WorldWideScience

Sample records for decitabine gene target

  1. Development of a novel cell-based assay system EPISSAY for screening epigenetic drugs and liposome formulated decitabine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Sue Ping; Callen, David F; Kumar, Raman; Akkamsetty, Yamini; Wang, Wen; Ho, Kristen; Neilsen, Paul M; Walther, Diego J; Suetani, Rachel J; Prestidge, Clive

    2013-01-01

    Despite the potential of improving the delivery of epigenetic drugs, the subsequent assessment of changes in their epigenetic activity is largely dependent on the availability of a suitable and rapid screening bioassay. Here, we describe a cell-based assay system for screening gene reactivation. A cell-based assay system (EPISSAY) was designed based on a silenced triple-mutated bacterial nitroreductase TMnfsB fused with Red-Fluorescent Protein (RFP) expressed in the non-malignant human breast cell line MCF10A. EPISSAY was validated using the target gene TXNIP, which has previously been shown to respond to epigenetic drugs. The potency of a epigenetic drug model, decitabine, formulated with PEGylated liposomes was also validated using this assay system. Following treatment with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors such as decitabine and vorinostat, increases in RFP expression were observed, indicating expression of RFP-TMnfsB. The EPISSAY system was then used to test the potency of decitabine, before and after PEGylated liposomal encapsulation. We observed a 50% higher potency of decitabine when encapsulated in PEGylated liposomes, which is likely to be due to its protection from rapid degradation. The EPISSAY bioassay system provides a novel and rapid system to compare the efficiencies of existing and newly formulated drugs that reactivate gene expression

  2. Oral tetrahydrouridine and decitabine for non-cytotoxic epigenetic gene regulation in sickle cell disease: A randomized phase 1 study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Molokie

    2017-09-01

    indicating better RBC quality, biomarkers of hemolysis, thrombophilia, and inflammation (LDH, bilirubin, D-dimer, C-reactive protein [CRP] improved. As expected with non-cytotoxic DNMT1-depletion, platelets increased and neutrophils concurrently decreased, but not to an extent requiring treatment holds. As an early phase study, limitations include small patient numbers at each dose level and narrow capacity to evaluate clinical benefits.Administration of oral THU-decitabine to patients with SCD was safe in this study and, by targeting DNMT1, upregulated HbF in RBCs. Further studies should investigate clinical benefits and potential harms not identified to date.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01685515.

  3. Lack of mutational hot spots during decitabine-mediated HIV-1 mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawson, Jonathan M O; Landman, Sean R; Reilly, Cavan S; Bonnac, Laurent; Patterson, Steven E; Mansky, Louis M

    2015-11-01

    Decitabine has previously been shown to induce lethal mutagenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, the factors that determine the susceptibilities of individual sequence positions in HIV-1 to decitabine have not yet been defined. To investigate this, we performed Illumina high-throughput sequencing of multiple amplicons prepared from proviral DNA that was recovered from decitabine-treated cells infected with HIV-1. We found that decitabine induced an ≈4.1-fold increase in the total mutation frequency of HIV-1, primarily due to a striking ≈155-fold increase in the G-to-C transversion frequency. Intriguingly, decitabine also led to an ≈29-fold increase in the C-to-G transversion frequency. G-to-C frequencies varied substantially (up to ≈80-fold) depending upon sequence position, but surprisingly, mutational hot spots (defined as upper outliers within the mutation frequency distribution) were not observed. We further found that every single guanine position examined was significantly susceptible to the mutagenic effects of decitabine. Taken together, these observations demonstrate for the first time that decitabine-mediated HIV-1 mutagenesis is promiscuous and occurs in the absence of a clear bias for mutational hot spots. These data imply that decitabine-mediated G-to-C mutagenesis is a highly effective antiviral mechanism for extinguishing HIV-1 infectivity. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  4. A phase 1 clinical trial of vorinostat in combination with decitabine in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirschbaum, Mark; Gojo, Ivana; Goldberg, Stuart L; Bredeson, Christopher; Kujawski, Lisa A; Yang, Allen; Marks, Peter; Frankel, Paul; Sun, Xing; Tosolini, Alessandra; Eid, Joseph E; Lubiniecki, Gregory M; Issa, Jean-Pierre

    2014-10-01

    Patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) may respond to treatment with epigenetic-modifying agents. Histone deacetylase inhibitors may synergize with hypomethylating agents. This phase 1 dose-escalation study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose, recommended phase 2 dose, safety and tolerability of vorinostat plus decitabine in patients with relapsed/refractory AML, newly-diagnosed AML, or intermediate- to high-grade MDS. Thirty-four patients received concurrent therapy with decitabine plus vorinostat and 37 received sequential therapy with decitabine followed by vorinostat. Twenty-nine patients had relapsed/refractory AML, 31 had untreated AML and 11 had MDS. The target maximum administered dose (MAD) of decitabine 20 mg/m(2) daily for 5 d plus vorinostat 400 mg/d for 14 d was achieved for concurrent and sequential schedules, with one dose-limiting toxicity (Grade 3 QTc prolongation) reported in the sequential arm. Common toxicities were haematological and gastrointestinal. Responses were observed more frequently at the MAD on the concurrent schedule compared with the sequential schedule in untreated AML (46% vs. 14%), relapsed/refractory AML (15% vs. 0%) and MDS (60% vs. 0%). Decitabine plus vorinostat given concurrently or sequentially appears to be safe and well-tolerated. Concurrent therapy shows promising clinical activity in AML or MDS, warranting further investigation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Development and in vitro evaluations of new decitabine nanocarriers for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Briot T

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Thomas Briot,1,2 Emilie Roger,1 Nolwenn Lautram,1 Alexis Verger,1 Anne Clavreul,3,4 Frederic Lagarce1,2 1Micro & Nanomédecines Translationelles – MINT, UNIV Angers, INSERM 1066, CNRS 6021, Université Bretagne Loire, MINT IBS-CHU, 2Pharmacy Department, University Hospital of Angers, 3Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital of Angers, 4CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Angers, France Abstract: Decitabine is a hydrophilic drug that acts by hypomethylating DNA. Decitabine is used in Europe for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML in patients aged ≥65 years. However, it can only be administered intravenously due to very low oral bioavailability and a large distribution volume. Oral administration would allow outpatient treatment, improving quality of life and reducing treatment costs. The present study proposes to develop lipid nanocapsules (LNCs, originally designed for lipophilic drugs, to encapsulate decitabine. Two different formulations of LNCs were designed: LNCs based on a high proportion of Transcutol® HP (THP-LNCs and LNCs associated with a mixture of Transcutol® HP and Tween® 80 (THP-T80-LNCs. The second formulation had a diameter of 26.5±0.5 nm, high encapsulation efficiency (>85%, and a drug payload of 472±64 µg/mL. Decitabine-loaded THP-T80-LNC cytotoxicity was evaluated on two AML cell lines depending on their decitabine resistance: HEL (not resistant and HL-60 (resistant. The permeability of decitabine-loaded THP-T80-LNCs was also evaluated on Caco-2 cell monolayers. Decitabine cytotoxicity against HEL and HL-60 was higher when decitabine was loaded in THP-T80-LNCs than when free. Apparent permeability on Caco-2 cell monolayers was also increased, suggesting a potentially useful formulation to increase the oral bioavailability of decitabine. Keywords: lipid nanocapsules, acute myeloid leukemia, decitabine, nanomedicine, nanoparticles, oral administration, Caco2 cells

  6. Direct but no transgenerational effects of decitabine and vorinostat on male fertility.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Kläver

    Full Text Available Establishment and maintenance of the correct epigenetic code is essential for a plethora of physiological pathways and disturbed epigenetic patterns can provoke severe consequences, e.g. tumour formation. In recent years, epigenetic drugs altering the epigenome of tumours actively have been developed for anti-cancer therapies. However, such drugs could potentially also affect other physiological pathways and systems in which intact epigenetic patterns are essential. Amongst those, male fertility is one of the most prominent. Consequently, we addressed possible direct effects of two epigenetic drugs, decitabine and vorinostat, on both, the male germ line and fertility. In addition, we checked for putative transgenerational epigenetic effects on the germ line of subsequent generations (F1-F3. Parental adult male C57Bl/6 mice were treated with either decitabine or vorinostat and analysed as well as three subsequent untreated generations derived from these males. Treatment directly affected several reproductive parameters as testis (decitabine & vorinostat and epididymis weight, size of accessory sex glands (vorinostat, the height of the seminiferous epithelium and sperm concentration and morphology (decitabine. Furthermore, after decitabine administration, DNA methylation of a number of loci was altered in sperm. However, when analysing fertility of treated mice (fertilisation, litter size and sex ratio, no major effect of the selected epigenetic drugs on male fertility was detected. In subsequent generations (F1-F3 generations only subtle changes on reproductive organs, sperm parameters and DNA methylation but no overall effect on fertility was observed. Consequently, in mice, decitabine and vorinostat neither affected male fertility per se nor caused marked transgenerational effects. We therefore suggest that both drugs do not induce major adverse effects-in terms of male fertility and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance-when used in anti-cancer-therapies.

  7. Direct but no transgenerational effects of decitabine and vorinostat on male fertility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kläver, Ruth; Sánchez, Victoria; Damm, Oliver S; Redmann, Klaus; Lahrmann, Elisabeth; Sandhowe-Klaverkamp, Reinhild; Rohde, Christian; Wistuba, Joachim; Ehmcke, Jens; Schlatt, Stefan; Gromoll, Jörg

    2015-01-01

    Establishment and maintenance of the correct epigenetic code is essential for a plethora of physiological pathways and disturbed epigenetic patterns can provoke severe consequences, e.g. tumour formation. In recent years, epigenetic drugs altering the epigenome of tumours actively have been developed for anti-cancer therapies. However, such drugs could potentially also affect other physiological pathways and systems in which intact epigenetic patterns are essential. Amongst those, male fertility is one of the most prominent. Consequently, we addressed possible direct effects of two epigenetic drugs, decitabine and vorinostat, on both, the male germ line and fertility. In addition, we checked for putative transgenerational epigenetic effects on the germ line of subsequent generations (F1-F3). Parental adult male C57Bl/6 mice were treated with either decitabine or vorinostat and analysed as well as three subsequent untreated generations derived from these males. Treatment directly affected several reproductive parameters as testis (decitabine & vorinostat) and epididymis weight, size of accessory sex glands (vorinostat), the height of the seminiferous epithelium and sperm concentration and morphology (decitabine). Furthermore, after decitabine administration, DNA methylation of a number of loci was altered in sperm. However, when analysing fertility of treated mice (fertilisation, litter size and sex ratio), no major effect of the selected epigenetic drugs on male fertility was detected. In subsequent generations (F1-F3 generations) only subtle changes on reproductive organs, sperm parameters and DNA methylation but no overall effect on fertility was observed. Consequently, in mice, decitabine and vorinostat neither affected male fertility per se nor caused marked transgenerational effects. We therefore suggest that both drugs do not induce major adverse effects-in terms of male fertility and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance-when used in anti-cancer-therapies.

  8. A therapeutic trial of decitabine and vorinostat in combination with chemotherapy for relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Michael J; Lamba, Jatinder K; Pounds, Stanley; Cao, Xueyuan; Ghodke-Puranik, Yogita; Lindgren, Bruce R; Weigel, Brenda J; Verneris, Michael R; Miller, Jeffrey S

    2014-09-01

    DNA hypermethylation and histone deacetylation are pathways of leukemia resistance. We investigated the tolerability and efficacy of decitabine and vorinostat plus chemotherapy in relapse/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Decitabine (15 mg/m(2) iv) and vorinostat (230 mg/m(2) PO div BID) were given days 1-4 followed by vincristine, prednisone, PEG-asparaginase, and doxorubicin. Genome wide methylation profiles were performed in 8 matched patient bone marrow (BM) samples taken at day 0 and day 5 (postdecitabine). The median age was 16 (range, 3-54) years. All patients had a prior BM relapse, with five relapsing after allogeneic transplant. The most common nonhematological toxicities possibly related to decitabine or vorinostat were infection with neutropenia (grade 3; n = 4) and fever/neutropenia (grade 3, n = 4; grade 4, n = 1). Of the 13 eligible patients, four achieved complete remission without platelet recovery (CRp), two partial response (PR), one stable disease (SD), one progressive disease (PD), two deaths on study and three patients who did not have end of therapy disease evaluations for an overall response rate of 46.2% (CRp + PR). Following decitabine, significant genome-wide hypo-methylation was observed. Comparison of clinical responders with nonresponders identified methylation profiles of clinical and biological relevance. Decitabine and vorinostat followed by re-Induction chemotherapy was tolerable and demonstrated clinical benefit in relapsed patients with ALL. Methylation differences were identified between responders and nonresponders indicating interpatient variation, which could impact clinical outcome. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00882206. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Randomized phase 2 study of low-dose decitabine vs low-dose azacitidine in lower-risk MDS and MDS/MPN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jabbour, Elias; Short, Nicholas J; Montalban-Bravo, Guillermo; Huang, Xuelin; Bueso-Ramos, Carlos; Qiao, Wei; Yang, Hui; Zhao, Chong; Kadia, Tapan; Borthakur, Gautam; Pemmaraju, Naveen; Sasaki, Koji; Estrov, Zeev; Cortes, Jorge; Ravandi, Farhad; Alvarado, Yesid; Komrokji, Rami; Sekeres, Mikkael A; Steensma, David P; DeZern, Amy; Roboz, Gail; Kantarjian, Hagop; Garcia-Manero, Guillermo

    2017-09-28

    Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) improve survival in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) but are less well-studied in lower-risk disease. We compared the safety and efficacy of low-dose decitabine vs low-dose azacitidine in this group of patients. Adults with low- or intermediate 1-risk MDS or MDS/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, according to the International Prognostic Scoring System, were randomly assigned using a Bayesian adaptive design to receive either azacitidine 75 mg/m 2 intravenously/subcutaneously daily or decitabine 20 mg/m 2 intravenously daily for 3 consecutive days on a 28-day cycle. The primary outcome was overall response rate (ORR). Between November 2012 and February 2016, 113 patients were treated: 40 (35%) with azacitidine and 73 (65%) with decitabine. The median age was 70 years; 81% of patients were intermediate 1-risk patients. The median number of cycles received was 9. The ORRs were 70% and 49% ( P = .03) for patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine, respectively. Thirty-two percent of patients treated with decitabine became transfusion independent compared with 16% of patients treated with azacitidine ( P = .2). Cytogenetic response rates were 61% and 25% ( P = .02), respectively. With a median follow-up of 20 months, the overall median event-free survival was 18 months: 20 and 13 months for patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine, respectively ( P = .1). Treatment was well tolerated, with a 6-week mortality rate of 0%. The use of low-dose HMAs is safe and effective in patients with lower-risk MDS and MDS/MPN. Their effect on the natural history of lower-risk disease needs to be further studied. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier NCT01720225). © 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.

  10. Combination of gefitinib and DNA methylation inhibitor decitabine exerts synergistic anti-cancer activity in colon cancer cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun-feng Lou

    Full Text Available Despite recent advances in the treatment of human colon cancer, the chemotherapy efficacy against colon cancer is still unsatisfactory. In the present study, effects of concomitant inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR and DNA methyltransferase were examined in human colon cancer cells. We demonstrated that decitabine (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor synergized with gefitinib (an EGFR inhibitor to reduce cell viability and colony formation in SW1116 and LOVO cells. However, the combination of the two compounds displayed minimal toxicity to NCM460 cells, a normal human colon mucosal epithelial cell line. The combination was also more effective at inhibiting the AKT/mTOR/S6 kinase pathway. In addition, the combination of decitabine with gefitinib markedly inhibited colon cancer cell migration. Furthermore, gefitinib synergistically enhanced decitabine-induced cytotoxicity was primarily due to apoptosis as shown by Annexin V labeling that was attenuated by z-VAD-fmk, a pan caspase inhibitor. Concomitantly, cell apoptosis resulting from the co-treatment of gefitinib and decitabine was accompanied by induction of BAX, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP, along with reduction of Bcl-2 compared to treatment with either drug alone. Interestingly, combined treatment with these two drugs increased the expression of XIAP-associated factor 1 (XAF1 which play an important role in cell apoptosis. Moreover, small interfering RNA (siRNA depletion of XAF1 significantly attenuated colon cancer cells apoptosis induced by the combination of the two drugs. Our findings suggested that gefitinib in combination with decitabine exerted enhanced cell apoptosis in colon cancer cells were involved in mitochondrial-mediated pathway and induction of XAF1 expression. In conclusion, based on the observations from our study, we suggested that the combined administration of these two drugs might be considered as a novel therapeutic regimen for treating colon

  11. Synergistic Cytotoxic Effect of L-Asparaginase Combined with Decitabine as a Demethylating Agent in Pediatric T-ALL, with Specific Epigenetic Signature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Serravalle

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL remains a subgroup of pediatric ALL, with a lower response to standard chemotherapy. Some recent studies established the fundamental role of epigenetic aberrations such as DNA hypermethylation, to influence patients’ outcome and response to chemotherapy. Moreover, L-asparaginase is an important chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of ALL and resistance to this drug has been linked to ASNS expression, which can be silenced through methylation. Therefore, we tested whether the sensitivity of T-ALL cell lines towards L-asparaginase is correlated to the epigenetic status of ASNS gene and whether the sensitivity can be modified by concurrent demethylating treatment. Hence we treated different T-ALL cell lines with L-asparaginase and correlated different responses to the treatment with ASNS expression. Then we demonstrated that the ASNS expression was dependent on the methylation status of the promoter. Finally we showed that, despite the demethylating effect on the ASNS gene expression, the combined treatment with the demethylating agent Decitabine could synergistically improve the L-asparaginase sensitivity in those T-ALL cell lines characterized by hypermethylation of the ASNS gene. In conclusion, this preclinical study identified an unexpected synergistic activity of L-asparaginase and Decitabine in the subgroup of T-ALL with low ASNS expression due to hypermethylation of the ASNS promoter, while it did not restore sensitivity in the resistant cell lines characterized by higher ASNS expression.

  12. [Clinical Significance of ID4 Gene Mehtylation in Demethylation-Treated MDS Cell Line and 2 MDS Patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hui-Yuan; Wang, Xin-Rong; Gao, Li; Wang, Wei; Li, Mian-Yang; Wang, Li-Li; Wang, Cheng-Bin; Yu, Li

    2015-04-01

    To evaluate significance of ID4 gene mehtylation in demethylating myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS) cell Line MUTZ1 and 2 patients with MDS. The methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) were applied to identify the methylation status and gene expression of ID4 gene in MDS cell line MUTZ1, a patient with aplastic anemia(AA) and a donor with normal bone marrow (NBM). RT-PCR was applied to detect the ID4 gene expression status in MUTZ1 cell line treated with decitabine at 3 different concentrations. Then bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) was applied to detect ID4 gene methylation status in 2 MDS parients treated with decitabine. The MDS cell line MUTZ-1 displayed a complete methylation of ID4 gene promoter with little mRNA expression. Inversely, bone marrow of an AA patient and NBM showed complete unmethylation of this gene with intensity mRNA expression. With the increase of decitabine concentration, ID4 gene mRNA expression was more and more increased. After decitabine treatment, ID4 gene methylation-positive frequencies of both the 2 MDS patients were much more decreased than that of the first treatment. So, ID4 gene mRNA expression inhibited by promoter hypemethylation could be recovered by using demethylation medicine. ID4 as a new potential anti-oncogene suggests that its methylation may become a marker for selection and assessment of therapeutic schedules in patients with MDS.

  13. Combined Treatment with Low Concentrations of Decitabine and SAHA Causes Cell Death in Leukemic Cell Lines but Not in Normal Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbora Brodská

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Epigenetic therapy reverting aberrant acetylation or methylation offers the possibility to target preferentially tumor cells and to preserve normal cells. Combination epigenetic therapy may further improve the effect of individual drugs. We investigated combined action of demethylating agent decitabine and histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA (Vorinostat on different leukemic cell lines in comparison with peripheral blood lymphocytes. Large decrease of viability, as well as huge p21WAF1 induction, reactive oxygen species formation, and apoptotic features due to combined decitabine and SAHA action were detected in leukemic cell lines irrespective of their p53 status, while essentially no effect was observed in response to the combined drug action in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy donors. p53-dependent apoptotic pathway was demonstrated to participate in the wtp53 CML-T1 leukemic cell line response, while significant influence of reactive oxygen species on viability decrease has been detected in p53-null HL-60 cell line.

  14. Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Phase III Trial of Decitabine Versus Patient Choice, With Physician Advice, of Either Supportive Care or Low-Dose Cytarabine for the Treatment of Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantarjian, Hagop M.; Thomas, Xavier G.; Dmoszynska, Anna; Wierzbowska, Agnieszka; Mazur, Grzegorz; Mayer, Jiri; Gau, Jyh-Pyng; Chou, Wen-Chien; Buckstein, Rena; Cermak, Jaroslav; Kuo, Ching-Yuan; Oriol, Albert; Ravandi, Farhad; Faderl, Stefan; Delaunay, Jacques; Lysák, Daniel; Minden, Mark; Arthur, Christopher

    2012-01-01

    Purpose This multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III trial compared the efficacy and safety of decitabine with treatment choice (TC) in older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and poor- or intermediate-risk cytogenetics. Patients and Methods Patients (N = 485) age ≥ 65 years were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive decitabine 20 mg/m2 per day as a 1-hour intravenous infusion for five consecutive days every 4 weeks or TC (supportive care or cytarabine 20 mg/m2 per day as a subcutaneous injection for 10 consecutive days every 4 weeks). The primary end point was overall survival (OS); the secondary end point was the complete remission (CR) rate plus the CR rate without platelet recovery (CRp). Adverse events (AEs) were recorded. Results The primary analysis with 396 deaths (81.6%) showed a nonsignificant increase in median OS with decitabine (7.7 months; 95% CI, 6.2 to 9.2) versus TC (5.0 months; 95% CI, 4.3 to 6.3; P = .108; hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.04). An unplanned analysis with 446 deaths (92%) indicated the same median OS (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.99; nominal P = .037). The CR rate plus CRp was 17.8% with decitabine versus 7.8% with TC (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.8; P = .001). AEs were similar for decitabine and cytarabine, although patients received a median of four cycles of decitabine versus two cycles of TC. The most common drug-related AEs with decitabine were thrombocytopenia (27%) and neutropenia (24%). Conclusion In older patients with AML, decitabine improved response rates compared with standard therapies without major differences in safety. An unplanned survival analysis showed a benefit for decitabine, which was not observed at the time of the primary analysis. PMID:22689805

  15. Novel epigenetic target therapy for prostate cancer: a preclinical study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilaria Naldi

    Full Text Available Epigenetic events are critical contributors to the pathogenesis of cancer, and targeting epigenetic mechanisms represents a novel strategy in anticancer therapy. Classic demethylating agents, such as 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Decitabine, hold the potential for reprograming somatic cancer cells demonstrating high therapeutic efficacy in haematological malignancies. On the other hand, epigenetic treatment of solid tumours often gives rise to undesired cytotoxic side effects. Appropriate delivery systems able to enrich Decitabine at the site of action and improve its bioavailability would reduce the incidence of toxicity on healthy tissues. In this work we provide preclinical evidences of a safe, versatile and efficient targeted epigenetic therapy to treat hormone sensitive (LNCap and hormone refractory (DU145 prostate cancers. A novel Decitabine formulation, based on the use of engineered erythrocyte (Erythro-Magneto-Hemagglutinin Virosomes, EMHVs drug delivery system (DDS carrying this drug, has been refined. Inside the EMHVs, the drug was shielded from the environment and phosphorylated in its active form. The novel magnetic EMHV DDS, endowed with fusogenic protein, improved the stability of the carried drug and exhibited a high efficiency in confining its delivery at the site of action in vivo by applying an external static magnetic field. Here we show that Decitabine loaded into EMHVs induces a significant tumour mass reduction in prostate cancer xenograft models at a concentration, which is seven hundred times lower than the therapeutic dose, suggesting an improved pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of drug. These results are relevant for and discussed in light of developing personalised autologous therapies and innovative clinical approach for the treatment of solid tumours.

  16. Novel epigenetic target therapy for prostate cancer: a preclinical study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naldi, Ilaria; Taranta, Monia; Gherardini, Lisa; Pelosi, Gualtiero; Viglione, Federica; Grimaldi, Settimio; Pani, Luca; Cinti, Caterina

    2014-01-01

    Epigenetic events are critical contributors to the pathogenesis of cancer, and targeting epigenetic mechanisms represents a novel strategy in anticancer therapy. Classic demethylating agents, such as 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Decitabine), hold the potential for reprograming somatic cancer cells demonstrating high therapeutic efficacy in haematological malignancies. On the other hand, epigenetic treatment of solid tumours often gives rise to undesired cytotoxic side effects. Appropriate delivery systems able to enrich Decitabine at the site of action and improve its bioavailability would reduce the incidence of toxicity on healthy tissues. In this work we provide preclinical evidences of a safe, versatile and efficient targeted epigenetic therapy to treat hormone sensitive (LNCap) and hormone refractory (DU145) prostate cancers. A novel Decitabine formulation, based on the use of engineered erythrocyte (Erythro-Magneto-Hemagglutinin Virosomes, EMHVs) drug delivery system (DDS) carrying this drug, has been refined. Inside the EMHVs, the drug was shielded from the environment and phosphorylated in its active form. The novel magnetic EMHV DDS, endowed with fusogenic protein, improved the stability of the carried drug and exhibited a high efficiency in confining its delivery at the site of action in vivo by applying an external static magnetic field. Here we show that Decitabine loaded into EMHVs induces a significant tumour mass reduction in prostate cancer xenograft models at a concentration, which is seven hundred times lower than the therapeutic dose, suggesting an improved pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of drug. These results are relevant for and discussed in light of developing personalised autologous therapies and innovative clinical approach for the treatment of solid tumours.

  17. The drug target genes show higher evolutionary conservation than non-target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Wenhua; Xu, Yongdeng; Guo, Yiying; Yu, Ziqi; Feng, Guanglong; Liu, Panpan; Luan, Meiwei; Zhu, Hongjie; Liu, Guiyou; Zhang, Mingming; Lv, Hongchao; Duan, Lian; Shang, Zhenwei; Li, Jin; Jiang, Yongshuai; Zhang, Ruijie

    2016-01-26

    Although evidence indicates that drug target genes share some common evolutionary features, there have been few studies analyzing evolutionary features of drug targets from an overall level. Therefore, we conducted an analysis which aimed to investigate the evolutionary characteristics of drug target genes. We compared the evolutionary conservation between human drug target genes and non-target genes by combining both the evolutionary features and network topological properties in human protein-protein interaction network. The evolution rate, conservation score and the percentage of orthologous genes of 21 species were included in our study. Meanwhile, four topological features including the average shortest path length, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficient and degree were considered for comparison analysis. Then we got four results as following: compared with non-drug target genes, 1) drug target genes had lower evolutionary rates; 2) drug target genes had higher conservation scores; 3) drug target genes had higher percentages of orthologous genes and 4) drug target genes had a tighter network structure including higher degrees, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficients and lower average shortest path lengths. These results demonstrate that drug target genes are more evolutionarily conserved than non-drug target genes. We hope that our study will provide valuable information for other researchers who are interested in evolutionary conservation of drug targets.

  18. Myeloprotection by Cytidine Deaminase Gene Transfer in Antileukemic Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nico Lachmann

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Gene transfer of drug resistance (CTX-R genes can be used to protect the hematopoietic system from the toxicity of anticancer chemotherapy and this concept recently has been proven by overexpression of a mutant O6-methylguaninemethyltransferase in the hematopoietic system of glioblastoma patients treated with temozolomide. Given its protection capacity against such relevant drugs as cytosine arabinoside (ara-C, gemcitabine, decitabine, or azacytidine and the highly hematopoiesis-specific toxicity profile of several of these agents, cytidine deaminase (CDD represents another interesting candidate CTX-R gene and our group recently has established the myeloprotective capacity of CDD gene transfer in a number of murine transplant studies. Clinically, CDD overexpression appears particularly suited to optimize treatment strategies for acute leukemias and myelodysplasias given the efficacy of ara-C (and to a lesser degree decitabine and azacytidine in these disease entities. This article will review the current state of the art with regard to CDD gene transfer and point out potential scenarios for a clinical application of this strategy. In addition, risks and potential side effects associated with this approach as well as strategies to overcome these problems will be highlighted.

  19. A Perspective on the Comparative Antileukemic Activity of 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (Decitabine and 5-Azacytidine (Vidaza

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard L. Momparler

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR, decitabine, Dacogen® and 5-azacytidine (5-AC, Vidaza® are epigenetic agents that have been approved for the clinical treatment of the hematological malignancy myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS and are currently under clinical evaluation for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML. Most investigators currently classify 5-AZA-CdR and 5-AC as inhibitors of DNA methylation, which can reactivate tumor suppressor genes silenced by this epigenetic event. Examination of the pharmacology of these analogues reveals important differences with respect to their molecular mechanism of action. The action of 5-AZA-CdR is due to its incorporation into DNA. 5-AC is a riboside analogue that is incorporated primarily into RNA. A small fraction of 5-AC is converted to its deoxyribose form by ribonucleotide reductase and subsequently incorporated into DNA. The incorporation of 5-AC into RNA can interfere with the biological function of RNA and result in an inhibition protein synthesis. Microarray analysis revealed that both these analogues target the expression of different cohorts of genes. Preclinical studies show that 5-AZA-CdR is a more effective antileukemic agent than 5-AC. One explanation for this observation is that 5-AC blocks the progression of some leukemic cells from G1 into S phase, and this protects these cells from the chemotherapeutic action of this riboside analogue related to its incorporation into DNA. However, differences in chemotherapeutic efficacy of these related analogues have not been clearly demonstrated in clinical trials in patients with hematological malignancies. These observations should be taken into consideration in the design of new clinical trials using 5-AZA-CdR or 5-AC in patients with MDS and AML.

  20. Suicide genes or p53 gene and p53 target genes as targets for cancer gene therapy by ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Bing; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Zhang Hong

    2005-01-01

    Radiotherapy has some disadvantages due to the severe side-effect on the normal tissues at a curative dose of ionizing radiation (IR). Similarly, as a new developing approach, gene therapy also has some disadvantages, such as lack of specificity for tumors, limited expression of therapeutic gene, potential biological risk. To certain extent, above problems would be solved by the suicide genes or p53 gene and its target genes therapies targeted by ionizing radiation. This strategy not only makes up the disadvantage from radiotherapy or gene therapy alone, but also promotes success rate on the base of lower dose. By present, there have been several vectors measuring up to be reaching clinical trials. This review focused on the development of the cancer gene therapy through suicide genes or p53 and its target genes mediated by IR. (authors)

  1. Predicting the crystal structure of decitabine by powder NMR crystallography: influence of long-range molecular packing symmetry on NMR parameters

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brus, Jiří; Czernek, Jiří; Kobera, Libor; Urbanová, Martina; Abbrent, Sabina; Husak, M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 12 (2016), s. 7102-7111 ISSN 1528-7483 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-03636S; GA ČR(CZ) GA16-04109S; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1507 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : NMR crystalography * decitabine * drug delivery Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.055, year: 2016

  2. A two-cassette reporter system for assessing target gene translation and target gene product inclusion body formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    The present invention relates to a dual cassette reporter system capable of assessing target gene translation and target gene product folding. The present invention further relates to vectors and host cells comprising the dual cassette reporter system. In addition the invention relates to the use...... of the dual cassette reporter system for assessing target gene translation and target gene product folding....

  3. Methylation of the PMEPA1 gene, a negative regulator of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharad, Shashwat; Ravindranath, Lakshmi; Haffner, Michael C; Li, Hua; Yan, Wusheng; Sesterhenn, Isabell A; Chen, Yongmei; Ali, Amina; Srinivasan, Alagarsamy; McLeod, David G; Yegnasubramanian, Srinivasan; Srivastava, Shiv; Dobi, Albert; Petrovics, Gyorgy

    2014-06-01

    The prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) gene is highly expressed in prostate epithelial cells and is a direct transcriptional target for the androgen receptor (AR). AR protein levels are controlled by the AR-PMEPA1 negative feedback loop through NEDD4-E3 ligase. Reduced expression of PMEPA1 observed in prostate tumors, suggests that loss of PMEPA1 may play critical roles in prostate tumorigenesis. This study focuses on epigenetic mechanisms of reduced PMEPA1 expression in the cancer of the prostate (CaP). Benign (n = 77) and matched malignant (n = 77) prostate epithelial cells were laser capture micro-dissected from optimum cutting temperature embedded frozen prostate sections from 42 Caucasian American (CA) and 35 African American (AA) cases. Purified DNA specimens were analyzed for CpG methylation of the PMEPA1 gene. PMEPA1 mRNA expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Analysis of PMEPA1 methylation and mRNA expression in the same tumor cell populations indicated a significant inverse correlation between mRNA expression and methylation in CaP (P = 0.0115). We noted higher frequency of CpG methylation within the evaluated first intronic region of the PMEPA1 gene in prostate tumors of CA men as compared with AA. In CaP cell lines, PMEPA1 expression was induced and AR protein levels were diminished in response to treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine). Cell culture-based studies demonstrated that decitabine restores PMEPA1 expression in AR-positive CaP cell lines. This report reveals the potential role of PMEPA1 gene methylation in the regulation of AR stability. Thus, downregulation of PMEPA1 may result in increased AR protein levels and function in CaP cells, contributing to prostate tumorigenesis.

  4. About miRNAs, miRNA seeds, target genes and target pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kehl, Tim; Backes, Christina; Kern, Fabian; Fehlmann, Tobias; Ludwig, Nicole; Meese, Eckart; Lenhof, Hans-Peter; Keller, Andreas

    2017-12-05

    miRNAs are typically repressing gene expression by binding to the 3' UTR, leading to degradation of the mRNA. This process is dominated by the eight-base seed region of the miRNA. Further, miRNAs are known not only to target genes but also to target significant parts of pathways. A logical line of thoughts is: miRNAs with similar (seed) sequence target similar sets of genes and thus similar sets of pathways. By calculating similarity scores for all 3.25 million pairs of 2,550 human miRNAs, we found that this pattern frequently holds, while we also observed exceptions. Respective results were obtained for both, predicted target genes as well as experimentally validated targets. We note that miRNAs target gene set similarity follows a bimodal distribution, pointing at a set of 282 miRNAs that seems to target genes with very high specificity. Further, we discuss miRNAs with different (seed) sequences that nonetheless regulate similar gene sets or pathways. Most intriguingly, we found miRNA pairs that regulate different gene sets but similar pathways such as miR-6886-5p and miR-3529-5p. These are jointly targeting different parts of the MAPK signaling cascade. The main goal of this study is to provide a general overview on the results, to highlight a selection of relevant results on miRNAs, miRNA seeds, target genes and target pathways and to raise awareness for artifacts in respective comparisons. The full set of information that allows to infer detailed results on each miRNA has been included in miRPathDB, the miRNA target pathway database (https://mpd.bioinf.uni-sb.de).

  5. Targeting the human lysozyme gene on bovine αs1- casein gene ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Targeting an exogenous gene into a favorable gene locus and for expression under endogenous regulators is an ideal method in mammary gland bioreactor research. For this purpose, a gene targeting vector was constructed to targeting the human lysozyme gene on bovine αs1-casein gene locus. In this case, the ...

  6. Characteristics of functional enrichment and gene expression level of human putative transcriptional target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osato, Naoki

    2018-01-19

    Transcriptional target genes show functional enrichment of genes. However, how many and how significantly transcriptional target genes include functional enrichments are still unclear. To address these issues, I predicted human transcriptional target genes using open chromatin regions, ChIP-seq data and DNA binding sequences of transcription factors in databases, and examined functional enrichment and gene expression level of putative transcriptional target genes. Gene Ontology annotations showed four times larger numbers of functional enrichments in putative transcriptional target genes than gene expression information alone, independent of transcriptional target genes. To compare the number of functional enrichments of putative transcriptional target genes between cells or search conditions, I normalized the number of functional enrichment by calculating its ratios in the total number of transcriptional target genes. With this analysis, native putative transcriptional target genes showed the largest normalized number of functional enrichments, compared with target genes including 5-60% of randomly selected genes. The normalized number of functional enrichments was changed according to the criteria of enhancer-promoter interactions such as distance from transcriptional start sites and orientation of CTCF-binding sites. Forward-reverse orientation of CTCF-binding sites showed significantly higher normalized number of functional enrichments than the other orientations. Journal papers showed that the top five frequent functional enrichments were related to the cellular functions in the three cell types. The median expression level of transcriptional target genes changed according to the criteria of enhancer-promoter assignments (i.e. interactions) and was correlated with the changes of the normalized number of functional enrichments of transcriptional target genes. Human putative transcriptional target genes showed significant functional enrichments. Functional

  7. Targeted gene insertion for molecular medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voigt, Katrin; Izsvák, Zsuzsanna; Ivics, Zoltán

    2008-11-01

    Genomic insertion of a functional gene together with suitable transcriptional regulatory elements is often required for long-term therapeutical benefit in gene therapy for several genetic diseases. A variety of integrating vectors for gene delivery exist. Some of them exhibit random genomic integration, whereas others have integration preferences based on attributes of the targeted site, such as primary DNA sequence and physical structure of the DNA, or through tethering to certain DNA sequences by host-encoded cellular factors. Uncontrolled genomic insertion bears the risk of the transgene being silenced due to chromosomal position effects, and can lead to genotoxic effects due to mutagenesis of cellular genes. None of the vector systems currently used in either preclinical experiments or clinical trials displays sufficient preferences for target DNA sequences that would ensure appropriate and reliable expression of the transgene and simultaneously prevent hazardous side effects. We review in this paper the advantages and disadvantages of both viral and non-viral gene delivery technologies, discuss mechanisms of target site selection of integrating genetic elements (viruses and transposons), and suggest distinct molecular strategies for targeted gene delivery.

  8. TBC2target: A Resource of Predicted Target Genes of Tea Bioactive Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shihua Zhang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages consumed worldwide. Numerous bioactive constituents of tea were confirmed to possess healthy benefits via the mechanisms of regulating gene expressions or protein activities. However, a complete interacting profile between tea bioactive compounds (TBCs and their target genes is lacking, which put an obstacle in the study of healthy function of tea. To fill this gap, we developed a database of target genes of TBCs (TBC2target, http://camellia.ahau.edu.cn/TBC2target based on a pharmacophore mapping approach. In TBC2target, 6,226 interactions between 240 TBCs and 673 target genes were documented. TBC2target contains detailed information about each interacting entry, such as TBC, CAS number, PubChem CID, source of compound (e.g., green, black, compound type, target gene(s of TBC, gene symbol, gene ID, ENSEMBL ID, PDB ID, TBC bioactivity and the reference. Using the TBC-target associations, we constructed a bipartite network and provided users the global network and local sub-network visualization and topological analyses. The entire database is free for online browsing, searching and downloading. In addition, TBC2target provides a BLAST search function to facilitate use of the database. The particular strengths of TBC2target are the inclusion of the comprehensive TBC-target interactions, and the capacity to visualize and analyze the interacting networks, which may help uncovering the beneficial effects of tea on human health as a central resource in tea health community.

  9. TBC2target: A Resource of Predicted Target Genes of Tea Bioactive Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shihua; Zhang, Liang; Wang, Yijun; Yang, Jian; Liao, Mingzhi; Bi, Shoudong; Xie, Zhongwen; Ho, Chi-Tang; Wan, Xiaochun

    2018-01-01

    Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages consumed worldwide. Numerous bioactive constituents of tea were confirmed to possess healthy benefits via the mechanisms of regulating gene expressions or protein activities. However, a complete interacting profile between tea bioactive compounds (TBCs) and their target genes is lacking, which put an obstacle in the study of healthy function of tea. To fill this gap, we developed a database of target genes of TBCs (TBC2target, http://camellia.ahau.edu.cn/TBC2target) based on a pharmacophore mapping approach. In TBC2target, 6,226 interactions between 240 TBCs and 673 target genes were documented. TBC2target contains detailed information about each interacting entry, such as TBC, CAS number, PubChem CID, source of compound (e.g., green, black), compound type, target gene(s) of TBC, gene symbol, gene ID, ENSEMBL ID, PDB ID, TBC bioactivity and the reference. Using the TBC-target associations, we constructed a bipartite network and provided users the global network and local sub-network visualization and topological analyses. The entire database is free for online browsing, searching and downloading. In addition, TBC2target provides a BLAST search function to facilitate use of the database. The particular strengths of TBC2target are the inclusion of the comprehensive TBC-target interactions, and the capacity to visualize and analyze the interacting networks, which may help uncovering the beneficial effects of tea on human health as a central resource in tea health community.

  10. Gene transfer technology and genetic radioisotope targeting therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jiaqiong; Wang Zizheng

    2004-01-01

    With deeper cognition about mechanisms of disease at the cellular and molecular level, gene therapy has become one of the most important research fields in medical molecular biology at present. Gene transfer technology plays an important role during the course of gene therapy, and further improvement should be made about vectors carrying target gene sequences. Also, gene survey is needed during gene therapy, and gene imaging is the most effective method. The combination of gene therapy and targeted radiotherapy, that is, 'Genetic Radioisotope Targeting Therapy', will be a novel approach to tumor gene therapy

  11. Characterisation of genome-wide PLZF/RARA target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Spicuglia

    Full Text Available The PLZF/RARA fusion protein generated by the t(11;17(q23;q21 translocation in acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL is believed to act as an oncogenic transcriptional regulator recruiting epigenetic factors to genes important for its transforming potential. However, molecular mechanisms associated with PLZF/RARA-dependent leukaemogenesis still remain unclear.We searched for specific PLZF/RARA target genes by ChIP-on-chip in the haematopoietic cell line U937 conditionally expressing PLZF/RARA. By comparing bound regions found in U937 cells expressing endogenous PLZF with PLZF/RARA-induced U937 cells, we isolated specific PLZF/RARA target gene promoters. We next analysed gene expression profiles of our identified target genes in PLZF/RARA APL patients and analysed DNA sequences and epigenetic modification at PLZF/RARA binding sites. We identify 413 specific PLZF/RARA target genes including a number encoding transcription factors involved in the regulation of haematopoiesis. Among these genes, 22 were significantly down regulated in primary PLZF/RARA APL cells. In addition, repressed PLZF/RARA target genes were associated with increased levels of H3K27me3 and decreased levels of H3K9K14ac. Finally, sequence analysis of PLZF/RARA bound sequences reveals the presence of both consensus and degenerated RAREs as well as enrichment for tissue-specific transcription factor motifs, highlighting the complexity of targeting fusion protein to chromatin. Our study suggests that PLZF/RARA directly targets genes important for haematopoietic development and supports the notion that PLZF/RARA acts mainly as an epigenetic regulator of its direct target genes.

  12. The mechanism of gene targeting in human somatic cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinan Kan

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Gene targeting in human somatic cells is of importance because it can be used to either delineate the loss-of-function phenotype of a gene or correct a mutated gene back to wild-type. Both of these outcomes require a form of DNA double-strand break (DSB repair known as homologous recombination (HR. The mechanism of HR leading to gene targeting, however, is not well understood in human cells. Here, we demonstrate that a two-end, ends-out HR intermediate is valid for human gene targeting. Furthermore, the resolution step of this intermediate occurs via the classic DSB repair model of HR while synthesis-dependent strand annealing and Holliday Junction dissolution are, at best, minor pathways. Moreover, and in contrast to other systems, the positions of Holliday Junction resolution are evenly distributed along the homology arms of the targeting vector. Most unexpectedly, we demonstrate that when a meganuclease is used to introduce a chromosomal DSB to augment gene targeting, the mechanism of gene targeting is inverted to an ends-in process. Finally, we demonstrate that the anti-recombination activity of mismatch repair is a significant impediment to gene targeting. These observations significantly advance our understanding of HR and gene targeting in human cells.

  13. Targeted integration of genes in Xenopus tropicalis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shi, Zhaoying; Tian, Dandan; Xin, Huhu

    2017-01-01

    With the successful establishment of both targeted gene disruption and integration methods in the true diploid frog Xenopus tropicalis, this excellent vertebrate genetic model now is making a unique contribution to modelling human diseases. Here, we summarize our efforts on establishing homologous...... recombination-mediated targeted integration in Xenopus tropicalis, the usefulness, and limitation of targeted integration via the homology-independent strategy, and future directions on how to further improve targeted gene integration in Xenopus tropicalis....

  14. Low dose decitabine treatment induces CD80 expression in cancer cells and stimulates tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Xin Wang

    Full Text Available Lack of immunogenicity of cancer cells has been considered a major reason for their failure in induction of a tumor specific T cell response. In this paper, we present evidence that decitabine (DAC, a DNA methylation inhibitor that is currently used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, acute myeloid leukemia (AML and other malignant neoplasms, is capable of eliciting an anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL response in mouse EL4 tumor model. C57BL/6 mice with established EL4 tumors were treated with DAC (1.0 mg/kg body weight once daily for 5 days. We found that DAC treatment resulted in infiltration of IFN-γ producing T lymphocytes into tumors and caused tumor rejection. Depletion of CD8(+, but not CD4(+ T cells resumed tumor growth. DAC-induced CTL response appeared to be elicited by the induction of CD80 expression on tumor cells. Epigenetic evidence suggests that DAC induces CD80 expression in EL4 cells via demethylation of CpG dinucleotide sites in the promoter of CD80 gene. In addition, we also showed that a transient, low-dose DAC treatment can induce CD80 gene expression in a variety of human cancer cells. This study provides the first evidence that epigenetic modulation can induce the expression of a major T cell co-stimulatory molecule on cancer cells, which can overcome immune tolerance, and induce an efficient anti-tumor CTL response. The results have important implications in designing DAC-based cancer immunotherapy.

  15. Low Dose Decitabine Treatment Induces CD80 Expression in Cancer Cells and Stimulates Tumor Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ji-Hao; Yao, Yu-Shi; Li, Yong-Hui; Xu, Yi-Han; Li, Jing-Xin; Gao, Xiao-Ning; Zhou, Min-Hang; Jiang, Meng-Meng; Gao, Li; Ding, Yi; Lu, Xue-Chun; Shi, Jin-Long; Luo, Xu-Feng; Wang, Jia; Wang, Li-Li; Qu, Chunfeng; Bai, Xue-Feng; Yu, Li

    2013-01-01

    Lack of immunogenicity of cancer cells has been considered a major reason for their failure in induction of a tumor specific T cell response. In this paper, we present evidence that decitabine (DAC), a DNA methylation inhibitor that is currently used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other malignant neoplasms, is capable of eliciting an anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in mouse EL4 tumor model. C57BL/6 mice with established EL4 tumors were treated with DAC (1.0 mg/kg body weight) once daily for 5 days. We found that DAC treatment resulted in infiltration of IFN-γ producing T lymphocytes into tumors and caused tumor rejection. Depletion of CD8+, but not CD4+ T cells resumed tumor growth. DAC-induced CTL response appeared to be elicited by the induction of CD80 expression on tumor cells. Epigenetic evidence suggests that DAC induces CD80 expression in EL4 cells via demethylation of CpG dinucleotide sites in the promoter of CD80 gene. In addition, we also showed that a transient, low-dose DAC treatment can induce CD80 gene expression in a variety of human cancer cells. This study provides the first evidence that epigenetic modulation can induce the expression of a major T cell co-stimulatory molecule on cancer cells, which can overcome immune tolerance, and induce an efficient anti-tumor CTL response. The results have important implications in designing DAC-based cancer immunotherapy. PMID:23671644

  16. Low dose decitabine treatment induces CD80 expression in cancer cells and stimulates tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Xin; Mei, Zhen-Yang; Zhou, Ji-Hao; Yao, Yu-Shi; Li, Yong-Hui; Xu, Yi-Han; Li, Jing-Xin; Gao, Xiao-Ning; Zhou, Min-Hang; Jiang, Meng-Meng; Gao, Li; Ding, Yi; Lu, Xue-Chun; Shi, Jin-Long; Luo, Xu-Feng; Wang, Jia; Wang, Li-Li; Qu, Chunfeng; Bai, Xue-Feng; Yu, Li

    2013-01-01

    Lack of immunogenicity of cancer cells has been considered a major reason for their failure in induction of a tumor specific T cell response. In this paper, we present evidence that decitabine (DAC), a DNA methylation inhibitor that is currently used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other malignant neoplasms, is capable of eliciting an anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in mouse EL4 tumor model. C57BL/6 mice with established EL4 tumors were treated with DAC (1.0 mg/kg body weight) once daily for 5 days. We found that DAC treatment resulted in infiltration of IFN-γ producing T lymphocytes into tumors and caused tumor rejection. Depletion of CD8(+), but not CD4(+) T cells resumed tumor growth. DAC-induced CTL response appeared to be elicited by the induction of CD80 expression on tumor cells. Epigenetic evidence suggests that DAC induces CD80 expression in EL4 cells via demethylation of CpG dinucleotide sites in the promoter of CD80 gene. In addition, we also showed that a transient, low-dose DAC treatment can induce CD80 gene expression in a variety of human cancer cells. This study provides the first evidence that epigenetic modulation can induce the expression of a major T cell co-stimulatory molecule on cancer cells, which can overcome immune tolerance, and induce an efficient anti-tumor CTL response. The results have important implications in designing DAC-based cancer immunotherapy.

  17. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha Target Genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Rakhshandehroo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of a variety of processes, ranging from inflammation and immunity to nutrient metabolism and energy homeostasis. PPARα serves as a molecular target for hypolipidemic fibrates drugs which bind the receptor with high affinity. Furthermore, PPARα binds and is activated by numerous fatty acids and fatty acid-derived compounds. PPARα governs biological processes by altering the expression of a large number of target genes. Accordingly, the specific role of PPARα is directly related to the biological function of its target genes. Here, we present an overview of the involvement of PPARα in lipid metabolism and other pathways through a detailed analysis of the different known or putative PPARα target genes. The emphasis is on gene regulation by PPARα in liver although many of the results likely apply to other organs and tissues as well.

  18. Genome-wide identification of KANADI1 target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paz Merelo

    Full Text Available Plant organ development and polarity establishment is mediated by the action of several transcription factors. Among these, the KANADI (KAN subclade of the GARP protein family plays important roles in polarity-associated processes during embryo, shoot and root patterning. In this study, we have identified a set of potential direct target genes of KAN1 through a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation/DNA sequencing (ChIP-Seq and genome-wide transcriptional profiling using tiling arrays. Target genes are over-represented for genes involved in the regulation of organ development as well as in the response to auxin. KAN1 affects directly the expression of several genes previously shown to be important in the establishment of polarity during lateral organ and vascular tissue development. We also show that KAN1 controls through its target genes auxin effects on organ development at different levels: transport and its regulation, and signaling. In addition, KAN1 regulates genes involved in the response to abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, brassinosteroids, ethylene, cytokinins and gibberellins. The role of KAN1 in organ polarity is antagonized by HD-ZIPIII transcription factors, including REVOLUTA (REV. A comparison of their target genes reveals that the REV/KAN1 module acts in organ patterning through opposite regulation of shared targets. Evidence of mutual repression between closely related family members is also shown.

  19. A new electrospray method for targeted gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehringer, Stephan; Ruzgys, Paulius; Tamò, Luca; Šatkauskas, Saulius; Geiser, Thomas; Gazdhar, Amiq; Hradetzky, David

    2018-03-05

    A challenge for gene therapy is absence of safe and efficient local delivery of therapeutic genetic material. An efficient and reproducible physical method of electrospray for localized and targeted gene delivery is presented. Electrospray works on the principle of coulombs repulsion, under influence of electric field the liquid carrying genetic material is dispersed into micro droplets and is accelerated towards the targeted tissue, acting as a counter electrode. The accelerated droplets penetrate the targeted cells thus facilitating the transfer of genetic material into the cell. The work described here presents the principle of electrospray for gene delivery, the basic instrument design, and the various optimized parameters to enhance gene transfer in vitro. We estimate a transfection efficiency of up to 60% was achieved. We describe an efficient gene transfer method and a potential electrospray-mediated gene transfer mechanism.

  20. Problem-Solving Test: Targeted Gene Disruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szeberenyi, Jozsef

    2008-01-01

    Mutational inactivation of a specific gene is the most powerful technique to analyze the biological function of the gene. This approach has been used for a long time in viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fruit fly, but looked quite hopeless in more complex organisms. Targeted inactivation of specific genes (also known as knock-out mutation) in mice is…

  1. Gene targeting in adult rhesus macaque fibroblasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf Don P

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene targeting in nonhuman primates has the potential to produce critical animal models for translational studies related to human diseases. Successful gene targeting in fibroblasts followed by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT has been achieved in several species of large mammals but not yet in primates. Our goal was to establish the protocols necessary to achieve gene targeting in primary culture of adult rhesus macaque fibroblasts as a first step in creating nonhuman primate models of genetic disease using nuclear transfer technology. Results A primary culture of adult male fibroblasts was transfected with hTERT to overcome senescence and allow long term in vitro manipulations. Successful gene targeting of the HPRT locus in rhesus macaques was achieved by electroporating S-phase synchronized cells with a construct containing a SV40 enhancer. Conclusion The cell lines reported here could be used for the production of null mutant rhesus macaque models of human genetic disease using SCNT technology. In addition, given the close evolutionary relationship and biological similarity between rhesus macaques and humans, the protocols described here may prove useful in the genetic engineering of human somatic cells.

  2. Targeting trichothecene biosynthetic genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wei, Songhong; Lee, van der Theo; Verstappen, Els; Gent, van Marga; Waalwijk, Cees

    2017-01-01

    Biosynthesis of trichothecenes requires the involvement of at least 15 genes, most of which have been targeted for PCR. Qualitative PCRs are used to assign chemotypes to individual isolates, e.g., the capacity to produce type A and/or type B trichothecenes. Many regions in the core cluster

  3. Multi-targeted priming for genome-wide gene expression assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adomas Aleksandra B

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Complementary approaches to assaying global gene expression are needed to assess gene expression in regions that are poorly assayed by current methodologies. A key component of nearly all gene expression assays is the reverse transcription of transcribed sequences that has traditionally been performed by priming the poly-A tails on many of the transcribed genes in eukaryotes with oligo-dT, or by priming RNA indiscriminately with random hexamers. We designed an algorithm to find common sequence motifs that were present within most protein-coding genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and of Neurospora crassa, but that were not present within their ribosomal RNA or transfer RNA genes. We then experimentally tested whether degenerately priming these motifs with multi-targeted primers improved the accuracy and completeness of transcriptomic assays. Results We discovered two multi-targeted primers that would prime a preponderance of genes in the genomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Neurospora crassa while avoiding priming ribosomal RNA or transfer RNA. Examining the response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to nitrogen deficiency and profiling Neurospora crassa early sexual development, we demonstrated that using multi-targeted primers in reverse transcription led to superior performance of microarray profiling and next-generation RNA tag sequencing. Priming with multi-targeted primers in addition to oligo-dT resulted in higher sensitivity, a larger number of well-measured genes and greater power to detect differences in gene expression. Conclusions Our results provide the most complete and detailed expression profiles of the yeast nitrogen starvation response and N. crassa early sexual development to date. Furthermore, our multi-targeting priming methodology for genome-wide gene expression assays provides selective targeting of multiple sequences and counter-selection against undesirable sequences, facilitating a more complete and

  4. Advances in sarcoma gene mutations and therapeutic targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Peng; Seebacher, Nicole A; Hornicek, Francis; Guo, Zheng; Duan, Zhenfeng

    2018-01-01

    Sarcomas are rare and complex malignancies that have been associated with a poor prognostic outcome. Over the last few decades, traditional treatment with surgery and/or chemotherapy has not significantly improved outcomes for most types of sarcomas. In recent years, there have been significant advances in the understanding of specific gene mutations that are important in driving the pathogenesis and progression of sarcomas. Identification of these new gene mutations, using next-generation sequencing and advanced molecular techniques, has revealed a range of potential therapeutic targets. This, in turn, may lead to the development of novel agents targeted to different sarcoma subtypes. In this review, we highlight the advances made in identifying sarcoma gene mutations, including those of p53, RB, PI3K and IDH genes, as well as novel therapeutic strategies aimed at utilizing these mutant genes. In addition, we discuss a number of preclinical studies and ongoing early clinical trials in sarcoma targeting therapies, as well as gene editing technology, which may provide a better choice for sarcoma patient management. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Alternative epigenetic chromatin states of polycomb target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuri B Schwartz

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Polycomb (PcG regulation has been thought to produce stable long-term gene silencing. Genomic analyses in Drosophila and mammals, however, have shown that it targets many genes, which can switch state during development. Genetic evidence indicates that critical for the active state of PcG target genes are the histone methyltransferases Trithorax (TRX and ASH1. Here we analyze the repertoire of alternative states in which PcG target genes are found in different Drosophila cell lines and the role of PcG proteins TRX and ASH1 in controlling these states. Using extensive genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, RNAi knockdowns, and quantitative RT-PCR, we show that, in addition to the known repressed state, PcG targets can reside in a transcriptionally active state characterized by formation of an extended domain enriched in ASH1, the N-terminal, but not C-terminal moiety of TRX and H3K27ac. ASH1/TRX N-ter domains and transcription are not incompatible with repressive marks, sometimes resulting in a "balanced" state modulated by both repressors and activators. Often however, loss of PcG repression results instead in a "void" state, lacking transcription, H3K27ac, or binding of TRX or ASH1. We conclude that PcG repression is dynamic, not static, and that the propensity of a target gene to switch states depends on relative levels of PcG, TRX, and activators. N-ter TRX plays a remarkable role that antagonizes PcG repression and preempts H3K27 methylation by acetylation. This role is distinct from that usually attributed to TRX/MLL proteins at the promoter. These results have important implications for Polycomb gene regulation, the "bivalent" chromatin state of embryonic stem cells, and gene expression in development.

  6. TargetMine, an integrated data warehouse for candidate gene prioritisation and target discovery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-An Chen

    Full Text Available Prioritising candidate genes for further experimental characterisation is a non-trivial challenge in drug discovery and biomedical research in general. An integrated approach that combines results from multiple data types is best suited for optimal target selection. We developed TargetMine, a data warehouse for efficient target prioritisation. TargetMine utilises the InterMine framework, with new data models such as protein-DNA interactions integrated in a novel way. It enables complicated searches that are difficult to perform with existing tools and it also offers integration of custom annotations and in-house experimental data. We proposed an objective protocol for target prioritisation using TargetMine and set up a benchmarking procedure to evaluate its performance. The results show that the protocol can identify known disease-associated genes with high precision and coverage. A demonstration version of TargetMine is available at http://targetmine.nibio.go.jp/.

  7. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting in Arabidopsis using sequential transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miki, Daisuke; Zhang, Wenxin; Zeng, Wenjie; Feng, Zhengyan; Zhu, Jian-Kang

    2018-05-17

    Homologous recombination-based gene targeting is a powerful tool for precise genome modification and has been widely used in organisms ranging from yeast to higher organisms such as Drosophila and mouse. However, gene targeting in higher plants, including the most widely used model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, remains challenging. Here we report a sequential transformation method for gene targeting in Arabidopsis. We find that parental lines expressing the bacterial endonuclease Cas9 from the egg cell- and early embryo-specific DD45 gene promoter can improve the frequency of single-guide RNA-targeted gene knock-ins and sequence replacements via homologous recombination at several endogenous sites in the Arabidopsis genome. These heritable gene targeting can be identified by regular PCR. Our approach enables routine and fine manipulation of the Arabidopsis genome.

  8. Insulators target active genes to transcription factories and polycomb-repressed genes to polycomb bodies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua-Bing Li

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Polycomb bodies are foci of Polycomb proteins in which different Polycomb target genes are thought to co-localize in the nucleus, looping out from their chromosomal context. We have shown previously that insulators, not Polycomb response elements (PREs, mediate associations among Polycomb Group (PcG targets to form Polycomb bodies. Here we use live imaging and 3C interactions to show that transgenes containing PREs and endogenous PcG-regulated genes are targeted by insulator proteins to different nuclear structures depending on their state of activity. When two genes are repressed, they co-localize in Polycomb bodies. When both are active, they are targeted to transcription factories in a fashion dependent on Trithorax and enhancer specificity as well as the insulator protein CTCF. In the absence of CTCF, assembly of Polycomb bodies is essentially reduced to those representing genomic clusters of Polycomb target genes. The critical role of Trithorax suggests that stable association with a specialized transcription factory underlies the cellular memory of the active state.

  9. Targeted gene therapy and cell reprogramming in Fanconi anemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rio, Paula; Baños, Rocio; Lombardo, Angelo; Quintana-Bustamante, Oscar; Alvarez, Lara; Garate, Zita; Genovese, Pietro; Almarza, Elena; Valeri, Antonio; Díez, Begoña; Navarro, Susana; Torres, Yaima; Trujillo, Juan P; Murillas, Rodolfo; Segovia, Jose C; Samper, Enrique; Surralles, Jordi; Gregory, Philip D; Holmes, Michael C; Naldini, Luigi; Bueren, Juan A

    2014-01-01

    Gene targeting is progressively becoming a realistic therapeutic alternative in clinics. It is unknown, however, whether this technology will be suitable for the treatment of DNA repair deficiency syndromes such as Fanconi anemia (FA), with defects in homology-directed DNA repair. In this study, we used zinc finger nucleases and integrase-defective lentiviral vectors to demonstrate for the first time that FANCA can be efficiently and specifically targeted into the AAVS1 safe harbor locus in fibroblasts from FA-A patients. Strikingly, up to 40% of FA fibroblasts showed gene targeting 42 days after gene editing. Given the low number of hematopoietic precursors in the bone marrow of FA patients, gene-edited FA fibroblasts were then reprogrammed and re-differentiated toward the hematopoietic lineage. Analyses of gene-edited FA-iPSCs confirmed the specific integration of FANCA in the AAVS1 locus in all tested clones. Moreover, the hematopoietic differentiation of these iPSCs efficiently generated disease-free hematopoietic progenitors. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of correcting the phenotype of a DNA repair deficiency syndrome using gene-targeting and cell reprogramming strategies. PMID:24859981

  10. Targeting the human lysozyme gene on bovine αs1- casein gene ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ajl yemi

    2011-11-28

    Nov 28, 2011 ... Targeting an exogenous gene into a favorable gene locus and for expression under endogenous regulators is ... case, the expression of human lysozyme could be regulated by the endogenous cis-element of αs1- casein gene in .... Mouse mammary epithelial C127 cells (Cell Bank, Chinese. Academy of ...

  11. Co-factors necessary for PPAR mediated transactivation of endogenous target genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøntved, Lars; Nielsen, Ronni; Stunnenberg, Henk

    of endogenous target gene in different cell types are elusive. To mutually compare the ability of the PPAR subtypes to activate endogenous target genes in a given cell, PPARa, PPARb/d and PPARg2 were HA tagged and rapidly, equally and synchronously expressed using adenoviral delivery. Within a few hours after...... subtype specific activation of target genes. Accumulating evidence suggests that transcriptional co-factors can function as master regulators for nuclear receptors and impose promoter selectivity. To study co-factor necessity for PPAR mediated transactivation of endogenous target genes, specific co...

  12. Targeted gene therapy and cell reprogramming in Fanconi anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rio, Paula; Baños, Rocio; Lombardo, Angelo; Quintana-Bustamante, Oscar; Alvarez, Lara; Garate, Zita; Genovese, Pietro; Almarza, Elena; Valeri, Antonio; Díez, Begoña; Navarro, Susana; Torres, Yaima; Trujillo, Juan P; Murillas, Rodolfo; Segovia, Jose C; Samper, Enrique; Surralles, Jordi; Gregory, Philip D; Holmes, Michael C; Naldini, Luigi; Bueren, Juan A

    2014-06-01

    Gene targeting is progressively becoming a realistic therapeutic alternative in clinics. It is unknown, however, whether this technology will be suitable for the treatment of DNA repair deficiency syndromes such as Fanconi anemia (FA), with defects in homology-directed DNA repair. In this study, we used zinc finger nucleases and integrase-defective lentiviral vectors to demonstrate for the first time that FANCA can be efficiently and specifically targeted into the AAVS1 safe harbor locus in fibroblasts from FA-A patients. Strikingly, up to 40% of FA fibroblasts showed gene targeting 42 days after gene editing. Given the low number of hematopoietic precursors in the bone marrow of FA patients, gene-edited FA fibroblasts were then reprogrammed and re-differentiated toward the hematopoietic lineage. Analyses of gene-edited FA-iPSCs confirmed the specific integration of FANCA in the AAVS1 locus in all tested clones. Moreover, the hematopoietic differentiation of these iPSCs efficiently generated disease-free hematopoietic progenitors. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of correcting the phenotype of a DNA repair deficiency syndrome using gene-targeting and cell reprogramming strategies. © 2014 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  13. Specific genetic modifications of domestic animals by gene targeting and animal cloning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Jiangfeng

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The technology of gene targeting through homologous recombination has been extremely useful for elucidating gene functions in mice. The application of this technology was thought impossible in the large livestock species until the successful creation of the first mammalian clone "Dolly" the sheep. The combination of the technologies for gene targeting of somatic cells with those of animal cloning made it possible to introduce specific genetic mutations into domestic animals. In this review, the principles of gene targeting in somatic cells and the challenges of nuclear transfer using gene-targeted cells are discussed. The relevance of gene targeting in domestic animals for applications in bio-medicine and agriculture are also examined.

  14. Decitabine improves progression-free survival in older high-risk MDS patients with multiple autosomal monosomies: results of a subgroup analysis of the randomized phase III study 06011 of the EORTC Leukemia Cooperative Group and German MDS Study Group

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lubbert, M.; Suciu, S.; Hagemeijer, A.; Ruter, B.; Platzbecker, U.; Giagounidis, A.; Selleslag, D.; Labar, B.; Germing, U.; Salih, H.R.; Muus, P.; Pfluger, K.H.; Schaefer, H.E.; Bogatyreva, L.; Aul, C.; Witte, T.J.M. de; Ganser, A.; Becker, H.; Huls, G.A.; Helm, L. van der; Vellenga, E.; Baron, F.; Marie, J.P.; Wijermans, P.W.; Group, E.L.; German, M.D.S.S.G. the

    2016-01-01

    In a study of elderly AML patients treated with the hypomethylating agent decitabine (DAC), we noted a surprisingly favorable outcome in the (usually very unfavorable) subgroup with two or more autosomal monosomies (MK2+) within a complex karyotype (Lubbert et al., Haematologica 97:393-401, 2012).

  15. Positive-negative-selection-mediated gene targeting in rice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zenpei eShimatani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Gene targeting (GT refers to the designed modification of genomic sequence(s through homologous recombination (HR. GT is a powerful tool both for the study of gene function and for molecular breeding. However, in transformation of higher plants, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ occurs overwhelmingly in somatic cells, masking HR-mediated GT. Positive-negative selection (PNS is an approach for finding HR-mediated GT events because it can eliminate NHEJ effectively by expression of a negative-selection marker gene. In rice—a major crop worldwide—reproducible PNS-mediated GT of endogenous genes has now been successfully achieved. The procedure is based on strong PNS using diphtheria toxin A-fragment as a negative marker, and has succeeded in the directed modification of several endogenous rice genes in various ways. In addition to gene knock-outs and knock-ins, a nucleotide substitution in a target gene was also achieved recently. This review presents a summary of the development of the rice PNS system, highlighting its advantages. Different types of gene modification and gene editing aimed at developing new plant breeding technology (NPBT based on PNS are discussed.

  16. Cancer gene therapy with targeted adenoviruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachtarzi, Houria; Stevenson, Mark; Fisher, Kerry

    2008-11-01

    Clinical experience with adenovirus vectors has highlighted the need for improved delivery and targeting. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the techniques currently under development for improving adenovirus delivery to malignant cells in vivo. Primary research articles reporting improvements in adenoviral gene delivery are described. Strategies include genetic modification of viral coat proteins, non-genetic modifications including polymer encapsulation approaches and pharmacological interventions. Reprogramming adenovirus tropism in vitro has been convincingly demonstrated using a range of genetic and physical strategies. These studies have provided new insights into our understanding of virology and the field is progressing. However, there are still some limitations that need special consideration before adenovirus-targeted cancer gene therapy emerges as a routine treatment in the clinical setting.

  17. The Chemical Decomposition of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (Decitabine): Kinetic Analyses and Identification of Products by NMR, HPLC, and Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogstad, Daniel K.; Herring, Jason L.; Theruvathu, Jacob A.; Burdzy, Artur; Perry, Christopher C.; Neidigh, Jonathan W.; Sowers, Lawrence C.

    2014-01-01

    The nucleoside analog 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (Decitabine, DAC) is one of several drugs in clinical use that inhibit DNA methyltransferases, leading to a decrease of 5-methylcytosine in newly replicated DNA and subsequent transcriptional activation of genes silenced by cytosine methylation. In addition to methyltransferase inhibition, DAC has demonstrated toxicity and potential mutagenicity, and can induce a DNA-repair response. The mechanisms accounting for these events are not well understood. DAC is chemically unstable in aqueous solutions, but there is little consensus between previous reports as to its half-life and corresponding products of decomposition at physiological temperature and pH, potentially confounding studies on its mechanism of action and long-term use in humans. Here we have employed a battery of analytical methods to estimate kinetic rates and to characterize DAC decomposition products under conditions of physiological temperature and pH. Our results indicate that DAC decomposes into a plethora of products, formed by hydrolytic opening and deformylation of the triazine ring, in addition to anomerization and possibly other changes in the sugar ring structure. We also discuss the advantages and problems associated with each analytical method used. The results reported here will facilitate ongoing studies and clinical trials aimed at understanding the mechanisms of action, toxicity, and possible mutagenicity of DAC and related analogs. PMID:19480391

  18. Targeted gene deletion of miRNAs in mice by TALEN system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takada, Shuji; Sato, Tempei; Ito, Yoshiaki; Yamashita, Satoshi; Kato, Tomoko; Kawasumi, Miyuri; Kanai-Azuma, Masami; Igarashi, Arisa; Kato, Tomomi; Tamano, Moe; Asahara, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    Mice are among the most valuable model animal species with an enormous amount of heritage in genetic modification studies. However, targeting genes in mice is sometimes difficult, especially for small genes, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and targeting genes in repeat sequences. Here we optimized the application of TALEN system for mice and successfully obtained gene targeting technique in mice for intergenic region and series of microRNAs. Microinjection of synthesized RNA of TALEN targeting each gene in one cell stage of embryo was carried out and injected oocytes were transferred into pseudopregnant ICR female mice, producing a high success rate of the targeted deletion of miRNA genes. In our condition, TALEN RNA without poly(A) tail worked better than that of with poly(A) tail. This mutated allele in miRNA was transmitted to the next generation, suggesting the successful germ line transmission of this targeting method. Consistent with our notion of miRNAs maturation mechanism, in homozygous mutant mice of miR-10a, the non- mutated strand of miRNAs expression was completely diminished. This method will lead us to expand and accelerate our genetic research using mice in a high throughput way.

  19. Targeting Herpetic Keratitis by Gene Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Mostafa Elbadawy

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Ocular gene therapy is rapidly becoming a reality. By November 2012, approximately 28 clinical trials were approved to assess novel gene therapy agents. Viral infections such as herpetic keratitis caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1 can cause serious complications that may lead to blindness. Recurrence of the disease is likely and cornea transplantation, therefore, might not be the ideal therapeutic solution. This paper will focus on the current situation of ocular gene therapy research against herpetic keratitis, including the use of viral and nonviral vectors, routes of delivery of therapeutic genes, new techniques, and key research strategies. Whereas the correction of inherited diseases was the initial goal of the field of gene therapy, here we discuss transgene expression, gene replacement, silencing, or clipping. Gene therapy of herpetic keratitis previously reported in the literature is screened emphasizing candidate gene therapy targets. Commonly adopted strategies are discussed to assess the relative advantages of the protective therapy using antiviral drugs and the common gene therapy against long-term HSV-1 ocular infections signs, inflammation and neovascularization. Successful gene therapy can provide innovative physiological and pharmaceutical solutions against herpetic keratitis.

  20. Targeted gene deletion of miRNAs in mice by TALEN system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuji Takada

    Full Text Available Mice are among the most valuable model animal species with an enormous amount of heritage in genetic modification studies. However, targeting genes in mice is sometimes difficult, especially for small genes, such as microRNAs (miRNAs and targeting genes in repeat sequences. Here we optimized the application of TALEN system for mice and successfully obtained gene targeting technique in mice for intergenic region and series of microRNAs. Microinjection of synthesized RNA of TALEN targeting each gene in one cell stage of embryo was carried out and injected oocytes were transferred into pseudopregnant ICR female mice, producing a high success rate of the targeted deletion of miRNA genes. In our condition, TALEN RNA without poly(A tail worked better than that of with poly(A tail. This mutated allele in miRNA was transmitted to the next generation, suggesting the successful germ line transmission of this targeting method. Consistent with our notion of miRNAs maturation mechanism, in homozygous mutant mice of miR-10a, the non- mutated strand of miRNAs expression was completely diminished. This method will lead us to expand and accelerate our genetic research using mice in a high throughput way.

  1. De-repressing LncRNA-Targeted Genes to Upregulate Gene Expression: Focus on Small Molecule Therapeutics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roya Pedram Fatemi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Non-protein coding RNAs (ncRNAs make up the overwhelming majority of transcripts in the genome and have recently gained attention for their complex regulatory role in cells, including the regulation of protein-coding genes. Furthermore, ncRNAs play an important role in normal development and their expression levels are dysregulated in several diseases. Recently, several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs have been shown to alter the epigenetic status of genomic loci and suppress the expression of target genes. This review will present examples of such a mechanism and focus on the potential to target lncRNAs for achieving therapeutic gene upregulation by de-repressing genes that are epigenetically silenced in various diseases. Finally, the potential to target lncRNAs, through their interactions with epigenetic enzymes, using various tools, such as small molecules, viral vectors and antisense oligonucleotides, will be discussed. We suggest that small molecule modulators of a novel class of drug targets, lncRNA-protein interactions, have great potential to treat some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.

  2. Gene targeting approaches to complex genetic diseases: atherosclerosis and essential hypertension.

    OpenAIRE

    Smithies, O; Maeda, N

    1995-01-01

    Gene targeting allows precise, predetermined changes to be made in a chosen gene in the mouse genome. To date, targeting has been used most often for generation of animals completely lacking the product of a gene of interest. The resulting "knockout" mice have confirmed some hypotheses, have upset others, but have rarely been uninformative. Models of several human genetic diseases have been produced by targeting--including Gaucher disease, cystic fibrosis, and the fragile X syndrome. These di...

  3. An ensemble method to predict target genes and pathways in uveal melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Chao

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This work proposes to predict target genes and pathways for uveal melanoma (UM based on an ensemble method and pathway analyses. Methods: The ensemble method integrated a correlation method (Pearson correlation coefficient, PCC, a causal inference method (IDA and a regression method (Lasso utilizing the Borda count election method. Subsequently, to validate the performance of PIL method, comparisons between confirmed database and predicted miRNA targets were performed. Ultimately, pathway enrichment analysis was conducted on target genes in top 1000 miRNA-mRNA interactions to identify target pathways for UM patients. Results: Thirty eight of the predicted interactions were matched with the confirmed interactions, indicating that the ensemble method was a suitable and feasible approach to predict miRNA targets. We obtained 50 seed miRNA-mRNA interactions of UM patients and extracted target genes from these interactions, such as ASPG, BSDC1 and C4BP. The 601 target genes in top 1,000 miRNA-mRNA interactions were enriched in 12 target pathways, of which Phototransduction was the most significant one. Conclusion: The target genes and pathways might provide a new way to reveal the molecular mechanism of UM and give hand for target treatments and preventions of this malignant tumor.

  4. Mannan-Modified PLGA Nanoparticles for Targeted Gene Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fansheng Kong

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The studies of targeted gene delivery nanocarriers have gained increasing attention during the past decades. In this study, mannan modified DNA loaded bioadhesive PLGA nanoparticles (MAN-DNA-NPs were investigated for targeted gene delivery to the Kupffer cells (KCs. Bioadhesive PLGA nanoparticles were prepared and subsequently bound with pEGFP. Following the coupling of the mannan-based PE-grafted ligands (MAN-PE with the DNA-NPs, the MAN-DNA-NPs were delivered intravenously to rats. The transfection efficiency was determined from the isolated KCs and flow cytometry was applied for the quantitation of gene expression after 48 h post transfection. The size of the MAN-DNA-NPs was found to be around 190 nm and the Zeta potential was determined to be −15.46mV. The pEGFP binding capacity of MAN-DNA-NPs was (88.9±5.8% and the in vitro release profiles of the MAN-DNA-NPs follow the Higuchi model. When compared with non-modified DNA-NPs and Lipofectamine 2000-DNA, MAN-DNA-NPs produced the highest gene expressions, especially in vivo. The in vivo data from flow cytometry analysis showed that MAN-DNA-NPs displayed a remarkably higher transfection efficiency (39% than non-modified DNA-NPs (25% and Lipofectamine 2000-DNA (23% in KCs. The results illustrate that MAN-DNA-NPs have the ability to target liver KCs and could function as promising active targeting drug delivery vectors.

  5. Tumor Microenvironment Gene Signature as a Prognostic Classifier and Therapeutic Target

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0107 TITLE: Tumor Microenvironment Gene Signature as a Prognostic Classifier and Therapeutic Target PRINCIPAL...AND SUBTITLE Tumor Microenvironment Gene Signature as a 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-14-1-0107 Prognostic Classifier and Therapeutic Target 5b...gene signature that correlates with poor survival in ovarian cancer patients. We are refining this gene signature to develop biomarkers for the

  6. Gene-carried hepatoma targeting complex induced high gene transfection efficiency with low toxicity and significant antitumor activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao QQ

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Qing-Qing Zhao,1,2 Yu-Lan Hu,1 Yang Zhou,3 Ni Li,1 Min Han,1 Gu-Ping Tang,4 Feng Qiu,2 Yasuhiko Tabata,5 Jian-Qing Gao,11Institute of Pharmaceutics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; 2Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; 3Institute of Biochemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; 4Institute of Chemical Biology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; 5Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanBackground: The success of gene transfection is largely dependent on the development of a vehicle or vector that can efficiently deliver a gene to cells with minimal toxicity.Methods: A liver cancer-targeted specific peptide (FQHPSF sequence was successfully synthesized and linked with chitosan-linked polyethylenimine (CP to form a new targeted gene delivery vector called CPT (CP/peptide. The structure of CPT was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The particle size of CPT/DNA complexes was measured using laser diffraction spectrometry and the cytotoxicity of the copolymer was evaluated by methylthiazol tetrazolium method. The transfection efficiency evaluation of the CP copolymer was performed using luciferase activity assay. Cellular internalization of the CP/DNA complex was observed under confocal laser scanning microscopy. The targeting specificity of the polymer coupled to peptide was measured by competitive inhibition transfection study. The liver targeting specificity of the CPT copolymer in vivo was demonstrated by combining the copolymer with a therapeutic gene, interleukin-12, and assessed by its abilities in suppressing the growth of ascites tumor in mouse model.Results: The results showed that the liver cancer-targeted specific peptide was successfully synthesized and linked with CP to form a new targeted gene delivery vector called CPT. The composition of CPT

  7. Identification and Regulation of c-Myb Target Genes in MCF-7 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O'Rourke John P

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The c-Myb transcription factor regulates differentiation and proliferation in hematopoietic cells, stem cells and epithelial cells. Although oncogenic versions of c-Myb were first associated with leukemias, over expression or rearrangement of the c-myb gene is common in several types of solid tumors, including breast cancers. Expression of the c-myb gene in human breast cancer cells is dependent on estrogen stimulation, but little is known about the activities of the c-Myb protein or what genes it regulates in estrogen-stimulated cells. Methods We used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with whole genome promoter tiling microarrays to identify endogenous c-Myb target genes in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and characterized the activity of c-Myb at a panel of target genes during different stages of estrogen deprivation and stimulation. Results By using different antibodies and different growth conditions, the c-Myb protein was found associated with over 10,000 promoters in MCF-7 cells, including many genes that encode cell cycle regulators or transcription factors and more than 60 genes that encode microRNAs. Several previously identified c-Myb target genes were identified, including CCNB1, MYC and CXCR4 and novel targets such as JUN, KLF4, NANOG and SND1. By studying a panel of these targets to validate the results, we found that estradiol stimulation triggered the association of c-Myb with promoters and that association correlated with increased target gene expression. We studied one target gene, CXCR4, in detail, showing that c-Myb associated with the CXCR4 gene promoter and activated a CXCR4 reporter gene in transfection assays. Conclusions Our results show that c-Myb associates with a surprisingly large number of promoters in human cells. The results also suggest that estradiol stimulation leads to large-scale, genome-wide changes in c-Myb activity and subsequent changes in gene expression in human breast cancer

  8. Identification and Regulation of c-Myb Target Genes in MCF-7 Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quintana, Anita M; Liu, Fan; O'Rourke, John P; Ness, Scott A

    2011-01-01

    The c-Myb transcription factor regulates differentiation and proliferation in hematopoietic cells, stem cells and epithelial cells. Although oncogenic versions of c-Myb were first associated with leukemias, over expression or rearrangement of the c-myb gene is common in several types of solid tumors, including breast cancers. Expression of the c-myb gene in human breast cancer cells is dependent on estrogen stimulation, but little is known about the activities of the c-Myb protein or what genes it regulates in estrogen-stimulated cells. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with whole genome promoter tiling microarrays to identify endogenous c-Myb target genes in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and characterized the activity of c-Myb at a panel of target genes during different stages of estrogen deprivation and stimulation. By using different antibodies and different growth conditions, the c-Myb protein was found associated with over 10,000 promoters in MCF-7 cells, including many genes that encode cell cycle regulators or transcription factors and more than 60 genes that encode microRNAs. Several previously identified c-Myb target genes were identified, including CCNB1, MYC and CXCR4 and novel targets such as JUN, KLF4, NANOG and SND1. By studying a panel of these targets to validate the results, we found that estradiol stimulation triggered the association of c-Myb with promoters and that association correlated with increased target gene expression. We studied one target gene, CXCR4, in detail, showing that c-Myb associated with the CXCR4 gene promoter and activated a CXCR4 reporter gene in transfection assays. Our results show that c-Myb associates with a surprisingly large number of promoters in human cells. The results also suggest that estradiol stimulation leads to large-scale, genome-wide changes in c-Myb activity and subsequent changes in gene expression in human breast cancer cells

  9. RNAi-Based Identification of Gene-Specific Nuclear Cofactor Networks Regulating Interleukin-1 Target Genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Meier-Soelch

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The potent proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL-1 triggers gene expression through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the cofactor requirements of strongly regulated IL-1 target genes whose expression is impaired in p65 NF-κB-deficient murine embryonic fibroblasts. By two independent small-hairpin (shRNA screens, we examined 170 genes annotated to encode nuclear cofactors for their role in Cxcl2 mRNA expression and identified 22 factors that modulated basal or IL-1-inducible Cxcl2 levels. The functions of 16 of these factors were validated for Cxcl2 and further analyzed for their role in regulation of 10 additional IL-1 target genes by RT-qPCR. These data reveal that each inducible gene has its own (quantitative requirement of cofactors to maintain basal levels and to respond to IL-1. Twelve factors (Epc1, H2afz, Kdm2b, Kdm6a, Mbd3, Mta2, Phf21a, Ruvbl1, Sin3b, Suv420h1, Taf1, and Ube3a have not been previously implicated in inflammatory cytokine functions. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that they are components of complex nuclear protein networks that regulate chromatin functions and gene transcription. Collectively, these data suggest that downstream from the essential NF-κB signal each cytokine-inducible target gene has further subtle requirements for individual sets of nuclear cofactors that shape its transcriptional activation profile.

  10. Mitoxantrone, etoposide and cytarabine following epigenetic priming with decitabine in adults with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia or other high-grade myeloid neoplasms: a phase 1/2 study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halpern, A B; Othus, M; Huebner, E M; Buckley, S A; Pogosova-Agadjanyan, E L; Orlowski, K F; Scott, B L; Becker, P S; Hendrie, P C; Chen, T L; Percival, M-E M; Estey, E H; Stirewalt, D L; Walter, R B

    2017-12-01

    DNA methyltransferase inhibitors sensitize leukemia cells to chemotherapeutics. We therefore conducted a phase 1/2 study of mitoxantrone, etoposide and cytarabine following 'priming' with 5-10 days of decitabine (dec/MEC) in 52 adults (median age 55 (range: 19-72) years) with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or other high-grade myeloid neoplasms. During dose escalation in cohorts of 6-12 patients, all dose levels were well tolerated. As response rates appeared similar with 7 and 10 days of decitabine, a 7-day course was defined as the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Among 46 patients treated at/above the RP2D, 10 (22%) achieved a complete remission (CR), 8 without measurable residual disease; five additional patients achieved CR with incomplete platelet recovery, for an overall response rate of 33%. Seven patients (15%) died within 28 days of treatment initiation. Infection/neutropenic fever, nausea and mucositis were the most common adverse events. While the CR rate compared favorably to a matched historic control population (observed/expected CR ratio=1.77), CR rate and survival were similar to two contemporary salvage regimens used at our institution (G-CLAC (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF); clofarabine; cytarabine) and G-CLAM (G-CSF; cladribine; cytarabine; mitoxantrone)). Thus, while meeting the prespecified efficacy goal, we found no evidence that dec/MEC is substantially better than other cytarabine-based regimens currently used for relapsed/refractory AML.

  11. A targeted resequencing gene panel for focal epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrand, Michael S; Myers, Candace T; Carvill, Gemma L; Regan, Brigid M; Damiano, John A; Mullen, Saul A; Newton, Mark R; Nair, Umesh; Gazina, Elena V; Milligan, Carol J; Reid, Christopher A; Petrou, Steven; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Berkovic, Samuel F; Mefford, Heather C

    2016-04-26

    We report development of a targeted resequencing gene panel for focal epilepsy, the most prevalent phenotypic group of the epilepsies. The targeted resequencing gene panel was designed using molecular inversion probe (MIP) capture technology and sequenced using massively parallel Illumina sequencing. We demonstrated proof of principle that mutations can be detected in 4 previously genotyped focal epilepsy cases. We searched for both germline and somatic mutations in 251 patients with unsolved sporadic or familial focal epilepsy and identified 11 novel or very rare missense variants in 5 different genes: CHRNA4, GRIN2B, KCNT1, PCDH19, and SCN1A. Of these, 2 were predicted to be pathogenic or likely pathogenic, explaining ∼0.8% of the cohort, and 8 were of uncertain significance based on available data. We have developed and validated a targeted resequencing panel for focal epilepsies, the most important clinical class of epilepsies, accounting for about 60% of all cases. Our application of MIP technology is an innovative approach that will be advantageous in the clinical setting because it is highly sensitive, efficient, and cost-effective for screening large patient cohorts. Our findings indicate that mutations in known genes likely explain only a small proportion of focal epilepsy cases. This is not surprising given the established clinical and genetic heterogeneity of these disorders and underscores the importance of further gene discovery studies in this complex syndrome. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  12. Anti-EGFR immunonanoparticles containing IL12 and salmosin genes for targeted cancer gene therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jung Seok; Kang, Seong Jae; Jeong, Hwa Yeon; Kim, Min Woo; Park, Sang Il; Lee, Yeon Kyung; Kim, Hong Sung; Kim, Keun Sik; Park, Yong Serk

    2016-09-01

    Tumor-directed gene delivery is of major interest in the field of cancer gene therapy. Varied functionalizations of non-viral vectors have been suggested to enhance tumor targetability. In the present study, we prepared two different types of anti-EGF receptor (EGFR) immunonanoparticles containing pDNA, neutrally charged liposomes and cationic lipoplexes, for tumor-directed transfection of cancer therapeutic genes. Even though both anti-EGFR immunonanoparticles had a high binding affinity to the EGFR-positive cancer cells, the anti-EGFR immunolipoplex formulation exhibited approximately 100-fold higher transfection to the target cells than anti-EGFR immunoliposomes. The lipoplex formulation also showed a higher transfection to SK-OV-3 tumor xenografts in mice. Thus, IL12 and/or salmosin genes were loaded in the anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes and intravenously administered to mice carrying SK-OV-3 tumors. Co-transfection of IL12 and salmosin genes using anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes significantly reduced tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, combinatorial treatment with doxorubicin synergistically inhibited tumor growth. These results suggest that anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes containing pDNA encoding therapeutic genes could be utilized as a gene-transfer modality for cancer gene therapy.

  13. A semantic web framework to integrate cancer omics data with biological knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holford, Matthew E; McCusker, James P; Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Krauthammer, Michael

    2012-01-25

    The RDF triple provides a simple linguistic means of describing limitless types of information. Triples can be flexibly combined into a unified data source we call a semantic model. Semantic models open new possibilities for the integration of variegated biological data. We use Semantic Web technology to explicate high throughput clinical data in the context of fundamental biological knowledge. We have extended Corvus, a data warehouse which provides a uniform interface to various forms of Omics data, by providing a SPARQL endpoint. With the querying and reasoning tools made possible by the Semantic Web, we were able to explore quantitative semantic models retrieved from Corvus in the light of systematic biological knowledge. For this paper, we merged semantic models containing genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic data from melanoma samples with two semantic models of functional data - one containing Gene Ontology (GO) data, the other, regulatory networks constructed from transcription factor binding information. These two semantic models were created in an ad hoc manner but support a common interface for integration with the quantitative semantic models. Such combined semantic models allow us to pose significant translational medicine questions. Here, we study the interplay between a cell's molecular state and its response to anti-cancer therapy by exploring the resistance of cancer cells to Decitabine, a demethylating agent. We were able to generate a testable hypothesis to explain how Decitabine fights cancer - namely, that it targets apoptosis-related gene promoters predominantly in Decitabine-sensitive cell lines, thus conveying its cytotoxic effect by activating the apoptosis pathway. Our research provides a framework whereby similar hypotheses can be developed easily.

  14. Immuno-Oncology-The Translational Runway for Gene Therapy: Gene Therapeutics to Address Multiple Immune Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weß, Ludger; Schnieders, Frank

    2017-12-01

    Cancer therapy is once again experiencing a paradigm shift. This shift is based on extensive clinical experience demonstrating that cancer cannot be successfully fought by addressing only single targets or pathways. Even the combination of several neo-antigens in cancer vaccines is not sufficient for successful, lasting tumor eradication. The focus has therefore shifted to the immune system's role in cancer and the striking abilities of cancer cells to manipulate and/or deactivate the immune system. Researchers and pharma companies have started to target the processes and cells known to support immune surveillance and the elimination of tumor cells. Immune processes, however, require novel concepts beyond the traditional "single-target-single drug" paradigm and need parallel targeting of diverse cells and mechanisms. This review gives a perspective on the role of gene therapy technologies in the evolving immuno-oncology space and identifies gene therapy as a major driver in the development and regulation of effective cancer immunotherapy. Present challenges and breakthroughs ranging from chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, gene-modified oncolytic viruses, combination cancer vaccines, to RNA therapeutics are spotlighted. Gene therapy is recognized as the most prominent technology enabling effective immuno-oncology strategies.

  15. Inducement of radionuclides targeting therapy by gene transfection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Quanyong

    2001-01-01

    The author presents an overview of gene transfection methods to genetically induce tumor cells to express enhanced levels of cell surface antigens and receptors to intake radiolabeled antibody and peptide targeting and thus increase their therapeutic effect in radiotherapy. The current research include inducement of radioimmunotherapy through CEA gene transfection, inducement of iodine-131 therapy by sodium iodide symporter gene transfection and inducement of MIBG therapy by noradrenaline transporter gene transfection. These studies raise the prospect that gene-therapy techniques could be used to enable the treatment of a wide range of tumors with radiopharmaceuticals of established clinical acceptability

  16. STAT3 Target Genes Relevant to Human Cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpenter, Richard L.; Lo, Hui-Wen

    2014-01-01

    Since its discovery, the STAT3 transcription factor has been extensively studied for its function as a transcriptional regulator and its role as a mediator of development, normal physiology, and pathology of many diseases, including cancers. These efforts have uncovered an array of genes that can be positively and negatively regulated by STAT3, alone and in cooperation with other transcription factors. Through regulating gene expression, STAT3 has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in many cellular processes including oncogenesis, tumor growth and progression, and stemness. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that STAT3 may behave as a tumor suppressor by activating expression of genes known to inhibit tumorigenesis. Additional evidence suggested that STAT3 may elicit opposing effects depending on cellular context and tumor types. These mixed results signify the need for a deeper understanding of STAT3, including its upstream regulators, parallel transcription co-regulators, and downstream target genes. To help facilitate fulfilling this unmet need, this review will be primarily focused on STAT3 downstream target genes that have been validated to associate with tumorigenesis and/or malignant biology of human cancers

  17. Magnetic nanoparticles for targeted therapeutic gene delivery and magnetic-inducing heating on hepatoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Chenyan; Zhang, Jia; Li, Hongbo; Zhang, Hao; Wang, Ling; Zhang, Dongsheng; An, Yanli

    2014-01-01

    Gene therapy holds great promise for treating cancers, but their clinical applications are being hampered due to uncontrolled gene delivery and expression. To develop a targeted, safe and efficient tumor therapy system, we constructed a tissue-specific suicide gene delivery system by using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as carriers for the combination of gene therapy and hyperthermia on hepatoma. The suicide gene was hepatoma-targeted and hypoxia-enhanced, and the MNPs possessed the ability to elevate temperature to the effective range for tumor hyperthermia as imposed on an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The tumoricidal effects of targeted gene therapy associated with hyperthermia were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The experiment demonstrated that hyperthermia combined with a targeted gene therapy system proffer an effective tool for tumor therapy with high selectivity and the synergistic effect of hepatoma suppression. (paper)

  18. Cloning, characterization and targeting of the mouse HEXA gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wakamatsu, N.; Trasler, J.M.; Gravel, R.A. [McGill Univ., Quebec (Canada)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    The HEXA gene, encoding the {alpha} subunit of {beta}-hexosaminidase A, is essential for the metabolism of ganglioside G{sub M2}, and defects in this gene cause Tay-Sachs disease in humans. To elucidate the role of the gene in the nervous system of the mouse and to establish a mouse model of Tay-Sachs disease, we have cloned and characterized the HEXA gene and targeted a disruption of the gene in mouse ES cells. The mouse HEXA gene spans {approximately}26 kb and consists of 14 exons, similar to the human gene. A heterogeneous transcription initiation site was identified 21-42 bp 5{prime} of the initiator ATG, with two of the sites fitting the consensus CTCA (A = start) as seen for some weak initiator systems. Promoter analysis showed that the first 150 bp 5{prime} of the ATG contained 85% of promoter activity observed in constructs containing up to 1050 bp of 5{prime} sequence. The active region contained a sequence matching that of the adenovirus major late promoter upstream element factor. A survey of mouse tissues showed that the highest mRNA levels were in (max to min): testis (5.5 x brain cortex), adrenal, epididymis, heart, brain, lung, kidney, and liver (0.3 x brain cortex). A 12 kb BstI/SalI fragment containing nine exons was disrupted with the insertion of the bacterial neo{sup r} gene in exon 11 and was targeted into 129/Sv ES cells by homologous recombination. Nine of 153 G418 resistant clones were correctly targeted as confirmed by Southern blotting. The heterozygous ES cells were microinjected into mouse blastocysts and implanted into pseudo-pregnant mice. Nine male chimeric mice, showing that 40-95% chimerism for the 129/Sv agouti coat color marker, are being bred in an effort to generate germline transmission of the disrupted HEXA gene.

  19. Gene therapy and radionuclides targeting therapy in mammary carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Jinhua

    2003-01-01

    Breast carcinoma's gene therapy is a hotspot in study of the tumor's therapy in the recent years. Currently the major therapy methods that in the experimentative and primary clinical application phases include immunological gene therapy, multidrug resistance gene therapy, antisense oligonucleotide therapy and suicide gene therapy. The gene targeting brachytherapy, which is combined with gene therapy and radiotherapy has enhanced the killer effects of the suicide gene and nuclide in tumor cells. That has break a new path in tumor's gene therapy. The further study in this field will step up it's space to the clinical application

  20. Cis-regulatory element based targeted gene finding: genome-wide identification of abscisic acid- and abiotic stress-responsive genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Weixiong; Ruan, Jianhua; Ho, Tuan-Hua David; You, Youngsook; Yu, Taotao; Quatrano, Ralph S

    2005-07-15

    A fundamental problem of computational genomics is identifying the genes that respond to certain endogenous cues and environmental stimuli. This problem can be referred to as targeted gene finding. Since gene regulation is mainly determined by the binding of transcription factors and cis-regulatory DNA sequences, most existing gene annotation methods, which exploit the conservation of open reading frames, are not effective in finding target genes. A viable approach to targeted gene finding is to exploit the cis-regulatory elements that are known to be responsible for the transcription of target genes. Given such cis-elements, putative target genes whose promoters contain the elements can be identified. As a case study, we apply the above approach to predict the genes in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana which are inducible by a phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA), and abiotic stress, such as drought, cold and salinity. We first construct and analyze two ABA specific cis-elements, ABA-responsive element (ABRE) and its coupling element (CE), in A.thaliana, based on their conservation in rice and other cereal plants. We then use the ABRE-CE module to identify putative ABA-responsive genes in A.thaliana. Based on RT-PCR verification and the results from literature, this method has an accuracy rate of 67.5% for the top 40 predictions. The cis-element based targeted gene finding approach is expected to be widely applicable since a large number of cis-elements in many species are available.

  1. Gene silencing in Tribolium castaneum as a tool for the targeted identification of candidate RNAi targets in crop pests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knorr, Eileen; Fishilevich, Elane; Tenbusch, Linda; Frey, Meghan L F; Rangasamy, Murugesan; Billion, Andre; Worden, Sarah E; Gandra, Premchand; Arora, Kanika; Lo, Wendy; Schulenberg, Greg; Valverde-Garcia, Pablo; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Narva, Kenneth E

    2018-02-01

    RNAi shows potential as an agricultural technology for insect control, yet, a relatively low number of robust lethal RNAi targets have been demonstrated to control insects of agricultural interest. In the current study, a selection of lethal RNAi target genes from the iBeetle (Tribolium castaneum) screen were used to demonstrate efficacy of orthologous targets in the economically important coleopteran pests Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and Meligethes aeneus. Transcript orthologs of 50 selected genes were analyzed in D. v. virgifera diet-based RNAi bioassays; 21 of these RNAi targets showed mortality and 36 showed growth inhibition. Low dose injection- and diet-based dsRNA assays in T. castaneum and D. v. virgifera, respectively, enabled the identification of the four highly potent RNAi target genes: Rop, dre4, ncm, and RpII140. Maize was genetically engineered to express dsRNA directed against these prioritized candidate target genes. T 0 plants expressing Rop, dre4, or RpII140 RNA hairpins showed protection from D. v. virgifera larval feeding damage. dsRNA targeting Rop, dre4, ncm, and RpII140 in M. aeneus also caused high levels of mortality both by injection and feeding. In summary, high throughput systems for model organisms can be successfully used to identify potent RNA targets for difficult-to-work with agricultural insect pests.

  2. Generation of TALE nickase-mediated gene-targeted cows expressing human serum albumin in mammary glands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yan; Wang, Yongsheng; Liu, Jun; Cui, Chenchen; Wu, Yongyan; Lan, Hui; Chen, Qi; Liu, Xu; Quan, Fusheng; Guo, Zekun; Zhang, Yong

    2016-02-08

    Targeting exogenous genes at milk protein loci via gene-targeting technology is an ideal strategy for producing large quantities of pharmaceutical proteins. Transcription-activator-like effector (TALE) nucleases (TALENs) are an efficient genome-editing tool. However, the off-target effects may lead to unintended gene mutations. In this study, we constructed TALENs and TALE nickases directed against exon 2 of the bovine β-lactoglobulin (BLG) locus. The nickases can induce a site-specific DNA single-strand break, without inducing double-strand break and nonhomologous end joining mediated gene mutation, and lower cell apoptosis rate than TALENs. After co-transfecting the bovine fetal fibroblasts with human serum albumin (HSA) gene-targeting vector and TALE nickase expression vectors, approximately 4.8% (40/835) of the cell clones contained HSA at BLG locus. Unexpectedly, one homozygous gene-targeted cell clone (1/835, 0.1%) was obtained by targeting both alleles of BLG in a single round of transfection. The recombinant protein mimicking the endogenous BLG was highly expressed and correctly folded in the mammary glands of the targeted cows, and the expression level of HSA was significantly increased in the homozygous targeted cows. Results suggested that the combination of TALE nickase-mediated gene targeting and somatic cell nuclear transfer is a feasible and safe approach in producing gene-targeted livestock.

  3. Self-focusing therapeutic gene delivery with intelligent gene vector swarms: intra-swarm signalling through receptor transgene expression in targeted cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolmachov, Oleg E

    2015-01-01

    Gene delivery in vivo that is tightly focused on the intended target cells is essential to maximize the benefits of gene therapy and to reduce unwanted side-effects. Cell surface markers are immediately available for probing by therapeutic gene vectors and are often used to direct gene transfer with these vectors to specific target cell populations. However, it is not unusual for the choice of available extra-cellular markers to be too scarce to provide a reliable definition of the desired therapeutically relevant set of target cells. Therefore, interrogation of intra-cellular determinants of cell-specificity, such as tissue-specific transcription factors, can be vital in order to provide detailed cell-guiding information to gene vector particles. An important improvement in cell-specific gene delivery can be achieved through auto-buildup in vector homing efficiency using intelligent 'self-focusing' of swarms of vector particles on target cells. Vector self-focusing was previously suggested to rely on the release of diffusible chemo-attractants after a successful target-specific hit by 'scout' vector particles. I hypothesize that intelligent self-focusing behaviour of swarms of cell-targeted therapeutic gene vectors can be accomplished without the employment of difficult-to-use diffusible chemo-attractants, instead relying on the intra-swarm signalling through cells expressing a non-diffusible extra-cellular receptor for the gene vectors. In the proposed model, cell-guiding information is gathered by the 'scout' gene vector particles, which: (1) attach to a variety of cells via a weakly binding (low affinity) receptor; (2) successfully facilitate gene transfer into these cells; (3) query intra-cellular determinants of cell-specificity with their transgene expression control elements and (4) direct the cell-specific biosynthesis of a vector-encoded strongly binding (high affinity) cell-surface receptor. Free members of the vector swarm loaded with therapeutic cargo

  4. Cancer gene therapy targeting angiogenesis: An updated Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ching-Chiu; Shen, Zan; Kung, Hsiang-Fu; Lin, Marie CM

    2006-01-01

    Since the relationship between angiogenesis and tumor growth was established by Folkman in 1971, scientists have made efforts exploring the possibilities in treating cancer by targeting angiogenesis. Inhibition of angiogenesis growth factors and administration of angiogenesis inhibitors are the basics of anti-angiogenesis therapy. Transfer of anti-angiogenesis genes has received attention recently not only because of the advancement of recombinant vectors, but also because of the localized and sustained expression of therapeutic gene product inside the tumor after gene transfer. This review provides the up-to-date information about the strategies and the vectors studied in the field of anti-angiogenesis cancer gene therapy. PMID:17109514

  5. EBF factors drive expression of multiple classes of target genes governing neuronal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Yangsook S; Vetter, Monica L

    2011-04-30

    Early B cell factor (EBF) family members are transcription factors known to have important roles in several aspects of vertebrate neurogenesis, including commitment, migration and differentiation. Knowledge of how EBF family members contribute to neurogenesis is limited by a lack of detailed understanding of genes that are transcriptionally regulated by these factors. We performed a microarray screen in Xenopus animal caps to search for targets of EBF transcriptional activity, and identified candidate targets with multiple roles, including transcription factors of several classes. We determined that, among the most upregulated candidate genes with expected neuronal functions, most require EBF activity for some or all of their expression, and most have overlapping expression with ebf genes. We also found that the candidate target genes that had the most strongly overlapping expression patterns with ebf genes were predicted to be direct transcriptional targets of EBF transcriptional activity. The identification of candidate targets that are transcription factor genes, including nscl-1, emx1 and aml1, improves our understanding of how EBF proteins participate in the hierarchy of transcription control during neuronal development, and suggests novel mechanisms by which EBF activity promotes migration and differentiation. Other candidate targets, including pcdh8 and kcnk5, expand our knowledge of the types of terminal differentiated neuronal functions that EBF proteins regulate.

  6. Gene Dosage Analysis in a Clinical Environment: Gene-Targeted Microarrays as the Platform-of-Choice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald R. Love

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The role of gene deletion and duplication in the aetiology of disease has become increasingly evident over the last decade. In addition to the classical deletion/duplication disorders diagnosed using molecular techniques, such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Neuropathy Type 1A, the significance of partial or whole gene deletions in the pathogenesis of a large number single-gene disorders is becoming more apparent. A variety of dosage analysis methods are available to the diagnostic laboratory but the widespread application of many of these techniques is limited by the expense of the kits/reagents and restrictive targeting to a particular gene or portion of a gene. These limitations are particularly important in the context of a small diagnostic laboratory with modest sample throughput. We have developed a gene-targeted, custom-designed comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH array that allows twelve clinical samples to be interrogated simultaneously for exonic deletions/duplications within any gene (or panel of genes on the array. We report here on the use of the array in the analysis of a series of clinical samples processed by our laboratory over a twelve-month period. The array has proven itself to be robust, flexible and highly suited to the diagnostic environment.

  7. Multi-kilobase homozygous targeted gene replacement in human induced pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Susan M; Ortiz, Luis; Mali, Prashant; Aach, John; Church, George M

    2015-02-18

    Sequence-specific nucleases such as TALEN and the CRISPR/Cas9 system have so far been used to disrupt, correct or insert transgenes at precise locations in mammalian genomes. We demonstrate efficient 'knock-in' targeted replacement of multi-kilobase genes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Using a model system replacing endogenous human genes with their mouse counterpart, we performed a comprehensive study of targeting vector design parameters for homologous recombination. A 2.7 kilobase (kb) homozygous gene replacement was achieved in up to 11% of iPSC without selection. The optimal homology arm length was around 2 kb, with homology length being especially critical on the arm not adjacent to the cut site. Homologous sequence inside the cut sites was detrimental to targeting efficiency, consistent with a synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) mechanism. Using two nuclease sites, we observed a high degree of gene excisions and inversions, which sometimes occurred more frequently than indel mutations. While homozygous deletions of 86 kb were achieved with up to 8% frequency, deletion frequencies were not solely a function of nuclease activity and deletion size. Our results analyzing the optimal parameters for targeting vector design will inform future gene targeting efforts involving multi-kilobase gene segments, particularly in human iPSC. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  8. Novel Hematopoietic Target Genes in the NRF2-Mediated Transcriptional Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle R. Campbell

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Nuclear factor- (erythroid-derived 2 like 2 (NFE2L2, NRF2 is a key transcriptional activator of the antioxidant response pathway and is closely related to erythroid transcription factor NFE2. Under oxidative stress, NRF2 heterodimerizes with small Maf proteins and binds cis-acting enhancer sequences found near oxidative stress response genes. Using the dietary isothiocyanate sulforaphane (SFN to activate NRF2, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq identified several hundred novel NRF2-mediated targets beyond its role in oxidative stress. Activated NRF2 bound the antioxidant response element (ARE in promoters of several known and novel target genes involved in iron homeostasis and heme metabolism, including known targets FTL and FTH1, as well as novel binding in the globin locus control region. Five novel NRF2 target genes were chosen for followup: AMBP, ABCB6, FECH, HRG-1 (SLC48A1, and TBXAS1. SFN-induced gene expression in erythroid K562 and lymphoid cells were compared for each target gene. NRF2 silencing showed reduced expression in lymphoid, lung, and hepatic cells. Furthermore, stable knockdown of NRF2 negative regulator KEAP1 in K562 cells resulted in increased NQO1, AMBP, and TBXAS1 expression. NFE2 binding sites in K562 cells revealed similar binding profiles as lymphoid NRF2 sites in all potential NRF2 candidates supporting a role for NRF2 in heme metabolism and erythropoiesis.

  9. Identification of apoptosis-related PLZF target genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernardo, Maria Victoria; Yelo, Estefania; Gimeno, Lourdes; Campillo, Jose Antonio; Parrado, Antonio

    2007-01-01

    The PLZF gene encodes a BTB/POZ-zinc finger-type transcription factor, involved in physiological development, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this paper, we investigate proliferation, survival, and gene expression regulation in stable clones from the human haematopoietic K562, DG75, and Jurkat cell lines with inducible expression of PLZF. In Jurkat cells, but not in K562 and DG75 cells, PLZF induced growth suppression and apoptosis in a cell density-dependent manner. Deletion of the BTB/POZ domain of PLZF abrogated growth suppression and apoptosis. PLZF was expressed with a nuclear speckled pattern distinctively in the full-length PLZF-expressing Jurkat clones, suggesting that the nuclear speckled localization is required for PLZF-induced apoptosis. By microarray analysis, we identified that the apoptosis-inducer TP53INP1, ID1, and ID3 genes were upregulated, and the apoptosis-inhibitor TERT gene was downregulated. The identification of apoptosis-related PLZF target genes may have biological and clinical relevance in cancer typified by altered PLZF expression

  10. Mapping of HNF4alpha target genes in intestinal epithelial cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boyd, Mette; Bressendorff, Simon; Moller, Jette

    2009-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The role of HNF4alpha has been extensively studied in hepatocytes and pancreatic beta-cells, and HNF4alpha is also regarded as key regulator of intestinal epithelial cell differentiation as well. The aim of the present work is to identify novel HNF4alpha target genes....... The HNF4alpha ChIP-chip data was matched with gene expression and histone H3 acetylation status of the promoters in order to identify HNF4alpha binding to actively transcribed genes with an open chromatin structure. RESULTS: 1,541 genes were identified as potential HNF4alpha targets, many of which have...

  11. Towards prostate cancer gene therapy: Development of a chlorotoxin-targeted nanovector for toxic (melittin) gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarokh, Zahra; Naderi-Manesh, Hossein; Nazari, Mahboobeh

    2017-03-01

    Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in men. Owing to shortcomings in the current treatments, other therapies are being considered. Toxic gene delivery is one of the most effective methods for cancer therapy. Cationic polymers are able to form stable nanoparticles via interaction with nucleic acids electrostatically. Branched polyethylenimine that contains amine groups has notable buffering capacity and the ability to escape from endosome through the proton sponge effect. However, the cytotoxicity of this polymer is high, and modification is one of the applicable strategies to overcome this problem. In this study, PEI was targeted with chlorotoxin (CTX) via N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP) cross-linker. CTX can bind specifically to matrix metalloproteinase-2 that is overexpressed in certain cancers. Melittin as the major component of bee venom has been reported to have anti-cancer activity. This was thus selected to deliver to PC3 cell line. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that transfection efficiency of targeted nanoparticles is significantly higher compared to non-targeted nanoparticles. Targeted nanoparticles carrying the melittin gene also decreased cell viability of PC3 cells significantly while no toxic effects were observed on NIH3T3 cell line. Therefore, CTX-targeted nanoparticles carrying the melittin gene could serve as an appropriate gene delivery system for prostate and other MMP-2 positive cancer cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. EBF factors drive expression of multiple classes of target genes governing neuronal development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vetter Monica L

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Early B cell factor (EBF family members are transcription factors known to have important roles in several aspects of vertebrate neurogenesis, including commitment, migration and differentiation. Knowledge of how EBF family members contribute to neurogenesis is limited by a lack of detailed understanding of genes that are transcriptionally regulated by these factors. Results We performed a microarray screen in Xenopus animal caps to search for targets of EBF transcriptional activity, and identified candidate targets with multiple roles, including transcription factors of several classes. We determined that, among the most upregulated candidate genes with expected neuronal functions, most require EBF activity for some or all of their expression, and most have overlapping expression with ebf genes. We also found that the candidate target genes that had the most strongly overlapping expression patterns with ebf genes were predicted to be direct transcriptional targets of EBF transcriptional activity. Conclusions The identification of candidate targets that are transcription factor genes, including nscl-1, emx1 and aml1, improves our understanding of how EBF proteins participate in the hierarchy of transcription control during neuronal development, and suggests novel mechanisms by which EBF activity promotes migration and differentiation. Other candidate targets, including pcdh8 and kcnk5, expand our knowledge of the types of terminal differentiated neuronal functions that EBF proteins regulate.

  13. Identification of downstream metastasis-associated target genes regulated by LSD1 in colon cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiang; Ding, Jie; Wang, Ziwei; Zhu, Jian; Wang, Xuejian; Du, Jiyi

    2017-03-21

    This study aims to identify downstream target genes regulated by lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) in colon cancer cells and investigate the molecular mechanisms of LSD1 influencing invasion and metastasis of colon cancer. We obtained the expression changes of downstream target genes regulated by small-interfering RNA-LSD1 and LSD1-overexpression via gene expression profiling in two human colon cancer cell lines. An Affymetrix Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We screened out LSD1-target gene associated with proliferation, metastasis, and invasion from DEGs via Gene Ontology and Pathway Studio. Subsequently, four key genes (CABYR, FOXF2, TLE4, and CDH1) were computationally predicted as metastasis-related LSD1-target genes. ChIp-PCR was applied after RT-PCR and Western blot validations to detect the occupancy of LSD1-target gene promoter-bound LSD1. A total of 3633 DEGs were significantly upregulated, and 4642 DEGs were downregulated in LSD1-silenced SW620 cells. A total of 4047 DEGs and 4240 DEGs were upregulated and downregulated in LSD1-overexpressed HT-29 cells, respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot validated the microarray analysis results. ChIP assay results demonstrated that LSD1 might be negative regulators for target genes CABYR and CDH1. The expression level of LSD1 is negatively correlated with mono- and dimethylation of histone H3 lysine4(H3K4) at LSD1- target gene promoter region. No significant mono-methylation and dimethylation of H3 lysine9 methylation was detected at the promoter region of CABYR and CDH1. LSD1- depletion contributed to the upregulation of CABYR and CDH1 through enhancing the dimethylation of H3K4 at the LSD1-target genes promoter. LSD1- overexpression mediated the downregulation of CABYR and CDH1expression through decreasing the mono- and dimethylation of H3K4 at LSD1-target gene promoter in colon cancer cells. CABYR and CDH1 might be potential LSD1-target genes in colon

  14. Gene targeting using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells: The future for behavior genetics?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert eGerlai

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Gene targeting with homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells created a revolution in the analysis of the function of genes in behavioral brain research. The technology allowed unprecedented precision with which one could manipulate genes and study the effect of this manipulation on the central nervous system. With gene targeting, the uncertainty inherent in psychopharmacology regarding whether a particular compound would act only through a specific target was removed. Thus, gene targeting became highly popular. However, with this popularity came the realization that like other methods, gene targeting also suffered from some technical and principal problems. For example, two decades ago, issues about compensatory changes and about genetic linkage were raised. Since then, the technology developed, and its utility has been better delineated. This review will discuss the pros and cons of the technique along with these advancements from the perspective of the neuroscientist user. It will also compare and contrast methods that may represent novel alternatives to the homologous recombination based gene targeting approach, including the TALEN and the CRISPR/Cas9 systems. The goal of the review is not to provide detailed recipes, but to attempt to present a short summary of these approaches a behavioral geneticist or neuroscientist may consider for the analysis of brain function and behavior.

  15. MicroRNA expression, target genes, and signaling pathways in infants with a ventricular septal defect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Hui; Yan, Zhaoyuan; Huang, Ke; Jiang, Yuanqing; Zhang, Lin

    2018-02-01

    This study aimed to systematically investigate the relationship between miRNA expression and the occurrence of ventricular septal defect (VSD), and characterize the miRNA target genes and pathways that can lead to VSD. The miRNAs that were differentially expressed in blood samples from VSD and normal infants were screened and validated by implementing miRNA microarrays and qRT-PCR. The target genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using three target gene databases. The functions and signaling pathways of the target genes were enriched using the GO database and KEGG database, respectively. The transcription and protein expression of specific target genes in critical pathways were compared in the VSD and normal control groups using qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Compared with the normal control group, the VSD group had 22 differentially expressed miRNAs; 19 were downregulated and three were upregulated. The 10,677 predicted target genes participated in many biological functions related to cardiac development and morphogenesis. Four target genes (mGLUR, Gq, PLC, and PKC) were involved in the PKC pathway and four (ECM, FAK, PI3 K, and PDK1) were involved in the PI3 K-Akt pathway. The transcription and protein expression of these eight target genes were significantly upregulated in the VSD group. The 22 miRNAs that were dysregulated in the VSD group were mainly downregulated, which may result in the dysregulation of several key genes and biological functions related to cardiac development. These effects could also be exerted via the upregulation of eight specific target genes, the subsequent over-activation of the PKC and PI3 K-Akt pathways, and the eventual abnormal cardiac development and VSD.

  16. Paired hormone response elements predict caveolin-1 as a glucocorticoid target gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinus F van Batenburg

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Glucocorticoids act in part via glucocorticoid receptor binding to hormone response elements (HREs, but their direct target genes in vivo are still largely unknown. We developed the criterion that genomic occurrence of paired HREs at an inter-HRE distance less than 200 bp predicts hormone responsiveness, based on synergy of multiple HREs, and HRE information from known target genes. This criterion predicts a substantial number of novel responsive genes, when applied to genomic regions 10 kb upstream of genes. Multiple-tissue in situ hybridization showed that mRNA expression of 6 out of 10 selected genes was induced in a tissue-specific manner in mice treated with a single dose of corticosterone, with the spleen being the most responsive organ. Caveolin-1 was strongly responsive in several organs, and the HRE pair in its upstream region showed increased occupancy by glucocorticoid receptor in response to corticosterone. Our approach allowed for discovery of novel tissue specific glucocorticoid target genes, which may exemplify responses underlying the permissive actions of glucocorticoids.

  17. Reproducible gene targeting in recalcitrant Escherichia coli isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Greve Henri

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of allele replacement methods can be used to mutate bacterial genes. For instance, the Red recombinase system of phage Lambda has been used very efficiently to inactivate chromosomal genes in E. coli K-12, through recombination between regions of homology. However, this method does not work reproducibly in some clinical E. coli isolates. Findings The procedure was modified by using longer homologous regions (85 bp and 500-600 bp, to inactivate genes in the uropathogenic E. coli strain UTI89. An lrhA regulator mutant, and deletions of the lac operon as well as the complete type 1 fimbrial gene cluster, were obtained reproducibly. The modified method is also functional in other recalcitrant E. coli, like the avian pathogenic E. coli strain APEC1. The lrhA regulator and lac operon deletion mutants of APEC1 were successfully constructed in the same way as the UTI89 mutants. In other avian pathogenic E. coli strains (APEC3E, APEC11A and APEC16A it was very difficult or impossible to construct these mutants, with the original Red recombinase-based method, with a Red recombinase-based method using longer (85 bp homologous regions or with our modified protocol, using 500 - 600 bp homologous regions. Conclusions The method using 500-600 bp homologous regions can be used reliably in some clinical isolates, to delete single genes or entire operons by homologous recombination. However, it does not invariably show a greater efficiency in obtaining mutants, when compared to the original Red-mediated gene targeting method or to the gene targeting method with 85 bp homologous regions. Therefore the length of the homology regions is not the only limiting factor for the construction of mutants in these recalcitrant strains.

  18. Identification of potential target genes of ROR-alpha in THP1 and HUVEC cell lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gulec, Cagri, E-mail: cagri.gulec@gmail.com; Coban, Neslihan, E-mail: neslic@istanbul.edu.tr; Ozsait-Selcuk, Bilge, E-mail: ozsaitb@istanbul.edu.tr; Sirma-Ekmekci, Sema, E-mail: semasirma@gmail.com; Yildirim, Ozlem, E-mail: ozlm-yildirim@hotmail.com; Erginel-Unaltuna, Nihan, E-mail: nihanerginel@yahoo.com

    2017-04-01

    ROR-alpha is a nuclear receptor, activity of which can be modulated by natural or synthetic ligands. Due to its possible involvement in, and potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis, we aimed to identify ROR-alpha target genes in monocytic and endothelial cell lines. We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by tiling array (ChIP-on-chip) for ROR-alpha in monocytic cell line THP1 and endothelial cell line HUVEC. Following bioinformatic analysis of the array data, we tested four candidate genes in terms of dependence of their expression level on ligand-mediated ROR-alpha activity, and two of them in terms of promoter occupancy by ROR-alpha. Bioinformatic analyses of ChIP-on-chip data suggested that ROR-alpha binds to genomic regions near the transcription start site (TSS) of more than 3000 genes in THP1 and HUVEC. Potential ROR-alpha target genes in both cell types seem to be involved mainly in membrane receptor activity, signal transduction and ion transport. While SPP1 and IKBKA were shown to be direct target genes of ROR-alpha in THP1 monocytes, inflammation related gene HMOX1 and heat shock protein gene HSPA8 were shown to be potential target genes of ROR-alpha. Our results suggest that ROR-alpha may regulate signaling receptor activity, and transmembrane transport activity through its potential target genes. ROR-alpha seems also to play role in cellular sensitivity to environmental substances like arsenite and chloroprene. Although, the expression analyses have shown that synthetic ROR-alpha ligands can modulate some of potential ROR-alpha target genes, functional significance of ligand-dependent modulation of gene expression needs to be confirmed with further analyses.

  19. Human microRNA target analysis and gene ontology clustering by GOmir, a novel stand-alone application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roubelakis, Maria G; Zotos, Pantelis; Papachristoudis, Georgios; Michalopoulos, Ioannis; Pappa, Kalliopi I; Anagnou, Nicholas P; Kossida, Sophia

    2009-06-16

    microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules of about 20-23 nucleotides length found in a wide variety of organisms. miRNAs regulate gene expression, by interacting with target mRNAs at specific sites in order to induce cleavage of the message or inhibit translation. Predicting or verifying mRNA targets of specific miRNAs is a difficult process of great importance. GOmir is a novel stand-alone application consisting of two separate tools: JTarget and TAGGO. JTarget integrates miRNA target prediction and functional analysis by combining the predicted target genes from TargetScan, miRanda, RNAhybrid and PicTar computational tools as well as the experimentally supported targets from TarBase and also providing a full gene description and functional analysis for each target gene. On the other hand, TAGGO application is designed to automatically group gene ontology annotations, taking advantage of the Gene Ontology (GO), in order to extract the main attributes of sets of proteins. GOmir represents a new tool incorporating two separate Java applications integrated into one stand-alone Java application. GOmir (by using up to five different databases) introduces miRNA predicted targets accompanied by (a) full gene description, (b) functional analysis and (c) detailed gene ontology clustering. Additionally, a reverse search initiated by a potential target can also be conducted. GOmir can freely be downloaded BRFAA.

  20. Mining predicted essential genes of Brugia malayi for nematode drug targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjay Kumar

    Full Text Available We report results from the first genome-wide application of a rational drug target selection methodology to a metazoan pathogen genome, the completed draft sequence of Brugia malayi, a parasitic nematode responsible for human lymphatic filariasis. More than 1.5 billion people worldwide are at risk of contracting lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, a related filarial disease. Drug treatments for filariasis have not changed significantly in over 20 years, and with the risk of resistance rising, there is an urgent need for the development of new anti-filarial drug therapies. The recent publication of the draft genomic sequence for B. malayi enables a genome-wide search for new drug targets. However, there is no functional genomics data in B. malayi to guide the selection of potential drug targets. To circumvent this problem, we have utilized the free-living model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a surrogate for B. malayi. Sequence comparisons between the two genomes allow us to map C. elegans orthologs to B. malayi genes. Using these orthology mappings and by incorporating the extensive genomic and functional genomic data, including genome-wide RNAi screens, that already exist for C. elegans, we identify potentially essential genes in B. malayi. Further incorporation of human host genome sequence data and a custom algorithm for prioritization enables us to collect and rank nearly 600 drug target candidates. Previously identified potential drug targets cluster near the top of our prioritized list, lending credibility to our methodology. Over-represented Gene Ontology terms, predicted InterPro domains, and RNAi phenotypes of C. elegans orthologs associated with the potential target pool are identified. By virtue of the selection procedure, the potential B. malayi drug targets highlight components of key processes in nematode biology such as central metabolism, molting and regulation of gene expression.

  1. Normal Collagen and Bone Production by Gene-targeted Human Osteogenesis Imperfecta iPSCs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deyle, David R; Khan, Iram F; Ren, Gaoying; Wang, Pei-Rong; Kho, Jordan; Schwarze, Ulrike; Russell, David W

    2012-01-01

    Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is caused by dominant mutations in the type I collagen genes. In principle, the skeletal abnormalities of OI could be treated by transplantation of patient-specific, bone-forming cells that no longer express the mutant gene. Here, we develop this approach by isolating mesenchymal cells from OI patients, inactivating their mutant collagen genes by adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene targeting, and deriving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that were expanded and differentiated into mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). Gene-targeted iMSCs produced normal collagen and formed bone in vivo, but were less senescent and proliferated more than bone-derived MSCs. To generate iPSCs that would be more appropriate for clinical use, the reprogramming and selectable marker transgenes were removed by Cre recombinase. These results demonstrate that the combination of gene targeting and iPSC derivation can be used to produce potentially therapeutic cells from patients with genetic disease. PMID:22031238

  2. Pancreatic Cancer Gene Therapy: From Molecular Targets to Delivery Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fillat, Cristina, E-mail: cristina.fillat@crg.es; Jose, Anabel; Ros, Xavier Bofill-De; Mato-Berciano, Ana; Maliandi, Maria Victoria; Sobrevals, Luciano [Programa Gens i Malaltia, Centre de Regulació Genòmica-CRG, UPF, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona-PRBB and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona (Spain)

    2011-01-18

    The continuous identification of molecular changes deregulating critical pathways in pancreatic tumor cells provides us with a large number of novel candidates to engineer gene-targeted approaches for pancreatic cancer treatment. Targets—both protein coding and non-coding—are being exploited in gene therapy to influence the deregulated pathways to facilitate cytotoxicity, enhance the immune response or sensitize to current treatments. Delivery vehicles based on viral or non-viral systems as well as cellular vectors with tumor homing characteristics are a critical part of the design of gene therapy strategies. The different behavior of tumoral versus non-tumoral cells inspires vector engineering with the generation of tumor selective products that can prevent potential toxic-associated effects. In the current review, a detailed analysis of the different targets, the delivery vectors, the preclinical approaches and a descriptive update on the conducted clinical trials are presented. Moreover, future possibilities in pancreatic cancer treatment by gene therapy strategies are discussed.

  3. Analysis of Deregulated microRNAs and Their Target Genes in Gastric Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simonas Juzėnas

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are widely studied non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression. MiRNAs are deregulated in different tumors including gastric cancer (GC and have potential diagnostic and prognostic implications. The aim of our study was to determine miRNA profile in GC tissues, followed by evaluation of deregulated miRNAs in plasma of GC patients. Using available databases and bioinformatics methods we also aimed to evaluate potential target genes of confirmed differentially expressed miRNA and validate these findings in GC tissues.The study included 51 GC patients and 51 controls. Initially, we screened miRNA expression profile in 13 tissue samples of GC and 12 normal gastric tissues with TaqMan low density array (TLDA. In the second stage, differentially expressed miRNAs were validated in a replication cohort using qRT-PCR in tissue and plasma samples. Subsequently, we analyzed potential target genes of deregulated miRNAs using bioinformatics approach, determined their expression in GC tissues and performed correlation analysis with targeting miRNAs.Profiling with TLDA revealed 15 deregulated miRNAs in GC tissues compared to normal gastric mucosa. Replication analysis confirmed that miR-148a-3p, miR-204-5p, miR-223-3p and miR-375 were consistently deregulated in GC tissues. Analysis of GC patients' plasma samples showed significant down-regulation of miR-148a-3p, miR-375 and up-regulation of miR-223-3p compared to healthy subjects. Further, using bioinformatic tools we identified targets of replicated miRNAs and performed disease-associated gene enrichment analysis. Ultimately, we evaluated potential target gene BCL2 and DNMT3B expression by qRT-PCR in GC tissue, which correlated with targeting miRNA expression.Our study revealed miRNA profile in GC tissues and showed that miR-148a-3p, miR-223-3p and miR-375 are deregulated in GC plasma samples, but these circulating miRNAs showed relatively weak diagnostic performance as sole biomarkers

  4. Identification of gene targets against dormant phase Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murphy Dennis J

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB, infects approximately 2 billion people worldwide and is the leading cause of mortality due to infectious disease. Current TB therapy involves a regimen of four antibiotics taken over a six month period. Patient compliance, cost of drugs and increasing incidence of drug resistant M. tuberculosis strains have added urgency to the development of novel TB therapies. Eradication of TB is affected by the ability of the bacterium to survive up to decades in a dormant state primarily in hypoxic granulomas in the lung and to cause recurrent infections. Methods The availability of M. tuberculosis genome-wide DNA microarrays has lead to the publication of several gene expression studies under simulated dormancy conditions. However, no single model best replicates the conditions of human pathogenicity. In order to identify novel TB drug targets, we performed a meta-analysis of multiple published datasets from gene expression DNA microarray experiments that modeled infection leading to and including the dormant state, along with data from genome-wide insertional mutagenesis that examined gene essentiality. Results Based on the analysis of these data sets following normalization, several genome wide trends were identified and used to guide the selection of targets for therapeutic development. The trends included the significant up-regulation of genes controlled by devR, down-regulation of protein and ATP synthesis, and the adaptation of two-carbon metabolism to the hypoxic and nutrient limited environment of the granuloma. Promising targets for drug discovery were several regulatory elements (devR/devS, relA, mprAB, enzymes involved in redox balance and respiration, sulfur transport and fixation, pantothenate, isoprene, and NAD biosynthesis. The advantages and liabilities of each target are discussed in the context of enzymology, bacterial pathways, target tractability

  5. Preparation and characterization of magnetic gene vectors for targeting gene delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, S.W.; Liu, G. [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Key Laboratory of Organic Synthesis of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, SIP, Suzhou 215123 (China); Hong, R.Y., E-mail: rhong@suda.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Key Laboratory of Organic Synthesis of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, SIP, Suzhou 215123 (China); State Key Laboratory of Multi-phase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (China); Li, H.Z. [State Key Laboratory of Multi-phase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (China); Li, Y.G., E-mail: ilguoliang@sohu.com [Department of radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215007 (China); Wei, D.G., E-mail: dougwei@deas.harvard.edu [Center for Nanoscale Systems, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 11 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2012-10-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PEI is ideal candidate polymer for the design of gene delivery systems. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PEI-CMD-MNPs exhibited a typical superparamagnetic behavior. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PEI-CMD-MNPs were well stable over the entire range of pH and NaCl concentration. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DNA-PEI-CMD-MNPs transfected cells by a magnet have higher transfection efficiency and gene expression efficiency. - Abstract: The PEI-CMD-MNPs were successfully prepared by the surface modification of magnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles with carboxymethyl dextran (CMD) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The PEI-CMD-MNPs polyplexes exhibited a typical superparamagnetic behavior and were well stable over the entire range of pH and NaCl concentration. These PEI-CMD-MNPs were used as magnetic gene vectors for targeting gene delivery. The prepared MNPs at different surface modification stages were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emissions canning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) analysis. The magnetic properties were studied by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). To evaluate the performance of the magnetic nanoparticles as gene transfer vector, the PEI-CMD-MNPs were used to delivery green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene into BHK21 cells. The expression of GFP gene was detected by fluorescence microscope. DNA-PEI-CMD-MNPs polyplexes absorbed by the cells were also monitored by Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The transfection efficiency and gene expression efficiency of that transfected with a magnet were much higher than that of standard transfection.

  6. Identification of target genes of synovial sarcoma-associated fusion oncoprotein using human pluripotent stem cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayakawa, Kazuo [Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya (Japan); Ikeya, Makoto [Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Fukuta, Makoto [Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya (Japan); Woltjen, Knut [Department of Reprogramming Sciences, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Tamaki, Sakura; Takahara, Naoko; Kato, Tomohisa; Sato, Shingo [Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Otsuka, Takanobu [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya (Japan); Toguchida, Junya, E-mail: togjun@frontier.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

    2013-03-22

    Highlights: ► We tried to identify targets of synovial sarcoma (SS)-associated SYT–SSX fusion gene. ► We established pluripotent stem cell (PSC) lines with inducible SYT–SSX gene. ► SYT–SSX responsive genes were identified by the induction of SYT–SSX in PSC. ► SS-related genes were selected from database by in silico analyses. ► 51 genes were finally identified among SS-related genes as targets of SYT–SSX in PSC. -- Abstract: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a malignant soft tissue tumor harboring chromosomal translocation t(X; 18)(p11.2; q11.2), which produces SS-specific fusion gene, SYT–SSX. Although precise function of SYT–SSX remains to be investigated, accumulating evidences suggest its role in gene regulation via epigenetic mechanisms, and the product of SYT–SSX target genes may serve as biomarkers of SS. Lack of knowledge about the cell-of-origin of SS, however, has placed obstacle in the way of target identification. Here we report a novel approach to identify SYT–SSX2 target genes using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) containing a doxycycline-inducible SYT–SSX2 gene. SYT–SSX2 was efficiently induced both at mRNA and protein levels within three hours after doxycycline administration, while no morphological change of hPSCs was observed until 24 h. Serial microarray analyses identified genes of which the expression level changed more than twofold within 24 h. Surprisingly, the majority (297/312, 95.2%) were up-regulated genes and a result inconsistent with the current concept of SYT–SSX as a transcriptional repressor. Comparing these genes with SS-related genes which were selected by a series of in silico analyses, 49 and 2 genes were finally identified as candidates of up- and down-regulated target of SYT–SSX, respectively. Association of these genes with SYT–SSX in SS cells was confirmed by knockdown experiments. Expression profiles of SS-related genes in hPSCs and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were strikingly

  7. Construction and applications of exon-trapping gene-targeting vectors with a novel strategy for negative selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Shinta; Ura, Kiyoe; Kodama, Miho; Adachi, Noritaka

    2015-06-30

    Targeted gene modification by homologous recombination provides a powerful tool for studying gene function in cells and animals. In higher eukaryotes, non-homologous integration of targeting vectors occurs several orders of magnitude more frequently than does targeted integration, making the gene-targeting technology highly inefficient. For this reason, negative-selection strategies have been employed to reduce the number of drug-resistant clones associated with non-homologous vector integration, particularly when artificial nucleases to introduce a DNA break at the target site are unavailable or undesirable. As such, an exon-trap strategy using a promoterless drug-resistance marker gene provides an effective way to counterselect non-homologous integrants. However, constructing exon-trapping targeting vectors has been a time-consuming and complicated process. By virtue of highly efficient att-mediated recombination, we successfully developed a simple and rapid method to construct plasmid-based vectors that allow for exon-trapping gene targeting. These exon-trap vectors were useful in obtaining correctly targeted clones in mouse embryonic stem cells and human HT1080 cells. Most importantly, with the use of a conditionally cytotoxic gene, we further developed a novel strategy for negative selection, thereby enhancing the efficiency of counterselection for non-homologous integration of exon-trap vectors. Our methods will greatly facilitate exon-trapping gene-targeting technologies in mammalian cells, particularly when combined with the novel negative selection strategy.

  8. Microarray-Based Identification of Transcription Factor Target Genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gorte, M.; Horstman, A.; Page, R.B.; Heidstra, R.; Stromberg, A.; Boutilier, K.A.

    2011-01-01

    Microarray analysis is widely used to identify transcriptional changes associated with genetic perturbation or signaling events. Here we describe its application in the identification of plant transcription factor target genes with emphasis on the design of suitable DNA constructs for controlling TF

  9. Protein targeting in the analysis of learning and memory: a potential alternative to gene targeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerlai, R; Williams, S P; Cairns, B; Van Bruggen, N; Moran, P; Shih, A; Caras, I; Sauer, H; Phillips, H S; Winslow, J W

    1998-11-01

    Gene targeting using homologous recombination in embryonic stem (ES) cells offers unprecedented precision with which one may manipulate single genes and investigate the in vivo effects of defined mutations in the mouse. Geneticists argue that this technique abrogates the lack of highly specific pharmacological tools in the study of brain function and behavior. However, by now it has become clear that gene targeting has some limitations too. One problem is spatial and temporal specificity of the generated mutation, which may appear in multiple brain regions or even in other organs and may also be present throughout development, giving rise to complex, secondary phenotypical alterations. This may be a disadvantage in the functional analysis of a number of genes associated with learning and memory processes. For example, several proteins, including neurotrophins--cell-adhesion molecules--and protein kinases, that play a significant developmental role have recently been suggested to be also involved in neural and behavioral plasticity. Knocking out genes of such proteins may lead to developmental alterations or even embryonic lethality in the mouse, making it difficult to study their function in neural plasticity, learning, and memory. Therefore, alternative strategies to gene targeting may be needed. Here, we suggest a potentially useful in vivo strategy based on systemic application of immunoadhesins, genetically engineered fusion proteins possessing the Fc portion of the human IgG molecule and, for example, a binding domain of a receptor of interest. These proteins are stable in vivo and exhibit high binding specificity and affinity for the endogenous ligand of the receptor, but lack the ability to signal. Thus, if delivered to the brain, immunoadhesins may specifically block signalling of the receptor of interest. Using osmotic minipumps, the protein can be infused in a localized region of the brain for a specified period of time (days or weeks). Thus, the location

  10. Epigenetic Editing: targeted rewriting of epigenetic marks to modulate expression of selected target genes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groote, M.L.; Verschure, P.J.; Rots, M.G.

    2012-01-01

    Despite significant advances made in epigenetic research in recent decades, many questions remain unresolved, especially concerning cause and consequence of epigenetic marks with respect to gene expression modulation (GEM). Technologies allowing the targeting of epigenetic enzymes to predetermined

  11. Epigenetic Editing : targeted rewriting of epigenetic marks to modulate expression of selected target genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groote, Marloes L.; Verschure, Pernette J.; Rots, Marianne G.

    2012-01-01

    Despite significant advances made in epigenetic research in recent decades, many questions remain unresolved, especially concerning cause and consequence of epigenetic marks with respect to gene expression modulation (GEM). Technologies allowing the targeting of epigenetic enzymes to predetermined

  12. Retinoschisislike alterations in the mouse eye caused by gene targeting of the Norrie disease gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruether, K; van de Pol, D; Jaissle, G; Berger, W; Tornow, R P; Zrenner, E

    1997-03-01

    To investigate the retinal function and morphology of mice carrying a replacement mutation in exon 2 of the Norrie disease gene. Recently, Norrie disease mutant mice have been generated using gene targeting technology. The mutation removes the 56 N-terminal amino acids of the Norrie gene product. Ganzfeld electroretinograms (ERGs) were obtained in five animals hemizygous or homozygous for the mutant gene and in three female animals heterozygous for the mutant gene. As controls, three males carrying the wild-type gene were examined. Electroretinogram testing included rod a- and b-wave V-log I functions, oscillatory potentials, and cone responses. The fundus morphology has been visualized by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Rod and cone ERG responses and fundus morphology were not significantly different among female heterozygotes and wild-type mice. In contrast, the hemizygous mice displayed a severe loss of ERG b-wave, leading to a negatively shaped scotopic ERG and a marked reduction of oscillatory potentials. The a-wave was normal at low intensities, and only with brighter flashes was there a moderate amplitude loss. Cone amplitudes were barely recordable in the gene-targeted males. Ophthalmoscopy revealed snowflakelike vitreal changes, retinoschisis, and pigment epithelium irregularities in hemizygotes and homozygotes, but no changes in female heterozygotes. The negatively shaped scotopic ERG in male mice with a Norrie disease gene mutation probably was caused by retinoschisis. Pigment epithelial changes and degenerations of the outer retina are relatively mild. These findings may be a clue to the embryonal retinoschisislike pathogenesis of Norrie disease in humans or it may indicate a different expression of the Norrie disease gene defect in mice compared to that in humans.

  13. Global Identification of EVI1 Target Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolyn Glass

    Full Text Available The ecotropic virus integration site 1 (EVI1 transcription factor is associated with human myeloid malignancy of poor prognosis and is overexpressed in 8-10% of adult AML and strikingly up to 27% of pediatric MLL-rearranged leukemias. For the first time, we report comprehensive genomewide EVI1 binding and whole transcriptome gene deregulation in leukemic cells using a combination of ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq expression profiling. We found disruption of terminal myeloid differentiation and cell cycle regulation to be prominent in EVI-induced leukemogenesis. Specifically, we identified EVI1 directly binds to and downregulates the master myeloid differentiation gene Cebpe and several of its downstream gene targets critical for terminal myeloid differentiation. We also found EVI1 binds to and downregulates Serpinb2 as well as numerous genes involved in the Jak-Stat signaling pathway. Finally, we identified decreased expression of several ATP-dependent P2X purinoreceptors genes involved in apoptosis mechanisms. These findings provide a foundation for future study of potential therapeutic gene targets for EVI1-induced leukemia.

  14. Functional characterization of endogenous siRNA target genes in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heikkinen Liisa

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Small interfering RNA (siRNA molecules mediate sequence specific silencing in RNA interference (RNAi, a gene regulatory phenomenon observed in almost all organisms. Large scale sequencing of small RNA libraries obtained from C. elegans has revealed that a broad spectrum of siRNAs is endogenously transcribed from genomic sequences. The biological role and molecular diversity of C. elegans endogenous siRNA (endo-siRNA molecules, nonetheless, remain poorly understood. In order to gain insight into their biological function, we annotated two large libraries of endo-siRNA sequences, identified their cognate targets, and performed gene ontology analysis to identify enriched functional categories. Results Systematic trends in categorization of target genes according to the specific length of siRNA sequences were observed: 18- to 22-mer siRNAs were associated with genes required for embryonic development; 23-mers were associated uniquely with post-embryonic development; 24–26-mers were associated with phosphorus metabolism or protein modification. Moreover, we observe that some argonaute related genes associate with siRNAs with multiple reads. Sequence frequency graphs suggest that different lengths of siRNAs share similarities in overall sequence structure: the 5' end begins with G, while the body predominates with U and C. Conclusion These results suggest that the lengths of endogenous siRNA molecules are consequential to their biological functions since the gene ontology categories for their cognate mRNA targets vary depending upon their lengths.

  15. E2F target genes: unraveling the biology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bracken, Adrian P; Ciro, Marco; Cocito, Andrea

    2004-01-01

    The E2F transcription factors are downstream effectors of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) pathway and are required for the timely regulation of numerous genes essential for DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Several laboratories have used genome-wide approaches to discover novel target...

  16. Crispr-mediated Gene Targeting of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Susan M; Church, George M

    2015-01-01

    CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease systems can create double-stranded DNA breaks at specific sequences to efficiently and precisely disrupt, excise, mutate, insert, or replace genes. However, human embryonic stem or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are more difficult to transfect and less resilient to DNA damage than immortalized tumor cell lines. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for genome engineering of human iPSCs using a simple transient transfection of plasmids and/or single-stranded oligonucleotides. With this protocol, we achieve transfection efficiencies greater than 60%, with gene disruption efficiencies from 1-25% and gene insertion/replacement efficiencies from 0.5-10% without any further selection or enrichment steps. We also describe how to design and assess optimal sgRNA target sites and donor targeting vectors; cloning individual iPSC by single cell FACS sorting, and genotyping successfully edited cells.

  17. Construction of a mouse model of factor VIII deficiency by gene targeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bi, L.; Lawler, A.; Gearhart, J. [Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    To develop a small animal model of hemophilia A for gene therapy experiments, we set out to construct a mouse model for factor VIII deficiency by gene targeting. First, we screened a mouse liver cDNA library using a human FVIII cDNA probe. We cloned a 2.6 Kb partial mouse factor VIII cDNA which extends from 800 base pairs of the 3{prime} end of exon 14 to the 5{prime} end of exon 26. A mouse genomic library made from strain 129 was then screened to obtain genomic fragments covering the exons desired for homologous recombination. Two genomic clones were obtained, and one covering exon 15 through 22 was used for gene targeting. To make gene targeting constructs, a 5.8 Kb genomic DNA fragment covering exons 15 to 19 of the mouse FVIII gene was subcloned, and the neo expression cassette was inserted into exons 16 and 17 separately by different strategies. These two constructs were named MFVIIIC-16 and MFVIIIC-17. The constructs were linearized and transfected into strain 129 mouse ES cells by electroporation. Factor VIII gene-knockout ES cell lines were selected by G-418 and screened by genomic Southern blots. Eight exon 16 targeted cell lines and five exon 17 targeted cell lines were obtained. Three cell lines from each construct were injected into blastocysts and surgically transferred into foster mothers. Multiple chimeric mice with 70-90% hair color derived from the ES-cell genotype were seen with both constructs. Germ line transmission of the ES-cell genotype has been obtained for the MFVIIIC-16 construct, and multiple hemophilia A carrier females have been identified. Factor VIII-deficient males will be conceived soon.

  18. Context dependent regulatory patterns of the androgen receptor and androgen receptor target genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olsen, Jan Roger; Azeem, Waqas; Hellem, Margrete Reime; Marvyin, Kristo; Hua, Yaping; Qu, Yi; Li, Lisha; Lin, Biaoyang; Ke, XI- Song; Øyan, Anne Margrete; Kalland, Karl- Henning

    2016-01-01

    Expression of the androgen receptor (AR) is associated with androgen-dependent proliferation arrest and terminal differentiation of normal prostate epithelial cells. Additionally, activation of the AR is required for survival of benign luminal epithelial cells and primary cancer cells, thus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) leads to apoptosis in both benign and cancerous tissue. Escape from ADT is known as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). In the course of CRPC development the AR typically switches from being a cell-intrinsic inhibitor of normal prostate epithelial cell proliferation to becoming an oncogene that is critical for prostate cancer cell proliferation. A clearer understanding of the context dependent activation of the AR and its target genes is therefore desirable. Immortalized human prostate basal epithelial EP156T cells and progeny cells that underwent epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), primary prostate epithelial cells (PrECs) and prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, VCaP and 22Rv1 were used to examine context dependent restriction and activation of the AR and classical target genes, such as KLK3. Genome-wide gene expression analyses and single cell protein analyses were applied to study the effect of different contexts. A variety of growth conditions were tested and found unable to activate AR expression and transcription of classical androgen-dependent AR target genes, such as KLK3, in prostate epithelial cells with basal cell features or in mesenchymal type prostate cells. The restriction of androgen- and AR-dependent transcription of classical target genes in prostate basal epithelial cells was at the level of AR expression. Exogenous AR expression was sufficient for androgen-dependent transcription of AR target genes in prostate basal epithelial cells, but did not exert a positive feedback on endogenous AR expression. Treatment of basal prostate epithelial cells with inhibitors of epigenetic gene silencing was not efficient in

  19. Engineering liposomal nanoparticles for targeted gene therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zylberberg, C; Gaskill, K; Pasley, S; Matosevic, S

    2017-08-01

    Recent mechanistic studies have attempted to deepen our understanding of the process by which liposome-mediated delivery of genetic material occurs. Understanding the interactions between lipid nanoparticles and cells is still largely elusive. Liposome-mediated delivery of genetic material faces systemic obstacles alongside entry into the cell, endosomal escape, lysosomal degradation and nuclear uptake. Rational design approaches for targeted delivery have been developed to reduce off-target effects and enhance transfection. These strategies, which have included the modification of lipid nanoparticles with target-specific ligands to enhance intracellular uptake, have shown significant promise at the proof-of-concept stage. Control of physical and chemical specifications of liposome composition, which includes lipid-to-DNA charge, size, presence of ester bonds, chain length and nature of ligand complexation, is integral to the performance of targeted liposomes as genetic delivery agents. Clinical advances are expected to rely on such systems in the therapeutic application of liposome nanoparticle-based gene therapy. Here, we discuss the latest breakthroughs in the development of targeted liposome-based agents for the delivery of genetic material, paying particular attention to new ligand and cationic lipid design as well as recent in vivo advances.

  20. Dual CRISPR-Cas9 Cleavage Mediated Gene Excision and Targeted Integration in Yarrowia lipolytica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Difeng; Smith, Spencer; Spagnuolo, Michael; Rodriguez, Gabriel; Blenner, Mark

    2018-05-29

    CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been successfully applied in Yarrowia lipolytica for targeted genomic editing including gene disruption and integration; however, disruptions by existing methods typically result from small frameshift mutations caused by indels within the coding region, which usually resulted in unnatural protein. In this study, a dual cleavage strategy directed by paired sgRNAs is developed for gene knockout. This method allows fast and robust gene excision, demonstrated on six genes of interest. The targeted regions for excision vary in length from 0.3 kb up to 3.5 kb and contain both non-coding and coding regions. The majority of the gene excisions are repaired by perfect nonhomologous end-joining without indel. Based on this dual cleavage system, two targeted markerless integration methods are developed by providing repair templates. While both strategies are effective, homology mediated end joining (HMEJ) based method are twice as efficient as homology recombination (HR) based method. In both cases, dual cleavage leads to similar or improved gene integration efficiencies compared to gene excision without integration. This dual cleavage strategy will be useful for not only generating more predictable and robust gene knockout, but also for efficient targeted markerless integration, and simultaneous knockout and integration in Y. lipolytica. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Construction of RNAi lentiviral vector targeting mouse Islet-1 gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shen-shen ZHI

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective To construct and select RNAi lentiviral vectors that can silence mouse Islet-1 gene effectively.Methods Three groups of RNAi-target of mouse Islet-1 gene were designed,and corresponding shRNA oligo(sh1,sh2 and sh3 were synthesized,and then they were respectively inserted to the PLVTHM vector that had been digested by endonuclease.Agarose gel electrophoresis and sequencing were used to select and indentify the positive clones.The positive clones were extracted and then mixed with E.coli to amplify positive clones.The amplified clones were then infected into 293T along with the other 3 helper plasmids to produce lentiviral vector.After the construction of the lentiviral vector,plaque formation test was performed to determine the titer of lentiviral vector.The lentiviral vectors were then infected into C3H10T1/2 cells.The transfect efficiency of the lentiviral vectors was determined with flow cytometry with detection of green fluorescent protein(GFP.Q-PCR was employed to detect the RNAi efficiency of the lentiviral vectors.Results Agarose gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the clones with right gene at the target size were successfully established;gene sequencing showed that the right DNA fragments had been inserted;plaque formation test showed that the titer of the virus solution was 3.87×108TU/ml;the transfect efficiency of the lentiviral vector infected into C3H10T1/2 cells was 90.36%.All the 3 groups of shRNA targets(sh1,sh2 and sh3 showed an inhibitory effect on Islet-1 gene,and the sh1 showed the highest inhibitory effect(76.8%,as compared with that of normal cells(P < 0.05.Conclusion The RNAi lentiviral vector that can effectively silence the mouse Islet-1 gene has been constructed successfully,which may lay a foundation for further investigation of Islet-1 gene.

  2. Nonviral Gene Targeting at rDNA Locus of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youjin Hu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Genetic modification, such as the addition of exogenous genes to the MSC genome, is crucial to their use as cellular vehicles. Due to the risks associated with viral vectors such as insertional mutagenesis, the safer nonviral vectors have drawn a great deal of attention. Methods. VEGF, bFGF, vitamin C, and insulin-transferrin-selenium-X were supplemented in the MSC culture medium. The cells’ proliferation and survival capacity was measured by MTT, determination of the cumulative number of cells, and a colony-forming efficiency assay. The plasmid pHr2-NL was constructed and nucleofected into MSCs. The recombinants were selected using G418 and characterized using PCR and Southern blotting. Results. BFGF is critical to MSC growth and it acted synergistically with vitamin C, VEGF, and ITS-X, causing the cells to expand significantly. The neomycin gene was targeted to the rDNA locus of human MSCs using a nonviral human ribosomal targeting vector. The recombinant MSCs retained multipotential differentiation capacity, typical levels of hMSC surface marker expression, and a normal karyotype, and none were tumorigenic in nude mice. Conclusions. Exogenous genes can be targeted to the rDNA locus of human MSCs while maintaining the characteristics of MSCs. This is the first nonviral gene targeting of hMSCs.

  3. A model of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and its implications for targeting environmental interventions by genotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wallace Helen M

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The potential public health benefits of targeting environmental interventions by genotype depend on the environmental and genetic contributions to the variance of common diseases, and the magnitude of any gene-environment interaction. In the absence of prior knowledge of all risk factors, twin, family and environmental data may help to define the potential limits of these benefits in a given population. However, a general methodology to analyze twin data is required because of the potential importance of gene-gene interactions (epistasis, gene-environment interactions, and conditions that break the 'equal environments' assumption for monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Method A new model for gene-gene and gene-environment interactions is developed that abandons the assumptions of the classical twin study, including Fisher's (1918 assumption that genes act as risk factors for common traits in a manner necessarily dominated by an additive polygenic term. Provided there are no confounders, the model can be used to implement a top-down approach to quantifying the potential utility of genetic prediction and prevention, using twin, family and environmental data. The results describe a solution space for each disease or trait, which may or may not include the classical twin study result. Each point in the solution space corresponds to a different model of genotypic risk and gene-environment interaction. Conclusion The results show that the potential for reducing the incidence of common diseases using environmental interventions targeted by genotype may be limited, except in special cases. The model also confirms that the importance of an individual's genotype in determining their risk of complex diseases tends to be exaggerated by the classical twin studies method, owing to the 'equal environments' assumption and the assumption of no gene-environment interaction. In addition, if phenotypes are genetically robust, because of epistasis

  4. Identification of hookworm DAF-16/FOXO response elements and direct gene targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Gao

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The infective stage of the parasitic nematode hookworm is developmentally arrested in the environment and needs to infect a specific host to complete its life cycle. The canine hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum is an excellent model for investigating human hookworm infections. The transcription factor of A. caninum, Ac-DAF-16, which has a characteristic fork head or "winged helix" DNA binding domain (DBD, has been implicated in the resumption of hookworm development in the host. However, the precise roles of Ac-DAF-16 in hookworm parasitism and its downstream targets are unknown. In the present study, we combined molecular techniques and bioinformatics to identify a group of Ac-DAF-16 binding sites and target genes.The DNA binding domain of Ac-DAF-16 was used to select genomic fragments by in vitro genomic selection. Twenty four bound genomic fragments were analyzed for the presence of the DAF-16 family binding element (DBE and possible alternative Ac-DAF-16 bind motifs. The 22 genes linked to these genomic fragments were identified using bioinformatics tools and defined as candidate direct gene targets of Ac-DAF-16. Their developmental stage-specific expression patterns were examined. Also, a new putative DAF-16 binding element was identified.Our results show that Ac-DAF-16 is involved in diverse biological processes throughout hookworm development. Further investigation of these target genes will provide insights into the molecular basis by which Ac-DAF-16 regulates its downstream gene network in hookworm infection.

  5. Genome-wide identification of structural variants in genes encoding drug targets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Henrik Berg; Dahmcke, Christina Mackeprang

    2012-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to identify structural variants of drug target-encoding genes on a genome-wide scale. We also aimed at identifying drugs that are potentially amenable for individualization of treatments based on knowledge about structural variation in the genes encoding...

  6. Id-1 gene and gene products as therapeutic targets for treatment of breast cancer and other types of carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desprez, Pierre-Yves; Campisi, Judith

    2014-08-19

    A method for treatment of breast cancer and other types of cancer. The method comprises targeting and modulating Id-1 gene expression, if any, for the Id-1 gene, or gene products in breast or other epithelial cancers in a patient by delivering products that modulate Id-1 gene expression. When expressed, Id-1 gene is a prognostic indicator that cancer cells are invasive and metastatic.

  7. Prediction of target genes for miR-140-5p in pulmonary arterial hypertension using bioinformatics methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fangwei; Shi, Wenhua; Wan, Yixin; Wang, Qingting; Feng, Wei; Yan, Xin; Wang, Jian; Chai, Limin; Zhang, Qianqian; Li, Manxiang

    2017-12-01

    The expression of microRNA (miR)-140-5p is known to be reduced in both pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients and monocrotaline-induced PAH models in rat. Identification of target genes for miR-140-5p with bioinformatics analysis may reveal new pathways and connections in PAH. This study aimed to explore downstream target genes and relevant signaling pathways regulated by miR-140-5p to provide theoretical evidences for further researches on role of miR-140-5p in PAH. Multiple downstream target genes and upstream transcription factors (TFs) of miR-140-5p were predicted in the analysis. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that downstream target genes of miR-140-5p were enriched in many biological processes, such as biological regulation, signal transduction, response to chemical stimulus, stem cell proliferation, cell surface receptor signaling pathways. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis found that downstream target genes were mainly located in Notch, TGF-beta, PI3K/Akt, and Hippo signaling pathway. According to TF-miRNA-mRNA network, the important downstream target genes of miR-140-5p were PPI, TGF-betaR1, smad4, JAG1, ADAM10, FGF9, PDGFRA, VEGFA, LAMC1, TLR4, and CREB. After thoroughly reviewing published literature, we found that 23 target genes and seven signaling pathways were truly inhibited by miR-140-5p in various tissues or cells; most of these verified targets were in accordance with our present prediction. Other predicted targets still need further verification in vivo and in vitro .

  8. Tumor-targeted inhibition by a novel strategy - mimoretrovirus expressing siRNA targeting the Pokemon gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Zhiqiang; Wang, Huaizhi; Jia, Zhengcai; Shi, Jinglei; Tang, Jun; Mao, Liwei; Liu, Hongli; Deng, Yijing; He, Yangdong; Ruan, Zhihua; Li, Jintao; Wu, Yuzhang; Ni, Bing

    2010-12-01

    Pokemon gene has crucial but versatile functions in cell differentiation, proliferation and tumorigenesis. It is a master regulator of the ARF-HDM2-p53 and Rb-E2F pathways. The facts that the expression of Pokemon is essential for tumor formation and many kinds of tumors over-express the Pokemon gene make it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention for cancer treatment. In this study, we used an RNAi strategy to silence the Pokemon gene in a cervical cancer model. To address the issues involving tumor specific delivery and durable expression of siRNA, we applied the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide ligand and polylysine (K(18)) fusion peptide to encapsulate a recombinant retrovirus plasmid expressing a siRNA targeting the Pokemon gene and produced the 'mimoretrovirus'. At charge ratio 2.0 of fusion peptide/plasmid, the mimoretrovirus formed stable and homogenous nanoparticles, and provided complete DNase I protection and complete gel retardation. This nanoparticle inhibited SiHa cell proliferation and invasion, while it promoted SiHa cell apoptosis. The binding of the nanoparticle to SiHa cells was mediated via the RGD-integrin α(v)β(3) interaction, as evidenced by the finding that unconjugated RGD peptide inhibited this binding significantly. This tumor-targeting mimoretrovirus exhibited excellent anti-tumor capacity in vivo in a nude mouse model. Moreover, the mimoretrovirus inhibited tumor growth with a much higher efficiency than recombinant retrovirus expressing siRNA or the K(18)/P4 nanoparticle lacking the RGD peptide. Results suggest that the RNAi/RGD-based mimoretrovirus developed in this study represents a novel anti-tumor strategy that may be applicable to most research involving cancer therapy and, thus, has promising potential as a cervical cancer treatment.

  9. Identification of novel androgen receptor target genes in prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerald William L

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The androgen receptor (AR plays critical roles in both androgen-dependent and castrate-resistant prostate cancer (PCa. However, little is known about AR target genes that mediate the receptor's roles in disease progression. Results Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP Display, we discovered 19 novel loci occupied by the AR in castrate resistant C4-2B PCa cells. Only four of the 19 AR-occupied regions were within 10-kb 5'-flanking regulatory sequences. Three were located up to 4-kb 3' of the nearest gene, eight were intragenic and four were in gene deserts. Whereas the AR occupied the same loci in C4-2B (castrate resistant and LNCaP (androgen-dependent PCa cells, differences between the two cell lines were observed in the response of nearby genes to androgens. Among the genes strongly stimulated by DHT in C4-2B cells – D-dopachrome tautomerase (DDT, Protein kinase C delta (PRKCD, Glutathione S- transferase theta 2 (GSTT2, Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 3 (TRPV3, and Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1 – most were less strongly or hardly stimulated in LNCaP cells. Another AR target gene, ornithine aminotransferase (OAT, was AR-stimulated in a ligand-independent manner, since it was repressed by AR siRNA knockdown, but not stimulated by DHT. We also present evidence for in vivo AR-mediated regulation of several genes identified by ChIP Display. For example, PRKCD and PYCR1, which may contribute to PCa cell growth and survival, are expressed in PCa biopsies from primary tumors before and after ablation and in metastatic lesions in a manner consistent with AR-mediated stimulation. Conclusion AR genomic occupancy is similar between LNCaP and C4-2B cells and is not biased towards 5' gene flanking sequences. The AR transcriptionally regulates less than half the genes nearby AR-occupied regions, usually but not always, in a ligand-dependent manner. Most are stimulated and a few are

  10. Identification of Spt5 target genes in zebrafish development reveals its dual activity in vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keerthi Krishnan

    Full Text Available Spt5 is a conserved essential protein that represses or stimulates transcription elongation in vitro. Immunolocalization studies on Drosophila polytene chromosomes suggest that Spt5 is associated with many loci throughout the genome. However, little is known about the prevalence and identity of Spt5 target genes in vivo during development. Here, we identify direct target genes of Spt5 using fog(sk8 zebrafish mutant, which disrupts the foggy/spt5 gene. We identified that fog(sk8 and their wildtype siblings differentially express less than 5% of genes examined. These genes participate in diverse biological processes from stress response to cell fate specification. Up-regulated genes exhibit shorter overall gene length compared to all genes examined. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation in zebrafish embryos, we identified a subset of developmentally critical genes that are bound by both Spt5 and RNA polymerase II. The protein occupancy patterns on these genes are characteristic of both repressive and stimulatory elongation regulation. Together our findings establish Spt5 as a dual regulator of transcription elongation in vivo and identify a small but diverse set of target genes critically dependent on Spt5 during development.

  11. Ultrasound-mediated vascular gene transfection by cavitation of endothelial-targeted cationic microbubbles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Aris; Belcik, Todd; Qi, Yue; Morgan, Terry K; Champaneri, Shivam A; Taylor, Sarah; Davidson, Brian P; Zhao, Yan; Klibanov, Alexander L; Kuliszewski, Michael A; Leong-Poi, Howard; Ammi, Azzdine; Lindner, Jonathan R

    2012-12-01

    Ultrasound-mediated gene delivery can be amplified by acoustic disruption of microbubble carriers that undergo cavitation. We hypothesized that endothelial targeting of microbubbles bearing cDNA is feasible and, through optimizing proximity to the vessel wall, increases the efficacy of gene transfection. Contrast ultrasound-mediated gene delivery is a promising approach for site-specific gene therapy, although there are concerns with the reproducibility of this technique and the safety when using high-power ultrasound. Cationic lipid-shelled decafluorobutane microbubbles bearing a targeting moiety were prepared and compared with nontargeted microbubbles. Microbubble targeting efficiency to endothelial adhesion molecules (P-selectin or intercellular adhesion molecule [ICAM]-1) was tested using in vitro flow chamber studies, intravital microscopy of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-stimulated murine cremaster muscle, and targeted contrast ultrasound imaging of P-selectin in a model of murine limb ischemia. Ultrasound-mediated transfection of luciferase reporter plasmid charge coupled to microbubbles in the post-ischemic hindlimb muscle was assessed by in vivo optical imaging. Charge coupling of cDNA to the microbubble surface was not influenced by the presence of targeting ligand, and did not alter the cavitation properties of cationic microbubbles. In flow chamber studies, surface conjugation of cDNA did not affect attachment of targeted microbubbles at microvascular shear stresses (0.6 and 1.5 dyne/cm(2)). Attachment in vivo was also not affected by cDNA according to intravital microscopy observations of venular adhesion of ICAM-1-targeted microbubbles and by ultrasound molecular imaging of P-selectin-targeted microbubbles in the post-ischemic hindlimb in mice. Transfection at the site of high acoustic pressures (1.0 and 1.8 MPa) was similar for control and P-selectin-targeted microbubbles but was associated with vascular rupture and hemorrhage. At 0.6 MPa

  12. Changes in gene expression in PBMCs profiles of PPARα target genes in obese and non-obese individuals during fasting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felicidade, Ingrid; Marcarini, Juliana Cristina; Carreira, Clísia Mara; Amarante, Marla Karine; Afman, Lydia A; Mantovani, Mário Sérgio; Ribeiro, Lúcia Regina

    2015-01-01

    The prevalence of obesity has risen dramatically and the World Health Organization estimates that 700 million people will be obese worldwide by 2015. Approximately, 50% of the Brazilian population above 20 years of age is overweight, and 16% is obese. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in the expression of PPARα target genes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and free fatty acids (FFA) in obese and non-obese individuals after 24 h of fasting. We first presented evidence that Brazilian people exhibit expression changes in PPARα target genes in PBMCs under fasting conditions. Q-PCR was utilized to assess the mRNA expression levels of target genes. In both groups, the FFA concentrations increased significantly after 24 h of fasting. The basal FFA mean concentration was two-fold higher in the obese group compared with the non-obese group. After fasting, all genes evaluated in this study showed increased expression levels compared with basal expression in both groups. However, our results reveal no differences in gene expression between the obese and non-obese, more studies are necessary to precisely delineate the associated mechanisms, particularly those that include groups with different degrees of obesity and patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 because the expression of the main genes that are involved in β-oxidation and glucose level maintenance are affected by these factors. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Target genes discovery through copy number alteration analysis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, De-Leung; Chen, Yen-Hsieh; Shih, Jou-Ho; Lin, Chi-Hung; Jou, Yuh-Shan; Chen, Chian-Feng

    2013-12-21

    High-throughput short-read sequencing of exomes and whole cancer genomes in multiple human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cohorts confirmed previously identified frequently mutated somatic genes, such as TP53, CTNNB1 and AXIN1, and identified several novel genes with moderate mutation frequencies, including ARID1A, ARID2, MLL, MLL2, MLL3, MLL4, IRF2, ATM, CDKN2A, FGF19, PIK3CA, RPS6KA3, JAK1, KEAP1, NFE2L2, C16orf62, LEPR, RAC2, and IL6ST. Functional classification of these mutated genes suggested that alterations in pathways participating in chromatin remodeling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, JAK/STAT signaling, and oxidative stress play critical roles in HCC tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, because there are few druggable genes used in HCC therapy, the identification of new therapeutic targets through integrated genomic approaches remains an important task. Because a large amount of HCC genomic data genotyped by high density single nucleotide polymorphism arrays is deposited in the public domain, copy number alteration (CNA) analyses of these arrays is a cost-effective way to reveal target genes through profiling of recurrent and overlapping amplicons, homozygous deletions and potentially unbalanced chromosomal translocations accumulated during HCC progression. Moreover, integration of CNAs with other high-throughput genomic data, such as aberrantly coding transcriptomes and non-coding gene expression in human HCC tissues and rodent HCC models, provides lines of evidence that can be used to facilitate the identification of novel HCC target genes with the potential of improving the survival of HCC patients.

  14. Identification of highly effective target genes for RNAi-mediated control of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Thais B; Duan, Jian J; Palli, Subba R; Rieske, Lynne K

    2018-03-22

    Recent study has shown that RNA interference (RNAi) is efficient in emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, and that ingestion of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting specific genes causes gene silencing and mortality in neonates. Here, we report on the identification of highly effective target genes for RNAi-mediated control of EAB. We screened 13 candidate genes in neonate larvae and selected the most effective target genes for further investigation, including their effect on EAB adults and on a non-target organism, Tribolium castaneum. The two most efficient target genes selected, hsp (heat shock 70-kDa protein cognate 3) and shi (shibire), caused up to 90% mortality of larvae and adults. In EAB eggs, larvae, and adults, the hsp is expressed at higher levels when compared to that of shi. Ingestion of dsHSP and dsSHI caused mortality in both neonate larvae and adults. Administration of a mixture of both dsRNAs worked better than either dsRNA by itself. In contrast, injection of EAB.dsHSP and EAB.dsSHI did not cause mortality in T. castaneum. Thus, the two genes identified cause high mortality in the EAB with no apparent phenotype effects in a non-target organism, the red flour beetle, and could be used in RNAi-mediated control of this invasive pest.

  15. Advances in plant gene-targeted and functional markers: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poczai Péter

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Public genomic databases have provided new directions for molecular marker development and initiated a shift in the types of PCR-based techniques commonly used in plant science. Alongside commonly used arbitrarily amplified DNA markers, other methods have been developed. Targeted fingerprinting marker techniques are based on the well-established practices of arbitrarily amplified DNA methods, but employ novel methodological innovations such as the incorporation of gene or promoter elements in the primers. These markers provide good reproducibility and increased resolution by the concurrent incidence of dominant and co-dominant bands. Despite their promising features, these semi-random markers suffer from possible problems of collision and non-homology analogous to those found with randomly generated fingerprints. Transposable elements, present in abundance in plant genomes, may also be used to generate fingerprints. These markers provide increased genomic coverage by utilizing specific targeted sites and produce bands that mostly seem to be homologous. The biggest drawback with most of these techniques is that prior genomic information about retrotransposons is needed for primer design, prohibiting universal applications. Another class of recently developed methods exploits length polymorphism present in arrays of multi-copy gene families such as cytochrome P450 and β-tubulin genes to provide cross-species amplification and transferability. A specific class of marker makes use of common features of plant resistance genes to generate bands linked to a given phenotype, or to reveal genetic diversity. Conserved DNA-based strategies have limited genome coverage and may fail to reveal genetic diversity, while resistance genes may be under specific evolutionary selection. Markers may also be generated from functional and/or transcribed regions of the genome using different gene-targeting approaches coupled with the use of RNA information

  16. Advances in plant gene-targeted and functional markers: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Public genomic databases have provided new directions for molecular marker development and initiated a shift in the types of PCR-based techniques commonly used in plant science. Alongside commonly used arbitrarily amplified DNA markers, other methods have been developed. Targeted fingerprinting marker techniques are based on the well-established practices of arbitrarily amplified DNA methods, but employ novel methodological innovations such as the incorporation of gene or promoter elements in the primers. These markers provide good reproducibility and increased resolution by the concurrent incidence of dominant and co-dominant bands. Despite their promising features, these semi-random markers suffer from possible problems of collision and non-homology analogous to those found with randomly generated fingerprints. Transposable elements, present in abundance in plant genomes, may also be used to generate fingerprints. These markers provide increased genomic coverage by utilizing specific targeted sites and produce bands that mostly seem to be homologous. The biggest drawback with most of these techniques is that prior genomic information about retrotransposons is needed for primer design, prohibiting universal applications. Another class of recently developed methods exploits length polymorphism present in arrays of multi-copy gene families such as cytochrome P450 and β-tubulin genes to provide cross-species amplification and transferability. A specific class of marker makes use of common features of plant resistance genes to generate bands linked to a given phenotype, or to reveal genetic diversity. Conserved DNA-based strategies have limited genome coverage and may fail to reveal genetic diversity, while resistance genes may be under specific evolutionary selection. Markers may also be generated from functional and/or transcribed regions of the genome using different gene-targeting approaches coupled with the use of RNA information. Such techniques have the

  17. BDNF gene delivery mediated by neuron-targeted nanoparticles is neuroprotective in peripheral nerve injury

    OpenAIRE

    Lopes, CDF; Gonçalves, NP; Gomes, CP; Saraiva, MJ; Pêgo, AP

    2017-01-01

    Neuron-targeted gene delivery is a promising strategy to treat peripheral neuropathies. Here we propose the use of polymeric nanoparticles based on thiolated trimethyl chitosan (TMCSH) to mediate targeted gene delivery to peripheral neurons upon a peripheral and minimally invasive intramuscular administration. Nanoparticles were grafted with the non-toxic carboxylic fragment of the tetanus neurotoxin (HC) to allow neuron targeting and were explored to deliver a plasmid DNA encoding for the br...

  18. Molecular Subtyping of Primary Prostate Cancer Reveals Specific and Shared Target Genes of Different ETS Rearrangements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Paulo

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available This work aimed to evaluate whether ETS transcription factors frequently involved in rearrangements in prostate carcinomas (PCa, namely ERG and ETV1, regulate specific or shared target genes. We performed differential expression analysis on nine normal prostate tissues and 50 PCa enriched for different ETS rearrangements using exon-level expression microarrays, followed by in vitro validation using cell line models. We found specific deregulation of 57 genes in ERG-positive PCa and 15 genes in ETV1-positive PCa, whereas deregulation of 27 genes was shared in both tumor subtypes. We further showed that the expression of seven tumor-associated ERG target genes (PLA1A, CACNA1D, ATP8A2, HLA-DMB, PDE3B, TDRD1, and TMBIM1 and two tumor-associated ETV1 target genes (FKBP10 and GLYATL2 was significantly affected by specific ETS silencing in VCaP and LNCaP cell line models, respectively, whereas the expression of three candidate ERG and ETV1 shared targets (GRPR, KCNH8, and TMEM45B was significantly affected by silencing of either ETS. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the expression of TDRD1, the topmost overexpressed gene of our list of ERG-specific candidate targets, is inversely correlated with the methylation levels of a CpG island found at -66 bp of the transcription start site in PCa and that TDRD1 expression is regulated by direct binding of ERG to the CpG island in VCaP cells. We conclude that ETS transcription factors regulate specific and shared target genes and that TDRD1, FKBP10, and GRPR are promising therapeutic targets and can serve as diagnostic markers for molecular subtypes of PCa harboring specific fusion gene rearrangements.

  19. Engineering nucleases for gene targeting: safety and regulatory considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauwels, Katia; Podevin, Nancy; Breyer, Didier; Carroll, Dana; Herman, Philippe

    2014-01-25

    Nuclease-based gene targeting (NBGT) represents a significant breakthrough in targeted genome editing since it is applicable from single-celled protozoa to human, including several species of economic importance. Along with the fast progress in NBGT and the increasing availability of customized nucleases, more data are available about off-target effects associated with the use of this approach. We discuss how NBGT may offer a new perspective for genetic modification, we address some aspects crucial for a safety improvement of the corresponding techniques and we also briefly relate the use of NBGT applications and products to the regulatory oversight. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. [Inhibitory Effect of Decitabine on Proliferation of MDS-L Cells and Its Mechanism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dong; Zhang, Yao; Zhao, You-Shan; Guo, Juan; Chang, Chun-Kang

    2017-10-01

    To investigate the inhibitory effect of decitabine (DAC) in various dosages on the proliferention of MDS-RAEB cell line MDS-L and its mechanism. LC-MS/MS method was used to test the blood DAC concentration of 2 groups of MDS patients being treated with DAC 20 and 15 mg/m 2 ×5 d. In according to the various blood DAC concentration levels, the MDS-L cells were treated with different DAC dosages for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. The CCK-8 method was applied to determine the cell proliferation, the flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle and cell apoptosis changes, the P15 INK4B DNA methylation status was measured by methylation specific PCR using EZ DNA Methylation-Gold Kit. The blood DAC concentration of MDS patients treated with DAC 20 mg/m 2 ×5 d was 174.08±80.15(84.7-311) ng/ml, which was significantly higher than 89.87±32.94(43.2-165)ng/ml for the group treated with 15 mg/m 2 ×5 d (P=0.014). DAC could notably inhibit the proliferation of MDS-L cells, and the effect was in dose- and- time-dependent manner(r=0.786). However, when DAC concentration was ≥0.1 µg/ml, the proliferation inhibition rates were not significantly different between various dosages. After DAC treatment, MDS-L cells in G 1 phase increased notably, while cells in S phase decreased significantly. Also, the P15 INK4B DNA methylation status of MDS-L cells decreased after being treated with DAC for 96 h, but the difference was not significant between various dosages. DAC can significantly suppress MDS-L cell proliferation, block MDS-L cells in G 1 phase and induce the apoptosis at low concentration (0.1-0.2 µg/ml).

  1. [Discovery of the target genes inhibited by formic acid in Candida shehatae].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Peng; Xiong, Xujie; Xu, Yong; Yong, Qiang; Zhu, Junjun; Shiyuan, Yu

    2014-01-04

    At transcriptional level, the inhibitory effects of formic acid was investigated on Candida shehatae, a model yeast strain capable of fermenting xylose to ethanol. Thereby, the target genes were regulated by formic acid and the transcript profiles were discovered. On the basis of the transcriptome data of C. shehatae metabolizing glucose and xylose, the genes responsible for ethanol fermentation were chosen as candidates by the combined method of yeast metabolic pathway analysis and manual gene BLAST search. These candidates were then quantitatively detected by RQ-PCR technique to find the regulating genes under gradient doses of formic acid. By quantitative analysis of 42 candidate genes, we finally identified 10 and 5 genes as markedly down-regulated and up-regulated targets by formic acid, respectively. With regard to gene transcripts regulated by formic acid in C. shehatae, the markedly down-regulated genes ranking declines as follows: xylitol dehydrogenase (XYL2), acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RKI), transaldolase (TAL), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (GND1), transketolase (TKL), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (ZWF1), xylose reductase (XYL1), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC); and a declining rank for up-regulated gens as follows: fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (ALD), glucokinase (GLK), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

  2. Evaluating Transcription Factor Activity Changes by Scoring Unexplained Target Genes in Expression Data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evi Berchtold

    Full Text Available Several methods predict activity changes of transcription factors (TFs from a given regulatory network and measured expression data. But available gene regulatory networks are incomplete and contain many condition-dependent regulations that are not relevant for the specific expression measurement. It is not known which combination of active TFs is needed to cause a change in the expression of a target gene. A method to systematically evaluate the inferred activity changes is missing. We present such an evaluation strategy that indicates for how many target genes the observed expression changes can be explained by a given set of active TFs. To overcome the problem that the exact combination of active TFs needed to activate a gene is typically not known, we assume a gene to be explained if there exists any combination for which the predicted active TFs can possibly explain the observed change of the gene. We introduce the i-score (inconsistency score, which quantifies how many genes could not be explained by the set of activity changes of TFs. We observe that, even for these minimal requirements, published methods yield many unexplained target genes, i.e. large i-scores. This holds for all methods and all expression datasets we evaluated. We provide new optimization methods to calculate the best possible (minimal i-score given the network and measured expression data. The evaluation of this optimized i-score on a large data compendium yields many unexplained target genes for almost every case. This indicates that currently available regulatory networks are still far from being complete. Both the presented Act-SAT and Act-A* methods produce optimal sets of TF activity changes, which can be used to investigate the difficult interplay of expression and network data. A web server and a command line tool to calculate our i-score and to find the active TFs associated with the minimal i-score is available from https://services.bio.ifi.lmu.de/i-score.

  3. Horizontal transfer of a eukaryotic plastid-targeted protein gene to cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keeling Patrick J

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Horizontal or lateral transfer of genetic material between distantly related prokaryotes has been shown to play a major role in the evolution of bacterial and archaeal genomes, but exchange of genes between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is not as well understood. In particular, gene flow from eukaryotes to prokaryotes is rarely documented with strong support, which is unusual since prokaryotic genomes appear to readily accept foreign genes. Results Here, we show that abundant marine cyanobacteria in the related genera Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus acquired a key Calvin cycle/glycolytic enzyme from a eukaryote. Two non-homologous forms of fructose bisphosphate aldolase (FBA are characteristic of eukaryotes and prokaryotes respectively. However, a eukaryotic gene has been inserted immediately upstream of the ancestral prokaryotic gene in several strains (ecotypes of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. In one lineage this new gene has replaced the ancestral gene altogether. The eukaryotic gene is most closely related to the plastid-targeted FBA from red algae. This eukaryotic-type FBA once replaced the plastid/cyanobacterial type in photosynthetic eukaryotes, hinting at a possible functional advantage in Calvin cycle reactions. The strains that now possess this eukaryotic FBA are scattered across the tree of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, perhaps because the gene has been transferred multiple times among cyanobacteria, or more likely because it has been selectively retained only in certain lineages. Conclusion A gene for plastid-targeted FBA has been transferred from red algae to cyanobacteria, where it has inserted itself beside its non-homologous, functional analogue. Its current distribution in Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus is punctate, suggesting a complex history since its introduction to this group.

  4. A Convenient Cas9-based Conditional Knockout Strategy for Simultaneously Targeting Multiple Genes in Mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiang; Du, Yinan; He, Xueyan; Huang, Xingxu; Shi, Yun S

    2017-03-31

    The most powerful way to probe protein function is to characterize the consequence of its deletion. Compared to conventional gene knockout (KO), conditional knockout (cKO) provides an advanced gene targeting strategy with which gene deletion can be performed in a spatially and temporally restricted manner. However, for most species that are amphiploid, the widely used Cre-flox conditional KO (cKO) system would need targeting loci in both alleles to be loxP flanked, which in practice, requires time and labor consuming breeding. This is considerably significant when one is dealing with multiple genes. CRISPR/Cas9 genome modulation system is advantaged in its capability in targeting multiple sites simultaneously. Here we propose a strategy that could achieve conditional KO of multiple genes in mouse with Cre recombinase dependent Cas9 expression. By transgenic construction of loxP-stop-loxP (LSL) controlled Cas9 (LSL-Cas9) together with sgRNAs targeting EGFP, we showed that the fluorescence molecule could be eliminated in a Cre-dependent manner. We further verified the efficacy of this novel strategy to target multiple sites by deleting c-Maf and MafB simultaneously in macrophages specifically. Compared to the traditional Cre-flox cKO strategy, this sgRNAs-LSL-Cas9 cKO system is simpler and faster, and would make conditional manipulation of multiple genes feasible.

  5. Targeting Gene-Viro-Therapy with AFP driving Apoptin gene shows potent antitumor effect in hepatocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Kang-Jian

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene therapy and viral therapy are used for cancer therapy for many years, but the results are less than satisfactory. Our aim was to construct a new recombinant adenovirus which is more efficient to kill hepatocarcinoma cells but more safe to normal cells. Methods By using the Cancer Targeting Gene-Viro-Therapy strategy, Apoptin, a promising cancer therapeutic gene was inserted into the double-regulated oncolytic adenovirus AD55 in which E1A gene was driven by alpha fetoprotein promoter along with a 55 kDa deletion in E1B gene to form AD55-Apoptin. The anti-tumor effects and safety were examined by western blotting, virus yield assay, real time polymerase chain reaction, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Hoechst33342 staining, Fluorescence-activated cell sorting, xenograft tumor model, Immunohistochemical assay, liver function analysis and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling assay. Results The recombinant virus AD55-Apoptin has more significant antitumor effect for hepatocelluar carcinoma cell lines (in vitro than that of AD55 and even ONYX-015 but no or little impair on normal cell lines. Furthermore, it also shows an obvious in vivo antitumor effect on the Huh-7 liver carcinoma xenograft in nude mice with bigger beginning tumor volume till about 425 mm3 but has no any damage on the function of liver. The induction of apoptosis is involved in AD55-Apoptin induced antitumor effects. Conclusion The AD55-Apoptin can be a potential anti-hepatoma agent with remarkable antitumor efficacy as well as higher safety in cancer targeting gene-viro-therapy system.

  6. Efficient immunoglobulin gene disruption and targeted replacement in rabbit using zinc finger nucleases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Flisikowska

    Full Text Available Rabbits are widely used in biomedical research, yet techniques for their precise genetic modification are lacking. We demonstrate that zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs introduced into fertilized oocytes can inactivate a chosen gene by mutagenesis and also mediate precise homologous recombination with a DNA gene-targeting vector to achieve the first gene knockout and targeted sequence replacement in rabbits. Two ZFN pairs were designed that target the rabbit immunoglobulin M (IgM locus within exons 1 and 2. ZFN mRNAs were microinjected into pronuclear stage fertilized oocytes. Founder animals carrying distinct mutated IgM alleles were identified and bred to produce offspring. Functional knockout of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus was confirmed by serum IgM and IgG deficiency and lack of IgM(+ and IgG(+ B lymphocytes. We then tested whether ZFN expression would enable efficient targeted sequence replacement in rabbit oocytes. ZFN mRNA was co-injected with a linear DNA vector designed to replace exon 1 of the IgM locus with ∼1.9 kb of novel sequence. Double strand break induced targeted replacement occurred in up to 17% of embryos and in 18% of fetuses analyzed. Two major goals have been achieved. First, inactivation of the endogenous IgM locus, which is an essential step for the production of therapeutic human polyclonal antibodies in the rabbit. Second, establishing efficient targeted gene manipulation and homologous recombination in a refractory animal species. ZFN mediated genetic engineering in the rabbit and other mammals opens new avenues of experimentation in immunology and many other research fields.

  7. In silico prediction of novel therapeutic targets using gene-disease association data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrero, Enrico; Dunham, Ian; Sanseau, Philippe

    2017-08-29

    Target identification and validation is a pressing challenge in the pharmaceutical industry, with many of the programmes that fail for efficacy reasons showing poor association between the drug target and the disease. Computational prediction of successful targets could have a considerable impact on attrition rates in the drug discovery pipeline by significantly reducing the initial search space. Here, we explore whether gene-disease association data from the Open Targets platform is sufficient to predict therapeutic targets that are actively being pursued by pharmaceutical companies or are already on the market. To test our hypothesis, we train four different classifiers (a random forest, a support vector machine, a neural network and a gradient boosting machine) on partially labelled data and evaluate their performance using nested cross-validation and testing on an independent set. We then select the best performing model and use it to make predictions on more than 15,000 genes. Finally, we validate our predictions by mining the scientific literature for proposed therapeutic targets. We observe that the data types with the best predictive power are animal models showing a disease-relevant phenotype, differential expression in diseased tissue and genetic association with the disease under investigation. On a test set, the neural network classifier achieves over 71% accuracy with an AUC of 0.76 when predicting therapeutic targets in a semi-supervised learning setting. We use this model to gain insights into current and failed programmes and to predict 1431 novel targets, of which a highly significant proportion has been independently proposed in the literature. Our in silico approach shows that data linking genes and diseases is sufficient to predict novel therapeutic targets effectively and confirms that this type of evidence is essential for formulating or strengthening hypotheses in the target discovery process. Ultimately, more rapid and automated target

  8. Identification of Plagl1/Zac1 binding sites and target genes establishes its role in the regulation of extracellular matrix genes and the imprinted gene network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varrault, Annie; Dantec, Christelle; Le Digarcher, Anne; Chotard, Laëtitia; Bilanges, Benoit; Parrinello, Hugues; Dubois, Emeric; Rialle, Stéphanie; Severac, Dany; Bouschet, Tristan; Journot, Laurent

    2017-10-13

    PLAGL1/ZAC1 undergoes parental genomic imprinting, is paternally expressed, and is a member of the imprinted gene network (IGN). It encodes a zinc finger transcription factor with anti-proliferative activity and is a candidate tumor suppressor gene on 6q24 whose expression is frequently lost in various neoplasms. Conversely, gain of PLAGL1 function is responsible for transient neonatal diabetes mellitus, a rare genetic disease that results from defective pancreas development. In the present work, we showed that Plagl1 up-regulation was not associated with DNA damage-induced cell cycle arrest. It was rather associated with physiological cell cycle exit that occurred with contact inhibition, growth factor withdrawal, or cell differentiation. To gain insights into Plagl1 mechanism of action, we identified Plagl1 target genes by combining chromatin immunoprecipitation and genome-wide transcriptomics in transfected cell lines. Plagl1-elicited gene regulation correlated with multiple binding to the proximal promoter region through a GC-rich motif. Plagl1 target genes included numerous genes involved in signaling, cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix composition, including collagens. Plagl1 targets also included 22% of the 409 genes that make up the IGN. Altogether, this work identified Plagl1 as a transcription factor that coordinated the regulation of a subset of IGN genes and controlled extracellular matrix composition. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  9. Oligopeptide complex for targeted non-viral gene delivery to adipocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Won, Young-Wook; Adhikary, Partho Protim; Lim, Kwang Suk; Kim, Hyung Jin; Kim, Jang Kyoung; Kim, Yong-Hee

    2014-12-01

    Commercial anti-obesity drugs acting in the gastrointestinal tract or the central nervous system have been shown to have limited efficacy and severe side effects. Anti-obesity drug development is thus focusing on targeting adipocytes that store excess fat. Here, we show that an adipocyte-targeting fusion-oligopeptide gene carrier consisting of an adipocyte-targeting sequence and 9-arginine (ATS-9R) selectively transfects mature adipocytes by binding to prohibitin. Injection of ATS-9R into obese mice confirmed specific binding of ATS-9R to fat vasculature, internalization and gene expression in adipocytes. We also constructed a short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) for silencing fatty-acid-binding protein 4 (shFABP4), a key lipid chaperone in fatty-acid uptake and lipid storage in adipocytes. Treatment of obese mice with ATS-9R/shFABP4 led to metabolic recovery and body-weight reduction (>20%). The ATS-9R/shFABP4 oligopeptide complex could prove to be a safe therapeutic approach to regress and treat obesity as well as obesity-induced metabolic syndromes.

  10. A dual selection based, targeted gene replacement tool for Magnaporthe grisea and Fusarium oxysporum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khang, Chang Hyun; Park, Sook-Young; Lee, Yong-Hwan; Kang, Seogchan

    2005-06-01

    Rapid progress in fungal genome sequencing presents many new opportunities for functional genomic analysis of fungal biology through the systematic mutagenesis of the genes identified through sequencing. However, the lack of efficient tools for targeted gene replacement is a limiting factor for fungal functional genomics, as it often necessitates the screening of a large number of transformants to identify the desired mutant. We developed an efficient method of gene replacement and evaluated factors affecting the efficiency of this method using two plant pathogenic fungi, Magnaporthe grisea and Fusarium oxysporum. This method is based on Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation with a mutant allele of the target gene flanked by the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene as a conditional negative selection marker against ectopic transformants. The HSVtk gene product converts 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine to a compound toxic to diverse fungi. Because ectopic transformants express HSVtk, while gene replacement mutants lack HSVtk, growing transformants on a medium amended with 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine facilitates the identification of targeted mutants by counter-selecting against ectopic transformants. In addition to M. grisea and F. oxysporum, the method and associated vectors are likely to be applicable to manipulating genes in a broad spectrum of fungi, thus potentially serving as an efficient, universal functional genomic tool for harnessing the growing body of fungal genome sequence data to study fungal biology.

  11. Integrative analysis of RUNX1 downstream pathways and target genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Marjorie

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The RUNX1 transcription factor gene is frequently mutated in sporadic myeloid and lymphoid leukemia through translocation, point mutation or amplification. It is also responsible for a familial platelet disorder with predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (FPD-AML. The disruption of the largely unknown biological pathways controlled by RUNX1 is likely to be responsible for the development of leukemia. We have used multiple microarray platforms and bioinformatic techniques to help identify these biological pathways to aid in the understanding of why RUNX1 mutations lead to leukemia. Results Here we report genes regulated either directly or indirectly by RUNX1 based on the study of gene expression profiles generated from 3 different human and mouse platforms. The platforms used were global gene expression profiling of: 1 cell lines with RUNX1 mutations from FPD-AML patients, 2 over-expression of RUNX1 and CBFβ, and 3 Runx1 knockout mouse embryos using either cDNA or Affymetrix microarrays. We observe that our datasets (lists of differentially expressed genes significantly correlate with published microarray data from sporadic AML patients with mutations in either RUNX1 or its cofactor, CBFβ. A number of biological processes were identified among the differentially expressed genes and functional assays suggest that heterozygous RUNX1 point mutations in patients with FPD-AML impair cell proliferation, microtubule dynamics and possibly genetic stability. In addition, analysis of the regulatory regions of the differentially expressed genes has for the first time systematically identified numerous potential novel RUNX1 target genes. Conclusion This work is the first large-scale study attempting to identify the genetic networks regulated by RUNX1, a master regulator in the development of the hematopoietic system and leukemia. The biological pathways and target genes controlled by RUNX1 will have considerable importance in disease

  12. Identification of target genes of transcription factor activator protein 2 gamma in breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ailan, He; Shuanglin, Xiang; Xiangwen, Xiao; Daolong, Ren; Lu, Gan; Xiaofeng, Ding; Xi, Qiao; Xingwang, Hu; Rushi, Liu; Jian, Zhang

    2009-01-01

    Activator protein 2 gamma (AP-2γ) is a member of the transcription factor activator protein-2 (AP-2) family, which is developmentally regulated and plays a role in human neoplasia. AP-2γ has been found to be overexpressed in most breast cancers, and have a dual role to inhibit tumor initiation and promote tumor progression afterwards during mammary tumorigensis. To identify the gene targets that mediate its effects, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to isolate AP-2γ binding sites on genomic DNA from human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453. 20 novel DNA fragments proximal to potential AP-2γ targets were obtained. They are categorized into functional groups of carcinogenesis, metabolism and others. A combination of sequence analysis, reporter gene assays, quantitative real-time PCR, electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays and immunoblot analysis further confirmed the four AP-2γ target genes in carcinogenesis group: ErbB2, CDH2, HPSE and IGSF11. Our results were consistent with the previous reports that ErbB2 was the target gene of AP-2γ. Decreased expression and overexpression of AP-2γ in human breast cancer cells significantly altered the expression of these four genes, indicating that AP-2γ directly regulates them. This suggested that AP-2γ can coordinate the expression of a network of genes, involving in carcinogenesis, especially in breast cancer. They could serve as therapeutic targets against breast cancers in the future

  13. Optimizations of siRNA design for the activation of gene transcription by targeting the TATA-box motif.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miaomiao Fan

    Full Text Available Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs are widely used to repress gene expression by targeting mRNAs. Some reports reveal that siRNAs can also activate or inhibit gene expression through targeting the gene promoters. Our group has found that microRNAs (miRNAs could activate gene transcription via interaction with the TATA-box motif in gene promoters. To investigate whether siRNA targeting the same region could upregulate the promoter activity, we test the activating efficiency of siRNAs targeting the TATA-box motif of 16 genes and perform a systematic analysis to identify the common features of the functional siRNAs for effective activation of gene promoters. Further, we try various modifications to improve the activating efficiency of siRNAs and find that it is quite useful to design the promoter-targeting activating siRNA by following several rules such as (a complementary to the TATA-box-centered region; (b UA usage at the first two bases of the antisense strand; (c twenty-three nucleotides (nts in length; (d 2'-O-Methyl (2'-OMe modification at the 3' terminus of the antisense strand; (e avoiding mismatches at the 3' end of the antisense strand. The optimized activating siRNAs potently enhance the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2 gene in human and mouse primary CD4+ T cells with a long-time effect. Taken together, our study provides a guideline for rational design the promoter-targeting siRNA to sequence-specifically enhance gene expression.

  14. Efficient in planta gene targeting in tomato using geminiviral replicons and the CRISPR/Cas9 system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahan-Meir, Tal; Filler-Hayut, Shdema; Melamed-Bessudo, Cathy; Bocobza, Samuel; Czosnek, Henryk; Aharoni, Asaph; Levy, Avraham A

    2018-04-18

    Current breeding relies mostly on random mutagenesis and recombination to generate novel genetic variation. However, targeted genome editing is becoming an increasingly important tool for precise plant breeding. Using the CRISPR-Cas system combined with the bean yellow dwarf virus rolling circle replicon we optimized a method for targeted mutagenesis and gene replacement in tomato. The carotenoid isomerase (CRTISO) and phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) genes from the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway were chosen as targets due to their easily detectable change of phenotype. We took advantage of the geminiviral replicon amplification as a mean to provide a large amount of donor template for the repair of a CRISPR-Cas-induced DNA double strand break (DSB) in the target gene, via homologous recombination. Mutagenesis experiments, performed in the Micro-Tom variety achieved precise modification of the CRTISO and PSY1 loci at an efficiency of up to 90%. In the gene targeting experiments, our target was a fast-neutron-induced crtiso allele that contained a 281bp deletion. This deletion was repaired with the wildtype sequence through homologous recombination between the CRISPR-Cas-induced DSB in the crtiso target and the amplified donor in 25% of the plants transformed. This shows that efficient gene targeting can be achieved in the absence of selection markers or reporters using a single and modular construct that is adaptable to other tomato targets and other crops. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  15. Integration of TP53, DREAM, MMB-FOXM1 and RB-E2F target gene analyses identifies cell cycle gene regulatory networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Martin; Grossmann, Patrick; Padi, Megha; DeCaprio, James A

    2016-07-27

    Cell cycle (CC) and TP53 regulatory networks are frequently deregulated in cancer. While numerous genome-wide studies of TP53 and CC-regulated genes have been performed, significant variation between studies has made it difficult to assess regulation of any given gene of interest. To overcome the limitation of individual studies, we developed a meta-analysis approach to identify high confidence target genes that reflect their frequency of identification in independent datasets. Gene regulatory networks were generated by comparing differential expression of TP53 and CC-regulated genes with chromatin immunoprecipitation studies for TP53, RB1, E2F, DREAM, B-MYB, FOXM1 and MuvB. RNA-seq data from p21-null cells revealed that gene downregulation by TP53 generally requires p21 (CDKN1A). Genes downregulated by TP53 were also identified as CC genes bound by the DREAM complex. The transcription factors RB, E2F1 and E2F7 bind to a subset of DREAM target genes that function in G1/S of the CC while B-MYB, FOXM1 and MuvB control G2/M gene expression. Our approach yields high confidence ranked target gene maps for TP53, DREAM, MMB-FOXM1 and RB-E2F and enables prediction and distinction of CC regulation. A web-based atlas at www.targetgenereg.org enables assessing the regulation of any human gene of interest. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  16. Quantification of differential gene expression by multiplexed targeted resequencing of cDNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arts, Peer; van der Raadt, Jori; van Gestel, Sebastianus H.C.; Steehouwer, Marloes; Shendure, Jay; Hoischen, Alexander; Albers, Cornelis A.

    2017-01-01

    Whole-transcriptome or RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful and versatile tool for functional analysis of different types of RNA molecules, but sample reagent and sequencing cost can be prohibitive for hypothesis-driven studies where the aim is to quantify differential expression of a limited number of genes. Here we present an approach for quantification of differential mRNA expression by targeted resequencing of complementary DNA using single-molecule molecular inversion probes (cDNA-smMIPs) that enable highly multiplexed resequencing of cDNA target regions of ∼100 nucleotides and counting of individual molecules. We show that accurate estimates of differential expression can be obtained from molecule counts for hundreds of smMIPs per reaction and that smMIPs are also suitable for quantification of relative gene expression and allele-specific expression. Compared with low-coverage RNA-Seq and a hybridization-based targeted RNA-Seq method, cDNA-smMIPs are a cost-effective high-throughput tool for hypothesis-driven expression analysis in large numbers of genes (10 to 500) and samples (hundreds to thousands). PMID:28474677

  17. Identification of miRNAs and their target genes in developing soybean seeds by deep sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Shou-Yi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs regulate gene expression by mediating gene silencing at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in higher plants. miRNAs and related target genes have been widely studied in model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice; however, the number of identified miRNAs in soybean (Glycine max is limited, and global identification of the related miRNA targets has not been reported in previous research. Results In our study, a small RNA library and a degradome library were constructed from developing soybean seeds for deep sequencing. We identified 26 new miRNAs in soybean by bioinformatic analysis and further confirmed their expression by stem-loop RT-PCR. The miRNA star sequences of 38 known miRNAs and 8 new miRNAs were also discovered, providing additional evidence for the existence of miRNAs. Through degradome sequencing, 145 and 25 genes were identified as targets of annotated miRNAs and new miRNAs, respectively. GO analysis indicated that many of the identified miRNA targets may function in soybean seed development. Additionally, a soybean homolog of Arabidopsis SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SLIENCING 3 (AtSGS3 was detected as a target of the newly identified miRNA Soy_25, suggesting the presence of feedback control of miRNA biogenesis. Conclusions We have identified large numbers of miRNAs and their related target genes through deep sequencing of a small RNA library and a degradome library. Our study provides more information about the regulatory network of miRNAs in soybean and advances our understanding of miRNA functions during seed development.

  18. [Identification of Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae based on PCR targeting ribosomal DNA ITS regions and COX1 gene].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Qing-Li; Shen, Ji-Qing; Jiang, Zhi-Hua; Yang, Yi-Chao; Li, Hong-Mei; Chen, Ying-Dan; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

    2014-06-01

    To identify Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae using PCR targeting ribosomal DNA ITS region and COX1 gene. Pseudorasbora parva were collected from Hengxian County of Guangxi at the end of May 2013. Single metacercaria of C. sinensis and other trematodes were separated from muscle tissue of P. parva by digestion method. Primers targeting ribosomal DNA ITS region and COX1 gene of C. sinensis were designed for PCR and the universal primers were used as control. The sensitivity and specificity of the PCR detection were analyzed. C. sinensis metacercariae at different stages were identified by PCR. DNA from single C. sinensis metacercaria was detected by PCR targeting ribosomal DNA ITS region and COX1 gene. The specific amplicans have sizes of 437/549, 156/249 and 195/166 bp, respectively. The ratio of the two positive numbers in PCR with universal primers and specific primers targeting C. sinensis ribosomal DNA ITS1 and ITS2 regions was 0.905 and 0.952, respectively. The target gene fragments were amplified by PCR using COX1 gene-specific primers. The PCR with specific primers did not show any non-specific amplification. However, the PCR with universal primers targeting ribosomal DNA ITS regions performed serious non-specific amplification. C. sinensis metacercariae at different stages are identified by morphological observation and PCR method. Species-specific primers targeting ribosomal DNA ITS region show higher sensitivity and specificity than the universal primers. PCR targeting COX1 gene shows similar sensitivity and specificity to PCR with specific primers targeting ribosomal DNA ITS regions.

  19. Analysis of the siRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing Process Targeting Three Homologous Genes Controlling Soybean Seed Oil Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Sha; Yin, Xiaoyan; Spollen, William; Zhang, Ning; Xu, Dong; Schoelz, James; Bilyeu, Kristin; Zhang, Zhanyuan J

    2015-01-01

    In the past decade, RNA silencing has gained significant attention because of its success in genomic scale research and also in the genetic improvement of crop plants. However, little is known about the molecular basis of siRNA processing in association with its target transcript. To reveal this process for improving hpRNA-mediated gene silencing in crop plants, the soybean GmFAD3 gene family was chosen as a test model. We analyzed RNAi mutant soybean lines in which three members of the GmFAD3 gene family were silenced. The silencing levels of FAD3A, FAD3B and FAD3C were correlated with the degrees of sequence homology between the inverted repeat of hpRNA and the GmFAD3 transcripts in the RNAi lines. Strikingly, transgenes in two of the three RNAi lines were heavily methylated, leading to a dramatic reduction of hpRNA-derived siRNAs. Small RNAs corresponding to the loop portion of the hairpin transcript were detected while much lower levels of siRNAs were found outside of the target region. siRNAs generated from the 318-bp inverted repeat were found to be diced much more frequently at stem sequences close to the loop and associated with the inferred cleavage sites on the target transcripts, manifesting "hot spots". The top candidate hpRNA-derived siRNA share certain sequence features with mature miRNA. This is the first comprehensive and detailed study revealing the siRNA-mediated gene silencing mechanism in crop plants using gene family GmFAD3 as a test model.

  20. Ancient Origin of the U2 Small Nuclear RNA Gene-Targeting Non-LTR Retrotransposons Utopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Kenji K; Jurka, Jerzy

    2015-01-01

    Most non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons encoding a restriction-like endonuclease show target-specific integration into repetitive sequences such as ribosomal RNA genes and microsatellites. However, only a few target-specific lineages of non-LTR retrotransposons are distributed widely and no lineage is found across the eukaryotic kingdoms. Here we report the most widely distributed lineage of target sequence-specific non-LTR retrotransposons, designated Utopia. Utopia is found in three supergroups of eukaryotes: Amoebozoa, SAR, and Opisthokonta. Utopia is inserted into a specific site of U2 small nuclear RNA genes with different strength of specificity for each family. Utopia families from oomycetes and wasps show strong target specificity while only a small number of Utopia copies from reptiles are flanked with U2 snRNA genes. Oomycete Utopia families contain an "archaeal" RNase H domain upstream of reverse transcriptase (RT), which likely originated from a plant RNase H gene. Analysis of Utopia from oomycetes indicates that multiple lineages of Utopia have been maintained inside of U2 genes with few copy numbers. Phylogenetic analysis of RT suggests the monophyly of Utopia, and it likely dates back to the early evolution of eukaryotes.

  1. Genome-wide target profiling of piggyBac and Tol2 in HEK 293: pros and cons for gene discovery and gene therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background DNA transposons have emerged as indispensible tools for manipulating vertebrate genomes with applications ranging from insertional mutagenesis and transgenesis to gene therapy. To fully explore the potential of two highly active DNA transposons, piggyBac and Tol2, as mammalian genetic tools, we have conducted a side-by-side comparison of the two transposon systems in the same setting to evaluate their advantages and disadvantages for use in gene therapy and gene discovery. Results We have observed that (1) the Tol2 transposase (but not piggyBac) is highly sensitive to molecular engineering; (2) the piggyBac donor with only the 40 bp 3'-and 67 bp 5'-terminal repeat domain is sufficient for effective transposition; and (3) a small amount of piggyBac transposases results in robust transposition suggesting the piggyBac transpospase is highly active. Performing genome-wide target profiling on data sets obtained by retrieving chromosomal targeting sequences from individual clones, we have identified several piggyBac and Tol2 hotspots and observed that (4) piggyBac and Tol2 display a clear difference in targeting preferences in the human genome. Finally, we have observed that (5) only sites with a particular sequence context can be targeted by either piggyBac or Tol2. Conclusions The non-overlapping targeting preference of piggyBac and Tol2 makes them complementary research tools for manipulating mammalian genomes. PiggyBac is the most promising transposon-based vector system for achieving site-specific targeting of therapeutic genes due to the flexibility of its transposase for being molecularly engineered. Insights from this study will provide a basis for engineering piggyBac transposases to achieve site-specific therapeutic gene targeting. PMID:21447194

  2. MicroRNA-target gene responses to lead-induced stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Qiuling; Zhu, Shuijin; Zhang, Baohong

    2014-09-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in plant responses to various metal stresses. To investigate the miRNA-mediated plant response to heavy metals, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), the most important fiber crop in the world, was exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µM) of lead (Pb) and then the toxicological effects were investigated. The expression patterns of 16 stress-responsive miRNAs and 10 target genes were monitored in cotton leaves and roots by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); of these selected genes, several miRNAs and their target genes are involved in root development. The results show a reciprocal regulation of cotton response to lead stress by miRNAs. The characterization of the miRNAs and the associated target genes in response to lead exposure would help in defining the potential roles of miRNAs in plant adaptation to heavy metal stress and further understanding miRNA regulation in response to abiotic stress.

  3. Gene Therapy Targeting HIV Entry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuka Didigu

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite the unquestionable success of antiretroviral therapy (ART in the treatment of HIV infection, the cost, need for daily adherence, and HIV-associated morbidities that persist despite ART all underscore the need to develop a cure for HIV. The cure achieved following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT using HIV-resistant cells, and more recently, the report of short-term but sustained, ART-free control of HIV replication following allogeneic HSCT, using HIV susceptible cells, have served to both reignite interest in HIV cure research, and suggest potential mechanisms for a cure. In this review, we highlight some of the obstacles facing HIV cure research today, and explore the roles of gene therapy targeting HIV entry, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation in the development of strategies to cure HIV infection.

  4. Gene targeting and cloning in pigs using fetal liver derived cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waghmare, Sanjeev K; Estrada, Jose; Reyes, Luz; Li, Ping; Ivary, Bess; Sidner, Richard A; Burlak, Chris; Tector, A Joseph

    2011-12-01

    Since there are no pig embryonic stem cells, pig genetic engineering is done in fetal fibroblasts that remain totipotent for only 3 to 5 wk. Nuclear donor cells that remain totipotent for longer periods of time would facilitate complicated genetic engineering in pigs. The goal of this study was to test the feasibility of using fetal liver-derived cells (FLDC) to perform gene targeting, and create a genetic knockout pig. FLDC were isolated and processed using a human liver stem cell protocol. Single copy α-1,3-galactosyl transferase knockout (GTKO) FLDCs were created using electroporation and neomycin resistant colonies were screened using PCR. Homozygous GTKO cells were created through loss of heterozygosity mutations in single GTKO FLDCs. Double GTKO FLDCs were used in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to create GTKO pigs. FLDCs grew for more than 80 population doublings, maintaining normal karyotype. Gene targeting and loss of heterozygosity mutations produced homozygous GTKO FLDCs. FLDCs used in SCNT gave rise to homozygous GTKO pigs. FDLCs can be used in gene targeting and SCNT to produce genetically modified pigs. The increased life span in culture compared to fetal fibroblasts may facilitate genetic engineering in the pig. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Single-step generation of rabbits carrying a targeted allele of the tyrosinase gene using CRISPR/Cas9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Arata; Hirose, Michiko; Sankai, Tadashi; Yasmin, Lubna; Yuzawa, Kazuaki; Honsho, Kimiko; Izu, Haruna; Iguchi, Atsushi; Ikawa, Masahito; Ogura, Atsuo

    2015-01-01

    Targeted genome editing of nonrodent mammalian species has provided the potential for highly accurate interventions into gene function in humans and the generation of useful animal models of human diseases. Here we show successful clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas)-mediated gene targeting via circular plasmid injection in rabbits. The rabbit tyrosinase gene (TYR) was effectively disrupted, and we confirmed germline transmission by pronuclear injection of a circular plasmid expressing humanized Cas9 (hCas9) and single-guide RNA. Direct injection into pronuclear stage zygotes was possible following an in vitro validation assay. Neither off-target mutagenesis nor hCas9 transgenesis was detected in any of the genetically targeted pups and embryos examined. Gene targeting with this rapid and simplified strategy will help accelerate the development of translational research using other nonrodent mammalian species.

  6. Vitamin D Pathway Status and the Identification of Target Genes in the Mouse Mammary Gland

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-11-01

    breast cancer stem cells with oncolytic herpes simplex virus. Cancer Gene Therapy 2012;19(10):707-14. June 21, 2012 – Poster Presentation – Presented...AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-11-1-0152 TITLE: Vitamin D Pathway Status and the Identification of Target Genes in the Mouse Mammary... Identification of Target Genes in the 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-11-1-0152 Mouse Mammary Gland 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT

  7. The MSX1 homeoprotein recruits G9a methyltransferase to repressed target genes in myoblast cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingqiang Wang

    Full Text Available Although the significance of lysine modifications of core histones for regulating gene expression is widely appreciated, the mechanisms by which these modifications are incorporated at specific regulatory elements during cellular differentiation remains largely unknown. In our previous studies, we have shown that in developing myoblasts the Msx1 homeoprotein represses gene expression by influencing the modification status of chromatin at its target genes. We now show that genomic binding by Msx1 promotes enrichment of the H3K9me2 mark on repressed target genes via recruitment of G9a histone methyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for catalyzing this histone mark. Interaction of Msx1 with G9a is mediated via the homeodomain and is required for transcriptional repression and regulation of cellular differentiation, as well as enrichment of the H3K9me2 mark in proximity to Msx1 binding sites on repressed target genes in myoblast cells as well as the developing limb. We propose that regulation of chromatin status by Msx1 recruitment of G9a and other histone modifying enzymes to regulatory regions of target genes represents an important means of regulating the gene expression during development.

  8. Identification of the human ApoAV gene as a novel RORα target gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lind, Ulrika; Nilsson, Tina; McPheat, Jane; Stroemstedt, Per-Erik; Bamberg, Krister; Balendran, Clare; Kang, Daiwu

    2005-01-01

    Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-α (RORα) (NR1F1) is an orphan nuclear receptor with a potential role in metabolism. Previous studies have shown that RORα regulates transcription of the murine Apolipoprotein AI gene and human Apolipoprotein CIII genes. In the present study, we present evidence that RORα also induces transcription of the human Apolipoprotein AV gene, a recently identified apolipoprotein associated with triglyceride levels. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of RORα increased the endogenous expression of ApoAV in HepG2 cells and RORα also enhanced the activity of an ApoAV promoter construct in transiently transfected HepG2 cells. Deletion and mutation studies identified three AGGTCA motifs in the ApoAV promoter that mediate RORα transactivation, one of which overlaps with a previously identified binding site for PPARα. Together, these results suggest a novel mechanism whereby RORα modulates lipid metabolism and implies RORα as a potential target for the treatment of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis

  9. HisB as novel selection marker for gene targeting approaches in Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiedler, Markus R M; Gensheimer, Tarek; Kubisch, Christin; Meyer, Vera

    2017-03-08

    For Aspergillus niger, a broad set of auxotrophic and dominant resistance markers is available. However, only few offer targeted modification of a gene of interest into or at a genomic locus of choice, which hampers functional genomics studies. We thus aimed to extend the available set by generating a histidine auxotrophic strain with a characterized hisB locus for targeted gene integration and deletion in A. niger. A histidine-auxotrophic strain was established via disruption of the A. niger hisB gene by using the counterselectable pyrG marker. After curing, a hisB - , pyrG - strain was obtained, which served as recipient strain for further studies. We show here that both hisB orthologs from A. nidulans and A. niger can be used to reestablish histidine prototrophy in this recipient strain. Whereas the hisB gene from A. nidulans was suitable for efficient gene targeting at different loci in A. niger, the hisB gene from A. niger allowed efficient integration of a Tet-on driven luciferase reporter construct at the endogenous non-functional hisB locus. Subsequent analysis of the luciferase activity revealed that the hisB locus is tight under non-inducing conditions and allows even higher luciferase expression levels compared to the pyrG integration locus. Taken together, we provide here an alternative selection marker for A. niger, hisB, which allows efficient homologous integration rates as well as high expression levels which compare favorably to the well-established pyrG selection marker.

  10. Enrichment of putative PAX8 target genes at serous epithelial ovarian cancer susceptibility loci

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kar, Siddhartha P; Adler, Emily; Tyrer, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 18 loci associated with serous ovarian cancer (SOC) susceptibility but the biological mechanisms driving these findings remain poorly characterised. Germline cancer risk loci may be enriched for target genes of transcription factors...... (TFs) critical to somatic tumorigenesis. METHODS: All 615 TF-target sets from the Molecular Signatures Database were evaluated using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and three GWAS for SOC risk: discovery (2196 cases/4396 controls), replication (7035 cases/21 693 controls; independent from discovery...... to interact with PAX8 in the literature to the PAX8-target set and applying an alternative to GSEA, interval enrichment, further confirmed this association (P=0.006). Fifteen of the 157 genes from this expanded PAX8 pathway were near eight loci associated with SOC risk at P

  11. SVMRFE based approach for prediction of most discriminatory gene target for type II diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atul Kumar

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Type II diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way our body metabolizes sugar. The body's important source of fuel is now becoming a chronic disease all over the world. It is now very necessary to identify the new potential targets for the drugs which not only control the disease but also can treat it. Support vector machines are the classifier which has a potential to make a classification of the discriminatory genes and non-discriminatory genes. SVMRFE a modification of SVM ranks the genes based on their discriminatory power and eliminate the genes which are not involved in causing the disease. A gene regulatory network has been formed with the top ranked coding genes to identify their role in causing diabetes. To further validate the results pathway study was performed to identify the involvement of the coding genes in type II diabetes. The genes obtained from this study showed a significant involvement in causing the disease, which may be used as a potential drug target.

  12. Fast and sensitive detection of indels induced by precise gene targeting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Zhang; Steentoft, Catharina; Hauge, Camilla

    2015-01-01

    The nuclease-based gene editing tools are rapidly transforming capabilities for altering the genome of cells and organisms with great precision and in high throughput studies. A major limitation in application of precise gene editing lies in lack of sensitive and fast methods to detect...... and characterize the induced DNA changes. Precise gene editing induces double-stranded DNA breaks that are repaired by error-prone non-homologous end joining leading to introduction of insertions and deletions (indels) at the target site. These indels are often small and difficult and laborious to detect...

  13. Genome-wide analysis of murine renal distal convoluted tubular cells for the target genes of mineralocorticoid receptor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueda, Kohei [Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Fujiki, Katsunori; Shirahige, Katsuhiko [Research Center for Epigenetic Disease, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Gomez-Sanchez, Celso E. [Endocrine Section, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, MS (United States); Endocrinology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, MS (United States); Fujita, Toshiro [Division of Clinical Epigenetics, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Nangaku, Masaomi [Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Nagase, Miki, E-mail: mnagase-tky@umin.ac.jp [Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, School of Medicine Juntendo University, Tokyo (Japan)

    2014-02-28

    Highlights: • We define a target gene of MR as that with MR-binding to the adjacent region of DNA. • We use ChIP-seq analysis in combination with microarray. • We, for the first time, explore the genome-wide binding profile of MR. • We reveal 5 genes as the direct target genes of MR in the renal epithelial cell-line. - Abstract: Background and objective: Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a member of nuclear receptor family proteins and contributes to fluid homeostasis in the kidney. Although aldosterone-MR pathway induces several gene expressions in the kidney, it is often unclear whether the gene expressions are accompanied by direct regulations of MR through its binding to the regulatory region of each gene. The purpose of this study is to identify the direct target genes of MR in a murine distal convoluted tubular epithelial cell-line (mDCT). Methods: We analyzed the DNA samples of mDCT cells overexpressing 3xFLAG-hMR after treatment with 10{sup −7} M aldosterone for 1 h by chromatin immunoprecipitation with deep-sequence (ChIP-seq) and mRNA of the cell-line with treatment of 10{sup −7} M aldosterone for 3 h by microarray. Results: 3xFLAG-hMR overexpressed in mDCT cells accumulated in the nucleus in response to 10{sup −9} M aldosterone. Twenty-five genes were indicated as the candidate target genes of MR by ChIP-seq and microarray analyses. Five genes, Sgk1, Fkbp5, Rasl12, Tns1 and Tsc22d3 (Gilz), were validated as the direct target genes of MR by quantitative RT-qPCR and ChIP-qPCR. MR binding regions adjacent to Ctgf and Serpine1 were also validated. Conclusions: We, for the first time, captured the genome-wide distribution of MR in mDCT cells and, furthermore, identified five MR target genes in the cell-line. These results will contribute to further studies on the mechanisms of kidney diseases.

  14. Effect of Chemical Prevention Drugs-based MicroRNAs and Their Target Genes 
on Tumor Inhibition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhui JIANG

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Chemopreventive drugs including natural chemopreventive drugs and synthetic chemopreventive drugs, it not only can prevent cancer, can also play a role in tumor treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs is a kind of short chains of non-coding RNA, regulating the expression of many genes through the way of degradation of mRNA or inhibitting mRNA translation. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that chemopreventive drugs through influence the expression of miRNAs and their target genes play a role in the prevention and treatment in a variety of tumors, and chemopreventive drugs on the experimental study of miRNAs and their target genes in tumor have demonstrated a good safety and efficacy. Effect on chemopreventive drugs-based microRNAs and their target genes into cancer cells will be expected as a new starting point for cancer research. The thesis expounds and analyzes between the natural chemopreventive drugs and synthetic chemopreventive drugs and miRNAs and their target genes in tumor research progress.

  15. Efficient and Heritable Gene Targeting in Tilapia by CRISPR/Cas9

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Minghui; Yang, Huihui; Zhao, Jiue; Fang, Lingling; Shi, Hongjuan; Li, Mengru; Sun, Yunlv; Zhang, Xianbo; Jiang, Dongneng; Zhou, Linyan; Wang, Deshou

    2014-01-01

    Studies of gene function in non-model animals have been limited by the approaches available for eliminating gene function. The CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated) system has recently become a powerful tool for targeted genome editing. Here, we report the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to disrupt selected genes, including nanos2, nanos3, dmrt1, and foxl2, with efficiencies as high as 95%. In addition, mutations in dmrt1 and foxl2 induced by CRISPR/Cas9 were efficiently transmitted through the germline to F1. Obvious phenotypes were observed in the G0 generation after mutation of germ cell or somatic cell-specific genes. For example, loss of Nanos2 and Nanos3 in XY and XX fish resulted in germ cell-deficient gonads as demonstrated by GFP labeling and Vasa staining, respectively, while masculinization of somatic cells in both XY and XX gonads was demonstrated by Dmrt1 and Cyp11b2 immunohistochemistry and by up-regulation of serum androgen levels. Our data demonstrate that targeted, heritable gene editing can be achieved in tilapia, providing a convenient and effective approach for generating loss-of-function mutants. Furthermore, our study shows the utility of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for genetic engineering in non-model species like tilapia and potentially in many other teleost species. PMID:24709635

  16. The feasibility of a targeted ultrasound contrast agent carrying genes and cell-penetrating peptides to hypoxic HUVEC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Ju; Wang Zhigang; Ren Jianli; Zhang Qingfeng; Liu Li

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To prepare an anti-P-selectin targeted ultrasound contrast agent carrying genes and cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) and to investigate its feasibility of delivery to hypoxic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods: Anti-P-selectin targeted ultrasound contrast agent carrying a green fluorescent protein gene (pEGFP-N1) and CPP was prepared by mechanical vibration and carbodiimide techniques. The appearance, distribution, concentration and diameter of the ultrasound contrast agent were measured. The gene and CPP distribution on the agent was investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The efficiency of the ultrasound contrast agent to carry the gene and CPP was investigated by fluorospectrophotometry. HUVEC were cultured in vitro and hypoxic HUVEC were prepared using hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Hypoxic HUVEC were randomly assigned targeted ultrasound contrast agents and non-targeted ultrasound contrast agents for transfection. The transfection effect of green fluorescent protein in the two groups was observed using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. T-test and linear correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: The average diameter of anti-P-selectin targeted ultrasound contrast agents carrying gene and CPP was (2.15 ±0.36) μm and the concentration was (1.58 ± 0.23) × 10 7 /ml.The results of CLSM showed that gene and CPP were distributed on the shell of the agent. The gene encapsulation efficiency was 28% (y=0.932x-0.09, r=0.993, P<0.05), and the CPP encapsulation efficiency was 25% (y=5.875x-0.81, r=0.987, P<0.05). EGFP expression was observed using fluorescence microscopy in targeted ultrasound contrast agents and non-targeted ultrasound contrast agents. The average transfection efficiencies of targeted ultrasound contrast agents and non-targeted ultrasound contrast agents were (18.74 ± 0.47) % and (15.34 ± 0.22) % after 24 h (t=10.923, P<0.001). Conclusions: The in vitro studies

  17. An Efficient Method for Identifying Gene Fusions by Targeted RNA Sequencing from Fresh Frozen and FFPE Samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan A Scolnick

    Full Text Available Fusion genes are known to be key drivers of tumor growth in several types of cancer. Traditionally, detecting fusion genes has been a difficult task based on fluorescent in situ hybridization to detect chromosomal abnormalities. More recently, RNA sequencing has enabled an increased pace of fusion gene identification. However, RNA-Seq is inefficient for the identification of fusion genes due to the high number of sequencing reads needed to detect the small number of fusion transcripts present in cells of interest. Here we describe a method, Single Primer Enrichment Technology (SPET, for targeted RNA sequencing that is customizable to any target genes, is simple to use, and efficiently detects gene fusions. Using SPET to target 5701 exons of 401 known cancer fusion genes for sequencing, we were able to identify known and previously unreported gene fusions from both fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue RNA in both normal tissue and cancer cells.

  18. Analysis of the siRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing Process Targeting Three Homologous Genes Controlling Soybean Seed Oil Quality.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sha Lu

    Full Text Available In the past decade, RNA silencing has gained significant attention because of its success in genomic scale research and also in the genetic improvement of crop plants. However, little is known about the molecular basis of siRNA processing in association with its target transcript. To reveal this process for improving hpRNA-mediated gene silencing in crop plants, the soybean GmFAD3 gene family was chosen as a test model. We analyzed RNAi mutant soybean lines in which three members of the GmFAD3 gene family were silenced. The silencing levels of FAD3A, FAD3B and FAD3C were correlated with the degrees of sequence homology between the inverted repeat of hpRNA and the GmFAD3 transcripts in the RNAi lines. Strikingly, transgenes in two of the three RNAi lines were heavily methylated, leading to a dramatic reduction of hpRNA-derived siRNAs. Small RNAs corresponding to the loop portion of the hairpin transcript were detected while much lower levels of siRNAs were found outside of the target region. siRNAs generated from the 318-bp inverted repeat were found to be diced much more frequently at stem sequences close to the loop and associated with the inferred cleavage sites on the target transcripts, manifesting "hot spots". The top candidate hpRNA-derived siRNA share certain sequence features with mature miRNA. This is the first comprehensive and detailed study revealing the siRNA-mediated gene silencing mechanism in crop plants using gene family GmFAD3 as a test model.

  19. Twin target self-amplification-based DNA machine for highly sensitive detection of cancer-related gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Huo; Jiang, Yifan; Liu, Dengyou; Liu, Kai; Zhang, Yafeng; Yu, Suhong; Shen, Zhifa; Wu, Zai-Sheng

    2018-06-29

    The sensitive detection of cancer-related genes is of great significance for early diagnosis and treatment of human cancers, and previous isothermal amplification sensing systems were often based on the reuse of target DNA, the amplification of enzymatic products and the accumulation of reporting probes. However, no reporting probes are able to be transformed into target species and in turn initiate the signal of other probes. Herein we reported a simple, isothermal and highly sensitive homogeneous assay system for tumor suppressor p53 gene detection based on a new autonomous DNA machine, where the signaling probe, molecular beacon (MB), was able to execute the function similar to target DNA besides providing the common signal. In the presence of target p53 gene, the operation of DNA machine can be initiated, and cyclical nucleic acid strand-displacement polymerization (CNDP) and nicking/polymerization cyclical amplification (NPCA) occur, during which the MB was opened by target species and cleaved by restriction endonuclease. In turn, the cleaved fragments could activate the next signaling process as target DNA did. According to the functional similarity, the cleaved fragment was called twin target, and the corresponding fashion to amplify the signal was named twin target self-amplification. Utilizing this newly-proposed DNA machine, the target DNA could be detected down to 0.1 pM with a wide dynamic range (6 orders of magnitude) and single-base mismatched targets were discriminated, indicating a very high assay sensitivity and good specificity. In addition, the DNA machine was not only used to screen the p53 gene in complex biological matrix but also was capable of practically detecting genomic DNA p53 extracted from A549 cell line. This indicates that the proposed DNA machine holds the potential application in biomedical research and early clinical diagnosis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. CRISPR-Cas Targeting of Host Genes as an Antiviral Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shuliang; Yu, Xiao; Guo, Deyin

    2018-01-16

    Currently, a new gene editing tool-the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) associated (Cas) system-is becoming a promising approach for genetic manipulation at the genomic level. This simple method, originating from the adaptive immune defense system in prokaryotes, has been developed and applied to antiviral research in humans. Based on the characteristics of virus-host interactions and the basic rules of nucleic acid cleavage or gene activation of the CRISPR-Cas system, it can be used to target both the virus genome and host factors to clear viral reservoirs and prohibit virus infection or replication. Here, we summarize recent progress of the CRISPR-Cas technology in editing host genes as an antiviral strategy.

  1. Genome-wide identification and characterization of microRNA genes and their targets in flax (Linum usitatissimum): Characterization of flax miRNA genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barvkar, Vitthal T; Pardeshi, Varsha C; Kale, Sandip M; Qiu, Shuqing; Rollins, Meaghen; Datla, Raju; Gupta, Vidya S; Kadoo, Narendra Y

    2013-04-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (20-24 nucleotide long) endogenous regulatory RNAs that play important roles in plant growth and development. They regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by translational repression or target degradation and gene silencing. In this study, we identified 116 conserved miRNAs belonging to 23 families from the flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) genome using a computational approach. The precursor miRNAs varied in length; while most of the mature miRNAs were 21 nucleotide long, intergenic and showed conserved signatures of RNA polymerase II transcripts in their upstream regions. Promoter region analysis of the flax miRNA genes indicated prevalence of MYB transcription factor binding sites. Four miRNA gene clusters containing members of three phylogenetic groups were identified. Further, 142 target genes were predicted for these miRNAs and most of these represent transcriptional regulators. The miRNA encoding genes were expressed in diverse tissues as determined by digital expression analysis as well as real-time PCR. The expression of fourteen miRNAs and nine target genes was independently validated using the quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). This study suggests that a large number of conserved plant miRNAs are also found in flax and these may play important roles in growth and development of flax.

  2. A Novel PCR Assay for Listeria welshimeri Targeting Transcriptional Regulator Gene lwe1801

    Science.gov (United States)

    Transcriptional regulator genes encode a group of specialized molecules that play essential roles in microbial responses to changing external conditions. These genes have been shown to possess species or group specificity and are useful as detection targets for diagnostic application. The present st...

  3. Systems Biology-Based Investigation of Cellular Antiviral Drug Targets Identified by Gene-Trap Insertional Mutagenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feixiong Cheng

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Viruses require host cellular factors for successful replication. A comprehensive systems-level investigation of the virus-host interactome is critical for understanding the roles of host factors with the end goal of discovering new druggable antiviral targets. Gene-trap insertional mutagenesis is a high-throughput forward genetics approach to randomly disrupt (trap host genes and discover host genes that are essential for viral replication, but not for host cell survival. In this study, we used libraries of randomly mutagenized cells to discover cellular genes that are essential for the replication of 10 distinct cytotoxic mammalian viruses, 1 gram-negative bacterium, and 5 toxins. We herein reported 712 candidate cellular genes, characterizing distinct topological network and evolutionary signatures, and occupying central hubs in the human interactome. Cell cycle phase-specific network analysis showed that host cell cycle programs played critical roles during viral replication (e.g. MYC and TAF4 regulating G0/1 phase. Moreover, the viral perturbation of host cellular networks reflected disease etiology in that host genes (e.g. CTCF, RHOA, and CDKN1B identified were frequently essential and significantly associated with Mendelian and orphan diseases, or somatic mutations in cancer. Computational drug repositioning framework via incorporating drug-gene signatures from the Connectivity Map into the virus-host interactome identified 110 putative druggable antiviral targets and prioritized several existing drugs (e.g. ajmaline that may be potential for antiviral indication (e.g. anti-Ebola. In summary, this work provides a powerful methodology with a tight integration of gene-trap insertional mutagenesis testing and systems biology to identify new antiviral targets and drugs for the development of broadly acting and targeted clinical antiviral therapeutics.

  4. Spontaneous autoimmunity in 129 and C57BL/6 mice-implications for autoimmunity described in gene-targeted mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne E Bygrave

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE is a multisystem autoimmune disorder in which complex genetic factors play an important role. Several strains of gene-targeted mice have been reported to develop SLE, implicating the null genes in the causation of disease. However, hybrid strains between 129 and C57BL/6 mice, widely used in the generation of gene-targeted mice, develop spontaneous autoimmunity. Furthermore, the genetic background markedly influences the autoimmune phenotype of SLE in gene-targeted mice. This suggests an important role in the expression of autoimmunity of as-yet-uncharacterised background genes originating from these parental mouse strains. Using genome-wide linkage analysis, we identified several susceptibility loci, derived from 129 and C57BL/6 mice, mapped in the lupus-prone hybrid (129 x C57BL/6 model. By creating a C57BL/6 congenic strain carrying a 129-derived Chromosome 1 segment, we found that this 129 interval was sufficient to mediate the loss of tolerance to nuclear antigens, which had previously been attributed to a disrupted gene. These results demonstrate important epistatic modifiers of autoimmunity in 129 and C57BL/6 mouse strains, widely used in gene targeting. These background gene influences may account for some, or even all, of the autoimmune traits described in some gene-targeted models of SLE.

  5. BDNF gene delivery mediated by neuron-targeted nanoparticles is neuroprotective in peripheral nerve injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Cátia D F; Gonçalves, Nádia P; Gomes, Carla P; Saraiva, Maria J; Pêgo, Ana P

    2017-03-01

    Neuron-targeted gene delivery is a promising strategy to treat peripheral neuropathies. Here we propose the use of polymeric nanoparticles based on thiolated trimethyl chitosan (TMCSH) to mediate targeted gene delivery to peripheral neurons upon a peripheral and minimally invasive intramuscular administration. Nanoparticles were grafted with the non-toxic carboxylic fragment of the tetanus neurotoxin (HC) to allow neuron targeting and were explored to deliver a plasmid DNA encoding for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a peripheral nerve injury model. The TMCSH-HC/BDNF nanoparticle treatment promoted the release and significant expression of BDNF in neural tissues, which resulted in an enhanced functional recovery after injury as compared to control treatments (vehicle and non-targeted nanoparticles), associated with an improvement in key pro-regenerative events, namely, the increased expression of neurofilament and growth-associated protein GAP-43 in the injured nerves. Moreover, the targeted nanoparticle treatment was correlated with a significantly higher density of myelinated axons in the distal stump of injured nerves, as well as with preservation of unmyelinated axon density as compared with controls and a protective role in injury-denervated muscles, preventing them from denervation. These results highlight the potential of TMCSH-HC nanoparticles as non-viral gene carriers to deliver therapeutic genes into the peripheral neurons and thus, pave the way for their use as an effective therapeutic intervention for peripheral neuropathies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Cell cycle and anti-estrogen effects synergize to regulate cell proliferation and ER target gene expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu Dalvai

    Full Text Available Antiestrogens are designed to antagonize hormone induced proliferation and ERalpha target gene expression in mammary tumor cells. Commonly used drugs such as OH-Tamoxifen and ICI 182780 (Fulvestrant block cell cycle progression in G0/G1. Inversely, the effect of cell cycle stage on ER regulated gene expression has not been tested directly. We show that in ERalpha-positive breast cancer cells (MCF-7 the estrogen receptor gene and downstream target genes are cell cycle regulated with expression levels varying as much as three-fold between phases of the cell cycle. Steroid free culture conditions commonly used to assess the effect of hormones or antiestrogens on gene expression also block MCF-7 cells in G1-phase when several ERalpha target genes are overexpressed. Thus, cell cycle effects have to be taken into account when analyzing the impact of hormonal treatments on gene transcription. We found that antiestrogens repress transcription of several ERalpha target genes specifically in S phase. This observation corroborates the more rapid and strong impact of antiestrogen treatments on cell proliferation in thymidine, hydroxyurea or aphidicolin arrested cells and correlates with an increase of apoptosis compared to similar treatments in lovastatin or nocodazol treated cells. Hence, cell cycle effects synergize with the action of antiestrogens. An interesting therapeutic perspective could be to enhance the action of anti-estrogens by associating hormone-therapy with specific cell cycle drugs.

  7. Gene Targeting and Expression Modulation by Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter E

    2010-01-01

    Peptide nucleic acids (PNA) are artificial structural mimics of nucleic acids capable of sequence specific hybridization to both RNA and DNA. Thus they have obvious potential as gene targeting agents for drug discovery approaches. An overview with emphasis on recent progress on RNA "interference...

  8. Targeted, homology-driven gene insertion in stem cells by ZFN-loaded 'all-in-one' lentiviral vectors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cai, Yujia; Laustsen, Anders; Zhou, Yan

    2016-01-01

    -driven mechanism into safe loci. This insertion mechanism is driven by time-restricted exposure of treated cells to ZFNs. We show targeted gene integration in human stem cells, including CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Notably, targeted insertions are identified in 89......% of transduced iPSCs. Our findings demonstrate the applicability of nuclease-loaded 'all-in-one' IDLVs for site-directed gene insertion in stem cell based gene therapies....

  9. Genome-wide identification of Bcl11b gene targets reveals role in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Tang

    Full Text Available B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 11B (Bcl11b is a transcription factor showing predominant expression in the striatum. To date, there are no known gene targets of Bcl11b in the nervous system. Here, we define targets for Bcl11b in striatal cells by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq in combination with genome-wide expression profiling. Transcriptome-wide analysis revealed that 694 genes were significantly altered in striatal cells over-expressing Bcl11b, including genes showing striatal-enriched expression similar to Bcl11b. ChIP-seq analysis demonstrated that Bcl11b bound a mixture of coding and non-coding sequences that were within 10 kb of the transcription start site of an annotated gene. Integrating all ChIP-seq hits with the microarray expression data, 248 direct targets of Bcl11b were identified. Functional analysis on the integrated gene target list identified several zinc-finger encoding genes as Bcl11b targets, and further revealed a significant association of Bcl11b to brain-derived neurotrophic factor/neurotrophin signaling. Analysis of ChIP-seq binding regions revealed significant consensus DNA binding motifs for Bcl11b. These data implicate Bcl11b as a novel regulator of the BDNF signaling pathway, which is disrupted in many neurological disorders. Specific targeting of the Bcl11b-DNA interaction could represent a novel therapeutic approach to lowering BDNF signaling specifically in striatal cells.

  10. Tumor targeted gene therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Joo Hyun

    2006-01-01

    Knowledge of molecular mechanisms governing malignant transformation brings new opportunities for therapeutic intervention against cancer using novel approaches. One of them is gene therapy based on the transfer of genetic material to an organism with the aim of correcting a disease. The application of gene therapy to the cancer treatment had led to the development of new experimental approaches such as suicidal gene therapy, inhibition of oncogenes and restoration of tumor-suppressor genes. Suicidal gene therapy is based on the expression in tumor cells of a gene encoding an enzyme that converts a prodrug into a toxic product. Representative suicidal genes are Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) and cytosine deaminase (CD). Especially, physicians and scientists of nuclear medicine field take an interest in suicidal gene therapy because they can monitor the location and magnitude, and duration of expression of HSV1-tk and CD by PET scanner

  11. Use of an activated beta-catenin to identify Wnt pathway target genes in caenorhabditis elegans, including a subset of collagen genes expressed in late larval development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Belinda M; Abete-Luzi, Patricia; Krause, Michael W; Eisenmann, David M

    2014-04-16

    The Wnt signaling pathway plays a fundamental role during metazoan development, where it regulates diverse processes, including cell fate specification, cell migration, and stem cell renewal. Activation of the beta-catenin-dependent/canonical Wnt pathway up-regulates expression of Wnt target genes to mediate a cellular response. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a canonical Wnt signaling pathway regulates several processes during larval development; however, few target genes of this pathway have been identified. To address this deficit, we used a novel approach of conditionally activated Wnt signaling during a defined stage of larval life by overexpressing an activated beta-catenin protein, then used microarray analysis to identify genes showing altered expression compared with control animals. We identified 166 differentially expressed genes, of which 104 were up-regulated. A subset of the up-regulated genes was shown to have altered expression in mutants with decreased or increased Wnt signaling; we consider these genes to be bona fide C. elegans Wnt pathway targets. Among these was a group of six genes, including the cuticular collagen genes, bli-1 col-38, col-49, and col-71. These genes show a peak of expression in the mid L4 stage during normal development, suggesting a role in adult cuticle formation. Consistent with this finding, reduction of function for several of the genes causes phenotypes suggestive of defects in cuticle function or integrity. Therefore, this work has identified a large number of putative Wnt pathway target genes during larval life, including a small subset of Wnt-regulated collagen genes that may function in synthesis of the adult cuticle.

  12. Targeted Adenoviral Vector Demonstrates Enhanced Efficacy for In Vivo Gene Therapy of Uterine Leiomyoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelaziz, Mohamed; Sherif, Lotfy; ElKhiary, Mostafa; Nair, Sanjeeta; Shalaby, Shahinaz; Mohamed, Sara; Eziba, Noura; El-Lakany, Mohamed; Curiel, David; Ismail, Nahed; Diamond, Michael P; Al-Hendy, Ayman

    2016-04-01

    Gene therapy is a potentially effective non-surgical approach for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma. We demonstrated that targeted adenovirus vector, Ad-SSTR-RGD-TK/GCV, was highly effective in selectively inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation of human leiomyoma cells in vitro while sparing normal myometrial cells. An in-vivo study, to compare efficacy and safety of modified adenovirus vector Ad-SSTR-RGD-TK/GCV versus untargeted vector for treatment of leiomyoma. Female nude mice were implanted with rat leiomyoma cells subcutaneously. Then mice were randomized into three groups. Group 1 received Ad-LacZ (marker gene), Group 2 received untargeted Ad-TK, and Group 3 received the targeted Ad-SSTR-RGD-TK. Tumors were measured weekly for 4 weeks. Then mice were sacrificed and tissue samples were collected. Evaluation of markers of apoptosis, proliferation, extracellular matrix, and angiogenesis was performed using Western Blot & Immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA. Dissemination of adenovirus was assessed by PCR. In comparison with the untargeted vector, the targeted adenoviral vector significantly shrank leiomyoma size (P leiomyoma lesions with both targeted and untargeted adenovirus. Targeted adenovirus, effectively reduces tumor size in leiomyoma without dissemination to other organs. Further evaluation of this localized targeted strategy for gene therapy is needed in appropriate preclinical humanoid animal models in preparation for a future pilot human trial. © The Author(s) 2016.

  13. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in irinotecan-resistant colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Precious Takondwa Makondi

    Full Text Available Acquired drug resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug irinotecan (the active metabolite of which is SN-38 is one of the significant obstacles in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC. The molecular mechanism or targets mediating irinotecan resistance are still unclear. It is urgent to find the irinotecan response biomarkers to improve CRC patients' therapy.Genetic Omnibus Database GSE42387 which contained the gene expression profiles of parental and irinotecan-resistant HCT-116 cell lines was used. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs between parental and irinotecan-resistant cells, protein-protein interactions (PPIs, gene ontologies (GOs and pathway analysis were performed to identify the overall biological changes. The most common DEGs in the PPIs, GOs and pathways were identified and were validated clinically by their ability to predict overall survival and disease free survival. The gene-gene expression correlation and gene-resistance correlation was also evaluated in CRC patients using The Cancer Genomic Atlas data (TCGA.The 135 DEGs were identified of which 36 were upregulated and 99 were down regulated. After mapping the PPI networks, the GOs and the pathways, nine genes (GNAS, PRKACB, MECOM, PLA2G4C, BMP6, BDNF, DLG4, FGF2 and FGF9 were found to be commonly enriched. Signal transduction was the most significant GO and MAPK pathway was the most significant pathway. The five genes (FGF2, FGF9, PRKACB, MECOM and PLA2G4C in the MAPK pathway were all contained in the signal transduction and the levels of those genes were upregulated. The FGF2, FGF9 and MECOM expression were highly associated with CRC patients' survival rate but not PRKACB and PLA2G4C. In addition, FGF9 was also associated with irinotecan resistance and poor disease free survival. FGF2, FGF9 and PRKACB were positively correlated with each other while MECOM correlated positively with FGF9 and PLA2G4C, and correlated negatively with FGF2 and PRKACB after doing gene-gene

  14. A study of the evolution of human microRNAs by their apparent repression effectiveness on target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Huang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Even though the genomes of many model species have already been sequenced, our knowledge of gene regulation in evolution is still very limited. One big obstacle is that it is hard to predict the target genes of transcriptional factors accurately from sequences. In this respect, microRNAs (miRNAs are different from transcriptional factors, as target genes of miRNAs can be readily predicted from sequences. This feature of miRNAs offers an unprecedented vantage point for evolutionary analysis of gene regulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we analyzed a particular aspect of miRNA evolution, the differences in the "apparent repression effectiveness (ARE" between human miRNAs of different conservational levels. ARE is a measure we designed to evaluate the repression effect of miRNAs on target genes based on publicly available gene expression data in normal tissues and miRNA targeting and expression data. We found that ARE values of more conserved miRNAs are significantly higher than those of less conserved miRNAs in general. We also found the gain in expression abundance and broadness of miRNAs in evolution contributed to the gain in ARE. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The ARE measure quantifies the repressive effects of miRNAs and enables us to study the influences of many factors on miRNA-mediated repression, such as conservational levels and expression levels of miRNAs. The gain in ARE can be explained by the existence of a trend of miRNAs in evolution to effectively control more target genes, which is beneficial to the miRNAs but not necessarily to the organism at all times. Our results from miRNAs gave us an insight of the complex interplay between regulators and target genes in evolution.

  15. A multicolor panel of TALE-KRAB based transcriptional repressor vectors enabling knockdown of multiple gene targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhonghui; Wu, Elise; Qian, Zhijian; Wu, Wen-Shu

    2014-12-05

    Stable and efficient knockdown of multiple gene targets is highly desirable for dissection of molecular pathways. Because it allows sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription activator-like effector (TALE) offers a new genetic perturbation technique that allows for gene-specific repression. Here, we constructed a multicolor lentiviral TALE-Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) expression vector platform that enables knockdown of multiple gene targets. This platform is fully compatible with the Golden Gate TALEN and TAL Effector Kit 2.0, a widely used and efficient method for TALE assembly. We showed that this multicolor TALE-KRAB vector system when combined together with bone marrow transplantation could quickly knock down c-kit and PU.1 genes in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells of recipient mice. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that this platform simultaneously knocked down both c-Kit and PU.1 genes in the same primary cell populations. Together, our results suggest that this multicolor TALE-KRAB vector platform is a promising and versatile tool for knockdown of multiple gene targets and could greatly facilitate dissection of molecular pathways.

  16. Insights into the regulation of human CNV-miRNAs from the view of their target genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Xudong

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background microRNAs (miRNAs represent a class of small (typically 22 nucleotides in length non-coding RNAs that can degrade their target mRNAs or block their translation. Recent research showed that copy number alterations of miRNAs and their target genes are highly prevalent in cancers; however, the evolutionary and biological functions of naturally existing copy number variable miRNAs (CNV-miRNAs among individuals have not been studied extensively throughout the genome. Results In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the properties of genes regulated by CNV-miRNAs, and found that CNV-miRNAs tend to target a higher average number of genes and prefer to synergistically regulate the same genes; further, the targets of CNV-miRNAs tend to have higher variability of expression within and between populations. Finally, we found the targets of CNV-miRNAs are more likely to be differentially expressed among tissues and developmental stages, and participate in a wide range of cellular responses. Conclusions Our analyses of CNV-miRNAs provide new insights into the impact of copy number variations on miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional networks. The deeper interpretation of patterns of gene expression variation and the functional characterization of CNV-miRNAs will help to broaden the current understanding of the molecular basis of human phenotypic diversity.

  17. AAV-Mediated Gene Targeting Is Significantly Enhanced by Transient Inhibition of Nonhomologous End Joining or the Proteasome In Vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulk, Nicole K.; Loza, Laura Marquez; Finegold, Milton J.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have clear potential for use in gene targeting but low correction efficiencies remain the primary drawback. One approach to enhancing efficiency is a block of undesired repair pathways like nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) to promote the use of homologous recombination. The natural product vanillin acts as a potent inhibitor of NHEJ by inhibiting DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Using a homology containing rAAV vector, we previously demonstrated in vivo gene repair frequencies of up to 0.1% in a model of liver disease hereditary tyrosinemia type I. To increase targeting frequencies, we administered vanillin in combination with rAAV. Gene targeting frequencies increased up to 10-fold over AAV alone, approaching 1%. Fah−/−Ku70−/− double knockout mice also had increased gene repair frequencies, genetically confirming the beneficial effects of blocking NHEJ. A second strategy, transient proteasomal inhibition, also increased gene-targeting frequencies but was not additive to NHEJ inhibition. This study establishes the benefit of transient NHEJ inhibition with vanillin, or proteasome blockage with bortezomib, for increasing hepatic gene targeting with rAAV. Functional metabolic correction of a clinically relevant disease model was demonstrated and provided evidence for the feasibility of gene targeting as a therapeutic strategy. PMID:22486314

  18. Small changes in gene expression of targeted osmoregulatory genes when exposing marine and freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus to abrupt salinity transfers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annette Taugbøl

    Full Text Available Salinity is one of the key factors that affects metabolism, survival and distribution of fish species, as all fish osmoregulate and euryhaline fish maintain osmotic differences between their extracellular fluid and either freshwater or seawater. The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus is a euryhaline species with populations in both marine and freshwater environments, where the physiological and genomic basis for salinity tolerance adaptation is not fully understood. Therefore, our main objective in this study was to investigate gene expression of three targeted osmoregulatory genes (Na+/K+-ATPase (ATPA13, cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR and a voltage gated potassium channel gene (KCNH4 and one stress related heat shock protein gene (HSP70 in gill tissue from marine and freshwater populations when exposed to non-native salinity for periods ranging from five minutes to three weeks. Overall, the targeted genes showed highly plastic expression profiles, in addition the expression of ATP1A3 was slightly higher in saltwater adapted fish and KCNH4 and HSP70 had slightly higher expression in freshwater. As no pronounced changes were observed in the expression profiles of the targeted genes, this indicates that the osmoregulatory apparatuses of both the marine and landlocked freshwater stickleback population have not been environmentally canalized, but are able to respond plastically to abrupt salinity challenges.

  19. Small changes in gene expression of targeted osmoregulatory genes when exposing marine and freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to abrupt salinity transfers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taugbøl, Annette; Arntsen, Tina; Ostbye, Kjartan; Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn

    2014-01-01

    Salinity is one of the key factors that affects metabolism, survival and distribution of fish species, as all fish osmoregulate and euryhaline fish maintain osmotic differences between their extracellular fluid and either freshwater or seawater. The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a euryhaline species with populations in both marine and freshwater environments, where the physiological and genomic basis for salinity tolerance adaptation is not fully understood. Therefore, our main objective in this study was to investigate gene expression of three targeted osmoregulatory genes (Na+/K+-ATPase (ATPA13), cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) and a voltage gated potassium channel gene (KCNH4) and one stress related heat shock protein gene (HSP70)) in gill tissue from marine and freshwater populations when exposed to non-native salinity for periods ranging from five minutes to three weeks. Overall, the targeted genes showed highly plastic expression profiles, in addition the expression of ATP1A3 was slightly higher in saltwater adapted fish and KCNH4 and HSP70 had slightly higher expression in freshwater. As no pronounced changes were observed in the expression profiles of the targeted genes, this indicates that the osmoregulatory apparatuses of both the marine and landlocked freshwater stickleback population have not been environmentally canalized, but are able to respond plastically to abrupt salinity challenges.

  20. Genome-wide targeted prediction of ABA responsive genes in rice based on over-represented cis-motif in co-expressed genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenka, Sangram K; Lohia, Bikash; Kumar, Abhay; Chinnusamy, Viswanathan; Bansal, Kailash C

    2009-02-01

    Abscisic acid (ABA), the popular plant stress hormone, plays a key role in regulation of sub-set of stress responsive genes. These genes respond to ABA through specific transcription factors which bind to cis-regulatory elements present in their promoters. We discovered the ABA Responsive Element (ABRE) core (ACGT) containing CGMCACGTGB motif as over-represented motif among the promoters of ABA responsive co-expressed genes in rice. Targeted gene prediction strategy using this motif led to the identification of 402 protein coding genes potentially regulated by ABA-dependent molecular genetic network. RT-PCR analysis of arbitrarily chosen 45 genes from the predicted 402 genes confirmed 80% accuracy of our prediction. Plant Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of ABA responsive genes showed enrichment of signal transduction and stress related genes among diverse functional categories.

  1. Homologous gene targeting of a carotenoids biosynthetic gene in Rhodosporidium toruloides by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wenyi; Yang, Xiaobing; Wang, Xueying; Lin, Xinping; Wang, Yanan; Zhang, Sufang; Luan, Yushi; Zhao, Zongbao K

    2017-07-01

    To target a carotenoid biosynthetic gene in the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides by using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) method. The RHTO_04602 locus of R. toruloides NP11, previously assigned to code the carotenoid biosynthetic gene CRTI, was amplified from genomic DNA and cloned into the binary plasmid pZPK-mcs, resulting in pZPK-CRT. A HYG-expression cassette was inserted into the CRTI sequence of pZPK-CRT by utilizing the restriction-free clone strategy. The resulted plasmid was used to transform R. toruloides cells according to the AMT method, leading to a few white transformants. Sequencing analysis of those transformants confirmed homologous recombination and insertional inactivation of CRTI. When the white variants were transformed with a CRTI-expression cassette, cells became red and produced carotenoids as did the wild-type strain NP11. Successful homologous targeting of the CrtI locus confirmed the function of RHTO_04602 in carotenoids biosynthesis in R. toruloides. It provided valuable information for metabolic engineering of this non-model yeast species.

  2. Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seong-Jun [Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Hosup, E-mail: shim@dku.edu [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physiology, Dankook University School of Medicine, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-03

    Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies.

  3. Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung; Choi, Seong-Jun; Shim, Hosup

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies

  4. Barriers to Liposomal Gene Delivery: from Application Site to the Target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saffari, Mostafa; Moghimi, Hamid Reza; Dass, Crispin R

    2016-01-01

    Gene therapy is a therapeutic approach to deliver genetic material into cells to alter their function in entire organism. One promising form of gene delivery system (DDS) is liposomes. The success of liposome-mediated gene delivery is a multifactorial issue and well-designed liposomal systems might lead to optimized gene transfection particularly in vivo. Liposomal gene delivery systems face different barriers from their site of application to their target, which is inside the cells. These barriers include presystemic obstacles (epithelial barriers), systemic barriers in blood circulation and cellular barriers. Epithelial barriers differ depending on the route of administration. Systemic barriers include enzymatic degradation, binding and opsonisation. Both of these barriers can act as limiting hurdles that genetic material and their vector should overcome before reaching the cells. Finally liposomes should overcome cellular barriers that include cell entrance, endosomal escape and nuclear uptake. These barriers and their impact on liposomal gene delivery will be discussed in this review.

  5. Regulation, overexpression, and target gene identification of Potato Homeobox 15 (POTH15) – a class-I KNOX gene in potato

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahajan, Ameya S.; Kondhare, Kirtikumar R.; Rajabhoj, Mohit P.; Kumar, Amit; Ghate, Tejashree; Ravindran, Nevedha; Habib, Farhat; Siddappa, Sundaresha; Banerjee, Anjan K.

    2016-01-01

    Potato Homeobox 15 (POTH15) is a KNOX-I (Knotted1-like homeobox) family gene in potato that is orthologous to Shoot Meristemless (STM) in Arabidopsis. Despite numerous reports on KNOX genes from different species, studies in potato are limited. Here, we describe photoperiodic regulation of POTH15, its overexpression phenotype, and identification of its potential targets in potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. andigena). qRT-PCR analysis showed a higher abundance of POTH15 mRNA in shoot tips and stolons under tuber-inducing short-day conditions. POTH15 promoter activity was detected in apical and axillary meristems, stolon tips, tuber eyes, and meristems of tuber sprouts, indicating its role in meristem maintenance and leaf development. POTH15 overexpression altered multiple morphological traits including leaf and stem development, leaflet number, and number of nodes and branches. In particular, the rachis of the leaf was completely reduced and leaves appeared as a bouquet of leaflets. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of 35S::GUS and two POTH15 overexpression lines identified more than 6000 differentially expressed genes, including 2014 common genes between the two overexpression lines. Functional analysis of these genes revealed their involvement in responses to hormones, biotic/abiotic stresses, transcription regulation, and signal transduction. qRT-PCR of selected candidate target genes validated their differential expression in both overexpression lines. Out of 200 randomly chosen POTH15 targets, 173 were found to have at least one tandem TGAC core motif, characteristic of KNOX interaction, within 3.0kb in the upstream sequence of the transcription start site. Overall, this study provides insights to the role of POTH15 in controlling diverse developmental processes in potato. PMID:27217546

  6. Recent advances in dendrimer-based nanovectors for tumor-targeted drug and gene delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesharwani, Prashant; Iyer, Arun K.

    2015-01-01

    Advances in the application of nanotechnology in medicine have given rise to multifunctional smart nanocarriers that can be engineered with tunable physicochemical characteristics to deliver one or more therapeutic agent(s) safely and selectively to cancer cells, including intracellular organelle-specific targeting. Dendrimers having properties resembling biomolecules, with well-defined 3D nanopolymeric architectures, are emerging as a highly attractive class of drug and gene delivery vector. The presence of numerous peripheral functional groups on hyperbranched dendrimers affords efficient conjugation of targeting ligands and biomarkers that can recognize and bind to receptors overexpressed on cancer cells for tumor-cell-specific delivery. The present review compiles the recent advances in dendrimer-mediated drug and gene delivery to tumors by passive and active targeting principles with illustrative examples. PMID:25555748

  7. Identification of estrogen target genes during zebrafish embryonic development through transcriptomic analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruixin Hao

    Full Text Available Estrogen signaling is important for vertebrate embryonic development. Here we have used zebrafish (Danio rerio as a vertebrate model to analyze estrogen signaling during development. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 1 µM 17β-estradiol (E2 or vehicle from 3 hours to 4 days post fertilization (dpf, harvested at 1, 2, 3 and 4 dpf, and subjected to RNA extraction for transcriptome analysis using microarrays. Differentially expressed genes by E2-treatment were analyzed with hierarchical clustering followed by biological process and tissue enrichment analysis. Markedly distinct sets of genes were up and down-regulated by E2 at the four different time points. Among these genes, only the well-known estrogenic marker vtg1 was co-regulated at all time points. Despite this, the biological functional categories targeted by E2 were relatively similar throughout zebrafish development. According to knowledge-based tissue enrichment, estrogen responsive genes were clustered mainly in the liver, pancreas and brain. This was in line with the developmental dynamics of estrogen-target tissues that were visualized using transgenic zebrafish containing estrogen responsive elements driving the expression of GFP (Tg(5xERE:GFP. Finally, the identified embryonic estrogen-responsive genes were compared to already published estrogen-responsive genes identified in male adult zebrafish (Gene Expression Omnibus database. The expressions of a few genes were co-regulated by E2 in both embryonic and adult zebrafish. These could potentially be used as estrogenic biomarkers for exposure to estrogens or estrogenic endocrine disruptors in zebrafish. In conclusion, our data suggests that estrogen effects on early embryonic zebrafish development are stage- and tissue- specific.

  8. Glycoengineering of Human Cell Lines Using Zinc Finger Nuclease Gene Targeting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steentoft, Catharina; Bennett, Eric Paul; Clausen, Henrik

    2013-01-01

    Lectin affinity chromatography is a powerful technique for isolation of glycoproteins carrying a specific glycan structure of interest. However, the enormous diversity of glycans present on the cell surface, as well as on individual proteins, makes it difficult to isolate an entire glycoproteome...... with one or even a series of lectins. Here we present a technique to generate cell lines with homogenous truncated O-glycans using zinc finger nuclease gene targeting. Because of their simplified O-glycoproteome, the cells have been named SimpleCells. Glycoproteins from SimpleCells can be isolated...... in a single purification step by lectin chromatography performed on a long lectin column. This protocol describes Zinc finger nuclease gene targeting of human cells to simplify the glycoproteome, as well as lectin chromatography and isolation of glycopeptides from total cell lysates of SimpleCells....

  9. Reprogramming of the ERRα and ERα target gene landscape triggers tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thewes, Verena; Simon, Ronald; Schroeter, Petra; Schlotter, Magdalena; Anzeneder, Tobias; Büttner, Reinhard; Benes, Vladimir; Sauter, Guido; Burwinkel, Barbara; Nicholson, Robert I; Sinn, Hans-Peter; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Deuschle, Ulrich; Zapatka, Marc; Heck, Stefanie; Lichter, Peter

    2015-02-15

    Endocrine treatment regimens for breast cancer that target the estrogen receptor-α (ERα) are effective, but acquired resistance remains a limiting drawback. One mechanism of acquired resistance that has been hypothesized is functional substitution of the orphan receptor estrogen-related receptor-α (ERRα) for ERα. To examine this hypothesis, we analyzed ERRα and ERα in recurrent tamoxifen-resistant breast tumors and conducted a genome-wide target gene profiling analysis of MCF-7 breast cancer cell populations that were sensitive or resistant to tamoxifen treatment. This analysis uncovered a global redirection in the target genes controlled by ERα, ERRα, and their coactivator AIB1, defining a novel set of target genes in tamoxifen-resistant cells. Beyond differences in the ERα and ERRα target gene repertoires, both factors were engaged in similar pathobiologic processes relevant to acquired resistance. Functional analyses confirmed a requirement for ERRα in tamoxifen- and fulvestrant-resistant MCF-7 cells, with pharmacologic inhibition of ERRα sufficient to partly restore sensitivity to antiestrogens. In clinical specimens (n = 1041), increased expression of ERRα was associated with enhanced proliferation and aggressive disease parameters, including increased levels of p53 in ERα-positive cases. In addition, increased ERRα expression was linked to reduced overall survival in independent tamoxifen-treated patient cohorts. Taken together, our results suggest that ERα and ERRα cooperate to promote endocrine resistance, and they provide a rationale for the exploration of ERRα as a candidate drug target to treat endocrine-resistant breast cancer. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  10. Metabolic modeling to identify engineering targets for Komagataella phaffii: The effect of biomass composition on gene target identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cankorur-Cetinkaya, Ayca; Dikicioglu, Duygu; Oliver, Stephen G

    2017-11-01

    Genome-scale metabolic models are valuable tools for the design of novel strains of industrial microorganisms, such as Komagataella phaffii (syn. Pichia pastoris). However, as is the case for many industrial microbes, there is no executable metabolic model for K. phaffiii that confirms to current standards by providing the metabolite and reactions IDs, to facilitate model extension and reuse, and gene-reaction associations to enable identification of targets for genetic manipulation. In order to remedy this deficiency, we decided to reconstruct the genome-scale metabolic model of K. phaffii by reconciling the extant models and performing extensive manual curation in order to construct an executable model (Kp.1.0) that conforms to current standards. We then used this model to study the effect of biomass composition on the predictive success of the model. Twelve different biomass compositions obtained from published empirical data obtained under a range of growth conditions were employed in this investigation. We found that the success of Kp1.0 in predicting both gene essentiality and growth characteristics was relatively unaffected by biomass composition. However, we found that biomass composition had a profound effect on the distribution of the fluxes involved in lipid, DNA, and steroid biosynthetic processes, cellular alcohol metabolic process, and oxidation-reduction process. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of biomass composition on the identification of suitable target genes for strain development. The analyses revealed that around 40% of the predictions of the effect of gene overexpression or deletion changed depending on the representation of biomass composition in the model. Considering the robustness of the in silico flux distributions to the changing biomass representations enables better interpretation of experimental results, reduces the risk of wrong target identification, and so both speeds and improves the process of directed strain development

  11. Targeted repression of AXIN2 and MYC gene expression using designer TALEs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rennoll, Sherri A.; Scott, Samantha A.; Yochum, Gregory S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We designed TALE–SID fusion proteins to target AXIN2 and MYC. • TALE–SIDs bound the chromosomal AXIN2 and MYC genes and repressed their expression. • TALE–SIDs repress β-catenin S45F -dependent AXIN2 and MYC transcription. - Abstract: Designer TALEs (dTALEs) are chimeric transcription factors that can be engineered to regulate gene expression in mammalian cells. Whether dTALEs can block gene transcription downstream of signal transduction cascades, however, has yet to be fully explored. Here we tested whether dTALEs can be used to target genes whose expression is controlled by Wnt/β-catenin signaling. TALE DNA binding domains were engineered to recognize sequences adjacent to Wnt responsive enhancer elements (WREs) that control expression of axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) and c-MYC (MYC). These custom DNA binding domains were linked to the mSin3A interaction domain (SID) to generate TALE–SID chimeric repressors. The TALE–SIDs repressed luciferase reporter activity, bound their genomic target sites, and repressed AXIN2 and MYC expression in HEK293 cells. We generated a novel HEK293 cell line to determine whether the TALE–SIDs could function downstream of oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Treating these cells with doxycycline and tamoxifen stimulates nuclear accumulation of a stabilized form of β-catenin found in a subset of colorectal cancers. The TALE–SIDs repressed AXIN2 and MYC expression in these cells, which suggests that dTALEs could offer an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer

  12. Targeted repression of AXIN2 and MYC gene expression using designer TALEs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rennoll, Sherri A.; Scott, Samantha A.; Yochum, Gregory S., E-mail: gsy3@psu.edu

    2014-04-18

    Highlights: • We designed TALE–SID fusion proteins to target AXIN2 and MYC. • TALE–SIDs bound the chromosomal AXIN2 and MYC genes and repressed their expression. • TALE–SIDs repress β-catenin{sup S45F}-dependent AXIN2 and MYC transcription. - Abstract: Designer TALEs (dTALEs) are chimeric transcription factors that can be engineered to regulate gene expression in mammalian cells. Whether dTALEs can block gene transcription downstream of signal transduction cascades, however, has yet to be fully explored. Here we tested whether dTALEs can be used to target genes whose expression is controlled by Wnt/β-catenin signaling. TALE DNA binding domains were engineered to recognize sequences adjacent to Wnt responsive enhancer elements (WREs) that control expression of axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) and c-MYC (MYC). These custom DNA binding domains were linked to the mSin3A interaction domain (SID) to generate TALE–SID chimeric repressors. The TALE–SIDs repressed luciferase reporter activity, bound their genomic target sites, and repressed AXIN2 and MYC expression in HEK293 cells. We generated a novel HEK293 cell line to determine whether the TALE–SIDs could function downstream of oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Treating these cells with doxycycline and tamoxifen stimulates nuclear accumulation of a stabilized form of β-catenin found in a subset of colorectal cancers. The TALE–SIDs repressed AXIN2 and MYC expression in these cells, which suggests that dTALEs could offer an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

  13. Simple and Efficient Targeting of Multiple Genes Through CRISPR-Cas9 in Physcomitrella patens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauricio Lopez-Obando

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Powerful genome editing technologies are needed for efficient gene function analysis. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has been adapted as an efficient gene-knock-out technology in a variety of species. However, in a number of situations, knocking out or modifying a single gene is not sufficient; this is particularly true for genes belonging to a common family, or for genes showing redundant functions. Like many plants, the model organism Physcomitrella patens has experienced multiple events of polyploidization during evolution that has resulted in a number of families of duplicated genes. Here, we report a robust CRISPR-Cas9 system, based on the codelivery of a CAS9 expressing cassette, multiple sgRNA vectors, and a cassette for transient transformation selection, for gene knock-out in multiple gene families. We demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated targeting of five different genes allows the selection of a quintuple mutant, and all possible subcombinations of mutants, in one experiment, with no mutations detected in potential off-target sequences. Furthermore, we confirmed the observation that the presence of repeats in the vicinity of the cutting region favors deletion due to the alternative end joining pathway, for which induced frameshift mutations can be potentially predicted. Because the number of multiple gene families in Physcomitrella is substantial, this tool opens new perspectives to study the role of expanded gene families in the colonization of land by plants.

  14. Efficient four fragment cloning for the construction of vectors for targeted gene replacement in filamentous fungi

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Rasmus John Normand; Andersson, Jens A.; Kristensen, Matilde Bylov

    2008-01-01

    Background: The rapid increase in whole genome fungal sequence information allows large scale functional analyses of target genes. Efficient transformation methods to obtain site-directed gene replacement, targeted over-expression by promoter replacement, in-frame epitope tagging or fusion...... of coding sequences with fluorescent markers such as GFP are essential for this process. Construction of vectors for these experiments depends on the directional cloning of two homologous recombination sequences on each side of a selection marker gene. Results: Here, we present a USER Friendly cloning based...

  15. PDGF-receptor beta-targeted adenovirus redirects gene transfer from hepatocytes to activated stellate cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schoemaker, Marieke H.; Rots, Marianne G.; Beljaars, Leonie; Ypma, Arjen Y.; Jansen, Peter L. M.; Poelstra, Klaas; Moshage, Albert; Haisma, Hidde J.

    2008-01-01

    Chronic liver damage may lead to liver fibrosis. In this process, hepatic activated stellate cells are the key players. Thus, activated stellate cells are attractive targets for antifibrotic gene therapy. Recombinant, adenovirus is a promising vehicle for delivering therapeutic genes to liver cells.

  16. Production of cloned pigs with targeted attenuation of gene expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vilceu Bordignon

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to demonstrate that RNA interference (RNAi and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT technologies can be used to attenuate the expression of specific genes in tissues of swine, a large animal species. Apolipoprotein E (apoE, a secreted glycoprotein known for its major role in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and transport, was selected as the target gene for this study. Three synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNA targeting the porcine apoE mRNA were tested in porcine granulosa cells in primary culture and reduced apoE mRNA abundance ranging from 45-82% compared to control cells. The most effective sequence was selected for cloning into a short hairpin RNA (shRNA expression vector under the control of RNA polymerase III (U6 promoter. Stably transfected fetal porcine fibroblast cells were generated and used to produce embryos with in vitro matured porcine oocytes, which were then transferred into the uterus of surrogate gilts. Seven live and one stillborn piglet were born from three gilts that became pregnant. Integration of the shRNA expression vector into the genome of clone piglets was confirmed by PCR and expression of the GFP transgene linked to the expression vector. Analysis showed that apoE protein levels in the liver and plasma of the clone pigs bearing the shRNA expression vector targeting the apoE mRNA was significantly reduced compared to control pigs cloned from non-transfected fibroblasts of the same cell line. These results demonstrate the feasibility of applying RNAi and SCNT technologies for introducing stable genetic modifications in somatic cells for eventual attenuation of gene expression in vivo in large animal species.

  17. Kinase Gene Expression Profiling of Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Tissue Identifies Potential New Therapeutic Targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooja Ghatalia

    Full Text Available Kinases are therapeutically actionable targets. Kinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR improve outcomes in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC, but are not curative. Metastatic tumor tissue has not been comprehensively studied for kinase gene expression. Paired intra-patient kinase gene expression analysis in primary tumor (T, matched normal kidney (N and metastatic tumor tissue (M may assist in identifying drivers of metastasis and prioritizing therapeutic targets. We compared the expression of 519 kinase genes using NanoString in T, N and M in 35 patients to discover genes over-expressed in M compared to T and N tissue. RNA-seq data derived from ccRCC tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA were used to demonstrate differential expression of genes in primary tumor tissue from patients that had metastasis at baseline (n = 79 compared to those that did not develop metastasis for at least 2 years (n = 187. Functional analysis was conducted to identify key signaling pathways by using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Of 10 kinase genes overexpressed in metastases compared to primary tumor in the discovery cohort, 9 genes were also differentially expressed in TCGA primary tumors with metastasis at baseline compared to primary tumors without metastasis for at least 2 years: EPHB2, AURKA, GSG2, IKBKE, MELK, CSK, CHEK2, CDC7 and MAP3K8; p<0.001. The top pathways overexpressed in M tissue were pyridoxal 5'-phosphate salvage, salvage pathways of pyrimidine ribonucleotides, NF-kB signaling, NGF signaling and cell cycle control of chromosomal replication. The 9 kinase genes validated to be over-expressed in metastatic ccRCC may represent currently unrecognized but potentially actionable therapeutic targets that warrant functional validation.

  18. Isolation and expression analysis of four HD-ZIP III family genes targeted by microRNA166 in peach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C H; Zhang, B B; Ma, R J; Yu, M L; Guo, S L; Guo, L

    2015-10-30

    MicroRNA166 (miR166) is known to have highly conserved targets that encode proteins of the class III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP III) family, in a broad range of plant species. To further understand the relationship between HD-ZIP III genes and miR166, four HD-ZIP III family genes (PpHB14, PpHB15, PpHB8, and PpREV) were isolated from peach (Prunus persica) tissue and characterized. Spatio-temporal expression profiles of the genes were analyzed. Genes of the peach HD-ZIP III family were predicted to encode five conserved domains. Deduced amino acid sequences and tertiary structures of the four peach HD-ZIP III genes were highly conserved, with corresponding genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression level of four targets displayed the opposite trend to that of miR166 throughout fruit development, with the exception of PpHB14 from 35 to 55 days after full bloom (DAFB). This finding indicates that miR166 may negatively regulate its four targets throughout fruit development. As for leaf and phloem, the same trend in expression level was observed between four targets and miR166 from 75 to 105 DAFB. However, the opposite trend was observed for the transcript level between four targets and miR166 from 35 to 55 DAFB. miRNA166 may negatively regulate four targets in some but not all developmental stages for a given tissue. The four genes studied were observed to have, exactly or generally, the same change tendency as individual tissue development, a finding that suggests genes of the HD-ZIP III family in peach may have complementary or cooperative functions in various tissues.

  19. The SET1 Complex Selects Actively Transcribed Target Genes via Multivalent Interaction with CpG Island Chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David A. Brown

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin modifications and the promoter-associated epigenome are important for the regulation of gene expression. However, the mechanisms by which chromatin-modifying complexes are targeted to the appropriate gene promoters in vertebrates and how they influence gene expression have remained poorly defined. Here, using a combination of live-cell imaging and functional genomics, we discover that the vertebrate SET1 complex is targeted to actively transcribed gene promoters through CFP1, which engages in a form of multivalent chromatin reading that involves recognition of non-methylated DNA and histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3. CFP1 defines SET1 complex occupancy on chromatin, and its multivalent interactions are required for the SET1 complex to place H3K4me3. In the absence of CFP1, gene expression is perturbed, suggesting that normal targeting and function of the SET1 complex are central to creating an appropriately functioning vertebrate promoter-associated epigenome.

  20. Targeted delivery of genes to endothelial cells and cell- and gene-based therapy in pulmonary vascular diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suen, Colin M; Mei, Shirley H J; Kugathasan, Lakshmi; Stewart, Duncan J

    2013-10-01

    Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease that, despite significant advances in medical therapies over the last several decades, continues to have an extremely poor prognosis. Gene therapy is a method to deliver therapeutic genes to replace defective or mutant genes or supplement existing cellular processes to modify disease. Over the last few decades, several viral and nonviral methods of gene therapy have been developed for preclinical PAH studies with varying degrees of efficacy. However, these gene delivery methods face challenges of immunogenicity, low transduction rates, and nonspecific targeting which have limited their translation to clinical studies. More recently, the emergence of regenerative approaches using stem and progenitor cells such as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have offered a new approach to gene therapy. Cell-based gene therapy is an approach that augments the therapeutic potential of EPCs and MSCs and may deliver on the promise of reversal of established PAH. These new regenerative approaches have shown tremendous potential in preclinical studies; however, large, rigorously designed clinical studies will be necessary to evaluate clinical efficacy and safety. © 2013 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 3:1749-1779, 2013.

  1. An animal model for Norrie disease (ND): gene targeting of the mouse ND gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, W; van de Pol, D; Bächner, D; Oerlemans, F; Winkens, H; Hameister, H; Wieringa, B; Hendriks, W; Ropers, H H

    1996-01-01

    In order to elucidate the cellular and molecular processes which are involved in Norrie disease (ND), we have used gene targeting technology to generate ND mutant mice. The murine homologue of the ND gene was cloned and shown to encode a polypeptide that shares 94% of the amino acid sequence with its human counterpart. RNA in situ hybridization revealed expression in retina, brain and the olfactory bulb and epithelium of 2 week old mice. Hemizygous mice carrying a replacement mutation in exon 2 of the ND gene developed retrolental structures in the vitreous body and showed an overall disorganization of the retinal ganglion cell layer. The outer plexiform layer disappears occasionally, resulting in a juxtaposed inner and outer nuclear layer. At the same regions, the outer segments of the photoreceptor cell layer are no longer present. These ocular findings are consistent with observations in ND patients and the generated mouse line provides a faithful model for study of early pathogenic events in this severe X-linked recessive neurological disorder.

  2. Identification of the human ApoAV gene as a novel ROR{alpha} target gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lind, Ulrika [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); Nilsson, Tina [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); McPheat, Jane [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); Stroemstedt, Per-Erik [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); Bamberg, Krister [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); Balendran, Clare [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden); Kang, Daiwu [Department of Molecular Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R and D Moelndal (Sweden)

    2005-04-29

    Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-{alpha} (ROR{alpha}) (NR1F1) is an orphan nuclear receptor with a potential role in metabolism. Previous studies have shown that ROR{alpha} regulates transcription of the murine Apolipoprotein AI gene and human Apolipoprotein CIII genes. In the present study, we present evidence that ROR{alpha} also induces transcription of the human Apolipoprotein AV gene, a recently identified apolipoprotein associated with triglyceride levels. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of ROR{alpha} increased the endogenous expression of ApoAV in HepG2 cells and ROR{alpha} also enhanced the activity of an ApoAV promoter construct in transiently transfected HepG2 cells. Deletion and mutation studies identified three AGGTCA motifs in the ApoAV promoter that mediate ROR{alpha} transactivation, one of which overlaps with a previously identified binding site for PPAR{alpha}. Together, these results suggest a novel mechanism whereby ROR{alpha} modulates lipid metabolism and implies ROR{alpha} as a potential target for the treatment of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis.

  3. Network motif-based identification of transcription factor-target gene relationships by integrating multi-source biological data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de los Reyes Benildo G

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Integrating data from multiple global assays and curated databases is essential to understand the spatio-temporal interactions within cells. Different experiments measure cellular processes at various widths and depths, while databases contain biological information based on established facts or published data. Integrating these complementary datasets helps infer a mutually consistent transcriptional regulatory network (TRN with strong similarity to the structure of the underlying genetic regulatory modules. Decomposing the TRN into a small set of recurring regulatory patterns, called network motifs (NM, facilitates the inference. Identifying NMs defined by specific transcription factors (TF establishes the framework structure of a TRN and allows the inference of TF-target gene relationship. This paper introduces a computational framework for utilizing data from multiple sources to infer TF-target gene relationships on the basis of NMs. The data include time course gene expression profiles, genome-wide location analysis data, binding sequence data, and gene ontology (GO information. Results The proposed computational framework was tested using gene expression data associated with cell cycle progression in yeast. Among 800 cell cycle related genes, 85 were identified as candidate TFs and classified into four previously defined NMs. The NMs for a subset of TFs are obtained from literature. Support vector machine (SVM classifiers were used to estimate NMs for the remaining TFs. The potential downstream target genes for the TFs were clustered into 34 biologically significant groups. The relationships between TFs and potential target gene clusters were examined by training recurrent neural networks whose topologies mimic the NMs to which the TFs are classified. The identified relationships between TFs and gene clusters were evaluated using the following biological validation and statistical analyses: (1 Gene set enrichment

  4. Human synthetic lethal inference as potential anti-cancer target gene detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Solé Ricard V

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Two genes are called synthetic lethal (SL if mutation of either alone is not lethal, but mutation of both leads to death or a significant decrease in organism's fitness. The detection of SL gene pairs constitutes a promising alternative for anti-cancer therapy. As cancer cells exhibit a large number of mutations, the identification of these mutated genes' SL partners may provide specific anti-cancer drug candidates, with minor perturbations to the healthy cells. Since existent SL data is mainly restricted to yeast screenings, the road towards human SL candidates is limited to inference methods. Results In the present work, we use phylogenetic analysis and database manipulation (BioGRID for interactions, Ensembl and NCBI for homology, Gene Ontology for GO attributes in order to reconstruct the phylogenetically-inferred SL gene network for human. In addition, available data on cancer mutated genes (COSMIC and Cancer Gene Census databases as well as on existent approved drugs (DrugBank database supports our selection of cancer-therapy candidates. Conclusions Our work provides a complementary alternative to the current methods for drug discovering and gene target identification in anti-cancer research. Novel SL screening analysis and the use of highly curated databases would contribute to improve the results of this methodology.

  5. siRNAs targeting PB2 and NP genes potentially inhibit replication

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    % and has caused the death or culling of millions of poultry since 2003. In this study, we have designed three siRNAs (PB2-2235, PB2-479 and NP-865) targeting PB2 and NP genes of avian influenza virus and evaluated their potential, ...

  6. Stimulation of autophagy by the p53 target gene Sestrin2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Malik, Shoaib Ahmad; Morselli, Eugenia; Kepp, Oliver; Criollo, Alfredo; Mouchel, Pierre-Luc; Carnuccio, Rosa; Kroemer, Guido

    2009-05-15

    The oncosuppressor protein p53 regulates autophagy in a dual fashion. The pool of cytoplasmic p53 protein represses autophagy in a transcription-independent fashion, while the pool of nuclear p53 stimulates autophagy through the transactivation of specific genes. Here we report the discovery that Sestrin2, a novel p53 target gene, is involved in the induction of autophagy. Depletion of Sestrin2 by RNA interference reduced the level of autophagy in a panel of p53-sufficient human cancer cell lines responding to distinct autophagy inducers. In quantitative terms, Sestrin2 depletion was as efficient in preventing autophagy induction as was the depletion of Dram, another p53 target gene. Knockout of either Sestrin2 or Dram reduced autophagy elicited by nutrient depletion, rapamycin, lithium or thapsigargin. Moreover, autophagy induction by nutrient depletion or pharmacological stimuli led to an increase in Sestrin2 expression levels in p53-proficient cells. In strict contrast, the depletion of Sestrin2 or Dram failed to affect autophagy in p53-deficient cells and did not modulate the inhibition of baseline autophagy by a cytoplasmic p53 mutant that was reintroduced into p53-deficient cells. We conclude that Sestrin2 acts as a positive regulator of autophagy in p53-proficient cells.

  7. HIV-derived vectors for gene therapy targeting dendritic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossetti, Maura; Cavarelli, Mariangela; Gregori, Silvia; Scarlatti, Gabriella

    2013-01-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-derived lentiviral vectors (LV) have the potential to mediate stable therapeutic gene transfer. However, similarly to other viral vectors, their benefit is compromised by the induction of an immune response toward transgene-expressing cells that closely mimics antiviral immunity. LV share with the parental HIV the ability to activate dendritic cells (DC), while lack the peculiar ability of subverting DC functions, which is responsible for HIV immune escape. Understanding the interaction between LV and DC, with plasmacytoid and myeloid DC playing fundamental and distinct roles, has paved the way to novel approaches aimed at regulating transgene-specific immune responses. Thanks to the ability to target either DC subsets LV might be a powerful tool to induce immunity (i.e., gene therapy of cancer), cell death (i.e., in HIV/AIDS infection), or tolerance (i.e., gene therapy strategies for monogenic diseases). In this chapter, similarities and differences between the LV-mediated and HIV-mediated induction of immune responses, with specific focus on their interactions with DC, are discussed.

  8. Small-molecule screen identifies modulators of EWS/FLI1 target gene expression and cell survival in Ewing's sarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boro, Aleksandar; Prêtre, Kathya; Rechfeld, Florian; Thalhammer, Verena; Oesch, Susanne; Wachtel, Marco; Schäfer, Beat W; Niggli, Felix K

    2012-11-01

    Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (EFT) is characterized by the presence of chromosomal translocations leading to the expression of oncogenic transcription factors such as, in the majority of cases, EWS/FLI1. Because of its key role in Ewing's sarcoma development and maintenance, EWS/FLI1 represents an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we characterize PHLDA1 as a novel direct target gene whose expression is repressed by EWS/FLI1. Using this gene and additional specific well-characterized target genes such as NROB1, NKX2.2 and CAV1, all activated by EWS/FLI1, as a read-out system, we screened a small-molecule compound library enriched for FDA-approved drugs that modulated the expression of EWS/FLI1 target genes. Among a hit-list of nine well-known drugs such as camptothecin, fenretinide, etoposide and doxorubicin, we also identified the kinase inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412). Subsequent experiments demonstrated that midostaurin is able to induce apoptosis in a panel of six Ewing's sarcoma cell lines in vitro and can significantly suppress xenograft tumor growth in vivo. These results suggest that midostaurin might be a novel drug that is active against Ewing's cells, which might act by modulating the expression of EWS/FLI1 target genes. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

  9. Target gene expression levels and competition between transfected and endogenous microRNAs are strong confounding factors in microRNA high-throughput experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background MicroRNA (miRNA) target genes tend to have relatively long and conserved 3' untranslated regions (UTRs), but to what degree these characteristics contribute to miRNA targeting is poorly understood. Different high-throughput experiments have, for example, shown that miRNAs preferentially regulate genes with both short and long 3' UTRs and that target site conservation is both important and irrelevant for miRNA targeting. Results We have analyzed several gene context-dependent features, including 3' UTR length, 3' UTR conservation, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels, reported to have conflicting influence on miRNA regulation. By taking into account confounding factors such as technology-dependent experimental bias and competition between transfected and endogenous miRNAs, we show that two factors - target gene expression and competition - could explain most of the previously reported experimental differences. Moreover, we find that these and other target site-independent features explain about the same amount of variation in target gene expression as the target site-dependent features included in the TargetScan model. Conclusions Our results show that it is important to consider confounding factors when interpreting miRNA high throughput experiments and urge special caution when using microarray data to compare average regulatory effects between groups of genes that have different average gene expression levels. PMID:22325809

  10. Computational design and application of endogenous promoters for transcriptionally targeted gene therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geurts, J.; Joosten, L.A.B.; Takahashi, N.; Arntz, O.J.; Gluck, A.; Bennink, M.B.; Berg, W.B. van den; Loo, F.A.J. van de

    2009-01-01

    The promoter regions of genes that are differentially regulated in the synovial membrane during the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represent attractive candidates for application in transcriptionally targeted gene therapy. In this study, we applied an unbiased computational approach to define

  11. Selective Inhibition of Histone Deacetylation in Melanoma Increases Targeted Gene Delivery by a Bacteriophage Viral Vector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Campbell

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The previously developed adeno-associated virus/phage (AAVP vector, a hybrid between M13 bacteriophage (phage viruses that infect bacteria only and human Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV, is a promising tool in targeted gene therapy against cancer. AAVP can be administered systemically and made tissue specific through the use of ligand-directed targeting. Cancer cells and tumor-associated blood vessels overexpress the αν integrin receptors, which are involved in tumor angiogenesis and tumor invasion. AAVP is targeted to these integrins via a double cyclic RGD4C ligand displayed on the phage capsid. Nevertheless, there remain significant host-defense hurdles to the use of AAVP in targeted gene delivery and subsequently in gene therapy. We previously reported that histone deacetylation in cancer constitutes a barrier to AAVP. Herein, to improve AAVP-mediated gene delivery to cancer cells, we combined the vector with selective adjuvant chemicals that inhibit specific histone deacetylases (HDAC. We examined the effects of the HDAC inhibitor C1A that mainly targets HDAC6 and compared this to sodium butyrate, a pan-HDAC inhibitor with broad spectrum HDAC inhibition. We tested the effects on melanoma, known for HDAC6 up-regulation, and compared this side by side with a normal human kidney HEK293 cell line. Varying concentrations were tested to determine cytotoxic levels as well as effects on AAVP gene delivery. We report that the HDAC inhibitor C1A increased AAVP-mediated transgene expression by up to ~9-fold. These findings indicate that selective HDAC inhibition is a promising adjuvant treatment for increasing the therapeutic value of AAVP.

  12. Non-viral gene therapy that targets motor neurons in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary-Louise eRogers

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available A major challenge in neurological gene therapy is safe delivery of transgenes to sufficient cell numbers from the circulation or periphery. This is particularly difficult for diseases involving spinal cord motor neurons such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. We have examined the feasibility of non-viral gene delivery to spinal motor neurons from intraperitoneal injections of plasmids carried by ‘immunogene’ nanoparticles targeted for axonal retrograde transport using antibodies. PEGylated polyethylenimine (PEI-PEG12 as DNA carrier was conjugated to an antibody (MLR2 to the neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR. We used a plasmid (pVIVO2 designed for in vivo gene delivery that produces minimal immune responses, has improved nuclear entry into post mitotic cells and also expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP. MLR2-PEI-PEG12 carried pVIVO2 and was specific for mouse motor neurons in mixed cultures containing astrocytes. While only 8% of motor neurons expressed GFP 72 h post transfection in vitro, when the immunogene was given intraperitonealy to neonatal C57BL/6J mice GFP specific motor neuron expression was observed in 25.4% of lumbar, 18.3% of thoracic and 17.0 % of cervical motor neurons, 72 h post transfection. PEI-PEG12 carrying pVIVO2 by itself did not transfect motor neurons in vivo, demonstrating the need for specificity via the p75NTR antibody MLR2. This is the first time that specific transfection of spinal motor neurons has been achieved from peripheral delivery of plasmid DNA as part of a non-viral gene delivery agent. These results stress the specificity and feasibility of immunogene delivery targeted for p75NTR expressing motor neurons, but suggests that further improvements are required to increase the transfection efficiency of motor neurons in vivo.

  13. Generation of gene-modified goats targeting MSTN and FGF5 via zygote injection of CRISPR/Cas9 system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaolong; Yu, Honghao; Lei, Anmin; Zhou, Jiankui; Zeng, Wenxian; Zhu, Haijing; Dong, Zhiming; Niu, Yiyuan; Shi, Bingbo; Cai, Bei; Liu, Jinwang; Huang, Shuai; Yan, Hailong; Zhao, Xiaoe; Zhou, Guangxian; He, Xiaoling; Chen, Xiaoxu; Yang, Yuxin; Jiang, Yu; Shi, Lei; Tian, Xiue; Wang, Yongjun; Ma, Baohua; Huang, Xingxu; Qu, Lei; Chen, Yulin

    2015-01-01

    Recent advances in the study of the CRISPR/Cas9 system have provided a precise and versatile approach for genome editing in various species. However, the applicability and efficiency of this method in large animal models, such as the goat, have not been extensively studied. Here, by co-injection of one-cell stage embryos with Cas9 mRNA and sgRNAs targeting two functional genes (MSTN and FGF5), we successfully produced gene-modified goats with either one or both genes disrupted. The targeting efficiency of MSTN and FGF5 in cultured primary fibroblasts was as high as 60%, while the efficiency of disrupting MSTN and FGF5 in 98 tested animals was 15% and 21% respectively, and 10% for double gene modifications. The on- and off-target mutations of the target genes in fibroblasts, as well as in somatic tissues and testis of founder and dead animals, were carefully analyzed. The results showed that simultaneous editing of several sites was achieved in large animals, demonstrating that the CRISPR/Cas9 system has the potential to become a robust and efficient gene engineering tool in farm animals, and therefore will be critically important and applicable for breeding. PMID:26354037

  14. The SET1 Complex Selects Actively Transcribed Target Genes via Multivalent Interaction with CpG Island Chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, David A; Di Cerbo, Vincenzo; Feldmann, Angelika; Ahn, Jaewoo; Ito, Shinsuke; Blackledge, Neil P; Nakayama, Manabu; McClellan, Michael; Dimitrova, Emilia; Turberfield, Anne H; Long, Hannah K; King, Hamish W; Kriaucionis, Skirmantas; Schermelleh, Lothar; Kutateladze, Tatiana G; Koseki, Haruhiko; Klose, Robert J

    2017-09-05

    Chromatin modifications and the promoter-associated epigenome are important for the regulation of gene expression. However, the mechanisms by which chromatin-modifying complexes are targeted to the appropriate gene promoters in vertebrates and how they influence gene expression have remained poorly defined. Here, using a combination of live-cell imaging and functional genomics, we discover that the vertebrate SET1 complex is targeted to actively transcribed gene promoters through CFP1, which engages in a form of multivalent chromatin reading that involves recognition of non-methylated DNA and histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). CFP1 defines SET1 complex occupancy on chromatin, and its multivalent interactions are required for the SET1 complex to place H3K4me3. In the absence of CFP1, gene expression is perturbed, suggesting that normal targeting and function of the SET1 complex are central to creating an appropriately functioning vertebrate promoter-associated epigenome. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Vitamin D Impacts the Expression of Runx2 Target Genes and Modulates Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Membrane Vesicle Biogenesis Gene Networks in 143B Osteosarcoma Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garimella, Rama; Tadikonda, Priyanka; Tawfik, Ossama; Gunewardena, Sumedha; Rowe, Peter; Van Veldhuizen, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive malignancy of bone affecting children, adolescents and young adults. Understanding vitamin D metabolism and vitamin D regulated genes in OS is an important aspect of vitamin D/cancer paradigm, and in evaluating vitamin D as adjuvant therapy for human OS. Vitamin D treatment of 143B OS cells induced significant and novel changes in the expression of genes that regulate: (a) inflammation and immunity; (b) formation of reactive oxygen species, metabolism of cyclic nucleotides, sterols, vitamins and mineral (calcium), quantity of gap junctions and skeletogenesis; (c) bone mineral density; and (d) cell viability of skeletal cells, aggregation of bone cancer cells and exocytosis of secretory vesicles. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed significant reduction in Runx2 target genes such as fibroblast growth factor -1, -12 (FGF1 and FGF12), bone morphogenetic factor-1 (BMP1), SWI/SNF related, matrix associated actin dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily a, member 4 (SMARCA4), Matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE), Integrin, β4 (ITGBP4), Matrix Metalloproteinase -1, -28 (MMP1 and MMP28), and signal transducer and activator of transcription-4 (STAT4) in vitamin D treated 143B OS cells. These genes interact with the inflammation, oxidative stress and membrane vesicle biogenesis gene networks. Vitamin D not only inhibited the expression of Runx2 target genes MMP1, MMP28 and kallikrein related peptidase-7 (KLK7), but also migration and invasion of 143B OS cells. Vitamin D regulated Runx2 target genes or their products represent potential therapeutic targets and laboratory biomarkers for applications in translational oncology. PMID:28300755

  16. Using OpenTarget to Generate Potential Countermeasures for Long-Term Space Exposure from Data Available on GeneLab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beheshti, Afshin

    2018-01-01

    GeneLab as a general tool for the scientific community; Utilizing GeneLab datasets to generate hypothesis and determining potential biological targets against health risks due to long-term space missions; How can OpenTarget be used to discover novel drugs to test as countermeasures that can be utilized by astronauts.

  17. Cell-type independent MYC target genes reveal a primordial signature involved in biomass accumulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongkai Ji

    Full Text Available The functions of key oncogenic transcription factors independent of context have not been fully delineated despite our richer understanding of the genetic alterations in human cancers. The MYC oncogene, which produces the Myc transcription factor, is frequently altered in human cancer and is a major regulatory hub for many cancers. In this regard, we sought to unravel the primordial signature of Myc function by using high-throughput genomic approaches to identify the cell-type independent core Myc target gene signature. Using a model of human B lymphoma cells bearing inducible MYC, we identified a stringent set of direct Myc target genes via chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP, global nuclear run-on assay, and changes in mRNA levels. We also identified direct Myc targets in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs. We further document that a Myc core signature (MCS set of target genes is shared in mouse and human ESCs as well as in four other human cancer cell types. Remarkably, the expression of the MCS correlates with MYC expression in a cell-type independent manner across 8,129 microarray samples, which include 312 cell and tissue types. Furthermore, the expression of the MCS is elevated in vivo in Eμ-Myc transgenic murine lymphoma cells as compared with premalignant or normal B lymphocytes. Expression of the MCS in human B cell lymphomas, acute leukemia, lung cancers or Ewing sarcomas has the highest correlation with MYC expression. Annotation of this gene signature reveals Myc's primordial function in RNA processing, ribosome biogenesis and biomass accumulation as its key roles in cancer and stem cells.

  18. Advances in ultrasound-targeted microbubble-mediated gene therapy for liver fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cuiyuan; Zhang, Hong; Bai, Ruidan

    2017-07-01

    Hepatic fibrosis develops as a wound-healing scar in response to acute and chronic liver inflammation and can lead to cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. The condition arises due to increased synthesis and reduced degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and is a common pathological sequela of chronic liver disease. Excessive deposition of ECM in the liver causes liver dysfunction, ascites, and eventually upper gastrointestinal bleeding as well as a series of complications. However, fibrosis can be reversed before developing into cirrhosis and has thus been the subject of extensive researches particularly at the gene level. Currently, therapeutic genes are imported into the damaged liver to delay or prevent the development of liver fibrosis by regulating the expression of exogenous genes. One technique of gene delivery uses ultrasound targeting of microbubbles combined with therapeutic genes where the time and intensity of the ultrasound can control the release process. Ultrasound irradiation of microbubbles in the vicinity of cells changes the permeability of the cell membrane by its cavitation effect and enhances gene transfection. In this paper, recent progress in the field is reviewed with emphasis on the following aspects: the types of ultrasound microbubbles, the construction of an ultrasound-mediated gene delivery system, the mechanism of ultrasound microbubble-mediated gene transfer and the application of ultrasound microbubbles in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

  19. Advances in ultrasound-targeted microbubble-mediated gene therapy for liver fibrosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuiyuan Huang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic fibrosis develops as a wound-healing scar in response to acute and chronic liver inflammation and can lead to cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. The condition arises due to increased synthesis and reduced degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM and is a common pathological sequela of chronic liver disease. Excessive deposition of ECM in the liver causes liver dysfunction, ascites, and eventually upper gastrointestinal bleeding as well as a series of complications. However, fibrosis can be reversed before developing into cirrhosis and has thus been the subject of extensive researches particularly at the gene level. Currently, therapeutic genes are imported into the damaged liver to delay or prevent the development of liver fibrosis by regulating the expression of exogenous genes. One technique of gene delivery uses ultrasound targeting of microbubbles combined with therapeutic genes where the time and intensity of the ultrasound can control the release process. Ultrasound irradiation of microbubbles in the vicinity of cells changes the permeability of the cell membrane by its cavitation effect and enhances gene transfection. In this paper, recent progress in the field is reviewed with emphasis on the following aspects: the types of ultrasound microbubbles, the construction of an ultrasound-mediated gene delivery system, the mechanism of ultrasound microbubble–mediated gene transfer and the application of ultrasound microbubbles in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

  20. Genome-wide analysis of PDX1 target genes in human pancreatic progenitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianming Wang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the gene coding for the homeobox transcription factor (TF PDX1 leads to pancreatic agenesis, whereas heterozygous mutations can cause Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young 4 (MODY4. Although the function of Pdx1 is well studied in pre-clinical models during insulin-producing β-cell development and homeostasis, it remains elusive how this TF controls human pancreas development by regulating a downstream transcriptional program. Also, comparative studies of PDX1 binding patterns in pancreatic progenitors and adult β-cells have not been conducted so far. Furthermore, many studies reported the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and T2DM, and it has been shown that islet enhancers are enriched in T2DM-associated SNPs. Whether regions, harboring T2DM-associated SNPs are PDX1 bound and active at the pancreatic progenitor stage has not been reported so far. Methods: In this study, we have generated a novel induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC line that efficiently differentiates into human pancreatic progenitors (PPs. Furthermore, PDX1 and H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq was used to identify PDX1 transcriptional targets and active enhancer and promoter regions. To address potential differences in the function of PDX1 during development and adulthood, we compared PDX1 binding profiles from PPs and adult islets. Moreover, combining ChIP-seq and GWAS meta-analysis data we identified T2DM-associated SNPs in PDX1 binding sites and active chromatin regions. Results: ChIP-seq for PDX1 revealed a total of 8088 PDX1-bound regions that map to 5664 genes in iPSC-derived PPs. The PDX1 target regions include important pancreatic TFs, such as PDX1 itself, RFX6, HNF1B, and MEIS1, which were activated during the differentiation process as revealed by the active chromatin mark H3K27ac and mRNA expression profiling, suggesting that auto-regulatory feedback regulation

  1. Tropism-Modification Strategies for Targeted Gene Delivery Using Adenoviral Vectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew H. Baker

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Achieving high efficiency, targeted gene delivery with adenoviral vectors is a long-standing goal in the field of clinical gene therapy. To achieve this, platform vectors must combine efficient retargeting strategies with detargeting modifications to ablate native receptor binding (i.e. CAR/integrins/heparan sulfate proteoglycans and “bridging” interactions. “Bridging” interactions refer to coagulation factor binding, namely coagulation factor X (FX, which bridges hepatocyte transduction in vivo through engagement with surface expressed heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs. These interactions can contribute to the off-target sequestration of Ad5 in the liver and its characteristic dose-limiting hepatotoxicity, thereby significantly limiting the in vivo targeting efficiency and clinical potential of Ad5-based therapeutics. To date, various approaches to retargeting adenoviruses (Ad have been described. These include genetic modification strategies to incorporate peptide ligands (within fiber knob domain, fiber shaft, penton base, pIX or hexon, pseudotyping of capsid proteins to include whole fiber substitutions or fiber knob chimeras, pseudotyping with non-human Ad species or with capsid proteins derived from other viral families, hexon hypervariable region (HVR substitutions and adapter-based conjugation/crosslinking of scFv, growth factors or monoclonal antibodies directed against surface-expressed target antigens. In order to maximize retargeting, strategies which permit detargeting from undesirable interactions between the Ad capsid and components of the circulatory system (e.g. coagulation factors, erythrocytes, pre-existing neutralizing antibodies, can be employed simultaneously. Detargeting can be achieved by genetic ablation of native receptor-binding determinants, ablation of “bridging interactions” such as those which occur between the hexon of Ad5 and coagulation factor X (FX, or alternatively, through the use of polymer

  2. A PCA3 gene-based transcriptional amplification system targeting primary prostate cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Neveu, Bertrand; Jain, Pallavi; T?tu, Bernard; Wu, Lily; Fradet, Yves; Pouliot, Fr?d?ric

    2015-01-01

    Targeting specifically primary prostate cancer (PCa) cells for immune therapy, gene therapy or molecular imaging is of high importance. The PCA3 long non-coding RNA is a unique PCa biomarker and oncogene that has been widely studied. This gene has been mainly exploited as an accurate diagnostic urine biomarker for PCa detection. In this study, the PCA3 promoter was introduced into a new transcriptional amplification system named the 3-Step Transcriptional Amplification System (PCA3-3STA) and ...

  3. Peptide-conjugated micelles as a targeting nanocarrier for gene delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Wen Jen, E-mail: wjlin@ntu.edu.tw; Chien, Wei Hsuan [National Taiwan University, School of Pharmacy, Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (China)

    2015-09-15

    The aim of this study was to develop peptide-conjugated micelles possessing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting ability for gene delivery. A sequence-modified dodecylpeptide, GE11(2R), with enhancing EGF receptor binding affinity, was applied in this study as a targeting ligand. The active targeting micelles were composed of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-PEG) copolymer conjugated with GE11(2R)-peptide. The particle sizes of peptide-free and peptide-conjugated micelles were 277.0 ± 5.1 and 308.7 ± 14.5 nm, respectively. The peptide-conjugated micelles demonstrated the cellular uptake significantly higher than peptide-free micelles in EGFR high-expressed MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells due to GE11(2R)-peptide specificity. Furthermore, the peptide-conjugated micelles were able to encapsulate plasmid DNA and expressed cellular transfection higher than peptide-free micelles in EGFR high-expressed cells. The EGFR-targeting delivery micelles enhanced DNA internalized into cells and achieved higher cellular transfection in EGFR high-expressed cells.

  4. Targeted Gene Therapy of Cancer: Second Amendment toward Holistic Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barar, Jaleh; Omidi, Yadollah

    2013-01-01

    It seems solid tumors are developing smart organs with specialized cells creating specified bio-territory, the so called "tumor microenvironment (TME)", in which there is reciprocal crosstalk among cancer cells, immune system cells and stromal cells. TME as an intricate milieu also consists of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that can resist against chemotherapies. In solid tumors, metabolism and vascularization appears to be aberrant and tumor interstitial fluid (TIF) functions as physiologic barrier. Thus, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy often fail to provide cogent clinical outcomes. It looms that it is the time to accept the fact that initiation of cancer could be generation of another form of life that involves a cluster of thousands of genes, while we have failed to observe all aspects of it. Hence, the current treatment modalities need to be re-visited to cover all key aspects of disease using combination therapy based on the condition of patients. Perhaps personalized cluster of genes need to be simultaneously targeted.

  5. Targeted Gene Therapy of Cancer: Second Amendment toward Holistic Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaleh Barar

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available It seems solid tumors are developing smart organs with specialized cells creating specified bio-territory, the so called “tumor microenvironment (TME”, in which there is reciprocal crosstalk among cancer cells, immune system cells and stromal cells. TME as an intricate milieu also consists of cancer stem cells (CSCs that can resist against chemotherapies. In solid tumors, metabolism and vascularization appears to be aberrant and tumor interstitial fluid (TIF functions as physiologic barrier. Thus, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy often fail to provide cogent clinical outcomes. It looms that it is the time to accept the fact that initiation of cancer could be generation of another form of life that involves a cluster of thousands of genes, while we have failed to observe all aspects of it. Hence, the current treatment modalities need to be re-visited to cover all key aspects of disease using combination therapy based on the condition of patients. Perhaps personalized cluster of genes need to be simultaneously targeted.

  6. Transcriptome Analysis and Screening for Potential Target Genes for RNAi-Mediated Pest Control of the Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hang; Jiang, Weihua; Zhang, Zan; Xing, Yanru; Li, Fei

    2013-01-01

    The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), is a serious pest worldwide that causes significant losses in crops. Unfortunately, genetic resources for the beet armyworm is extremely scarce. To improve these resources we sequenced the transcriptome of S. exigua representing all stages including eggs, 1(st) to 5(th) instar larvae, pupae, male and female adults using the Illumina Solexa platform. We assembled the transcriptome with Trinity that yielded 31,414 contigs. Of these contigs, 18,592 were annotated as protein coding genes by Blast searches against the NCBI nr database. It has been shown that knockdown of important insect genes by dsRNAs or siRNAs is a feasible mechanism to control insect pests. The first key step towards developing an efficient RNAi-mediated pest control technique is to find suitable target genes. To screen for effective target genes in the beet armyworm, we selected nine candidate genes. The sequences of these genes were amplified using the RACE strategy. Then, siRNAs were designed and chemically synthesized. We injected 2 µl siRNA (2 µg/µl) into the 4(th) instar larvae to knock down the respective target genes. The mRNA abundance of target genes decreased to different levels (∼20-94.3%) after injection of siRNAs. Knockdown of eight genes including chitinase7, PGCP, chitinase1, ATPase, tubulin1, arf2, tubulin2 and arf1 caused a significantly high level of mortality compared to the negative control (Ppest control.

  7. Genome-Wide Identification of Polycomb Target Genes Reveals a Functional Association of Pho with Scm in Bombyx mori

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Zhiqing; Cheng, Daojun; Mon, Hiroaki; Tatsuke, Tsuneyuki; Zhu, Li; Xu, Jian; Lee, Jae Man; Xia, Qingyou; Kusakabe, Takahiro

    2012-01-01

    Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are evolutionarily conserved chromatin modifiers and act together in three multimeric complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and Pleiohomeotic repressive complex (PhoRC), to repress transcription of the target genes. Here, we identified Polycomb target genes in Bombyx mori with holocentric centromere using genome-wide expression screening based on the knockdown of BmSCE, BmESC, BmPHO, or BmSCM gene, which represent ...

  8. Loss of the Caenorhabditis elegans pocket protein LIN-35 reveals MuvB's innate function as the repressor of DREAM target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul D Goetsch

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The DREAM (Dp/Retinoblastoma(Rb-like/E2F/MuvB transcriptional repressor complex acts as a gatekeeper of the mammalian cell cycle by establishing and maintaining cellular quiescence. How DREAM's three functional components, the E2F-DP heterodimer, the Rb-like pocket protein, and the MuvB subcomplex, form and function at target gene promoters remains unknown. The current model invokes that the pocket protein links E2F-DP and MuvB and is essential for gene repression. We tested this model by assessing how the conserved yet less redundant DREAM system in Caenorhabditis elegans is affected by absence of the sole C. elegans pocket protein LIN-35. Using a LIN-35 protein null mutant, we analyzed the assembly of E2F-DP and MuvB at promoters that are bound by DREAM and the level of expression of those "DREAM target genes" in embryos. We report that LIN-35 indeed mediates the association of E2F-DP and MuvB, a function that stabilizes DREAM subunit occupancy at target genes. In the absence of LIN-35, the occupancy of E2F-DP and MuvB at most DREAM target genes decreases dramatically and many of those genes become upregulated. The retention of E2F-DP and MuvB at some target gene promoters in lin-35 null embryos allowed us to test their contribution to DREAM target gene repression. Depletion of MuvB, but not E2F-DP, in the sensitized lin-35 null background caused further upregulation of DREAM target genes. We conclude that the pocket protein functions primarily to support MuvB-mediated repression of DREAM targets and that transcriptional repression is the innate function of the evolutionarily conserved MuvB complex. Our findings provide important insights into how mammalian DREAM assembly and disassembly may regulate gene expression and the cell cycle.

  9. Code-assisted discovery of TAL effector targets in bacterial leaf streak of rice reveals contrast with bacterial blight and a novel susceptibility gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raul A Cernadas

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial leaf streak of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc is an increasingly important yield constraint in this staple crop. A mesophyll colonizer, Xoc differs from X. oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo, which invades xylem to cause bacterial blight of rice. Both produce multiple distinct TAL effectors, type III-delivered proteins that transactivate effector-specific host genes. A TAL effector finds its target(s via a partially degenerate code whereby the modular effector amino acid sequence identifies nucleotide sequences to which the protein binds. Virulence contributions of some Xoo TAL effectors have been shown, and their relevant targets, susceptibility (S genes, identified, but the role of TAL effectors in leaf streak is uncharacterized. We used host transcript profiling to compare leaf streak to blight and to probe functions of Xoc TAL effectors. We found that Xoc and Xoo induce almost completely different host transcriptional changes. Roughly one in three genes upregulated by the pathogens is preceded by a candidate TAL effector binding element. Experimental analysis of the 44 such genes predicted to be Xoc TAL effector targets verified nearly half, and identified most others as false predictions. None of the Xoc targets is a known bacterial blight S gene. Mutational analysis revealed that Tal2g, which activates two genes, contributes to lesion expansion and bacterial exudation. Use of designer TAL effectors discriminated a sulfate transporter gene as the S gene. Across all targets, basal expression tended to be higher than genome-average, and induction moderate. Finally, machine learning applied to real vs. falsely predicted targets yielded a classifier that recalled 92% of the real targets with 88% precision, providing a tool for better target prediction in the future. Our study expands the number of known TAL effector targets, identifies a new class of S gene, and improves our ability to predict functional targeting.

  10. The Drosophila FoxA ortholog Fork head regulates growth and gene expression downstream of Target of rapamycin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margret H Bülow

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Forkhead transcription factors of the FoxO subfamily regulate gene expression programs downstream of the insulin signaling network. It is less clear which proteins mediate transcriptional control exerted by Target of rapamycin (TOR signaling, but recent studies in nematodes suggest a role for FoxA transcription factors downstream of TOR. In this study we present evidence that outlines a similar connection in Drosophila, in which the FoxA protein Fork head (FKH regulates cellular and organismal size downstream of TOR. We find that ectopic expression and targeted knockdown of FKH in larval tissues elicits different size phenotypes depending on nutrient state and TOR signaling levels. FKH overexpression has a negative effect on growth under fed conditions, and this phenotype is not further exacerbated by inhibition of TOR via rapamycin feeding. Under conditions of starvation or low TOR signaling levels, knockdown of FKH attenuates the size reduction associated with these conditions. Subcellular localization of endogenous FKH protein is shifted from predominantly cytoplasmic on a high-protein diet to a pronounced nuclear accumulation in animals with reduced levels of TOR or fed with rapamycin. Two putative FKH target genes, CG6770 and cabut, are transcriptionally induced by rapamycin or FKH expression, and silenced by FKH knockdown. Induction of both target genes in heterozygous TOR mutant animals is suppressed by mutations in fkh. Furthermore, TOR signaling levels and FKH impact on transcription of the dFOXO target gene d4E-BP, implying a point of crosstalk with the insulin pathway. In summary, our observations show that an alteration of FKH levels has an effect on cellular and organismal size, and that FKH function is required for the growth inhibition and target gene induction caused by low TOR signaling levels.

  11. Targeted Editing of Myostatin Gene in Sheep by Transcription Activator-like Effector Nucleases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinxia Zhao

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Myostatin (MSTN is a secreted growth factor expressed in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue that negatively regulates skeletal muscle mass. Gene knockout of MSTN can result in increasing muscle mass in sheep. The objectives were to investigate whether myostatin gene can be edited in sheep by transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs in tandem with single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides (ssODNs. We designed a pair of TALENs to target a highly conserved sequence in the coding region of the sheep MSTN gene. The activity of the TALENs was verified by using luciferase single-strand annealing reporter assay in HEK 293T cell line. Co-transfection of TALENs and ssODNs oligonucleotides induced precise gene editing of myostatin gene in sheep primary fibroblasts. MSTN gene-edited cells were successfully used as nuclear donors for generating cloned embryos. TALENs combined with ssDNA oligonucleotides provide a useful approach for precise gene modification in livestock animals.

  12. Biallelic targeting of expressed genes in mouse embryonic stem cells using the Cas9 system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Yu; Vanoli, Fabio; LaRocque, Jeannine R.; Krawczyk, Przemek M.; Jasin, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Gene targeting - homologous recombination between transfected DNA and a chromosomal locus - is greatly stimulated by a DNA break in the target locus. Recently, the RNA-guided Cas9 endonuclease, involved in bacterial adaptive immunity, has been modified to function in mammalian cells. Unlike other

  13. Targeted decorin gene therapy delivered with adeno-associated virus effectively retards corneal neovascularization in vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajiv R Mohan

    Full Text Available Decorin, small leucine-rich proteoglycan, has been shown to modulate angiogenesis in nonocular tissues. This study tested a hypothesis that tissue-selective targeted decorin gene therapy delivered to the rabbit stroma with adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5 impedes corneal neovascularization (CNV in vivo without significant side effects. An established rabbit CNV model was used. Targeted decorin gene therapy in the rabbit stroma was delivered with a single topical AAV5 titer (100 µl; 5×10(12 vg/ml application onto the stroma for two minutes after removing corneal epithelium. The levels of CNV were examined with stereomicroscopy, H&E staining, lectin, collagen type IV, CD31 immunocytochemistry and CD31 immunoblotting. Real-time PCR quantified mRNA expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic genes. Corneal health in live animals was monitored with clinical, slit-lamp and optical coherence tomography biomicroscopic examinations. Selective decorin delivery into stroma showed significant 52% (p<0.05, 66% (p<0.001, and 63% (p<0.01 reduction at early (day 5, mid (day 10, and late (day 14 stages of CNV in decorin-delivered rabbit corneas compared to control (no decorin delivered corneas in morphometric analysis. The H&E staining, lectin, collagen type IV, CD31 immunostaining (57-65, p<0.5, and CD31 immunoblotting (62-67%, p<0.05 supported morphometric findings. Quantitative PCR studies demonstrated decorin gene therapy down-regulated expression of VEGF, MCP1 and angiopoietin (pro-angiogenic and up-regulated PEDF (anti-angiogenic genes. The clinical, biomicroscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that AAV5-mediated decorin gene therapy is safe for the cornea. Tissue-targeted AAV5-mediated decorin gene therapy decreases CNV with no major side effects, and could potentially be used for treating patients.

  14. Vitamin D Impacts the Expression of Runx2 Target Genes and Modulates Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Membrane Vesicle Biogenesis Gene Networks in 143B Osteosarcoma Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rama Garimella

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma (OS is an aggressive malignancy of bone affecting children, adolescents and young adults. Understanding vitamin D metabolism and vitamin D regulated genes in OS is an important aspect of vitamin D/cancer paradigm, and in evaluating vitamin D as adjuvant therapy for human OS. Vitamin D treatment of 143B OS cells induced significant and novel changes in the expression of genes that regulate: (a inflammation and immunity; (b formation of reactive oxygen species, metabolism of cyclic nucleotides, sterols, vitamins and mineral (calcium, quantity of gap junctions and skeletogenesis; (c bone mineral density; and (d cell viability of skeletal cells, aggregation of bone cancer cells and exocytosis of secretory vesicles. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed significant reduction in Runx2 target genes such as fibroblast growth factor -1, -12 (FGF1 and FGF12, bone morphogenetic factor-1 (BMP1, SWI/SNF related, matrix associated actin dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily a, member 4 (SMARCA4, Matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE, Integrin, β4 (ITGBP4, Matrix Metalloproteinase -1, -28 (MMP1 and MMP28, and signal transducer and activator of transcription-4 (STAT4 in vitamin D treated 143B OS cells. These genes interact with the inflammation, oxidative stress and membrane vesicle biogenesis gene networks. Vitamin D not only inhibited the expression of Runx2 target genes MMP1, MMP28 and kallikrein related peptidase-7 (KLK7, but also migration and invasion of 143B OS cells. Vitamin D regulated Runx2 target genes or their products represent potential therapeutic targets and laboratory biomarkers for applications in translational oncology.

  15. HAND2 Target Gene Regulatory Networks Control Atrioventricular Canal and Cardiac Valve Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurent, Frédéric; Girdziusaite, Ausra; Gamart, Julie; Barozzi, Iros; Osterwalder, Marco; Akiyama, Jennifer A; Lincoln, Joy; Lopez-Rios, Javier; Visel, Axel; Zuniga, Aimée; Zeller, Rolf

    2017-05-23

    The HAND2 transcriptional regulator controls cardiac development, and we uncover additional essential functions in the endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) underlying cardiac cushion development in the atrioventricular canal (AVC). In Hand2-deficient mouse embryos, the EMT underlying AVC cardiac cushion formation is disrupted, and we combined ChIP-seq of embryonic hearts with transcriptome analysis of wild-type and mutants AVCs to identify the functionally relevant HAND2 target genes. The HAND2 target gene regulatory network (GRN) includes most genes with known functions in EMT processes and AVC cardiac cushion formation. One of these is Snai1, an EMT master regulator whose expression is lost from Hand2-deficient AVCs. Re-expression of Snai1 in mutant AVC explants partially restores this EMT and mesenchymal cell migration. Furthermore, the HAND2-interacting enhancers in the Snai1 genomic landscape are active in embryonic hearts and other Snai1-expressing tissues. These results show that HAND2 directly regulates the molecular cascades initiating AVC cardiac valve development. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Pseudotyped Lentiviral Vectors for Retrograde Gene Delivery into Target Brain Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenta Kobayashi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Gene transfer through retrograde axonal transport of viral vectors offers a substantial advantage for analyzing roles of specific neuronal pathways or cell types forming complex neural networks. This genetic approach may also be useful in gene therapy trials by enabling delivery of transgenes into a target brain region distant from the injection site of the vectors. Pseudotyping of a lentiviral vector based on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 with various fusion envelope glycoproteins composed of different combinations of rabies virus glycoprotein (RV-G and vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G enhances the efficiency of retrograde gene transfer in both rodent and nonhuman primate brains. The most recently developed lentiviral vector is a pseudotype with fusion glycoprotein type E (FuG-E, which demonstrates highly efficient retrograde gene transfer in the brain. The FuG-E–pseudotyped vector permits powerful experimental strategies for more precisely investigating the mechanisms underlying various brain functions. It also contributes to the development of new gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, by delivering genes required for survival and protection into specific neuronal populations. In this review article, we report the properties of the FuG-E–pseudotyped vector, and we describe the application of the vector to neural circuit analysis and the potential use of the FuG-E vector in gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease.

  17. GCN5 Regulates FGF Signaling and Activates Selective MYC Target Genes during Early Embryoid Body Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Wang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Precise control of gene expression during development is orchestrated by transcription factors and co-regulators including chromatin modifiers. How particular chromatin-modifying enzymes affect specific developmental processes is not well defined. Here, we report that GCN5, a histone acetyltransferase essential for embryonic development, is required for proper expression of multiple genes encoding components of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF signaling pathway in early embryoid bodies (EBs. Gcn5−/− EBs display deficient activation of ERK and p38, mislocalization of cytoskeletal components, and compromised capacity to differentiate toward mesodermal lineage. Genomic analyses identified seven genes as putative direct targets of GCN5 during early differentiation, four of which are cMYC targets. These findings established a link between GCN5 and the FGF signaling pathway and highlighted specific GCN5-MYC partnerships in gene regulation during early differentiation.

  18. Recurrent targeted genes of hepatitis B virus in the liver cancer genomes identified by a next-generation sequencing-based approach.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Ding

    Full Text Available Integration of the viral DNA into host chromosomes was found in most of the hepatitis B virus (HBV-related hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs. Here we devised a massive anchored parallel sequencing (MAPS method using next-generation sequencing to isolate and sequence HBV integrants. Applying MAPS to 40 pairs of HBV-related HCC tissues (cancer and adjacent tissues, we identified 296 HBV integration events corresponding to 286 unique integration sites (UISs with precise HBV-Human DNA junctions. HBV integration favored chromosome 17 and preferentially integrated into human transcript units. HBV targeted genes were enriched in GO terms: cAMP metabolic processes, T cell differentiation and activation, TGF beta receptor pathway, ncRNA catabolic process, and dsRNA fragmentation and cellular response to dsRNA. The HBV targeted genes include 7 genes (PTPRJ, CNTN6, IL12B, MYOM1, FNDC3B, LRFN2, FN1 containing IPR003961 (Fibronectin, type III domain, 7 genes (NRG3, MASP2, NELL1, LRP1B, ADAM21, NRXN1, FN1 containing IPR013032 (EGF-like region, conserved site, and three genes (PDE7A, PDE4B, PDE11A containing IPR002073 (3', 5'-cyclic-nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Enriched pathways include hsa04512 (ECM-receptor interaction, hsa04510 (Focal adhesion, and hsa04012 (ErbB signaling pathway. Fewer integration events were found in cancers compared to cancer-adjacent tissues, suggesting a clonal expansion model in HCC development. Finally, we identified 8 genes that were recurrent target genes by HBV integration including fibronectin 1 (FN1 and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT1, two known recurrent target genes, and additional novel target genes such as SMAD family member 5 (SMAD5, phosphatase and actin regulator 4 (PHACTR4, and RNA binding protein fox-1 homolog (C. elegans 1 (RBFOX1. Integrating analysis with recently published whole-genome sequencing analysis, we identified 14 additional recurrent HBV target genes, greatly expanding the HBV recurrent target list

  19. Identification of Multiple Cryptococcal Fungicidal Drug Targets by Combined Gene Dosing and Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability Screening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon-Dong Park

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic fungus that is responsible for up to half a million cases of meningitis globally, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Common fungistatic drugs, such as fluconazole, are less toxic for patients but have low efficacy for initial therapy of the disease. Effective therapy against the disease is provided by the fungicidal drug amphotericin B; however, due to its high toxicity and the difficulty in administering its intravenous formulation, it is imperative to find new therapies targeting the fungus. The antiparasitic drug bithionol has been recently identified as having potent fungicidal activity. In this study, we used a combined gene dosing and drug affinity responsive target stability (GD-DARTS screen as well as protein modeling to identify a common drug binding site of bithionol within multiple NAD-dependent dehydrogenase drug targets. This combination genetic and proteomic method thus provides a powerful method for identifying novel fungicidal drug targets for further development.

  20. Target genes of myostatin loss-of-function in muscles of late bovine fetuses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hocquette Jean-François

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Myostatin, a muscle-specific member of the Transforming Growth Factor beta family, negatively regulates muscle development. Double-muscled (DM cattle have a loss-of-function mutation in their myostatin gene responsible for the hypermuscular phenotype. Thus, these animals are a good model for understanding the mechanisms underpinning muscular hypertrophy. In order to identify individual genes or networks that may be myostatin targets, we looked for genes that were differentially expressed between DM and normal (NM animals (n = 3 per group in the semitendinosus muscle (hypertrophied in DM animals at 260 days of fetal development (when the biochemical differentiation of muscle is intensive. A heterologous microarray (human and murine oligonucleotide sequences of around 6,000 genes expressed in muscle was used. Results Many genes were found to be differentially expressed according to genetic type (some with a more than 5-fold change, and according to the presence of one or two functional myostatin allele(s. They belonged to various functional categories. The genes down-regulated in DM fetuses were mainly those encoding extracellular matrix proteins, slow contractile proteins and ribosomal proteins. The genes up-regulated in DM fetuses were mainly involved in the regulation of transcription, cell cycle/apoptosis, translation or DNA metabolism. These data highlight features indicating that DM muscle is shifted towards a more glycolytic metabolism, and has an altered extracellular matrix composition (e.g. down-regulation of COL1A1 and COL1A2, and up-regulation of COL4A2 and decreased adipocyte differentiation (down-regulation of C1QTNF3. The altered gene expression in the three major muscle compartments (fibers, connective tissue and intramuscular adipose tissue is consistent with the well-known characteristics of DM cattle. In addition, novel potential targets of the myostatin gene were identified (MB, PLN, troponins, ZFHX1B

  1. 3D Porous Chitosan-Alginate Scaffolds as an In Vitro Model for Evaluating Nanoparticle-Mediated Tumor Targeting and Gene Delivery to Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kui; Kievit, Forrest M; Florczyk, Stephen J; Stephen, Zachary R; Zhang, Miqin

    2015-10-12

    Cationic nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted gene delivery are conventionally evaluated using 2D in vitro cultures. However, this does not translate well to corresponding in vivo studies because of the marked difference in NP behavior in the presence of the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we investigated whether prostate cancer (PCa) cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) chitosan-alginate (CA) porous scaffolds could model cationic NP-mediated gene targeted delivery to tumors in vitro. We assessed in vitro tumor cell proliferation, formation of tumor spheroids, and expression of marker genes that promote tumor malignancy in CA scaffolds. The efficacy of NP-targeted gene delivery was evaluated in PCa cells in 2D cultures, PCa tumor spheroids grown in CA scaffolds, and PCa tumors in a mouse TRAMP-C2 flank tumor model. PCa cells cultured in CA scaffolds grew into tumor spheroids and displayed characteristics of higher malignancy as compared to those in 2D cultures. Significantly, targeted gene delivery was only observed in cells cultured in CA scaffolds, whereas cells cultured on 2D plates showed no difference in gene delivery between targeted and nontarget control NPs. In vivo NP evaluation confirmed targeted gene delivery, indicating that only CA scaffolds correctly modeled NP-mediated targeted delivery in vivo. These findings suggest that CA scaffolds serve as a better in vitro platform than 2D cultures for evaluation of NP-mediated targeted gene delivery to PCa.

  2. Targeted Gene Knock Out Using Nuclease-Assisted Vector Integration: Hemi- and Homozygous Deletion of JAG1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gapinske, Michael; Tague, Nathan; Winter, Jackson; Underhill, Gregory H; Perez-Pinera, Pablo

    2018-01-01

    Gene editing technologies are revolutionizing fields such as biomedicine and biotechnology by providing a simple means to manipulate the genetic makeup of essentially any organism. Gene editing tools function by introducing double-stranded breaks at targeted sites within the genome, which the host cells repair preferentially by Non-Homologous End Joining. While the technologies to introduce double-stranded breaks have been extensively optimized, this progress has not been matched by the development of methods to integrate heterologous DNA at the target sites or techniques to detect and isolate cells that harbor the desired modification. We present here a technique for rapid introduction of vectors at target sites in the genome that enables efficient isolation of successfully edited cells.

  3. Lipid drug conjugate nanoparticle as a novel lipid nanocarrier for the oral delivery of decitabine: ex vivo gut permeation studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neupane, Yub Raj; Sabir, M D; Ahmad, Nafees; Ali, Mushir; Kohli, Kanchan

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop lipid drug conjugate (LDC) nanoparticles of decitabine (DCB) using stearic acid as a lipid to increase the permeability of the drug along with its protection from chemical degradation. The LDC was prepared by salt formation of DCB with stearic acid and followed by cold homogenization technique to produce the LDC nanoparticles. The role of key independent variables influencing on dependent variables were determined by using a Box–Behnken design. The optimized batch revealed spherical morphology under TEM analysis with particle size of 202.6 ± 1.65 nm and 0.334 ± 0.987 PDI. The zeta potential and %EE were found to be −33.6 ± 0.845 mV and 68.89% ± 0.59 respectively. Lyophilized powder showed the crystalline structure under DSC analysis. In vitro release studies showed the initial burst release followed by a sustained release up to 24 h in PBS pH 7.4 and the data were further studied using release kinetic models which revealed the first-order model as a best-fitting model. Ex vivo gut permeation studies proved that the formulation containing lipid and surfactants has a higher permeability than the plain drug solution with nearly fourfold increase in the apparent permeability coefficients. Finally, LDC nanoparticles prepared by using stearic acid as a lipid and surfactants as Tween 80, Poloxamer 188, and Labrasol in equal ratio possess high potential for the oral delivery of hydrophilic drugs. (paper)

  4. Lipid drug conjugate nanoparticle as a novel lipid nanocarrier for the oral delivery of decitabine: ex vivo gut permeation studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neupane, Yub Raj; Sabir, M. D.; Ahmad, Nafees; Ali, Mushir; Kohli, Kanchan

    2013-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop lipid drug conjugate (LDC) nanoparticles of decitabine (DCB) using stearic acid as a lipid to increase the permeability of the drug along with its protection from chemical degradation. The LDC was prepared by salt formation of DCB with stearic acid and followed by cold homogenization technique to produce the LDC nanoparticles. The role of key independent variables influencing on dependent variables were determined by using a Box-Behnken design. The optimized batch revealed spherical morphology under TEM analysis with particle size of 202.6 ± 1.65 nm and 0.334 ± 0.987 PDI. The zeta potential and %EE were found to be -33.6 ± 0.845 mV and 68.89% ± 0.59 respectively. Lyophilized powder showed the crystalline structure under DSC analysis. In vitro release studies showed the initial burst release followed by a sustained release up to 24 h in PBS pH 7.4 and the data were further studied using release kinetic models which revealed the first-order model as a best-fitting model. Ex vivo gut permeation studies proved that the formulation containing lipid and surfactants has a higher permeability than the plain drug solution with nearly fourfold increase in the apparent permeability coefficients. Finally, LDC nanoparticles prepared by using stearic acid as a lipid and surfactants as Tween 80, Poloxamer 188, and Labrasol in equal ratio possess high potential for the oral delivery of hydrophilic drugs.

  5. Receptor-Targeted Nipah Virus Glycoproteins Improve Cell-Type Selective Gene Delivery and Reveal a Preference for Membrane-Proximal Cell Attachment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruben R Bender

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Receptor-targeted lentiviral vectors (LVs can be an effective tool for selective transfer of genes into distinct cell types of choice. Moreover, they can be used to determine the molecular properties that cell surface proteins must fulfill to act as receptors for viral glycoproteins. Here we show that LVs pseudotyped with receptor-targeted Nipah virus (NiV glycoproteins effectively enter into cells when they use cell surface proteins as receptors that bring them closely enough to the cell membrane (less than 100 Å distance. Then, they were flexible in receptor usage as demonstrated by successful targeting of EpCAM, CD20, and CD8, and as selective as LVs pseudotyped with receptor-targeted measles virus (MV glycoproteins, the current standard for cell-type specific gene delivery. Remarkably, NiV-LVs could be produced at up to two orders of magnitude higher titers compared to their MV-based counterparts and were at least 10,000-fold less effectively neutralized than MV glycoprotein pseudotyped LVs by pooled human intravenous immunoglobulin. An important finding for NiV-LVs targeted to Her2/neu was an about 100-fold higher gene transfer activity when particles were targeted to membrane-proximal regions as compared to particles binding to a more membrane-distal epitope. Likewise, the low gene transfer activity mediated by NiV-LV particles bound to the membrane distal domains of CD117 or the glutamate receptor subunit 4 (GluA4 was substantially enhanced by reducing receptor size to below 100 Å. Overall, the data suggest that the NiV glycoproteins are optimally suited for cell-type specific gene delivery with LVs and, in addition, for the first time define which parts of a cell surface protein should be targeted to achieve optimal gene transfer rates with receptor-targeted LVs.

  6. eap Gene as novel target for specific identification of Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Muzaffar; von Eiff, Christof; Sinha, Bhanu; Joost, Insa; Herrmann, Mathias; Peters, Georg; Becker, Karsten

    2008-02-01

    The cell surface-associated extracellular adherence protein (Eap) mediates adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to host extracellular matrix components and inhibits inflammation, wound healing, and angiogenesis. A well-characterized collection of S. aureus and non-S. aureus staphylococcal isolates (n = 813) was tested for the presence of the Eap-encoding gene (eap) by PCR to investigate the use of the eap gene as a specific diagnostic tool for identification of S. aureus. Whereas all 597 S. aureus isolates were eap positive, this gene was not detectable in 216 non-S. aureus staphylococcal isolates comprising 47 different species and subspecies of coagulase-negative staphylococci and non-S. aureus coagulase-positive or coagulase-variable staphylococci. Furthermore, non-S. aureus isolates did not express Eap homologs, as verified on the transcriptional and protein levels. Based on these data, the sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed PCR targeting the eap gene were both 100%. Thus, the unique occurrence of Eap in S. aureus offers a promising tool particularly suitable for molecular diagnostics of this pathogen.

  7. Multiplex preamplification of specific cDNA targets prior to gene expression analysis by TaqMan Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ribal María

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An accurate gene expression quantification using TaqMan Arrays (TA could be limited by the low RNA quantity obtained from some clinical samples. The novel cDNA preamplification system, the TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix kit (TPAMMK, enables a multiplex preamplification of cDNA targets and therefore, could provide a sufficient amount of specific amplicons for their posterior analysis on TA. Findings A multiplex preamplification of 47 genes was performed in 22 samples prior to their analysis by TA, and relative gene expression levels of non-preamplified (NPA and preamplified (PA samples were compared. Overall, the mean cycle threshold (CT decrement in the PA genes was 3.85 (ranging from 2.07 to 5.01. A high correlation (r between the gene expression measurements of NPA and PA samples was found (mean r = 0.970, ranging from 0.937 to 0.994; p Conclusion We demonstrate that cDNA preamplification using the TPAMMK before TA analysis is a reliable approach to simultaneously measure gene expression of multiple targets in a single sample. Moreover, this procedure was validated in genes from degraded RNA samples and low abundance expressed genes. This combined methodology could have wide applications in clinical research, where scarce amounts of degraded RNA are usually obtained and several genes need to be quantified in each sample.

  8. Control of sulfate concentration by miR395-targeted APS genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Ai

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Sulfur nutrition is crucial for plant growth and development, as well as crop yield and quality. Inorganic sulfate in the soil is the major sulfur source for plants. After uptake, sulfate is activated by ATP sulfurylase, and then gets assimilated into sulfur-containing metabolites. However, the mechanism of regulation of sulfate levels by ATP sulfurylase is unclear. Here, we investigated the control of sulfate levels by miR395-mediated regulation of APS1/3/4. Sulfate was over-accumulated in the shoots of miR395 over-expression plants in which the expression of the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes was suppressed. Accordingly, reduced expression of miR395 caused a decline of sulfate concentration. In agreement with these results, over-expression of the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes led to the reduction of sulfate levels. Differential expression of these three APS genes in response to sulfate starvation implied that they have different functions. Further investigation revealed that the regulation of sulfate levels mediated by miR395 depends on the repression of its APS targets. Unlike the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes, which encode plastid-localized ATP sulfurylases, the APS2 gene encodes a cytosolic version of ATP sulfurylase. Genetic analysis indicated that APS2 has no significant effect on sulfate levels. Our data suggest that miR395-targeted APS genes are key regulators of sulfate concentration in leaves.

  9. Frameshift mutational target gene analysis identifies similarities and differences in constitutional mismatch repair-deficiency and Lynch syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maletzki, Claudia; Huehns, Maja; Bauer, Ingrid; Ripperger, Tim; Mork, Maureen M; Vilar, Eduardo; Klöcking, Sabine; Zettl, Heike; Prall, Friedrich; Linnebacher, Michael

    2017-07-01

    Mismatch-repair deficient (MMR-D) malignancies include Lynch Syndrome (LS), which is secondary to germline mutations in one of the MMR genes, and the rare childhood-form of constitutional mismatch repair-deficiency (CMMR-D); caused by bi-allelic MMR gene mutations. A hallmark of LS-associated cancers is microsatellite instability (MSI), characterized by coding frameshift mutations (cFSM) in target genes. By contrast, tumors arising in CMMR-D patients are thought to display a somatic mutation pattern differing from LS. This study has the main goal to identify cFSM in MSI target genes relevant in CMMR-D and to compare the spectrum of common somatic mutations, including alterations in DNA polymerases POLE and D1 between LS and CMMR-D. CMMR-D-associated tumors harbored more somatic mutations compared to LS cases, especially in the TP53 gene and in POLE and POLD1, where novel mutations were additionally identified. Strikingly, MSI in classical mononucleotide markers BAT40 and CAT25 was frequent in CMMR-D cases. MSI-target gene analysis revealed mutations in CMMR-D-associated tumors, some of them known to be frequently hit in LS, such as RNaseT2, HT001, and TGFβR2. Our results imply a general role for these cFSM as potential new drivers of MMR-D tumorigenesis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction improves the low density lipoprotein receptor gene expression in HepG2 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Dongping; Li Xiaoyu; Sun, Ping; Tang Yibo; Chen Xiuying; Chen Qi; Fan Leming; Zang Bin; Shao Lizheng; Li Xiaorong

    2006-01-01

    Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction had been employed in gene delivery and promised great potential. Liver has unique features that make it attractive for gene therapy. However, it poses formidable obstacles to hepatocyte-specific gene delivery. This study was designed to test the efficiency of therapeutic gene transfer and expression mediated by ultrasound/microbubble strategy in HepG 2 cell line. Air-filled albumin microbubbles were prepared and mixed with plasmid DNA encoding low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and green fluorescent protein. The mixture of the DNA and microbubbles was administer to cultured HepG 2 cells under variable ultrasound conditions. Transfection rate of the transferred gene and cell viability were assessed by FACS analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy, Western blot analysis and Trypan blue staining. The result demonstrated that microbubbles with ultrasound irradiation can significantly elevate exogenous LDLR gene expression and the expressed LDLRs were functional and active to uptake their ligands. We conclude that ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction has the potential to promote safe and efficient LDLR gene transfer into hepatocytes. With further refinement, it may represent an effective nonviral avenue of gene therapy for liver-involved genetic diseases

  11. ABCF2, an Nrf2 target gene, contributes to cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Lingjie; Wu, Jianfa; Dodson, Matthew; Rojo de la Vega, Elisa Montserrat; Ning, Yan; Zhang, Zhenbo; Yao, Ming; Zhang, Donna D; Xu, Congjian; Yi, Xiaofang

    2017-06-01

    Previously, we have demonstrated that NRF2 plays a key role in mediating cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer. To further explore the mechanism underlying NRF2-dependent cisplatin resistance, we stably overexpressed or knocked down NRF2 in parental and cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cells, respectively. These two pairs of stable cell lines were then subjected to microarray analysis, where we identified 18 putative NRF2 target genes. Among these genes, ABCF2, a cytosolic member of the ABC superfamily of transporters, has previously been reported to contribute to chemoresistance in clear cell ovarian cancer. A detailed analysis on ABCF2 revealed a functional antioxidant response element (ARE) in its promoter region, establishing ABCF2 as an NRF2 target gene. Next, we investigated the contribution of ABCF2 in NRF2-mediated cisplatin resistance using our stable ovarian cancer cell lines. The NRF2-overexpressing cell line, containing high levels of ABCF2, was more resistant to cisplatin-induced apoptosis compared to its control cell line; whereas the NRF2 knockdown cell line with low levels of ABCF2, was more sensitive to cisplatin treatment than its control cell line. Furthermore, transient overexpression of ABCF2 in the parental cells decreased apoptosis and increased cell viability following cisplatin treatment. Conversely, knockdown of ABCF2 using specific siRNA notably increased apoptosis and decreased cell viability in cisplatin-resistant cells treated with cisplatin. This data indicate that the novel NRF2 target gene, ABCF2, plays a critical role in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, and that targeting ABCF2 may be a new strategy to improve chemotherapeutic efficiency. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The Role of Epigenetic Regulation in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishikawa, Jun; Iizasa, Hisashi; Yoshiyama, Hironori; Nakamura, Munetaka; Saito, Mari; Sasaki, Sho; Shimokuri, Kanami; Yanagihara, Masashi; Sakai, Kouhei; Suehiro, Yutaka; Yamasaki, Takahiro; Sakaida, Isao

    2017-07-25

    The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is detected in about 10% of gastric carcinoma cases throughout the world. In EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC), all tumor cells harbor the clonal EBV genome. The expression of latent EBV genes is strictly regulated through the methylation of EBV DNA. The methylation of viral DNA regulates the type of EBV latency, and methylation of the tumor suppressor genes is a key abnormality in EBVaGC. The methylation frequencies of several tumor suppressor genes and cell adhesion molecules are significantly higher in EBVaGC than in control cases. EBV-derived microRNAs repress translation from viral and host mRNAs. EBV regulates the expression of non-coding RNA in gastric carcinoma. With regard to the clinical application of demethylating agents against EBVaGC, we investigated the effects of decitabine against the EBVaGC cell lines. Decitabine inhibited the cell growth of EBVaGC cells. The promoter regions of p73 and Runt-related transcription factor 3(RUNX3) were demethylated, and their expression was upregulated by the treatment. We review the role of epigenetic regulation in the development and maintenance of EBVaGC and discuss the therapeutic application of DNA demethylating agents for EBVaGC.

  13. Nebulisation of receptor-targeted nanocomplexes for gene delivery to the airway epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manunta, Maria D I; McAnulty, Robin J; Tagalakis, Aristides D; Bottoms, Stephen E; Campbell, Frederick; Hailes, Helen C; Tabor, Alethea B; Laurent, Geoffrey J; O'Callaghan, Christopher; Hart, Stephen L

    2011-01-01

    Gene therapy mediated by synthetic vectors may provide opportunities for new treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF) via aerosolisation. Vectors for CF must transfect the airway epithelium efficiently and not cause inflammation so they are suitable for repeated dosing. The inhaled aerosol should be deposited in the airways since the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR) is expressed predominantly in the epithelium of the submucosal glands and in the surface airway epithelium. The aim of this project was to develop an optimised aerosol delivery approach applicable to treatment of CF lung disease by gene therapy. The vector suspension investigated in this study comprises receptor-targeting peptides, cationic liposomes and plasmid DNA that self-assemble by electrostatic interactions to form a receptor-targeted nanocomplex (RTN) of approximately 150 nm with a cationic surface charge of +50 mV. The aerodynamic properties of aerosolised nanocomplexes produced with three different nebulisers were compared by determining aerosol deposition in the different stages of a Next Generation Pharmaceutical Impactor (NGI). We also investigated the yield of intact plasmid DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis and densitometry, and transfection efficacies in vitro and in vivo. RTNs nebulised with the AeroEclipse II BAN were the most effective, compared to other nebulisers tested, for gene delivery both in vitro and in vivo. The biophysical properties of the nanocomplexes were unchanged after nebulisation while the deposition of RTNs suggested a range of aerosol aerodynamic sizes between 5.5 µm-1.4 µm cut off (NGI stages 3-6) compatible with deposition in the central and lower airways. RTNs showed their ability at delivering genes via nebulisation, thus suggesting their potential applications for therapeutic interventions of cystic fibrosis and other respiratory disorders.

  14. Nebulisation of receptor-targeted nanocomplexes for gene delivery to the airway epithelium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria D I Manunta

    Full Text Available Gene therapy mediated by synthetic vectors may provide opportunities for new treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF via aerosolisation. Vectors for CF must transfect the airway epithelium efficiently and not cause inflammation so they are suitable for repeated dosing. The inhaled aerosol should be deposited in the airways since the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR is expressed predominantly in the epithelium of the submucosal glands and in the surface airway epithelium. The aim of this project was to develop an optimised aerosol delivery approach applicable to treatment of CF lung disease by gene therapy.The vector suspension investigated in this study comprises receptor-targeting peptides, cationic liposomes and plasmid DNA that self-assemble by electrostatic interactions to form a receptor-targeted nanocomplex (RTN of approximately 150 nm with a cationic surface charge of +50 mV. The aerodynamic properties of aerosolised nanocomplexes produced with three different nebulisers were compared by determining aerosol deposition in the different stages of a Next Generation Pharmaceutical Impactor (NGI. We also investigated the yield of intact plasmid DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis and densitometry, and transfection efficacies in vitro and in vivo.RTNs nebulised with the AeroEclipse II BAN were the most effective, compared to other nebulisers tested, for gene delivery both in vitro and in vivo. The biophysical properties of the nanocomplexes were unchanged after nebulisation while the deposition of RTNs suggested a range of aerosol aerodynamic sizes between 5.5 µm-1.4 µm cut off (NGI stages 3-6 compatible with deposition in the central and lower airways.RTNs showed their ability at delivering genes via nebulisation, thus suggesting their potential applications for therapeutic interventions of cystic fibrosis and other respiratory disorders.

  15. Genomewide Analysis of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Binding Targets Reveals an Extensive Array of Gene Clusters that Control Morphogenetic and Developmental Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sartor, Maureen A.; Schnekenburger, Michael; Marlowe, Jennifer L.; Reichard, John F.; Wang, Ying; Fan, Yunxia; Ma, Ci; Karyala, Saikumar; Halbleib, Danielle; Liu, Xiangdong; Medvedovic, Mario; Puga, Alvaro

    2009-01-01

    Background The vertebrate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates cellular responses to environmental polycyclic and halogenated compounds. The naive receptor is believed to reside in an inactive cytosolic complex that translocates to the nucleus and induces transcription of xenobiotic detoxification genes after activation by ligand. Objectives We conducted an integrative genomewide analysis of AHR gene targets in mouse hepatoma cells and determined whether AHR regulatory functions may take place in the absence of an exogenous ligand. Methods The network of AHR-binding targets in the mouse genome was mapped through a multipronged approach involving chromatin immunoprecipitation/chip and global gene expression signatures. The findings were integrated into a prior functional knowledge base from Gene Ontology, interaction networks, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, sequence motif analysis, and literature molecular concepts. Results We found the naive receptor in unstimulated cells bound to an extensive array of gene clusters with functions in regulation of gene expression, differentiation, and pattern specification, connecting multiple morphogenetic and developmental programs. Activation by the ligand displaced the receptor from some of these targets toward sites in the promoters of xenobiotic metabolism genes. Conclusions The vertebrate AHR appears to possess unsuspected regulatory functions that may be potential targets of environmental injury. PMID:19654925

  16. Isolation and characterization of DUSP11, a novel p53 target gene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caprara, Greta; Zamponi, Raffaella; Melixetian, Marina

    2009-01-01

    target gene. Consistent with this, the expression of DUSP11 is induced in a p53-dependent manner after treatment with DNA damaging agents. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that p53 binds to 2 putative p53 DNA binding sites in the promoter region of DUSP11. Colony formation and proliferation...

  17. Alpha-fetoprotein-targeted reporter gene expression imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwang Il; Chung, Hye Kyung; Park, Ju Hui; Lee, Yong Jin; Kang, Joo Hyun

    2016-07-21

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in Eastern Asia, and its incidence is increasing globally. Numerous experimental models have been developed to better our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of HCC and to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches. Molecular imaging is a convenient and up-to-date biomedical tool that enables the visualization, characterization and quantification of biologic processes in a living subject. Molecular imaging based on reporter gene expression, in particular, can elucidate tumor-specific events or processes by acquiring images of a reporter gene's expression driven by tumor-specific enhancers/promoters. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various experimental HCC mouse models and we present in vivo images of tumor-specific reporter gene expression driven by an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) enhancer/promoter system in a mouse model of HCC. The current mouse models of HCC development are established by xenograft, carcinogen induction and genetic engineering, representing the spectrum of tumor-inducing factors and tumor locations. The imaging analysis approach of reporter genes driven by AFP enhancer/promoter is presented for these different HCC mouse models. Such molecular imaging can provide longitudinal information about carcinogenesis and tumor progression. We expect that clinical application of AFP-targeted reporter gene expression imaging systems will be useful for the detection of AFP-expressing HCC tumors and screening of increased/decreased AFP levels due to disease or drug treatment.

  18. Problem-Solving Test: Conditional Gene Targeting Using the Cre/loxP Recombination System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szeberényi, József

    2013-01-01

    Terms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: gene targeting, knock-out mutation, bacteriophage, complementary base-pairing, homologous recombination, deletion, transgenic organisms, promoter, polyadenylation element, transgene, DNA replication, RNA polymerase, Shine-Dalgarno sequence, restriction endonuclease, polymerase chain…

  19. MicroRNA profiling reveals dysregulated microRNAs and their target gene regulatory networks in cemento-ossifying fibroma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Thaís Dos Santos Fontes; Brito, João Artur Ricieri; Guimarães, André Luiz Sena; Gomes, Carolina Cavaliéri; de Lacerda, Júlio Cesar Tanos; de Castro, Wagner Henriques; Coimbra, Roney Santos; Diniz, Marina Gonçalves; Gomez, Ricardo Santiago

    2018-01-01

    Cemento-ossifying fibroma (COF) is a benign fibro-osseous neoplasm of uncertain pathogenesis, and its treatment results in morbidity. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and may represent therapeutic targets. The purpose of the study was to generate a comprehensive miRNA profile of COF compared to normal bone. Additionally, the most relevant pathways and target genes of differentially expressed miRNA were investigated by in silico analysis. Nine COF and ten normal bone samples were included in the study. miRNA profiling was carried out by using TaqMan® OpenArray® Human microRNA panel containing 754 validated human miRNAs. We identified the most relevant miRNAs target genes through the leader gene approach, using STRING and Cytoscape software. Pathways enrichment analysis was performed using DIANA-miRPath. Eleven miRNAs were downregulated (hsa-miR-95-3p, hsa-miR-141-3p, hsa-miR-205-5p, hsa-miR-223-3p, hsa-miR-31-5p, hsa-miR-944, hsa-miR-200b-3p, hsa-miR-135b-5p, hsa-miR-31-3p, hsa-miR-223-5p and hsa-miR-200c-3p), and five were upregulated (hsa-miR-181a-5p, hsa-miR-181c-5p, hsa-miR-149-5p, hsa-miR-138-5p and hsa-miR-199a-3p) in COF compared to normal bone. Eighteen common target genes were predicted, and the leader genes approach identified the following genes involved in human COF: EZH2, XIAP, MET and TGFBR1. According to the biology of bone and COF, the most relevant KEGG pathways revealed by enrichment analysis were proteoglycans in cancer, miRNAs in cancer, pathways in cancer, p53-, PI3K-Akt-, FoxO- and TGF-beta signalling pathways, which were previously found to be differentially regulated in bone neoplasms, odontogenic tumours and osteogenesis. miRNA dysregulation occurs in COF, and EZH2, XIAP, MET and TGFBR1 are potential targets for functional analysis validation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. A Genome-Wide Identification of the WRKY Family Genes and a Survey of Potential WRKY Target Genes in Dendrobium officinale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Chunmei; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Tan, Jianwen; Zhang, Jianxia; Pan, Xiaoping; Li, Mingzhi; Luo, Jianping; Duan, Jun

    2017-08-23

    The WRKY family, one of the largest families of transcription factors, plays important roles in the regulation of various biological processes, including growth, development and stress responses in plants. In the present study, 63 DoWRKY genes were identified from the Dendrobium officinale genome. These were classified into groups I, II, III and a non-group, each with 14, 28, 10 and 11 members, respectively. ABA-responsive, sulfur-responsive and low temperature-responsive elements were identified in the 1-k upstream regulatory region of DoWRKY genes. Subsequently, the expression of the 63 DoWRKY genes under cold stress was assessed, and the expression profiles of a large number of these genes were regulated by low temperature in roots and stems. To further understand the regulatory mechanism of DoWRKY genes in biological processes, potential WRKY target genes were investigated. Among them, most stress-related genes contained multiple W-box elements in their promoters. In addition, the genes involved in polysaccharide synthesis and hydrolysis contained W-box elements in their 1-k upstream regulatory regions, suggesting that DoWRKY genes may play a role in polysaccharide metabolism. These results provide a basis for investigating the function of WRKY genes and help to understand the downstream regulation network in plants within the Orchidaceae.

  1. iTAR: a web server for identifying target genes of transcription factors using ChIP-seq or ChIP-chip data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chia-Chun; Andrews, Erik H; Chen, Min-Hsuan; Wang, Wan-Yu; Chen, Jeremy J W; Gerstein, Mark; Liu, Chun-Chi; Cheng, Chao

    2016-08-12

    Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) or microarray hybridization (ChIP-chip) has been widely used to determine the genomic occupation of transcription factors (TFs). We have previously developed a probabilistic method, called TIP (Target Identification from Profiles), to identify TF target genes using ChIP-seq/ChIP-chip data. To achieve high specificity, TIP applies a conservative method to estimate significance of target genes, with the trade-off being a relatively low sensitivity of target gene identification compared to other methods. Additionally, TIP's output does not render binding-peak locations or intensity, information highly useful for visualization and general experimental biological use, while the variability of ChIP-seq/ChIP-chip file formats has made input into TIP more difficult than desired. To improve upon these facets, here we present are fined TIP with key extensions. First, it implements a Gaussian mixture model for p-value estimation, increasing target gene identification sensitivity and more accurately capturing the shape of TF binding profile distributions. Second, it enables the incorporation of TF binding-peak data by identifying their locations in significant target gene promoter regions and quantifies their strengths. Finally, for full ease of implementation we have incorporated it into a web server ( http://syslab3.nchu.edu.tw/iTAR/ ) that enables flexibility of input file format, can be used across multiple species and genome assembly versions, and is freely available for public use. The web server additionally performs GO enrichment analysis for the identified target genes to reveal the potential function of the corresponding TF. The iTAR web server provides a user-friendly interface and supports target gene identification in seven species, ranging from yeast to human. To facilitate investigating the quality of ChIP-seq/ChIP-chip data, the web server generates the chart of the

  2. Analysis of essential Arabidopsis nuclear genes encoding plastid-targeted proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Linda J; Imre, Kathleen M; Hall, David A; Last, Robert L

    2013-01-01

    The Chloroplast 2010 Project (http://www.plastid.msu.edu/) identified and phenotypically characterized homozygous mutants in over three thousand genes, the majority of which encode plastid-targeted proteins. Despite extensive screening by the community, no homozygous mutant alleles were available for several hundred genes, suggesting that these might be enriched for genes of essential function. Attempts were made to generate homozygotes in ~1200 of these lines and 521 of the homozygous viable lines obtained were deposited in the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (http://abrc.osu.edu/). Lines that did not yield a homozygote in soil were tested as potentially homozygous lethal due to defects either in seed or seedling development. Mutants were characterized at four stages of development: developing seed, mature seed, at germination, and developing seedlings. To distinguish seed development or seed pigment-defective mutants from seedling development mutants, development of seeds was assayed in siliques from heterozygous plants. Segregating seeds from heterozygous parents were sown on supplemented media in an attempt to rescue homozygous seedlings that could not germinate or survive in soil. Growth of segregating seeds in air and air enriched to 0.3% carbon dioxide was compared to discover mutants potentially impaired in photorespiration or otherwise responsive to CO2 supplementation. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements identified CO2-responsive mutants with altered photosynthetic parameters. Examples of genes with a viable mutant allele and one or more putative homozygous-lethal alleles were documented. RT-PCR of homozygotes for potentially weak alleles revealed that essential genes may remain undiscovered because of the lack of a true null mutant allele. This work revealed 33 genes with two or more lethal alleles and 73 genes whose essentiality was not confirmed with an independent lethal mutation, although in some cases second leaky alleles were identified.

  3. Analysis of essential Arabidopsis nuclear genes encoding plastid-targeted proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda J Savage

    Full Text Available The Chloroplast 2010 Project (http://www.plastid.msu.edu/ identified and phenotypically characterized homozygous mutants in over three thousand genes, the majority of which encode plastid-targeted proteins. Despite extensive screening by the community, no homozygous mutant alleles were available for several hundred genes, suggesting that these might be enriched for genes of essential function. Attempts were made to generate homozygotes in ~1200 of these lines and 521 of the homozygous viable lines obtained were deposited in the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (http://abrc.osu.edu/. Lines that did not yield a homozygote in soil were tested as potentially homozygous lethal due to defects either in seed or seedling development. Mutants were characterized at four stages of development: developing seed, mature seed, at germination, and developing seedlings. To distinguish seed development or seed pigment-defective mutants from seedling development mutants, development of seeds was assayed in siliques from heterozygous plants. Segregating seeds from heterozygous parents were sown on supplemented media in an attempt to rescue homozygous seedlings that could not germinate or survive in soil. Growth of segregating seeds in air and air enriched to 0.3% carbon dioxide was compared to discover mutants potentially impaired in photorespiration or otherwise responsive to CO2 supplementation. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements identified CO2-responsive mutants with altered photosynthetic parameters. Examples of genes with a viable mutant allele and one or more putative homozygous-lethal alleles were documented. RT-PCR of homozygotes for potentially weak alleles revealed that essential genes may remain undiscovered because of the lack of a true null mutant allele. This work revealed 33 genes with two or more lethal alleles and 73 genes whose essentiality was not confirmed with an independent lethal mutation, although in some cases second leaky alleles

  4. miR-137 inhibits the invasion of melanoma cells through downregulation of multiple oncogenic target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chonglin; Tetteh, Paul W; Merz, Patrick R; Dickes, Elke; Abukiwan, Alia; Hotz-Wagenblatt, Agnes; Holland-Cunz, Stefan; Sinnberg, Tobias; Schittek, Birgit; Schadendorf, Dirk; Diederichs, Sven; Eichmüller, Stefan B

    2013-03-01

    MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have important roles in various types of cancer. Previously, miR-137 was reported to act as a tumor suppressor in different cancers, including malignant melanoma. In this study, we show that low miR-137 expression is correlated with poor survival in stage IV melanoma patients. We identified and validated two genes (c-Met and YB1) as direct targets of miR-137 and confirmed two previously known targets, namely enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Functional studies showed that miR-137 suppressed melanoma cell invasion through the downregulation of multiple target genes. The decreased invasion caused by miR-137 overexpression could be phenocopied by small interfering RNA knockdown of EZH2, c-Met, or Y box-binding protein 1 (YB1). Furthermore, miR-137 inhibited melanoma cell migration and proliferation. Finally, miR-137 induced apoptosis in melanoma cell lines and decreased BCL2 levels. In summary, our study confirms that miR-137 acts as a tumor suppressor in malignant melanoma and reveals that miR-137 regulates multiple targets including c-Met, YB1, EZH2, and MITF.

  5. Targeted Sequencing of Venom Genes from Cone Snail Genomes Improves Understanding of Conotoxin Molecular Evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phuong, Mark A; Mahardika, Gusti N

    2018-05-01

    To expand our capacity to discover venom sequences from the genomes of venomous organisms, we applied targeted sequencing techniques to selectively recover venom gene superfamilies and nontoxin loci from the genomes of 32 cone snail species (family, Conidae), a diverse group of marine gastropods that capture their prey using a cocktail of neurotoxic peptides (conotoxins). We were able to successfully recover conotoxin gene superfamilies across all species with high confidence (> 100× coverage) and used these data to provide new insights into conotoxin evolution. First, we found that conotoxin gene superfamilies are composed of one to six exons and are typically short in length (mean = ∼85 bp). Second, we expanded our understanding of the following genetic features of conotoxin evolution: 1) positive selection, where exons coding the mature toxin region were often three times more divergent than their adjacent noncoding regions, 2) expression regulation, with comparisons to transcriptome data showing that cone snails only express a fraction of the genes available in their genome (24-63%), and 3) extensive gene turnover, where Conidae species varied from 120 to 859 conotoxin gene copies. Finally, using comparative phylogenetic methods, we found that while diet specificity did not predict patterns of conotoxin evolution, dietary breadth was positively correlated with total conotoxin gene diversity. Overall, the targeted sequencing technique demonstrated here has the potential to radically increase the pace at which venom gene families are sequenced and studied, reshaping our ability to understand the impact of genetic changes on ecologically relevant phenotypes and subsequent diversification.

  6. Comparative genomics identification of a novel set of temporally regulated hedgehog target genes in the retina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeill, Brian; Perez-Iratxeta, Carol; Mazerolle, Chantal; Furimsky, Marosh; Mishina, Yuji; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel A; Wallace, Valerie A

    2012-03-01

    The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is involved in numerous developmental and adult processes with many links to cancer. In vertebrates, the activity of the Hh pathway is mediated primarily through three Gli transcription factors (Gli1, 2 and 3) that can serve as transcriptional activators or repressors. The identification of Gli target genes is essential for the understanding of the Hh-mediated processes. We used a comparative genomics approach using the mouse and human genomes to identify 390 genes that contained conserved Gli binding sites. RT-qPCR validation of 46 target genes in E14.5 and P0.5 retinal explants revealed that Hh pathway activation resulted in the modulation of 30 of these targets, 25 of which demonstrated a temporal regulation. Further validation revealed that the expression of Bok, FoxA1, Sox8 and Wnt7a was dependent upon Sonic Hh (Shh) signaling in the retina and their regulation is under positive and negative controls by Gli2 and Gli3, respectively. We also show using chromatin immunoprecipitation that Gli2 binds to the Sox8 promoter, suggesting that Sox8 is an Hh-dependent direct target of Gli2. Finally, we demonstrate that the Hh pathway also modulates the expression of Sox9 and Sox10, which together with Sox8 make up the SoxE group. Previously, it has been shown that Hh and SoxE group genes promote Müller glial cell development in the retina. Our data are consistent with the possibility for a role of SoxE group genes downstream of Hh signaling on Müller cell development. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. New gene targets for glucagon-like peptide-1 during embryonic development and in undifferentiated pluripotent cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz, Carmen; Blázquez, Enrique

    2011-09-01

    In humans, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) functions during adult life as an incretin hormone with anorexigenic and antidiabetogenic properties. Also, the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 in preventing the adipocyte hyperplasia associated with obesity and in bolstering the maintenance of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) stores by promoting the proliferation and cytoprotection of hMSC seems to be relevant. Since these observations suggest a role for GLP-1 during developmental processes, the aim of the present work was to characterize GLP-1 in early development as well as its gene targets in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Mouse embryos E6, E8, and E10.5 and pluripotent mES were used for the inmunodetection of GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the expression levels of GLP-1R in several tissues from E12.5 mouse embryos. Additionally, GLP-1 gene targets were studied in mES by multiple gene expression analyses. GLP-1 and its receptors were identified in mES and during embryonic development. In pluripotent mES, GLP-1 modified the expression of endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal gene markers as well as sonic hedgehog, noggin, members of the fibroblast and hepatic growth factor families, and others involved in pancreatic development. Additionally, GLP-1 promoted the expression of the antiapoptotic gene bcl2 and at the same time reduced proapoptotic caspase genes. Our results indicate that apart from the effects and therapeutic benefits of GLP-1 in adulthood, it may have additional gene targets in mES cells during embryonic life. Furthermore, the pathophysiological implications of GLP-1 imbalance in adulthood may have a counterpart during development.

  8. Glioma stem cells targeted by oncolytic virus carrying endostatin-angiostatin fusion gene and the expression of its exogenous gene in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guidong; Su, Wei; Jin, Guishan; Xu, Fujian; Hao, Shuyu; Guan, Fangxia; Jia, William; Liu, Fusheng

    2011-05-16

    The development of the cancer stem cell (CSCs) niche theory has provided a new target for the treatment of gliomas. Gene therapy using oncolytic viral vectors has shown great potential for the therapeutic targeting of CSCs. To explore whether a viral vector carrying an exogenous Endo-Angio fusion gene (VAE) can infect and kill glioma stem cells (GSCs), as well as inhibit their vascular niche in vitro, we have collected surgical specimens of human high-grade glioma (world health organization, WHO Classes III-VI) from which we isolated and cultured GSCs under conditions originally designed for the selective expansion of neural stem cells. Our results demonstrate the following: (1) Four lines of GSCs (isolated from 20 surgical specimens) could grow in suspension, were multipotent, had the ability to self-renew and expressed the neural stem cell markers, CD133 and nestin. (2) VAE could infect GSCs and significantly inhibit their viability. (3) The Endo-Angio fusion gene was expressed in GSCs 48 h after VAE infection and could inhibit the proliferation of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). (4) Residual viable cells lose the ability of self-renewal and adherent differentiation. In conclusion, VAE can significantly inhibit the activity of GSCs in vitro and the expression of exogenous Endo-Angio fusion gene can inhibit HBMEC proliferation. VAE can be used as a novel virus-gene therapy strategy for glioma. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Identification of Five Novel Salmonella Typhi-Specific Genes as Markers for Diagnosis of Typhoid Fever Using Single-Gene Target PCR Assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Xin Goay

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi causes typhoid fever which is a disease characterised by high mortality and morbidity worldwide. In order to curtail the transmission of this highly infectious disease, identification of new markers that can detect the pathogen is needed for development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests. In this study, genomic comparison of S. Typhi with other enteric pathogens was performed, and 6 S. Typhi genes, that is, STY0201, STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, were found to be specific in silico. Six PCR assays each targeting a unique gene were developed to test the specificity of these genes in vitro. The diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of each assay were determined using 39 S. Typhi, 62 non-Typhi Salmonella, and 10 non-Salmonella clinical isolates. The results showed that 5 of these genes, that is, STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, demonstrated 100% sensitivity (39/39 and 100% specificity (0/72. The detection limit of the 5 PCR assays was 32 pg for STY0322, 6.4 pg for STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, and 1.28 pg for STY0307. In conclusion, 5 PCR assays using STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021 were developed and found to be highly specific at single-gene target resolution for diagnosis of typhoid fever.

  10. Identification of Five Novel Salmonella Typhi-Specific Genes as Markers for Diagnosis of Typhoid Fever Using Single-Gene Target PCR Assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goay, Yuan Xin; Chin, Kai Ling; Tan, Clarissa Ling Ling; Yeoh, Chiann Ying; Ja'afar, Ja'afar Nuhu; Zaidah, Abdul Rahman; Chinni, Suresh Venkata; Phua, Kia Kien

    2016-01-01

    Salmonella Typhi ( S . Typhi) causes typhoid fever which is a disease characterised by high mortality and morbidity worldwide. In order to curtail the transmission of this highly infectious disease, identification of new markers that can detect the pathogen is needed for development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests. In this study, genomic comparison of S . Typhi with other enteric pathogens was performed, and 6 S . Typhi genes, that is, STY0201, STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, were found to be specific in silico . Six PCR assays each targeting a unique gene were developed to test the specificity of these genes in vitro . The diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of each assay were determined using 39 S . Typhi, 62 non-Typhi Salmonella , and 10 non- Salmonella clinical isolates. The results showed that 5 of these genes, that is, STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, demonstrated 100% sensitivity (39/39) and 100% specificity (0/72). The detection limit of the 5 PCR assays was 32 pg for STY0322, 6.4 pg for STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021, and 1.28 pg for STY0307. In conclusion, 5 PCR assays using STY0307, STY0322, STY0326, STY2020, and STY2021 were developed and found to be highly specific at single-gene target resolution for diagnosis of typhoid fever.

  11. Mitochondrial targeted neuron focused genes in hippocampus of rats with traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Pushpa; Su, Yan A; Barry, Erin S; Grunberg, Neil E; Lei, Zhang

    2012-09-01

    Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) represents a major health problem in civilian populations as well as among the military service members due to (1) lack of effective treatments, and (2) our incomplete understanding about the progression of secondary cell injury cascades resulting in neuronal cell death due to deficient cellular energy metabolism and damaged mitochondria. The aim of this study was to identify and delineate the mitochondrial targeted genes responsible for altered brain energy metabolism in the injured brain. Rats were either grouped into naïve controls or received lateral fluid percussion brain injury (2-2.5 atm) and followed up for 7 days. Rats were either grouped into naïve controls or received lateral fluid percussion brain injury (2-2.5 atm) and followed for 7 days. The severity of brain injury was evaluated by the neurological severity scale-revised (NSS-R) at 3 and 5 days post TBI and immunohistochemical analyses at 7 days post TBI. The expression profiles of mitochondrial-targeted genes across the hippocampus from TBI and naïe rats were also examined by oligo-DNA microarrays. NSS-R scores of TBI rats (5.4 ± 0.5) in comparison to naïe rats (3.9 ± 0.5) and H and E staining of brain sections suggested a mild brain injury. Bioinformatics and systems biology analyses showed 31 dysregulated genes, 10 affected canonical molecular pathways including a number of genes involved in mitochondrial enzymes for oxidative phosphorylation, mitogen-activated protein Kinase (MAP), peroxisome proliferator-activated protein (PPAP), apoptosis signaling, and genes responsible for long-term potentiation of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Our results suggest that dysregulated mitochondrial-focused genes in injured brains may have a clinical utility for the development of future therapeutic strategies aimed at the treatment of TBI.

  12. Microarray Gene Expression Analysis to Evaluate Cell Type Specific Expression of Targets Relevant for Immunotherapy of Hematological Malignancies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M J Pont

    Full Text Available Cellular immunotherapy has proven to be effective in the treatment of hematological cancers by donor lymphocyte infusion after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and more recently by targeted therapy with chimeric antigen or T-cell receptor-engineered T cells. However, dependent on the tissue distribution of the antigens that are targeted, anti-tumor responses can be accompanied by undesired side effects. Therefore, detailed tissue distribution analysis is essential to estimate potential efficacy and toxicity of candidate targets for immunotherapy of hematological malignancies. We performed microarray gene expression analysis of hematological malignancies of different origins, healthy hematopoietic cells and various non-hematopoietic cell types from organs that are often targeted in detrimental immune responses after allogeneic stem cell transplantation leading to graft-versus-host disease. Non-hematopoietic cells were also cultured in the presence of IFN-γ to analyze gene expression under inflammatory circumstances. Gene expression was investigated by Illumina HT12.0 microarrays and quality control analysis was performed to confirm the cell-type origin and exclude contamination of non-hematopoietic cell samples with peripheral blood cells. Microarray data were validated by quantitative RT-PCR showing strong correlations between both platforms. Detailed gene expression profiles were generated for various minor histocompatibility antigens and B-cell surface antigens to illustrate the value of the microarray dataset to estimate efficacy and toxicity of candidate targets for immunotherapy. In conclusion, our microarray database provides a relevant platform to analyze and select candidate antigens with hematopoietic (lineage-restricted expression as potential targets for immunotherapy of hematological cancers.

  13. Analysis of SOX10 mutations identified in Waardenburg-Hirschsprung patients: Differential effects on target gene regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Kwok Keung; Wong, Corinne Kung Yen; Lui, Vincent Chi Hang; Tam, Paul Kwong Hang; Sham, Mai Har

    2003-10-15

    SOX10 is a member of the SOX gene family related by homology to the high-mobility group (HMG) box region of the testis-determining gene SRY. Mutations of the transcription factor gene SOX10 lead to Waardenburg-Hirschsprung syndrome (Waardenburg-Shah syndrome, WS4) in humans. A number of SOX10 mutations have been identified in WS4 patients who suffer from different extents of intestinal aganglionosis, pigmentation, and hearing abnormalities. Some patients also exhibit signs of myelination deficiency in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Although the molecular bases for the wide range of symptoms displayed by the patients are still not clearly understood, a few target genes for SOX10 have been identified. We have analyzed the impact of six different SOX10 mutations on the activation of SOX10 target genes by yeast one-hybrid and mammalian cell transfection assays. To investigate the transactivation activities of the mutant proteins, three different SOX target binding sites were introduced into luciferase reporter gene constructs and examined in our series of transfection assays: consensus HMG domain protein binding sites; SOX10 binding sites identified in the RET promoter; and Sox10 binding sites identified in the P0 promoter. We found that the same mutation could have different transactivation activities when tested with different target binding sites and in different cell lines. The differential transactivation activities of the SOX10 mutants appeared to correlate with the intestinal and/or neurological symptoms presented in the patients. Among the six mutant SOX10 proteins tested, much reduced transactivation activities were observed when tested on the SOX10 binding sites from the RET promoter. Of the two similar mutations X467K and 1400del12, only the 1400del12 mutant protein exhibited an increase of transactivation through the P0 promoter. While the lack of normal SOX10 mediated activation of RET transcription may lead to intestinal aganglionosis

  14. Identification of genes highly downregulated in pancreatic cancer through a meta-analysis of microarray datasets: implications for discovery of novel tumor-suppressor genes and therapeutic targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goonesekere, Nalin C W; Andersen, Wyatt; Smith, Alex; Wang, Xiaosheng

    2018-02-01

    The lack of specific symptoms at early tumor stages, together with a high biological aggressiveness of the tumor contribute to the high mortality rate for pancreatic cancer (PC), which has a 5-year survival rate of about 7%. Recent failures of targeted therapies inhibiting kinase activity in clinical trials have highlighted the need for new approaches towards combating this deadly disease. In this study, we have identified genes that are significantly downregulated in PC, through a meta-analysis of large number of microarray datasets. We have used qRT-PCR to confirm the downregulation of selected genes in a panel of PC cell lines. This study has yielded several novel candidate tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs) including GNMT, CEL, PLA2G1B and SERPINI2. We highlight the role of GNMT, a methyl transferase associated with the methylation potential of the cell, and CEL, a lipase, as potential therapeutic targets. We have uncovered genetic links to risk factors associated with PC such as smoking and obesity. Genes important for patient survival and prognosis are also discussed, and we confirm the dysregulation of metabolic pathways previously observed in PC. While many of the genes downregulated in our dataset are associated with protein products normally produced by the pancreas for excretion, we have uncovered some genes whose downregulation appear to play a more causal role in PC. These genes will assist in providing a better understanding of the disease etiology of PC, and in the search for new therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

  15. Tumor-specific apoptotic gene targeting overcomes radiation resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Joe Y.; Zhang Xiaochun; Komaki, Ritsuko; Cheung, Rex; Fang Bingliang

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To overcome radiation resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma by tumor-specific apoptotic gene targeting using tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Methods and Materials: Adenoviral vector Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD with a tumor-specific human telomerase reverse transcription promoter was used to transfer TRAIL gene to human esophageal adenocarcinoma and normal human lung fibroblastic cells (NHLF). Activation of apoptosis was analyzed by Western blot, fluorescent activated cell sorting, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate labeling (TUNEL) assay. A human esophageal adenocarcinoma mouse model was treated with intratumoral injections of Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD plus local radiotherapy. Results: The combination of Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD and radiotherapy increased the cell-killing effect in all esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines but not in NHLF cells. This combination also significantly reduced clonogenic formation (p < 0.05) and increased sub-G1 deoxyribonucleic acid accumulation in cancer cells (p < 0.05). Activation of apoptosis by Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD plus radiotherapy was demonstrated by activation of caspase-9, caspase-8, and caspase-3 and cleaved poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase in vitro and TUNEL assay in vivo. Combined Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD and radiotherapy dramatically inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mean survival in the esophageal adenocarcinoma model to 31.6 days from 16.7 days for radiotherapy alone and 21.5 days for Ad/TRAIL-F/RGD alone (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of tumor-specific TRAIL gene targeting and radiotherapy enhances the effect of suppressing esophageal adenocarcinoma growth and prolonging survival

  16. Celecoxib inhibits osteoblast maturation by suppressing the expression of Wnt target genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akihiro Nagano

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs have been shown to impair bone healing. We previously reported that in colon cancer cells, celecoxib, a COX-2-selective NSAID, inhibited the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Since this pathway also plays an important role in osteoblast growth and differentiation, we examined the effect of celecoxib on maturation of osteoblast-like cell line MC3T3-E1. Celecoxib induced degradation of transcription factor 7-like 2, a key transcription factor of the canonical Wnt pathway. Subsequently, we analyzed the effect of celecoxib on two osteoblast differentiation markers; runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2 and alkaline phosphatase (ALP, both of which are the products of the canonical Wnt pathway target genes. Celecoxib inhibited the expression of both RUNX2 and ALP by suppressing their promoter activity. Consistent with these observations, celecoxib also strongly inhibited osteoblast-mediated mineralization. These results suggest that celecoxib inhibits osteoblast maturation by suppressing Wnt target genes, and this could be the mechanism that NSAIDs inhibit bone formation and fracture healing.

  17. Phospho switch triggers Brd4 chromatin binding and activator recruitment for gene-specific targeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shwu-Yuan; Lee, A-Young; Lai, Hsien-Tsung; Zhang, Hong; Chiang, Cheng-Ming

    2013-03-07

    Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) is an epigenetic reader and transcriptional regulator recently identified as a cancer therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, and Burkitt's lymphoma. Although chromatin targeting is a crucial function of Brd4, there is little understanding of how bromodomains that bind acetylated histones are regulated, nor how the gene-specific activity of Brd4 is determined. Via interaction screen and domain mapping, we identified p53 as a functional partner of Brd4. Interestingly, Brd4 association with p53 is modulated by casein kinase II (CK2)-mediated phosphorylation of a conserved acidic region in Brd4 that selectively contacts either a juxtaposed bromodomain or an adjacent basic region to dictate the ability of Brd4 binding to chromatin and also the recruitment of p53 to regulated promoters. The unmasking of bromodomains and activator recruitment, concurrently triggered by the CK2 phospho switch, provide an intriguing mechanism for gene-specific targeting by a universal epigenetic reader. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Targeted Gene-Silencing Reveals the Functional Significance of Myocardin Signaling in the Failing Heart

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrado, Mario; Iglesias, Raquel; Centeno, Alberto; López, Eduardo; Mikhailov, Alexander T.

    2011-01-01

    Background Myocardin (MYOCD), a potent transcriptional coactivator of smooth muscle (SM) and cardiac genes, is upregulated in failing myocardium in animal models and human end-stage heart failure (HF). However, the molecular and functional consequences of myocd upregulation in HF are still unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings The goal of the present study was to investigate if targeted inhibition of upregulated expression of myocd could influence failing heart gene expression and function. To this end, we used the doxorubicin (Dox)-induced diastolic HF (DHF) model in neonatal piglets, in which, as we show, not only myocd but also myocd-dependent SM-marker genes are highly activated in failing left ventricular (LV) myocardium. In this model, intra-myocardial delivery of short-hairpin RNAs, designed to target myocd variants expressed in porcine heart, leads on day 2 post-delivery to: (1) a decrease in the activated expression of myocd and myocd-dependent SM-marker genes in failing myocardium to levels seen in healthy control animals, (2) amelioration of impaired diastolic dysfunction, and (3) higher survival rates of DHF piglets. The posterior restoration of elevated myocd expression (on day 7 post-delivery) led to overexpression of myocd-dependent SM-marker genes in failing LV-myocardium that was associated with a return to altered diastolic function. Conclusions/Significance These data provide the first evidence that a moderate inhibition (e.g., normalization) of the activated MYOCD signaling in the diseased heart may be promising from a therapeutic point of view. PMID:22028870

  19. Targeted gene-silencing reveals the functional significance of myocardin signaling in the failing heart.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Torrado

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Myocardin (MYOCD, a potent transcriptional coactivator of smooth muscle (SM and cardiac genes, is upregulated in failing myocardium in animal models and human end-stage heart failure (HF. However, the molecular and functional consequences of myocd upregulation in HF are still unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The goal of the present study was to investigate if targeted inhibition of upregulated expression of myocd could influence failing heart gene expression and function. To this end, we used the doxorubicin (Dox-induced diastolic HF (DHF model in neonatal piglets, in which, as we show, not only myocd but also myocd-dependent SM-marker genes are highly activated in failing left ventricular (LV myocardium. In this model, intra-myocardial delivery of short-hairpin RNAs, designed to target myocd variants expressed in porcine heart, leads on day 2 post-delivery to: (1 a decrease in the activated expression of myocd and myocd-dependent SM-marker genes in failing myocardium to levels seen in healthy control animals, (2 amelioration of impaired diastolic dysfunction, and (3 higher survival rates of DHF piglets. The posterior restoration of elevated myocd expression (on day 7 post-delivery led to overexpression of myocd-dependent SM-marker genes in failing LV-myocardium that was associated with a return to altered diastolic function. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data provide the first evidence that a moderate inhibition (e.g., normalization of the activated MYOCD signaling in the diseased heart may be promising from a therapeutic point of view.

  20. Integrative Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 Target Sites in the Human HBB Gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yumei Luo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR system has emerged as a powerful customizable artificial nuclease to facilitate precise genetic correction for tissue regeneration and isogenic disease modeling. However, previous studies reported substantial off-target activities of CRISPR system in human cells, and the enormous putative off-target sites are labor-intensive to be validated experimentally, thus motivating bioinformatics methods for rational design of CRISPR system and prediction of its potential off-target effects. Here, we describe an integrative analytical process to identify specific CRISPR target sites in the human β-globin gene (HBB and predict their off-target effects. Our method includes off-target analysis in both coding and noncoding regions, which was neglected by previous studies. It was found that the CRISPR target sites in the introns have fewer off-target sites in the coding regions than those in the exons. Remarkably, target sites containing certain transcriptional factor motif have enriched binding sites of relevant transcriptional factor in their off-target sets. We also found that the intron sites have fewer SNPs, which leads to less variation of CRISPR efficiency in different individuals during clinical applications. Our studies provide a standard analytical procedure to select specific CRISPR targets for genetic correction.

  1. DNA Methylation Dynamics Regulate the Formation of a Regenerative Wound Epithelium during Axolotl Limb Regeneration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristian Aguilar

    Full Text Available The formation of a blastema during regeneration of an axolotl limb involves important changes in the behavior and function of cells at the site of injury. One of the earliest events is the formation of the wound epithelium and subsequently the apical epidermal cap, which involves in vivo dedifferentiation that is controlled by signaling from the nerve. We have investigated the role of epigenetic modifications to the genome as a possible mechanism for regulating changes in gene expression patterns of keratinocytes of the wound and blastema epithelium that are involved in regeneration. We report a modulation of the expression DNMT3a, a de novo DNA methyltransferase, within the first 72 hours post injury that is dependent on nerve signaling. Treatment of skin wounds on the upper forelimb with decitabine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, induced changes in gene expression and cellular behavior associated with a regenerative response. Furthermore, decitabine-treated wounds were able to participate in regeneration while untreated wounds inhibited a regenerative response. Elucidation of the specific epigenetic modifications that mediate cellular dedifferentiation likely will lead to insights for initiating a regenerative response in organisms that lack this ability.

  2. Targeted Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Cancer Gene Therapy via Liposome-Templated Hydrogel Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zeming; Liu, Fuyao; Chen, Yanke; Liu, Jun; Wang, Xiaoying; Chen, Ann T; Deng, Gang; Zhang, Hongyi; Liu, Jie; Hong, Zhangyong; Zhou, Jiangbing

    2017-12-08

    Due to its simplicity, versatility, and high efficiency, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology has emerged as one of the most promising approaches for treatment of a variety of genetic diseases, including human cancers. However, further translation of CRISPR/Cas9 for cancer gene therapy requires development of safe approaches for efficient, highly specific delivery of both Cas9 and single guide RNA to tumors. Here, novel core-shell nanostructure, liposome-templated hydrogel nanoparticles (LHNPs) that are optimized for efficient codelivery of Cas9 protein and nucleic acids is reported. It is demonstrated that, when coupled with the minicircle DNA technology, LHNPs deliver CRISPR/Cas9 with efficiency greater than commercial agent Lipofectamine 2000 in cell culture and can be engineered for targeted inhibition of genes in tumors, including tumors the brain. When CRISPR/Cas9 targeting a model therapeutic gene, polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), is delivered, LHNPs effectively inhibit tumor growth and improve tumor-bearing mouse survival. The results suggest LHNPs as versatile CRISPR/Cas9-delivery tool that can be adapted for experimentally studying the biology of cancer as well as for clinically translating cancer gene therapy.

  3. Hindsight regulates photoreceptor axon targeting through transcriptional control of jitterbug/Filamin and multiple genes involved in axon guidance in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliva, Carlos; Molina-Fernandez, Claudia; Maureira, Miguel; Candia, Noemi; López, Estefanía; Hassan, Bassem; Aerts, Stein; Cánovas, José; Olguín, Patricio; Sierralta, Jimena

    2015-09-01

    During axon targeting, a stereotyped pattern of connectivity is achieved by the integration of intrinsic genetic programs and the response to extrinsic long and short-range directional cues. How this coordination occurs is the subject of intense study. Transcription factors play a central role due to their ability to regulate the expression of multiple genes required to sense and respond to these cues during development. Here we show that the transcription factor HNT regulates layer-specific photoreceptor axon targeting in Drosophila through transcriptional control of jbug/Filamin and multiple genes involved in axon guidance and cytoskeleton organization.Using a microarray analysis we identified 235 genes whose expression levels were changed by HNT overexpression in the eye primordia. We analyzed nine candidate genes involved in cytoskeleton regulation and axon guidance, six of which displayed significantly altered gene expression levels in hnt mutant retinas. Functional analysis confirmed the role of OTK/PTK7 in photoreceptor axon targeting and uncovered Tiggrin, an integrin ligand, and Jbug/Filamin, a conserved actin- binding protein, as new factors that participate of photoreceptor axon targeting. Moreover, we provided in silico and molecular evidence that supports jbug/Filamin as a direct transcriptional target of HNT and that HNT acts partially through Jbug/Filamin in vivo to regulate axon guidance. Our work broadens the understanding of how HNT regulates the coordinated expression of a group of genes to achieve the correct connectivity pattern in the Drosophila visual system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 1018-1032, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Predicting human miRNA target genes using a novel evolutionary methodology

    KAUST Repository

    Aigli, Korfiati; Kleftogiannis, Dimitrios A.; Konstantinos, Theofilatos; Spiros, Likothanassis; Athanasios, Tsakalidis; Seferina, Mavroudi

    2012-01-01

    The discovery of miRNAs had great impacts on traditional biology. Typically, miRNAs have the potential to bind to the 3'untraslated region (UTR) of their mRNA target genes for cleavage or translational repression. The experimental identification of their targets has many drawbacks including cost, time and low specificity and these are the reasons why many computational approaches have been developed so far. However, existing computational approaches do not include any advanced feature selection technique and they are facing problems concerning their classification performance and their interpretability. In the present paper, we propose a novel hybrid methodology which combines genetic algorithms and support vector machines in order to locate the optimal feature subset while achieving high classification performance. The proposed methodology was compared with two of the most promising existing methodologies in the problem of predicting human miRNA targets. Our approach outperforms existing methodologies in terms of classification performances while selecting a much smaller feature subset. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

  5. Predicting human miRNA target genes using a novel evolutionary methodology

    KAUST Repository

    Aigli, Korfiati

    2012-01-01

    The discovery of miRNAs had great impacts on traditional biology. Typically, miRNAs have the potential to bind to the 3\\'untraslated region (UTR) of their mRNA target genes for cleavage or translational repression. The experimental identification of their targets has many drawbacks including cost, time and low specificity and these are the reasons why many computational approaches have been developed so far. However, existing computational approaches do not include any advanced feature selection technique and they are facing problems concerning their classification performance and their interpretability. In the present paper, we propose a novel hybrid methodology which combines genetic algorithms and support vector machines in order to locate the optimal feature subset while achieving high classification performance. The proposed methodology was compared with two of the most promising existing methodologies in the problem of predicting human miRNA targets. Our approach outperforms existing methodologies in terms of classification performances while selecting a much smaller feature subset. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

  6. Mechanisms of resistance to decitabine in the myelodysplastic syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taichun Qin

    Full Text Available The DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC is approved for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, but resistance to DAC develops during treatment and mechanisms of resistance remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated mechanisms of primary and secondary resistance to DAC in MDS.We performed Quantitative Real-Time PCR to examine expression of genes related to DAC metabolism prior to therapy in 32 responders and non-responders with MDS as well as 14 patients who achieved a complete remission and subsequently relapsed while on therapy (secondary resistance. We then performed quantitative methylation analyses by bisulfite pyrosequencing of 10 genes as well as Methylated CpG Island Amplification Microarray (MCAM analysis of global methylation in secondary resistance.Most genes showed no differences by response, but the CDA/DCK ratio was 3 fold higher in non-responders than responders (P<.05, suggesting that this could be a mechanism of primary resistance. There were no significant differences at relapse in DAC metabolism genes, and no DCK mutations were detected. Global methylation measured by the LINE1 assay was lower at relapse than at diagnosis (P<.05. On average, the methylation of 10 genes was lower at relapse (16.1% compared to diagnosis (18.1% (P<.05. MCAM analysis showed decreased methylation of an average of 4.5% (range 0.6%-9.7% of the genes at relapse. By contrast, new cytogenetic changes were found in 20% of patients.Pharmacological mechanisms are involved in primary resistance to DAC, whereas hypomethylation does not prevent a relapse for patients with DAC treatment.

  7. Genetic stability of gene targeted immunoglobulin loci. I. Heavy chain isotype exchange induced by a universal gene replacement vector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kardinal, C; Selmayr, M; Mocikat, R

    1996-11-01

    Gene targeting at the immunoglobulin loci of B cells is an efficient tool for studying immunoglobulin expression or generating chimeric antibodies. We have shown that vector integration induced by human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) insertion vectors results in subsequent vector excision mediated by the duplicated target sequence, whereas replacement events which could be induced by the same constructs remain stable. We could demonstrate that the distribution of the vector homology strongly influences the genetic stability obtained. To this end we developed a novel type of a heavy chain replacement vector making use of the heavy chain class switch recombination sequence. Despite the presence of a two-sided homology this construct is universally applicable irrespective of the constant gene region utilized by the B cell. In comparison to an integration vector the frequency of stable incorporation was strongly increased, but we still observed vector excision, although at a markedly reduced rate. The latter events even occurred with circular constructs. Linearization of the construct at various sites and the comparison with an integration vector that carries the identical homology sequence, but differs in the distribution of homology, revealed the following features of homologous recombination of immunoglobulin genes: (i) the integration frequency is only determined by the length of the homology flank where the cross-over takes place; (ii) a 5' flank that does not meet the minimum requirement of homology length cannot be complemented by a sufficient 3' flank; (iii) free vector ends play a role for integration as well as for replacement targeting; (iv) truncating recombination events are suppressed in the presence of two flanks. Furthermore, we show that the switch region that was used as 3' flank is non-functional in an inverted orientation.

  8. Two White Spot Syndrome Virus MicroRNAs Target the Dorsal Gene To Promote Virus Infection in Marsupenaeus japonicus Shrimp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Qian; Huang, Xin; Cui, Yalei; Sun, Jiejie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Xiaobo

    2017-04-15

    In eukaryotes, microRNAs (miRNAs) serve as regulators of many biological processes, including virus infection. An miRNA can generally target diverse genes during virus-host interactions. However, the regulation of gene expression by multiple miRNAs has not yet been extensively explored during virus infection. This study found that the Spaztle (Spz)-Toll-Dorsal-antilipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) signaling pathway plays a very important role in antiviral immunity against invasion of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp ( Marsupenaeus japonicus ). Dorsal , the central gene in the Toll pathway, was targeted by two viral miRNAs (WSSV-miR-N13 and WSSV-miR-N23) during WSSV infection. The regulation of Dorsal expression by viral miRNAs suppressed the Spz-Toll-Dorsal-ALF signaling pathway in shrimp in vivo , leading to virus infection. Our study contributes novel insights into the viral miRNA-mediated Toll signaling pathway during the virus-host interaction. IMPORTANCE An miRNA can target diverse genes during virus-host interactions. However, the regulation of gene expression by multiple miRNAs during virus infection has not yet been extensively explored. The results of this study indicated that the shrimp Dorsal gene, the central gene in the Toll pathway, was targeted by two viral miRNAs during infection with white spot syndrome virus. Regulation of Dorsal expression by viral miRNAs suppressed the Spz-Toll-Dorsal-ALF signaling pathway in shrimp in vivo , leading to virus infection. Our study provides new insight into the viral miRNA-mediated Toll signaling pathway in virus-host interactions. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  9. SETD1A modulates cell cycle progression through a miRNA network that regulates p53 target genes

    OpenAIRE

    Tajima, Ken; Yae, Toshifumi; Javaid, Sarah; Tam, Oliver; Comaills, Valentine; Morris, Robert; Wittner, Ben S.; Liu, Mingzhu; Engstrom, Amanda; Takahashi, Fumiyuki; Black, Joshua C.; Ramaswamy, Sridhar; Shioda, Toshihiro; Hammell, Molly; Haber, Daniel A.

    2015-01-01

    Expression of the p53-inducible antiproliferative gene BTG2 is suppressed in many cancers in the absence of inactivating gene mutations, suggesting alternative mechanisms of silencing. Using a shRNA screen targeting 43 histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs), we show that SETD1A suppresses BTG2 expression through its induction of several BTG2-targeting miRNAs. This indirect but highly specific mechanism, by which a chromatin regulator that mediates transcriptional activating marks can lead t...

  10. miR-24-2 controls H2AFX expression regardless of gene copy number alteration and induces apoptosis by targeting antiapoptotic gene BCL-2: a potential for therapeutic intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Niloo; Manvati, Siddharth; Srivastava, Archita; Pal, Ranjana; Kalaiarasan, Ponnusamy; Chattopadhyay, Shilpi; Gochhait, Sailesh; Dua, Raina; Bamezai, Rameshwar N K

    2011-04-04

    New levels of gene regulation with microRNA (miR) and gene copy number alterations (CNAs) have been identified as playing a role in various cancers. We have previously reported that sporadic breast cancer tissues exhibit significant alteration in H2AX gene copy number. However, how CNA affects gene expression and what is the role of miR, miR-24-2, known to regulate H2AX expression, in the background of the change in copy number, are not known. Further, many miRs, including miR-24-2, are implicated as playing a role in cell proliferation and apoptosis, but their specific target genes and the pathways contributing to them remain unexplored. Changes in gene copy number and mRNA/miR expression were estimated using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays in two mammalian cell lines, MCF-7 and HeLa, and in a set of sporadic breast cancer tissues. In silico analysis was performed to find the putative target for miR-24-2. MCF-7 cells were transfected with precursor miR-24-2 oligonucleotides, and the gene expression levels of BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, MDM2, TP53, CHEK2, CYT-C, BCL-2, H2AFX and P21 were examined using TaqMan gene expression assays. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometric detection using annexin V dye. A luciferase assay was performed to confirm BCL-2 as a valid cellular target of miR-24-2. It was observed that H2AX gene expression was negatively correlated with miR-24-2 expression and not in accordance with the gene copy number status, both in cell lines and in sporadic breast tumor tissues. Further, the cells overexpressing miR-24-2 were observed to be hypersensitive to DNA damaging drugs, undergoing apoptotic cell death, suggesting the potentiating effect of mir-24-2-mediated apoptotic induction in human cancer cell lines treated with anticancer drugs. BCL-2 was identified as a novel cellular target of miR-24-2. mir-24-2 is capable of inducing apoptosis by modulating different apoptotic pathways and targeting BCL-2, an antiapoptotic gene. The study suggests

  11. Fine tuning of RFX/DAF-19-regulated target gene expression through binding to multiple sites in Caenorhabditis elegans

    OpenAIRE

    Chu, Jeffery S. C.; Tarailo-Graovac, Maja; Zhang, Di; Wang, Jun; Uyar, Bora; Tu, Domena; Trinh, Joanne; Baillie, David L.; Chen, Nansheng

    2011-01-01

    In humans, mutations of a growing list of regulatory factor X (RFX) target genes have been associated with devastating genetics disease conditions including ciliopathies. However, mechanisms underlying RFX transcription factors (TFs)-mediated gene expression regulation, especially differential gene expression regulation, are largely unknown. In this study, we explore the functional significance of the co-existence of multiple X-box motifs in regulating differential gene expression in Caenorha...

  12. Development of a flexible and potent hypoxia-inducible promoter for tumor-targeted gene expression in attenuated Salmonella

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mengesha, Asferd; Dubois, Ludwig; Lambin, Philippe; Landuyt, Willy; Chiu, Roland K; Wouters, Bradly G; Theys, Jan

    To increase the potential of attenuated Salmonella as gene delivery vectors for cancer treatment, we developed a hypoxia-inducible promoter system to limit gene expression specifically to the tumor. This approach is envisaged to not only increase tumor specificity, but also to target those cells

  13. Potential downstream target genes of aberrant ETS transcription factors are differentially affected in Ewing's sarcoma and prostate carcinoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria J Camões

    Full Text Available FLI1 and ERG, the major ETS transcription factors involved in rearrangements in the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT and in prostate carcinomas (PCa, respectively, belong to the same subfamily, having 98% sequence identity in the DNA binding domain. We therefore decided to investigate whether the aberrant transcription factors in both malignancies have some common downstream targets. We crossed a publicly available list of all putative EWSR1-FLI1 target genes in ESFT with our microarray expression data on 24 PCa and 6 non-malignant prostate tissues (NPT and choose four genes among the top-most differentially expressed between PCa with (PCa ERG+ and without (PCa ETS- ETS fusion genes (HIST1H4L, KCNN2, ECRG4 and LDOC1, as well as four well-validated direct targets of the EWSR1-FLI1 chimeric protein in ESFT (NR0B1, CAV1, IGFBP3 and TGFBR2. Using quantitative expression analysis in 16 ESFT and seven alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (ARMS, we were able to validate the four genes previously described as direct targets of the EWSR1-FLI1 oncoprotein, showing overexpression of CAV1 and NR0B1 and underexpression of IGFBP3 and TGFBR2 in ESFT as compared to ARMS. Although none of these four genes showed significant expression differences between PCa ERG+ and PCa ETS-, CAV1, IGFBP3 and TGFBR2 were less expressed in PCa in an independent series of 56 PCa and 15 NPT, as also observed for ECRG4 and LDOC1, suggesting a role in prostate carcinogenesis in general. On the other hand, we demonstrate for the first time that both HIST1H4L and KCNN2 are significantly overexpressed in PCa ERG+ and that ERG binds to the promoter of these genes. Conversely, KCNN2 was found underexpressed in ESFT relative to ARMS, suggesting that the EWSR1-ETS oncoprotein may have the opposite effect of ERG rearrangements in PCa. We conclude that aberrant ETS transcription factors modulate target genes differently in ESFT and PCa.

  14. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Tumor-Targeted Gene Therapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Bao, Qi; Zhao, Yue; Niess, Hanno; Conrad, Claudius; Schwarz, Bettina; Jauch, Karl-Walter; Huss, Ralf; Nelson, Peter J.; Bruns, Christiane J.

    2012-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem (or stromal) cells (MSCs) are nonhematopoietic progenitor cells that can be obtained from bone marrow aspirates or adipose tissue, expanded and genetically modified in vitro, and then used for cancer therapeutic strategies in vivo. Here, we review available data regarding the application of MSC-based tumor-targeted therapy in gastrointestinal cancer, provide an overview of the general history of MSC-based gene therapy in cancer research, and discuss potential problems associa...

  15. Inactivation and inducible oncogenic mutation of p53 in gene targeted pigs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Leuchs

    Full Text Available Mutation of the tumor suppressor p53 plays a major role in human carcinogenesis. Here we describe gene-targeted porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and live pigs carrying a latent TP53(R167H mutant allele, orthologous to oncogenic human mutant TP53(R175H and mouse Trp53(R172H, that can be activated by Cre recombination. MSCs carrying the latent TP53(R167H mutant allele were analyzed in vitro. Homozygous cells were p53 deficient, and on continued culture exhibited more rapid proliferation, anchorage independent growth, and resistance to the apoptosis-inducing chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin, all characteristic of cellular transformation. Cre mediated recombination activated the latent TP53(R167H allele as predicted, and in homozygous cells expressed mutant p53-R167H protein at a level ten-fold greater than wild-type MSCs, consistent with the elevated levels found in human cancer cells. Gene targeted MSCs were used for nuclear transfer and fifteen viable piglets were produced carrying the latent TP53(R167H mutant allele in heterozygous form. These animals will allow study of p53 deficiency and expression of mutant p53-R167H to model human germline, or spontaneous somatic p53 mutation. This work represents the first inactivation and mutation of the gatekeeper tumor suppressor gene TP53 in a non-rodent mammal.

  16. Whole-genome analysis of herbicide-tolerant mutant rice generated by Agrobacterium-mediated gene targeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endo, Masaki; Kumagai, Masahiko; Motoyama, Ritsuko; Sasaki-Yamagata, Harumi; Mori-Hosokawa, Satomi; Hamada, Masao; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Nagamura, Yoshiaki; Katayose, Yuichi; Itoh, Takeshi; Toki, Seiichi

    2015-01-01

    Gene targeting (GT) is a technique used to modify endogenous genes in target genomes precisely via homologous recombination (HR). Although GT plants are produced using genetic transformation techniques, if the difference between the endogenous and the modified gene is limited to point mutations, GT crops can be considered equivalent to non-genetically modified mutant crops generated by conventional mutagenesis techniques. However, it is difficult to guarantee the non-incorporation of DNA fragments from Agrobacterium in GT plants created by Agrobacterium-mediated GT despite screening with conventional Southern blot and/or PCR techniques. Here, we report a comprehensive analysis of herbicide-tolerant rice plants generated by inducing point mutations in the rice ALS gene via Agrobacterium-mediated GT. We performed genome comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) array analysis and whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the molecular composition of GT rice plants. Thus far, no integration of Agrobacterium-derived DNA fragments has been detected in GT rice plants. However, >1,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion (InDels) were found in GT plants. Among these mutations, 20-100 variants might have some effect on expression levels and/or protein function. Information about additive mutations should be useful in clearing out unwanted mutations by backcrossing. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.

  17. Identification and validation of reference genes for quantification of target gene expression with quantitative real-time PCR for tall fescue under four abiotic stresses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhimin Yang

    Full Text Available Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is widely utilized as a major forage and turfgrass species in the temperate regions of the world and is a valuable plant material for studying molecular mechanisms of grass stress tolerance due to its superior drought and heat tolerance among cool-season species. Selection of suitable reference genes for quantification of target gene expression is important for the discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying improved growth traits and stress tolerance. The stability of nine potential reference genes (ACT, TUB, EF1a, GAPDH, SAND, CACS, F-box, PEPKR1 and TIP41 was evaluated using four programs, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The combinations of SAND and TUB or TIP41 and TUB were most stably expressed in salt-treated roots or leaves. The combinations of GAPDH with TIP41 or TUB were stable in roots and leaves under drought stress. TIP41 and PEPKR1 exhibited stable expression in cold-treated roots, and the combination of F-box, TIP41 and TUB was also stable in cold-treated leaves. CACS and TUB were the two most stable reference genes in heat-stressed roots. TIP41 combined with TUB and ACT was stably expressed in heat-stressed leaves. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR assays of the target gene FaWRKY1 using the identified most stable reference genes confirmed the reliability of selected reference genes. The selection of suitable reference genes in tall fescue will allow for more accurate identification of stress-tolerance genes and molecular mechanisms conferring stress tolerance in this stress-tolerant species.

  18. The Anti-Adipogenic Potential of COUP-TFII Is Mediated by Downregulation of the Notch Target Gene Hey1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilse Scroyen

    Full Text Available Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII belongs to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily and may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity. It has not conclusively been established, however, whether its role is pro- or anti-adipogenic.Gene silencing of Coup-tfII in 3T3-F442A preadipocytes resulted in enhanced differentiation into mature adipocytes. This was associated with upregulation of the Notch signaling target gene Hey1. A functional role of Hey1 was confirmed by gene silencing in 3T3-F442A preadipocytes, resulting in impaired differentiation. In vivo, de novo fat pad formation in NUDE mice was significantly stimulated following injection of preadipocytes with Coup-tfII gene silencing, but impaired with Hey1 gene silencing. Moreover, expression of Coup-tfII was lower and that of Hey1 higher in isolated adipocytes of obese as compared to lean adipose tissue.These in vitro and in vivo data support an anti-adipogenic role of COUP-TFII via downregulating the Notch signaling target gene Hey1.

  19. Transferrin receptor molecular imaging: targeting for diagnosis and monitoring of gene delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eun-Mi Kim; Hwan-Jeong Jeong; Jin-Hee Kim; Chang-Guhn Kim

    2004-01-01

    Objective: In this study, we investigated the targetability of Tf conjugated compounds to Tf-R expressed on cancer cells for detection and diagnosis and the usefulness of gamma probe-targeting delivery system on monitoring whether the gene complex bind to the cells specifically. Methods: For the detection and diagnosis of Tf-R positive cancer cells, Tf-chitosan conjugates were synthesized as previously described by Kircheis et al with some modifications. Succinimidyl 6-hydrazino nicotinate hydrochloride (HYNIC) was bound to Tf-chitosan conjugates. HYNIC-Tf-chitosan conjugates were labelled with 99mTc. In the monitoring of Tf-R specific gene delivery system, we used the HYNIC-Tf conjugated dendrimer. For tumor model, 5- to 6-week-old female BALB/c nude mice were injected subcutaneously in the left thigh with Ramos cells (human Burkitt's lymphoma). The gamma imagings were acquired after administration of 99mTc HYNIC-Tf conjugates and 99mTc HYNIC-Tf-DNA polyplexes via the tail vein of tumor bearing nude mice at 10, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min. To compare the image acquired with HYNIC-Tf conjugate, Ga-67 study was performed. To certify the expression of delivered gene via DNA polyplexes, 2 days after gene complex injection we inspected the expression of GFP in dissected tumor tissue. Results: Radiolabeling yields of both HYNIC-Tf conjugate and HYNIC-Tf-dendrimer gene complex were above 90% until 12hr. Uptake in the Ramos model of 99mTc HYNIC-Tf conjugate showed higher than those of Ga-67. A few minutes after injection 99mTc HYNIC-Tf conjugate localized mainly in the circulation (heart), kidneys, and tumor. At later times, radioactivity in tumor increased until 90 min. Pharmacokinetics of Ga-67 were different from those of 99mTc HYNIC-Tf conjugate. Tumor to nontumor ratio of Ga-67 was approximately 2 but in case of 99mTc HYNIC-Tf conjugate showed until 5. In Ramos lymphoma model, 99mTc HYNIC-Tf-DNA polyplexes accumulated the tumor site, and the gene expression of 99m

  20. A comparison of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, DNA fragments and AAV-1 for targeted episomal and chromosomal gene repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leclerc Xavier

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Current strategies for gene therapy of inherited diseases consist in adding functional copies of the gene that is defective. An attractive alternative to these approaches would be to correct the endogenous mutated gene in the affected individual. This study presents a quantitative comparison of the repair efficiency using different forms of donor nucleic acids, including synthetic DNA oligonucleotides, double stranded DNA fragments with sizes ranging from 200 to 2200 bp and sequences carried by a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV-1. Evaluation of each gene repair strategy was carried out using two different reporter systems, a mutated eGFP gene or a dual construct with a functional eGFP and an inactive luciferase gene, in several different cell systems. Gene targeting events were scored either following transient co-transfection of reporter plasmids and donor DNAs, or in a system where a reporter construct was stably integrated into the chromosome. Results In both episomal and chromosomal assays, DNA fragments were more efficient at gene repair than oligonucleotides or rAAV-1. Furthermore, the gene targeting frequency could be significantly increased by using DNA repair stimulating drugs such as doxorubicin and phleomycin. Conclusion Our results show that it is possible to obtain repair frequencies of 1% of the transfected cell population under optimized transfection protocols when cells were pretreated with phleomycin using rAAV-1 and dsDNA fragments.

  1. Targeting chitinase gene of Helicoverpa armigera by host-induced RNA interference confers insect resistance in tobacco and tomato.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamta; Reddy, K R K; Rajam, M V

    2016-02-01

    Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a devastating agricultural insect pest with broad spectrum of host range, causing million dollars crop loss annually. Limitations in the present conventional and transgenic approaches have made it crucial to develop sustainable and environmental friendly methods for crop improvement. In the present study, host-induced RNA interference (HI-RNAi) approach was used to develop H. armigera resistant tobacco and tomato plants. Chitinase (HaCHI) gene, critically required for insect molting and metamorphosis was selected as a potential target. Hair-pin RNAi construct was prepared from the conserved off-target free partial HaCHI gene sequence and was used to generate several HaCHI-RNAi tobacco and tomato plants. Northern hybridization confirmed the production of HaCHI gene-specific siRNAs in HaCHI-RNAi tobacco and tomato lines. Continuous feeding on leaves of RNAi lines drastically reduced the target gene transcripts and consequently, affected the overall growth and survival of H. armigera. Various developmental deformities were also manifested in H. armigera larvae after feeding on the leaves of RNAi lines. These results demonstrated the role of chitinase in insect development and potential of HI-RNAi for effective management of H. armigera.

  2. Image-aided Suicide Gene Therapy Utilizing Multifunctional hTERT-targeting Adenovirus for Clinical Translation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yun-Hee; Kim, Kyung Tae; Lee, Sang-Jin; Hong, Seung-Hee; Moon, Ju Young; Yoon, Eun Kyung; Kim, Sukyoung; Kim, Eun Ok; Kang, Se Hun; Kim, Seok Ki; Choi, Sun Il; Goh, Sung Ho; Kim, Daehong; Lee, Seong-Wook; Ju, Mi Ha; Jeong, Jin Sook; Kim, In-Hoo

    2016-01-01

    Trans-splicing ribozyme enables to sense and reprogram target RNA into therapeutic transgene and thereby becomes a good sensing device for detection of cancer cells, judging from transgene expression. Previously we proposed PEPCK-Rz-HSVtk (PRT), hTERT targeting trans-splicing ribozyme (Rz) driven by liver-specific promoter phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) with downstream suicide gene, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gene therapy. Here, we describe success of a re-engineered adenoviral vector harboring PRT in obtaining greater antitumor activity with less off-target effect for clinical application as a theranostics. We introduced liver-selective apolipoprotein E (ApoE) enhancer to the distal region of PRT unit to augment activity and liver selectivity of PEPCK promoter, and achieved better transduction into liver cancer cells by replacement of serotype 35 fiber knob on additional E4orf1-4 deletion of E1&E3-deleted serotype 5 back bone. We demonstrated that our refined adenovirus harboring PEPCK/ApoE-Rz-HSVtk (Ad-PRT-E) achieved great anti-tumor efficacy and improved ability to specifically target HCC without damaging normal hepatocytes. We also showed noninvasive imaging modalities were successfully employed to monitor both how well a therapeutic gene (HSVtk) was expressed inside tumor and how effectively a gene therapy took an action in terms of tumor growth. Collectively, this study suggests that the advanced therapeutic adenoviruses Ad-PRT-E and its image-aided evaluation system may lead to the powerful strategy for successful clinical translation and the development of clinical protocols for HCC therapy.

  3. Electrotransfer parameters as a tool for controlled and targeted gene expression in skin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spela Kos

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Skin is an attractive target for gene electrotransfer. It consists of different cell types that can be transfected, leading to various responses to gene electrotransfer. We demonstrate that these responses could be controlled by selecting the appropriate electrotransfer parameters. Specifically, the application of low or high electric pulses, applied by multi-electrode array, provided the possibility to control the depth of the transfection in the skin, the duration and the level of gene expression, as well as the local or systemic distribution of the transgene. The influence of electric pulse type was first studied using a plasmid encoding a reporter gene (DsRed. Then, plasmids encoding therapeutic genes (IL-12, shRNA against endoglin, shRNA against melanoma cell adhesion molecule were used, and their effects on wound healing and cutaneous B16F10 melanoma tumors were investigated. The high-voltage pulses resulted in gene expression that was restricted to superficial skin layers and induced a local response. In contrast, the low-voltage electric pulses promoted transfection into the deeper skin layers, resulting in prolonged gene expression and higher transgene production, possibly with systemic distribution. Therefore, in the translation into the clinics, it will be of the utmost importance to adjust the electrotransfer parameters for different therapeutic approaches and specific mode of action of the therapeutic gene.

  4. Identification of target genes of the p16INK4A-pRB-E2F pathway

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vernell, Richard; Helin, Kristian; Müller, Heiko

    2003-01-01

    as physiological targets of the pRB pathway, and the further characterization of these genes should provide insights into how this pathway controls proliferation. We show that Gibbs sampling detects enrichment of several sequence motifs, including E2F consensus binding sites, in the upstream regions of these genes...

  5. Glucosylated polyethylenimine as a tumor-targeting gene carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, In-Kyu; Cook, Seung-Eun; Kim, You-Kyoung; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Cho, Myung-Haing; Jeong, Hwan-Jeong; Kim, Eun-Mi; Nah, Jae-Woon; Bom, Hee-Seung; Cho, Chong-Su

    2005-11-01

    Glucosylated polyethylenimine (GPEI) was synthesized as a tumor-targeting gene carrier through facilitative glucose metabolism by tumor glucose transporter. Particle sizes of GPEI/DNA complex increased in proportion to glucose content of GPEI, whereas surface charge of the complex was not dependent on glucosylation, partially due to inefficient shielding of the short hydrophilic group introduced. GPEI with higher glucosylation (36 mol-%) had no cytotoxic effect on cells even at polymer concentrations higher than 200 microg/mL. Compared to unglucosylated PEI, glucosylation induced less than one-order decrease of transfection efficiency. Transfection of GPEI/DNA complex into tumor cells possibly occurred through specific interaction between glucose-related cell receptors and glucose moiety of GPEI. Gamma imaging technique revealed GPEI/DNA complex was distributed in liver, spleen, and tumors.

  6. AAV9-mediated central nervous system–targeted gene delivery via cisterna magna route in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vera Lukashchuk

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Current barriers to the use of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9 in clinical trials for treating neurological disorders are its high expression in many off-target tissues such as liver and heart, and lack of cell specificity within the central nervous system (CNS when using ubiquitous promoters such as human cytomegalovirus (CMV or chicken-β-actin hybrid (CAG. To enhance targeting the transgene expression in CNS cells, self-complementary (sc AAV9 vectors, scAAV9-GFP vectors carrying neuronal Hb9 and synapsin 1, and nonspecific CMV and CAG promoters were constructed. We demonstrate that synapsin 1 and Hb9 promoters exclusively targeted neurons in vitro, although their strengths were up to 10-fold lower than that of CMV. In vivo analyses of mouse tissue after scAAV9-GFP vector delivery via the cisterna magna revealed a significant advantage of synapsin 1 promoter over both Hb9 variants in targeting neurons throughout the brain, since Hb9 promoters were driving gene expression mainly within the motor-related areas of the brain stem. In summary, this study demonstrates that cisterna magna administration is a safe alternative to intracranial or intracerebroventricular vector delivery route using scAAV9, and introduces a novel utility of the Hb9 promoter for the targeted gene expression for both in vivo and in vitro applications.

  7. Targeted and genome-scale methylomics reveals gene body signatures in human cell lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ball, Madeleine Price; Li, Jin Billy; Gao, Yuan; Lee, Je-Hyuk; LeProust, Emily; Park, In-Hyun; Xie, Bin; Daley, George Q.; Church, George M.

    2012-01-01

    Cytosine methylation, an epigenetic modification of DNA, is a target of growing interest for developing high throughput profiling technologies. Here we introduce two new, complementary techniques for cytosine methylation profiling utilizing next generation sequencing technology: bisulfite padlock probes (BSPPs) and methyl sensitive cut counting (MSCC). In the first method, we designed a set of ~10,000 BSPPs distributed over the ENCODE pilot project regions to take advantage of existing expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation data. We observed a pattern of low promoter methylation coupled with high gene body methylation in highly expressed genes. Using the second method, MSCC, we gathered genome-scale data for 1.4 million HpaII sites and confirmed that gene body methylation in highly expressed genes is a consistent phenomenon over the entire genome. Our observations highlight the usefulness of techniques which are not inherently or intentionally biased in favor of only profiling particular subsets like CpG islands or promoter regions. PMID:19329998

  8. A genome-wide screen for genetic variants that modify the recruitment of REST to its target genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rory Johnson

    Full Text Available Increasing numbers of human diseases are being linked to genetic variants, but our understanding of the mechanistic links leading from DNA sequence to disease phenotype is limited. The majority of disease-causing nucleotide variants fall within the non-protein-coding portion of the genome, making it likely that they act by altering gene regulatory sequences. We hypothesised that SNPs within the binding sites of the transcriptional repressor REST alter the degree of repression of target genes. Given that changes in the effective concentration of REST contribute to several pathologies-various cancers, Huntington's disease, cardiac hypertrophy, vascular smooth muscle proliferation-these SNPs should alter disease-susceptibility in carriers. We devised a strategy to identify SNPs that affect the recruitment of REST to target genes through the alteration of its DNA recognition element, the RE1. A multi-step screen combining genetic, genomic, and experimental filters yielded 56 polymorphic RE1 sequences with robust and statistically significant differences of affinity between alleles. These SNPs have a considerable effect on the the functional recruitment of REST to DNA in a range of in vitro, reporter gene, and in vivo analyses. Furthermore, we observe allele-specific biases in deeply sequenced chromatin immunoprecipitation data, consistent with predicted differenes in RE1 affinity. Amongst the targets of polymorphic RE1 elements are important disease genes including NPPA, PTPRT, and CDH4. Thus, considerable genetic variation exists in the DNA motifs that connect gene regulatory networks. Recently available ChIP-seq data allow the annotation of human genetic polymorphisms with regulatory information to generate prior hypotheses about their disease-causing mechanism.

  9. A Genome-Wide Screen for Genetic Variants That Modify the Recruitment of REST to Its Target Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Rory; Richter, Nadine; Bogu, Gireesh K.; Bhinge, Akshay; Teng, Siaw Wei; Choo, Siew Hua; Andrieux, Lise O.; de Benedictis, Cinzia; Jauch, Ralf; Stanton, Lawrence W.

    2012-01-01

    Increasing numbers of human diseases are being linked to genetic variants, but our understanding of the mechanistic links leading from DNA sequence to disease phenotype is limited. The majority of disease-causing nucleotide variants fall within the non-protein-coding portion of the genome, making it likely that they act by altering gene regulatory sequences. We hypothesised that SNPs within the binding sites of the transcriptional repressor REST alter the degree of repression of target genes. Given that changes in the effective concentration of REST contribute to several pathologies—various cancers, Huntington's disease, cardiac hypertrophy, vascular smooth muscle proliferation—these SNPs should alter disease-susceptibility in carriers. We devised a strategy to identify SNPs that affect the recruitment of REST to target genes through the alteration of its DNA recognition element, the RE1. A multi-step screen combining genetic, genomic, and experimental filters yielded 56 polymorphic RE1 sequences with robust and statistically significant differences of affinity between alleles. These SNPs have a considerable effect on the the functional recruitment of REST to DNA in a range of in vitro, reporter gene, and in vivo analyses. Furthermore, we observe allele-specific biases in deeply sequenced chromatin immunoprecipitation data, consistent with predicted differenes in RE1 affinity. Amongst the targets of polymorphic RE1 elements are important disease genes including NPPA, PTPRT, and CDH4. Thus, considerable genetic variation exists in the DNA motifs that connect gene regulatory networks. Recently available ChIP–seq data allow the annotation of human genetic polymorphisms with regulatory information to generate prior hypotheses about their disease-causing mechanism. PMID:22496669

  10. Transferrin-bearing polypropylenimine dendrimer for targeted gene delivery to the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somani, Sukrut; Blatchford, David R; Millington, Owain; Stevenson, M Lynn; Dufès, Christine

    2014-08-28

    The possibility of using genes as medicines to treat brain diseases is currently limited by the lack of safe and efficacious delivery systems able to cross the blood-brain barrier, thus resulting in a failure to reach the brain after intravenous administration. On the basis that iron can effectively reach the brain by using transferrin receptors for crossing the blood-brain barrier, we propose to investigate if a transferrin-bearing generation 3-polypropylenimine dendrimer would allow the transport of plasmid DNA to the brain after intravenous administration. In vitro, the conjugation of transferrin to the polypropylenimine dendrimer increased the DNA uptake by bEnd.3 murine brain endothelioma cells overexpressing transferrin receptors, by about 1.4-fold and 2.3-fold compared to that observed with the non-targeted dendriplex and naked DNA. This DNA uptake appeared to be optimal following 2h incubation with the treatment. In vivo, the intravenous injection of transferrin-bearing dendriplex more than doubled the gene expression in the brain compared to the unmodified dendriplex, while decreasing the non-specific gene expression in the lung. Gene expression was at least 3-fold higher in the brain than in any tested peripheral organs and was at its highest 24h following the injection of the treatments. These results suggest that transferrin-bearing polypropylenimine dendrimer is a highly promising gene delivery system to the brain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Proviral HIV-genome-wide and pol-gene specific Zinc Finger Nucleases: Usability for targeted HIV gene therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wayengera Misaki

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Infection with HIV, which culminates in the establishment of a latent proviral reservoir, presents formidable challenges for ultimate cure. Building on the hypothesis that ex-vivo or even in-vivo abolition or disruption of HIV-gene/genome-action by target mutagenesis or excision can irreversibly abrogate HIV's innate fitness to replicate and survive, we previously identified the isoschizomeric bacteria restriction enzymes (REases AcsI and ApoI as potent cleavers of the HIV-pol gene (11 and 9 times in HIV-1 and 2, respectively. However, both enzymes, along with others found to cleave across the entire HIV-1 genome, slice (SX at palindromic sequences that are prevalent within the human genome and thereby pose the risk of host genome toxicity. A long-term goal in the field of R-M enzymatic therapeutics has thus been to generate synthetic restriction endonucleases with longer recognition sites limited in specificity to HIV. We aimed (i to assemble and construct zinc finger arrays and nucleases (ZFN with either proviral-HIV-pol gene or proviral-HIV-1 whole-genome specificity respectively, and (ii to advance a model for pre-clinically testing lentiviral vectors (LV that deliver and transduce either ZFN genotype. Methods and Results First, we computationally generated the consensus sequences of (a 114 dsDNA-binding zinc finger (Zif arrays (ZFAs or ZifHIV-pol and (b two zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs which, unlike the AcsI and ApoI homeodomains, possess specificity to >18 base-pair sequences uniquely present within the HIV-pol gene (ZifHIV-polFN. Another 15 ZFNs targeting >18 bp sequences within the complete HIV-1 proviral genome were constructed (ZifHIV-1FN. Second, a model for constructing lentiviral vectors (LVs that deliver and transduce a diploid copy of either ZifHIV-polFN or ZifHIV-1FN chimeric genes (termed LV- 2xZifHIV-polFN and LV- 2xZifHIV-1FN, respectively is proposed. Third, two preclinical models for controlled testing of

  12. Proviral HIV-genome-wide and pol-gene specific zinc finger nucleases: usability for targeted HIV gene therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wayengera, Misaki

    2011-07-22

    Infection with HIV, which culminates in the establishment of a latent proviral reservoir, presents formidable challenges for ultimate cure. Building on the hypothesis that ex-vivo or even in-vivo abolition or disruption of HIV-gene/genome-action by target mutagenesis or excision can irreversibly abrogate HIV's innate fitness to replicate and survive, we previously identified the isoschizomeric bacteria restriction enzymes (REases) AcsI and ApoI as potent cleavers of the HIV-pol gene (11 and 9 times in HIV-1 and 2, respectively). However, both enzymes, along with others found to cleave across the entire HIV-1 genome, slice (SX) at palindromic sequences that are prevalent within the human genome and thereby pose the risk of host genome toxicity. A long-term goal in the field of R-M enzymatic therapeutics has thus been to generate synthetic restriction endonucleases with longer recognition sites limited in specificity to HIV. We aimed (i) to assemble and construct zinc finger arrays and nucleases (ZFN) with either proviral-HIV-pol gene or proviral-HIV-1 whole-genome specificity respectively, and (ii) to advance a model for pre-clinically testing lentiviral vectors (LV) that deliver and transduce either ZFN genotype. First, we computationally generated the consensus sequences of (a) 114 dsDNA-binding zinc finger (Zif) arrays (ZFAs or ZifHIV-pol) and (b) two zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) which, unlike the AcsI and ApoI homeodomains, possess specificity to >18 base-pair sequences uniquely present within the HIV-pol gene (ZifHIV-polFN). Another 15 ZFNs targeting >18 bp sequences within the complete HIV-1 proviral genome were constructed (ZifHIV-1FN). Second, a model for constructing lentiviral vectors (LVs) that deliver and transduce a diploid copy of either ZifHIV-polFN or ZifHIV-1FN chimeric genes (termed LV- 2xZifHIV-polFN and LV- 2xZifHIV-1FN, respectively) is proposed. Third, two preclinical models for controlled testing of the safety and efficacy of either of these

  13. The effect of COMT gene on the target precision of the athlete movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Mikhailova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to find correlation between COMT gene alleles and the target precision of the athlete movement. 68 Russian competing athletes involved in boxing and volleyball, participated in the study. We found interrelation between COMT Met allele and a tall stature in the volleyball players.

  14. Gene therapy of cancer and development of therapeutic target gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Chang Min; Kwon, Hee Chung

    1998-04-01

    We applied HSV-tk/GCV strategy to orthotopic rat hepatoma model and showed anticancer effects of hepatoma. The increased expression of Lac Z gene after adenovirus-mediated gene delivery throughout hepatic artery was thought that is increased the possibility of gene therapy for curing hepatoma. With the construction of kGLP-laboratory, it is possible to produce a good quantity and quality of adenovirus in lage-scale production and purification of adenovirus vector. Also, the analysis of hepatoma related genes by PCR-LOH could be used for the diagnosis of patients and the development of therapeutic gene.

  15. Gene therapy of cancer and development of therapeutic target gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Chang Min; Kwon, Hee Chung

    1998-04-01

    We applied HSV-tk/GCV strategy to orthotopic rat hepatoma model and showed anticancer effects of hepatoma. The increased expression of Lac Z gene after adenovirus-mediated gene delivery throughout hepatic artery was thought that is increased the possibility of gene therapy for curing hepatoma. With the construction of kGLP-laboratory, it is possible to produce a good quantity and quality of adenovirus in lage-scale production and purification of adenovirus vector. Also, the analysis of hepatoma related genes by PCR-LOH could be used for the diagnosis of patients and the development of therapeutic gene

  16. atpE gene as a new useful specific molecular target to quantify Mycobacterium in environmental samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background The environment is the likely source of many pathogenic mycobacterial species but detection of mycobacteria by bacteriological tools is generally difficult and time-consuming. Consequently, several molecular targets based on the sequences of housekeeping genes, non-functional RNA and structural ribosomal RNAs have been proposed for the detection and identification of mycobacteria in clinical or environmental samples. While certain of these targets were proposed as specific for this genus, most are prone to false positive results in complex environmental samples that include related, but distinct, bacterial genera. Nowadays the increased number of sequenced genomes and the availability of software for genomic comparison provide tools to develop novel, mycobacteria-specific targets, and the associated molecular probes and primers. Consequently, we conducted an in silico search for proteins exclusive to Mycobacterium spp. genomes in order to design sensitive and specific molecular targets. Results Among the 3989 predicted proteins from M. tuberculosis H37Rv, only 11 proteins showed 80% to 100% of similarity with Mycobacterium spp. genomes, and less than 50% of similarity with genomes of closely related Corynebacterium, Nocardia and Rhodococcus genera. Based on DNA sequence alignments, we designed primer pairs and a probe that specifically detect the atpE gene of mycobacteria, as verified by quantitative real-time PCR on a collection of mycobacteria and non-mycobacterial species. The real-time PCR method we developed was successfully used to detect mycobacteria in tap water and lake samples. Conclusions The results indicate that this real-time PCR method targeting the atpE gene can serve for highly specific detection and precise quantification of Mycobacterium spp. in environmental samples. PMID:24299240

  17. Dnmts and Tet target memory-associated genes after appetitive olfactory training in honey bees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biergans, Stephanie D; Giovanni Galizia, C; Reinhard, Judith; Claudianos, Charles

    2015-11-04

    DNA methylation and demethylation are epigenetic mechanisms involved in memory formation. In honey bees DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) function is necessary for long-term memory to be stimulus specific (i.e. to reduce generalization). So far, however, it remains elusive which genes are targeted and what the time-course of DNA methylation is during memory formation. Here, we analyse how DNA methylation affects memory retention, gene expression, and differential methylation in stimulus-specific olfactory long-term memory formation. Out of 30 memory-associated genes investigated here, 9 were upregulated following Dnmt inhibition in trained bees. These included Dnmt3 suggesting a negative feedback loop for DNA methylation. Within these genes also the DNA methylation pattern changed during the first 24 hours after training. Interestingly, this was accompanied by sequential activation of the DNA methylation machinery (i.e. Dnmts and Tet). In sum, memory formation involves a temporally complex epigenetic regulation of memory-associated genes that facilitates stimulus specific long-term memory in the honey bee.

  18. Mapping of Wnt-Frizzled interactions by multiplex CRISPR targeting of receptor gene families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voloshanenko, Oksana; Gmach, Philipp; Winter, Jan; Kranz, Dominique; Boutros, Michael

    2017-11-01

    Signaling pathway modules are often encoded by several closely related paralogous genes that can have redundant roles and are therefore difficult to analyze by loss-of-function analysis. A typical example is the Wnt signaling pathway, which in mammals is mediated by 19 Wnt ligands that can bind to 10 Frizzled (FZD) receptors. Although significant progress in understanding Wnt-FZD receptor interactions has been made in recent years, tools to generate systematic interaction maps have been largely lacking. Here we generated cell lines with multiplex mutant alleles of FZD1 , FZD2 , and FZD7 and demonstrate that these cells are unresponsive to canonical Wnt ligands. Subsequently, we performed genetic rescue experiments with combinations of FZDs and canonical Wnts to create a functional ligand-receptor interaction map. These experiments showed that whereas several Wnt ligands, such as Wnt3a, induce signaling through a broad spectrum of FZD receptors, others, such as Wnt8a, act through a restricted set of FZD genes. Together, our results map functional interactions of FZDs and 10 Wnt ligands and demonstrate how multiplex targeting by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 can be used to systematically elucidate the functions of multigene families.-Voloshanenko, O., Gmach, P., Winter, J., Kranz, D., Boutros, M. Mapping of Wnt-Frizzled interactions by multiplex CRISPR targeting of receptor gene families. © The Author(s).

  19. Characterization of Zur-dependent genes and direct Zur targets in Yersinia pestis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xiaoyi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The zinc uptake regulator Zur is a Zn2+-sensing metalloregulatory protein involved in the maintenance of bacterial zinc homeostasis. Up to now, regulation of zinc homeostasis by Zur is poorly understood in Y. pestis. Results We constructed a zur null mutant of Y. pestis biovar microtus strain 201. Microarray expression analysis disclosed a set of 154 Zur-dependent genes of Y. pestis upon exposure to zinc rich condition. Real-time reverse transcription (RT-PCR was subsequently used to validate the microarray data. Based on the 154 Zur-dependent genes, predicted regulatory Zur motifs were used to screen for potential direct Zur targets including three putative operons znuA, znuCB and ykgM-RpmJ2. The LacZ reporter fusion analysis verified that Zur greatly repressed the promoter activity of the above three operons. The subsequent electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA demonstrated that a purified Zur protein was able to bind to the promoter regions of the above three operons. The DNase I footprinting was used to identify the Zur binding sites for the above three operons, verifying the Zur box sequence as predicted previously in γ-Proteobacteria. The primer extension assay was further used to determine the transcription start sites for the above three operons and to localize the -10 and -35 elements. Zur binding sites overlapped the -10 sequence of its target promoters, which was consistent with the previous observation that Zur binding would block the entry of the RNA polymerase to repress the transcription of its target genes. Conclusion Zur as a repressor directly controls the transcription of znuA, znuCB and ykgM-RpmJ2 in Y. pestis by employing a conserved mechanism of Zur-promoter DNA association as observed in γ-Proteobacteria. Zur contributes to zinc homeostasis in Y. pestis likely through transcriptional repression of the high-affinity zinc uptake system ZnuACB and two alternative ribosomal proteins YkgM and RpmJ2.

  20. Three-layered polyplex as a microRNA targeted delivery system for breast cancer gene therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan; Dai, Yu; Zhang, Xiaojin; Chen, Jihua

    2017-07-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs, play an important role in modulating cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Since miRNAs can regulate multiple cancer-related genes simultaneously, regulating miRNAs could target a set of related oncogenic genes or pathways. Owing to their reduced immune response and low toxicity, miRNAs with small size and low molecular weight have become increasingly promising therapeutic drugs in cancer therapy. However, one of the major challenges of miRNAs-based cancer therapy is to achieve specific, effective, and safe delivery of therapeutic miRNAs into cancer cells. Here we provide a strategy using three-layered polyplex with folic acid as a targeting group to systemically deliver miR-210 into breast cancer cells, which results in breast cancer growth being inhibited.

  1. Identification of novel candidate target genes in amplicons of Glioblastoma multiforme tumors detected by expression and CGH microarray profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hernández-Moneo Jose-Luis

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Conventional cytogenetic and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH studies in brain malignancies have shown that glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is characterized by complex structural and numerical alterations. However, the limited resolution of these techniques has precluded the precise identification of detailed specific gene copy number alterations. Results We performed a genome-wide survey of gene copy number changes in 20 primary GBMs by CGH on cDNA microarrays. A novel amplicon at 4p15, and previously uncharacterized amplicons at 13q32-34 and 1q32 were detected and are analyzed here. These amplicons contained amplified genes not previously reported. Other amplified regions containg well-known oncogenes in GBMs were also detected at 7p12 (EGFR, 7q21 (CDK6, 4q12 (PDGFRA, and 12q13-15 (MDM2 and CDK4. In order to identify the putative target genes of the amplifications, and to determine the changes in gene expression levels associated with copy number change events, we carried out parallel gene expression profiling analyses using the same cDNA microarrays. We detected overexpression of the novel amplified genes SLA/LP and STIM2 (4p15, and TNFSF13B and COL4A2 (13q32-34. Some of the candidate target genes of amplification (EGFR, CDK6, MDM2, CDK4, and TNFSF13B were tested in an independent set of 111 primary GBMs by using FISH and immunohistological assays. The novel candidate 13q-amplification target TNFSF13B was amplified in 8% of the tumors, and showed protein expression in 20% of the GBMs. Conclusion This high-resolution analysis allowed us to propose novel candidate target genes such as STIM2 at 4p15, and TNFSF13B or COL4A2 at 13q32-34 that could potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of these tumors and which would require futher investigations. We showed that overexpression of the amplified genes could be attributable to gene dosage and speculate that deregulation of those genes could be important in the development

  2. Microarray analyses of glucocorticoid and vitamin D3 target genes in differentiating cultured human podocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiwen Cheng

    Full Text Available Glomerular podocytes are highly differentiated epithelial cells that are key components of the kidney filtration units. Podocyte damage or loss is the hallmark of nephritic diseases characterized by severe proteinuria. Recent studies implicate that hormones including glucocorticoids (ligand for glucocorticoid receptor and vitamin D3 (ligand for vitamin D receptor protect or promote repair of podocytes from injury. In order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying hormone-mediated podocyte-protecting activity from injury, we carried out microarray gene expression studies to identify the target genes and corresponding pathways in response to these hormones during podocyte differentiation. We used immortalized human cultured podocytes (HPCs as a model system and carried out in vitro differentiation assays followed by dexamethasone (Dex or vitamin D3 (VD3 treatment. Upon the induction of differentiation, multiple functional categories including cell cycle, organelle dynamics, mitochondrion, apoptosis and cytoskeleton organization were among the most significantly affected. Interestingly, while Dex and VD3 are capable of protecting podocytes from injury, they only share limited target genes and affected pathways. Compared to VD3 treatment, Dex had a broader and greater impact on gene expression profiles. In-depth analyses of Dex altered genes indicate that Dex crosstalks with a broad spectrum of signaling pathways, of which inflammatory responses, cell migration, angiogenesis, NF-κB and TGFβ pathways are predominantly altered. Together, our study provides new information and identifies several new avenues for future investigation of hormone signaling in podocytes.

  3. Hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system enhances antitumor effects of radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Junye; Guo Yao; Guo Guozhen

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the effects of hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system combined with radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer. Methods: The recombinant adenovirus Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD was constructed by DNA recombinant technique. Western blot was used to detect hypoxia-induced expression of bacterial cytosine deaminase (BCD). Cell growth inhibition assay was used to determine the sensitivity of human pancreatic cancer cells MIA-PACA2 to 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Tumor xenograft growth delay assays was used to evaluate the effects of Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC combined with radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer. Results: Western blot analysis demonstrated that hypoxia-induced BCD protein expression was achieved in MIA-PACA2 cells infected with Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD. With hypoxia treatment, the sensitivity of MIA-PACA2 cells infected with Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD to 5-FC significantly increased. Administration of either Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC or radiotherapy could inhibit the growth of MIA-PACA2 xenografts in nude mice. Moreover, combination of Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC could significantly enhance suppressing effects of radiotherapy on MIA-PACA2 xenografts. Conclusion: Hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC could enhance antitumor effects of radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer and can be used as a powerful adjunct to conventional radiotherapy. (authors)

  4. Identification of miR-2400 gene as a novel regulator in skeletal muscle satellite cells proliferation by targeting MYOG gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Wei Wei [The Laboratory of Cell and Development, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030 (China); College of Life Sciences and Agriculture & Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang 161006 (China); Tong, Hui Li; Sun, Xiao Feng; Hu, Qian; Yang, Yu; Li, Shu Feng [The Laboratory of Cell and Development, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030 (China); Yan, Yun Qin, E-mail: yanyunqin@sohu.com [The Laboratory of Cell and Development, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030 (China); Li, Guang Peng [The Key Laboratory of Mammal Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021 (China)

    2015-08-07

    MicroRNAs play critical roles in skeletal muscle development as well as in regulation of muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. Previous study in our laboratory showed that the expression level of miR-2400, a novel and unique miRNA from bovine, had significantly changed in skeletal muscle-derived satellite cells (MDSCs) during differentiation, however, the function and expression pattern for miR-2400 in MDSCs has not been fully understood. In this report, we firstly identified that the expression levels of miR-2400 were down-regulated during MDSCs differentiation by stem-loop RT-PCR. Over-expression and inhibition studies demonstrated that miR-2400 promoted MDSCs proliferation by EdU (5-ethynyl-2′ deoxyuridine) incorporation assay and immunofluorescence staining of Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-2400 directly targeted the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of myogenin (MYOG) mRNA. These data suggested that miR-2400 could promote MDSCs proliferation through targeting MYOG. Furthermore, we found that miR-2400, which was located within the eighth intron of the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1-like 1 (WHSC1L1) gene, was down-regulated in MDSCs in a direct correlation with the WHSC1L1 transcript by Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi). In addition, these observations not only provided supporting evidence for the codependent expression of intronic miRNAs and their host genes in vitro, but also gave insight into the role of miR-2400 in MDSCs proliferation. - Highlights: • miR-2400 is a novel and unique miRNA from bovine. • miR-2400 could promote skeletal muscle satellite cells proliferation. • miR-2400 directly targeted the 3′ untranslated regions of MYOG mRNA. • miR-2400 could be coexpressed together with its host gene WHSC1L1.

  5. Integrated microarray and ChIP analysis identifies multiple Foxa2 dependent target genes in the notochord.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamplin, Owen J; Cox, Brian J; Rossant, Janet

    2011-12-15

    The node and notochord are key tissues required for patterning of the vertebrate body plan. Understanding the gene regulatory network that drives their formation and function is therefore important. Foxa2 is a key transcription factor at the top of this genetic hierarchy and finding its targets will help us to better understand node and notochord development. We performed an extensive microarray-based gene expression screen using sorted embryonic notochord cells to identify early notochord-enriched genes. We validated their specificity to the node and notochord by whole mount in situ hybridization. This provides the largest available resource of notochord-expressed genes, and therefore candidate Foxa2 target genes in the notochord. Using existing Foxa2 ChIP-seq data from adult liver, we were able to identify a set of genes expressed in the notochord that had associated regions of Foxa2-bound chromatin. Given that Foxa2 is a pioneer transcription factor, we reasoned that these sites might represent notochord-specific enhancers. Candidate Foxa2-bound regions were tested for notochord specific enhancer function in a zebrafish reporter assay and 7 novel notochord enhancers were identified. Importantly, sequence conservation or predictive models could not have readily identified these regions. Mutation of putative Foxa2 binding elements in two of these novel enhancers abrogated reporter expression and confirmed their Foxa2 dependence. The combination of highly specific gene expression profiling and genome-wide ChIP analysis is a powerful means of understanding developmental pathways, even for small cell populations such as the notochord. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. A gene expression profile indicative of early stage HER2 targeted therapy response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Fiona; Madden, Stephen F; Clynes, Martin; Crown, John; Doolan, Padraig; Aherne, Sinéad T; O'Connor, Robert

    2013-07-01

    Efficacious application of HER2-targetting agents requires the identification of novel predictive biomarkers. Lapatinib, afatinib and neratinib are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of HER2 and EGFR growth factor receptors. A panel of breast cancer cell lines was treated with these agents, trastuzumab, gefitinib and cytotoxic therapies and the expression pattern of a specific panel of genes using RT-PCR was investigated as a potential marker of early drug response to HER2-targeting therapies. Treatment of HER2 TKI-sensitive SKBR3 and BT474 cell lines with lapatinib, afatinib and neratinib induced an increase in the expression of RB1CC1, ERBB3, FOXO3a and NR3C1. The response directly correlated with the degree of sensitivity. This expression pattern switched from up-regulated to down-regulated in the HER2 expressing, HER2-TKI insensitive cell line MDAMB453. Expression of the CCND1 gene demonstrated an inversely proportional response to drug exposure. A similar expression pattern was observed following the treatment with both neratinib and afatinib. These patterns were retained following exposure to traztuzumab and lapatinib plus capecitabine. In contrast, gefitinib, dasatinib and epirubicin treatment resulted in a completely different expression pattern change. In these HER2-expressing cell line models, lapatinib, neratinib, afatinib and trastuzumab treatment generated a characteristic and specific gene expression response, proportionate to the sensitivity of the cell lines to the HER2 inhibitor.Characterisation of the induced changes in expression levels of these genes may therefore give a valuable, very early predictor of the likely extent and specificity of tumour HER2 inhibitor response in patients, potentially guiding more specific use of these agents.

  7. Vorinostat in combination with bortezomib in patients with advanced malignancies directly alters transcription of target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolesar, Jill M; Traynor, Anne M; Holen, Kyle D; Hoang, Tien; Seo, Songwon; Kim, Kyungmann; Alberti, Dona; Espinoza-Delgado, Igor; Wright, John J; Wilding, George; Bailey, Howard H; Schelman, William R

    2013-09-01

    Vorinostat is a small molecule inhibitor of class I and II histone deacetylase enzymes which alters the expression of target genes including the cell cycle gene p21, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Patients enrolled in a phase I trial were treated with vorinostat alone on day 1 and vorinostat and bortezomib in combination on day 9. Paired biopsies were obtained in eleven subjects. Blood samples were obtained on days 1 and 9 of cycle 1 prior to dosing and 2 and 6 h post-dosing in all 60 subjects. Gene expression of p21, HSP70, AKT, Nur77, ERB1, and ERB2 was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tissue samples. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of p21, HSP70, and Nur77 was also performed in biopsy samples. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, Nur77 was significantly and consistently decreased 2 h after vorinostat administration on both days 1 and 9, median ratio of gene expression relative to baseline of 0.69 with interquartile range 0.49-1.04 (p vorinostat and bortezomib. p21, a downstream target of Nur77, was significantly decreased on day 9, 2 and 6 h after administration of vorinostat and bortezomib, 0.67 (0.41-1.03) (p vorinostat in tissue biopsies in most patients. Vorinostat inhibits Nur77 expression, which in turn may decrease p21 and AKT expression in PBMCs. The influence of vorinostat on target gene expression in tumor tissue was variable; however, most patients demonstrated interaction of acetylated H3 with Nur77, HSP70, and p21 which provides evidence of interaction with the transcriptionally active acetylated H3.

  8. Re-Factoring Glycolytic Genes for Targeted Engineering of Catabolism in Gram-Negative Bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sánchez-Pascuala, Alberto; Nikel, Pablo I.; de Lorenzo, Víctor

    2018-01-01

    the potential applications of such a portable tool for targeted pathway engineering, in the present protocol we describe how the genes encoding all the enzymes of the linear EMP route have been individually recruited from the genome of E. coli K-12, edited in silico to remove their endogenous regulatory signals......The Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway is widely accepted to be the biochemical standard of glucose catabolism. The well-characterized glycolytic route of Escherichia coli, based on the EMP catabolism, is an example of an intricate pathway in terms of genomic organization of the genes involved...... and patterns of gene expression and regulation. This intrinsic genetic and metabolic complexity renders it difficult to engineer glycolytic activities and transfer them onto other microbial cell factories, thus limiting the biotechnological potential of bacterial hosts that lack the route. Taking into account...

  9. Solid-phase-assisted synthesis of targeting peptide-PEG-oligo(ethane amino)amides for receptor-mediated gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Irene; Dohmen, Christian; Mas-Moruno, Carlos; Troiber, Christina; Kos, Petra; Schaffert, David; Lächelt, Ulrich; Teixidó, Meritxell; Günther, Michael; Kessler, Horst; Giralt, Ernest; Wagner, Ernst

    2012-04-28

    In the forthcoming era of cancer gene therapy, efforts will be devoted to the development of new efficient and non-toxic gene delivery vectors. In this regard, the use of Fmoc/Boc-protected oligo(ethane amino)acids as building blocks for solid-phase-supported assembly represents a novel promising approach towards fully controlled syntheses of effective gene vectors. Here we report on the synthesis of defined polymers containing the following: (i) a plasmid DNA (pDNA) binding domain of eight succinoyl-tetraethylenpentamine (Stp) units and two terminal cysteine residues; (ii) a central polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain (with twenty-four oxyethylene units) for shielding; and (iii) specific peptides for targeting towards cancer cells. Peptides B6 and c(RGDfK), which bind transferrin receptor and α(v)β(3) integrin, respectively, were chosen because of the high expression of these receptors in many tumoral cells. This study shows the feasibility of designing these kinds of fully controlled vectors and their success for targeted pDNA-based gene transfer. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  10. Targeted Gene Replacement in Fungal Pathogens via Agrobacterium tumefaciens- Mediated Transformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Rasmus John Normand; Frandsen, Mette; Giese, Nanna Henriette

    2012-01-01

    -step cloning strategies for construction of vectors for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT). Targeted genome modifications require integration by a homologous double crossover event, which is achieved by placing target sequences on either side of a selection marker gene in the vector....... Protocols are given for two single-step vector construction techniques. The In-Fusion cloning technique is independent of compatible restriction enzyme sites in the vector and the fragment to be cloned. The method can be directly applied to any vector of choice and it is possible to carry out four fragment...... cloning without the need for subcloning. The cloning efficiency is not always as high as desired, but it still presents an efficient alternative to restriction enzyme and ligase-based cloning systems. The USER technology offers a higher four fragment cloning efficiency than In-Fusion, but depends...

  11. Quantification of Functionalised Gold Nanoparticle-Targeted Knockdown of Gene Expression in HeLa Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiwaji, Meesbah; Sandison, Mairi E.; Reboud, Julien; Stevenson, Ross; Daly, Rónán; Barkess, Gráinne; Faulds, Karen; Kolch, Walter; Graham, Duncan; Girolami, Mark A.; Cooper, Jonathan M.; Pitt, Andrew R.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Gene therapy continues to grow as an important area of research, primarily because of its potential in the treatment of disease. One significant area where there is a need for better understanding is in improving the efficiency of oligonucleotide delivery to the cell and indeed, following delivery, the characterization of the effects on the cell. Methods In this report, we compare different transfection reagents as delivery vehicles for gold nanoparticles functionalized with DNA oligonucleotides, and quantify their relative transfection efficiencies. The inhibitory properties of small interfering RNA (siRNA), single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences targeted to human metallothionein hMT-IIa are also quantified in HeLa cells. Techniques used in this study include fluorescence and confocal microscopy, qPCR and Western analysis. Findings We show that the use of transfection reagents does significantly increase nanoparticle transfection efficiencies. Furthermore, siRNA, ssRNA and ssDNA sequences all have comparable inhibitory properties to ssDNA sequences immobilized onto gold nanoparticles. We also show that functionalized gold nanoparticles can co-localize with autophagosomes and illustrate other factors that can affect data collection and interpretation when performing studies with functionalized nanoparticles. Conclusions The desired outcome for biological knockdown studies is the efficient reduction of a specific target; which we demonstrate by using ssDNA inhibitory sequences targeted to human metallothionein IIa gene transcripts that result in the knockdown of both the mRNA transcript and the target protein. PMID:24926959

  12. TCDD dysregulation of 13 AHR-target genes in rat liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, John D.; Prokopec, Stephenie D.; Smith, Ashley B.; Okey, Allan B.; Pohjanvirta, Raimo; Boutros, Paul C.

    2014-01-01

    Despite several decades of research, the complete mechanism by which 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and other xenobiotic agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) cause toxicity remains unclear. While it has been shown that the AHR is required for all major manifestations of toxicity, the specific downstream changes involved in the development of toxic phenotypes remain unknown. Here we examine a panel of 13 genes that are AHR-regulated in many species and tissues. We profiled their hepatic mRNA abundances in two rat strains with very different sensitivities to TCDD: the TCDD-sensitive Long–Evans (Turku/AB; L–E) and the TCDD-resistant Han/Wistar (Kuopio; H/W). We evaluated doses ranging from 0 to 3000 μg/kg at 19 h after TCDD exposure and time points ranging from 1.5 to 384 h after exposure to 100 μg/kg TCDD. Twelve of 13 genes responded to TCDD in at least one strain, and seven of these showed statistically significant inter-strain differences in the time course analysis (Aldh3a1, Cyp1a2, Cyp1b1, Cyp2a1, Fmo1, Nfe2l2 and Nqo1). Cyp2s1 did not respond to TCDD in either rat strain. Five genes exhibited biphasic responses to TCDD insult (Ahrr, Aldh3a1, Cyp1b1, Nfe2l2 and Nqo1), suggesting a secondary event, such as association with additional transcriptional modulators. Of the 12 genes that responded to TCDD during the dose–response analysis, none had an ED 50 equivalent to that of Cyp1a1, the most sensitive gene in this study, while nine genes responded to doses at least 10–100 fold higher, in at least one strain (Ahrr (L–E), Aldh3a1 (both), Cyp1a2 (both), Cyp1b1 (both), Cyp2a1 (L–E), Inmt (both), Nfe2l2 (L–E), Nqo1 (L–E) and Tiparp (both)). These data shed new light on the association of the AHR target genes with TCDD toxicity, and in particular the seven genes exhibiting strain-specific differences represent strong candidate mediators of Type-II toxicities. - Highlights: • NanoString measured hepatic mRNA molecules following

  13. TCDD dysregulation of 13 AHR-target genes in rat liver

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, John D., E-mail: john.watson@oicr.on.ca [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Informatics and Bio-computing Program, Toronto (Canada); Prokopec, Stephenie D., E-mail: stephenie.prokopec@oicr.on.ca [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Informatics and Bio-computing Program, Toronto (Canada); Smith, Ashley B., E-mail: ashleyblaines@gmail.com [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Informatics and Bio-computing Program, Toronto (Canada); Okey, Allan B., E-mail: allan.okey@utoronto.ca [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Pohjanvirta, Raimo, E-mail: raimo.pohjanvirta@helsinki.fi [Laboratory of Toxicology, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio (Finland); Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Boutros, Paul C., E-mail: paul.boutros@oicr.on.ca [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Informatics and Bio-computing Program, Toronto (Canada); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

    2014-02-01

    Despite several decades of research, the complete mechanism by which 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and other xenobiotic agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) cause toxicity remains unclear. While it has been shown that the AHR is required for all major manifestations of toxicity, the specific downstream changes involved in the development of toxic phenotypes remain unknown. Here we examine a panel of 13 genes that are AHR-regulated in many species and tissues. We profiled their hepatic mRNA abundances in two rat strains with very different sensitivities to TCDD: the TCDD-sensitive Long–Evans (Turku/AB; L–E) and the TCDD-resistant Han/Wistar (Kuopio; H/W). We evaluated doses ranging from 0 to 3000 μg/kg at 19 h after TCDD exposure and time points ranging from 1.5 to 384 h after exposure to 100 μg/kg TCDD. Twelve of 13 genes responded to TCDD in at least one strain, and seven of these showed statistically significant inter-strain differences in the time course analysis (Aldh3a1, Cyp1a2, Cyp1b1, Cyp2a1, Fmo1, Nfe2l2 and Nqo1). Cyp2s1 did not respond to TCDD in either rat strain. Five genes exhibited biphasic responses to TCDD insult (Ahrr, Aldh3a1, Cyp1b1, Nfe2l2 and Nqo1), suggesting a secondary event, such as association with additional transcriptional modulators. Of the 12 genes that responded to TCDD during the dose–response analysis, none had an ED{sub 50} equivalent to that of Cyp1a1, the most sensitive gene in this study, while nine genes responded to doses at least 10–100 fold higher, in at least one strain (Ahrr (L–E), Aldh3a1 (both), Cyp1a2 (both), Cyp1b1 (both), Cyp2a1 (L–E), Inmt (both), Nfe2l2 (L–E), Nqo1 (L–E) and Tiparp (both)). These data shed new light on the association of the AHR target genes with TCDD toxicity, and in particular the seven genes exhibiting strain-specific differences represent strong candidate mediators of Type-II toxicities. - Highlights: • NanoString measured hepatic mRNA molecules

  14. Gene silencing of HPV16 E6/E7 induced by promoter-targeting siRNA in SiHa cells

    OpenAIRE

    Hong, D; Lu, W; Ye, F; Hu, Y; Xie, X

    2009-01-01

    Background: Recently, transcriptional gene silencing induced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) was found in mammalian and human cells. However, previous studies focused on endogenous genes. Methods: In this study, we designed siRNA targeting the promoter of human papillomavirus 16 E6/E7 and transfected it into the cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. E6 and E7 mRNA and protein expression were detected in cells treated by promoter-targeting siRNA. Futhermore, cellular growth, proliferation, apoptos...

  15. MicroRNA-373 functions as an oncogene and targets YOD1 gene in cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Luo-Qiao; Zhang, Yue; Yan, Huan; Liu, Kai-Jiang; Zhang, Shu

    2015-01-01

    miR-373 was reported to be elevated in several tumors; however, the role of miR-373 in cervical cancer has not been investigated. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of miR-373 in tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. The expression of miR-373 was investigated using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay in 45 cervical specimens and cervical cancer cell lines. The role of miR-373 in tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells was assessed by cell proliferation, colony formation in vitro as well as tumor growth assays in vivo with the overexpression of miR-373 or gene silencing. The functional target gene of miR-373 in cervical cancer cells was identified using integrated bioinformatics analysis, gene expression arrays, and luciferase assay. We founded that the expression of miR-373 is upregulated in human cervical cancer tissues and cervical carcinoma cell lines when compared to the corresponding noncancerous tissues. Ectopic overexpression of miR-373 in human cervical cancer cells promoted cell growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo, whereas silencing the expression of miR-373 decreased the rate of cell growth. YOD1 was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-373 in cervical cancer cells. Expression levels of miR-373 were inversely correlated with YOD1 levels in human cervical cancer tissues. RNAi-mediated knockdown of YOD1 phenocopied the proliferation-promoting effect of miR-373. Moreover, overexpression of YOD1 abrogated miR-373-induced proliferation of cervical cancer cells. These results demonstrate that miR-373 increases proliferation by directly targeting YOD1, a new potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer. - Highlights: • The expression of miR-373 is upregulated in human cervical cancer tissues. • miR-373 effects as oncogenic miRNA in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. • miR-373 increases proliferation of cervical cancer cells by directly targeting YOD1

  16. MYC through miR-17-92 Suppresses Specific Target Genes to Maintain Survival, Autonomous Proliferation, and a Neoplastic State

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yulin; Choi, Peter  S.; Casey, Stephanie  C.; Dill, David  L.; Felsher, Dean  W.

    2014-01-01

    The MYC oncogene regulates gene expression through multiple mechanisms, and its overexpression culminates in tumorigenesis. MYC inactivation reverses turmorigenesis through the loss of distinguishing features of cancer, including autonomous proliferation and survival. Here we report that MYC via miR-17-92 maintains a neoplastic state through the suppression of chromatin regulatory genes Sin3b, Hbp1, Suv420h1, and Btg1, as well as the apoptosis regulator Bim. The enforced expression of miR-17-92 prevents MYC suppression from inducing proliferative arrest, senescence, and apoptosis and abrogates sustained tumor regression. Knockdown of the five miR-17-92 target genes blocks senescence and apoptosis while it modestly delays proliferative arrest, thus partially recapitulating miR-17-92 function. We conclude that MYC, via miR-17-92, maintains a neoplastic state by suppressing specific target genes.

  17. MYC through miR-17-92 Suppresses Specific Target Genes to Maintain Survival, Autonomous Proliferation, and a Neoplastic State

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yulin

    2014-08-01

    The MYC oncogene regulates gene expression through multiple mechanisms, and its overexpression culminates in tumorigenesis. MYC inactivation reverses turmorigenesis through the loss of distinguishing features of cancer, including autonomous proliferation and survival. Here we report that MYC via miR-17-92 maintains a neoplastic state through the suppression of chromatin regulatory genes Sin3b, Hbp1, Suv420h1, and Btg1, as well as the apoptosis regulator Bim. The enforced expression of miR-17-92 prevents MYC suppression from inducing proliferative arrest, senescence, and apoptosis and abrogates sustained tumor regression. Knockdown of the five miR-17-92 target genes blocks senescence and apoptosis while it modestly delays proliferative arrest, thus partially recapitulating miR-17-92 function. We conclude that MYC, via miR-17-92, maintains a neoplastic state by suppressing specific target genes.

  18. TargetCompare: A web interface to compare simultaneous miRNAs targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Fabiano Cordeiro; Dustan, Bruno; Hamoy, Igor G; Ribeiro-Dos-Santos, André M; Dos Santos, Andrea Ribeiro

    2014-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding nucleotide sequences between 17 and 25 nucleotides in length that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. A since miRNA has thousand of predict targets in a complex, regulatory cell signaling network. Therefore, it is of interest to study multiple target genes simultaneously. Hence, we describe a web tool (developed using Java programming language and MySQL database server) to analyse multiple targets of pre-selected miRNAs. We cross validated the tool in eight most highly expressed miRNAs in the antrum region of stomach. This helped to identify 43 potential genes that are target of at least six of the referred miRNAs. The developed tool aims to reduce the randomness and increase the chance of selecting strong candidate target genes and miRNAs responsible for playing important roles in the studied tissue. http://lghm.ufpa.br/targetcompare.

  19. Wnt target genes and where to find them [version 1; referees: 3 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aravinda-Bharathi Ramakrishnan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Wnt/β-catenin signaling is highly conserved throughout metazoans, is required for numerous essential events in development, and serves as a stem cell niche signal in many contexts. Misregulation of the pathway is linked to several human pathologies, most notably cancer. Wnt stimulation results in stabilization and nuclear import of β-catenin, which then acts as a transcriptional co-activator. Transcription factors of the T-cell family (TCF are the best-characterized nuclear binding partners of β-catenin and mediators of Wnt gene regulation. This review provides an update on what is known about the transcriptional activation of Wnt target genes, highlighting recent work that modifies the conventional model. Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates genes in a highly context-dependent manner, and the role of other signaling pathways and TCF co-factors in this process will be discussed. Understanding Wnt gene regulation has served to elucidate many biological roles of the pathway, and we will use examples from stem cell biology, metabolism, and evolution to illustrate some of the rich Wnt biology that has been uncovered.

  20. Two potential hookworm DAF-16 target genes, SNR-3 and LPP-1: gene structure, expression profile, and implications of a cis-regulatory element in the regulation of gene expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xin; Goggin, Kevin; Dowling, Camille; Qian, Jason; Hawdon, John M

    2015-01-08

    Hookworms infect nearly 700 million people, causing anemia and developmental stunting in heavy infections. Little is known about the genomic structure or gene regulation in hookworms, although recent publication of draft genome assemblies has allowed the first investigations of these topics to be undertaken. The transcription factor DAF-16 mediates multiple developmental pathways in the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and is involved in the recovery from the developmentally arrested L3 in hookworms. Identification of downstream targets of DAF-16 will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of hookworm infection. Genomic Fragment 2.23 containing a DAF-16 binding element (DBE) was used to identify overlapping complementary expressed sequence tags (ESTs). These sequences were used to search a draft assembly of the Ancylostoma caninum genome, and identified two neighboring genes, snr-3 and lpp-1, in a tail-to-tail orientation. Expression patterns of both genes during parasitic development were determined by qRT-PCR. DAF-16 dependent cis-regulatory activity of fragment 2.23 was investigated using an in vitro reporter system. The snr-3 gene spans approximately 5.6 kb in the genome and contains 3 exons and 2 introns, and contains the DBE in its 3' untranslated region. Downstream from snr-3 in a tail-to-tail arrangement is the gene lpp-1. The lpp-1 gene spans more than 6 kb and contains 10 exons and 9 introns. The A. caninum genome contains 2 apparent splice variants, but there are 7 splice variants in the A. ceylanicum genome. While the gene order is similar, the gene structures of the hookworm genes differ from their C. elegans orthologs. Both genes show peak expression in the late L4 stage. Using a cell culture based expression system, fragment 2.23 was found to have both DAF-16-dependent promoter and enhancer activity that required an intact DBE. Two putative DAF-16 targets were identified by genome wide screening for DAF-16 binding

  1. Rapid and targeted introgression of genes into popular wheat cultivars using marker-assisted background selection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harpinder S Randhawa

    Full Text Available A marker-assisted background selection (MABS-based gene introgression approach in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. was optimized, where 97% or more of a recurrent parent genome (RPG can be recovered in just two backcross (BC generations. A four-step MABS method was developed based on 'Plabsim' computer simulations and wheat genome structure information. During empirical optimization of this method, double recombinants around the target gene were selected in a step-wise fashion during the two BC cycles followed by selection for recurrent parent genotype on non-carrier chromosomes. The average spacing between carrier chromosome markers was <4 cM. For non-carrier chromosome markers that flanked each of the 48 wheat gene-rich regions, this distance was approximately 12 cM. Employed to introgress seedling stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici resistance gene Yr15 into the spring wheat cultivar 'Zak', marker analysis of 2,187 backcross-derived progeny resulted in the recovery of a BC(2F(2ratio3 plant with 97% of the recurrent parent genome. In contrast, only 82% of the recurrent parent genome was recovered in phenotypically selected BC(4F(7 plants developed without MABS. Field evaluation results from 17 locations indicated that the MABS-derived line was either equal or superior to the recurrent parent for the tested agronomic characteristics. Based on these results, MABS is recommended as a strategy for rapidly introgressing a targeted gene into a wheat genotype in just two backcross generations while recovering 97% or more of the recurrent parent genotype.

  2. Hypoxia targeted bifunctional suicide gene expression enhances radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Xiaorong; Xing, Ligang; Deng, Xuelong; Hsiao, Hung Tsung; Manami, Akiko; Koutcher, Jason A.; Clifton Ling, C.; Li, Gloria C.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate whether hypoxia targeted bifunctional suicide gene expression-cytosine deaminase (CD) and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) with 5-FC treatments can enhance radiotherapy. Materials and methods: Stable transfectants of R3327-AT cells were established which express a triple-fusion-gene: CD, UPRT and monomoric DsRed (mDsRed) controlled by a hypoxia inducible promoter. Hypoxia-induced expression/function of CDUPRTmDsRed was verified by western blot, flow cytometry, fluorescent microscopy, and cytotoxicity assay of 5-FU and 5-FC. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with 5-FC and local radiation. Tumor volume was monitored and compared with those treated with 5-FC or radiation alone. In addition, the CDUPRTmDsRed distribution in hypoxic regions of tumor sections was visualized with fluorescent microscopy. Results: Hypoxic induction of CDUPRTmDsRed protein correlated with increased sensitivity to 5-FC and 5-FU. Significant radiosensitization effects were detected after 5-FC treatments under hypoxic conditions. In the tumor xenografts, the distribution of CDUPRTmDsRed expression visualized with fluorescence microscopy was co-localized with the hypoxia marker pimonidazole positive staining cells. Furthermore, administration of 5-FC to mice in combination with local irradiation resulted in significant tumor regression, as in comparison with 5-FC or radiation treatments alone. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the hypoxia-inducible CDUPRT/5-FC gene therapy strategy has the ability to specifically target hypoxic cancer cells and significantly improve the tumor control in combination with radiotherapy.

  3. Genome-wide identification of polycomb target genes reveals a functional association of Pho with Scm in Bombyx mori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhiqing; Cheng, Daojun; Mon, Hiroaki; Tatsuke, Tsuneyuki; Zhu, Li; Xu, Jian; Lee, Jae Man; Xia, Qingyou; Kusakabe, Takahiro

    2012-01-01

    Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are evolutionarily conserved chromatin modifiers and act together in three multimeric complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and Pleiohomeotic repressive complex (PhoRC), to repress transcription of the target genes. Here, we identified Polycomb target genes in Bombyx mori with holocentric centromere using genome-wide expression screening based on the knockdown of BmSCE, BmESC, BmPHO, or BmSCM gene, which represent the distinct complexes. As a result, the expressions of 29 genes were up-regulated after knocking down 4 PcG genes. Particularly, there is a significant overlap between targets of BmPho (331 out of 524) and BmScm (331 out of 532), and among these, 190 genes function as regulator factors playing important roles in development. We also found that BmPho, as well as BmScm, can interact with other Polycomb components examined in this study. Further detailed analysis revealed that the C-terminus of BmPho containing zinc finger domain is involved in the interaction between BmPho and BmScm. Moreover, the zinc finger domain in BmPho contributes to its inhibitory function and ectopic overexpression of BmScm is able to promote transcriptional repression by Gal4-Pho fusions including BmScm-interacting domain. Loss of BmPho expression causes relocalization of BmScm into the cytoplasm. Collectively, we provide evidence of a functional link between BmPho and BmScm, and propose two Polycomb-related repression mechanisms requiring only BmPho associated with BmScm or a whole set of PcG complexes.

  4. Genome-wide identification of polycomb target genes reveals a functional association of Pho with Scm in Bombyx mori.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiqing Li

    Full Text Available Polycomb group (PcG proteins are evolutionarily conserved chromatin modifiers and act together in three multimeric complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1, Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2, and Pleiohomeotic repressive complex (PhoRC, to repress transcription of the target genes. Here, we identified Polycomb target genes in Bombyx mori with holocentric centromere using genome-wide expression screening based on the knockdown of BmSCE, BmESC, BmPHO, or BmSCM gene, which represent the distinct complexes. As a result, the expressions of 29 genes were up-regulated after knocking down 4 PcG genes. Particularly, there is a significant overlap between targets of BmPho (331 out of 524 and BmScm (331 out of 532, and among these, 190 genes function as regulator factors playing important roles in development. We also found that BmPho, as well as BmScm, can interact with other Polycomb components examined in this study. Further detailed analysis revealed that the C-terminus of BmPho containing zinc finger domain is involved in the interaction between BmPho and BmScm. Moreover, the zinc finger domain in BmPho contributes to its inhibitory function and ectopic overexpression of BmScm is able to promote transcriptional repression by Gal4-Pho fusions including BmScm-interacting domain. Loss of BmPho expression causes relocalization of BmScm into the cytoplasm. Collectively, we provide evidence of a functional link between BmPho and BmScm, and propose two Polycomb-related repression mechanisms requiring only BmPho associated with BmScm or a whole set of PcG complexes.

  5. Deregulation of PPARβ/δ target genes in tumor-associated macrophages by fatty acid ligands in the ovarian cancer microenvironment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkernagel, Florian; Lieber, Sonja; Schnitzer, Evelyn; Legrand, Nathalie; Schober, Yvonne; Nockher, W. Andreas; Toth, Philipp M.; Diederich, Wibke E.; Nist, Andrea; Stiewe, Thorsten; Wagner, Uwe; Reinartz, Silke; Müller-Brüsselbach, Sabine; Müller, Rolf

    2015-01-01

    The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) is a lipid ligand-inducible transcription factor associated with macrophage polarization. However, its function in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) has not been investigated to date. Here, we report the PPARβ/δ-regulated transcriptome and cistrome for TAMs from ovarian carcinoma patients. Comparison with monocyte-derived macrophages shows that the vast majority of direct PPARβ/δ target genes are upregulated in TAMs and largely refractory to synthetic agonists, but repressible by inverse agonists. Besides genes with metabolic functions, these include cell type-selective genes associated with immune regulation and tumor progression, e.g., LRP5, CD300A, MAP3K8 and ANGPTL4. This deregulation is not due to increased expression of PPARβ/δ or its enhanced recruitment to target genes. Instead, lipidomic analysis of malignancy-associated ascites revealed high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular linoleic acid, acting as potent PPARβ/δ agonists in macrophages. These fatty acid ligands accumulate in lipid droplets in TAMs, thereby providing a reservoir of PPARβ/δ ligands. These observations suggest that the deregulation of PPARβ/δ target genes by ligands of the tumor microenvironment contributes to the pro-tumorigenic polarization of ovarian carcinoma TAMs. This conclusion is supported by the association of high ANGPTL4 expression with a shorter relapse-free survival in serous ovarian carcinoma. PMID:25968567

  6. MicroRNA genes and their target 3'-untranslated regions are infrequently somatically mutated in ovarian cancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgina L Ryland

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression and have been shown to have altered expression in a variety of cancer types, including epithelial ovarian cancer. MiRNA function is most often achieved through binding to the 3'-untranslated region of the target protein coding gene. Mutation screening using massively-parallel sequencing of 712 miRNA genes in 86 ovarian cancer cases identified only 5 mutated miRNA genes, each in a different case. One mutation was located in the mature miRNA, and three mutations were predicted to alter the secondary structure of the miRNA transcript. Screening of the 3'-untranslated region of 18 candidate cancer genes identified one mutation in each of AKT2, EGFR, ERRB2 and CTNNB1. The functional effect of these mutations is unclear, as expression data available for AKT2 and EGFR showed no increase in gene transcript. Mutations in miRNA genes and 3'-untranslated regions are thus uncommon in ovarian cancer.

  7. Inverse regulation of two classic Hippo pathway target genes in Drosophila by the dimerization hub protein Ctp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barron, Daniel A; Moberg, Kenneth

    2016-03-14

    The LC8 family of small ~8 kD proteins are highly conserved and interact with multiple protein partners in eukaryotic cells. LC8-binding modulates target protein activity, often through induced dimerization via LC8:LC8 homodimers. Although many LC8-interactors have roles in signaling cascades, LC8's role in developing epithelia is poorly understood. Using the Drosophila wing as a developmental model, we find that the LC8 family member Cut up (Ctp) is primarily required to promote epithelial growth, which correlates with effects on the pro-growth factor dMyc and two genes, diap1 and bantam, that are classic targets of the Hippo pathway coactivator Yorkie. Genetic tests confirm that Ctp supports Yorkie-driven tissue overgrowth and indicate that Ctp acts through Yorkie to control bantam (ban) and diap1 transcription. Quite unexpectedly however, Ctp loss has inverse effects on ban and diap1: it elevates ban expression but reduces diap1 expression. In both cases these transcriptional changes map to small segments of these promoters that recruit Yorkie. Although LC8 complexes with Yap1, a Yorkie homolog, in human cells, an orthologous interaction was not detected in Drosophila cells. Collectively these findings reveal that that Drosophila Ctp is a required regulator of Yorkie-target genes in vivo and suggest that Ctp may interact with a Hippo pathway protein(s) to exert inverse transcriptional effects on Yorkie-target genes.

  8. Antitumor bystander effect induced by radiation-inducible target gene therapy combined with α particle irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Hui; Jin Chufeng; Wu Yican; Ge Shenfang; Wu Lijun; FDS Team

    2012-01-01

    In this work, we investigated the bystander effect of the tumor and normal cells surrounding the target region caused by radiation-inducible target gene therapy combined with α-particle irradiation. The receptor tumor cell A549 and normal cell MRC-5 were co-cultured with the donor cells irradiated to 0.5 Gy or the non-irradiated donor cells, and their survival and apoptosis fractions were evaluated. The results showed that the combined treatment of Ad-ET and particle irradiation could induce synergistic antitumor effect on A549 tumor cell, and the survival fraction of receptor cells co-cultured with the irradiated cells decreased by 6%, compared with receptor cells co-cultured with non-irradiated cells, and the apoptosis fraction increased in the same circumstance, but no difference was observed with the normal cells. This study demonstrates that Ad-ET combined with α-particle irradiation can significantly cause the bystander effect on neighboring tumor cells by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis, without obvious toxicity to normal cells. This suggests that combining radiation-inducible TRAIL gene therapy and irradiation may improve tumor treatment efficacy by specifically targeting tumor cells and even involving the neighboring tumor cells. (authors)

  9. Molecular evolution of pentatricopeptide repeat genes reveals truncation in species lacking an editing target and structural domains under distinct selective pressures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hayes Michael L

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR proteins are required for numerous RNA processing events in plant organelles including C-to-U editing, splicing, stabilization, and cleavage. Fifteen PPR proteins are known to be required for RNA editing at 21 sites in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, and belong to the PLS class of PPR proteins. In this study, we investigate the co-evolution of four PPR genes (CRR4, CRR21, CLB19, and OTP82 and their six editing targets in Brassicaceae species. PPR genes are composed of approximately 10 to 20 tandem repeats and each repeat has two α-helical regions, helix A and helix B, that are separated by short coil regions. Each repeat and structural feature was examined to determine the selective pressures on these regions. Results All of the PPR genes examined are under strong negative selection. Multiple independent losses of editing site targets are observed for both CRR21 and OTP82. In several species lacking the known editing target for CRR21, PPR genes are truncated near the 17th PPR repeat. The coding sequences of the truncated CRR21 genes are maintained under strong negative selection; however, the 3’ UTR sequences beyond the truncation site have substantially diverged. Phylogenetic analyses of four PPR genes show that sequences corresponding to helix A are high compared to helix B sequences. Differential evolutionary selection of helix A versus helix B is observed in both plant and mammalian PPR genes. Conclusion PPR genes and their cognate editing sites are mutually constrained in evolution. Editing sites are frequently lost by replacement of an edited C with a genomic T. After the loss of an editing site, the PPR genes are observed with three outcomes: first, few changes are detected in some cases; second, the PPR gene is present as a pseudogene; and third, the PPR gene is present but truncated in the C-terminal region. The retention of truncated forms of CRR21 that are maintained under strong negative

  10. Molecular evolution of pentatricopeptide repeat genes reveals truncation in species lacking an editing target and structural domains under distinct selective pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Michael L; Giang, Karolyn; Mulligan, R Michael

    2012-05-14

    Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are required for numerous RNA processing events in plant organelles including C-to-U editing, splicing, stabilization, and cleavage. Fifteen PPR proteins are known to be required for RNA editing at 21 sites in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, and belong to the PLS class of PPR proteins. In this study, we investigate the co-evolution of four PPR genes (CRR4, CRR21, CLB19, and OTP82) and their six editing targets in Brassicaceae species. PPR genes are composed of approximately 10 to 20 tandem repeats and each repeat has two α-helical regions, helix A and helix B, that are separated by short coil regions. Each repeat and structural feature was examined to determine the selective pressures on these regions. All of the PPR genes examined are under strong negative selection. Multiple independent losses of editing site targets are observed for both CRR21 and OTP82. In several species lacking the known editing target for CRR21, PPR genes are truncated near the 17th PPR repeat. The coding sequences of the truncated CRR21 genes are maintained under strong negative selection; however, the 3' UTR sequences beyond the truncation site have substantially diverged. Phylogenetic analyses of four PPR genes show that sequences corresponding to helix A are high compared to helix B sequences. Differential evolutionary selection of helix A versus helix B is observed in both plant and mammalian PPR genes. PPR genes and their cognate editing sites are mutually constrained in evolution. Editing sites are frequently lost by replacement of an edited C with a genomic T. After the loss of an editing site, the PPR genes are observed with three outcomes: first, few changes are detected in some cases; second, the PPR gene is present as a pseudogene; and third, the PPR gene is present but truncated in the C-terminal region. The retention of truncated forms of CRR21 that are maintained under strong negative selection even in the absence of an editing site target

  11. Targeted Exon Skipping to Address “Leaky” Mutations in the Dystrophin Gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sue Fletcher

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Protein-truncating mutations in the dystrophin gene lead to the progressive muscle wasting disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy, whereas in-frame deletions typically manifest as the milder allelic condition, Becker muscular dystrophy. Antisense oligomer-induced exon skipping can modify dystrophin gene expression so that a disease-associated dystrophin pre-mRNA is processed into a Becker muscular dystrophy-like mature transcript. Despite genomic deletions that may encompass hundreds of kilobases of the gene, some dystrophin mutations appear “leaky”, and low levels of high molecular weight, and presumably semi-functional, dystrophin are produced. A likely causative mechanism is endogenous exon skipping, and Duchenne individuals with higher baseline levels of dystrophin may respond more efficiently to the administration of splice-switching antisense oligomers. We optimized excision of exons 8 and 9 in normal human myoblasts, and evaluated several oligomers in cells from eight Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients with deletions in a known “leaky” region of the dystrophin gene. Inter-patient variation in response to antisense oligomer induced skipping in vitro appeared minimal. We describe oligomers targeting exon 8, that unequivocally increase dystrophin above baseline in vitro, and propose that patients with leaky mutations are ideally suited for participation in antisense oligomer mediated splice-switching clinical studies.

  12. TFII-I regulates target genes in the PI-3K and TGF-β signaling pathways through a novel DNA binding motif.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segura-Puimedon, Maria; Borralleras, Cristina; Pérez-Jurado, Luis A; Campuzano, Victoria

    2013-09-25

    General transcription factor (TFII-I) is a multi-functional protein involved in the transcriptional regulation of critical developmental genes, encoded by the GTF2I gene located on chromosome 7q11.23. Haploinsufficiency at GTF2I has been shown to play a major role in the neurodevelopmental features of Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). Identification of genes regulated by TFII-I is thus critical to detect molecular determinants of WBS as well as to identify potential new targets for specific pharmacological interventions, which are currently absent. We performed a microarray screening for transcriptional targets of TFII-I in cortex and embryonic cells from Gtf2i mutant and wild-type mice. Candidate genes with altered expression were verified using real-time PCR. A novel motif shared by deregulated genes was found and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in embryonic fibroblasts were used to document in vitro TFII-I binding to this motif in the promoter regions of deregulated genes. Interestingly, the PI3K and TGFβ signaling pathways were over-represented among TFII-I-modulated genes. In this study we have found a highly conserved DNA element, common to a set of genes regulated by TFII-I, and identified and validated novel in vivo neuronal targets of this protein affecting the PI3K and TGFβ signaling pathways. Overall, our data further contribute to unravel the complexity and variability of the different genetic programs orchestrated by TFII-I. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Tumor-Targeted Gene Therapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Qi; Zhao, Yue; Niess, Hanno; Conrad, Claudius; Schwarz, Bettina; Jauch, Karl-Walter; Huss, Ralf; Nelson, Peter J.

    2012-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem (or stromal) cells (MSCs) are nonhematopoietic progenitor cells that can be obtained from bone marrow aspirates or adipose tissue, expanded and genetically modified in vitro, and then used for cancer therapeutic strategies in vivo. Here, we review available data regarding the application of MSC-based tumor-targeted therapy in gastrointestinal cancer, provide an overview of the general history of MSC-based gene therapy in cancer research, and discuss potential problems associated with the utility of MSC-based therapy such as biosafety, immunoprivilege, transfection methods, and distribution in the host. PMID:22530882

  14. Genus beta human papillomavirus E6 proteins vary in their effects on the transactivation of p53 target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Elizabeth A; Walther, Johanna; Javanbakht, Hassan; Howley, Peter M

    2014-08-01

    The genus beta human papillomaviruses (beta HPVs) cause cutaneous lesions and are thought to be involved in the initiation of some nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), particularly in patients with the genetic disorder epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). We have previously reported that at least two of the genus beta HPV E6 proteins bind to and/or increase the steady-state levels of p53 in squamous epithelial cells. This is in contrast to a well-characterized ability of the E6 proteins of cancer-associated HPVs of genus alpha HPV, which inactivate p53 by targeting its ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. In this study, we have investigated the ability of genus beta E6 proteins from eight different HPV types to block the transactivation of p53 target genes following DNA damage. We find that the E6 proteins from diverse beta HPV species and types vary in their capacity to block the induction of MDM2, p21, and proapoptotic genes after genotoxic stress. We conclude that some genus beta HPV E6 proteins inhibit at least some p53 target genes, although perhaps not by the same mechanism or to the same degree as the high-risk genus alpha HPV E6 proteins. This study addresses the ability of various human papillomavirus E6 proteins to block the activation of p53-responsive cellular genes following DNA damage in human keratinocytes, the normal host cell for HPVs. The E6 proteins encoded by the high-risk, cancer-associated HPV types of genus alpha HPV have a well-established activity to target p53 degradation and thereby inhibit the response to DNA damage. In this study, we have investigated the ability of genus beta HPV E6 proteins from eight different HPV types to block the ability of p53 to transactivate downstream genes following DNA damage. We find that some, but not all, genus beta HPV E6 proteins can block the transactivation of some p53 target genes. This differential response to DNA damage furthers the understanding of cutaneous HPV biology and may help to explain the

  15. Comparative evaluation of PCR amplification of RLEP, 16S rRNA, rpoT and Sod A gene targets for detection of M. leprae DNA from clinical and environmental samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turankar, Ravindra P; Pandey, Shradha; Lavania, Mallika; Singh, Itu; Nigam, Astha; Darlong, Joydeepa; Darlong, Fam; Sengupta, Utpal

    2015-03-01

    PCR assay is a highly sensitive, specific and reliable diagnostic tool for the identification of pathogens in many infectious diseases. Genome sequencing Mycobacterium leprae revealed several gene targets that could be used for the detection of DNA from clinical and environmental samples. The PCR sensitivity of particular gene targets for specific clinical and environmental isolates has not yet been established. The present study was conducted to compare the sensitivity of RLEP, rpoT, Sod A and 16S rRNA gene targets in the detection of M. leprae in slit skin smear (SSS), blood, soil samples of leprosy patients and their surroundings. Leprosy patients were classified into Paucibacillary (PB) and Multibacillary (MB) types. Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining method for all the SSS samples and Bacteriological Index (BI) was calculated for all patients. Standard laboratory protocol was used for DNA extraction from SSS, blood and soil samples. PCR technique was performed for the detection of M. leprae DNA from all the above-mentioned samples. RLEP gene target was able to detect the presence of M. leprae in 83% of SSS, 100% of blood samples and in 36% of soil samples and was noted to be the best out of all other gene targets (rpoT, Sod A and 16S rRNA). It was noted that the RLEP gene target was able to detect the highest number (53%) of BI-negative leprosy patients amongst all the gene targets used in this study. Amongst all the gene targets used in this study, PCR positivity using RLEP gene target was the highest in all the clinical and environmental samples. Further, the RLEP gene target was able to detect 53% of blood samples as positive in BI-negative leprosy cases indicating its future standardization and use for diagnostic purposes. Copyright © 2015 Asian African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Targeted In Situ Gene Correction of Dysfunctional APOE Alleles to Produce Atheroprotective Plasma ApoE3 Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioannis Papaioannou

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cardiovascular disease is the leading worldwide cause of death. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE is a 34-kDa circulating glycoprotein, secreted by the liver and macrophages with pleiotropic antiatherogenic functions and hence a candidate to treat hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerosis. Here, we describe atheroprotective properties of ApoE, though also potential proatherogenic actions, and the prevalence of dysfunctional isoforms, outline conventional gene transfer strategies, and then focus on gene correction therapeutics that can repair defective APOE alleles. In particular, we discuss the possibility and potential benefit of applying in combination two technical advances to repair aberrant APOE genes: (i an engineered endonuclease to introduce a double-strand break (DSB in exon 4, which contains the common, but dysfunctional, ε2 and ε4 alleles; (ii an efficient and selectable template for homologous recombination (HR repair, namely, an adeno-associated viral (AAV vector, which harbours wild-type APOE sequence. This technology is applicable ex vivo, for example to target haematopoietic or induced pluripotent stem cells, and also for in vivo hepatic gene targeting. It is to be hoped that such emerging technology will eventually translate to patient therapy to reduce CVD risk.

  17. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog facilitates chromatin accessibility of the estrogen receptor α target genes in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Kwang Won, E-mail: kwjeong@gachon.ac.kr

    2014-04-04

    Highlights: • H3K4me3 and Pol II binding at TFF1 promoter were reduced in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. • FLII is required for chromatin accessibility of the enhancer of ERalpha target genes. • Depletion of FLII causes inhibition of proliferation of MCF-7 cells. - Abstract: The coordinated activities of multiple protein complexes are essential to the remodeling of chromatin structure and for the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to the promoter in order to facilitate the initiation of transcription in nuclear receptor-mediated gene expression. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII), a nuclear receptor coactivator, is associated with the SWI/SNF-chromatin remodeling complex during estrogen receptor (ER)α-mediated transcription. However, the function of FLII in estrogen-induced chromatin opening has not been fully explored. Here, we show that FLII plays a critical role in establishing active histone modification marks and generating the open chromatin structure of ERα target genes. We observed that the enhancer regions of ERα target genes are heavily occupied by FLII, and histone H3K4me3 and Pol II binding induced by estrogen are decreased in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments showed that depletion of FLII resulted in reduced chromatin accessibility of multiple ERα target genes. These data suggest FLII as a key regulator of ERα-mediated transcription through its role in regulating chromatin accessibility for the binding of RNA Polymerase II and possibly other transcriptional coactivators.

  18. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog facilitates chromatin accessibility of the estrogen receptor α target genes in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Kwang Won

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • H3K4me3 and Pol II binding at TFF1 promoter were reduced in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. • FLII is required for chromatin accessibility of the enhancer of ERalpha target genes. • Depletion of FLII causes inhibition of proliferation of MCF-7 cells. - Abstract: The coordinated activities of multiple protein complexes are essential to the remodeling of chromatin structure and for the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to the promoter in order to facilitate the initiation of transcription in nuclear receptor-mediated gene expression. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII), a nuclear receptor coactivator, is associated with the SWI/SNF-chromatin remodeling complex during estrogen receptor (ER)α-mediated transcription. However, the function of FLII in estrogen-induced chromatin opening has not been fully explored. Here, we show that FLII plays a critical role in establishing active histone modification marks and generating the open chromatin structure of ERα target genes. We observed that the enhancer regions of ERα target genes are heavily occupied by FLII, and histone H3K4me3 and Pol II binding induced by estrogen are decreased in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments showed that depletion of FLII resulted in reduced chromatin accessibility of multiple ERα target genes. These data suggest FLII as a key regulator of ERα-mediated transcription through its role in regulating chromatin accessibility for the binding of RNA Polymerase II and possibly other transcriptional coactivators

  19. Wnt-mediated down-regulation of Sp1 target genes by a transcriptional repressor Sp5

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fujimura, Naoko; Vacík, Tomáš; Machoň, Ondřej; Vlček, Čestmír; Scalabrin, S.; Speth, M.; Diep, D.; Krauss, S.; Kozmik, Zbyněk

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 282, č. 2 (2007), s. 1225-1237 ISSN 0021-9258 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Wnt -mediated signaling * Sp5 transcription factor * Sp1 target genes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.581, year: 2007

  20. Elongation factor 1 alpha1 and genes associated with Usher syndromes are downstream targets of GBX2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David A Roeseler

    Full Text Available Gbx2 encodes a DNA-binding transcription factor that plays pivotal roles during embryogenesis. Gain-and loss-of-function studies in several vertebrate species have demonstrated a requirement for Gbx2 in development of the anterior hindbrain, spinal cord, inner ear, heart, and neural crest cells. However, the target genes through which GBX2 exerts its effects remain obscure. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with direct sequencing (ChIP-Seq analysis in a human prostate cancer cell line, we identified cis-regulatory elements bound by GBX2 to provide insight into its direct downstream targets. The analysis revealed more than 286 highly significant candidate target genes, falling into various functional groups, of which 51% are expressed in the nervous system. Several of the top candidate genes include EEF1A1, ROBO1, PLXNA4, SLIT3, NRP1, and NOTCH2, as well as genes associated with the Usher syndrome, PCDH15 and USH2A, and are plausible candidates contributing to the developmental defects in Gbx2(-/- mice. We show through gel shift analyses that sequences within the promoter or introns of EEF1A1, ROBO1, PCDH15, USH2A and NOTCH2, are directly bound by GBX2. Consistent with these in vitro results, analyses of Gbx2(-/- embryos indicate that Gbx2 function is required for migration of Robo1-expressing neural crest cells out of the hindbrain. Furthermore, we show that GBX2 activates transcriptional activity through the promoter of EEF1A1, suggesting that GBX2 could also regulate gene expression indirectly via EEF1A. Taken together, our studies show that GBX2 plays a dynamic role in development and diseases.

  1. Stem cells’ guided gene therapy of cancer: New frontier in personalized and targeted therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mavroudi M

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Diagnosis and therapy of cancer remain to be the greatest challenges for all physicians working in clinical oncology and molecular medicine. The grim statistics speak for themselves with reports of 1,638,910 men and women diagnosed with cancer and nearly 577,190 patients passed away due to cancer in the USA in 2012. For practicing clinicians, who treat patients suffering from advanced cancers with contemporary systemic therapies, the main challenge is to attain therapeutic efficacy, while minimizing side effects. Unfortunately, all contemporary systemic therapies cause side effects. In treated patients, these side effects may range from nausea to damaged tissues. In cancer survivors, the iatrogenic outcomes of systemic therapies may include genomic mutations and their consequences. Therefore, there is an urgent need for personalized and targeted therapies. Recently, we reviewed the current status of suicide gene therapy for cancer. Herein, we discuss the novel strategy: genetically engineered stem guided gene therapy. Stem cells have the unique potential for self-renewal and differentiation. This potential is the primary reason for introducing them into medicine to regenerate injured or degenerated organs, as well as to rejuvenate aging tissues. Recent advances in genetic engineering and stem cell research have created the foundations for genetic engineering of stem cells as the vectors for delivery of therapeutic transgenes. Specifically in oncology, the stem cells are genetically engineered to deliver the cell suicide inducing genes selectively to the cancer cells. Expression of the transgenes kills the cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Herein, we present various strategies to bioengineer suicide inducing genes and stem cell vectors. Moreover, we review results of the main preclinical studies and clinical trials. However, the main risk for therapeutic use of stem cells is their cancerous transformation. Therefore, we

  2. Identification of novel target genes for safer and more specific control of root-knot nematodes from a pan-genome mining.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etienne G J Danchin

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Root-knot nematodes are globally the most aggressive and damaging plant-parasitic nematodes. Chemical nematicides have so far constituted the most efficient control measures against these agricultural pests. Because of their toxicity for the environment and danger for human health, these nematicides have now been banned from use. Consequently, new and more specific control means, safe for the environment and human health, are urgently needed to avoid worldwide proliferation of these devastating plant-parasites. Mining the genomes of root-knot nematodes through an evolutionary and comparative genomics approach, we identified and analyzed 15,952 nematode genes conserved in genomes of plant-damaging species but absent from non target genomes of chordates, plants, annelids, insect pollinators and mollusks. Functional annotation of the corresponding proteins revealed a relative abundance of putative transcription factors in this parasite-specific set compared to whole proteomes of root-knot nematodes. This may point to important and specific regulators of genes involved in parasitism. Because these nematodes are known to secrete effector proteins in planta, essential for parasitism, we searched and identified 993 such effector-like proteins absent from non-target species. Aiming at identifying novel targets for the development of future control methods, we biologically tested the effect of inactivation of the corresponding genes through RNA interference. A total of 15 novel effector-like proteins and one putative transcription factor compatible with the design of siRNAs were present as non-redundant genes and had transcriptional support in the model root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Infestation assays with siRNA-treated M. incognita on tomato plants showed significant and reproducible reduction of the infestation for 12 of the 16 tested genes compared to control nematodes. These 12 novel genes, showing efficient reduction of parasitism when

  3. In silico identification of miRNAs and their target genes and analysis of gene co-expression network in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinati, Zahra; Shamloo-Dashtpagerdi, Roohollah; Behpouri, Ali

    2016-01-01

    As an aromatic and colorful plant of substantive taste, saffron (Crocus sativus L.) owes such properties of matter to growing class of the secondary metabolites derived from the carotenoids, apocarotenoids. Regarding the critical role of microRNAs in secondary metabolic synthesis and the limited number of identified miRNAs in C. sativus, on the other hand, one may see the point how the characterization of miRNAs along with the corresponding target genes in C. sativus might expand our perspectives on the roles of miRNAs in carotenoid/apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway. A computational analysis was used to identify miRNAs and their targets using EST (Expressed Sequence Tag) library from mature saffron stigmas. Then, a gene co- expression network was constructed to identify genes which are potentially involved in carotenoid/apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathways. EST analysis led to the identification of two putative miRNAs (miR414 and miR837-5p) along with the corresponding stem- looped precursors. To our knowledge, this is the first report on miR414 and miR837-5p in C. sativus. Co-expression network analysis indicated that miR414 and miR837-5p may play roles in C. sativus metabolic pathways and led to identification of candidate genes including six transcription factors and one protein kinase probably involved in carotenoid/apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway. Presence of transcription factors, miRNAs and protein kinase in the network indicated multiple layers of regulation in saffron stigma. The candidate genes from this study may help unraveling regulatory networks underlying the carotenoid/apocarotenoid biosynthesis in saffron and designing metabolic engineering for enhanced secondary metabolites. PMID:28261627

  4. Targeted gene panel sequencing in children with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease--evaluation and prospective analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammermeier, Jochen; Drury, Suzanne; James, Chela T; Dziubak, Robert; Ocaka, Louise; Elawad, Mamoun; Beales, Philip; Lench, Nicholas; Uhlig, Holm H; Bacchelli, Chiara; Shah, Neil

    2014-11-01

    Multiple monogenetic conditions with partially overlapping phenotypes can present with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like intestinal inflammation. With novel genotype-specific therapies emerging, establishing a molecular diagnosis is becoming increasingly important. We have introduced targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology as a prospective screening tool in children with very early onset IBD (VEOIBD). We evaluated the coverage of 40 VEOIBD genes in two separate cohorts undergoing targeted gene panel sequencing (TGPS) (n=25) and whole exome sequencing (WES) (n=20). TGPS revealed causative mutations in four genes (IL10RA, EPCAM, TTC37 and SKIV2L) discovered unexpected phenotypes and directly influenced clinical decision making by supporting as well as avoiding haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. TGPS resulted in significantly higher median coverage when compared with WES, fewer coverage deficiencies and improved variant detection across established VEOIBD genes. Excluding or confirming known VEOIBD genotypes should be considered early in the disease course in all cases of therapy-refractory VEOIBD, as it can have a direct impact on patient management. To combine both described NGS technologies would compensate for the limitations of WES for disease-specific application while offering the opportunity for novel gene discovery in the research setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  5. Fine and Predictable Tuning of TALEN Gene Editing Targeting for Improved T Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Sophie Gautron

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Using a TALEN-mediated gene-editing approach, we have previously described a process for the large-scale manufacturing of “off-the-shelf” CAR T cells from third-party donor T cells by disrupting the gene encoding TCRα constant chain (TRAC. Taking advantage of a previously described strategy to control TALEN targeting based on the exclusion capacities of non-conventional RVDs, we have developed highly efficient and specific nucleases targeting a key T cell immune checkpoint, PD-1, to improve engineered CAR T cells’ functionalities. Here, we demonstrate that this approach allows combined TRAC and PDCD1 TALEN processing at the desired locus while eliminating low-frequency off-site processing. Thus, by replacing few RVDs, we provide here an easy and rapid redesign of optimal TALEN combinations. We anticipate that this method can greatly benefit multiplex editing, which is of key importance especially for therapeutic applications where high editing efficiencies need to be associated with maximal specificity and safety.

  6. Target genes prediction and functional analysis of microRNAs differentially expressed in gastric cancer stem cells MKN-45

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Salehi

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: Bioinformatics analysis such as DAVID database, GO biological process, GO molecular function, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways, BioCarta pathway, Panther pathway, and Reactome pathway revealed that target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs in gastric CSCs were connected to pivotal biological pathways that involved in cell cycle regulation, stemness properties, and differentiation.

  7. Isorhamnetin protects against oxidative stress by activating Nrf2 and inducing the expression of its target genes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Ji Hye; Shin, Bo Yeon; Han, Jae Yun; Kim, Mi Gwang; Wi, Ji Eun [College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young Woo; Cho, Il Je; Kim, Sang Chan [Medical Research Center for Globalization of Herbal Formulation, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan 712-715 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Sang Mi [College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Ki, Sung Hwan, E-mail: shki@chosun.ac.kr [College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-01-15

    Isorhamentin is a 3′-O-methylated metabolite of quercetin, and has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects. However, the effects of isorhamnetin on Nrf2 activation and on the expressions of its downstream genes in hepatocytes have not been elucidated. Here, we investigated whether isorhamnetin has the ability to activate Nrf2 and induce phase II antioxidant enzyme expression, and to determine the protective role of isorhamnetin on oxidative injury in hepatocytes. In HepG2 cells, isorhamnetin increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and consistently, increased antioxidant response element (ARE) reporter gene activity and the protein levels of hemeoxygenase (HO-1) and of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), which resulted in intracellular GSH level increases. The specific role of Nrf2 in isorhamnetin-induced Nrf2 target gene expression was verified using an ARE-deletion mutant plasmid and Nrf2-knockout MEF cells. Deletion of the ARE in the promoter region of the sestrin2 gene, which is recently identified as the Nrf2 target gene by us, abolished the ability of isorhamnetin to increase luciferase activity. In addition, Nrf2 deficiency completely blocked the ability of isorhamnetin to induce HO-1 and GCL. Furthermore, isorhamnetin pretreatment blocked t-BHP-induced ROS production and reversed GSH depletion by t-BHP and consequently, due to reduced ROS levels, decreased t-BHP-induced cell death. In addition isorhamnetin increased ERK1/2, PKCδ and AMPK phosphorylation. Finally, we showed that Nrf2 deficiency blocked the ability of isorhamnetin to protect cells from injury induced by t-BHP. Taken together, our results demonstrate that isorhamnetin is efficacious in protecting hepatocytes against oxidative stress by Nrf2 activation and in inducing the expressions of its downstream genes. - Highlights: • We investigated the effect of isorhamnetin on Nrf2 activation. • Isorhamnetin increased Nrf2

  8. Gene network inference and biochemical assessment delineates GPCR pathways and CREB targets in small intestinal neuroendocrine neoplasia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignat Drozdov

    Full Text Available Small intestinal (SI neuroendocrine tumors (NET are increasing in incidence, however little is known about their biology. High throughput techniques such as inference of gene regulatory networks from microarray experiments can objectively define signaling machinery in this disease. Genome-wide co-expression analysis was used to infer gene relevance network in SI-NETs. The network was confirmed to be non-random, scale-free, and highly modular. Functional analysis of gene co-expression modules revealed processes including 'Nervous system development', 'Immune response', and 'Cell-cycle'. Importantly, gene network topology and differential expression analysis identified over-expression of the GPCR signaling regulators, the cAMP synthetase, ADCY2, and the protein kinase A, PRKAR1A. Seven CREB response element (CRE transcripts associated with proliferation and secretion: BEX1, BICD1, CHGB, CPE, GABRB3, SCG2 and SCG3 as well as ADCY2 and PRKAR1A were measured in an independent SI dataset (n = 10 NETs; n = 8 normal preparations. All were up-regulated (p<0.035 with the exception of SCG3 which was not differently expressed. Forskolin (a direct cAMP activator, 10(-5 M significantly stimulated transcription of pCREB and 3/7 CREB targets, isoproterenol (a selective ß-adrenergic receptor agonist and cAMP activator, 10(-5 M stimulated pCREB and 4/7 targets while BIM-53061 (a dopamine D(2 and Serotonin [5-HT(2] receptor agonist, 10(-6 M stimulated 100% of targets as well as pCREB; CRE transcription correlated with the levels of cAMP accumulation and PKA activity; BIM-53061 stimulated the highest levels of cAMP and PKA (2.8-fold and 2.5-fold vs. 1.8-2-fold for isoproterenol and forskolin. Gene network inference and graph topology analysis in SI NETs suggests that SI NETs express neural GPCRs that activate different CRE targets associated with proliferation and secretion. In vitro studies, in a model NET cell system, confirmed that transcriptional

  9. Myostatin gene knockout mediated by Cas9-D10A nickase in chicken DF1 cells without off-target effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong Hyo Lee

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective Based on rapid advancement of genetic modification techniques, genomic editing is expected to become the most efficient tool for improvement of economic traits in livestock as well as poultry. In this study, we examined and verified the nickase of mutated CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9 to modulate the specific target gene in chicken DF1 cells. Methods Chicken myostatin which inhibits muscle cell growth and differentiation during myogenesis was targeted to be deleted and mutated by the Cas9-D10A nickase. After co-transfection of the nickase expression vector with green fluorescent gene (GFP gene and targeted multiplex guide RNAs (gRNAs, the GFP-positive cells were sorted out by fluorescence-activated cell sorting procedure. Results Through the genotyping analysis of the knockout cells, the mutant induction efficiency was 100% in the targeted site. Number of the deleted nucleotides ranged from 2 to 39 nucleotide deletion. There was no phenotypic difference between regular cells and knockout cells. However, myostatin protein was not apparently detected in the knockout cells by Western blotting. Additionally, six off-target sites were predicted and analyzed but any non-specific mutation in the off-target sites was not observed. Conclusion The knockout technical platform with the nickase and multiplex gRNAs can be efficiently and stablely applied to functional genomics study in poultry and finally adapted to generate the knockout poultry for agribio industry.

  10. The BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) target genes are involved in the oxidative stress response and in control of the cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Schmidt, Dominic; Manke, Thomas; Piccini, Ilaria; Sultan, Marc; Borodina, Tatiana; Balzereit, Daniela; Wruck, Wasco; Soldatov, Alexey; Vingron, Martin; Lehrach, Hans; Yaspo, Marie-Laure

    2011-07-01

    The regulation of gene expression in response to environmental signals and metabolic imbalances is a key step in maintaining cellular homeostasis. BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) is a heme-binding transcription factor repressing the transcription from a subset of MAF recognition elements at low intracellular heme levels. Upon heme binding, BACH1 is released from the MAF recognition elements, resulting in increased expression of antioxidant response genes. To systematically address the gene regulatory networks involving BACH1, we combined chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis of BACH1 target genes in HEK 293 cells with knockdown of BACH1 using three independent types of small interfering RNAs followed by transcriptome profiling using microarrays. The 59 BACH1 target genes identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing were found highly enriched in genes showing expression changes after BACH1 knockdown, demonstrating the impact of BACH1 repression on transcription. In addition to known and new BACH1 targets involved in heme degradation (HMOX1, FTL, FTH1, ME1, and SLC48A1) and redox regulation (GCLC, GCLM, and SLC7A11), we also discovered BACH1 target genes affecting cell cycle and apoptosis pathways (ITPR2, CALM1, SQSTM1, TFE3, EWSR1, CDK6, BCL2L11, and MAFG) as well as subcellular transport processes (CLSTN1, PSAP, MAPT, and vault RNA). The newly identified impact of BACH1 on genes involved in neurodegenerative processes and proliferation provides an interesting basis for future dissection of BACH1-mediated gene repression in neurodegeneration and virus-induced cancerogenesis.

  11. Targeting fumonisin biosynthetic genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    The fungus Fusarium is an agricultural problem because it can cause disease on most crop plants and can contaminate crops with mycotoxins. There is considerable variation in the presence/absence and genomic location of gene clusters responsible for synthesis of mycotoxins and other secondary metabol...

  12. Depletion of polycistronic transcripts using short interfering RNAs: cDNA synthesis method affects levels of non-targeted genes determined by quantitative PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanning, Jennifer E; Groves, Ian J; Pett, Mark R; Coleman, Nicholas

    2013-05-21

    Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are often used to deplete viral polycistronic transcripts, such as those encoded by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are conflicting data in the literature concerning how siRNAs targeting one HPV gene can affect levels of other genes in the polycistronic transcripts. We hypothesised that the conflict might be partly explained by the method of cDNA synthesis used prior to transcript quantification. We treated HPV16-positive cervical keratinocytes with siRNAs targeting the HPV16 E7 gene and used quantitative PCR to compare transcript levels of E7 with those of E6 and E2, viral genes located upstream and downstream of the target site respectively. We compared our findings from cDNA generated using oligo-dT primers alone with those from cDNA generated using a combination of random hexamer and oligo-dT primers. Our data show that when polycistronic transcripts are targeted by siRNAs, there is a period when untranslatable cleaved mRNA upstream of the siRNA binding site remains detectable by PCR, if cDNA is generated using random hexamer primers. Such false indications of mRNA abundance are avoided using oligo-dT primers. The period corresponds to the time taken for siRNA activity and degradation of the cleaved transcripts. Genes downstream of the siRNA binding site are detectable during this interval, regardless of how the cDNA is generated. These data emphasise the importance of the cDNA synthesis method used when measuring transcript abundance following siRNA depletion of polycistronic transcripts. They provide a partial explanation for erroneous reports suggesting that siRNAs targeting HPV E7 can have gene-specific effects.

  13. Sexually dimorphic gene regulation in brain as a target for endocrine disrupters: Developmental exposure of rats to 4-methylbenzylidene camphor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maerkel, Kirsten; Durrer, Stefan; Henseler, Manuel; Schlumpf, Margret; Lichtensteiger, Walter

    2007-01-01

    The developing neuroendocrine brain represents a potential target for endocrine active chemicals. The UV filter 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) exhibits estrogenic activity, but also interferes with the thyroid axis. We investigated effects of pre- and postnatal exposure to 4-MBC in the same rat offspring at brain and reproductive organ levels. 4-MBC (7, 24, 47 mg/kg/day) was administered in chow to the parent generation before mating, during gestation and lactation, and to the offspring until adulthood. mRNA of estrogen target genes involved in control of sexual behavior and gonadal functions was measured by real-time RT-PCR in ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and medial preoptic area (MPO) of adult offspring. 4-MBC exposure affected mRNA levels of ER alpha, progesterone receptor (PR), preproenkephalin (PPE) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in a sex- and region-specific manner. In order to assess possible changes in sensitivity of target genes to estrogens, offspring were gonadectomized on day 70, injected with estradiol (E2, 10 or 50 μg/kg s.c.) or vehicle on day 84, and sacrificed 6 h later. The acute induction of PR mRNA, and repression (at 6 h) of PPE mRNA by E2 was enhanced by 4-MBC in male and female VMH and female MPO, whereas male MPO exhibited reduced responsiveness of both genes. Steroid receptor coactivator SRC-1 mRNA levels were increased in female VMH and MPO. The data indicate profound sex- and region-specific alterations in the regulation of estrogen target genes at brain level. Effect patterns in baseline and E2-induced gene expression differ from those in uterus and prostate

  14. Molecular targeting of gene therapy and radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weichselbaum, R.R.; Kufe, D.W.; Advani, S.J.; Roizman, B.

    2001-01-01

    The full promise of gene therapy has been limited by the lack of specificity of vectors for tumor tissue as well as the lack of antitumor efficacy of transgenes encoded by gene delivery systems. In this paper we review our studies investigating two modifications of gene therapy combined with radiotherapy. The first investigations described include studies of radiation inducible gene therapy. In this paradigm, radio-inducible DNA sequences from the CarG elements of the Egr-1 promoter are cloned upstream of a cDNA encoding TNFa. The therapeutic gene (TNFa) is induced by radiation within the tumor microenvironment. In the second paradigm, genetically engineered herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is induced by ionizing radiation to proliferate within the tumor volume. These modifications of radiotherapy and gene therapy may enhance the efficacy of both treatments

  15. Building a Robust Tumor Profiling Program: Synergy between Next-Generation Sequencing and Targeted Single-Gene Testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew C Hiemenz

    Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing (NGS is a powerful platform for identifying cancer mutations. Routine clinical adoption of NGS requires optimized quality control metrics to ensure accurate results. To assess the robustness of our clinical NGS pipeline, we analyzed the results of 304 solid tumor and hematologic malignancy specimens tested simultaneously by NGS and one or more targeted single-gene tests (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, NPM1, FLT3, and JAK2. For samples that passed our validated tumor percentage and DNA quality and quantity thresholds, there was perfect concordance between NGS and targeted single-gene tests with the exception of two FLT3 internal tandem duplications that fell below the stringent pre-established reporting threshold but were readily detected by manual inspection. In addition, NGS identified clinically significant mutations not covered by single-gene tests. These findings confirm NGS as a reliable platform for routine clinical use when appropriate quality control metrics, such as tumor percentage and DNA quality cutoffs, are in place. Based on our findings, we suggest a simple workflow that should facilitate adoption of clinical oncologic NGS services at other institutions.

  16. Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA Integration and Gene Targeting in Arabidopsis thaliana Non-Homologous End-Joining Mutants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qi Jia

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to study the role of AtKu70 and AtKu80 in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and gene targeting, plant lines with a T-DNA insertion in AtKu80 or AtKu70 genes were functionally characterized. Such plant lines lacked both subunits, indicating that heterodimer formation between AtKu70 and AtKu80 is needed for the stability of the proteins. Homozygous mutants were phenotypically indistinguishable from wild-type plants and were fertile. However, they were hypersensitive to the genotoxic agent bleomycin, resulting in more DSBs as quantified in comet assays. They had lower end-joining efficiency, suggesting that NHEJ is a critical pathway for DSB repair in plants. Both Atku mutants and a previously isolated Atmre11 mutant were impaired in Agrobacterium T-DNA integration via floral dip transformation, indicating that AtKu70, AtKu80, and AtMre11 play an important role in T-DNA integration in Arabidopsis. The frequency of gene targeting was not significantly increased in the Atku80 and Atku70 mutants, but it was increased at least 10-fold in the Atmre11 mutant compared with the wild type.

  17. Identification and profiling of microRNAs and their target genes from developing caprine skeletal Muscle.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhong Wang

    Full Text Available Goat is an important agricultural animal for meat production. Functional studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play an important role in various biological processes. Although studies on miRNAs expression profiles have been performed in various animals, relatively limited information about goat muscle miRNAs has been reported. To investigate the miRNAs involved in regulating different periods of skeletal muscle development, we herein performed a comprehensive research for expression profiles of caprine miRNAs during two developmental stages of skeletal muscles: fetal stage and six month-old stage. As a result, 15,627,457 and 15,593,721 clean reads were obtained from the fetal goat library (FC and the six month old goat library (SMC, respectively. 464 known miRNAs and 83 novel miRNA candidates were identified. Furthermore, by comparing the miRNA profile, 336 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified and then the potential targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted. To understand the regulatory network of miRNAs during muscle development, the mRNA expression profiles for the two development stages were characterized and 7322 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified. Then the potential targets of miRNAs were compared to the DEGs, the intersection of the two gene sets were screened out and called differentially expressed targets (DE-targets, which were involved in 231 pathways. Ten of the 231 pathways that have smallest P-value were shown as network figures. Based on the analysis of pathways and networks, we found that miR-424-5p and miR-29a might have important regulatory effect on muscle development, which needed to be further studied. This study provided the first global view of the miRNAs in caprine muscle tissues. Our results help elucidation of complex regulatory networks between miRNAs and mRNAs and for the study of muscle

  18. The evolution of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis miRNA targeting genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunbin, Konstantin V; Afonnikov, Dmitry A; Kolchanov, Nikolay A; Derevianko, Anatoly P; Rogaev, Eugeny I

    2015-01-01

    As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain. A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development. Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.

  19. CDKL5 is a brain MeCP2 target gene regulated by DNA methylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carouge, Delphine; Host, Lionel; Aunis, Dominique; Zwiller, Jean; Anglard, Patrick

    2010-06-01

    Rett syndrome and its "early-onset seizure" variant are severe neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mutations within the MECP2 and the CDKL5 genes. Antidepressants and drugs of abuse induce the expression of the epigenetic factor MeCP2, thereby influencing chromatin remodeling. We show that increased MeCP2 levels resulted in the repression of Cdkl5 in rat brain structures in response to cocaine, as well as in cells exposed to serotonin, or overexpressing MeCP2. In contrast, Cdkl5 was induced by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Mecp2 and by DNA-methyltransferase inhibitors, demonstrating its regulation by MeCP2 and by DNA methylation. Cdkl5 gene methylation and its methylation-dependent binding to MeCP2 were increased in the striatum of cocaine-treated rats. Our data demonstrate that Cdkl5 is a MeCP2-repressed target gene providing a link between genes the mutation of which generates overlapping symptoms. They highlight DNA methylation changes as a potential mechanism participating in the long-term plasticity triggered by pharmacological agents.

  20. Efficient methods for targeted mutagenesis in zebrafish using zinc-finger nucleases: data from targeting of nine genes using CompoZr or CoDA ZFNs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raman Sood

    Full Text Available Recently, it has been shown that targeted mutagenesis using zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs can be used to generate knockout zebrafish lines for analysis of their function and/or developing disease models. A number of different methods have been developed for the design and assembly of gene-specific ZFNs and TALENs, making them easily available to most zebrafish researchers. Regardless of the choice of targeting nuclease, the process of generating mutant fish is similar. It is a time-consuming and multi-step process that can benefit significantly from development of efficient high throughput methods. In this study, we used ZFNs assembled through either the CompoZr (Sigma-Aldrich or the CoDA (context-dependent assembly platforms to generate mutant zebrafish for nine genes. We report our improved high throughput methods for 1 evaluation of ZFNs activity by somatic lesion analysis using colony PCR, eliminating the need for plasmid DNA extractions from a large number of clones, and 2 a sensitive founder screening strategy using fluorescent PCR with PIG-tailed primers that eliminates the stutter bands and accurately identifies even single nucleotide insertions and deletions. Using these protocols, we have generated multiple mutant alleles for seven genes, five of which were targeted with CompoZr ZFNs and two with CoDA ZFNs. Our data also revealed that at least five-fold higher mRNA dose was required to achieve mutagenesis with CoDA ZFNs than with CompoZr ZFNs, and their somatic lesion frequency was lower (<5% when compared to CopmoZr ZFNs (9-98%. This work provides high throughput protocols for efficient generation of zebrafish mutants using ZFNs and TALENs.

  1. Aberrant status and clinicopathologic characteristic associations of 11 target genes in 1,321 Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Mengnan; Zhan, Cheng; Li, Ming; Yang, Xiaodong; Yang, Xinyu; Zhang, Yong; Lin, Miao; Xia, Yifeng; Feng, Mingxiang; Wang, Qun

    2018-01-01

    The aberrant status of target genes and their associations with clinicopathologic characteristics are still unclear in primary lung adenocarcinoma. The common mutations and translocations of nine target genes were evaluated in 1,247 specimens of surgically-resected primary lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expressions of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in 731 specimens. The frequency of the aberrations and their associations with clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Overall, 952 (76.3%) of 1,247 patients harbored at least one target mutation or translocation: epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) (729, 58.5%), v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( KRAS ) (83, 6.7%), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER2 ) (82, 6.6%), anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK) (23, 1.8%), phosphoinositide-3-kinase catalytic alpha polypeptide ( PIK3CA ) (20, 1.6%), Ret proto-oncogene RET (15, 1.2%), ROS proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase ( ROS1 ) (12, 1.0%), B-raf proto-oncogene ( BRAF ) (9, 0.7%), neuroblastoma RAS viral (v-ras) oncogene homolog ( NRAS ) (3, 0.2%). Fourteen (1.9%) of 731 patients were PD-1 positive and 95 (13.0%) were PD-L1 positive in tumor cells. In men and smokers, there were more frequent KRAS mutations (both Ppatients, while HER2 (Ppatients with EGFR mutations (all Ppatients with primary lung adenocarcinoma harbored target gene aberrations. The frequency of each alteration differed in patients depending on clinicopathologic characteristics.

  2. Comparative evaluation of PCR amplification of RLEP, 16S rRNA, rpoT and Sod A gene targets for detection of M. leprae DNA from clinical and environmental samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravindra P Turankar

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: Amongst all the gene targets used in this study, PCR positivity using RLEP gene target was the highest in all the clinical and environmental samples. Further, the RLEP gene target was able to detect 53% of blood samples as positive in BI-negative leprosy cases indicating its future standardization and use for diagnostic purposes.

  3. HDAC4 regulates satellite cell proliferation and differentiation by targeting P21 and Sharp1 genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marroncelli, Nicoletta; Bianchi, Marzia; Bertin, Marco; Consalvi, Silvia; Saccone, Valentina; De Bardi, Marco; Puri, Pier Lorenzo; Palacios, Daniela; Adamo, Sergio; Moresi, Viviana

    2018-02-22

    Skeletal muscle exhibits a high regenerative capacity, mainly due to the ability of satellite cells to replicate and differentiate in response to appropriate stimuli. Epigenetic control is effective at different stages of this process. It has been shown that the chromatin-remodeling factor HDAC4 is able to regulate satellite cell proliferation and commitment. However, its molecular targets are still uncovered. To explain the signaling pathways regulated by HDAC4 in satellite cells, we generated tamoxifen-inducible mice with conditional inactivation of HDAC4 in Pax7 + cells (HDAC4 KO mice). We found that the proliferation and differentiation of HDAC4 KO satellite cells were compromised, although similar amounts of satellite cells were found in mice. Moreover, we found that the inhibition of HDAC4 in satellite cells was sufficient to block the differentiation process. By RNA-sequencing analysis we identified P21 and Sharp1 as HDAC4 target genes. Reducing the expression of these target genes in HDAC4 KO satellite cells, we also defined the molecular pathways regulated by HDAC4 in the epigenetic control of satellite cell expansion and fusion.

  4. Converging or Crossing Curves: Untie the Gordian Knot or Cut it? Appropriate Statistics for Non-Proportional Hazards in Decitabine DACO-016 Study (AML).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomeczkowski, Jörg; Lange, Ansgar; Güntert, Andreas; Thilakarathne, Pushpike; Diels, Joris; Xiu, Liang; De Porre, Peter; Tapprich, Christoph

    2015-09-01

    Among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the DACO-016 randomized study showed reduction in mortality for decitabine [Dacogen(®) (DAC), Eisai Inc., Woodcliff Lake, NJ, USA] compared with treatment choice (TC): at primary analysis the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.69-1.04; stratified log-rank P = 0.108). With two interim analyses, two-sided alpha was adjusted to 0.0462. With 1-year additional follow-up the HR reached 0.82 (nominal P = 0.0373). These data resulted in approval of DAC in the European Union, though not in the United States. Though pre-specified, the log-rank test could be considered not optimal to assess the observed survival difference because of the non-proportional hazard nature of the survival curves. We applied the Wilcoxon test as a sensitivity analysis. Patients were randomized to DAC (N = 242) or TC (N = 243). One-hundred and eight (44.4%) patients in the TC arm and 91 (37.6%) patients in the DAC arm selectively crossed over to subsequent disease modifying therapies at progression, which might impact the survival beyond the median with resultant converging curves (and disproportional hazards). The stratified Wilcoxon test showed a significant improvement in median (CI 95%) overall survival with DAC [7.7 (6.2; 9.2) months] versus TC [5.0 (4.3; 6.3) months; P = 0.0458]. Wilcoxon test indicated significant increase in survival for DAC versus TC compared to log-rank test. Janssen-Cilag GmbH.

  5. Bioinformatic analysis of patient-derived ASPS gene expressions and ASPL-TFE3 fusion transcript levels identify potential therapeutic targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David G Covell

    Full Text Available Gene expression data, collected from ASPS tumors of seven different patients and from one immortalized ASPS cell line (ASPS-1, was analyzed jointly with patient ASPL-TFE3 (t(X;17(p11;q25 fusion transcript data to identify disease-specific pathways and their component genes. Data analysis of the pooled patient and ASPS-1 gene expression data, using conventional clustering methods, revealed a relatively small set of pathways and genes characterizing the biology of ASPS. These results could be largely recapitulated using only the gene expression data collected from patient tumor samples. The concordance between expression measures derived from ASPS-1 and both pooled and individual patient tumor data provided a rationale for extending the analysis to include patient ASPL-TFE3 fusion transcript data. A novel linear model was exploited to link gene expressions to fusion transcript data and used to identify a small set of ASPS-specific pathways and their gene expression. Cellular pathways that appear aberrantly regulated in response to the t(X;17(p11;q25 translocation include the cell cycle and cell adhesion. The identification of pathways and gene subsets characteristic of ASPS support current therapeutic strategies that target the FLT1 and MET, while also proposing additional targeting of genes found in pathways involved in the cell cycle (CHK1, cell adhesion (ARHGD1A, cell division (CDC6, control of meiosis (RAD51L3 and mitosis (BIRC5, and chemokine-related protein tyrosine kinase activity (CCL4.

  6. Comparison of Gull Feces-specific Assays Targeting the 16S rRNA Gene of Catellicoccus Marimammalium and Streptococcus spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Two novel gull-specific qPCR assays were developed using 16S rRNA gene sequences from gull fecal clone libraries: a SYBR-green-based assay targeting Streptococcus spp. (i.e., gull3) and a TaqMan qPCR assay targeting Catellicoccus marimammalium (i.e., gull4). The main objectives ...

  7. Sex-Specificity of Mineralocorticoid Target Gene Expression during Renal Development, and Long-Term Consequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumeige, Laurence; Storey, Caroline; Decourtye, Lyvianne; Nehlich, Melanie; Lhadj, Christophe; Viengchareun, Say; Kappeler, Laurent; Lombès, Marc; Martinerie, Laetitia

    2017-01-01

    Sex differences have been identified in various biological processes, including hypertension. The mineralocorticoid signaling pathway is an important contributor to early arterial hypertension, however its sex-specific expression has been scarcely studied, particularly with respect to the kidney. Basal systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were measured in adult male and female mice. Renal gene expression studies of major players of mineralocorticoid signaling were performed at different developmental stages in male and female mice using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and were compared to those of the same genes in the lung, another mineralocorticoid epithelial target tissue that regulates ion exchange and electrolyte balance. The role of sex hormones in the regulation of these genes was also investigated in differentiated KC3AC1 renal cells. Additionally, renal expression of the 11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2) protein, a regulator of mineralocorticoid specificity, was measured by immunoblotting and its activity was indirectly assessed in the plasma using liquid-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem (LC-MSMS) method. SBP and HR were found to be significantly lower in females compared to males. This was accompanied by a sex- and tissue-specific expression profile throughout renal development of the mineralocorticoid target genes serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (Sgk1) and glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein (Gilz), together with Hsd11b2, Finally, the implication of sex hormones in this sex-specific expression profile was demonstrated in vitro, most notably for Gilz mRNA expression. We demonstrate a tissue-specific, sex-dependent and developmentally-regulated pattern of expression of the mineralocorticoid pathway that could have important implications in physiology and pathology. PMID:28230786

  8. Inhibition of human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas by targeted silencing of tumor enhancer genes: an overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islamian, Jalil Pirayesh; Mohammadi, Mohsen; Baradaran, Behzad

    2014-01-01

    Esophageal cancer has been reported as the ninth most common malignancy and ranks as the sixth most frequent cause of death worldwide. Esophageal cancer treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or combination therapy. Novel strategies are needed to boost the oncologic outcome. Recent advances in the molecular biology of esophageal cancer have documented the role of genetic alterations in tumorigenesis. Oncogenes serve a pivotal function in tumorigenesis. Targeted therapies are directed at the unique molecular signature of cancer cells for enhanced efficacy with low toxicity. RNA interference (RNAi) technology is a powerful tool for silencing endogenous or exogenous genes in mammalian cells. Related results have shown that targeting oncogenes with siRNAs, specifically the mRNA, effectively reduces tumor cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death. This article will briefly review studies on silencing tumor enhancer genes related to the induction of esophageal cancer

  9. Targeted cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyl transferase suicide gene therapy induces small cell lung cancer-specific cytotoxicity and tumor growth delay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Camilla L; Gjetting, Torben; Poulsen, Thomas Tuxen

    2010-01-01

    Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly malignant cancer for which there is no curable treatment. Novel therapies are therefore in great demand. In the present study we investigated the therapeutic effect of transcriptionally targeted suicide gene therapy for SCLC based on the yeast cytosine...... deaminase (YCD) gene alone or fused with the yeast uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (YUPRT) gene followed by administration of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) prodrug. Experimental design: The YCD gene or the YCD-YUPRT gene was placed under regulation of the SCLC-specific promoter insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1...

  10. Ultrasound and microbubble-targeted delivery of therapeutic compounds : ICIN Report Project 49: Drug and gene delivery through ultrasound and microbubbles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Juffermans, L J M; Meijering, D B M; van Wamel, A; Henning, R H; Kooiman, K; Emmer, M; de Jong, N; van Gilst, W H; Musters, R; Paulus, W J; van Rossum, A C; Deelman, L E; Kamp, O

    The molecular understanding of diseases has been accelerated in recent years, producing many new potential therapeutic targets. A noninvasive delivery system that can target specific anatomical sites would be a great boost for many therapies, particularly those based on manipulation of gene

  11. miR-370 suppresses HBV gene expression and replication by targeting nuclear factor IA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Hongxia; Lv, Ping; Lv, Jing; Zhao, Xiaopei; Liu, Min; Zhang, Guangling; Tang, Hua

    2017-05-01

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. The roles of microRNAs in the regulation of HBV expression are being increasingly recognized. In this study, we found that overexpression of miR-370 suppressed HBV gene expression and replication in Huh7 cells, whereas antisense knockdown of endogenous miR-370 enhanced HBV gene expression and replication in Huh7 cells and HepG2.2.15 cells. Further, we identified the transcription factor nuclear factor IA (NFIA) as a new host target of miR-370. Overexpression and knockdown studies showed that NFIA stimulated HBV gene expression and replication. Importantly, overexpression of NFIA counteracted the effect of miR-370 on HBV gene expression and replication. Further mechanistic studies showed that miR-370 suppressed HBV replication and gene expression by repressing HBV Enhancer I activity, and one of the NFIA binding site in the Enhancer I element was responsible for the repressive effect of miR-370 on HBV Enhancer I activity. Altogether, our results demonstrated that miR-370 suppressed HBV gene expression and replication through repressing NFIA expression, which stimulates HBV replication via direct regulation on HBV Enhancer I activities. Our findings may provide a new antiviral strategy for HBV infection. J. Med. Virol. 89:834-844, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. DNA breaks and chromatin structural changes enhance the transcription of autoimmune regulator target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guha, Mithu; Saare, Mario; Maslovskaja, Julia; Kisand, Kai; Liiv, Ingrid; Haljasorg, Uku; Tasa, Tõnis; Metspalu, Andres; Milani, Lili; Peterson, Pärt

    2017-04-21

    The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein is the key factor in thymic negative selection of autoreactive T cells by promoting the ectopic expression of tissue-specific genes in the thymic medullary epithelium. Mutations in AIRE cause a monogenic autoimmune disease called autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy. AIRE has been shown to promote DNA breaks via its interaction with topoisomerase 2 (TOP2). In this study, we investigated topoisomerase-induced DNA breaks and chromatin structural alterations in conjunction with AIRE-dependent gene expression. Using RNA sequencing, we found that inhibition of TOP2 religation activity by etoposide in AIRE-expressing cells had a synergistic effect on genes with low expression levels. AIRE-mediated transcription was not only enhanced by TOP2 inhibition but also by the TOP1 inhibitor camptothecin. The transcriptional activation was associated with structural rearrangements in chromatin, notably the accumulation of γH2AX and the exchange of histone H1 with HMGB1 at AIRE target gene promoters. In addition, we found the transcriptional up-regulation to co-occur with the chromatin structural changes within the genomic cluster of carcinoembryonic antigen-like cellular adhesion molecule genes. Overall, our results suggest that the presence of AIRE can trigger molecular events leading to an altered chromatin landscape and the enhanced transcription of low-expressed genes. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. Combined serial analysis of gene expression and transcription factor binding site prediction identifies novel-candidate-target genes of Nr2e1 in neocortex development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmouth, Jean-François; Arenillas, David; Corso-Díaz, Ximena; Xie, Yuan-Yun; Bohacec, Slavita; Banks, Kathleen G; Bonaguro, Russell J; Wong, Siaw H; Jones, Steven J M; Marra, Marco A; Simpson, Elizabeth M; Wasserman, Wyeth W

    2015-07-24

    Nr2e1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 2, group e, member 1) encodes a transcription factor important in neocortex development. Previous work has shown that nuclear receptors can have hundreds of target genes, and bind more than 300 co-interacting proteins. However, recognition of the critical role of Nr2e1 in neural stem cells and neocortex development is relatively recent, thus the molecular mechanisms involved for this nuclear receptor are only beginning to be understood. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), has given researchers both qualitative and quantitative information pertaining to biological processes. Thus, in this work, six LongSAGE mouse libraries were generated from laser microdissected tissue samples of dorsal VZ/SVZ (ventricular zone and subventricular zone) from the telencephalon of wild-type (Wt) and Nr2e1-null embryos at the critical development ages E13.5, E15.5, and E17.5. We then used a novel approach, implementing multiple computational methods followed by biological validation to further our understanding of Nr2e1 in neocortex development. In this work, we have generated a list of 1279 genes that are differentially expressed in response to altered Nr2e1 expression during in vivo neocortex development. We have refined this list to 64 candidate direct-targets of NR2E1. Our data suggested distinct roles for Nr2e1 during different neocortex developmental stages. Most importantly, our results suggest a possible novel pathway by which Nr2e1 regulates neurogenesis, which includes Lhx2 as one of the candidate direct-target genes, and SOX9 as a co-interactor. In conclusion, we have provided new candidate interacting partners and numerous well-developed testable hypotheses for understanding the pathways by which Nr2e1 functions to regulate neocortex development.

  14. Efficacy of combining ING4 and TRAIL genes in cancer-targeting gene virotherapy strategy: first evidence in preclinical hepatocellular carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galal El-Shemi, A; Mohammed Ashshi, A; Oh, E; Jung, B-K; Basalamah, M; Alsaegh, A; Yun, C-O

    2018-01-01

    Current treatments of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are ineffective and unsatisfactory in many aspects. Cancer-targeting gene virotherapy using oncolytic adenoviruses (OAds) armed with anticancer genes has shown efficacy and safety in clinical trials. Nowadays, both inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4), as a multimodal tumor suppressor gene, and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), as a potent apoptosis-inducing gene, are experiencing a renaissance in cancer gene therapy. Herein we investigated the antitumor activity and safety of mono- and combined therapy with OAds armed with ING4 (Ad-ΔB/ING4) and TRAIL (Ad-ΔB/TRAIL) gene, respectively, on preclinical models of human HCC. OAd-mediated expression of ING4 or TRAIL transgene was confirmed. Ad-ΔB/TRAIL and/or Ad-ΔB/ING4 exhibited potent killing effect on human HCC cells (HuH7 and Hep3B) but not on normal liver cells. Most importantly, systemic therapy with Ad-ΔB/ING4 plus Ad-ΔB/TRAIL elicited more eradicative effect on an orthotopic mouse model of human HCC than their monotherapy, without causing obvious overlapping toxicity. Mechanistically, Ad-ΔB/ING4 and Ad-ΔB/TRAIL were remarkably cooperated to induce antitumor apoptosis and immune response, and to repress tumor angiogenesis. This is the first study showing that concomitant therapy with Ad-ΔB/ING4 and Ad-ΔB/TRAIL may provide a potential strategy for HCC therapy and merits further investigations to realize its possible clinical translation.

  15. A single gene target of an ETS-family transcription factor determines neuronal CO2-chemosensitivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brandt, Julia P; Aziz-Zaman, Sonya; Juozaityte, Vaida

    2012-01-01

    . We report here a mechanism that endows C. elegans neurons with the ability to detect CO(2). The ETS-5 transcription factor is necessary for the specification of CO(2)-sensing BAG neurons. Expression of a single ETS-5 target gene, gcy-9, which encodes a receptor-type guanylate cyclase, is sufficient...

  16. In Vitro Transduction and Target-Mutagenesis Efficiency of HIV-1 pol Gene Targeting ZFN and CRISPR/Cas9 Delivered by Various Plasmids and/or Vectors: Toward an HIV Cure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okee, Moses; Bayiyana, Alice; Musubika, Carol; Joloba, Moses L; Ashaba-Katabazi, Fred; Bagaya, Bernard; Wayengera, Misaki

    2018-01-01

    Efficiency of artificial restriction enzymes toward curing HIV has only been separately examined, using differing delivery vehicles. We compared the in vitro transduction and target-mutagenesis efficiency of consortium plasmid and adenoviral vector delivered HIV-1 pol gene targeting zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) with CRISPR/Cas, Custom-ZFN, CRISPR-Cas-9, and plasmids and vectors (murCTSD_pZFN, pGS-U-gRNA, pCMV-Cas-D01A, Ad5-RGD); cell lines (TZM-bl and ACH-2/J-Lat cells); and the latency reversing agents prostratin, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, and phorbol myristate acetate. Cell lines were grown in either Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium or Roswell Park Memorial Institute with the antibiotics kanamycin, zeocin, and efavirenz. Efficiency was assayed by GFP/luciferase activity and/or validated by yeast MEL1 reporter assay, CEL1 restriction fragment assay, and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Ad5-RGD vectors had better transduction efficiency than murCTSD and pGS-U-gRNA/pCMV-Cas-D01A plasmids. CRISPR/Cas9 exhibited better target-mutagenesis efficiency relative to ZFN (delivered by either plasmid or Ad5 vector) based on gel electrophoresis of pol gene amplicons within ACH-2 and J-Lat cells. Ad-5-RGD vectors enhanced target mutagenesis of ZFN, relative to murCTSD_pZFN plasmids, to levels of CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids. Similar reduction of luciferase activity among TZM-bl treated with Ad5-ZFN vectors relative to CRISPR/Cas-9 and murCTSD_pZFN plasmids was observed on challenge with HIV-1. qRT-PCR of HIV-1 pol gene transcripts affirmed that Ad5 (RGD) vectors enhanced target mutagenesis of ZFN. Whereas CRISPR/Cas-9 may possess inherent superior target-mutagenesis efficiency; the efficiency of ZFN (off-target toxicity withstanding) can be enhanced by altering delivery vehicle from plasmid to Ad5 (RGD) vectors.

  17. Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin in thalassemia and sickle cell disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandro Eridani

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Considerable attention has been recently devoted to mechanisms involved in the perinatal hemoglobin switch, as it was long ago established that the survival of fetal hemoglobin (HbF production in significant amount can reduce the severity of the clinical course in severe disorders like β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD. For instance, when β-thalassemia is associated with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH the disease takes a mild course, labeled as thalassemia intermedia. The same clinical amelioration occurs for the association between HPFH and SCD. As for the mechanism of this effect, some information has been obtained from the study of natural mutations at the human β-globin locus in patients with increased HbF, like the Corfu thalassemia mutations. Important evidence came from the discovery that drugs capable of improving the clinical picture of SCD, like decitabine ad hydroxycarbamide, are acting through the reactivation, to some extent, of HbF synthesis. The study of the mechanism of action of these compounds was followed by the identification of some genetic determinants, which promote this event. In particular, among a few genetic factors involved in this process, the most relevant appears the BCL11A gene, which is now credited to be able to silence γ-globin genes in the perinatal period by interaction with several erythroid-specific transcription factors and is actually considered as a barrier to HbF reactivation by known HbF inducing agents. Epigenetics is also a player in the process, mainly through DNA demethylation. This is certified by the recent demonstration that hypomethylating agents such as 5-azacytidine and decitabine, the first compounds used for HbF induction by pharmacology, act as irreversible inhibitors of demethyltransferase enzymes. Great interest has also been raised by the finding that several micro-RNAs, which act as negative regulators of gene expression, have been implicated in the

  18. Novel drug targets in cell wall biosynthesis exploited by gene disruption in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elamin, Ayssar A; Steinicke, Susanne; Oehlmann, Wulf; Braun, Yvonne; Wanas, Hanaa; Shuralev, Eduard A; Huck, Carmen; Maringer, Marko; Rohde, Manfred; Singh, Mahavir

    2017-01-01

    For clinicians, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a nightmare pathogen that is one of the top three causes of opportunistic human infections. Therapy of P. aeruginosa infections is complicated due to its natural high intrinsic resistance to antibiotics. Active efflux and decreased uptake of drugs due to cell wall/membrane permeability appear to be important issues in the acquired antibiotic tolerance mechanisms. Bacterial cell wall biosynthesis enzymes have been shown to be essential for pathogenicity of Gram-negative bacteria. However, the role of these targets in virulence has not been identified in P. aeruginosa. Here, we report knockout (k.o) mutants of six cell wall biosynthesis targets (murA, PA4450; murD, PA4414; murF, PA4416; ppiB, PA1793; rmlA, PA5163; waaA, PA4988) in P. aeruginosa PAO1, and characterized these in order to find out whether these genes and their products contribute to pathogenicity and virulence of P. aeruginosa. Except waaA k.o, deletion of cell wall biosynthesis targets significantly reduced growth rate in minimal medium compared to the parent strain. The k.o mutants showed exciting changes in cell morphology and colonial architectures. Remarkably, ΔmurF cells became grossly enlarged. Moreover, the mutants were also attenuated in vivo in a mouse infection model except ΔmurF and ΔwaaA and proved to be more sensitive to macrophage-mediated killing than the wild-type strain. Interestingly, the deletion of the murA gene resulted in loss of virulence activity in mice, and the virulence was restored in a plant model by unknown mechanism. This study demonstrates that cell wall targets contribute significantly to intracellular survival, in vivo growth, and pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, these findings establish a link between cell wall targets and virulence of P. aeruginosa and thus may lead to development of novel drugs for the treatment of P. aeruginosa infection.

  19. Targeted gene therapy of xeroderma pigmentosum cells using meganuclease and TALEN™.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurélie Dupuy

    Full Text Available Xeroderma pigmentosum group C (XP-C is a rare human syndrome characterized by hypersensitivity to UV light and a dramatic predisposition to skin neoplasms. XP-C cells are deficient in the nucleotide excision repair (NER pathway, a complex process involved in the recognition and removal of DNA lesions. Several XPC mutations have been described, including a founder mutation in North African patients involving the deletion of a TG dinucleotide (ΔTG located in the middle of exon 9. This deletion leads to the expression of an inactive truncated XPC protein, normally involved in the first step of NER. New approaches used for gene correction are based on the ability of engineered nucleases such as Meganucleases, Zinc-Finger nucleases or TALE nucleases to accurately generate a double strand break at a specific locus and promote correction by homologous recombination through the insertion of an exogenous DNA repair matrix. Here, we describe the targeted correction of the ΔTG mutation in XP-C cells using engineered meganuclease and TALEN™. The methylated status of the XPC locus, known to inhibit both of these nuclease activities, led us to adapt our experimental design to optimize their in vivo efficacies. We show that demethylating treatment as well as the use of TALEN™ insensitive to CpG methylation enable successful correction of the ΔTG mutation. Such genetic correction leads to re-expression of the full-length XPC protein and to the recovery of NER capacity, attested by UV-C resistance of the corrected cells. Overall, we demonstrate that nuclease-based targeted approaches offer reliable and efficient strategies for gene correction.

  20. Identification of Wnt Pathway Target Genes Regulating the Division and Differentiation of Larval Seam Cells and Vulval Precursor Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorrepati, Lakshmi; Krause, Michael W; Chen, Weiping; Brodigan, Thomas M; Correa-Mendez, Margarita; Eisenmann, David M

    2015-06-05

    The evolutionarily conserved Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a fundamental role during metazoan development, regulating numerous processes including cell fate specification, cell migration, and stem cell renewal. Wnt ligand binding leads to stabilization of the transcriptional effector β-catenin and upregulation of target gene expression to mediate a cellular response. During larval development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Wnt/β-catenin pathways act in fate specification of two hypodermal cell types, the ventral vulval precursor cells (VPCs) and the lateral seam cells. Because little is known about targets of the Wnt signaling pathways acting during larval VPC and seam cell differentiation, we sought to identify genes regulated by Wnt signaling in these two hypodermal cell types. We conditionally activated Wnt signaling in larval animals and performed cell type-specific "mRNA tagging" to enrich for VPC and seam cell-specific mRNAs, and then used microarray analysis to examine gene expression compared to control animals. Two hundred thirty-nine genes activated in response to Wnt signaling were identified, and we characterized 50 genes further. The majority of these genes are expressed in seam and/or vulval lineages during normal development, and reduction of function for nine genes caused defects in the proper division, fate specification, fate execution, or differentiation of seam cells and vulval cells. Therefore, the combination of these techniques was successful at identifying potential cell type-specific Wnt pathway target genes from a small number of cells and at increasing our knowledge of the specification and behavior of these C. elegans larval hypodermal cells. Copyright © 2015 Gorrepati et al.

  1. Genomic Copy Number Dictates a Gene-Independent Cell Response to CRISPR/Cas9 Targeting | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    The CRISPR/Cas9 system enables genome editing and somatic cell genetic screens in mammalian cells. We performed genome-scale loss-of-function screens in 33 cancer cell lines to identify genes essential for proliferation/survival and found a strong correlation between increased gene copy number and decreased cell viability after genome editing. Within regions of copy-number gain, CRISPR/Cas9 targeting of both expressed and unexpressed genes, as well as intergenic loci, led to significantly decreased cell proliferation through induction of a G2 cell-cycle arrest.

  2. Ewing's Sarcoma: An Analysis of miRNA Expression Profiles and Target Genes in Paraffin-Embedded Primary Tumor Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parafioriti, Antonina; Bason, Caterina; Armiraglio, Elisabetta; Calciano, Lucia; Daolio, Primo Andrea; Berardocco, Martina; Di Bernardo, Andrea; Colosimo, Alessia; Luksch, Roberto; Berardi, Anna C

    2016-04-30

    The molecular mechanism responsible for Ewing's Sarcoma (ES) remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression, are deregulated in tumors and may serve as a tool for diagnosis and prediction. However, the status of miRNAs in ES has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study compared global miRNAs expression in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 20 ES patients, affected by primary untreated tumors, with miRNAs expressed in normal human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) by microarray analysis. A miRTarBase database was used to identify the predicted target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs. The miRNAs microarray analysis revealed distinct patterns of miRNAs expression between ES samples and normal MSCs. 58 of the 954 analyzed miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in ES samples compared to MSCs. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis carried out on three selected miRNAs showed that miR-181b, miR-1915 and miR-1275 were significantly aberrantly regulated, confirming the microarray results. Bio-database analysis identified BCL-2 as a bona fide target gene of the miR-21, miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-497, miR-195, miR-let-7a, miR-34a and miR-1915. Using paraffin-embedded tissues from ES patients, this study has identified several potential target miRNAs and one gene that might be considered a novel critical biomarker for ES pathogenesis.

  3. In vitro radionuclide therapy and in vivo scintigraphic imaging of alpha fetoprotein producing hepatocellular carcinoma by targeted sodium iodide symporter gene expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kwang Il; Lee, Yong Jin; Lee, Tae Sup; Song, Inho; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Lim, Sang Moo; Kang, Joo Hyun [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung, June Key [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-15

    This study aimed to develop a gene expression targeting method for specific imaging and therapy of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) producing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, using an adenovirus vector containing the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) gene driven by an AFP enhancer/promoter. The recombinant adenovirus vector, AdAFPhNIS (containing the hNIS gene driven by human AFP enhancer/promoter) was prepared. After in vitro infection by the adenovirus, hNIS gene expression in AFP producing cells and in AFP nonproducing cells was investigated using {sup 125}I uptake assay and semi quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The killing effect of {sup 131}I vitro clonogenic assay. In addition, tumor bearing mice were intravenously injected with the adenovirus, and scintigraphic images were obtained. The expression of hNIS was efficiently demonstrated by {sup 125}I uptake assay in AFP producing cells, but not in AFP nonproducing cells. AFP producing HCC targeted gene expression was confirmed at the mRNA level. Furthermore, in vitro clonogenic assay showed that hNIS gene expression induced by AdAFPhNIS infection in AFP producing cells caused more sensitivity to {sup 131}I than that in AFP nonproducing cells. Injected intravenously in HuH-7 tumor xenografts mice by adenovirus, the functional hNIS gene expression was confirmed in tumor by in vivo scintigraphic imaging. An AFP producing HCC was targeted with an adenovirus vector containing the hNIS gene using the AFP enhancer/promoter in vitro and in vivo. These findings demonstrate that AFP producing HCC specific molecular imaging and radionuclide gene therapy are feasible using this recombinant adenovirus vector system.

  4. In vitro radionuclide therapy and in vivo scintigraphic imaging of alpha fetoprotein producing hepatocellular carcinoma by targeted sodium iodide symporter gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kwang Il; Lee, Yong Jin; Lee, Tae Sup; Song, Inho; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Lim, Sang Moo; Kang, Joo Hyun; Chung, June Key

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to develop a gene expression targeting method for specific imaging and therapy of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) producing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, using an adenovirus vector containing the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) gene driven by an AFP enhancer/promoter. The recombinant adenovirus vector, AdAFPhNIS (containing the hNIS gene driven by human AFP enhancer/promoter) was prepared. After in vitro infection by the adenovirus, hNIS gene expression in AFP producing cells and in AFP nonproducing cells was investigated using 125 I uptake assay and semi quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The killing effect of 131 I vitro clonogenic assay. In addition, tumor bearing mice were intravenously injected with the adenovirus, and scintigraphic images were obtained. The expression of hNIS was efficiently demonstrated by 125 I uptake assay in AFP producing cells, but not in AFP nonproducing cells. AFP producing HCC targeted gene expression was confirmed at the mRNA level. Furthermore, in vitro clonogenic assay showed that hNIS gene expression induced by AdAFPhNIS infection in AFP producing cells caused more sensitivity to 131 I than that in AFP nonproducing cells. Injected intravenously in HuH-7 tumor xenografts mice by adenovirus, the functional hNIS gene expression was confirmed in tumor by in vivo scintigraphic imaging. An AFP producing HCC was targeted with an adenovirus vector containing the hNIS gene using the AFP enhancer/promoter in vitro and in vivo. These findings demonstrate that AFP producing HCC specific molecular imaging and radionuclide gene therapy are feasible using this recombinant adenovirus vector system

  5. The MCT4 Gene: A Novel, Potential Target for Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Stephen Yiu Chuen; Xue, Hui; Wu, Rebecca; Fazli, Ladan; Lin, Dong; Collins, Colin C; Gleave, Martin E; Gout, Peter W; Wang, Yuzhuo

    2016-06-01

    The management of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a major challenge in the clinic. Androgen receptor signaling-directed strategies are not curative in CRPC therapy, and new strategies targeting alternative, key cancer properties are needed. Using reprogrammed glucose metabolism (aerobic glycolysis), cancer cells typically secrete excessive amounts of lactic acid into their microenvironment, promoting cancer development, survival, and progression. Cellular lactic acid secretion is thought to be predominantly mediated by MCT4, a plasma membrane transporter protein. As such, the MCT4 gene provides a unique, potential therapeutic target for cancer. A tissue microarray of various Gleason grade human prostate cancers was stained for MCT4 protein. Specific, MCT4-targeting antisense oligonucleotides (MCT4 ASO) were designed and candidate MCT4 ASOs checked for effects on (i) MCT4 expression, lactic acid secretion/content, glucose consumption, glycolytic gene expression, and proliferation of human CRPC cells and (ii) growth of PC-3 tumors in nude mice. Elevated MCT4 expression was associated with human CRPC and an earlier time to relapse. The treatment of PC-3, DU145, and C4-2 CRPC cultures with candidate MCT4 ASOs led to marked inhibition of MCT4 expression, lactic acid secretion, to increased intracellular lactic acid levels, and markedly reduced aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation. Treatment of PC-3 tumor-bearing nude mice with the MCT4 ASOs markedly inhibited tumor growth without inducing major host toxicity. MCT4-targeting ASOs that inhibit lactic acid secretion may be useful for therapy of CRPC and other cancers, as they can interfere with reprogrammed energy metabolism of cancers, an emerging hallmark of cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 22(11); 2721-33. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  6. Using PCR to Target Misconceptions about Gene Expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie K. Wright

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available We present a PCR-based laboratory exercise that can be used with first- or second-year biology students to help overcome common misconceptions about gene expression. Biology students typically do not have a clear understanding of the difference between genes (DNA and gene expression (mRNA/protein and often believe that genes exist in an organism or cell only when they are expressed. This laboratory exercise allows students to carry out a PCR-based experiment designed to challenge their misunderstanding of the difference between genes and gene expression. Students first transform E. coli with an inducible GFP gene containing plasmid and observe induced and un-induced colonies. The following exercise creates cognitive dissonance when actual PCR results contradict their initial (incorrect predictions of the presence of the GFP gene in transformed cells. Field testing of this laboratory exercise resulted in learning gains on both knowledge and application questions on concepts related to genes and gene expression.

  7. TargetRNA: a tool for predicting targets of small RNA action in bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Tjaden, Brian

    2008-01-01

    Many small RNA (sRNA) genes in bacteria act as posttranscriptional regulators of target messenger RNAs. Here, we present TargetRNA, a web tool for predicting mRNA targets of sRNA action in bacteria. TargetRNA takes as input a genomic sequence that may correspond to an sRNA gene. TargetRNA then uses a dynamic programming algorithm to search each annotated message in a specified genome for mRNAs that evince basepair-binding potential to the input sRNA sequence. Based on the calculated basepair-...

  8. [Using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip to detect the disease-causing genes of retinitis pigmentosa].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rong, Weining; Chen, Xuejuan; Li, Huiping; Liu, Yani; Sheng, Xunlun

    2014-06-01

    To detect the disease-causing genes of 10 retinitis pigmentosa pedigrees by using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip. Pedigree investigation study. From October 2010 to December 2013, 10 RP pedigrees were recruited for this study in Ningxia Eye Hospital. All the patients and family members received complete ophthalmic examinations. DNA was abstracted from patients, family members and controls. Using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip to screen the candidate disease-causing mutations. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were used to confirm the disease-causing mutations. Seventy patients and 23 normal family members were recruited from 10 pedigrees. Among 10 RP pedigrees, 1 was autosomal dominant pedigrees and 9 were autosomal recessive pedigrees. 7 mutations related to 5 genes of 5 pedigrees were detected. A frameshift mutation on BBS7 gene was detected in No.2 pedigree, the patients of this pedigree combined with central obesity, polydactyly and mental handicap. No.2 pedigree was diagnosed as Bardet-Biedl syndrome finally. A missense mutation was detected in No.7 and No.10 pedigrees respectively. Because the patients suffered deafness meanwhile, the final diagnosis was Usher syndrome. A missense mutation on C3 gene related to age-related macular degeneration was also detected in No. 7 pedigrees. A nonsense mutation and a missense mutation on CRB1 gene were detected in No. 1 pedigree and a splicesite mutation on PROM1 gene was detected in No. 5 pedigree. Retinitis pigmentosa is a kind of genetic eye disease with diversity clinical phenotypes. Rapid and effective genetic diagnosis technology combined with clinical characteristics analysis is helpful to improve the level of clinical diagnosis of RP.

  9. Fine and Predictable Tuning of TALEN Gene Editing Targeting for Improved T Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gautron, Anne-Sophie; Juillerat, Alexandre; Guyot, Valérie; Filhol, Jean-Marie; Dessez, Emilie; Duclert, Aymeric; Duchateau, Philippe; Poirot, Laurent

    2017-12-15

    Using a TALEN-mediated gene-editing approach, we have previously described a process for the large-scale manufacturing of "off-the-shelf" CAR T cells from third-party donor T cells by disrupting the gene encoding TCRα constant chain (TRAC). Taking advantage of a previously described strategy to control TALEN targeting based on the exclusion capacities of non-conventional RVDs, we have developed highly efficient and specific nucleases targeting a key T cell immune checkpoint, PD-1, to improve engineered CAR T cells' functionalities. Here, we demonstrate that this approach allows combined TRAC and PDCD1 TALEN processing at the desired locus while eliminating low-frequency off-site processing. Thus, by replacing few RVDs, we provide here an easy and rapid redesign of optimal TALEN combinations. We anticipate that this method can greatly benefit multiplex editing, which is of key importance especially for therapeutic applications where high editing efficiencies need to be associated with maximal specificity and safety. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Integration of gene dosage and gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer, identification of HSP90 as potential target.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariëlle I Gallegos Ruiz

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Lung cancer causes approximately 1.2 million deaths per year worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC represents 85% of all lung cancers. Understanding the molecular events in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC is essential to improve early diagnosis and treatment for this disease. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In an attempt to identify novel NSCLC related genes, we performed a genome-wide screening of chromosomal copy number changes affecting gene expression using microarray based comparative genomic hybridization and gene expression arrays on 32 radically resected tumor samples from stage I and II NSCLC patients. An integrative analysis tool was applied to determine whether chromosomal copy number affects gene expression. We identified a deletion on 14q32.2-33 as a common alteration in NSCLC (44%, which significantly influenced gene expression for HSP90, residing on 14q32. This deletion was correlated with better overall survival (P = 0.008, survival was also longer in patients whose tumors had low expression levels of HSP90. We extended the analysis to three independent validation sets of NSCLC patients, and confirmed low HSP90 expression to be related with longer overall survival (P = 0.003, P = 0.07 and P = 0.04. Furthermore, in vitro treatment with an HSP90 inhibitor had potent antiproliferative activity in NSCLC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that targeting HSP90 will have clinical impact for NSCLC patients.

  11. Scaling the Drosophila Wing: TOR-Dependent Target Gene Access by the Hippo Pathway Transducer Yorkie.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Joseph; Struhl, Gary

    2015-10-01

    Organ growth is controlled by patterning signals that operate locally (e.g., Wingless/Ints [Wnts], Bone Morphogenetic Proteins [BMPs], and Hedgehogs [Hhs]) and scaled by nutrient-dependent signals that act systemically (e.g., Insulin-like peptides [ILPs] transduced by the Target of Rapamycin [TOR] pathway). How cells integrate these distinct inputs to generate organs of the appropriate size and shape is largely unknown. The transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki, a YES-Associated Protein, or YAP) acts downstream of patterning morphogens and other tissue-intrinsic signals to promote organ growth. Yki activity is regulated primarily by the Warts/Hippo (Wts/Hpo) tumour suppressor pathway, which impedes nuclear access of Yki by a cytoplasmic tethering mechanism. Here, we show that the TOR pathway regulates Yki by a separate and novel mechanism in the Drosophila wing. Instead of controlling Yki nuclear access, TOR signaling governs Yki action after it reaches the nucleus by allowing it to gain access to its target genes. When TOR activity is inhibited, Yki accumulates in the nucleus but is sequestered from its normal growth-promoting target genes--a phenomenon we term "nuclear seclusion." Hence, we posit that in addition to its well-known role in stimulating cellular metabolism in response to nutrients, TOR also promotes wing growth by liberating Yki from nuclear seclusion, a parallel pathway that we propose contributes to the scaling of wing size with nutrient availability.

  12. Genome-wide gene expression dataset used to identify potential therapeutic targets in androgenetic alopecia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Dey-Rao

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The microarray dataset attached to this report is related to the research article with the title: “A genomic approach to susceptibility and pathogenesis leads to identifying potential novel therapeutic targets in androgenetic alopecia” (Dey-Rao and Sinha, 2017 [1]. Male-pattern hair loss that is induced by androgens (testosterone in genetically predisposed individuals is known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA. The raw dataset is being made publicly available to enable critical and/or extended analyses. Our related research paper utilizes the attached raw dataset, for genome-wide gene-expression associated investigations. Combined with several in silico bioinformatics-based analyses we were able to delineate five strategic molecular elements as potential novel targets towards future AGA-therapy.

  13. An abundance of rare functional variants in 202 drug target genes sequenced in 14.002 people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nelson, Matthew R.; Wegmann, Daniel; Ehm, Margaret G.

    2012-01-01

    Rare genetic variants contribute to complex disease risk; however, the abundance of rare variants in human populations remains unknown. We explored this spectrum of variation by sequencing 202 genes encoding drug targets in 14,002 individuals. We find rare variants are abundant (1 every 17 bases)...

  14. Targeted disruption of the mouse Lipoma Preferred Partner gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vervenne, Hilke B.V.K.; Crombez, Koen R.M.O.; Delvaux, Els L.; Janssens, Veerle; Ven, Wim J.M. van de; Petit, Marleen M.R.

    2009-01-01

    LPP (Lipoma Preferred Partner) is a zyxin-related cell adhesion protein that is involved in the regulation of cell migration. We generated mice with a targeted disruption of the Lpp gene and analysed the importance of Lpp for embryonic development and adult functions. Aberrant Mendelian inheritance in heterozygous crosses suggested partial embryonic lethality of Lpp -/- females. Fertility of Lpp -/- males was proven to be normal, however, females from Lpp -/- x Lpp -/- crosses produced a strongly reduced number of offspring, probably due to a combination of female embryonic lethality and aberrant pregnancies. Apart from these developmental and reproductive abnormalities, Lpp -/- mice that were born reached adulthood without displaying any additional macroscopic defects. On the other hand, Lpp -/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibited reduced migration capacity, reduced viability, and reduced expression of some Lpp interaction partners. Finally, we discovered a short nuclear form of Lpp, expressed mainly in testis via an alternative promoter.

  15. DNA demethylases target promoter transposable elements to positively regulate stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Tuan-Ngoc; Schumann, Ulrike; Smith, Neil A; Tiwari, Sameer; Au, Phil Chi Khang; Zhu, Qian-Hao; Taylor, Jennifer M; Kazan, Kemal; Llewellyn, Danny J; Zhang, Ren; Dennis, Elizabeth S; Wang, Ming-Bo

    2014-09-17

    DNA demethylases regulate DNA methylation levels in eukaryotes. Arabidopsis encodes four DNA demethylases, DEMETER (DME), REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2), and DML3. While DME is involved in maternal specific gene expression during seed development, the biological function of the remaining DNA demethylases remains unclear. We show that ROS1, DML2, and DML3 play a role in fungal disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A triple DNA demethylase mutant, rdd (ros1 dml2 dml3), shows increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We identify 348 genes differentially expressed in rdd relative to wild type, and a significant proportion of these genes are downregulated in rdd and have functions in stress response, suggesting that DNA demethylases maintain or positively regulate the expression of stress response genes required for F. oxysporum resistance. The rdd-downregulated stress response genes are enriched for short transposable element sequences in their promoters. Many of these transposable elements and their surrounding sequences show localized DNA methylation changes in rdd, and a general reduction in CHH methylation, suggesting that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), responsible for CHH methylation, may participate in DNA demethylase-mediated regulation of stress response genes. Many of the rdd-downregulated stress response genes are downregulated in the RdDM mutants nrpd1 and nrpe1, and the RdDM mutants nrpe1 and ago4 show enhanced susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection. Our results suggest that a primary function of DNA demethylases in plants is to regulate the expression of stress response genes by targeting promoter transposable element sequences.

  16. A surgical approach appropriate for targeted cochlear gene therapy in the mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jero, J; Tseng, C J; Mhatre, A N; Lalwani, A K

    2001-01-01

    Therapeutic manipulations of the mammalian cochlea, including cochlear gene transfer, have been predominantly studied using the guinea pig as the experimental model. With the significant developments in mouse genomics and the availability of mutant strains of mice with well-characterized hearing loss, the mouse justifiably will be the preferred animal model for therapeutic manipulations. However, the potential advantages of the mouse model have not been fully realized due to the surgical difficulty of accessing its small cochlea. This study describes a ventral approach, instead of the routinely used postauricular approach in other rodents, for accessing the mouse middle and inner ear, and its application in cochlear gene transfer. This ventral approach enabled rapid and direct delivery of liposome-transgene complex to the mouse inner ear while avoiding blood loss, facial nerve morbidity, and mortality. Transgene expression at 3 days was detected in Reissner's membrane, spiral limbus, spiral ligament, and spiral ganglion cells, in a pattern similar to that previously described in the guinea pig. The successful access and delivery of material to the mouse cochlea and the replication of gene expression seen in the guinea pig demonstrated in this study should promote the use of the mouse in future studies investigating targeted cochlear therapy.

  17. Global Transcriptomic Analysis of Targeted Silencing of Two Paralogous ACC Oxidase Genes in Banana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Yan; Kuan, Chi; Chiu, Chien-Hsiang; Chen, Xiao-Jing; Do, Yi-Yin; Huang, Pung-Ling

    2016-01-01

    Among 18 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase homologous genes existing in the banana genome there are two genes, Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, that participate in banana fruit ripening. To better understand the physiological functions of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, two hairpin-type siRNA expression vectors targeting both the Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 were constructed and incorporated into the banana genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The generation of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic banana plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. To gain insights into the functional diversity and complexity between Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, transcriptome sequencing of banana fruits using the Illumina next-generation sequencer was performed. A total of 32,093,976 reads, assembled into 88,031 unigenes for 123,617 transcripts were obtained. Significantly enriched Gene Oncology (GO) terms and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with GO annotation were ‘catalytic activity’ (1327, 56.4%), ‘heme binding’ (65, 2.76%), ‘tetrapyrrole binding’ (66, 2.81%), and ‘oxidoreductase activity’ (287, 12.21%). Real-time RT-PCR was further performed with mRNAs from both peel and pulp of banana fruits in Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic plants. The results showed that expression levels of genes related to ethylene signaling in ripening banana fruits were strongly influenced by the expression of genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis. PMID:27681726

  18. In vivo targeted gene delivery to peripheral neurons mediated by neurotropic poly(ethylene imine-based nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lopes CDF

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Cátia DF Lopes,1–3,* Hugo Oliveira,1,* Inês Estevão,1 Liliana Raquel Pires,1 Ana Paula Pêgo1,2,4,5 1INEB – Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto (UPorto, Porto, Portugal; 2i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, NanoBiomaterials for Targeted Therapies Group, UPorto, Porto, Portugal; 3FMUP – Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; 4ICBAS – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, UPorto, Porto, Portugal; 5FEUP – Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: A major challenge in neuronal gene therapy is to achieve safe, efficient, and minimally invasive transgene delivery to neurons. In this study, we report the use of a nonviral neurotropic poly(ethylene imine-based nanoparticle that is capable of mediating neuron-specific transfection upon a subcutaneous injection. Nanoparticles were targeted to peripheral neurons by using the nontoxic carboxylic fragment of tetanus toxin (HC, which, besides being neurotropic, is capable of being retrogradely transported from neuron terminals to the cell bodies. Nontargeted particles and naked plasmid DNA were used as control. Five days after treatment by subcutaneous injection in the footpad of Wistar rats, it was observed that 56% and 64% of L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia neurons, respectively, were expressing the reporter protein. The delivery mediated by HC-functionalized nanoparticles spatially limited the transgene expression, in comparison with the controls. Histological examination revealed no significant adverse effects in the use of the proposed delivery system. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and safety of the developed neurotropic nanoparticles for the minimally invasive delivery of genes to the peripheral nervous system, opening new avenues for the application of gene therapy strategies in the treatment of peripheral

  19. Irradiation promotes Akt-targeting therapeutic gene delivery to the tumor vasculature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonveaux, Pierre; Frerart, Francoise; Bouzin, Caroline; Brouet, Agnes; Wever, Julie de; Jordan, Benedicte F.; Gallez, Bernard; Feron, Olivier

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To determine whether radiation-induced increases in nitric oxide (NO) production can influence tumor blood flow and improve delivery of Akt-targeting therapeutic DNA lipocomplexes to the tumor. Methods and Materials: The contribution of NO to the endothelial response to radiation was identified using NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors and endothelial NOS (eNOS)-deficient mice. Reporter-encoding plasmids complexed with cationic lipids were used to document the tumor vascular specificity and the efficacy of in vivo lipofection after irradiation. A dominant-negative Akt gene construct was used to evaluate the facilitating effects of radiotherapy on the therapeutic transgene delivery. Results: The abundance of eNOS protein was increased in both irradiated tumor microvessels and endothelial cells, leading to a stimulation of NO release and an associated increase in tumor blood flow. Transgene expression was subsequently improved in the irradiated vs. nonirradiated tumor vasculature. This effect was not apparent in eNOS-deficient mice and could not be reproduced in irradiated cultured endothelial cells. Finally, we combined low-dose radiotherapy with a dominant-negative Akt gene construct and documented synergistic antitumor effects. Conclusions: This study offers a new rationale to combine radiotherapy with gene therapy, by directly exploiting the stimulatory effects of radiation on NO production by tumor endothelial cells. The preferential expression of the transgene in the tumor microvasculature underscores the potential of such an adjuvant strategy to limit the angiogenic response of irradiated tumors

  20. Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua-Sheng Chiu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs are commonly dysregulated in tumors, but only a handful are known to play pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferred lncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, oncogenes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes by modeling their effects on the activity of transcription factors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in 5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays. Our predictions included hundreds of candidate onco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancer lncRNAs whose somatic alterations account for the dysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and pathways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrate proof of concept, we showed that perturbations targeting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor and TUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs dysregulated cancer genes and altered proliferation of breast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis indicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregulated in a tumor-specific manner, some, including OIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergistically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumor contexts. : Chiu et al. present a pan-cancer analysis of lncRNA regulatory interactions. They suggest that the dysregulation of hundreds of lncRNAs target and alter the expression of cancer genes and pathways in each tumor context. This implies that hundreds of lncRNAs can alter tumor phenotypes in each tumor context. Keywords: lncRNA, regulation, modulation, cancer gene, pan-cancer, noncoding RNA, microRNA, RNA-binding proteins, interactome

  1. Analysis of the role of homology arms in gene-targeting vectors in human cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayako Ishii

    Full Text Available Random integration of targeting vectors into the genome is the primary obstacle in human somatic cell gene targeting. Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ, a major pathway for repairing DNA double-strand breaks, is thought to be responsible for most random integration events; however, absence of DNA ligase IV (LIG4, the critical NHEJ ligase, does not significantly reduce random integration frequency of targeting vector in human cells, indicating robust integration events occurring via a LIG4-independent mechanism. To gain insights into the mechanism and robustness of LIG4-independent random integration, we employed various types of targeting vectors to examine their integration frequencies in LIG4-proficient and deficient human cell lines. We find that the integration frequency of targeting vector correlates well with the length of homology arms and with the amount of repetitive DNA sequences, especially SINEs, present in the arms. This correlation was prominent in LIG4-deficient cells, but was also seen in LIG4-proficient cells, thus providing evidence that LIG4-independent random integration occurs frequently even when NHEJ is functionally normal. Our results collectively suggest that random integration frequency of conventional targeting vectors is substantially influenced by homology arms, which typically harbor repetitive DNA sequences that serve to facilitate LIG4-independent random integration in human cells, regardless of the presence or absence of functional NHEJ.

  2. Efficacy of Exome-Targeted Capture Sequencing to Detect Mutations in Known Cerebellar Ataxia Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutelier, Marie; Hammer, Monia B; Stevanin, Giovanni; Monin, Marie-Lorraine; Davoine, Claire-Sophie; Mochel, Fanny; Labauge, Pierre; Ewenczyk, Claire; Ding, Jinhui; Gibbs, J Raphael; Hannequin, Didier; Melki, Judith; Toutain, Annick; Laugel, Vincent; Forlani, Sylvie; Charles, Perrine; Broussolle, Emmanuel; Thobois, Stéphane; Afenjar, Alexandra; Anheim, Mathieu; Calvas, Patrick; Castelnovo, Giovanni; de Broucker, Thomas; Vidailhet, Marie; Moulignier, Antoine; Ghnassia, Robert T; Tallaksen, Chantal; Mignot, Cyril; Goizet, Cyril; Le Ber, Isabelle; Ollagnon-Roman, Elisabeth; Pouget, Jean; Brice, Alexis; Singleton, Andrew; Durr, Alexandra

    2018-05-01

    Molecular diagnosis is difficult to achieve in disease groups with a highly heterogeneous genetic background, such as cerebellar ataxia (CA). In many patients, candidate gene sequencing or focused resequencing arrays do not allow investigators to reach a genetic conclusion. To assess the efficacy of exome-targeted capture sequencing to detect mutations in genes broadly linked to CA in a large cohort of undiagnosed patients and to investigate their prevalence. Three hundred nineteen index patients with CA and without a history of dominant transmission were included in the this cohort study by the Spastic Paraplegia and Ataxia Network. Centralized storage was in the DNA and cell bank of the Brain and Spine Institute, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France. Patients were classified into 6 clinical groups, with the largest being those with spastic ataxia (ie, CA with pyramidal signs [n = 100]). Sequencing was performed from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2016. Detected variants were classified as very probably or definitely causative, possibly causative, or of unknown significance based on genetic evidence and genotype-phenotype considerations. Identification of variants in genes broadly linked to CA, classified in pathogenicity groups. The 319 included patients had equal sex distribution (160 female [50.2%] and 159 male patients [49.8%]; mean [SD] age at onset, 27.9 [18.6] years). The age at onset was younger than 25 years for 131 of 298 patients (44.0%) with complete clinical information. Consanguinity was present in 101 of 298 (33.9%). Very probable or definite diagnoses were achieved for 72 patients (22.6%), with an additional 19 (6.0%) harboring possibly pathogenic variants. The most frequently mutated genes were SPG7 (n = 14), SACS (n = 8), SETX (n = 7), SYNE1 (n = 6), and CACNA1A (n = 6). The highest diagnostic rate was obtained for patients with an autosomal recessive CA with oculomotor apraxia-like phenotype (6 of 17 [35.3%]) or

  3. A comparative study of mutation screening of sarcomeric genes (MYBPC3, MYH7, TNNT2 using single gene approach versus targeted gene panel next generation sequencing in a cohort of HCM patients in Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heba Sh. Kassem

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: NGS enables simultaneous sequencing of large numbers of associated genes in genetic heterogeneous disorders, in a more rapid and cost-effective manner than traditional technologies. However there have been limited direct comparisons between NGS and more established technologies to assess the sensitivity and false negative rates of this new approach. The scope of the present manuscript is to compare variants detected in MYBPC3, MYH7 and TNNT2 genes using the stepwise dHPLC/Sanger versus targeted NGS. Methods: In this study, we have analysed a group of 150 samples of patients from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina-Aswan Heart Centre National HCM program. The genetic testing was simultaneously undertaken by high throughput denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC followed by Sanger based sequencing and targeted next generation deep sequencing using panel of inherited cardiac genes (ICC. The panel included over 100 genes including the 3 sarcomeric genes. Analysis of the sequencing data of the 3 genes was undertaken in a double blinded strategy. Results: NGS analysis detected all pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants identified by dHPLC (50 in total, some samples had double hits. There was a 0% false negative rate for NGS based analysis. Nineteen variants were missed by dHPLC and detected by NGS, thus increasing the diagnostic yield in this co- analysed cohort from 22.0% (33/150 to 31.3% (47/150.Of interest to note that the mutation spectrum in this Egyptian HCM population revealed a high rate of homozygosity in MYBPC3 and MYH7 genes in comparison to other population studies (6/150, 4%. None of the homozygous samples were detected by dHPLC analysis. Conclusion: NGS provides a useful and rapid tool to allow panoramic screening of several genes simultaneously with a high sensitivity rate amongst genes of known etiologic role allowing high throughput analysis of HCM patients and relevant control series in a less characterised

  4. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant colorectal cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makondi, Precious Takondwa; Lee, Chia-Hwa; Huang, Chien-Yu; Chu, Chi-Ming; Chang, Yu-Jia

    2018-01-01

    Bevacizumab combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy is the backbone of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) therapy; however, its treatment efficacy is hampered by therapeutic resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying bevacizumab resistance is crucial to increasing the therapeutic efficacy of bevacizumab. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (dataset, GSE86525) was used to identify the key genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant mCRC. The GEO2R web tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database(STRING) and visualized using Cytoscape software. A total of 124 DEGs were obtained, 57 of which upregulated and 67 were downregulated. PPI network analysis showed that seven upregulated genes and nine downregulated genes exhibited high PPI degrees. In the functional enrichment, the DEGs were mainly enriched in negative regulation of phosphate metabolic process and positive regulation of cell cycle process gene ontologies (GOs); the enriched pathways were the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase signaling pathway, bladder cancer, and microRNAs in cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(CDKN1A), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), CD19 molecule (CD19), breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1), platelet-derived growth factor subunit A (PDGFA), and matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1) were the DEGs involved in the pathways and the PPIs. The clinical validation of the DEGs in mCRC (TNM clinical stages 3 and 4) revealed that high PDGFA expression levels were associated with poor overall survival, whereas high BRCA1 and MMP1 expression levels were associated with favorable progress free survival(PFS). The identified genes and pathways

  5. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Precious Takondwa Makondi

    Full Text Available Bevacizumab combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy is the backbone of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC therapy; however, its treatment efficacy is hampered by therapeutic resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying bevacizumab resistance is crucial to increasing the therapeutic efficacy of bevacizumab. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database (dataset, GSE86525 was used to identify the key genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant mCRC. The GEO2R web tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID. Protein-protein interaction (PPI networks were established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database(STRING and visualized using Cytoscape software. A total of 124 DEGs were obtained, 57 of which upregulated and 67 were downregulated. PPI network analysis showed that seven upregulated genes and nine downregulated genes exhibited high PPI degrees. In the functional enrichment, the DEGs were mainly enriched in negative regulation of phosphate metabolic process and positive regulation of cell cycle process gene ontologies (GOs; the enriched pathways were the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase signaling pathway, bladder cancer, and microRNAs in cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(CDKN1A, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4, CD19 molecule (CD19, breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1, platelet-derived growth factor subunit A (PDGFA, and matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1 were the DEGs involved in the pathways and the PPIs. The clinical validation of the DEGs in mCRC (TNM clinical stages 3 and 4 revealed that high PDGFA expression levels were associated with poor overall survival, whereas high BRCA1 and MMP1 expression levels were associated with favorable progress free survival(PFS. The identified genes and pathways

  6. Expression Profile of Stress-responsive Arabidopsis thaliana miRNAs and their Target Genes in Response to Inoculation with Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djami-Tchatchou, A T; Ntushelo, K

    2017-01-01

    Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) is a soft rot bacterium which upon entry into the plant macerates plant tissues by producing plant cell wall degrading enzymes. It has a wide host range which includes carrot, potato, tomato, leafy greens, squash and other cucurbits, onion, green peppers and cassava. During plant-microbe interactions, one of the ways of plant response to pathogen infection is through the small RNA silencing mechanism. Under pathogen attack the plant utilizes microRNAs to regulate gene expression by means of mediating gene silencing at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. This study aims to assess for the first time, the expression profile of some stress-responsive miRNA and differential expression pattern of their target genes in Arabidopsis thaliana inoculated with Pcc. Leaves of five weeks old Arabidopsis thaliana plants were infected with Pcc and the quantitative real time-PCR, was used to investigate after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h post infection, the expression profiling of the stress-responsive miRNAs which include: miR156, miR159, miR169, miR393, miR396 miR398, miR399 and miR408 along with their target genes which include: Squamosa promoter-binding-like protein, myb domain protein 101, nuclear factor Y subunit A8, concanavalin A-like lectin protein kinase, growth regulating factor 4, copper superoxide dismutase, ubiquitin-protein ligase and plantacyanin respectively. The findings showed that the overexpression of 6 miRNAs at 24, 48 and 72 h after infection resulted in the repression of their target genes and the expression of 2 miRNAs didn't affect their target genes. These results provide the first indication of the miRNAs role in response to the infection of Pcc in A. thaliana and open new vistas for a better understanding of miRNA regulation of plant response to Pcc.

  7. Literature mining, gene-set enrichment and pathway analysis for target identification in Behçet's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Paul; Larminie, Christopher; Smith, Rona

    2016-01-01

    To use literature mining to catalogue Behçet's associated genes, and advanced computational methods to improve the understanding of the pathways and signalling mechanisms that lead to the typical clinical characteristics of Behçet's patients. To extend this technique to identify potential treatment targets for further experimental validation. Text mining methods combined with gene enrichment tools, pathway analysis and causal analysis algorithms. This approach identified 247 human genes associated with Behçet's disease and the resulting disease map, comprising 644 nodes and 19220 edges, captured important details of the relationships between these genes and their associated pathways, as described in diverse data repositories. Pathway analysis has identified how Behçet's associated genes are likely to participate in innate and adaptive immune responses. Causal analysis algorithms have identified a number of potential therapeutic strategies for further investigation. Computational methods have captured pertinent features of the prominent disease characteristics presented in Behçet's disease and have highlighted NOD2, ICOS and IL18 signalling as potential therapeutic strategies.

  8. Hairpin RNA Targeting Multiple Viral Genes Confers Strong Resistance to Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fangquan Wang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV belongs to the genus Fijivirus in the family of Reoviridae and causes severe yield loss in rice-producing areas in Asia. RNA silencing, as a natural defence mechanism against plant viruses, has been successfully exploited for engineering virus resistance in plants, including rice. In this study, we generated transgenic rice lines harbouring a hairpin RNA (hpRNA construct targeting four RBSDV genes, S1, S2, S6 and S10, encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, the putative core protein, the RNA silencing suppressor and the outer capsid protein, respectively. Both field nursery and artificial inoculation assays of three generations of the transgenic lines showed that they had strong resistance to RBSDV infection. The RBSDV resistance in the segregating transgenic populations correlated perfectly with the presence of the hpRNA transgene. Furthermore, the hpRNA transgene was expressed in the highly resistant transgenic lines, giving rise to abundant levels of 21–24 nt small interfering RNA (siRNA. By small RNA deep sequencing, the RBSDV-resistant transgenic lines detected siRNAs from all four viral gene sequences in the hpRNA transgene, indicating that the whole chimeric fusion sequence can be efficiently processed by Dicer into siRNAs. Taken together, our results suggest that long hpRNA targeting multiple viral genes can be used to generate stable and durable virus resistance in rice, as well as other plant species.

  9. Hairpin RNA Targeting Multiple Viral Genes Confers Strong Resistance to Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fangquan; Li, Wenqi; Zhu, Jinyan; Fan, Fangjun; Wang, Jun; Zhong, Weigong; Wang, Ming-Bo; Liu, Qing; Zhu, Qian-Hao; Zhou, Tong; Lan, Ying; Zhou, Yijun; Yang, Jie

    2016-05-11

    Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) belongs to the genus Fijivirus in the family of Reoviridae and causes severe yield loss in rice-producing areas in Asia. RNA silencing, as a natural defence mechanism against plant viruses, has been successfully exploited for engineering virus resistance in plants, including rice. In this study, we generated transgenic rice lines harbouring a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) construct targeting four RBSDV genes, S1, S2, S6 and S10, encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, the putative core protein, the RNA silencing suppressor and the outer capsid protein, respectively. Both field nursery and artificial inoculation assays of three generations of the transgenic lines showed that they had strong resistance to RBSDV infection. The RBSDV resistance in the segregating transgenic populations correlated perfectly with the presence of the hpRNA transgene. Furthermore, the hpRNA transgene was expressed in the highly resistant transgenic lines, giving rise to abundant levels of 21-24 nt small interfering RNA (siRNA). By small RNA deep sequencing, the RBSDV-resistant transgenic lines detected siRNAs from all four viral gene sequences in the hpRNA transgene, indicating that the whole chimeric fusion sequence can be efficiently processed by Dicer into siRNAs. Taken together, our results suggest that long hpRNA targeting multiple viral genes can be used to generate stable and durable virus resistance in rice, as well as other plant species.

  10. Improved soybean oil quality by targeted mutagenesis of the fatty acid desaturase 2 gene family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haun, William; Coffman, Andrew; Clasen, Benjamin M; Demorest, Zachary L; Lowy, Anita; Ray, Erin; Retterath, Adam; Stoddard, Thomas; Juillerat, Alexandre; Cedrone, Frederic; Mathis, Luc; Voytas, Daniel F; Zhang, Feng

    2014-09-01

    Soybean oil is high in polyunsaturated fats and is often partially hydrogenated to increase its shelf life and improve oxidative stability. The trans-fatty acids produced through hydrogenation pose a health threat. Soybean lines that are low in polyunsaturated fats were generated by introducing mutations in two fatty acid desaturase 2 genes (FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B), which in the seed convert the monounsaturated fat, oleic acid, to the polyunsaturated fat, linoleic acid. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) were engineered to recognize and cleave conserved DNA sequences in both genes. In four of 19 transgenic soybean lines expressing the TALENs, mutations in FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B were observed in DNA extracted from leaf tissue; three of the four lines transmitted heritable FAD2-1 mutations to the next generation. The fatty acid profile of the seed was dramatically changed in plants homozygous for mutations in both FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B: oleic acid increased from 20% to 80% and linoleic acid decreased from 50% to under 4%. Further, mutant plants were identified that lacked the TALEN transgene and only carried the targeted mutations. The ability to create a valuable trait in a single generation through targeted modification of a gene family demonstrates the power of TALENs for genome engineering and crop improvement. © 2014 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. The Endosymbiotic Bacterium Wolbachia Selectively Kills Male Hosts by Targeting the Masculinizing Gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takahiro Fukui

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Pathogens are known to manipulate the reproduction and development of their hosts for their own benefit. Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that infects a wide range of insect species. Wolbachia is known as an example of a parasite that manipulates the sex of its host's progeny. Infection of Ostrinia moths by Wolbachia causes the production of all-female progeny, however, the mechanism of how Wolbachia accomplishes this male-specific killing is unknown. Here we show for the first time that Wolbachia targets the host masculinizing gene of Ostrinia to accomplish male-killing. We found that Wolbachia-infected O. furnacalis embryos do not express the male-specific splice variant of doublesex, a gene which acts at the downstream end of the sex differentiation cascade, throughout embryonic development. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Wolbachia infection markedly reduces the mRNA level of Masc, a gene that encodes a protein required for both masculinization and dosage compensation in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Detailed bioinformatic analysis also elucidated that dosage compensation of Z-linked genes fails in Wolbachia-infected O. furnacalis embryos, a phenomenon that is extremely similar to that observed in Masc mRNA-depleted male embryos of B. mori. Finally, injection of in vitro transcribed Masc cRNA into Wolbachia-infected embryos rescued male progeny. Our results show that Wolbachia-induced male-killing is caused by a failure of dosage compensation via repression of the host masculinizing gene. Our study also shows a novel strategy by which a pathogen hijacks the host sex determination cascade.

  12. Targeted cancer gene therapy : the flexibility of adenoviral gene therapy vectors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rots, MG; Curiel, DT; Gerritsen, WR; Haisma, HJ

    2003-01-01

    Recombinant adenoviral vectors are promising reagents for therapeutic interventions in humans, including gene therapy for biologically complex diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, the major advantage of adenoviral vectors is their superior in vivo gene transfer

  13. Circulating MicroRNAs in Plasma of Hepatitis B e Antigen Positive Children Reveal Liver-Specific Target Genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Thilde Nordmann; Jacobsen, Kari Stougaard; Mirza, Aashiq Hussain

    2014-01-01

    Background and Aim. Hepatitis B e antigen positive (HBeAg-positive) children are at high risk of severe complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Liver damage is caused by the host immune response to infected hepatocytes, and we hypothesise that specific microRNAs play a role...... in this complex interaction between virus and host. The study aimed to identify microRNAs with aberrant plasma expressions in HBeAg-positive children and with liver-specific target genes. Methods. By revisiting our previous screen of microRNA plasma levels in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative children...... with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and in healthy controls, candidate microRNAs with aberrant plasma expressions in HBeAg-positive children were identified. MicroRNAs targeting liver-specific genes were selected based on bioinformatics analysis and validated by qRT-PCR using plasma samples from 34 HBe...

  14. Genome-Wide Identification of the Target Genes of AP2-O, a Plasmodium AP2-Family Transcription Factor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izumi Kaneko

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Stage-specific transcription is a fundamental biological process in the life cycle of the Plasmodium parasite. Proteins containing the AP2 DNA-binding domain are responsible for stage-specific transcriptional regulation and belong to the only known family of transcription factors in Plasmodium parasites. Comprehensive identification of their target genes will advance our understanding of the molecular basis of stage-specific transcriptional regulation and stage-specific parasite development. AP2-O is an AP2 family transcription factor that is expressed in the mosquito midgut-invading stage, called the ookinete, and is essential for normal morphogenesis of this stage. In this study, we identified the genome-wide target genes of AP2-O by chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing and elucidate how this AP2 family transcription factor contributes to the formation of this motile stage. The analysis revealed that AP2-O binds specifically to the upstream genomic regions of more than 500 genes, suggesting that approximately 10% of the parasite genome is directly regulated by AP2-O. These genes are involved in distinct biological processes such as morphogenesis, locomotion, midgut penetration, protection against mosquito immunity and preparation for subsequent oocyst development. This direct and global regulation by AP2-O provides a model for gene regulation in Plasmodium parasites and may explain how these parasites manage to control their complex life cycle using a small number of sequence-specific AP2 transcription factors.

  15. The Key Genes of Chronic Pancreatitis which Bridge Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer Can be Therapeutic Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuang; Li, Rui; Wang, Heping; Li, Lisha; Li, Huiyu; Li, Yulin

    2018-04-01

    An important question in systems biology is what role the underlying molecular mechanisms play in disease progression. The relationship between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer needs further exploration in a system view. We constructed the disease network based on gene expression data and protein-protein interaction. We proposed an approach to discover the underlying core network and molecular factors in the progression of pancreatic diseases, which contain stages of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer core network and key factors were revealed and then verified by gene set enrichment analysis of pathways and diseases. The key factors provide the microenvironment for tumor initiation and the change of gene expression level of key factors bridge chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Some new candidate genes need further verification by experiments. Transcriptome profiling-based network analysis reveals the importance of chronic pancreatitis genes and pathways in pancreatic cancer development on a system level by computational method and they can be therapeutic targets.

  16. Gene therapy prospects--intranasal delivery of therapeutic genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podolska, Karolina; Stachurska, Anna; Hajdukiewicz, Karolina; Małecki, Maciej

    2012-01-01

    Gene therapy is recognized to be a novel method for the treatment of various disorders. Gene therapy strategies involve gene manipulation on broad biological processes responsible for the spreading of diseases. Cancer, monogenic diseases, vascular and infectious diseases are the main targets of gene therapy. In order to obtain valuable experimental and clinical results, sufficient gene transfer methods are required. Therapeutic genes can be administered into target tissues via gene carriers commonly defined as vectors. The retroviral, adenoviral and adeno-associated virus based vectors are most frequently used in the clinic. So far, gene preparations may be administered directly into target organs or by intravenous, intramuscular, intratumor or intranasal injections. It is common knowledge that the number of gene therapy clinical trials has rapidly increased. However, some limitations such as transfection efficiency and stable and long-term gene expression are still not resolved. Consequently, great effort is focused on the evaluation of new strategies of gene delivery. There are many expectations associated with intranasal delivery of gene preparations for the treatment of diseases. Intranasal delivery of therapeutic genes is regarded as one of the most promising forms of pulmonary gene therapy research. Gene therapy based on inhalation of gene preparations offers an alternative way for the treatment of patients suffering from such lung diseases as cystic fibrosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin defect, or cancer. Experimental and first clinical trials based on plasmid vectors or recombinant viruses have revealed that gene preparations can effectively deliver therapeutic or marker genes to the cells of the respiratory tract. The noninvasive intranasal delivery of gene preparations or conventional drugs seems to be very encouraging, although basic scientific research still has to continue.

  17. Epigenetic mismatches with mutated transcribing genes at leukemogenic S-phase binding/start sites--potential targets for therapy with enzyme inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prindull, Gregor

    2012-11-01

    This review focuses on gene transcription patterns of leukemogenic S-phases in mitotic cell cycles for identification of enzymatic reactions as potential targets for epigenetics-based drug therapy. Transcription of leukemic genes is triggered by reprogrammed transcription factors (TFs) mediated by chromatin histones. Reprogrammed TFs originate from transcriptional alterations of CpG methylation patterns of mutated epigenetic genes. They preserve memory information of earlier leukemogenic exposures, even transgenerationally via the zygote, through small (e.g. pi)RNA transmitted between cells by exosomes. Normally, reprogrammed TFs are enzymatically silenced and stored as markers in heterochromatic domains. Failure of intra S-phase surveillance (IS) permits the formation and continual operation of DNA replication forks in spite of persisting genotoxic stress. Silenced TFs are re-activated by euchromatin, most likely through leakages of insulator barriers of cis-regulating chromatin modulators (CRM) that normally separate hetero- from euchromatin domains. During transport by sliding nucleosomes, reprogrammed leukemogenic TFs are misplaced at transcription factor binding-/starting-sites (TFBS /TSS) allowing them to interact with and trigger replication of mutated leukemic genes. Interactions of enzymatically reprogrammed TFs, transcribed from mutated epigenetic genes, with replicating leukemic genes at TFBS/TSSs are key driving forces in leukemogenesis. Probably, epigenetic genes, although mutated, still retain their control of replication of leukemic genes. Epigenetics-based enzyme inhibitors must target reprogrammed TFs. Prudently, therapeutic corrections should be introduced within the frame of conventional, cytoreductive treatment protocols. Alternatively, reprogrammed TFs could be replaced by cell populations with regular TF production. Clinically, classification of leukemias should be based on their epigenetic presentation.

  18. Liver tumor formation by a mutant retinoblastoma protein in the transgenic mice is caused by an upregulation of c-Myc target genes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Bo; Hikosaka, Keisuke; Sultana, Nishat; Sharkar, Mohammad Tofael Kabir [Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Noritake, Hidenao [Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Kimura, Wataru; Wu, Yi-Xin [Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Kobayashi, Yoshimasa [Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Uezato, Tadayoshi [Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan); Miura, Naoyuki, E-mail: nmiura@hama-med.ac.jp [Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handa-yama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192 (Japan)

    2012-01-06

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fifty percent of the mutant Rb transgenic mice produced liver tumors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In the tumor, Foxm1, Skp2, Bmi1 and AP-1 mRNAs were up-regulated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No increase in expression of the Myc-target genes was observed in the non-tumorous liver. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tumor formation depends on up-regulation of the Myc-target genes. -- Abstract: The retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor encodes a nuclear phosphoprotein that regulates cellular proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. In order to adapt itself to these biological functions, Rb is subjected to modification cycle, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. To directly determine the effect of phosphorylation-resistant Rb on liver development and function, we generated transgenic mice expressing phosphorylation-resistant human mutant Rb (mt-Rb) under the control of the rat hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 gene promoter/enhancer. Expression of mt-Rb in the liver resulted in macroscopic neoplastic nodules (adenomas) with {approx}50% incidence within 15 months old. Interestingly, quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis showed that c-Myc was up-regulated in the liver of mt-Rb transgenic mice irrespective of having tumor tissues or no tumor. In tumor tissues, several c-Myc target genes, Foxm1, c-Jun, c-Fos, Bmi1 and Skp2, were also up-regulated dramatically. We determined whether mt-Rb activated the Myc promoter in the HTP9 cells and demonstrated that mt-Rb acted as an inhibitor of wild-type Rb-induced repression on the Myc promoter. Our results suggest that continued upregulation of c-Myc target genes promotes the liver tumor formation after about 1 year of age.

  19. An analysis of possible off target effects following CAS9/CRISPR targeted deletions of neuropeptide gene enhancers from the mouse genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Elizabeth Anne; Khalaf, Abdulla Razak; Marini, Pietro; Brown, Andrew; Heath, Karyn; Sheppard, Darrin; MacKenzie, Alasdair

    2017-08-01

    We have successfully used comparative genomics to identify putative regulatory elements within the human genome that contribute to the tissue specific expression of neuropeptides such as galanin and receptors such as CB1. However, a previous inability to rapidly delete these elements from the mouse genome has prevented optimal assessment of their function in-vivo. This has been solved using CAS9/CRISPR genome editing technology which uses a bacterial endonuclease called CAS9 that, in combination with specifically designed guide RNA (gRNA) molecules, cuts specific regions of the mouse genome. However, reports of "off target" effects, whereby the CAS9 endonuclease is able to cut sites other than those targeted, limits the appeal of this technology. We used cytoplasmic microinjection of gRNA and CAS9 mRNA into 1-cell mouse embryos to rapidly generate enhancer knockout mouse lines. The current study describes our analysis of the genomes of these enhancer knockout lines to detect possible off-target effects. Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify the most likely putative off-target sites and to design PCR primers that would amplify these sequences from genomic DNA of founder enhancer deletion mouse lines. Amplified DNA was then sequenced and blasted against the mouse genome sequence to detect off-target effects. Using this approach we were unable to detect any evidence of off-target effects in the genomes of three founder lines using any of the four gRNAs used in the analysis. This study suggests that the problem of off-target effects in transgenic mice have been exaggerated and that CAS9/CRISPR represents a highly effective and accurate method of deleting putative neuropeptide gene enhancer sequences from the mouse genome. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Targeted Gene Knockin in Porcine Somatic Cells Using CRISPR/Cas Ribonucleoproteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ki-Eun Park

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The pig is an ideal large animal model for genetic engineering applications. A relatively short gestation interval and large litter size makes the pig a conducive model for generating and propagating genetic modifications. The domestic pig also shares close similarity in anatomy, physiology, size, and life expectancy, making it an ideal animal for modeling human diseases. Often, however, the technical difficulties in generating desired genetic modifications such as targeted knockin of short stretches of sequences or transgenes have impeded progress in this field. In this study, we have investigated and compared the relative efficiency of CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoproteins in engineering targeted knockin of pseudo attP sites downstream of a ubiquitously expressed COL1A gene in porcine somatic cells and generated live fetuses by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT. By leveraging these knockin pseudo attP sites, we have demonstrated subsequent phiC31 integrase mediated integration of green fluorescent protein (GFP transgene into the site. This work for the first time created an optimized protocol for CRISPR/Cas mediated knockin in porcine somatic cells, while simultaneously creating a stable platform for future transgene integration and generating transgenic animals.

  1. Gene expression and gene therapy imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rome, Claire; Couillaud, Franck; Moonen, Chrit T.W.

    2007-01-01

    The fast growing field of molecular imaging has achieved major advances in imaging gene expression, an important element of gene therapy. Gene expression imaging is based on specific probes or contrast agents that allow either direct or indirect spatio-temporal evaluation of gene expression. Direct evaluation is possible with, for example, contrast agents that bind directly to a specific target (e.g., receptor). Indirect evaluation may be achieved by using specific substrate probes for a target enzyme. The use of marker genes, also called reporter genes, is an essential element of MI approaches for gene expression in gene therapy. The marker gene may not have a therapeutic role itself, but by coupling the marker gene to a therapeutic gene, expression of the marker gene reports on the expression of the therapeutic gene. Nuclear medicine and optical approaches are highly sensitive (detection of probes in the picomolar range), whereas MRI and ultrasound imaging are less sensitive and require amplification techniques and/or accumulation of contrast agents in enlarged contrast particles. Recently developed MI techniques are particularly relevant for gene therapy. Amongst these are the possibility to track gene therapy vectors such as stem cells, and the techniques that allow spatiotemporal control of gene expression by non-invasive heating (with MRI guided focused ultrasound) and the use of temperature sensitive promoters. (orig.)

  2. Low-Dose Irradiation Enhances Gene Targeting in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatada, Seigo; Subramanian, Aparna; Mandefro, Berhan; Ren, Songyang; Kim, Ho Won; Tang, Jie; Funari, Vincent; Baloh, Robert H; Sareen, Dhruv; Arumugaswami, Vaithilingaraja; Svendsen, Clive N

    2015-09-01

    Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are now being used for both disease modeling and cell therapy; however, efficient homologous recombination (HR) is often crucial to develop isogenic control or reporter lines. We showed that limited low-dose irradiation (LDI) using either γ-ray or x-ray exposure (0.4 Gy) significantly enhanced HR frequency, possibly through induction of DNA repair/recombination machinery including ataxia-telangiectasia mutated, histone H2A.X and RAD51 proteins. LDI could also increase HR efficiency by more than 30-fold when combined with the targeting tools zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. Whole-exome sequencing confirmed that the LDI administered to hPSCs did not induce gross genomic alterations or affect cellular viability. Irradiated and targeted lines were karyotypically normal and made all differentiated lineages that continued to express green fluorescent protein targeted at the AAVS1 locus. This simple method allows higher throughput of new, targeted hPSC lines that are crucial to expand the use of disease modeling and to develop novel avenues of cell therapy. The simple and relevant technique described in this report uses a low level of radiation to increase desired gene modifications in human pluripotent stem cells by an order of magnitude. This higher efficiency permits greater throughput with reduced time and cost. The low level of radiation also greatly increased the recombination frequency when combined with developed engineered nucleases. Critically, the radiation did not lead to increases in DNA mutations or to reductions in overall cellular viability. This novel technique enables not only the rapid production of disease models using human stem cells but also the possibility of treating genetically based diseases by correcting patient-derived cells. ©AlphaMed Press.

  3. An ABA-responsive DRE-binding protein gene from Setaria italica, SiARDP, the target gene of SiAREB, plays a critical role under drought stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Cong; Yue, Jing; Wu, Xiaowei; Xu, Cong; Yu, Jingjuan

    2014-10-01

    The DREB (dehydration-responsive element binding)-type transcription factors regulate the expression of stress-inducible genes by binding the DRE/CRT cis-elements in promoter regions. The upstream transcription factors that regulate the transcription of DREB transcription factors have not been clearly defined, although the function of DREB transcription factors in abiotic stress is known. In this study, an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive DREB-binding protein gene (SiARDP) was cloned from foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The transcript level of SiARDP increased not only after drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses, but also after an ABA treatment in foxtail millet seedlings. Two ABA-responsive elements (ABRE1: ACGTGTC; ABRE2: ACGTGGC) exist in the promoter of SiARDP. Further analyses showed that two ABA-responsive element binding (AREB)-type transcription factors, SiAREB1 and SiAREB2, could physically bind to the ABRE core element in vitro and in vivo. The constitutive expression of SiARDP in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced drought and salt tolerance during seed germination and seedling development, and overexpression of SiARDP in foxtail millet improved drought tolerance. The expression levels of target genes of SiARDP were upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis and foxtail millet. These results reveal that SiARDP, one of the target genes of SiAREB, is involved in ABA-dependent signal pathways and plays a critical role in the abiotic stress response in plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  4. A new type of gene-disruption cassette with a rescue gene for Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibui, Tatsuro; Hara, Hiroyoshi

    2017-09-01

    Pichia pastoris has been used for the production of many recombinant proteins, and many useful mutant strains have been created. However, the efficiency of mutant isolation by gene-targeting is usually low and the procedure is difficult for those inexperienced in yeast genetics. In order to overcome these issues, we developed a new gene-disruption system with a rescue gene using an inducible Cre/mutant-loxP system. With only short homology regions, the gene-disruption cassette of the system replaces its target-gene locus containing a mutation with a compensatory rescue gene. As the cassette contains the AOX1 promoter-driven Cre gene, when targeted strains are grown on media containing methanol, the DNA fragment, i.e., the marker, rescue and Cre genes, between the mutant-loxP sequences in the cassette is excised, leaving only the remaining mutant-loxP sequence in the genome, and consequently a target gene-disrupted mutant can be isolated. The system was initially validated on ADE2 gene disruption, where the disruption can easily be detected by color-change of the colonies. Then, the system was applied for knocking-out URA3 and OCH1 genes, reported to be difficult to accomplish by conventional gene-targeting methods. All three gene-disruption cassettes with their rescue genes replaced their target genes, and the Cre/mutant-loxP system worked well to successfully isolate their knock-out mutants. This study identified a new gene-disruption system that could be used to effectively and strategically knock out genes of interest, especially whose deletion is detrimental to growth, without using special strains, e.g., deficient in nonhomologous end-joining, in P. pastoris. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1201-1208, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  5. Targeted Enrichment of Large Gene Families for Phylogenetic Inference: Phylogeny and Molecular Evolution of Photosynthesis Genes in the Portullugo Clade (Caryophyllales).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Abigail J; Vos, Jurriaan M De; Hancock, Lillian P; Goolsby, Eric; Edwards, Erika J

    2018-05-01

    Hybrid enrichment is an increasingly popular approach for obtaining hundreds of loci for phylogenetic analysis across many taxa quickly and cheaply. The genes targeted for sequencing are typically single-copy loci, which facilitate a more straightforward sequence assembly and homology assignment process. However, this approach limits the inclusion of most genes of functional interest, which often belong to multi-gene families. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of including large gene families in hybrid enrichment protocols for phylogeny reconstruction and subsequent analyses of molecular evolution, using a new set of bait sequences designed for the "portullugo" (Caryophyllales), a moderately sized lineage of flowering plants (~ 2200 species) that includes the cacti and harbors many evolutionary transitions to C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis. Including multi-gene families allowed us to simultaneously infer a robust phylogeny and construct a dense sampling of sequences for a major enzyme of C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis, which revealed the accumulation of adaptive amino acid substitutions associated with C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM origins in particular paralogs. Our final set of matrices for phylogenetic analyses included 75-218 loci across 74 taxa, with ~ 50% matrix completeness across data sets. Phylogenetic resolution was greatly improved across the tree, at both shallow and deep levels. Concatenation and coalescent-based approaches both resolve the sister lineage of the cacti with strong support: Anacampserotaceae $+$ Portulacaceae, two lineages of mostly diminutive succulent herbs of warm, arid regions. In spite of this congruence, BUCKy concordance analyses demonstrated strong and conflicting signals across gene trees. Our results add to the growing number of examples illustrating the complexity of phylogenetic signals in genomic-scale data.

  6. Evolutionary Transitions of MicroRNA-Target Pairs

    KAUST Repository

    Nozawa, Masafumi; Fujimi, Mai; Iwamoto, Chie; Onizuka, Kanako; Fukuda, Nana; Ikeo, Kazuho; Gojobori, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    How newly generated microRNA (miRNA) genes are integrated into gene regulatory networks during evolution is fundamental in understanding the molecular and evolutionary bases of robustness and plasticity in gene regulation. A recent model proposed that after the birth of a miRNA, the miRNA is generally integrated into the network by decreasing the number of target genes during evolution. However, this decreasing model remains to be carefully examined by considering in vivo conditions. In this study, we therefore compared the number of target genes among miRNAs with different ages, combining experiments with bioinformatics predictions. First, we focused on three Drosophila miRNAs with different ages. As a result, we found that an older miRNA has a greater number of target genes than a younger miRNA, suggesting the increasing number of targets for each miRNA during evolution (increasing model). To further confirm our results, we also predicted all target genes for all miRNAs in D. melanogaster, considering co-expression of miRNAs and mRNAs in vivo. The results obtained also do not support the decreasing model but are reasonably consistent with the increasing model of miRNA-target pairs. Furthermore, our large-scale analyses of currently available experimental data of miRNA-target pairs also showed a weak but the same trend in humans. These results indicate that the current decreasing model of miRNA-target pairs should be reconsidered and the increasing model may be more appropriate to explain the evolutionary transitions of miRNA-target pairs in many organisms.

  7. Evolutionary Transitions of MicroRNA-Target Pairs

    KAUST Repository

    Nozawa, Masafumi

    2016-04-27

    How newly generated microRNA (miRNA) genes are integrated into gene regulatory networks during evolution is fundamental in understanding the molecular and evolutionary bases of robustness and plasticity in gene regulation. A recent model proposed that after the birth of a miRNA, the miRNA is generally integrated into the network by decreasing the number of target genes during evolution. However, this decreasing model remains to be carefully examined by considering in vivo conditions. In this study, we therefore compared the number of target genes among miRNAs with different ages, combining experiments with bioinformatics predictions. First, we focused on three Drosophila miRNAs with different ages. As a result, we found that an older miRNA has a greater number of target genes than a younger miRNA, suggesting the increasing number of targets for each miRNA during evolution (increasing model). To further confirm our results, we also predicted all target genes for all miRNAs in D. melanogaster, considering co-expression of miRNAs and mRNAs in vivo. The results obtained also do not support the decreasing model but are reasonably consistent with the increasing model of miRNA-target pairs. Furthermore, our large-scale analyses of currently available experimental data of miRNA-target pairs also showed a weak but the same trend in humans. These results indicate that the current decreasing model of miRNA-target pairs should be reconsidered and the increasing model may be more appropriate to explain the evolutionary transitions of miRNA-target pairs in many organisms.

  8. New inter-correlated genes targeted by diatom-derived polyunsaturated aldehydes in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruocco, Nadia; Maria Fedele, Anna; Costantini, Susan; Romano, Giovanna; Ianora, Adrianna; Costantini, Maria

    2017-08-01

    The marine environment is continually subjected to the action of stressors (including natural toxins), which represent a constant danger for benthic communities. In the present work using network analysis we identified ten genes on the basis of associated functions (FOXA, FoxG, GFI-1, nodal, JNK, OneCut/Hnf6, TAK1, tcf4, TCF7, VEGF) in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, having key roles in different processes, such as embryonic development and asymmetry, cell fate specification, cell differentiation and morphogenesis, and skeletogenesis. These genes are correlated with three HUB genes, Foxo, Jun and HIF1A. Real Time qPCR revealed that during sea urchin embryonic development the expression levels of these genes were modulated by three diatom-derived polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs), decadienal, heptadienal and octadienal. Our findings show how changes in gene expression levels may be used as an early indicator of stressful conditions in the marine environment. The identification of key genes and the molecular pathways in which they are involved represents a fundamental tool in understanding how marine organisms try to afford protection against toxicants, to avoid deleterious consequences and irreversible damages. The genes identified in this work as targets for PUAs can be considered as possible biomarkers to detect exposure to different environmental pollutants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. HomoTarget: a new algorithm for prediction of microRNA targets in Homo sapiens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, Hamed; Ahmadi, Ali; Azimzadeh-Jamalkandi, Sadegh; Shoorehdeli, Mahdi Aliyari; Salehzadeh-Yazdi, Ali; Bidkhori, Gholamreza; Masoudi-Nejad, Ali

    2013-02-01

    MiRNAs play an essential role in the networks of gene regulation by inhibiting the translation of target mRNAs. Several computational approaches have been proposed for the prediction of miRNA target-genes. Reports reveal a large fraction of under-predicted or falsely predicted target genes. Thus, there is an imperative need to develop a computational method by which the target mRNAs of existing miRNAs can be correctly identified. In this study, combined pattern recognition neural network (PRNN) and principle component analysis (PCA) architecture has been proposed in order to model the complicated relationship between miRNAs and their target mRNAs in humans. The results of several types of intelligent classifiers and our proposed model were compared, showing that our algorithm outperformed them with higher sensitivity and specificity. Using the recent release of the mirBase database to find potential targets of miRNAs, this model incorporated twelve structural, thermodynamic and positional features of miRNA:mRNA binding sites to select target candidates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Gene targeting by the vitamin D response element binding protein reveals a role for vitamin D in osteoblast mTOR signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisse, Thomas S; Liu, Ting; Irmler, Martin; Beckers, Johannes; Chen, Hong; Adams, John S; Hewison, Martin

    2011-03-01

    Transcriptional regulation by hormonal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] involves occupancy of vitamin D response elements (VDREs) by the VDRE binding protein (VDRE-BP) or 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-bound vitamin D receptor (VDR). This relationship is disrupted by elevated VDRE-BP, causing a form of hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR). DNA array analysis showed that of 114 genes regulated by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in control cells, almost all (113) were rendered insensitive to the hormone in VDRE-BP-overexpressing HVDRR cells. Among these was the gene for DNA-damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4), an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR using 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-treated osteoblasts confirmed that VDR and VDRE-BP compete for binding to the DDIT4 gene promoter. Expression of DDIT4 mRNA in these cells was induced (1.6-6 fold) by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (10-100 nM), and Western blot and flow cytometry analysis showed that this response involved suppression of phosphorylated S6K1(T389) (a downstream target of mTOR) similar to rapamycin treatment. siRNA knockdown of DDIT4 completely abrogated antiproliferative responses to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), whereas overexpression of VDRE-BP exerted a dominant-negative effect on transcription of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-target genes. DDIT4, an inhibitor of mTOR signaling, is a direct target for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and VDRE-BP, and functions to suppress cell proliferation in response to vitamin D.

  11. Ewing’s Sarcoma: An Analysis of miRNA Expression Profiles and Target Genes in Paraffin-Embedded Primary Tumor Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonina Parafioriti

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The molecular mechanism responsible for Ewing’s Sarcoma (ES remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, a class of small non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression, are deregulated in tumors and may serve as a tool for diagnosis and prediction. However, the status of miRNAs in ES has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study compared global miRNAs expression in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 20 ES patients, affected by primary untreated tumors, with miRNAs expressed in normal human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs by microarray analysis. A miRTarBase database was used to identify the predicted target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs. The miRNAs microarray analysis revealed distinct patterns of miRNAs expression between ES samples and normal MSCs. 58 of the 954 analyzed miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in ES samples compared to MSCs. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis carried out on three selected miRNAs showed that miR-181b, miR-1915 and miR-1275 were significantly aberrantly regulated, confirming the microarray results. Bio-database analysis identified BCL-2 as a bona fide target gene of the miR-21, miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-497, miR-195, miR-let-7a, miR-34a and miR-1915. Using paraffin-embedded tissues from ES patients, this study has identified several potential target miRNAs and one gene that might be considered a novel critical biomarker for ES pathogenesis.

  12. Cooperative interactions between CBP and TORC2 confer selectivity to CREB target gene expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravnskjær, Kim; Kester, Henri; Liu, Yi

    2007-01-01

    A number of hormones and growth factors stimulate gene expression by promoting the phosphorylation of CREB (P-CREB), thereby enhancing its association with the histone acetylase paralogs p300 and CBP (CBP/p300). Relative to cAMP, stress signals trigger comparable amounts of CREB phosphorylation...... to stress signals, however; and in its absence, P-CREB is unable to stimulate CRE-dependent transcription, due to a block in CBP recruitment. The effect of TORC2 on CBP/p300 promoter occupancy appears pivotal because a gain of function mutant CREB polypeptide with increased affinity for CBP restored CRE......-mediated transcription in cells exposed to stress signals. Taken together, these results indicate that TORC2 is one of the long sought after cofactors that mediates the differential effects of cAMP and stress pathways on CREB target gene expression....

  13. Mobile group II intron based gene targeting in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasikumar, Ponnusamy; Paul, Eldho; Gomathi, Sivasamy; Abhishek, Albert; Sasikumar, Sundaresan; Selvam, Govindan Sadasivam

    2016-10-01

    The usage of recombinant lactic acid bacteria for delivery of therapeutic proteins to the mucosa has been emerging. In the present study, an attempt was made to engineer a thyA mutant of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) using lactococcal group II intron Ll.LtrB for the development of biologically contained recombinant L. plantarum for prevention of calcium oxalate stone disease. The 3 kb Ll.LtrB intron donor cassettes from the source vector pACD4C was PCR amplified, ligated into pSIP series of lactobacillus vector pLp_3050sAmyA, yielding a novel vector pLpACD4C (8.6 kb). The quantitative real-time PCR experiment shows 94-fold increased expression of Ll.LtrB intron and 14-fold increased expression of ltrA gene in recombinant L. plantarum containing pLpACD4C. In order to target the thyA gene, the potential intron RNA binding sites in the thyA gene of L. plantarum was predicted with help of computer algorithm. The insertion location 188|189s of thyA gene (lowest E-0.134) was chosen and the wild type intron Ll.LtrB was PCR modified, yielding a retargeted intron of pLpACDthyA. The retargeted intron was expressed by using induction peptide (sppIP), subsequently the integration of intron in thyA gene was identified by PCR screening and finally ThyA - mutant of L. plantarum (ThyA18) was detected. In vitro growth curve result showed that in the absence of thymidine, colony forming units of mutant ThyA18 was decreased, whereas high thymidine concentration (10 μM) supported the growth of the culture until saturation. In conclusion, ThyA - mutant of L. plantarum (ThyA18) constructed in this study will be used as a biologically contained recombinant probiotic to deliver oxalate decarboxylase into the lumen for treatment of hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate stone deposition. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Targeted retrograde transfection of adenovirus vector carrying brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene prevents loss of mouse (twy/twy) anterior horn neurons in vivo sustaining mechanical compression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Kan; Uchida, Kenzo; Nakajima, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Shigeru; Baba, Hisatoshi

    2006-08-01

    Immunohistochemical analysis after adenovirus (AdV)-mediated BDNF gene transfer in and around the area of mechanical compression in the cervical spinal cord of the hyperostotic mouse (twy/twy). To investigate the neuroprotective effect of targeted AdV-BDNF gene transfection in the twy mouse with spontaneous chronic compression of the spinal cord motoneurons. Several studies reported the neuroprotective effects of neurotrophins on injured spinal cord. However, no report has described the effect of targeted retrograde neurotrophic gene delivery on motoneuron survival in chronic compression lesions of the cervical spinal cord resembling lesions of myelopathy. LacZ marker gene using adenoviral vector (AdV-LacZ) was used to evaluate retrograde delivery from the sternomastoid muscle in adult twy mice (16-week-old) and (control). Four weeks after the AdV-LacZ or AdV-BDNF injection, the compressed cervical spinal cord was removed en bloc for immunohistologic investigation of b-galactosidase activity and immunoreactivity and immunoblot analyses of BDNF. The number of anterior horn neurons was counted using Nissl, ChAT and AChE staining. Spinal accessory motoneurons between C1 and C3 segments were successfully transfected by AdV-LacZ in both twy and ICR mice after targeted intramuscular injection. Immunoreactivity to BDNF was significantly stronger in AdV-BDNF-gene transfected twy mice than in AdV-LacZ-gene transfected mice. At the cord level showing the maximum compression in AdV-BDNF-transfected twy mice, the number of anterior horn neurons was sinificantly higher in the topographic neuronal cell counting of Nissl-, ChAT-, and AChE-stained samples than in AdV-LacZ-injected twy mice. Targeted AdV-BDNF-gene delivery significantly increased Nissl-stained anterior horn neurons and enhanced cholinergic enzyme activities in the twy. Our results suggest that targeted retrograde AdV-BDNF-gene in vivo delivery may enhance neuronal survival even under chronic mechanical compression.

  15. Characterization of microRNAs and their target genes associated with transcriptomic changes in gamma-irradiated Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J H; Go, Y S; Kim, J K; Chung, B Y

    2016-07-29

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression in response to biotic and abiotic stress in plants. We investigated gamma-ray-responsive miRNAs in Arabidopsis wild-type and cmt3-11t mutant plants using miRNA microarray analysis. miRNA expression was differentiated between the wild-type and cmt3-11t mutants. miR164a, miR169d, miR169h, miR172b*, and miR403 were identified as repressible in the wild-type and/or cmt3-11t mutant in response to gamma irradiation, while miR827, miR840, and miR850 were strongly inducible. These eight miRNA genes contain UV-B-responsive cis-elements, including G-box, I-box core, ARE, and/or MBS in the putative promoter regions. Moreover, Box 4, MBS, TCA-element, and Unnamed_4, as well as CAAT- and TATA-box, were identified in these eight miRNA genes. However, a positive correlation between the transcriptions of miRNAs and their putative target genes was only observed between miR169d and At1g30560 in the wild-type, and between miR827 and At1g70700 in the cmt3-11t mutant. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed that the transcription of miR164a, miR169d, miR169h, miR172b*, miR403, and miR827 differed after gamma irradiation depending on the genotype (wild-type, cmt3-11t, drm2, drd1-6, and ddm1-2) and developmental stage (14 or 28 days after sowing). In contrast, high transcriptional induction of miR840 and miR850 was observed in these six genotypes regardless of the developmental stage. Although the actual target genes and functions of miR840 and miR850 remain to be determined, our results indicate that these two miRNAs may be strongly induced and reproducible genetic markers in Arabidopsis plants exposed to gamma rays.

  16. Suppression of leaky expression of adenovirus genes by insertion of microRNA-targeted sequences in the replication-incompetent adenovirus vector genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kahori Shimizu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Leaky expression of adenovirus (Ad genes occurs following transduction with a conventional replication-incompetent Ad vector, leading to an induction of cellular immunity against Ad proteins and Ad protein-induced toxicity, especially in the late phase following administration. To suppress the leaky expression of Ad genes, we developed novel Ad vectors by incorporating four tandem copies of sequences with perfect complementarity to miR-122a or miR-142-3p into the 3′-untranslated region (UTR of the E2A, E4, or pIX gene, which were mainly expressed from the Ad vector genome after transduction. These Ad vectors easily grew to high titers comparable to those of a conventional Ad vector in conventional 293 cells. The leaky expression of these Ad genes in mouse organs was significantly suppressed by 2- to 100-fold, compared with a conventional Ad vector, by insertion of the miRNA-targeted sequences. Notably, the Ad vector carrying the miR-122a–targeted sequences into the 3′-UTR of the E4 gene expressed higher and longer-term transgene expression and more than 20-fold lower levels of all the Ad early and late genes examined in the liver than a conventional Ad vector. miR-122a–mediated suppression of the E4 gene expression in the liver significantly reduced the hepatotoxicity which an Ad vector causes via both adaptive and non-adaptive immune responses.

  17. Enhanced Host-Parasite Resistance Based on Down-Regulation of Phelipanche aegyptiaca Target Genes Is Likely by Mobile Small RNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neeraj K. Dubey

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available RNA silencing refers to diverse mechanisms that control gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels which can also be used in parasitic pathogens of plants that Broomrapes (Orobanche/Phelipanche spp. are holoparasitic plants that subsist on the roots of a variety of agricultural crops and cause severe negative effects on the yield and yield quality of those crops. Effective methods for controlling parasitic weeds are scarce, with only a few known cases of genetic resistance. In the current study, we suggest an improved strategy for the control of parasitic weeds based on trans-specific gene-silencing of three parasite genes at once. We used two strategies to express dsRNA containing selected sequences of three Phelipanche aegyptiaca genes PaACS, PaM6PR, and PaPrx1 (pma: transient expression using Tobacco rattle virus (TRV:pma as a virus-induced gene-silencing vector and stable expression in transgenic tomato Solanum lycopersicum (Mill. plants harboring a hairpin construct (pBINPLUS35:pma. siRNA-mediated transgene-silencing (20–24 nt was detected in the host plants. Our results demonstrate that the quantities of PaACS and PaM6PR transcripts from P. aegyptiaca tubercles grown on transgenic tomato or on TRV-infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants were significantly reduced. However, only partial reductions in the quantity of PaPrx1 transcripts were observed in the parasite tubercles grown on tomato and on N. benthamiana plants. Concomitant with the suppression of the target genes, there were significant decreases in the number and weight of the parasite tubercles that grew on the host plants, in both the transient and the stable experimental systems. The results of the work carried out using both strategies point to the movement of mobile exogenous siRNA from the host to the parasite, leading to the impaired expression of essential parasite target genes.

  18. Ndrg2 is a PGC-1α/ERRα target gene that controls protein synthesis and expression of contractile-type genes in C2C12 myotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foletta, Victoria C; Brown, Erin L; Cho, Yoshitake; Snow, Rod J; Kralli, Anastasia; Russell, Aaron P

    2013-12-01

    The stress-responsive, tumor suppressor N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (Ndrg2) is highly expressed in striated muscle. In response to anabolic and catabolic signals, Ndrg2 is suppressed and induced, respectively, in mouse C2C12 myotubes. However, little is known about the mechanisms regulating Ndrg2 expression in muscle, as well as the biological role for Ndrg2 in differentiated myotubes. Here, we show that Ndrg2 is a target of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) transcriptional program and is induced in response to endurance exercise, a physiological stress known also to increase PGC-1α/ERRα activity. Analyses of global gene and protein expression profiles in C2C12 myotubes with reduced levels of NDRG2, suggest that NDRG2 affects muscle growth, contractile properties, MAPK signaling, ion and vesicle transport and oxidative phosphorylation. Indeed, suppression of NDRG2 in myotubes increased protein synthesis and the expression of fast glycolytic myosin heavy chain isoforms, while reducing the expression of embryonic myosin Myh3, other contractile-associated genes and the MAPK p90 RSK1. Conversely, enhanced expression of NDRG2 reduced protein synthesis, and furthermore, partially blocked the increased protein synthesis rates elicited by a constitutively active form of ERRα. In contrast, suppressing or increasing levels of NDRG2 did not affect mRNA expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis that are regulated by PGC-1α or ERRα. This study shows that in C2C12 myotubes Ndrg2 is a novel PGC-1α/ERRα transcriptional target, which influences protein turnover and the regulation of genes involved in muscle contraction and function. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis provide insight into the effects of effects of alternative production diet formulations on channel catfish nutritional physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    The present research evaluated targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis to provide greater insight into the effects of alternatively-sourced dietary ingredients on production indices, gut health, changes in the gut microbiota and genes involved in the regulation of appetite, growth, metabolism, ...

  20. TARGET Research Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    TARGET researchers use various sequencing and array-based methods to examine the genomes, transcriptomes, and for some diseases epigenomes of select childhood cancers. This “multi-omic” approach generates a comprehensive profile of molecular alterations for each cancer type. Alterations are changes in DNA or RNA, such as rearrangements in chromosome structure or variations in gene expression, respectively. Through computational analyses and assays to validate biological function, TARGET researchers predict which alterations disrupt the function of a gene or pathway and promote cancer growth, progression, and/or survival. Researchers identify candidate therapeutic targets and/or prognostic markers from the cancer-associated alterations.

  1. Practical method for targeted disruption of cilia-related genes by using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated, homology-independent knock-in system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoh, Yohei; Michisaka, Saki; Nozaki, Shohei; Funabashi, Teruki; Hirano, Tomoaki; Takei, Ryota; Nakayama, Kazuhisa

    2017-04-01

    The CRISPR/Cas9 system has revolutionized genome editing in virtually all organisms. Although the CRISPR/Cas9 system enables the targeted cleavage of genomic DNA, its use for gene knock-in remains challenging because levels of homologous recombination activity vary among various cells. In contrast, the efficiency of homology-independent DNA repair is relatively high in most cell types. Therefore the use of a homology-independent repair mechanism is a possible alternative for efficient genome editing. Here we constructed a donor knock-in vector optimized for the CRISPR/Cas9 system and developed a practical system that enables efficient disruption of target genes by exploiting homology-independent repair. Using this practical knock-in system, we successfully disrupted genes encoding proteins involved in ciliary protein trafficking, including IFT88 and IFT20, in hTERT-RPE1 cells, which have low homologous recombination activity. The most critical concern using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is off-target cleavage. To reduce the off-target cleavage frequency and increase the versatility of our knock-in system, we constructed a universal donor vector and an expression vector containing Cas9 with enhanced specificity and tandem sgRNA expression cassettes. We demonstrated that the second version of our system has improved usability. © 2017 Katoh et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  2. Mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish: in vivo mechanistic insights from transcriptome analysis, phenotype anchoring and targeted gene expression validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathavan Sinnakaruppan

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mercury is a prominent environmental contaminant that causes detrimental effects to human health. Although the liver has been known to be a main target organ, there is limited information on in vivo molecular mechanism of mercury-induced toxicity in the liver. By using transcriptome analysis, phenotypic anchoring and validation of targeted gene expression in zebrafish, mercury-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated and a number of perturbed cellular processes were identified and compared with those captured in the in vitro human cell line studies. Results Hepato-transcriptome analysis of mercury-exposed zebrafish revealed that the earliest deregulated genes were associated with electron transport chain, mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation, nuclear receptor signaling and apoptotic pathway, followed by complement system and proteasome pathway, and thereafter DNA damage, hypoxia, Wnt signaling, fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, cell cycle and motility. Comparative meta-analysis of microarray data between zebrafish liver and human HepG2 cells exposed to mercury identified some common toxicological effects of mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in both models. Histological analyses of liver from mercury-exposed fish revealed morphological changes of liver parenchyma, decreased nucleated cell count, increased lipid vesicles, glycogen and apoptotic bodies, thus providing phenotypic evidence for anchoring of the transcriptome analysis. Validation of targeted gene expression confirmed deregulated gene-pathways from enrichment analysis. Some of these genes responding to low concentrations of mercury may serve as toxicogenomic-based markers for detection and health risk assessment of environmental mercury contaminations. Conclusion Mercury-induced hepatotoxicity was triggered by oxidative stresses, intrinsic apoptotic pathway, deregulation of nuclear receptor and kinase activities including Gsk3 that deregulates Wnt signaling

  3. Identification of the Drosophila Mes4 gene as a novel target of the transcription factor DREF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suyari, Osamu; Ida, Hiroyuki [Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Yoshioka, Yasuhide; Kato, Yasuko; Hashimoto, Reina [Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Venture Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Masamitsu, E-mail: myamaguc@kit.ac.jp [Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan)

    2009-05-01

    The Mes4 gene has been identified as one of the maternal Dorsal target genes in Drosophila. In the present study, we found a DNA replication-related element (DRE, 5'-TATCGATA) in the Mes4 promoter recognized by the DRE-binding factor (DREF). Luciferase transient expression assays in S2 cells using Mes4 promoter-luciferase fusion plasmids revealed that the DRE sequence is essential for Mes4 promoter activity. Requirement of DRE for Mes4 promoter activity was further confirmed by anti-{beta}-galactosidase antibody-staining of various tissues from transgenic flies carrying Mes4 promoter-lacZ fusion genes. Furthermore, wild type Mes4 promoter activity was decreased by 40% in DREF-depleted S2 cells. These results indicate that DREF positively regulates Mes4 gene expression. Band mobility shift analyses using Kc cell nuclear extracts further indicated that the DRE sequence in the Mes4 promoter is especially important for binding to DREF. Moreover, specific binding of DREF to the involved genomic region could be demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays using anti-DREF antibodies. These results, taken together, indicate that the DRE/DREF system activates transcription of the Mes4 gene. In addition, knockdown of the Mes4 gene in wing imaginal discs using the GAL4-UAS system caused an atrophied wing phenotype, suggesting that Mes4 is required for wing morphogenesis.

  4. Identification of the Drosophila Mes4 gene as a novel target of the transcription factor DREF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suyari, Osamu; Ida, Hiroyuki; Yoshioka, Yasuhide; Kato, Yasuko; Hashimoto, Reina; Yamaguchi, Masamitsu

    2009-01-01

    The Mes4 gene has been identified as one of the maternal Dorsal target genes in Drosophila. In the present study, we found a DNA replication-related element (DRE, 5'-TATCGATA) in the Mes4 promoter recognized by the DRE-binding factor (DREF). Luciferase transient expression assays in S2 cells using Mes4 promoter-luciferase fusion plasmids revealed that the DRE sequence is essential for Mes4 promoter activity. Requirement of DRE for Mes4 promoter activity was further confirmed by anti-β-galactosidase antibody-staining of various tissues from transgenic flies carrying Mes4 promoter-lacZ fusion genes. Furthermore, wild type Mes4 promoter activity was decreased by 40% in DREF-depleted S2 cells. These results indicate that DREF positively regulates Mes4 gene expression. Band mobility shift analyses using Kc cell nuclear extracts further indicated that the DRE sequence in the Mes4 promoter is especially important for binding to DREF. Moreover, specific binding of DREF to the involved genomic region could be demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays using anti-DREF antibodies. These results, taken together, indicate that the DRE/DREF system activates transcription of the Mes4 gene. In addition, knockdown of the Mes4 gene in wing imaginal discs using the GAL4-UAS system caused an atrophied wing phenotype, suggesting that Mes4 is required for wing morphogenesis.

  5. Comparative gene expression analysis of Dtg, a novel target gene of Dpp signaling pathway in the early Drosophila melanogaster embryo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodar, Christian; Zuñiga, Alejandro; Pulgar, Rodrigo; Travisany, Dante; Chacon, Carlos; Pino, Michael; Maass, Alejandro; Cambiazo, Verónica

    2014-02-10

    In the early Drosophila melanogaster embryo, Dpp, a secreted molecule that belongs to the TGF-β superfamily of growth factors, activates a set of downstream genes to subdivide the dorsal region into amnioserosa and dorsal epidermis. Here, we examined the expression pattern and transcriptional regulation of Dtg, a new target gene of Dpp signaling pathway that is required for proper amnioserosa differentiation. We showed that the expression of Dtg was controlled by Dpp and characterized a 524-bp enhancer that mediated expression in the dorsal midline, as well as, in the differentiated amnioserosa in transgenic reporter embryos. This enhancer contained a highly conserved region of 48-bp in which bioinformatic predictions and in vitro assays identified three Mad binding motifs. Mutational analysis revealed that these three motifs were necessary for proper expression of a reporter gene in transgenic embryos, suggesting that short and highly conserved genomic sequences may be indicative of functional regulatory regions in D. melanogaster genes. Dtg orthologs were not detected in basal lineages of Dipterans, which unlike D. melanogaster develop two extra-embryonic membranes, amnion and serosa, nevertheless Dtg orthologs were identified in the transcriptome of Musca domestica, in which dorsal ectoderm patterning leads to the formation of a single extra-embryonic membrane. These results suggest that Dtg was recruited as a new component of the network that controls dorsal ectoderm patterning in the lineage leading to higher Cyclorrhaphan flies, such as D. melanogaster and M. domestica. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Targeted deficiency of the transcriptional activator Hnf1alpha alters subnuclear positioning of its genomic targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reini F Luco

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available DNA binding transcriptional activators play a central role in gene-selective regulation. In part, this is mediated by targeting local covalent modifications of histone tails. Transcriptional regulation has also been associated with the positioning of genes within the nucleus. We have now examined the role of a transcriptional activator in regulating the positioning of target genes. This was carried out with primary beta-cells and hepatocytes freshly isolated from mice lacking Hnf1alpha, an activator encoded by the most frequently mutated gene in human monogenic diabetes (MODY3. We show that in Hnf1a-/- cells inactive endogenous Hnf1alpha-target genes exhibit increased trimethylated histone H3-Lys27 and reduced methylated H3-Lys4. Inactive Hnf1alpha-targets in Hnf1a-/- cells are also preferentially located in peripheral subnuclear domains enriched in trimethylated H3-Lys27, whereas active targets in wild-type cells are positioned in more central domains enriched in methylated H3-Lys4 and RNA polymerase II. We demonstrate that this differential positioning involves the decondensation of target chromatin, and show that it is spatially restricted rather than a reflection of non-specific changes in the nuclear organization of Hnf1a-deficient cells. This study, therefore, provides genetic evidence that a single transcriptional activator can influence the subnuclear location of its endogenous genomic targets in primary cells, and links activator-dependent changes in local chromatin structure to the spatial organization of the genome. We have also revealed a defect in subnuclear gene positioning in a model of a human transcription factor disease.

  7. Model-specific selection of molecular targets for heart failure gene therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Michael G.; Fargnoli, Anthony S.; Tomasulo, Catherine E.; Pritchette, Louella A.; Bridges, Charles R.

    2013-01-01

    Heart failure (HF) is a complex multifaceted problem of abnormal ventricular function and structure. In recent years, new information has been accumulated allowing for a more detailed understanding of the cellular and molecular alterations that are the underpinnings of diverse causes of HF, including myocardial ischemia, pressure-overload, volume-overload or intrinsic cardiomyopathy. Modern pharmacological approaches to treat HF have had a significant impact on the course of the disease, although they do not reverse the underlying pathological state of the heart. Therefore gene-based therapy holds a great potential as a targeted treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Here, we survey the relative therapeutic efficacy of genetic modulation of β-adrenergic receptor signaling, Ca2+ handling proteins and angiogenesis in the most common extrinsic models of HF. PMID:21954055

  8. Intracellular delivery of potential therapeutic genes: prospects in cancer gene therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhtiar, Athirah; Sayyad, Mustak; Rosli, Rozita; Maruyama, Atsushi; Chowdhury, Ezharul H

    2014-01-01

    Conventional therapies for malignant cancer such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are associated with poor survival rates owing to the development of cellular resistance to cancer drugs and the lack of targetability, resulting in unwanted adverse effects on healthy cells and necessitating the lowering of therapeutic dose with consequential lower efficacy of the treatment. Gene therapy employing different types of viral and non-viral carriers to transport gene(s) of interest and facilitating production of the desirable therapeutic protein(s) has tremendous prospects in cancer treatments due to the high-level of specificity in therapeutic action of the expressed protein(s) with diminished off-target effects, although cancer cell-specific delivery of transgene(s) still poses some challenges to be addressed. Depending on the potential therapeutic target genes, cancer gene therapy could be categorized into tumor suppressor gene replacement therapy, immune gene therapy and enzyme- or prodrug-based therapy. This review would shed light on the current progress of delivery of potentially therapeutic genes into various cancer cells in vitro and animal models utilizing a variety of viral and non-viral vectors.

  9. Capturing the target genes of BldD in Saccharopolyspora erythraea using improved genomic SELEX method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hang; Mao, Yongrong; Chen, Meng; Pan, Hui; Huang, Xunduan; Ren, Min; Wu, Hao; Li, Jiali; Xu, Zhongdong; Yuan, Hualing; Geng, Ming; Weaver, David T; Zhang, Lixin; Zhang, Buchang

    2015-03-01

    BldD (SACE_2077), a key developmental regulator in actinomycetes, is the first identified transcriptional factor in Saccharopolyspora erythraea positively regulating erythromycin production and morphological differentiation. Although the BldD of S. erythraea binds to the promoters of erythromycin biosynthetic genes, the interaction affinities are relatively low, implying the existence of its other target genes in S. erythraea. Through the genomic systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method that we herein improved, four DNA sequences of S. erythraea A226, corresponding to the promoter regions of SACE_0306 (beta-galactosidase), SACE_0811 (50S ribosomal protein L25), SACE_3410 (fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase), and SACE_6014 (aldehyde dehydrogenase), were captured with all three BldD concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 μM, while the previously identified intergenic regions of eryBIV-eryAI and ermE-eryCI plus the promoter region of SACE_7115, the amfC homolog for aerial mycelium formation, could be captured only when the BldD's concentration reached 2 μM. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis indicated that BldD specifically bound to above seven DNA sequences, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay showed that the transcriptional levels of the abovementioned target genes decreased when bldD was disrupted in A226. Furthermore, SACE_7115 and SACE_0306 in A226 were individually inactivated, showing that SACE_7115 was predominantly involved in aerial mycelium formation, while SACE_0306 mainly controlled erythromycin production. This study provides valuable information for better understanding of the pleiotropic regulator BldD in S. erythraea, and the improved method may be useful for uncovering regulatory networks of other transcriptional factors.

  10. A mammalian model for Laron syndrome produced by targeted disruption of the mouse growth hormone receptor/binding protein gene (the Laron mouse)

    OpenAIRE

    Zhou, Yihua; Xu, Bixiong C.; Maheshwari, Hiralal G.; He, Li; Reed, Michael; Lozykowski, Maria; Okada, Shigeru; Cataldo, Lori; Coschigamo, Karen; Wagner, Thomas E.; Baumann, Gerhard; Kopchick, John J.

    1997-01-01

    Laron syndrome [growth hormone (GH) insensitivity syndrome] is a hereditary dwarfism resulting from defects in the GH receptor (GHR) gene. GHR deficiency has not been reported in mammals other than humans. Many aspects of GHR dysfunction remain unknown because of ethical and practical limitations in studying humans. To create a mammalian model for this disease, we generated mice bearing a disrupted GHR/binding protein (GHR/BP) gene through a homologous gene targeting approach. Homozygous GHR/...

  11. A double-mutant collection targeting MAP kinase related genes in Arabidopsis for studying genetic interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Shih-Heng; Krysan, Patrick J

    2016-12-01

    Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades are conserved in all eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis thaliana there are approximately 80 genes encoding MAP kinase kinase kinases (MAP3K), 10 genes encoding MAP kinase kinases (MAP2K), and 20 genes encoding MAP kinases (MAPK). Reverse genetic analysis has failed to reveal abnormal phenotypes for a majority of these genes. One strategy for uncovering gene function when single-mutant lines do not produce an informative phenotype is to perform a systematic genetic interaction screen whereby double-mutants are created from a large library of single-mutant lines. Here we describe a new collection of 275 double-mutant lines derived from a library of single-mutants targeting genes related to MAP kinase signaling. To facilitate this study, we developed a high-throughput double-mutant generating pipeline using a system for growing Arabidopsis seedlings in 96-well plates. A quantitative root growth assay was used to screen for evidence of genetic interactions in this double-mutant collection. Our screen revealed four genetic interactions, all of which caused synthetic enhancement of the root growth defects observed in a MAP kinase 4 (MPK4) single-mutant line. Seeds for this double-mutant collection are publicly available through the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center. Scientists interested in diverse biological processes can now screen this double-mutant collection under a wide range of growth conditions in order to search for additional genetic interactions that may provide new insights into MAP kinase signaling. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Identification of the Drosophila skpA gene as a novel target of the transcription factor DREF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang Thi Phuong Thao; Ida, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Hideki; Yamaguchi, Masamitsu

    2006-01-01

    SKPa is component of a Drosophila SCF complex that functions in combination with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcD1. skpA null mutation results in centrosome overduplication, unusual chromatin condensation, defective endoreduplication and cell-cycle progression. While the molecular mechanisms that regulate expression of the skpA gene are poorly understood, the DNA replication-related element (DRE) and the DRE-binding factor (DREF) play important roles in regulating proliferation-related genes in Drosophila and DRE (5'-TATCGATA) and DRE-like (5'-CATCGATT) sequences were here found to be involved in skpA promoter activity. Thus both luciferase transient expression assays in cultured Drosophila S2 cells using skpA promoter-luciferase fusion plasmids and anti-lacZ immunostaining of various tissues from transgenic third instar larvae carrying the skpA promoter-lacZ fusion genes provided supportive evidence. Furthermore, anti-SKPa immunostaining of eye imaginal discs from flies overexpressing DREF showed ectopic expression of protein in the region posterior to the morphogenetic furrow where DREF is overexpressed. Knockdown of DREF in some tissues where SKPa distribution is well known almost completely abrogated the skpA gene expression. These findings, taken together, indicate that the Drosophila skpA gene is a novel target of the transcription factor DREF

  13. Impact of MicroRNA Levels, Target-Site Complementarity, and Cooperativity on Competing Endogenous RNA-Regulated Gene Expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denzler, Rémy; McGeary, Sean E; Title, Alexandra C; Agarwal, Vikram; Bartel, David P; Stoffel, Markus

    2016-11-03

    Expression changes of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have been proposed to influence microRNA (miRNA) activity and thereby regulate other transcripts containing miRNA-binding sites. Here, we find that although miRNA levels define the extent of repression, they have little effect on the magnitude of the ceRNA expression change required to observe derepression. Canonical 6-nt sites, which typically mediate modest repression, can nonetheless compete for miRNA binding, with potency ∼20% of that observed for canonical 8-nt sites. In aggregate, low-affinity/background sites also contribute to competition. Sites with extensive additional complementarity can appear as more potent, but only because they induce miRNA degradation. Cooperative binding of proximal sites for the same or different miRNAs does increase potency. These results provide quantitative insights into the stoichiometric relationship between miRNAs and target abundance, target-site spacing, and affinity requirements for ceRNA-mediated gene regulation, and the unusual circumstances in which ceRNA-mediated gene regulation might be observed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Controlling gene networks and cell fate with precision-targeted DNA-binding proteins and small-molecule-based genome readers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, Asuka; Lee, Garrett O; Wan, Fang; Erwin, Graham S; Ansari, Aseem Z

    2014-09-15

    Transcription factors control the fate of a cell by regulating the expression of genes and regulatory networks. Recent successes in inducing pluripotency in terminally differentiated cells as well as directing differentiation with natural transcription factors has lent credence to the efforts that aim to direct cell fate with rationally designed transcription factors. Because DNA-binding factors are modular in design, they can be engineered to target specific genomic sequences and perform pre-programmed regulatory functions upon binding. Such precision-tailored factors can serve as molecular tools to reprogramme or differentiate cells in a targeted manner. Using different types of engineered DNA binders, both regulatory transcriptional controls of gene networks, as well as permanent alteration of genomic content, can be implemented to study cell fate decisions. In the present review, we describe the current state of the art in artificial transcription factor design and the exciting prospect of employing artificial DNA-binding factors to manipulate the transcriptional networks as well as epigenetic landscapes that govern cell fate.

  15. Radiopharmaceuticals to monitor the expression of transferred genes in gene transfer therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiebe, L. I.

    1997-01-01

    The development and application of radiopharmaceuticals has, in many instances, been based on the pharmacological properties of therapeutic agents. The molecular biology-biotechnology revolution has had an important impact on treatment of diseases, in part through the reduced toxicity of 'biologicals', in part because of their specificity for interaction at unique molecular sites and in part because of their selective delivery to the target site. Immunotherapeutic approaches include the use of monoclonal antibodies (MABs), MAB-fragments and chemotactic peptides. Such agents currently form the basis of both diagnostic and immunotherapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. More recently, gene transfer techniques have been advanced to the point that a new molecular approach, gene therapy, has become a reality. Gene therapy offers an opportunity to attack disease at its most fundamental level. The therapeutic mechanism is based on the expression of a specific gene or genes, the product of which will invoke immunological, receptor-based or enzyme-based therapeutic modalities. Several approaches to gene therapy of cancer have been envisioned, the most clinically-advanced concepts involving the introduction of genes that will encode for molecular targets nor normally found in healthy mammalian cells. A number of gene therapy clinical trials are based on the introduction of the Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) gene that encodes for viral thymidine kinase (tk+). Once HSV-1 tk+ is expressed in the target (cancer) cell, therapy can be effected by the administration of a highly molecularly-targeted and systemically non-toxic antiviral drug such as ganciclovir. The development of radiodiagnostic imaging in gene therapy will be reviewed, using HSV-1 tk+ and radioiodinated IVFRU as a basis for development of the theme. Molecular targets that could be exploited in gene therapy, other than tk+, will be identified

  16. Radiopharmaceuticals to monitor the expression of transferred genes in gene transfer therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiebe, L I [University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada). Noujaim Institute for Pharmaceutical Oncology Research

    1997-10-01

    The development and application of radiopharmaceuticals has, in many instances, been based on the pharmacological properties of therapeutic agents. The molecular biology-biotechnology revolution has had an important impact on treatment of diseases, in part through the reduced toxicity of `biologicals`, in part because of their specificity for interaction at unique molecular sites and in part because of their selective delivery to the target site. Immunotherapeutic approaches include the use of monoclonal antibodies (MABs), MAB-fragments and chemotactic peptides. Such agents currently form the basis of both diagnostic and immunotherapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. More recently, gene transfer techniques have been advanced to the point that a new molecular approach, gene therapy, has become a reality. Gene therapy offers an opportunity to attack disease at its most fundamental level. The therapeutic mechanism is based on the expression of a specific gene or genes, the product of which will invoke immunological, receptor-based or enzyme-based therapeutic modalities. Several approaches to gene therapy of cancer have been envisioned, the most clinically-advanced concepts involving the introduction of genes that will encode for molecular targets nor normally found in healthy mammalian cells. A number of gene therapy clinical trials are based on the introduction of the Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) gene that encodes for viral thymidine kinase (tk+). Once HSV-1 tk+ is expressed in the target (cancer) cell, therapy can be effected by the administration of a highly molecularly-targeted and systemically non-toxic antiviral drug such as ganciclovir. The development of radiodiagnostic imaging in gene therapy will be reviewed, using HSV-1 tk+ and radioiodinated IVFRU as a basis for development of the theme. Molecular targets that could be exploited in gene therapy, other than tk+, will be identified

  17. Post-targeting strategy for ready-to-use targeted nanodelivery post cargo loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, J Y; Hu, J J; Zhang, M K; Yu, W Y; Zheng, D W; Wang, X Q; Feng, J; Zhang, X Z

    2017-12-14

    Based on boronate formation, this study reports a post-targeting methodology capable of readily installing versatile targeting modules onto a cargo-loaded nanoplatform in aqueous mediums. This permits the targeted nanodelivery of broad-spectrum therapeutics (drug/gene) in a ready-to-use manner while overcoming the PEGylation-dilemma that frequently occurs in conventional targeting approaches.

  18. Re-Factoring Glycolytic Genes for Targeted Engineering of Catabolism in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Pascuala, Alberto; Nikel, Pablo I; de Lorenzo, Víctor

    2018-01-01

    The Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway is widely accepted to be the biochemical standard of glucose catabolism. The well-characterized glycolytic route of Escherichia coli, based on the EMP catabolism, is an example of an intricate pathway in terms of genomic organization of the genes involved and patterns of gene expression and regulation. This intrinsic genetic and metabolic complexity renders it difficult to engineer glycolytic activities and transfer them onto other microbial cell factories, thus limiting the biotechnological potential of bacterial hosts that lack the route. Taking into account the potential applications of such a portable tool for targeted pathway engineering, in the present protocol we describe how the genes encoding all the enzymes of the linear EMP route have been individually recruited from the genome of E. coli K-12, edited in silico to remove their endogenous regulatory signals, and synthesized de novo following a standard (i.e., GlucoBrick) that facilitates their grouping in the form of functional modules that can be combined at the user's will. This novel genetic tool allows for the à la carte implementation or boosting of EMP pathway activities into different Gram-negative bacteria. The potential of the GlucoBrick platform is further illustrated by engineering novel glycolytic activities in the most representative members of the Pseudomonas genus (Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

  19. The distribution of BRAF gene fusions in solid tumors and response to targeted therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Jeffrey S; Wang, Kai; Chmielecki, Juliann; Gay, Laurie; Johnson, Adrienne; Chudnovsky, Jacob; Yelensky, Roman; Lipson, Doron; Ali, Siraj M; Elvin, Julia A; Vergilio, Jo-Anne; Roels, Steven; Miller, Vincent A; Nakamura, Brooke N; Gray, Adam; Wong, Michael K; Stephens, Philip J

    2016-02-15

    Although the BRAF V600E base substitution is an approved target for the BRAF inhibitors in melanoma, BRAF gene fusions have not been investigated as anticancer drug targets. In our study, a wide variety of tumors underwent comprehensive genomic profiling for hundreds of known cancer genes using the FoundationOne™ or FoundationOne Heme™ comprehensive genomic profiling assays. BRAF fusions involving the intact in-frame BRAF kinase domain were observed in 55 (0.3%) of 20,573 tumors, across 12 distinct tumor types, including 20 novel BRAF fusions. These comprised 29 unique 5' fusion partners, of which 31% (9) were known and 69% (20) were novel. BRAF fusions included 3% (14/531) of melanomas; 2% (15/701) of gliomas; 1.0% (3/294) of thyroid cancers; 0.3% (3/1,062) pancreatic carcinomas; 0.2% (8/4,013) nonsmall-cell lung cancers and 0.2% (4/2,154) of colorectal cancers, and were enriched in pilocytic (30%) vs. nonpilocytic gliomas (1%; p < 0.0001), Spitzoid (75%) vs. nonSpitzoid melanomas (1%; p = 0.0001), acinar (67%) vs. nonacinar pancreatic cancers (<1%; p < 0.0001) and papillary (3%) vs. nonpapillary thyroid cancers (0%; p < 0.03). Clinical responses to trametinib and sorafenib are presented. In conclusion, BRAF fusions are rare driver alterations in a wide variety of malignant neoplasms, but enriched in Spitzoid melanoma, pilocytic astrocytomas, pancreatic acinar and papillary thyroid cancers. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of UICC.

  20. Detection of Balamuthia mandrillaris DNA by real-time PCR targeting the RNase P gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lewin Astrid

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris may cause fatal encephalitis both in immunocompromised and in – apparently – immunocompetent humans and other mammalian species. Rapid, specific, sensitive, and reliable detection requiring little pathogen-specific expertise is an absolute prerequisite for a successful therapy and a welcome tool for both experimental and epidemiological research. Results A real-time polymerase chain reaction assay using TaqMan® probes (real-time PCR was established specifically targeting the RNase P gene of B. mandrillaris amoebae. The assay detected at least 2 (down to 0.5 genomes of B. mandrillaris grown in axenic culture. It did not react with DNA from closely related Acanthamoeba (3 species, nor with DNA from Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania major, Pneumocystis murina, Mycobacterium bovis (BCG, human brain, various mouse organs, or from human and murine cell lines. The assay efficiently detected B. mandrillaris DNA in spiked cell cultures, spiked murine organ homogenates, B. mandrillaris-infected mice, and CNS tissue-DNA preparations from 2 patients with proven cerebral balamuthiasis. This novel primer set was successfully combined with a published set that targets the B. mandrillaris 18S rRNA gene in a duplex real-time PCR assay to ensure maximum specificity and as a precaution against false negative results. Conclusion A real-time PCR assay for B. mandrillaris amoebae is presented, that is highly specific, sensitive, and reliable and thus suited both for diagnosis and for research.