transcripts analysis with other cestodes (Taenia pisiformis, Taenia solium, Echincoccus granulosus and Echincoccus multilocularis and intestinal parasites (Trichinella spiralis, Ancylostoma caninum and Ascaris suum showed that 5,100 common genes were shared among three Taenia tapeworms, 261 conserved genes were detected among five Taeniidae cestodes, and 109 common genes were found in four zoonotic intestinal parasites. Some of the common genes were genes required for parasite survival, involved in parasite-host interactions. In addition, we amplified two full-length CDS of unigenes from the common genes using RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides an extensive transcriptome of the adult stage of T. multiceps, and demonstrates that comparative transcriptomic investigations deserve to be further studied. This transcriptome dataset forms a substantial public information platform to achieve a fundamental understanding of

  15. Molecular conservation of estrogen-response associated with cell cycle regulation, hormonal carcinogenesis and cancer in zebrafish and human cancer cell lines

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    Govindarajan Kunde R

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The zebrafish is recognized as a versatile cancer and drug screening model. However, it is not known whether the estrogen-responsive genes and signaling pathways that are involved in estrogen-dependent carcinogenesis and human cancer are operating in zebrafish. In order to determine the potential of zebrafish model for estrogen-related cancer research, we investigated the molecular conservation of estrogen responses operating in both zebrafish and human cancer cell lines. Methods Microarray experiment was performed on zebrafish exposed to estrogen (17β-estradiol; a classified carcinogen and an anti-estrogen (ICI 182,780. Zebrafish estrogen-responsive genes sensitive to both estrogen and anti-estrogen were identified and validated using real-time PCR. Human homolog mapping and knowledge-based data mining were performed on zebrafish estrogen responsive genes followed by estrogen receptor binding site analysis and comparative transcriptome analysis with estrogen-responsive human cancer cell lines (MCF7, T47D and Ishikawa. Results Our transcriptome analysis captured multiple estrogen-responsive genes and signaling pathways that increased cell proliferation, promoted DNA damage and genome instability, and decreased tumor suppressing effects, suggesting a common mechanism for estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. Comparative analysis revealed a core set of conserved estrogen-responsive genes that demonstrate enrichment of estrogen receptor binding sites and cell cycle signaling pathways. Knowledge-based and network analysis led us to propose that the mechanism involving estrogen-activated estrogen receptor mediated down-regulation of human homolog HES1 followed by up-regulation cell cycle-related genes (human homologs E2F4, CDK2, CCNA, CCNB, CCNE, is highly conserved, and this mechanism may involve novel crosstalk with basal AHR. We also identified mitotic roles of polo-like kinase as a conserved signaling pathway with multiple entry

  16. The diabetes medication Canagliflozin reduces cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting mitochondrial complex-I supported respiration

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    Linda A. Villani

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2 inhibitors Canagliflozin and Dapagliflozin are recently approved medications for type 2 diabetes. Recent studies indicate that SGLT2 inhibitors may inhibit the growth of some cancer cells but the mechanism(s remain unclear. Methods: Cellular proliferation and clonogenic survival were used to assess the sensitivity of prostate and lung cancer cell growth to the SGLT2 inhibitors. Oxygen consumption, extracellular acidification rate, cellular ATP, glucose uptake, lipogenesis, and phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and the p70S6 kinase were assessed. Overexpression of a protein that maintains complex-I supported mitochondrial respiration (NDI1 was used to establish the importance of this pathway for mediating the anti-proliferative effects of Canagliflozin. Results: Clinically achievable concentrations of Canagliflozin, but not Dapagliflozin, inhibit cellular proliferation and clonogenic survival of prostate and lung cancer cells alone and in combination with ionizing radiation and the chemotherapy Docetaxel. Canagliflozin reduced glucose uptake, mitochondrial complex-I supported respiration, ATP, and lipogenesis while increasing the activating phosphorylation of AMPK. The overexpression of NDI1 blocked the anti-proliferative effects of Canagliflozin indicating reductions in mitochondrial respiration are critical for anti-proliferative actions. Conclusion: These data indicate that like the biguanide metformin, Canagliflozin not only lowers blood glucose but also inhibits complex-I supported respiration and cellular proliferation in prostate and lung cancer cells. These observations support the initiation of studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of Canagliflozin on limiting tumorigenesis in pre-clinical animal models as well epidemiological studies on cancer incidence relative to other glucose lowering therapies in clinical populations. Keywords: AMP

  17. MiSTIC, an integrated platform for the analysis of heterogeneity in large tumour transcriptome datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Sebastien; Sargeant, Tobias; Laperrière, David; Ismail, Houssam; Boucher, Geneviève; Rozendaal, Marieke; Lavallée, Vincent-Philippe; Ashton-Beaucage, Dariel; Wilhelm, Brian; Hébert, Josée; Hilton, Douglas J; Mader, Sylvie; Sauvageau, Guy

    2017-07-27

    Genome-wide transcriptome profiling has enabled non-supervised classification of tumours, revealing different sub-groups characterized by specific gene expression features. However, the biological significance of these subtypes remains for the most part unclear. We describe herein an interactive platform, Minimum Spanning Trees Inferred Clustering (MiSTIC), that integrates the direct visualization and comparison of the gene correlation structure between datasets, the analysis of the molecular causes underlying co-variations in gene expression in cancer samples, and the clinical annotation of tumour sets defined by the combined expression of selected biomarkers. We have used MiSTIC to highlight the roles of specific transcription factors in breast cancer subtype specification, to compare the aspects of tumour heterogeneity targeted by different prognostic signatures, and to highlight biomarker interactions in AML. A version of MiSTIC preloaded with datasets described herein can be accessed through a public web server (http://mistic.iric.ca); in addition, the MiSTIC software package can be obtained (github.com/iric-soft/MiSTIC) for local use with personalized datasets. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. A strand-specific RNA-Seq analysis of the transcriptome of the typhoid bacillus Salmonella typhi.

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    Timothy T Perkins

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available High-density, strand-specific cDNA sequencing (ssRNA-seq was used to analyze the transcriptome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi. By mapping sequence data to the entire S. Typhi genome, we analyzed the transcriptome in a strand-specific manner and further defined transcribed regions encoded within prophages, pseudogenes, previously un-annotated, and 3'- or 5'-untranslated regions (UTR. An additional 40 novel candidate non-coding RNAs were identified beyond those previously annotated. Proteomic analysis was combined with transcriptome data to confirm and refine the annotation of a number of hpothetical genes. ssRNA-seq was also combined with microarray and proteome analysis to further define the S. Typhi OmpR regulon and identify novel OmpR regulated transcripts. Thus, ssRNA-seq provides a novel and powerful approach to the characterization of the bacterial transcriptome.

  19. Transcriptome wide annotation of eukaryotic RNase III reactivity and degradation signals.

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    Jules Gagnon

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Detection and validation of the RNA degradation signals controlling transcriptome stability are essential steps for understanding how cells regulate gene expression. Here we present complete genomic and biochemical annotations of the signals required for RNA degradation by the dsRNA specific ribonuclease III (Rnt1p and examine its impact on transcriptome expression. Rnt1p cleavage signals are randomly distributed in the yeast genome, and encompass a wide variety of sequences, indicating that transcriptome stability is not determined by the recurrence of a fixed cleavage motif. Instead, RNA reactivity is defined by the sequence and structural context in which the cleavage sites are located. Reactive signals are often associated with transiently expressed genes, and their impact on RNA expression is linked to growth conditions. Together, the data suggest that Rnt1p reactivity is triggered by malleable RNA degradation signals that permit dynamic response to changes in growth conditions.

  20. Transcriptome Wide Annotation of Eukaryotic RNase III Reactivity and Degradation Signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagnon, Jules; Lavoie, Mathieu; Catala, Mathieu; Malenfant, Francis; Elela, Sherif Abou

    2015-01-01

    Detection and validation of the RNA degradation signals controlling transcriptome stability are essential steps for understanding how cells regulate gene expression. Here we present complete genomic and biochemical annotations of the signals required for RNA degradation by the dsRNA specific ribonuclease III (Rnt1p) and examine its impact on transcriptome expression. Rnt1p cleavage signals are randomly distributed in the yeast genome, and encompass a wide variety of sequences, indicating that transcriptome stability is not determined by the recurrence of a fixed cleavage motif. Instead, RNA reactivity is defined by the sequence and structural context in which the cleavage sites are located. Reactive signals are often associated with transiently expressed genes, and their impact on RNA expression is linked to growth conditions. Together, the data suggest that Rnt1p reactivity is triggered by malleable RNA degradation signals that permit dynamic response to changes in growth conditions. PMID:25680180

  1. Nicaraven reduces cancer metastasis to irradiated lungs by decreasing CCL8 and macrophage recruitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Chen; Luo, Lan; Urata, Yoshishige; Goto, Shinji; Li, Tao-Sheng

    2018-04-01

    Radiotherapy for cancer patients damages normal tissues, thereby inducing an inflammatory response and promoting cancer metastasis. We investigated whether nicaraven, a compound with radioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, could attenuate radiation-induced cancer metastasis to the lungs of mice. Nicaraven and amifostine, another commercial radioprotective agent, had limited effects on both the radiosensitivity of Lewis lung carcinoma cells in vitro and radiation-induced tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Using experimental and spontaneous metastasis models, we confirmed that thorax irradiation with 5 Gy X-rays dramatically increased the number of tumors in the lungs. Interestingly, the number of tumors in the lungs was significantly reduced by administering nicaraven but not by administering amifostine daily after radiation exposure. Furthermore, nicaraven administration effectively inhibited CCL8 expression and macrophage recruitment in the lungs 1 day after thorax irradiation. Our data suggest that nicaraven attenuates radiation-induced lung metastasis, likely by regulating the inflammatory response after radiation exposure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Transcriptome profiling of brown adipose tissue during cold exposure reveals extensive regulation of glucose metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hao, Qin; Yadav, Rachita; Basse, Astrid L.

    2015-01-01

    We applied digital gene expression profiling to determine the transcriptome of brown and white adipose tissues (BAT and WAT, respectively) during cold exposure. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to cold for 2 or 4 days. A notable induction of genes related to glucose uptake, glycolysis, glycogen...... exposure, we propose a model for the intermediary glucose metabolism in activated BAT: 1) fluxes through glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway are induced, the latter providing reducing equivalents for de novo fatty acid synthesis; 2) glycerol synthesis from glucose is increased, facilitating...

  3. Tipping the balance of RNA stability by 3' editing of the transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Christina Z; Seidl, Lauren E; Mann, Mitchell R; Heinemann, Ilka U

    2017-11-01

    The regulation of active microRNAs (miRNAs) and maturation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are competent for translation is a crucial point in the control of all cellular processes, with established roles in development and differentiation. Terminal nucleotidyltransferases (TNTases) are potent regulators of RNA metabolism. TNTases promote the addition of single or multiple nucleotides to an RNA transcript that can rapidly alter transcript stability. The well-known polyadenylation promotes transcript stability while the newly discovered but ubiquitious 3'-end polyuridylation marks RNA for degradation. Monoadenylation and uridylation are essential control mechanisms balancing mRNA and miRNA homeostasis. This review discusses the multiple functions of non-canonical TNTases, focusing on their substrate range, biological functions, and evolution. TNTases directly control mRNA and miRNA levels, with diverse roles in transcriptome stabilization, maturation, silencing, or degradation. We will summarize the current state of knowledge on non-canonical nucleotidyltransferases and their function in regulating miRNA and mRNA metabolism. We will review the discovery of uridylation as an RNA degradation pathway and discuss the evolution of nucleotidyltransferases along with their use in RNA labeling and future applications as therapeutic targets. The biochemically and evolutionarily highly related adenylyl- and uridylyltransferases play antagonizing roles in the cell. In general, RNA adenylation promotes stability, while uridylation marks RNA for degradation. Uridylyltransferases evolved from adenylyltransferases in multiple independent evolutionary events by the insertion of a histidine residue into the active site, altering nucleotide, but not RNA specificity. Understanding the mechanisms regulating RNA stability in the cell and controlling the transcriptome is essential for efforts aiming to influence cellular fate. Selectively enhancing or reducing RNA stability allows for

  4. Simulation of reduced breast cancer mortality in breast cancer screening programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zamora, L. I.; Forastero, C.; Guirado, D.; Lallena, A. M.

    2011-01-01

    The breast cancer screening programs are an essential tool in the fight against breast cancer. Currently, many questions concerning the setup of these programs are open, namely: age range of women who undergo the same, frequency of mammography, ... The effectiveness of a program should be evaluated in terms of mortality reduction is its systematic implementation in the population. In this sense, we performed Monte Carlo simulations to assess that these reductions.

  5. Chromosomal clustering of a human transcriptome reveals regulatory background

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Purmann Antje

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been much evidence recently for a link between transcriptional regulation and chromosomal gene order, but the relationship between genomic organization, regulation and gene function in higher eukaryotes remains to be precisely defined. Results Here, we present evidence for organization of a large proportion of a human transcriptome into gene clusters throughout the genome, which are partly regulated by the same transcription factors, share biological functions and are characterized by non-housekeeping genes. This analysis was based on the cardiac transcriptome identified by our genome-wide array analysis of 55 human heart samples. We found 37% of these genes to be arranged mainly in adjacent pairs or triplets. A significant number of pairs of adjacent genes are putatively regulated by common transcription factors (p = 0.02. Furthermore, these gene pairs share a significant number of GO functional classification terms. We show that the human cardiac transcriptome is organized into many small clusters across the whole genome, rather than being concentrated in a few larger clusters. Conclusion Our findings suggest that genes expressed in concert are organized in a linear arrangement for coordinated regulation. Determining the relationship between gene arrangement, regulation and nuclear organization as well as gene function will have broad biological implications.

  6. A Transcriptomic Analysis of Cave, Surface, and Hybrid Isopod Crustaceans of the Species Asellus aquaticus.

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    Bethany A Stahl

    Full Text Available Cave animals, compared to surface-dwelling relatives, tend to have reduced eyes and pigment, longer appendages, and enhanced mechanosensory structures. Pressing questions include how certain cave-related traits are gained and lost, and if they originate through the same or different genetic programs in independent lineages. An excellent system for exploring these questions is the isopod, Asellus aquaticus. This species includes multiple cave and surface populations that have numerous morphological differences between them. A key feature is that hybrids between cave and surface individuals are viable, which enables genetic crosses and linkage analyses. Here, we advance this system by analyzing single animal transcriptomes of Asellus aquaticus. We use high throughput sequencing of non-normalized cDNA derived from the head of a surface-dwelling male, the head of a cave-dwelling male, the head of a hybrid male (produced by crossing a surface individual with a cave individual, and a pooled sample of surface embryos and hatchlings. Assembling reads from surface and cave head RNA pools yielded an integrated transcriptome comprised of 23,984 contigs. Using this integrated assembly as a reference transcriptome, we aligned reads from surface-, cave- and hybrid- head tissue and pooled surface embryos and hatchlings. Our approach identified 742 SNPs and placed four new candidate genes to an existing linkage map for A. aquaticus. In addition, we examined SNPs for allele-specific expression differences in the hybrid individual. All of these resources will facilitate identification of genes and associated changes responsible for cave adaptation in A. aquaticus and, in concert with analyses of other species, will inform our understanding of the evolutionary processes accompanying adaptation to the subterranean environment.

  7. A Healthy Dietary Pattern Reduces Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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    Yanlai Sun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Diet and nutrients play an important role in cancer development and progress; a healthy dietary pattern has been found to be associated with several types of cancer. However, the association between a healthy eating pattern and lung cancer risk is still unclear. Objective: Therefore, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate whether a healthy eating pattern might reduce lung cancer risk. Methods: We identified relevant studies from the PubMed and Embase databases up to October 2015, and the relative risks were extracted and combined by the fixed-effects model when no substantial heterogeneity was observed; otherwise, the random-effects model was employed. Subgroup and publication bias analyses were also performed. Results: Finally, eight observational studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk of lung cancer for the highest vs. lowest category of healthy dietary pattern was 0.81 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.75–0.86, and no significant heterogeneity was detected. The relative risks (RRs for non-smokers, former smokers and current smokers were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.63–1.27, 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62–0.89 and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79–0.93, respectively. The results remained stable in subgroup analyses by other confounders and sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: The results of our meta-analysis suggest that a healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower lung cancer risk, and they provide more beneficial evidence for changing the diet pattern in the general population.

  8. Analysis of Pigeon (Columba) Ovary Transcriptomes to Identify Genes Involved in Blue Light Regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Ding, Jia-tong; Yang, Hai-ming; Yan, Zheng-jie; Cao, Wei; Li, Yang-bai

    2015-01-01

    Monochromatic light is widely applied to promote poultry reproductive performance, yet little is currently known regarding the mechanism by which light wavelengths affect pigeon reproduction. Recently, high-throughput sequencing technologies have been used to provide genomic information for solving this problem. In this study, we employed Illumina Hiseq 2000 to identify differentially expressed genes in ovary tissue from pigeons under blue and white light conditions and de novo transcriptome assembly to construct a comprehensive sequence database containing information on the mechanisms of follicle development. A total of 157,774 unigenes (mean length: 790 bp) were obtained by the Trinity program, and 35.83% of these unigenes were matched to genes in a non-redundant protein database. Gene description, gene ontology, and the clustering of orthologous group terms were performed to annotate the transcriptome assembly. Differentially expressed genes between blue and white light conditions included those related to oocyte maturation, hormone biosynthesis, and circadian rhythm. Furthermore, 17,574 SSRs and 533,887 potential SNPs were identified in this transcriptome assembly. This work is the first transcriptome analysis of the Columba ovary using Illumina technology, and the resulting transcriptome and differentially expressed gene data can facilitate further investigations into the molecular mechanism of the effect of blue light on follicle development and reproduction in pigeons and other bird species. PMID:26599806

  9. Analysis of Pigeon (Columba Ovary Transcriptomes to Identify Genes Involved in Blue Light Regulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Wang

    Full Text Available Monochromatic light is widely applied to promote poultry reproductive performance, yet little is currently known regarding the mechanism by which light wavelengths affect pigeon reproduction. Recently, high-throughput sequencing technologies have been used to provide genomic information for solving this problem. In this study, we employed Illumina Hiseq 2000 to identify differentially expressed genes in ovary tissue from pigeons under blue and white light conditions and de novo transcriptome assembly to construct a comprehensive sequence database containing information on the mechanisms of follicle development. A total of 157,774 unigenes (mean length: 790 bp were obtained by the Trinity program, and 35.83% of these unigenes were matched to genes in a non-redundant protein database. Gene description, gene ontology, and the clustering of orthologous group terms were performed to annotate the transcriptome assembly. Differentially expressed genes between blue and white light conditions included those related to oocyte maturation, hormone biosynthesis, and circadian rhythm. Furthermore, 17,574 SSRs and 533,887 potential SNPs were identified in this transcriptome assembly. This work is the first transcriptome analysis of the Columba ovary using Illumina technology, and the resulting transcriptome and differentially expressed gene data can facilitate further investigations into the molecular mechanism of the effect of blue light on follicle development and reproduction in pigeons and other bird species.

  10. How do women at increased breast cancer risk perceive and decide between risks of cancer and risk-reducing treatments? A synthesis of qualitative research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fielden, Hannah G; Brown, Stephen L; Saini, Pooja; Beesley, Helen; Salmon, Peter

    2017-09-01

    Risk-reducing procedures can be offered to people at increased cancer risk, but many procedures can have iatrogenic effects. People therefore need to weigh risks associated with both cancer and the risk-reduction procedure in their decisions. By reviewing relevant literature on breast cancer (BC) risk reduction, we aimed to understand how women at relatively high risk of BC perceive their risk and how their risk perceptions influence their decisions about risk reduction. Synthesis of 15 qualitative studies obtained from systematic searches of SCOPUS, Web of Knowledge, PsychINFO, and Medline electronic databases (inception-June 2015). Women did not think about risk probabilistically. Instead, they allocated themselves to broad risk categories, typically influenced by their own or familial experiences of BC. In deciding about risk-reduction procedures, some women reported weighing the risks and benefits, but papers did not describe how they did so. For many women, however, an overriding wish to reduce intense worry about BC led them to choose aggressive risk-reducing procedures without such deliberation. Reasoning that categorisation is a fundamental aspect of risk perception, we argue that patients can be encouraged to develop more nuanced and accurate categorisations of their own risk through their interactions with clinicians. Empirically-based ethical reflection is required to determine whether and when it is appropriate to provide risk-reduction procedures to alleviate worry. © 2016 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. P1 promoter-driven HNF4α isoforms are specifically repressed by β-catenin signaling in colorectal cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babeu, Jean-Philippe; Jones, Christine; Geha, Sameh; Carrier, Julie C; Boudreau, François

    2018-06-13

    HNF4α is a key nuclear receptor for regulating gene expression in the gut. While both P1 and P2 isoform classes of HNF4α are expressed in colonic epithelium, specific inhibition of P1 isoforms is commonly found in colorectal cancer. Previous studies have suggested that P1 and P2 isoforms may regulate different cellular functions. Despite these advances, it remains unclear whether these isoform classes are functionally divergent in the context of human biology. Here, the consequences of specific inhibition of P1 or P2 isoform expression was measured in a human colorectal cancer cell transcriptome. Results indicate that P1 isoforms were specifically associated with the control of cell metabolism while P2 isoforms globally supported aberrant oncogenic signalization, promoting cancer cell survival and progression. P1 promoter-driven isoform expression was found to be repressed by β-catenin, one of the earliest oncogenic pathways to be activated during colon tumorigenesis. These findings identify a novel cascade by which the expression of P1 isoforms are rapidly shut down in the early stages of colon tumorigenesis, allowing a change in HNF4α-dependent transcriptome thereby promoting colorectal cancer progression. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  12. Transcriptomic impacts of rumen epithelium induced by butyrate infusion in dairy cattle in dry period

    Science.gov (United States)

    Transcriptomics and bioinformatics are utilized to accelerate our understanding of regulation in rumen epithelial transcriptome of cattle in the dry period induced by butyrate infusion. Butyrate, as an essential element of nutrients, is an HDAC inhibitor that can alter histone acetylation and methyl...

  13. Towards a transcriptome-based theranostic platform for unfavorable breast cancer phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobroff, Andrey S; D'Angelo, Sara; Eckhardt, Bedrich L; Ferrara, Fortunato; Staquicini, Daniela I; Cardó-Vila, Marina; Staquicini, Fernanda I; Nunes, Diana N; Kim, Kisu; Driessen, Wouter H P; Hajitou, Amin; Lomo, Lesley C; Barry, Marc; Krishnamurthy, Savitri; Sahin, Aysegul; Woodward, Wendy A; Prossnitz, Eric R; Anderson, Robin L; Dias-Neto, Emmanuel; Brown-Glaberman, Ursa A; Royce, Melanie E; Ueno, Naoto T; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Hortobagyi, Gabriel N; Marchiò, Serena; Gelovani, Juri G; Sidman, Richard L; Arap, Wadih; Pasqualini, Renata

    2016-10-24

    Inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) is one of the most lethal forms of human breast cancer, and effective treatment for IBC is an unmet clinical need in contemporary oncology. Tumor-targeted theranostic approaches are emerging in precision medicine, but only a few specific biomarkers are available. Here we report up-regulation of the 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) in two independent discovery and validation sets of specimens derived from IBC patients, suggesting translational promise for clinical applications. We show that a GRP78-binding motif displayed on either bacteriophage or adeno-associated virus/phage (AAVP) particles or loop-grafted onto a human antibody fragment specifically targets orthotopic IBC and other aggressive breast cancer models in vivo. To evaluate the theranostic value, we used GRP78-targeting AAVP particles to deliver the human Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase type-1 (HSVtk) transgene, obtaining simultaneous in vivo diagnosis through PET imaging and tumor treatment by selective activation of the prodrug ganciclovir at tumor sites. Translation of this AAVP system is expected simultaneously to image, monitor, and treat the IBC phenotype and possibly other aggressive (e.g., invasive and/or metastatic) subtypes of breast cancer, based on the inducible cell-surface expression of the stress-response chaperone GRP78, and possibily other cell-surface receptors in human tumors.

  14. De novo assembly of maritime pine transcriptome: implications for forest breeding and biotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canales, Javier; Bautista, Rocio; Label, Philippe; Gómez-Maldonado, Josefa; Lesur, Isabelle; Fernández-Pozo, Noe; Rueda-López, Marina; Guerrero-Fernández, Dario; Castro-Rodríguez, Vanessa; Benzekri, Hicham; Cañas, Rafael A; Guevara, María-Angeles; Rodrigues, Andreia; Seoane, Pedro; Teyssier, Caroline; Morel, Alexandre; Ehrenmann, François; Le Provost, Grégoire; Lalanne, Céline; Noirot, Céline; Klopp, Christophe; Reymond, Isabelle; García-Gutiérrez, Angel; Trontin, Jean-François; Lelu-Walter, Marie-Anne; Miguel, Celia; Cervera, María Teresa; Cantón, Francisco R; Plomion, Christophe; Harvengt, Luc; Avila, Concepción; Gonzalo Claros, M; Cánovas, Francisco M

    2014-04-01

    Maritime pine (Pinus pinasterAit.) is a widely distributed conifer species in Southwestern Europe and one of the most advanced models for conifer research. In the current work, comprehensive characterization of the maritime pine transcriptome was performed using a combination of two different next-generation sequencing platforms, 454 and Illumina. De novo assembly of the transcriptome provided a catalogue of 26 020 unique transcripts in maritime pine trees and a collection of 9641 full-length cDNAs. Quality of the transcriptome assembly was validated by RT-PCR amplification of selected transcripts for structural and regulatory genes. Transcription factors and enzyme-encoding transcripts were annotated. Furthermore, the available sequencing data permitted the identification of polymorphisms and the establishment of robust single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and simple-sequence repeat (SSR) databases for genotyping applications and integration of translational genomics in maritime pine breeding programmes. All our data are freely available at SustainpineDB, the P. pinaster expressional database. Results reported here on the maritime pine transcriptome represent a valuable resource for future basic and applied studies on this ecological and economically important pine species. © 2013 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. SNP discovery in the transcriptome of white Pacific shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei by next generation sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Yu

    Full Text Available The application of next generation sequencing technology has greatly facilitated high throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP discovery and genotyping in genetic research. In the present study, SNPs were discovered based on two transcriptomes of Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei generated from Illumina sequencing platform HiSeq 2000. One transcriptome of L. vannamei was obtained through sequencing on the RNA from larvae at mysis stage and its reference sequence was de novo assembled. The data from another transcriptome were downloaded from NCBI and the reads of the two transcriptomes were mapped separately to the assembled reference by BWA. SNP calling was performed using SAMtools. A total of 58,717 and 36,277 SNPs with high quality were predicted from the two transcriptomes, respectively. SNP calling was also performed using the reads of two transcriptomes together, and a total of 96,040 SNPs with high quality were predicted. Among these 96,040 SNPs, 5,242 and 29,129 were predicted as non-synonymous and synonymous SNPs respectively. Characterization analysis of the predicted SNPs in L. vannamei showed that the estimated SNP frequency was 0.21% (one SNP per 476 bp and the estimated ratio for transition to transversion was 2.0. Fifty SNPs were randomly selected for validation by Sanger sequencing after PCR amplification and 76% of SNPs were confirmed, which indicated that the SNPs predicted in this study were reliable. These SNPs will be very useful for genetic study in L. vannamei, especially for the high density linkage map construction and genome-wide association studies.

  16. Soya and isoflavone intakes associated with reduced risk of oesophageal cancer in north-west China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Li; Lee, Andy H; Xu, Fenglian; Zhang, Taotao; Lei, Jun; Binns, Colin W

    2015-01-01

    To ascertain the association between soya consumption, isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk in remote north-west China, where the incidence of oesophageal cancer is known to be high. Case-control study. Information on habitual consumption of soya foods and soya milk was obtained by personal interview. The intakes of isoflavones were then estimated using the US Department of Agriculture nutrient database. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between soya consumption, isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk. Urumqi and Shihezi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. Participants were 359 incident oesophageal cancer patients and 380 hospital-based controls. The oesophageal cancer patients consumed significantly less (P soya foods (mean 57·2 (sd 119·0) g/d) and soya milk (mean 18·8 (sd 51·7) ml/d) than the controls (mean 93·3 (sd 121·5) g/d and mean 35·7 (sd 73·0) ml/d). Logistic regression analyses showed an inverse association between intake of soya products and the risk of oesophageal cancer. The adjusted odds were OR = 0·33 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·49) and OR = 0·48 (95 % CI 0·31, 0·74) for consuming at least 97 g of soya foods and 60 ml of soya milk daily (the highest tertiles of consumption), respectively, relative to the lowest tertiles of consumption. Similarly, inverse associations with apparent dose-response relationships were found between isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk. Habitual consumption of soya products appears to be associated with reduced risk of oesophageal cancer in north-west China.

  17. beta-TrCP inhibition reduces prostate cancer cell growth via upregulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Udi Gluschnaider

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer is a common and heterogeneous disease, where androgen receptor (AR signaling plays a pivotal role in development and progression. The initial treatment for advanced prostate cancer is suppression of androgen signaling. Later on, essentially all patients develop an androgen independent stage which does not respond to anti hormonal treatment. Thus, alternative strategies targeting novel molecular mechanisms are required. beta-TrCP is an E3 ligase that targets various substrates essential for many aspects of tumorigenesis.Here we show that beta-TrCP depletion suppresses prostate cancer and identify a relevant growth control mechanism. shRNA targeted against beta-TrCP reduced prostate cancer cell growth and cooperated with androgen ablation in vitro and in vivo. We found that beta-TrCP inhibition leads to upregulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR mediating the therapeutic effect. This phenomenon could be ligand independent, as the AhR ligand 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD did not alter prostate cancer cell growth. We detected high AhR expression and activation in basal cells and atrophic epithelial cells of human cancer bearing prostates. AhR expression and activation is also significantly higher in tumor cells compared to benign glandular epithelium.Together these observations suggest that AhR activation may be a cancer counteracting mechanism in the prostate. We maintain that combining beta-TrCP inhibition with androgen ablation could benefit advanced prostate cancer patients.

  18. Combined functional CT/FDG-PET: demonstrates reduced hepatic phosphorylation of glucose in advanced colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miles, K.A.; Keith, C.J.; Griffiths, M.R.; Fuentes, M.; Bunce, I.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: This study describes a technique to quantify hepatic glucose phosphorylation using combined data from functional CT and FDG-PET and assesses the differences in phosphorylation between patients with either early or advanced colorectal cancer. Functional CT and FDG-PET were utilised to obtain measurements of perfusion and glucose uptake respectively within the livers of a series of 35 patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with PET evidence of extrahepatic tumour were considered to have advanced disease. The net influx constant (Ki) for FDG was determined from the liver SUV. CT measurements of hepatic perfusion were incorporated into FDG kinetic analysis to determine hepatic glucose phosphorylation fraction. SUV and Ki were significantly lower in the 12 patients with advanced disease (p=0.015 and p=0.013 respectively) whereas portal and total hepatic perfusion were increased (p=0.013 and p=0.008 respectively). Combining the PET and CT data yielded phosphorylation fractions of 1.14% and 0.74% for early and advanced disease respectively (p=0.002). Hepatic glucose phosphorylation can be determined by combining functional CT measurements of perfusion with PET measurements of FDG and is significantly reduced in patients with more advanced malignancy. Reduced hepatic glucose phosphorylation may be an important mechanism in the development of cancer cachexia. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

  19. Combined functional CT/FDG-PET: demonstrates reduced hepatic phosphorylation of glucose in advanced colorectal cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miles, K A [Southernex Imaging Group, QLD (Australia); Queensland University of Technology, QLD (Australia); Keith, C J [Southernex Imaging Group, QLD (Australia); Wesley Research Institute, QLD (Australia); Griffiths, M R [Queensland University of Technology, QLD (Australia); Fuentes, M [Southernex Imaging Group, QLD (Australia); Bunce, I [Wesley Research Institute, QLD (Australia)

    2002-07-01

    Full text: This study describes a technique to quantify hepatic glucose phosphorylation using combined data from functional CT and FDG-PET and assesses the differences in phosphorylation between patients with either early or advanced colorectal cancer. Functional CT and FDG-PET were utilised to obtain measurements of perfusion and glucose uptake respectively within the livers of a series of 35 patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with PET evidence of extrahepatic tumour were considered to have advanced disease. The net influx constant (Ki) for FDG was determined from the liver SUV. CT measurements of hepatic perfusion were incorporated into FDG kinetic analysis to determine hepatic glucose phosphorylation fraction. SUV and Ki were significantly lower in the 12 patients with advanced disease (p=0.015 and p=0.013 respectively) whereas portal and total hepatic perfusion were increased (p=0.013 and p=0.008 respectively). Combining the PET and CT data yielded phosphorylation fractions of 1.14% and 0.74% for early and advanced disease respectively (p=0.002). Hepatic glucose phosphorylation can be determined by combining functional CT measurements of perfusion with PET measurements of FDG and is significantly reduced in patients with more advanced malignancy. Reduced hepatic glucose phosphorylation may be an important mechanism in the development of cancer cachexia. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc.

  20. The transcriptome of the Didelphis virginiana opossum kidney OK proximal tubule cell line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshbach, Megan L; Sethi, Rahil; Avula, Raghunandan; Lamb, Janette; Hollingshead, Deborah J; Finegold, David N; Locker, Joseph D; Chandran, Uma R; Weisz, Ora A

    2017-09-01

    The OK cell line derived from the kidney of a female opossum Didelphis virginiana has proven to be a useful model in which to investigate the unique regulation of ion transport and membrane trafficking mechanisms in the proximal tubule (PT). Sequence data and comparison of the transcriptome of this cell line to eutherian mammal PTs would further broaden the utility of this culture model. However, the genomic sequence for D. virginiana is not available and although a draft genome sequence for the opossum Monodelphis domestica (sequenced in 2012 by the Broad Institute) exists, transcripts sequenced from both species show significant divergence. The M. domestica sequence is not highly annotated, and the majority of transcripts are predicted rather than experimentally validated. Using deep RNA sequencing of the D. virginiana OK cell line, we characterized its transcriptome via de novo transcriptome assembly and alignment to the M. domestica genome. The quality of the de novo assembled transcriptome was assessed by the extent of homology to sequences in nucleotide and protein databases. Gene expression levels in the OK cell line, from both the de novo transcriptome and genes aligned to the M. domestica genome, were compared with publicly available rat kidney nephron segment expression data. Our studies demonstrate the expression in OK cells of numerous PT-specific ion transporters and other key proteins relevant for rodent and human PT function. Additionally, the sequence and expression data reported here provide an important resource for genetic manipulation and other studies on PT cell function using these cells. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  1. Transcriptome and proteomic analysis of mango (Mangifera indica Linn) fruits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hong-xia; Jia, Hui-min; Ma, Xiao-wei; Wang, Song-biao; Yao, Quan-sheng; Xu, Wen-tian; Zhou, Yi-gang; Gao, Zhong-shan; Zhan, Ru-lin

    2014-06-13

    Here we used Illumina RNA-seq technology for transcriptome sequencing of a mixed fruit sample from 'Zill' mango (Mangifera indica Linn) fruit pericarp and pulp during the development and ripening stages. RNA-seq generated 68,419,722 sequence reads that were assembled into 54,207 transcripts with a mean length of 858bp, including 26,413 clusters and 27,794 singletons. A total of 42,515(78.43%) transcripts were annotated using public protein databases, with a cut-off E-value above 10(-5), of which 35,198 and 14,619 transcripts were assigned to gene ontology terms and clusters of orthologous groups respectively. Functional annotation against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database identified 23,741(43.79%) transcripts which were mapped to 128 pathways. These pathways revealed many previously unknown transcripts. We also applied mass spectrometry-based transcriptome data to characterize the proteome of ripe fruit. LC-MS/MS analysis of the mango fruit proteome was using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in an LTQ Orbitrap Velos (Thermo) coupled online to the HPLC. This approach enabled the identification of 7536 peptides that matched 2754 proteins. Our study provides a comprehensive sequence for a systemic view of transcriptome during mango fruit development and the most comprehensive fruit proteome to date, which are useful for further genomics research and proteomic studies. Our study provides a comprehensive sequence for a systemic view of both the transcriptome and proteome of mango fruit, and a valuable reference for further research on gene expression and protein identification. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Transcriptome analysis of the response of Burmese python to digestion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Jinjie; Sanggaard, Kristian Wejse; Schauser, Leif; Lauridsen, Sanne Enok; Enghild, Jan J; Schierup, Mikkel Heide; Wang, Tobias

    2017-08-01

    Exceptional and extreme feeding behaviour makes the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) an interesting model to study physiological remodelling and metabolic adaptation in response to refeeding after prolonged starvation. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing of 5 visceral organs during fasting as well as 24 hours and 48 hours after ingestion of a large meal to unravel the postprandial changes in Burmese pythons. We first used the pooled data to perform a de novo assembly of the transcriptome and supplemented this with a proteomic survey of enzymes in the plasma and gastric fluid. We constructed a high-quality transcriptome with 34 423 transcripts, of which 19 713 (57%) were annotated. Among highly expressed genes (fragments per kilo base per million sequenced reads > 100 in 1 tissue), we found that the transition from fasting to digestion was associated with differential expression of 43 genes in the heart, 206 genes in the liver, 114 genes in the stomach, 89 genes in the pancreas, and 158 genes in the intestine. We interrogated the function of these genes to test previous hypotheses on the response to feeding. We also used the transcriptome to identify 314 secreted proteins in the gastric fluid of the python. Digestion was associated with an upregulation of genes related to metabolic processes, and translational changes therefore appear to support the postprandial rise in metabolism. We identify stomach-related proteins from a digesting individual and demonstrate that the sensitivity of modern liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry equipment allows the identification of gastric juice proteins that are present during digestion. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  3. Moderate-intensity exercise reduces fatigue and improves mobility in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-regression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy M Dennett

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Question: Is there a dose-response effect of exercise on inflammation, fatigue and activity in cancer survivors? Design: Systematic review with meta-regression analysis of randomised trials. Participants: Adults diagnosed with cancer, regardless of specific diagnosis or treatment. Intervention: Exercise interventions including aerobic and/or resistance as a key component. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measures were markers of inflammation (including C-reactive protein and interleukins and various measures of fatigue. The secondary outcomes were: measures of activity, as defined by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, including activities of daily living and measures of functional mobility (eg, 6-minute walk test, timed sit-to-stand and stair-climb tests. Risk of bias was evaluated using the PEDro scale, and overall quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Research, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE approach. Results: Forty-two trials involving 3816 participants were included. There was very low-quality to moderate-quality evidence that exercise results in significant reductions in fatigue (SMD 0.32, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.52 and increased walking endurance (SMD 0.77, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.28. A significant negative association was found between aerobic exercise intensity and fatigue reduction. A peak effect was found for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for improving walking endurance. No dose-response relationship was found between exercise and markers of inflammation or exercise duration and outcomes. Rates of adherence were typically high and few adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Exercise is safe, reduces fatigue and increases endurance in cancer survivors. The results support the recommendation of prescribing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise to reduce fatigue and improve activity in people with cancer. Review registration: PROSPERO CRD

  4. De novo transcriptome assembly of a sour cherry cultivar, Schattenmorelle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeonhwa Jo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus in the genus Prunus in the family Rosaceae is one of the most popular stone fruit trees worldwide. Of known sour cherry cultivars, the Schattenmorelle is a famous old sour cherry with a high amount of fruit production. The Schattenmorelle was selected before 1650 and described in the 1800s. This cultivar was named after gardens of the Chateau de Moreille in which the cultivar was initially found. In order to identify new genes and to develop genetic markers for sour cherry, we performed a transcriptome analysis of a sour cherry. We selected the cultivar Schattenmorelle, which is among commercially important cultivars in Europe and North America. We obtained 2.05 GB raw data from the Schattenmorelle (NCBI accession number: SRX1187170. De novo transcriptome assembly using Trinity identified 61,053 transcripts in which N50 was 611 bp. Next, we identified 25,585 protein coding sequences using TransDecoder. The identified proteins were blasted against NCBI's non-redundant database for annotation. Based on blast search, we taxonomically classified the obtained sequences. As a result, we provide the transcriptome of sour cherry cultivar Schattenmorelle using next generation sequencing.

  5. Transcriptome analysis in cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis and RNA interference in insect pests.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Augusto Pereira Firmino

    Full Text Available Cotton plants are subjected to the attack of several insect pests. In Brazil, the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is the most important cotton pest. The use of insecticidal proteins and gene silencing by interference RNA (RNAi as techniques for insect control are promising strategies, which has been applied in the last few years. For this insect, there are not much available molecular information on databases. Using 454-pyrosequencing methodology, the transcriptome of all developmental stages of the insect pest, A. grandis, was analyzed. The A. grandis transcriptome analysis resulted in more than 500.000 reads and a data set of high quality 20,841 contigs. After sequence assembly and annotation, around 10,600 contigs had at least one BLAST hit against NCBI non-redundant protein database and 65.7% was similar to Tribolium castaneum sequences. A comparison of A. grandis, Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori protein families' data showed higher similarity to dipteran than to lepidopteran sequences. Several contigs of genes encoding proteins involved in RNAi mechanism were found. PAZ Domains sequences extracted from the transcriptome showed high similarity and conservation for the most important functional and structural motifs when compared to PAZ Domains from 5 species. Two SID-like contigs were phylogenetically analyzed and grouped with T. castaneum SID-like proteins. No RdRP gene was found. A contig matching chitin synthase 1 was mined from the transcriptome. dsRNA microinjection of a chitin synthase gene to A. grandis female adults resulted in normal oviposition of unviable eggs and malformed alive larvae that were unable to develop in artificial diet. This is the first study that characterizes the transcriptome of the coleopteran, A. grandis. A new and representative transcriptome database for this insect pest is now available. All data support the state of the art of RNAi mechanism in insects.

  6. Transcriptome analysis in cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) and RNA interference in insect pests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Firmino, Alexandre Augusto Pereira; Fonseca, Fernando Campos de Assis; de Macedo, Leonardo Lima Pepino; Coelho, Roberta Ramos; Antonino de Souza, José Dijair; Togawa, Roberto Coiti; Silva-Junior, Orzenil Bonfim; Pappas, Georgios Joannis; da Silva, Maria Cristina Mattar; Engler, Gilbert; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria Fatima

    2013-01-01

    Cotton plants are subjected to the attack of several insect pests. In Brazil, the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is the most important cotton pest. The use of insecticidal proteins and gene silencing by interference RNA (RNAi) as techniques for insect control are promising strategies, which has been applied in the last few years. For this insect, there are not much available molecular information on databases. Using 454-pyrosequencing methodology, the transcriptome of all developmental stages of the insect pest, A. grandis, was analyzed. The A. grandis transcriptome analysis resulted in more than 500.000 reads and a data set of high quality 20,841 contigs. After sequence assembly and annotation, around 10,600 contigs had at least one BLAST hit against NCBI non-redundant protein database and 65.7% was similar to Tribolium castaneum sequences. A comparison of A. grandis, Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori protein families' data showed higher similarity to dipteran than to lepidopteran sequences. Several contigs of genes encoding proteins involved in RNAi mechanism were found. PAZ Domains sequences extracted from the transcriptome showed high similarity and conservation for the most important functional and structural motifs when compared to PAZ Domains from 5 species. Two SID-like contigs were phylogenetically analyzed and grouped with T. castaneum SID-like proteins. No RdRP gene was found. A contig matching chitin synthase 1 was mined from the transcriptome. dsRNA microinjection of a chitin synthase gene to A. grandis female adults resulted in normal oviposition of unviable eggs and malformed alive larvae that were unable to develop in artificial diet. This is the first study that characterizes the transcriptome of the coleopteran, A. grandis. A new and representative transcriptome database for this insect pest is now available. All data support the state of the art of RNAi mechanism in insects.

  7. Transcriptome differences between enrofloxacin-resistant and enrofloxacin-susceptible strains of Aeromonas hydrophila

    OpenAIRE

    Zhu, Fengjiao; Yang, Zongying; Zhang, Yiliu; Hu, Kun; Fang, Wenhong

    2017-01-01

    Enrofloxacin is the most commonly used antibiotic to control diseases in aquatic animals caused by A. hydrophila. This study conducted de novo transcriptome sequencing and compared the global transcriptomes of enrofloxacin-resistant and enrofloxacin-susceptible strains. We got a total of 4,714 unigenes were assembled. Of these, 4,122 were annotated. A total of 3,280 unigenes were assigned to GO, 3,388 unigenes were classified into Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) using BLAST an...

  8. Transcriptome analysis of Anopheles stephensi embryo using ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Germ band retraction (GBR) stage is one of the important stages during insect development. It is associated with an extensive epithelial morphogenesis and may also be pivotal in generation of morphological diversity in insects. Despite its importance, only a handful of studies report the transcriptome repertoire of this stage ...

  9. Global daily dynamics of the pineal transcriptome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bustos, Diego M; Bailey, Michael J; Sugden, David

    2011-01-01

    Transcriptome profiling of the pineal gland has revealed night/day differences in the expression of a major fraction of the genes active in this tissue, with two-thirds of these being nocturnal increases. A set of over 600 transcripts exhibit two-fold to >100-fold daily differences in abundance...

  10. Genetic signatures of adaptation revealed from transcriptome sequencing of Arctic and red foxes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Vikas; Kutschera, Verena E; Nilsson, Maria A; Janke, Axel

    2015-08-07

    The genus Vulpes (true foxes) comprises numerous species that inhabit a wide range of habitats and climatic conditions, including one species, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) which is adapted to the arctic region. A close relative to the Arctic fox, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), occurs in subarctic to subtropical habitats. To study the genetic basis of their adaptations to different environments, transcriptome sequences from two Arctic foxes and one red fox individual were generated and analyzed for signatures of positive selection. In addition, the data allowed for a phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimate between the two fox species. The de novo assembly of reads resulted in more than 160,000 contigs/transcripts per individual. Approximately 17,000 homologous genes were identified using human and the non-redundant databases. Positive selection analyses revealed several genes involved in various metabolic and molecular processes such as energy metabolism, cardiac gene regulation, apoptosis and blood coagulation to be under positive selection in foxes. Branch site tests identified four genes to be under positive selection in the Arctic fox transcriptome, two of which are fat metabolism genes. In the red fox transcriptome eight genes are under positive selection, including molecular process genes, notably genes involved in ATP metabolism. Analysis of the three transcriptomes and five Sanger re-sequenced genes in additional individuals identified a lower genetic variability within Arctic foxes compared to red foxes, which is consistent with distribution range differences and demographic responses to past climatic fluctuations. A phylogenomic analysis estimated that the Arctic and red fox lineages diverged about three million years ago. Transcriptome data are an economic way to generate genomic resources for evolutionary studies. Despite not representing an entire genome, this transcriptome analysis identified numerous genes that are relevant to arctic

  11. Characterization of the abomasal transcriptome for mechanisms of resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    The response of the abomasal transcriptome to gastrointestinal parasites was evaluated in parasite-susceptible and parasite-resistant Angus cattle using RNA-seq at a depth of 23.7 million sequences per sample. These cattle displayed distinctly separate resistance phenotypes as assessed by fecal egg counts. Approximately 65.3% of the 23 632 bovine genes were expressed in the fundic abomasum. Of these, 13 758 genes were expressed in all samples tested and likely represent core components of the bovine abomasal transcriptome. The gene (BT14427) with the most abundant transcript, accounting for 10.4% of sequences in the transcriptome, is located on chromosome 29 and has unknown functions. Additionally, PIGR (1.6%), Complement C3 (0.7%), and Immunoglobulin J chain (0.5%) were among the most abundant transcripts in the transcriptome. Among the 203 genes impacted, 64 were significantly over-expressed in resistant animals at a stringent cutoff (FDR parasite resistance in cattle. Our results provide insights into the development of host immunity to gastrointestinal nematode infection and will facilitate understanding of mechanism underlying host resistance. PMID:22129081

  12. RNA-Seq as an Emerging Tool for Marine Dinoflagellate Transcriptome Analysis: Process and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhamad Afiq Akbar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Dinoflagellates are the large group of marine phytoplankton with primary studies interest regarding their symbiosis with coral reef and the abilities to form harmful algae blooms (HABs. Toxin produced by dinoflagellates during events of HABs cause severe negative impact both in the economy and health sector. However, attempts to understand the dinoflagellates genomic features are hindered by their complex genome organization. Transcriptomics have been employed to understand dinoflagellates genome structure, profile genes and gene expression. RNA-seq is one of the latest methods for transcriptomics study. This method is capable of profiling the dinoflagellates transcriptomes and has several advantages, including highly sensitive, cost effective and deeper sequence coverage. Thus, in this review paper, the current workflow of dinoflagellates RNA-seq starts with the extraction of high quality RNA and is followed by cDNA sequencing using the next-generation sequencing platform, dinoflagellates transcriptome assembly and computational analysis will be discussed. Certain consideration needs will be highlighted such as difficulty in dinoflagellates sequence annotation, post-transcriptional activity and the effect of RNA pooling when using RNA-seq.

  13. De Novo Assembly and Characterization of the Transcriptome of Grasshopper Shirakiacris shirakii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongying Qiu

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: The grasshopper Shirakiacris shirakii is an important agricultural pest and feeds mainly on gramineous plants, thereby causing economic damage to a wide range of crops. However, genomic information on this species is extremely limited thus far, and transcriptome data relevant to insecticide resistance and pest control are also not available. Methods: The transcriptome of S. shirakii was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform, and we de novo assembled the transcriptome. Results: Its sequencing produced a total of 105,408,878 clean reads, and the de novo assembly revealed 74,657 unigenes with an average length of 680 bp and N50 of 1057 bp. A total of 28,173 unigenes were annotated for the NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr, NCBI non-redundant nucleotide sequences (Nt, a manually-annotated and reviewed protein sequence database (Swiss-Prot, Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG databases. Based on the Nr annotation results, we manually identified 79 unigenes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s, 36 unigenes encoding carboxylesterases (CarEs and 36 unigenes encoding glutathione S-transferases (GSTs in S. shirakii. Core RNAi components relevant to miroRNA, siRNA and piRNA pathways, including Pasha, Loquacious, Argonaute-1, Argonaute-2, Argonaute-3, Zucchini, Aubergine, enhanced RNAi-1 and Piwi, were expressed in S. shirakii. We also identified five unigenes that were homologous to the Sid-1 gene. In addition, the analysis of differential gene expressions revealed that a total of 19,764 unigenes were up-regulated and 4185 unigenes were down-regulated in larvae. In total, we predicted 7504 simple sequence repeats (SSRs from 74,657 unigenes. Conclusions: The comprehensive de novo transcriptomic data of S. shirakii will offer a series of valuable molecular resources for better studying insecticide resistance, RNAi and molecular marker discovery in the transcriptome.

  14. De novo Transcriptome Assembly of Common Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) and Discovery of Drought-Response Genes in Root Tissue Based on Transcriptomic Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Xin-Jie; Long, Yan; Wang, Jiao; Zhang, Jing-Wen; Wang, Yan-Yan; Li, Wei-Min; Peng, Yu-Fa; Yuan, Qian-Hua; Pei, Xin-Wu

    2015-01-01

    The perennial O. rufipogon (common wild rice), which is considered to be the ancestor of Asian cultivated rice species, contains many useful genetic resources, including drought resistance genes. However, few studies have identified the drought resistance and tissue-specific genes in common wild rice. In this study, transcriptome sequencing libraries were constructed, including drought-treated roots (DR) and control leaves (CL) and roots (CR). Using Illumina sequencing technology, we generated 16.75 million bases of high-quality sequence data for common wild rice and conducted de novo assembly and annotation of genes without prior genome information. These reads were assembled into 119,332 unigenes with an average length of 715 bp. A total of 88,813 distinct sequences (74.42% of unigenes) significantly matched known genes in the NCBI NT database. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis showed that 3617 genes were up-regulated and 4171 genes were down-regulated in the CR library compared with the CL library. Among the DEGs, 535 genes were expressed in roots but not in shoots. A similar comparison between the DR and CR libraries showed that 1393 genes were up-regulated and 315 genes were down-regulated in the DR library compared with the CR library. Finally, 37 genes that were specifically expressed in roots were screened after comparing the DEGs identified in the above-described analyses. This study provides a transcriptome sequence resource for common wild rice plants and establishes a digital gene expression profile of wild rice plants under drought conditions using the assembled transcriptome data as a reference. Several tissue-specific and drought-stress-related candidate genes were identified, representing a fully characterized transcriptome and providing a valuable resource for genetic and genomic studies in plants.

  15. Developmental transcriptome of Aplysia californica'

    KAUST Repository

    Heyland, Andreas

    2010-12-06

    Genome-wide transcriptional changes in development provide important insight into mechanisms underlying growth, differentiation, and patterning. However, such large-scale developmental studies have been limited to a few representatives of Ecdysozoans and Chordates. Here, we characterize transcriptomes of embryonic, larval, and metamorphic development in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica and reveal novel molecular components associated with life history transitions. Specifically, we identify more than 20 signal peptides, putative hormones, and transcription factors in association with early development and metamorphic stages-many of which seem to be evolutionarily conserved elements of signal transduction pathways. We also characterize genes related to biomineralization-a critical process of molluscan development. In summary, our experiment provides the first large-scale survey of gene expression in mollusc development, and complements previous studies on the regulatory mechanisms underlying body plan patterning and the formation of larval and juvenile structures. This study serves as a resource for further functional annotation of transcripts and genes in Aplysia, specifically and molluscs in general. A comparison of the Aplysia developmental transcriptome with similar studies in the zebra fish Danio rerio, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and other studies on molluscs suggests an overall highly divergent pattern of gene regulatory mechanisms that are likely a consequence of the different developmental modes of these organisms. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  16. Novel transcriptome resources for three scleractinian coral species from the Indo-Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenkel, Carly D; Bay, Line K

    2017-09-01

    Transcriptomic resources for coral species can provide insight into coral evolutionary history and stress-response physiology. Goniopora columna, Galaxea astreata, and Galaxea acrhelia are scleractinian corals of the Indo-Pacific, representing a diversity of morphologies and life-history traits. G. columna and G. astreata are common and cosmopolitan, while G. acrhelia is largely restricted to the coral triangle and Great Barrier Reef. Reference transcriptomes for these species were assembled from replicate colony fragments exposed to elevated (31°C) and ambient (27°C) temperatures. Trinity was used to create de novo assemblies for each species from 92-102 million raw Illumina Hiseq 2 × 150 bp reads. Host-specific assemblies contained 65 460-72 405 contigs, representing 26 693-37 894 isogroups (∼genes) with an average N50 of 2254. Gene name and/or gene ontology annotations were possible for 58% of isogroups on average. Transcriptomes contained 93.1-94.3% of EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups comprising the core eukaryotic gene set, and 89.98-91.92% of the single-copy metazoan core gene set orthologs were complete, indicating fairly comprehensive assemblies. This work expands the complement of transcriptomic resources available for scleractinian coral species, including the first reference for a representative of Goniopora spp. as well as species with novel morphology. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  17. Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, David S; Peng, Cheng; Sleight, Alix G; Nguyen, Nathalie; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Figueiredo, Jane C

    2017-08-15

    The objective of this randomized clinical experiment was to test the influence of a mindfulness meditation practice, when delivered during 1 session of active chemotherapy administration, on the acute salivary cortisol response as a marker of neuroendocrine system activity in cancer patients. A mindfulness, attention-control, or resting exposure was assigned to 57 English- or Spanish-speaking colorectal cancer patients at 1 county oncology clinic and 1 university oncology clinic at the start of chemotherapy. Saliva samples were collected at the start of chemotherapy and at subsequent 20-minute intervals during the first 60 minutes of chemotherapy (4 samples in all). Self-reporting on biobehavioral assessments after chemotherapy included distress, fatigue, and mindfulness. An area-under-the-curve analysis (AUC) showed a relative increase in cortisol reactivity in the mindfulness group after adjustments for biological and clinical measures (β = 123.21; P = .03). More than twice as many patients in the mindfulness group versus the controls displayed a cortisol rise from the baseline to 20 minutes (69% vs 34%; P = .02). AUC values were uncorrelated with biobehavioral measure scores, although mindfulness scores were inversely correlated with fatigue (r = -0.46; P mindfulness practice during chemotherapy can reduce the blunting of neuroendocrine profiles typically observed in cancer patients. Implications include support for the use of mindfulness practice in integrative oncology. Cancer 2017;123:3088-96. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

  18. Anti-Inflammatory Agent Indomethacin Reduces Invasion and Alters Metabolism in a Human Breast Cancer Cell Line

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    Ellen Ackerstaff

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Hostile physiological environments such as hypoxia and acidic extracellular pH, which exist in solid tumors, may promote invasion and metastasis through inflammatory responses and formation of eicosanoids. Here, we have investigated the effects of the antiinflammatory agent indomethacin on the invasion and metabolism of the human breast cancer cell line MDAMB-435 in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles (DME-based or Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI-based cell medium, using a magnetic resonance-compatible invasion assay. Indomethacin treatment significantly reduced the invasion of MDA-MB-435 cells independent of the culture and perfusion conditions examined. Significant changes were detected in levels of intracellular choline phospholipid metabolites and in triglyceride (TG concentrations of these cells, depending on indomethacin treatment and basal cell medium used. Additionally, genetic profiling of breast cancer cells, grown and treated with low-dose indomethacin in cell culture using an RPMI-based medium, revealed the upregulation of several genes implicating cyclooxygenaseindependent targets of indomethacin. These data confirm the ability of an anti-inflammatory agent to reduce breast cancer invasion and demonstrate, depending on cell culture and perfusion conditions, that the indomethacin-induced decrease in invasion is associated with changes in choline phospholipid metabolism, TG metabolism, and gene expression.

  19. Comparative analysis of transcriptomes in aerial stems and roots of Ephedra sinica based on high-throughput mRNA sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taketo Okada

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Ephedra plants are taxonomically classified as gymnosperms, and are medicinally important as the botanical origin of crude drugs and as bioresources that contain pharmacologically active chemicals. Here we show a comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of aerial stems and roots of Ephedra sinica based on high-throughput mRNA sequencing by RNA-Seq. De novo assembly of short cDNA sequence reads generated 23,358, 13,373, and 28,579 contigs longer than 200 bases from aerial stems, roots, or both aerial stems and roots, respectively. The presumed functions encoded by these contig sequences were annotated by BLAST (blastx. Subsequently, these contigs were classified based on gene ontology slims, Enzyme Commission numbers, and the InterPro database. Furthermore, comparative gene expression analysis was performed between aerial stems and roots. These transcriptome analyses revealed differences and similarities between the transcriptomes of aerial stems and roots in E. sinica. Deep transcriptome sequencing of Ephedra should open the door to molecular biological studies based on the entire transcriptome, tissue- or organ-specific transcriptomes, or targeted genes of interest.

  20. Transcriptome Analysis of Two Different Developmental Stages of Paeonia lactiflora Seeds

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    Yonglei Ma

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Paeonia lactiflora is a herbaceous flower in the family Paeoniaceae with both hypocotyl and epicotyl dormant seeds. We used high-throughput transcriptome sequencing on two different developmental stages of P. lactiflora seeds to identify seed dormancy and germination-related genes. We performed de novo assembly and annotated a total of 123,577 unigenes, which encoded 24,688 putative proteins with 47 GO categories. A total of 10,714 unigenes were annotated in the KEGG database, and 258 pathways were involved in the annotations. A total of 1795 genes were differentially expressed in the functional enrichment analysis. The key genes for seed germination and dormancy, such as GAI1 and ARF, were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. This is the first report of sequencing the P. lactiflora seed transcriptome. Our results provide fundamental frame work and technical support for further selective breeding and cultivation of Paeonia. Our transcriptomic data also serves as the basis for future genetics and genomics research on Paeonia and its closely related species.

  1. Identification of strong promoters based on the transcriptome of Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xin; Yang, Haiyan; Zheng, Junwei; Ye, Yanrui; Pan, Li

    2017-06-01

    To expand the repertoire of strong promoters for high level expression of proteins based on the transcriptome of Bacillus licheniformis. The transcriptome of B. licheniformis ATCC14580 grown to the early stationary phase was analyzed and the top 10 highly expressed genes/operons out of the 3959 genes and 1249 operons identified were chosen for study promoter activity. Using beta-galactosidase gene as a reporter, the candidate promoter pBL9 exhibited the strongest activity which was comparable to that of the widely used strong promoter p43. Furthermore, the pro-transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraensis (pro-MTG) was expressed under the control of promoter pBL9 and the activity of pro-MTG reached 82 U/ml after 36 h, which is 23% higher than that of promoter p43 (66.8 U/ml). In our analyses of the transcriptome of B. licheniformis, we have identified a strong promoter pBL9, which could be adapted for high level expression of proteins in the host Bacillus subtilis.

  2. The Transcriptomic Responses of Pinus massoniana to Drought Stress

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    Mingfeng Du

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Masson pine (Pinus massoniana is a major fast-growing timber species planted in southern China, a region of seasonal drought. Using a drought-tolerance genotype of Masson pine, we conducted large-scale transcriptome sequencing using Illumina technology. This work aimed to evaluate the transcriptomic responses of Masson pine to different levels of drought stress. First, 3397, 1695 and 1550 unigenes with differential expression were identified by comparing plants subjected to light, moderate or severe drought with control plants. Second, several gene ontology (GO categories (oxidation-reduction and metabolism and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathways (plant hormone signal transduction and metabolic pathways were enriched, indicating that the expression levels of some genes in these enriched GO terms and pathways were altered under drought stress. Third, several transcription factors (TFs associated with circadian rhythms (HY5 and LHY, signal transduction (ERF, and defense responses (WRKY were identified, and these TFs may play key roles in adapting to drought stress. Drought also caused significant changes in the expression of certain functional genes linked to osmotic adjustment (P5CS, abscisic acid (ABA responses (NCED, PYL, PP2C and SnRK, and reactive oxygen species (ROS scavenging (GPX, GST and GSR. These transcriptomic results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of drought stress adaptation in Masson pine.

  3. Nuclear RNA sequencing of the mouse erythroid cell transcriptome.

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    Jennifer A Mitchell

    Full Text Available In addition to protein coding genes a substantial proportion of mammalian genomes are transcribed. However, most transcriptome studies investigate steady-state mRNA levels, ignoring a considerable fraction of the transcribed genome. In addition, steady-state mRNA levels are influenced by both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms, and thus do not provide a clear picture of transcriptional output. Here, using deep sequencing of nuclear RNAs (nucRNA-Seq in parallel with chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq of active RNA polymerase II, we compared the nuclear transcriptome of mouse anemic spleen erythroid cells with polymerase occupancy on a genome-wide scale. We demonstrate that unspliced transcripts quantified by nucRNA-seq correlate with primary transcript frequencies measured by RNA FISH, but differ from steady-state mRNA levels measured by poly(A-enriched RNA-seq. Highly expressed protein coding genes showed good correlation between RNAPII occupancy and transcriptional output; however, genome-wide we observed a poor correlation between transcriptional output and RNAPII association. This poor correlation is due to intergenic regions associated with RNAPII which correspond with transcription factor bound regulatory regions and a group of stable, nuclear-retained long non-coding transcripts. In conclusion, sequencing the nuclear transcriptome provides an opportunity to investigate the transcriptional landscape in a given cell type through quantification of unspliced primary transcripts and the identification of nuclear-retained long non-coding RNAs.

  4. De novo transcriptome assembly of two contrasting pumpkin cultivars

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    Aliki Xanthopoulou

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Cucurbita pepo (squash, pumpkin, gourd, a worldwide-cultivated vegetable of American origin, is extremely variable in fruit characteristics. However, the information associated with genes and genetic markers for pumpkin is very limited. In order to identify new genes and to develop genetic markers, we performed a transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq of two contrasting pumpkin cultivars. Leaves and female flowers of cultivars, ‘Big Moose’ with large round fruits and ‘Munchkin’ with small round fruits, were harvested for total RNA extraction. We obtained a total of 6 GB (Big Moose; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Traces/sra/?run=SRR3056882 and 5 GB (Munchkin; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Traces/sra/?run=SRR3056883 sequence data (NCBI SRA database SRX1502732 and SRX1502735, respectively, which correspond to 18,055,786 and 14,824,292 150-base reads. After quality assessment, the clean sequences where 17,995,932 and 14,774,486 respectively. The numbers of total transcripts for ‘Big Moose’ and ‘Munchkin’ were 84,727 and 68,051, respectively. TransDecoder identified possible coding regions in assembled transcripts. This study provides transcriptome data for two contrasting pumpkin cultivars, which might be useful for genetic marker development and comparative transcriptome analyses. Keywords: RNA-Seq, Pumpkin, Contrasting cultivars, Cucurbita pepo

  5. [SSR loci information analysis in transcriptome of Andrographis paniculata].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jun-Ren; Chen, Xiu-Zhen; Tang, Xiao-Ting; He, Rui; Zhan, Ruo-Ting

    2018-06-01

    To study the SSR loci information and develop molecular markers, a total of 43 683 Unigenes in transcriptome of Andrographis paniculata were used to explore SSR. The distribution frequency of SSR and the basic characteristics of repeat motifs were analyzed using MicroSAtellite software, SSR primers were designed by Primer 3.0 software and then validated by PCR. Moreover, the gene function analysis of SSR Unigene was obtained by Blast. The results showed that 14 135 SSR loci were found in the transcriptome of A. paniculata, which distributed in 9 973 Unigenes with a distribution frequency of 32.36%. Di-nucleotide and Tri-nucleotide repeat were the main types, accounted for 75.54% of all SSRs. The repeat motifs of AT/AT and CCG/CGG were the predominant repeat types of Di-nucleotide and Tri-nucleotide, respectively. A total of 4 740 pairs of SSR primers with the potential to produce polymorphism were designed for maker development. Ten pairs of primers in 20 pairs of randomly picked primers produced fragments with expected molecular size. The gene function of Unigenes containing SSR were mostly related to the basic metabolism function of A. paniculata. The SSR markers in transcriptome of A. paniculata show rich type, strong specificity and high potential of polymorphism, which will benefit the candidate gene mining and marker-assisted breeding. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  6. Construction of an EST-SSR-based interspecific transcriptome ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Construction of an EST-SSR-based interspecific transcriptome linkage map of fibre development in cotton. CHUANXIANG LIU, DAOJUN YUAN and ZHONGXU LIN. ∗. National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan),. Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan ...

  7. Identification of prognostic molecular features in the reactive stroma of human breast and prostate cancer.

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    Anne Planche

    Full Text Available Primary tumor growth induces host tissue responses that are believed to support and promote tumor progression. Identification of the molecular characteristics of the tumor microenvironment and elucidation of its crosstalk with tumor cells may therefore be crucial for improving our understanding of the processes implicated in cancer progression, identifying potential therapeutic targets, and uncovering stromal gene expression signatures that may predict clinical outcome. A key issue to resolve, therefore, is whether the stromal response to tumor growth is largely a generic phenomenon, irrespective of the tumor type or whether the response reflects tumor-specific properties. To address similarity or distinction of stromal gene expression changes during cancer progression, oligonucleotide-based Affymetrix microarray technology was used to compare the transcriptomes of laser-microdissected stromal cells derived from invasive human breast and prostate carcinoma. Invasive breast and prostate cancer-associated stroma was observed to display distinct transcriptomes, with a limited number of shared genes. Interestingly, both breast and prostate tumor-specific dysregulated stromal genes were observed to cluster breast and prostate cancer patients, respectively, into two distinct groups with statistically different clinical outcomes. By contrast, a gene signature that was common to the reactive stroma of both tumor types did not have survival predictive value. Univariate Cox analysis identified genes whose expression level was most strongly associated with patient survival. Taken together, these observations suggest that the tumor microenvironment displays distinct features according to the tumor type that provides survival-predictive value.

  8. Radiation Quality Effects on Transcriptome Profiles in 3-D Cultures After Charged Particle Irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Zarana S.; Kidane, Yared H.; Huff, Janice L.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we evaluated the differential effects of low- and high-LET radiation on 3-D organotypic cultures in order to investigate radiation quality impacts on gene expression and cellular responses. Current risk models for assessment of space radiation-induced cancer have large uncertainties because the models for adverse health effects following radiation exposure are founded on epidemiological analyses of human populations exposed to low-LET radiation. Reducing these uncertainties requires new knowledge on the fundamental differences in biological responses (the so-called radiation quality effects) triggered by heavy ion particle radiation versus low-LET radiation associated with Earth-based exposures. In order to better quantify these radiation quality effects in biological systems, we are utilizing novel 3-D organotypic human tissue models for space radiation research. These models hold promise for risk assessment as they provide a format for study of human cells within a realistic tissue framework, thereby bridging the gap between 2-D monolayer culture and animal models for risk extrapolation to humans. To identify biological pathway signatures unique to heavy ion particle exposure, functional gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used with whole transcriptome profiling. GSEA has been used extensively as a method to garner biological information in a variety of model systems but has not been commonly used to analyze radiation effects. It is a powerful approach for assessing the functional significance of radiation quality-dependent changes from datasets where the changes are subtle but broad, and where single gene based analysis using rankings of fold-change may not reveal important biological information.

  9. The reverse transcriptase encoded by LINE-1 retrotransposons in the genesis, progression and therapy of cancer

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    Ilaria eSciamanna

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In higher eukaryotic genomes, Long Interspersed Nuclear Element 1 (LINE-1 retrotransposons represent a large family of repeated genomic elements. They transpose using a reverse transcriptase (RT, which they encode as part of the ORF2p product. RT inhibition in cancer cells, either via RNA interference-dependent silencing of active LINE-1 elements, or using RT inhibitory drugs, reduces cancer cell proliferation, promotes their differentiation and antagonizes tumor progression in animal models. Indeed, the nonnucleoside RT inhibitor efavirenz has recently been tested in a phase II clinical trial with metastatic prostate cancer patients. An in-depth analysis of ORF2p in a mouse model of breast cancer showed ORF2p to be precociously expressed in precancerous lesions and highly abundant in advanced cancer stages, while being barely detectable in normal breast tissue, providing a rationale for the finding that RT-expressing tumours are therapeutically sensitive to RT inhibitors. We summarise mechanistic and gene profiling studies indicating that highly abundant LINE-1-derived RT can sequester RNA substrates for reverse transcription in tumor cells, entailing the formation of RNA:DNA hybrid molecules and impairing the overall production of regulatory miRNAs, with a global impact on the cell transcriptome. Based on these data, LINE-1-ORF2 encoded RT has a tumor-promoting potential that is exerted at an epigenetic level. We propose a model whereby LINE1-RT drives a previously unrecognized global regulatory process, the deregulation of which drives cell transformation and tumorigenesis and possibly implicated in cancer cell heterogeneity.

  10. The reverse transcriptase encoded by LINE-1 retrotransposons in the genesis, progression and therapy of cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciamanna, Ilaria; De Luca, Chiara; Spadafora, Corrado

    2016-02-01

    In higher eukaryotic genomes, Long Interspersed Nuclear Element 1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons represent a large family of repeated genomic elements. They transpose using a reverse transcriptase (RT), which they encode as part of the ORF2p product. RT inhibition in cancer cells, either via RNA interference-dependent silencing of active LINE-1 elements, or using RT inhibitory drugs, reduces cancer cell proliferation, promotes their differentiation and antagonizes tumor progression in animal models. Indeed, the nonnucleoside RT inhibitor efavirenz has recently been tested in a phase II clinical trial with metastatic prostate cancer patients. An in-depth analysis of ORF2p in a mouse model of breast cancer showed ORF2p to be precociously expressed in precancerous lesions and highly abundant in advanced cancer stages, while being barely detectable in normal breast tissue, providing a rationale for the finding that RT-expressing tumours are therapeutically sensitive to RT inhibitors. We summarise mechanistic and gene profiling studies indicating that highly abundant LINE-1-derived RT can “sequester” RNA substrates for reverse transcription in tumor cells, entailing the formation of RNA:DNA hybrid molecules and impairing the overall production of regulatory miRNAs, with a global impact on the cell transcriptome. Based on these data, LINE-1-ORF2 encoded RT has a tumor-promoting potential that is exerted at an epigenetic level. We propose a model whereby LINE1-RT drives a previously unrecognized global regulatory process, the deregulation of which drives cell transformation and tumorigenesis and possibly implicated in cancer cell heterogeneity.

  11. Profound Chemopreventative Effects of a Hydrogen Sulfide-Releasing NSAID in the APCMin/+ Mouse Model of Intestinal Tumorigenesis.

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    Mark Paul-Clark

    Full Text Available Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers, but the propensity of these drugs to cause ulcers and bleeding limits their use. H2S has been shown to be a powerful cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory substance in the digestive system. This study explored the possibility that a H2S-releasing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ATB-346 would be effective in a murine model of hereditary intestinal cancer (APCMin+ mouse and investigated potential mechanisms of action via transcriptomics analysis. Daily treatment with ATB-346 was significantly more effective at preventing intestinal polyp formation than naproxen. Significant beneficial effects were seen with a treatment period of only 3-7 days, and reversal of existing polyps was observed in the colon. ATB-346, but not naproxen, significantly decreased expression of intestinal cancer-associated signaling molecules (cMyc, β-catenin. Transcriptomic analysis identified 20 genes that were up-regulated in APCMin+ mice, 18 of which were reduced to wild-type levels by one week of treatment with ATB-346. ATB-346 is a novel, gastrointestinal-sparing anti-inflammatory drug that potently and rapidly prevents and reverses the development of pre-cancerous lesions in a mouse model of hereditary intestinal tumorigenesis. These effects may be related to the combined effects of suppression of cyclooxygenase and release of H2S, and correction of most of the APCMin+-associated alterations in the transcriptome. ATB-346 may represent a promising agent for chemoprevention of tumorigenesis in the GI tract and elsewhere.

  12. Alternative Polyadenylation Patterns for Novel Gene Discovery and Classification in Cancer

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    Oguzhan Begik

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Certain aspects of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer patients are still important challenges to be addressed. Therefore, we propose a pipeline to uncover patterns of alternative polyadenylation (APA, a hidden complexity in cancer transcriptomes, to further accelerate efforts to discover novel cancer genes and pathways. Here, we analyzed expression data for 1045 cancer patients and found a significant shift in usage of poly(A signals in common tumor types (breast, colon, lung, prostate, gastric, and ovarian compared to normal tissues. Using machine-learning techniques, we further defined specific subsets of APA events to efficiently classify cancer types. Furthermore, APA patterns were associated with altered protein levels in patients, revealed by antibody-based profiling data, suggesting functional significance. Overall, our study offers a computational approach for use of APA in novel gene discovery and classification in common tumor types, with important implications in basic research, biomarker discovery, and precision medicine approaches.

  13. The Drosophila surface glia transcriptome: evolutionary conserved blood-brain barrier processes.

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    Michael K DeSalvo

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available AbstractCentral nervous system (CNS function is dependent on the stringent regulation of metabolites, drugs, cells, and pathogens exposed to the CNS space. Cellular blood-brain barrier (BBB structures are highly specific checkpoints governing entry and exit of all small molecules to and from the brain interstitial space, but the precise mechanisms that regulate the BBB are not well understood. In addition, the BBB has long been a challenging obstacle to the pharmacologic treatment of CNS diseases; thus model systems that can parse the functions of the BBB are highly desirable. In this study, we sought to define the transcriptome of the adult Drosophila melanogaster BBB by isolating the BBB surface glia with FACS and profiling their gene expression with microarrays. By comparing the transcriptome of these surface glia to that of all brain glia, brain neurons, and whole brains, we present a catalog of transcripts that are selectively enriched at the Drosophila BBB. We found that the fly surface glia show high expression of many ABC and SLC transporters, cell adhesion molecules, metabolic enzymes, signaling molecules, and components of xenobiotic metabolism pathways. Using gene sequence-based alignments, we compare the Drosophila and Murine BBB transcriptomes and discover many shared chemoprotective and small molecule control pathways, thus affirming the relevance of invertebrate models for studying evolutionary conserved BBB properties. The Drosophila BBB transcriptome is valuable to vertebrate and insect biologists alike as a resource for studying proteins underlying diffusion barrier development and maintenance, glial biology, and regulation of drug transport at tissue barriers.

  14. The Drosophila surface glia transcriptome: evolutionary conserved blood-brain barrier processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSalvo, Michael K; Hindle, Samantha J; Rusan, Zeid M; Orng, Souvinh; Eddison, Mark; Halliwill, Kyle; Bainton, Roland J

    2014-01-01

    Central nervous system (CNS) function is dependent on the stringent regulation of metabolites, drugs, cells, and pathogens exposed to the CNS space. Cellular blood-brain barrier (BBB) structures are highly specific checkpoints governing entry and exit of all small molecules to and from the brain interstitial space, but the precise mechanisms that regulate the BBB are not well understood. In addition, the BBB has long been a challenging obstacle to the pharmacologic treatment of CNS diseases; thus model systems that can parse the functions of the BBB are highly desirable. In this study, we sought to define the transcriptome of the adult Drosophila melanogaster BBB by isolating the BBB surface glia with fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and profiling their gene expression with microarrays. By comparing the transcriptome of these surface glia to that of all brain glia, brain neurons, and whole brains, we present a catalog of transcripts that are selectively enriched at the Drosophila BBB. We found that the fly surface glia show high expression of many ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC) transporters, cell adhesion molecules, metabolic enzymes, signaling molecules, and components of xenobiotic metabolism pathways. Using gene sequence-based alignments, we compare the Drosophila and Murine BBB transcriptomes and discover many shared chemoprotective and small molecule control pathways, thus affirming the relevance of invertebrate models for studying evolutionary conserved BBB properties. The Drosophila BBB transcriptome is valuable to vertebrate and insect biologists alike as a resource for studying proteins underlying diffusion barrier development and maintenance, glial biology, and regulation of drug transport at tissue barriers.

  15. Candidate genes detected in transcriptome studies are strongly dependent on genetic background.

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    Pernille Sarup

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Whole genome transcriptomic studies can point to potential candidate genes for organismal traits. However, the importance of potential candidates is rarely followed up through functional studies and/or by comparing results across independent studies. We have analysed the overlap of candidate genes identified from studies of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster using similar technical platforms. We found little overlap across studies between putative candidate genes for the same traits in the same sex. Instead there was a high degree of overlap between different traits and sexes within the same genetic backgrounds. Putative candidates found using transcriptomics therefore appear very sensitive to genetic background and this can mask or override effects of treatments. The functional importance of putative candidate genes emerging from transcriptome studies needs to be validated through additional experiments and in future studies we suggest a focus on the genes, networks and pathways affecting traits in a consistent manner across backgrounds.

  16. Avoiding the ingestion of cytotoxic concentrations of ethanol may reduce the risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillén-Mancina, Emilio; Calderón-Montaño, José Manuel; López-Lázaro, Miguel

    2018-02-01

    Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for cancer. Almost 6% of all cancers worldwide are attributable to alcohol use. Approximately half of them occur in tissues highly exposed to ethanol, such as the oral cavity, pharynx, upper larynx and esophagus. However, since ethanol is not mutagenic and the mutagenic metabolite of ethanol (acetaldehyde) is mainly produced in the liver, it is unclear why alcohol consumption preferentially exerts a local carcinogenic effect. Recent findings indicate that the risk of cancer in a tissue is strongly correlated with the number of stem cell divisions accumulated by the tissue; the accumulation of stem cell divisions leads to the accumulation of cancer-promoting errors such as mutations occurring during DNA replication. Since cell death activates the division of stem cells, we recently proposed that the possible cytotoxicity of ethanol on the cells lining the tissues in direct contact with alcoholic beverages could explain the local carcinogenic effect of alcohol. Here we report that short-term exposures (2-3 s) to ethanol concentrations between 10% and 15% start to cause a marked cytotoxic effect on human epithelial keratinocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. We propose that choosing alcoholic beverages containing non-cytotoxic concentrations of ethanol, or diluting ethanol to non-cytotoxic concentrations, may be a simple and effective way to reduce the risk of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus in alcohol users. This preventive strategy may also reduce the known synergistic effect of alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking on the risk of these cancers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. A Transcriptomic Signature of the Hypothalamic Response to Fasting and BDNF Deficiency in Prader-Willi Syndrome

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    Elena G. Bochukova

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Transcriptional analysis of brain tissue from people with molecularly defined causes of obesity may highlight disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets. We performed RNA sequencing of hypothalamus from individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS, a genetic obesity syndrome characterized by severe hyperphagia. We found that upregulated genes overlap with the transcriptome of mouse Agrp neurons that signal hunger, while downregulated genes overlap with the expression profile of Pomc neurons activated by feeding. Downregulated genes are expressed mainly in neuronal cells and contribute to neurogenesis, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic plasticity, while upregulated, predominantly microglial genes are involved in inflammatory responses. This transcriptional signature may be mediated by reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. Additionally, we implicate disruption of alternative splicing as a potential molecular mechanism underlying neuronal dysfunction in PWS. Transcriptomic analysis of the human hypothalamus may identify neural mechanisms involved in energy homeostasis and potential therapeutic targets for weight loss. : Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS is a genetic obesity syndrome. Bochukova et al. report gene expression changes in the hypothalamus of people with PWS that support neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation as key processes involved in this condition. Keywords: hypothalamus, Prader-Willi syndrome, BDNF, Agrp, obesity, SNORD116

  18. The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bakel, Harm; Stout, Jake M; Cote, Atina G; Tallon, Carling M; Sharpe, Andrew G; Hughes, Timothy R; Page, Jonathan E

    2011-10-20

    Cannabis sativa has been cultivated throughout human history as a source of fiber, oil and food, and for its medicinal and intoxicating properties. Selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including high-potency marijuana strains and hemp cultivars for fiber and seed production. The molecular biology underlying cannabinoid biosynthesis and other traits of interest is largely unexplored. We sequenced genomic DNA and RNA from the marijuana strain Purple Kush using shortread approaches. We report a draft haploid genome sequence of 534 Mb and a transcriptome of 30,000 genes. Comparison of the transcriptome of Purple Kush with that of the hemp cultivar 'Finola' revealed that many genes encoding proteins involved in cannabinoid and precursor pathways are more highly expressed in Purple Kush than in 'Finola'. The exclusive occurrence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase in the Purple Kush transcriptome, and its replacement by cannabidiolic acid synthase in 'Finola', may explain why the psychoactive cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is produced in marijuana but not in hemp. Resequencing the hemp cultivars 'Finola' and 'USO-31' showed little difference in gene copy numbers of cannabinoid pathway enzymes. However, single nucleotide variant analysis uncovered a relatively high level of variation among four cannabis types, and supported a separation of marijuana and hemp. The availability of the Cannabis sativa genome enables the study of a multifunctional plant that occupies a unique role in human culture. Its availability will aid the development of therapeutic marijuana strains with tailored cannabinoid profiles and provide a basis for the breeding of hemp with improved agronomic characteristics.

  19. Global transcriptome analysis of developing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Seema; Bandhiwal, Nitesh; Shah, Niraj; Kant, Chandra; Gaur, Rashmi; Bhatia, Sabhyata

    2014-01-01

    Understanding developmental processes, especially in non-model crop plants, is extremely important in order to unravel unique mechanisms regulating development. Chickpea (C. arietinum L.) seeds are especially valued for their high carbohydrate and protein content. Therefore, in order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying seed development in chickpea, deep sequencing of transcriptomes from four developmental stages was undertaken. In this study, next generation sequencing platform was utilized to sequence the transcriptome of four distinct stages of seed development in chickpea. About 1.3 million reads were generated which were assembled into 51,099 unigenes by merging the de novo and reference assemblies. Functional annotation of the unigenes was carried out using the Uniprot, COG and KEGG databases. RPKM based digital expression analysis revealed specific gene activities at different stages of development which was validated using Real time PCR analysis. More than 90% of the unigenes were found to be expressed in at least one of the four seed tissues. DEGseq was used to determine differentially expressing genes which revealed that only 6.75% of the unigenes were differentially expressed at various stages. Homology based comparison revealed 17.5% of the unigenes to be putatively seed specific. Transcription factors were predicted based on HMM profiles built using TF sequences from five legume plants and analyzed for their differential expression during progression of seed development. Expression analysis of genes involved in biosynthesis of important secondary metabolites suggested that chickpea seeds can serve as a good source of antioxidants. Since transcriptomes are a valuable source of molecular markers like simple sequence repeats (SSRs), about 12,000 SSRs were mined in chickpea seed transcriptome and few of them were validated. In conclusion, this study will serve as a valuable resource for improved chickpea breeding.

  20. Global transcriptome analysis of developing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seema ePradhan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding developmental processes, especially in non-model crop plants, is extremely important in order to unravel unique mechanisms regulating development. Chickpea (C. arietinum L. seeds are especially valued for their high carbohydrate and protein content. Therefore, in order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying seed development in chickpea, deep sequencing of transcriptomes from four developmental stages was undertaken. In this study, next generation sequencing platform was utilised to sequence the transcriptome of four distinct stages of seed development in chickpea. About 1.3 million reads were generated which were assembled into 51,099 unigenes by merging the de novo and reference assemblies. Functional annotation of the unigenes was carried out using the Uniprot, COG and KEGG databases. RPKM based digital expression analysis revealed specific gene activities at different stages of development which was validated using Real time PCR analysis. More than 90% of the unigenes were found to be expressed in at least one of the four seed tissues. DEGseq was used to determine differentially expressing genes which revealed that only 6.75% of the unigenes were differentially expressed at various stages. Homology based comparison revealed 17.5% of the unigenes to be putatively seed specific. Transcription factors were predicted based on HMM profiles built using TF sequences from five legume plants and analysed for their differential expression during progression of seed development. Expression analysis of genes involved in biosynthesis of important secondary metabolites suggested that chickpea seeds can serve as a good source of antioxidants. Since transcriptomes are a valuable source of molecular markers like simple sequence repeats (SSRs, about 12,000 SSRs were mined in chickpea seed transcriptome and few of them were validated. In conclusion, this study will serve as a valuable resource for improved chickpea breeding.

  1. Exploratory transcriptomic analysis in muscle tissue of broilers fed a phytase-supplemented diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmeisser, J; Séon, A-A; Aureli, R; Friedel, A; Guggenbuhl, P; Duval, S; Cowieson, A J; Fru-Nji, F

    2017-06-01

    The effect of phytase on phosphorus retention, broiler (Gallus gallus) performance and bone mineralization in diets with reduced inorganic phosphate concentration is well documented. Furthermore, so-called 'extra-phosphoric' effects of phytase have been described in the literature that may be associated with changes in mineral and amino acid partitioning and requirements per se. In particular, the role of myo-inositol in phytase responses is implied but not well elucidated. It was the purpose of the experiment reported herein to explore the effect of phytase on broiler growth, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemistry and gene expression. A 5-week broiler floor pen trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of a moderately phosphorus-deficient diet with 1000 U/kg of a 6-microbial phytase. Parameters measured were growth performance, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and myo-inositol plasma concentrations, apparent ileal P digestibility, bone mineralization, breast meat weight and Pectoralis major muscle transcriptome. Supplementation of the diet with phytase improved weight gain during the starter period (18%) and the whole period (24%) compared with animals that received the control diet (p phytase. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that some differentially expressed genes (DEG) in broilers, receiving phytase in comparison with animals fed reduced phosphorus diet without phytase, were part of pathways involved in muscle development, via calmodulin/calcineurin and insulin-like growth factor. Microarray data confirmation was performed on six genes by quantitative PCR (qPCR): PI3K regulatory and catalytic subunit, Phospholipase C beta, Myocyte Enhancer Factors 2A and 2C, and calcineurin A. The results suggested that dietary supplementation with this phytase could generate low molecular weight phytate esters and indirectly myo-inositol, and could help us to understand how muscle metabolism may be affected at a gene level. Journal of Animal

  2. Illumina–based de novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    2017-10-25

    Oct 25, 2017 ... (Shanghai, China) following manufacturer's protocols (Illumina, San .... suggests that pathways involved in musk production are expressed at a ..... Strickler S. R., Aureliano B. and Mueller L. A. 2012 Designing a transcriptome.

  3. Development and heat stress-induced transcriptomic changes during embryogenesis of the scleractinian coral Acropora palmata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portune, Kevin J; Voolstra, Christian R; Medina, Mónica; Szmant, Alina M

    2010-03-01

    Projected elevation of seawater temperatures poses a threat to the reproductive success of Caribbean reef-building corals that have planktonic development during the warmest months of the year. This study examined the transcriptomic changes that occurred during embryonic and larval development of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, at a non-stressful temperature (28°C) and further assessed the effects of two elevated temperatures (30°C and 31.5°C) on these expression patterns. Using cDNA microarrays, we compared expression levels of 2051 genes from early embryos and larvae at multiple developmental stages (including pre-blastula, blastula, gastrula, and planula stages) at each of the three temperatures. At 12h post-fertilization in 28°C treatments, genes involved in cell replication/cell division and transcription were up-regulated in A. palmata embryos, followed by a reduction in expression of these genes during later growth stages. From 24.5 to 131h post-fertilization at 28°C, A. palmata altered its transcriptome by up-regulating genes involved in protein synthesis and metabolism. Temperatures of 30°C and 31.5°C caused major changes to the A. palmata embryonic transcriptomes, particularly in the samples from 24.5hpf post-fertilization, characterized by down-regulation of numerous genes involved in cell replication/cell division, metabolism, cytoskeleton, and transcription, while heat shock genes were up-regulated compared to 28°C treatments. These results suggest that increased temperature may cause a breakdown in proper gene expression during development in A. palmata by down-regulation of genes involved in essential cellular processes, which may lead to the abnormal development and reduced survivorship documented in other studies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Development and heat stress-induced transcriptomic changes during embryogenesis of the scleractinian coral Acropora palmata

    KAUST Repository

    Portune, Kevin J.

    2010-03-01

    Projected elevation of seawater temperatures poses a threat to the reproductive success of Caribbean reef-building corals that have planktonic development during the warmest months of the year. This study examined the transcriptomic changes that occurred during embryonic and larval development of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, at a non-stressful temperature (28 °C) and further assessed the effects of two elevated temperatures (30 °C and 31.5 °C) on these expression patterns. Using cDNA microarrays, we compared expression levels of 2051 genes from early embryos and larvae at multiple developmental stages (including pre-blastula, blastula, gastrula, and planula stages) at each of the three temperatures. At 12 h post-fertilization in 28 °C treatments, genes involved in cell replication/cell division and transcription were up-regulated in A. palmata embryos, followed by a reduction in expression of these genes during later growth stages. From 24.5 to 131 h post-fertilization at 28 °C, A. palmata altered its transcriptome by up-regulating genes involved in protein synthesis and metabolism. Temperatures of 30 °C and 31.5 °C caused major changes to the A. palmata embryonic transcriptomes, particularly in the samples from 24.5 hpf post-fertilization, characterized by down-regulation of numerous genes involved in cell replication/cell division, metabolism, cytoskeleton, and transcription, while heat shock genes were up-regulated compared to 28 °C treatments. These results suggest that increased temperature may cause a breakdown in proper gene expression during development in A. palmata by down-regulation of genes involved in essential cellular processes, which may lead to the abnormal development and reduced survivorship documented in other studies. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. De novo Assembly and Analysis of the Chilean Pencil Catfish Trichomycterus areolatus Transcriptome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulze, Thomas T.; Ali, Jonathan M.; Bartlett, Maggie L.; McFarland, Madalyn M.; Clement, Emalie J.; Won, Harim I.; Sanford, Austin G.; Monzingo, Elyssa B.; Martens, Matthew C.; Hemsley, Ryan M.; Kumar, Sidharta; Gouin, Nicolas; Kolok, Alan S.; Davis, Paul H.

    2016-01-01

    Trichomycterus areolatus is an endemic species of pencil catfish that inhabits the riffles and rapids of many freshwater ecosystems of Chile. Despite its unique adaptation to Chile's high gradient watersheds and therefore potential application in the investigation of ecosystem integrity and environmental contamination, relatively little is known regarding the molecular biology of this environmental sentinel. Here, we detail the assembly of the Trichomycterus areolatus transcriptome, a molecular resource for the study of this organism and its molecular response to the environment. RNA-Seq reads were obtained by next-generation sequencing with an Illumina® platform and processed using PRINSEQ. The transcriptome assembly was performed using TRINITY assembler. Transcriptome validation was performed by functional characterization with KOG, KEGG, and GO analyses. Additionally, differential expression analysis highlights sex-specific expression patterns, and a list of endocrine and oxidative stress related transcripts are included. PMID:27672404

  6. Transcriptome profiling of Finnsheep ovaries during out-of-season breeding period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kisun Pokharel

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available   Finnsheep is one of the most prolific sheep breeds in the world. We sequenced RNA-Seq libraries from the ovaries of Finnsheep ewes collected during out of season breeding period at about 30X sequence coverage. A total of 86 966 348 and 105 587 994 reads from two samples were mapped against latest available ovine reference genome (Oarv3.1. The transcriptome assembly revealed 14 870 known ovine genes, including the 15 candidate genes for fertility and out-of-season breeding. In this study we successfully used our bioinformatics pipeline to assemble the first ovarian transcriptome of Finnsheep.

  7. Integrative Transcriptomic and Metabonomic Molecular Profiling of Colonic Mucosal Biopsies Indicates a Unique Molecular Phenotype for Ulcerative Colitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rantalainen, Mattias; Bjerrum, Jacob Tveiten; Olsen, Jørgen

    2015-01-01

    characterized the molecular phenotype of ulcerative colitis through transcriptomic and metabonomic profiling of colonic mucosal biopsies from patients and controls. We have characterized the extent to which metabonomic and transcriptomic molecular phenotypes are associated with ulcerative colitis versus...... transcriptomic and metabonomic data have previously been shown to predict the clinical course of ulcerative colitis and related clinical phenotypes, indicating that molecular phenotypes reveal molecular changes associated with the disease. Our analyses indicate that variables of both transcriptomics...... and metabonomics are associated with disease case and control status, that a large proportion of transcripts are associated with at least one metabolite in mucosal colonic biopsies, and that multiple pathways are connected to disease-related metabolites and transcripts....

  8. Transcriptomes of Frankia sp. strain CcI3 in growth transitions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bickhart Derek M

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Frankia sp. strains are actinobacteria that form N2-fixing root nodules on angiosperms. Several reference genome sequences are available enabling transcriptome studies in Frankia sp. Genomes from Frankia sp. strains differ markedly in size, a consequence proposed to be associated with a high number of indigenous transposases, more than 200 of which are found in Frankia sp. strain CcI3 used in this study. Because Frankia exhibits a high degree of cell heterogeneity as a consequence of its mycelial growth pattern, its transcriptome is likely to be quite sensitive to culture age. This study focuses on the behavior of the Frankia sp. strain CcI3 transcriptome as a function of nitrogen source and culture age. Results To study global transcription in Frankia sp. CcI3 grown under different conditions, complete transcriptomes were determined using high throughput RNA deep sequencing. Samples varied by time (five days vs. three days and by culture conditions (NH4+ added vs. N2 fixing. Assembly of millions of reads revealed more diversity of gene expression between five-day and three-day old cultures than between three day old cultures differing in nitrogen sources. Heat map analysis organized genes into groups that were expressed or repressed under the various conditions compared to median expression values. Twenty-one SNPs common to all three transcriptome samples were detected indicating culture heterogeneity in this slow-growing organism. Significantly higher expression of transposase ORFs was found in the five-day and N2-fixing cultures, suggesting that N starvation and culture aging provide conditions for on-going genome modification. Transposases have previously been proposed to participate in the creating the large number of gene duplication or deletion in host strains. Subsequent RT-qPCR experiments confirmed predicted elevated transposase expression levels indicated by the mRNA-seq data. Conclusions The overall pattern of

  9. High-resolution analysis of the 5'-end transcriptome using a next generation DNA sequencer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-ichi Hashimoto

    Full Text Available Massively parallel, tag-based sequencing systems, such as the SOLiD system, hold the promise of revolutionizing the study of whole genome gene expression due to the number of data points that can be generated in a simple and cost-effective manner. We describe the development of a 5'-end transcriptome workflow for the SOLiD system and demonstrate the advantages in sensitivity and dynamic range offered by this tag-based application over traditional approaches for the study of whole genome gene expression. 5'-end transcriptome analysis was used to study whole genome gene expression within a colon cancer cell line, HT-29, treated with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5Aza. More than 20 million 25-base 5'-end tags were obtained from untreated and 5Aza-treated cells and matched to sequences within the human genome. Seventy three percent of the mapped unique tags were associated with RefSeq cDNA sequences, corresponding to approximately 14,000 different protein-coding genes in this single cell type. The level of expression of these genes ranged from 0.02 to 4,704 transcripts per cell. The sensitivity of a single sequence run of the SOLiD platform was 100-1,000 fold greater than that observed from 5'end SAGE data generated from the analysis of 70,000 tags obtained by Sanger sequencing. The high-resolution 5'end gene expression profiling presented in this study will not only provide novel insight into the transcriptional machinery but should also serve as a basis for a better understanding of cell biology.

  10. Survey of the transcriptome of Aspergillus oryzae via massively parallel mRNA sequencing

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Bin; Guo, Guangwu; Wang, Chao; Lin, Ying; Wang, Xiaoning; Zhao, Mouming; Guo, Yong; He, Minghui; Zhang, Yong; Pan, Li

    2010-01-01

    Aspergillus oryzae, an important filamentous fungus used in food fermentation and the enzyme industry, has been shown through genome sequencing and various other tools to have prominent features in its genomic composition. However, the functional complexity of the A. oryzae transcriptome has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we applied direct high-throughput paired-end RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to the transcriptome of A. oryzae under four different culture conditions. With the high resoluti...

  11. Spatial transcriptomics: paving the way for tissue-level systems biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moor, Andreas E; Itzkovitz, Shalev

    2017-08-01

    The tissues in our bodies are complex systems composed of diverse cell types that often interact in highly structured repeating anatomical units. External gradients of morphogens, directional blood flow, as well as the secretion and absorption of materials by cells generate distinct microenvironments at different tissue coordinates. Such spatial heterogeneity enables optimized function through division of labor among cells. Unraveling the design principles that govern this spatial division of labor requires techniques to quantify the entire transcriptomes of cells while accounting for their spatial coordinates. In this review we describe how recent advances in spatial transcriptomics open the way for tissue-level systems biology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Tumor transcriptome sequencing reveals allelic expression imbalances associated with copy number alterations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian B Tuch

    Full Text Available Due to growing throughput and shrinking cost, massively parallel sequencing is rapidly becoming an attractive alternative to microarrays for the genome-wide study of gene expression and copy number alterations in primary tumors. The sequencing of transcripts (RNA-Seq should offer several advantages over microarray-based methods, including the ability to detect somatic mutations and accurately measure allele-specific expression. To investigate these advantages we have applied a novel, strand-specific RNA-Seq method to tumors and matched normal tissue from three patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Additionally, to better understand the genomic determinants of the gene expression changes observed, we have sequenced the tumor and normal genomes of one of these patients. We demonstrate here that our RNA-Seq method accurately measures allelic imbalance and that measurement on the genome-wide scale yields novel insights into cancer etiology. As expected, the set of genes differentially expressed in the tumors is enriched for cell adhesion and differentiation functions, but, unexpectedly, the set of allelically imbalanced genes is also enriched for these same cancer-related functions. By comparing the transcriptomic perturbations observed in one patient to his underlying normal and tumor genomes, we find that allelic imbalance in the tumor is associated with copy number mutations and that copy number mutations are, in turn, strongly associated with changes in transcript abundance. These results support a model in which allele-specific deletions and duplications drive allele-specific changes in gene expression in the developing tumor.

  13. Unlocking the transcriptomes of two carcinogenic parasites, Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neil D Young

    Full Text Available The two parasitic trematodes, Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini, have a major impact on the health of tens of millions of humans throughout Asia. The greatest impact is through the malignant cancer ( = cholangiocarcinoma that these parasites induce in chronically infected people. Therefore, both C. sinensis and O. viverrini have been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO as Group 1 carcinogens. Despite their impact, little is known about these parasites and their interplay with the host at the molecular level. Recent advances in genomics and bioinformatics provide unique opportunities to gain improved insights into the biology of parasites as well as their relationships with their hosts at the molecular level. The present study elucidates the transcriptomes of C. sinensis and O. viverrini using a platform based on next-generation (high throughput sequencing and advanced in silico analyses. From 500,000 sequences, >50,000 sequences were assembled for each species and categorized as biologically relevant based on homology searches, gene ontology and/or pathway mapping. The results of the present study could assist in defining molecules that are essential for the development, reproduction and survival of liver flukes and/or that are linked to the development of cholangiocarcinoma. This study also lays a foundation for future genomic and proteomic research of C. sinensis and O. viverrini and the cancers that they are known to induce, as well as novel intervention strategies.

  14. Effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing the risk of death from right and left colon cancer: a large community-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doubeni, Chyke A; Corley, Douglas A; Quinn, Virginia P; Jensen, Christopher D; Zauber, Ann G; Goodman, Michael; Johnson, Jill R; Mehta, Shivan J; Becerra, Tracy A; Zhao, Wei K; Schottinger, Joanne; Doria-Rose, V Paul; Levin, Theodore R; Weiss, Noel S; Fletcher, Robert H

    2018-02-01

    Screening colonoscopy's effectiveness in reducing colorectal cancer mortality risk in community populations is unclear, particularly for right-colon cancers, leading to recommendations against its use for screening in some countries. This study aimed to determine whether, among average-risk people, receipt of screening colonoscopy reduces the risk of dying from both right-colon and left-colon/rectal cancers. We conducted a nested case-control study with incidence-density matching in screening-eligible Kaiser Permanente members. Patients who were 55-90 years old on their colorectal cancer death date during 2006-2012 were matched on diagnosis (reference) date to controls on age, sex, health plan enrolment duration and geographical region. We excluded patients at increased colorectal cancer risk, or with prior colorectal cancer diagnosis or colectomy. The association between screening colonoscopy receipt in the 10-year period before the reference date and colorectal cancer death risk was evaluated while accounting for other screening exposures. We analysed 1747 patients who died from colorectal cancer and 3460 colorectal cancer-free controls. Compared with no endoscopic screening, receipt of a screening colonoscopy was associated with a 67% reduction in the risk of death from any colorectal cancer (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.33, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.52). By cancer location, screening colonoscopy was associated with a 65% reduction in risk of death for right-colon cancers (aOR=0.35, CI 0.18 to 0.65) and a 75% reduction for left-colon/rectal cancers (aOR=0.25, CI 0.12 to 0.53). Screening colonoscopy was associated with a substantial and comparably decreased mortality risk for both right-sided and left-sided cancers within a large community-based population. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  15. Observational methods to assess the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing right colon cancer mortality risk: SCOLAR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Michael; Fletcher, Robert H; Doria-Rose, V Paul; Jensen, Christopher D; Zebrowski, Alexis M; Becerra, Tracy A; Quinn, Virginia P; Zauber, Ann G; Corley, Douglas A; Doubeni, Chyke A

    2015-11-01

    Screening colonoscopy's effectiveness in reducing risk of death from right colon cancers remains unclear. Methodological challenges of existing observational studies addressing this issue motivated the design of 'Effectiveness of Screening for Colorectal Cancer in Average-Risk Adults (SCOLAR)'. SCOLAR is a nested case-control study based on two large integrated health systems. This affords access to a large, well-defined historical cohort linked to integrated data on cancer outcomes, patient eligibility, test indications and important confounders. We found electronic data adequate for excluding ineligible patients (except family history), but not the detailed information needed for test indication assignment. The lessons of SCOLAR's design and implementation may be useful for future studies seeking to evaluate the effectiveness of screening tests in community settings.

  16. A combination of LongSAGE with Solexa sequencing is well suited to explore the depth and the complexity of transcriptome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scoté-Blachon Céline

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background "Open" transcriptome analysis methods allow to study gene expression without a priori knowledge of the transcript sequences. As of now, SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression, LongSAGE and MPSS (Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing are the mostly used methods for "open" transcriptome analysis. Both LongSAGE and MPSS rely on the isolation of 21 pb tag sequences from each transcript. In contrast to LongSAGE, the high throughput sequencing method used in MPSS enables the rapid sequencing of very large libraries containing several millions of tags, allowing deep transcriptome analysis. However, a bias in the complexity of the transcriptome representation obtained by MPSS was recently uncovered. Results In order to make a deep analysis of mouse hypothalamus transcriptome avoiding the limitation introduced by MPSS, we combined LongSAGE with the Solexa sequencing technology and obtained a library of more than 11 millions of tags. We then compared it to a LongSAGE library of mouse hypothalamus sequenced with the Sanger method. Conclusion We found that Solexa sequencing technology combined with LongSAGE is perfectly suited for deep transcriptome analysis. In contrast to MPSS, it gives a complex representation of transcriptome as reliable as a LongSAGE library sequenced by the Sanger method.

  17. RAD9 deficiency enhances radiation induced bystander DNA damage and transcriptomal response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghandhi, Shanaz A; Ponnaiya, Brian; Panigrahi, Sunil K; Hopkins, Kevin M; Cui, Qingping; Hei, Tom K; Amundson, Sally A; Lieberman, Howard B

    2014-01-01

    Radiation induced bystander effects are an important component of the overall response of cells to irradiation and are associated with human health risks. The mechanism responsible includes intra-cellular and inter-cellular signaling by which the bystander response is propagated. However, details of the signaling mechanism are not well defined. We measured the bystander response of Mrad9 +/+ and Mrad9 −/− mouse embryonic stem cells, as well as human H1299 cells with inherent or RNA interference-mediated reduced RAD9 levels after exposure to 1 Gy α particles, by scoring chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei formation, respectively. In addition, we used microarray gene expression analyses to profile the transcriptome of directly irradiated and bystander H1299 cells. We demonstrated that Mrad9 null enhances chromatid aberration frequency induced by radiation in bystander mouse embryonic stem cells. In addition, we found that H1299 cells with reduced RAD9 protein levels showed a higher frequency of radiation induced bystander micronuclei formation, compared with parental cells containing inherent levels of RAD9. The enhanced bystander response in human cells was associated with a unique transcriptomic profile. In unirradiated cells, RAD9 reduction broadly affected stress response pathways at the mRNA level; there was reduction in transcript levels corresponding to genes encoding multiple members of the UVA-MAPK and p38MAPK families, such as STAT1 and PARP1, suggesting that these signaling mechanisms may not function optimally when RAD9 is reduced. Using network analysis, we found that differential activation of the SP1 and NUPR1 transcriptional regulators was predicted in directly irradiated and bystander H1299 cells. Transcription factor prediction analysis also implied that HIF1α (Hypoxia induced factor 1 alpha) activation by protein stabilization in irradiated cells could be a negative predictor of the bystander response, suggesting that local hypoxic stress

  18. Current Knowledge and Recent Advances in Marine Dinoflagellate Transcriptomic Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhamad Afiq Akbar

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Dinoflagellates are essential components in marine ecosystems, and they possess two dissimilar flagella to facilitate movement. Dinoflagellates are major components of marine food webs and of extreme importance in balancing the ecosystem energy flux in oceans. They have been reported to be the primary cause of harmful algae bloom (HABs events around the world, causing seafood poisoning and therefore having a direct impact on human health. Interestingly, dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium are major components of coral reef foundations. Knowledge regarding their genes and genome organization is currently limited due to their large genome size and other genetic and cytological characteristics that hinder whole genome sequencing of dinoflagellates. Transcriptomic approaches and genetic analyses have been employed to unravel the physiological and metabolic characteristics of dinoflagellates and their complexity. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and findings from transcriptomic studies to understand the cell growth, effects on environmental stress, toxin biosynthesis, dynamic of HABs, phylogeny and endosymbiosis of dinoflagellates. With the advancement of high throughput sequencing technologies and lower cost of sequencing, transcriptomic approaches will likely deepen our understanding in other aspects of dinoflagellates’ molecular biology such as gene functional analysis, systems biology and development of model organisms.

  19. Quantitative developmental transcriptomes of the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gildor, Tsvia; Malik, Assaf; Sher, Noa; Avraham, Linor; Ben-Tabou de-Leon, Smadar

    2016-02-01

    Embryonic development progresses through the timely activation of thousands of differentially activated genes. Quantitative developmental transcriptomes provide the means to relate global patterns of differentially expressed genes to the emerging body plans they generate. The sea urchin is one of the classic model systems for embryogenesis and the models of its developmental gene regulatory networks are of the most comprehensive of their kind. Thus, the sea urchin embryo is an excellent system for studies of its global developmental transcriptional profiles. Here we produced quantitative developmental transcriptomes of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (P. lividus) at seven developmental stages from the fertilized egg to prism stage. We generated de-novo reference transcriptome and identified 29,817 genes that are expressed at this time period. We annotated and quantified gene expression at the different developmental stages and confirmed the reliability of the expression profiles by QPCR measurement of a subset of genes. The progression of embryo development is reflected in the observed global expression patterns and in our principle component analysis. Our study illuminates the rich patterns of gene expression that participate in sea urchin embryogenesis and provide an essential resource for further studies of the dynamic expression of P. lividus genes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Transgenerational epigenetic programming of the brain transcriptome and anxiety behavior.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael K Skinner

    Full Text Available Embryonic exposure to the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin during gonadal sex determination promotes an epigenetic reprogramming of the male germ-line that is associated with transgenerational adult onset disease states. Further analysis of this transgenerational phenotype on the brain demonstrated reproducible changes in the brain transcriptome three generations (F3 removed from the exposure. The transgenerational alterations in the male and female brain transcriptomes were distinct. In the males, the expression of 92 genes in the hippocampus and 276 genes in the amygdala were transgenerationally altered. In the females, the expression of 1,301 genes in the hippocampus and 172 genes in the amygdala were transgenerationally altered. Analysis of specific gene sets demonstrated that several brain signaling pathways were influenced including those involved in axon guidance and long-term potentiation. An investigation of behavior demonstrated that the vinclozolin F3 generation males had a decrease in anxiety-like behavior, while the females had an increase in anxiety-like behavior. These observations demonstrate that an embryonic exposure to an environmental compound appears to promote a reprogramming of brain development that correlates with transgenerational sex-specific alterations in the brain transcriptomes and behavior. Observations are discussed in regards to environmental and transgenerational influences on the etiology of brain disease.

  1. Utility of RNA Sequencing for Analysis of Maize Reproductive Transcriptomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca M. Davidson

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Transcriptome sequencing is a powerful method for studying global expression patterns in large, complex genomes. Evaluation of sequence-based expression profiles during reproductive development would provide functional annotation to genes underlying agronomic traits. We generated transcriptome profiles for 12 diverse maize ( L. reproductive tissues representing male, female, developing seed, and leaf tissues using high throughput transcriptome sequencing. Overall, ∼80% of annotated genes were expressed. Comparative analysis between sequence and hybridization-based methods demonstrated the utility of ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq for expression determination and differentiation of paralagous genes (∼85% of maize genes. Analysis of 4975 gene families across reproductive tissues revealed expression divergence is proportional to family size. In all pairwise comparisons between tissues, 7 (pre- vs. postemergence cobs to 48% (pollen vs. ovule of genes were differentially expressed. Genes with expression restricted to a single tissue within this study were identified with the highest numbers observed in leaves, endosperm, and pollen. Coexpression network analysis identified 17 gene modules with complex and shared expression patterns containing many previously described maize genes. The data and analyses in this study provide valuable tools through improved gene annotation, gene family characterization, and a core set of candidate genes to further characterize maize reproductive development and improve grain yield potential.

  2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use is associated with reduced risk of inflammation-associated cancers: NIH-AARP study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma M Shebl

    Full Text Available Chronic inflammation has been linked to cancers, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs has been associated with reduced risk of several cancers. To further refine the magnitude of NSAID-related associations, in particular for cancers related to inflammation, such as alcohol-, infection-, obesity-, and smoking-related cancers, as well as for less common cancers, we evaluated the use of NSAIDs and cancer risk in a very large cohort. We used propensity scores to account for potential selection bias and hypothesized that NSAID use is associated with decreased cancer incidence.We conducted a prospective study among 314,522 participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Individuals who completed the lifestyle questionnaire, which included NSAID use, in 1996-1997 were followed through 2006. Information on cancer incidence was ascertained by linking to cancer registries and vital status databases.During 2,715,994 person-years of follow-up (median 10.1 person-years, there were 51,894 incident cancers. Compared with non-users of NSAIDs, individuals who reported use in the 12 months prior to interview had a significantly lower risk of all inflammation-related cancer, alcohol-related, infection-related, obesity-related, and smoking-related cancers [hazard ratio (HR (95% CI 0.90 (0.87-0.93, 0.80 (0.74-0.85, 0.82 (0.78-0.87, 0.88 (0.84-0.92, and 0.88 (0.85-0.92 respectively].After accounting for potential selection bias, our data showed an inverse association between NSAID use and alcohol-related, infection-related, obesity-related, and smoking-related cancers and support the hypothesis that inflammation is related to an increased risk of certain cancers.

  3. Reduced selenium-binding protein 1 in breast cancer correlates with poor survival and resistance to the anti-proliferative effects of selenium.

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    Sheng Zhang

    Full Text Available Supplemental dietary selenium is associated with reduced incidence of many cancers. The antitumor function of selenium is thought to be mediated through selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1. However, the significance of SELENBP1 expression in breast cancer is still largely unknown. A total of 95 normal and tumor tissues assay and 12 breast cancer cell lines were used in this study. We found that SELENBP1 expression in breast cancer tissues is reduced compared to normal control. Low SELENBP1 expression in ER(+ breast cancer patients was significantly associated with poor survival (p<0.01, and SELENBP1 levels progressively decreased with advancing clinical stages of breast cancer. 17-β estradiol (E2 treatment of high SELENBP1-expressing ER(+ cell lines led to a down-regulation of SELENBP1, a result that did not occur in ER(- cell lines. However, after ectopic expression of ER in an originally ER(- cell line, down-regulation of SELENBP1 upon E2 treatment was observed. In addition, selenium treatment resulted in reduced cell proliferation in endogenous SELENBP1 high cells; however, after knocking-down SELENBP1, we observed no significant reduction in cell proliferation. Similarly, selenium has no effect on inhibition of cell proliferation in low endogenous SELENBP1 cells, but the inhibitory effect is regained following ectopic SELENBP1 expression. Furthermore, E2 treatment of an ER silenced high endogenous SELENBP1 expressing cell line showed no abolishment of cell proliferation inhibition upon selenium treatment. These data indicate that SELENBP1 expression is regulated via estrogen and that the cell proliferation inhibition effect of selenium treatment is dependent on the high level of SELENBP1 expression. Therefore, the expression level of SELENBP1 could be an important marker for predicting survival and effectiveness of selenium supplementation in breast cancer. This is the first study to reveal the importance of monitoring SELENBP1 expression

  4. In vitro toxic effects of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets on lung cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabish, Tanveer A.; Pranjol, Md Zahidul I.; Hayat, Hasan; Rahat, Alma A. M.; Abdullah, Trefa M.; Whatmore, Jacqueline L.; Zhang, Shaowei

    2017-12-01

    The intriguing properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have paved the way for a number of potential biomedical applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, gene delivery and bio-sensing. Over the last decade, there have been escalating concerns regarding the possible toxic effects, behaviour and fate of rGO in living systems and environments. This paper reports on integrative chemical-biological interactions of rGO with lung cancer cells, i.e. A549 and SKMES-1, to determine its potential toxicological impacts on them, as a function of its concentration. Cell viability, early and late apoptosis and necrosis were measured to determine oxidative stress potential, and induction of apoptosis for the first time by comparing two lung cancer cells. We also showed the general trend between cell death rates and concentrations for different cell types using a Gaussian process regression model. At low concentrations, rGO was shown to significantly produce late apoptosis and necrosis rather than early apoptotic events, suggesting that it was able to disintegrate the cellular membranes in a dose dependent manner. For the toxicity exposures undertaken, late apoptosis and necrosis occurred, which was most likely resultant from limited bioavailability of unmodified rGO in lung cancer cells.

  5. Cutoffs and k-mers: implications from a transcriptome study in allopolyploid plants

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    Gruenheit Nicole

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transcriptome analysis is increasingly being used to study the evolutionary origins and ecology of non-model plants. One issue for both transcriptome assembly and differential gene expression analyses is the common occurrence in plants of hybridisation and whole genome duplication (WGD and hybridization resulting in allopolyploidy. The divergence of duplicated genes following WGD creates near identical homeologues that can be problematic for de novo assembly and also reference based assembly protocols that use short reads (35 - 100 bp. Results Here we report a successful strategy for the assembly of two transcriptomes made using 75 bp Illumina reads from Pachycladon fastigiatum and Pachycladon cheesemanii. Both are allopolyploid plant species (2n = 20 that originated in the New Zealand Alps about 0.8 million years ago. In a systematic analysis of 19 different coverage cutoffs and 20 different k-mer sizes we showed that i none of the genes could be assembled across all of the parameter space ii assembly of each gene required an optimal set of parameter values and iii these parameter values could be explained in part by different gene expression levels and different degrees of similarity between genes. Conclusions To obtain optimal transcriptome assemblies for allopolyploid plants, k-mer size and k-mer coverage need to be considered simultaneously across a broad parameter space. This is important for assembling a maximum number of full length ESTs and for avoiding chimeric assemblies of homeologous and paralogous gene copies.

  6. Improving transcriptome de novo assembly by using a reference genome of a related species: Translational genomics from oil palm to coconut.

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    Alix Armero

    Full Text Available The palms are a family of tropical origin and one of the main constituents of the ecosystems of these regions around the world. The two main species of palm represent different challenges: coconut (Cocos nucifera L. is a source of multiple goods and services in tropical communities, while oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq is the main protagonist of the oil market. In this study, we present a workflow that exploits the comparative genomics between a target species (coconut and a reference species (oil palm to improve the transcriptomic data, providing a proteome useful to answer functional or evolutionary questions. This workflow reduces redundancy and fragmentation, two inherent problems of transcriptomic data, while preserving the functional representation of the target species. Our approach was validated in Arabidopsis thaliana using Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella as references species. This analysis showed the high sensitivity and specificity of our strategy, relatively independent of the reference proteome. The workflow increased the length of proteins products in A. thaliana by 13%, allowing, often, to recover 100% of the protein sequence length. In addition redundancy was reduced by a factor greater than 3. In coconut, the approach generated 29,366 proteins, 1,246 of these proteins deriving from new contigs obtained with the BRANCH software. The coconut proteome presented a functional profile similar to that observed in rice and an important number of metabolic pathways related to secondary metabolism. The new sequences found with BRANCH software were enriched in functions related to biotic stress. Our strategy can be used as a complementary step to de novo transcriptome assembly to get a representative proteome of a target species. The results of the current analysis are available on the website PalmComparomics (http://palm-comparomics.southgreen.fr/.

  7. Improving transcriptome de novo assembly by using a reference genome of a related species: Translational genomics from oil palm to coconut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armero, Alix; Baudouin, Luc; Bocs, Stéphanie; This, Dominique

    2017-01-01

    The palms are a family of tropical origin and one of the main constituents of the ecosystems of these regions around the world. The two main species of palm represent different challenges: coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is a source of multiple goods and services in tropical communities, while oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is the main protagonist of the oil market. In this study, we present a workflow that exploits the comparative genomics between a target species (coconut) and a reference species (oil palm) to improve the transcriptomic data, providing a proteome useful to answer functional or evolutionary questions. This workflow reduces redundancy and fragmentation, two inherent problems of transcriptomic data, while preserving the functional representation of the target species. Our approach was validated in Arabidopsis thaliana using Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella as references species. This analysis showed the high sensitivity and specificity of our strategy, relatively independent of the reference proteome. The workflow increased the length of proteins products in A. thaliana by 13%, allowing, often, to recover 100% of the protein sequence length. In addition redundancy was reduced by a factor greater than 3. In coconut, the approach generated 29,366 proteins, 1,246 of these proteins deriving from new contigs obtained with the BRANCH software. The coconut proteome presented a functional profile similar to that observed in rice and an important number of metabolic pathways related to secondary metabolism. The new sequences found with BRANCH software were enriched in functions related to biotic stress. Our strategy can be used as a complementary step to de novo transcriptome assembly to get a representative proteome of a target species. The results of the current analysis are available on the website PalmComparomics (http://palm-comparomics.southgreen.fr/).

  8. IMRT for head and neck cancer: reducing xerostomia and dysphagia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, XiaoShen; Eisbruch, Avraham

    2016-01-01

    Dysphagia and xerostomia are the main sequellae of chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and the main factors in reducing long-term patient quality of life. IMRT uses advanced technology to focus the high radiation doses on the targets and avoid irradiation of non-involved tissues. The decisions about sparing organs and tissues whose damage causes xerostomia and dysphagia depends on the evidence for dose–response relationships for the organs causing these sequellae. This paper discusses the evidence for the contribution of radiotherapy to xerostomia via damage of the major salivary glands (parotid and submandibular) and minor salivary glands within the oral cavity, and the contribution of radiotherapy-related effect on important swallowing structures causing dysphagia. Recommendations for dose limits to these organs, based on measurements of xerostomia and dysphagia following radiotherapy, are provided here

  9. Molecular biomarkers to guide precision medicine in localized prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smits, Minke; Mehra, Niven; Sedelaar, Michiel; Gerritsen, Winald; Schalken, Jack A

    2017-08-01

    Major advances through tumor profiling technologies, that include next-generation sequencing, epigenetic, proteomic and transcriptomic methods, have been made in primary prostate cancer, providing novel biomarkers that may guide precision medicine in the near future. Areas covered: The authors provided an overview of novel molecular biomarkers in tissue, blood and urine that may be used as clinical tools to assess prognosis, improve selection criteria for active surveillance programs, and detect disease relapse early in localized prostate cancer. Expert commentary: Active surveillance (AS) in localized prostate cancer is an accepted strategy in patients with very low-risk prostate cancer. Many more patients may benefit from watchful waiting, and include patients of higher clinical stage and grade, however selection criteria have to be optimized and early recognition of transformation from localized to lethal disease has to be improved by addition of molecular biomarkers. The role of non-invasive biomarkers is challenging the need for repeat biopsies, commonly performed at 1 and 4 years in men under AS programs.

  10. Transcriptome profiling of Curcuma longa L. cv. Suvarna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ambika Sahoo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Turmeric is an economically valued crop, because of its utility in the food, pharmaceutical industries and Ayurvedic medicine, attracts the attention in many areas of research work. In the present study, we executed resequencing through transcriptome assembly of the turmeric cultivar Suvarna (CL_Suv_10. Resequencing of Suvarna variety has generated 5 Gbases raw data with 75 bp paired-end sequence. The raw data has been submitted to SRA database of NCBI with accession number SRR4042181. Reads were assembled using Cufflinks-2.2.1 tool which ended up with 42994 numbers of transcripts. The length of transcripts ranged from 83 to15565, with a N50 value 1216 and median transcript length 773. The transcripts were annotated through number of databases. For the first time transcriptome profiling of cultivar Suvarna has been done, which could help towards identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs between Suvarna and other turmeric cultivars for its authentic identification.

  11. An Atlas of annotations of Hydra vulgaris transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evangelista, Daniela; Tripathi, Kumar Parijat; Guarracino, Mario Rosario

    2016-09-22

    RNA sequencing takes advantage of the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies for analyzing RNA transcript counts with an excellent accuracy. Trying to interpret this huge amount of data in biological information is still a key issue, reason for which the creation of web-resources useful for their analysis is highly desiderable. Starting from a previous work, Transcriptator, we present the Atlas of Hydra's vulgaris, an extensible web tool in which its complete transcriptome is annotated. In order to provide to the users an advantageous resource that include the whole functional annotated transcriptome of Hydra vulgaris water polyp, we implemented the Atlas web-tool contains 31.988 accesible and downloadable transcripts of this non-reference model organism. Atlas, as a freely available resource, can be considered a valuable tool to rapidly retrieve functional annotation for transcripts differentially expressed in Hydra vulgaris exposed to the distinct experimental treatments. WEB RESOURCE URL: http://www-labgtp.na.icar.cnr.it/Atlas .

  12. NGS-based approach to determine the presence of HPV and their sites of integration in human cancer genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrani, P; Kulkarni, V; Iyer, P; Upadhyay, P; Chaubal, R; Das, P; Mulherkar, R; Singh, R; Dutt, A

    2015-06-09

    Human papilloma virus (HPV) accounts for the most common cause of all virus-associated human cancers. Here, we describe the first graphic user interface (GUI)-based automated tool 'HPVDetector', for non-computational biologists, exclusively for detection and annotation of the HPV genome based on next-generation sequencing data sets. We developed a custom-made reference genome that comprises of human chromosomes along with annotated genome of 143 HPV types as pseudochromosomes. The tool runs on a dual mode as defined by the user: a 'quick mode' to identify presence of HPV types and an 'integration mode' to determine genomic location for the site of integration. The input data can be a paired-end whole-exome, whole-genome or whole-transcriptome data set. The HPVDetector is available in public domain for download: http://www.actrec.gov.in/pi-webpages/AmitDutt/HPVdetector/HPVDetector.html. On the basis of our evaluation of 116 whole-exome, 23 whole-transcriptome and 2 whole-genome data, we were able to identify presence of HPV in 20 exomes and 4 transcriptomes of cervical and head and neck cancer tumour samples. Using the inbuilt annotation module of HPVDetector, we found predominant integration of viral gene E7, a known oncogene, at known 17q21, 3q27, 7q35, Xq28 and novel sites of integration in the human genome. Furthermore, co-infection with high-risk HPVs such as 16 and 31 were found to be mutually exclusive compared with low-risk HPV71. HPVDetector is a simple yet precise and robust tool for detecting HPV from tumour samples using variety of next-generation sequencing platforms including whole genome, whole exome and transcriptome. Two different modes (quick detection and integration mode) along with a GUI widen the usability of HPVDetector for biologists and clinicians with minimal computational knowledge.

  13. Analysis of embryonic development in the unsequenced axolotl: waves of transcriptomic upheaval and stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Peng; Nelson, Jeffrey D.; Leng, Ning; Collins, Michael; Swanson, Scott; Dewey, Colin N.; Thomson, James A.; Stewart, Ron

    2016-01-01

    The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) has long been the subject of biological research, primarily owing to its outstanding regenerative capabilities. However, the gene expression programs governing its embryonic development are particularly underexplored, especially when compared to other amphibian model species. Therefore, we performed whole transcriptome polyA+ RNA sequencing experiments on 17 stages of embryonic development. As the axolotl genome is unsequenced and its gene annotation is incomplete, we built de novo transcriptome assemblies for each stage and garnered functional annotation by comparing expressed contigs with known genes in other organisms. In evaluating the number of differentially expressed genes over time, we identify three waves of substantial transcriptome upheaval each followed by a period of relative transcriptome stability. The first wave of upheaval is between the one and two cell stage. We show that the number of differentially expressed genes per unit time is higher between the one and two cell stage than it is across the mid-blastula transition (MBT), the period of zygotic genome activation. We use total RNA sequencing to demonstrate that the vast majority of genes with increasing polyA+ signal between the one and two cell stage result from polyadenylation rather than de novo transcription. The first stable phase begins after the two cell stage and continues until the mid-blastula transition, corresponding with the pre-MBT phase of transcriptional quiescence in amphibian development. Following this is a peak of differential gene expression corresponding with the activation of the zygotic genome and a phase of transcriptomic stability from stages 9 to 11. We observe a third wave of transcriptomic change between stages 11 and 14, followed by a final stable period. The last two stable phases have not been documented in amphibians previously and correspond to times of major morphogenic change in the axolotl embryo: gastrulation and

  14. Comparative transcriptomics in the Triticeae

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    Waugh Robbie

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Barley and particularly wheat are two grass species of immense agricultural importance. In spite of polyploidization events within the latter, studies have shown that genotypically and phenotypically these species are very closely related and, indeed, fertile hybrids can be created by interbreeding. The advent of two genome-scale Affymetrix GeneChips now allows studies of the comparison of their transcriptomes. Results We have used the Wheat GeneChip to create a "gene expression atlas" for the wheat transcriptome (cv. Chinese Spring. For this, we chose mRNA from a range of tissues and developmental stages closely mirroring a comparable study carried out for barley (cv. Morex using the Barley1 GeneChip. This, together with large-scale clustering of the probesets from the two GeneChips into "homologous groups", has allowed us to perform a genomic-scale comparative study of expression patterns in these two species. We explore the influence of the polyploidy of wheat on the results obtained with the Wheat GeneChip and quantify the correlation between conservation in gene sequence and gene expression in wheat and barley. In addition, we show how the conservation of expression patterns can be used to elucidate, probeset by probeset, the reliability of the Wheat GeneChip. Conclusion While there are many differences in expression on the level of individual genes and tissues, we demonstrate that the wheat and barley transcriptomes appear highly correlated. This finding is significant not only because given small evolutionary distance between the two species it is widely expected, but also because it demonstrates that it is possible to use the two GeneChips for comparative studies. This is the case even though their probeset composition reflects rather different design principles as well as, of course, the present incomplete knowledge of the gene content of the two species. We also show that, in general, the Wheat GeneChip is not able

  15. Transcriptomic responses to biotic stresses in Malus x domestica: a meta-analysis study

    OpenAIRE

    Balan, Bipin; Marra, Francesco Paolo; Caruso, Tiziano; Martinelli, Federico

    2018-01-01

    RNA-Seq analysis is a strong tool to gain insight into the molecular responses to biotic stresses in plants. The objective of this work is to identify specific and common molecular responses between different transcriptomic data related to fungi, virus and bacteria attacks in Malus x domestica. We analyzed seven transcriptomic datasets in Malus x domestica divided in responses to fungal pathogens, virus (Apple Stem Grooving Virus) and bacteria (Erwinia amylovora). Data were dissected using an...

  16. Major differences between human atopic dermatitis and murine models, as determined by using global transcriptomic profiling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ewald, David A.; Noda, Shinji; Oliva, Margeaux

    2017-01-01

    , and a comparison of these models with the human AD transcriptomic fingerprint is lacking. Objective We sought to evaluate the transcriptomic profiles of 6 common murine models and determine how they relate to human AD skin. Methods Transcriptomic profiling was performed by using microarrays and quantitative RT......-PCR on biopsy specimens from NC/Nga, flaky tail, Flg-mutated, ovalbumin-challenged, oxazolone-challenged, and IL-23–injected mice. Gene expression data of patients with AD, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis were obtained from previous patient cohorts. Criteria of a fold change of 2 or greater and a false...... discovery rate of 0.05 or less were used for gene arrays. Results IL-23–injected, NC/Nga, and oxazolone-challenged mice show the largest homology with our human meta-analysis–derived AD transcriptome (37%, 18%, 17%, respectively). Similar to human AD, robust TH1, TH2, and also TH17 activation are seen in IL...

  17. A Meta-Analysis of Multiple Matched Copy Number and Transcriptomics Data Sets for Inferring Gene Regulatory Relationships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, Richard; Wernisch, Lorenz

    2014-01-01

    Inferring gene regulatory relationships from observational data is challenging. Manipulation and intervention is often required to unravel causal relationships unambiguously. However, gene copy number changes, as they frequently occur in cancer cells, might be considered natural manipulation experiments on gene expression. An increasing number of data sets on matched array comparative genomic hybridisation and transcriptomics experiments from a variety of cancer pathologies are becoming publicly available. Here we explore the potential of a meta-analysis of thirty such data sets. The aim of our analysis was to assess the potential of in silico inference of trans-acting gene regulatory relationships from this type of data. We found sufficient correlation signal in the data to infer gene regulatory relationships, with interesting similarities between data sets. A number of genes had highly correlated copy number and expression changes in many of the data sets and we present predicted potential trans-acted regulatory relationships for each of these genes. The study also investigates to what extent heterogeneity between cell types and between pathologies determines the number of statistically significant predictions available from a meta-analysis of experiments. PMID:25148247

  18. A Tissue-Mapped Axolotl De Novo Transcriptome Enables Identification of Limb Regeneration Factors

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    Donald M. Bryant

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Mammals have extremely limited regenerative capabilities; however, axolotls are profoundly regenerative and can replace entire limbs. The mechanisms underlying limb regeneration remain poorly understood, partly because the enormous and incompletely sequenced genomes of axolotls have hindered the study of genes facilitating regeneration. We assembled and annotated a de novo transcriptome using RNA-sequencing profiles for a broad spectrum of tissues that is estimated to have near-complete sequence information for 88% of axolotl genes. We devised expression analyses that identified the axolotl orthologs of cirbp and kazald1 as highly expressed and enriched in blastemas. Using morpholino anti-sense oligonucleotides, we find evidence that cirbp plays a cytoprotective role during limb regeneration whereas manipulation of kazald1 expression disrupts regeneration. Our transcriptome and annotation resources greatly complement previous transcriptomic studies and will be a valuable resource for future research in regenerative biology.

  19. Optimizing Transcriptome Assemblies for Eleusine indica Leaf and Seedling by Combining Multiple Assemblies from Three De Novo Assemblers

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    Shu Chen

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Due to rapid advances in sequencing technology, increasing amounts of genomic and transcriptomic data are available for plant species, presenting enormous challenges for biocomputing analysis. A crucial first step for a successful transcriptomics-based study is the building of a high-quality assembly. Here, we utilized three different de novo assemblers (Trinity, Velvet, and CLC and the EvidentialGene pipeline tr2aacds to assemble two optimized transcript sets for the notorious weed species, . Two RNA sequencing (RNA-seq datasets from leaf and aboveground seedlings were processed using three assemblers, which resulted in 20 assemblies for each dataset. The contig numbers and N50 values of each assembly were compared to study the effect of read number, k-mer size, and in silico normalization on assembly output. The 20 assemblies were then processed through the tr2aacds pipeline to remove redundant transcripts and to select the transcript set with the best coding potential. Each assembly contributed a considerable proportion to the final transcript combination with the exception of the CLC-k14. Thus each assembler and parameter set did assemble better contigs for certain transcripts. The redundancy, total contig number, N50, fully assembled contig number, and transcripts related to target-site herbicide resistance were evaluated for the EvidentialGene and Trinity assemblies. Comparing the EvidentialGene set with the Trinity assembly revealed improved quality and reduced redundancy in both leaf and seedling EvidentialGene sets. The optimized transcriptome references will be useful for studying herbicide resistance in and the evolutionary process in the three allotetraploid offspring.

  20. Time-Course Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Resistance Genes of Panax ginseng Induced by Cylindrocarpon destructans Infection Using RNA-Seq.

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    Yuan Gao

    Full Text Available Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is a highly valued medicinal plant. Cylindrocarpon destructans is a destructive pathogen that causes root rot and significantly reduces the quality and yield of P. ginseng. However, an efficient method to control root rot remains unavailable because of insufficient understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying C. destructans-P. ginseng interaction. In this study, C. destructans-induced transcriptomes at different time points were investigated using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq. De novo assembly produced 73,335 unigenes for the P. ginseng transcriptome after C. destructans infection, in which 3,839 unigenes were up-regulated. Notably, the abundance of the up-regulated unigenes sharply increased at 0.5 d postinoculation to provide effector-triggered immunity. In total, 24 of 26 randomly selected unigenes can be validated using quantitative reverse transcription (qRT-PCR. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of these unigenes showed that "defense response to fungus", "defense response" and "response to stress" were enriched. In addition, differentially expressed transcription factors involved in the hormone signaling pathways after C. destructans infection were identified. Finally, differentially expressed unigenes involved in reactive oxygen species and ginsenoside biosynthetic pathway during C. destructans infection were indentified. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the dynamic transcriptome triggered by C. destructans. These results improve our understanding of disease resistance in P. ginseng and provide a useful resource for quick detection of induced markers in P. ginseng before the comprehensive outbreak of this disease caused by C. destructans.