ΔNp63α induces the expression of FAT2 and Slug to promote tumor invasion

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Tuyen T.; Westcott, Jill M.; Maine, Erin A.; Kanchwala, Mohammed; Xing, Chao; Pearson, Gray W.

2016-01-01

Tumor invasion can be induced by changes in gene expression that alter cell phenotype. The transcription factor ΔNp63α promotes basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) migration by inducing the expression of the mesenchymal genes Slug and Axl, which confers cells with a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state. However, the extent of the ΔNp63α regulated genes that support invasive behavior is not known. Here, using gene expression analysis, ChIP-seq, and functional testing, we find that ΔNp63α promotes BLBC motility by inducing the expression of the atypical cadherin FAT2, the vesicular binding protein SNCA, the carbonic anhydrase CA12, the lipid binding protein CPNE8 and the kinase NEK1, along with Slug and Axl. Notably, lung squamous cell carcinoma migration also required ΔNp63α dependent FAT2 and Slug expression, demonstrating that ΔNp63α promotes migration in multiple tumor types by inducing mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal genes. ΔNp63α activation of FAT2 and Slug influenced E-cadherin localization to cell-cell contacts, which can restrict spontaneous cell movement. Moreover, live-imaging of spheroids in organotypic culture demonstrated that ΔNp63α, FAT2 and Slug were essential for the extension of cellular protrusions that initiate collective invasion. Importantly, ΔNp63α is co-expressed with FAT2 and Slug in patient tumors and the elevated expression of ΔNp63α, FAT2 and Slug correlated with poor patient outcome. Together, these results reveal how ΔNp63α promotes cell migration by directly inducing the expression of a cohort of genes with distinct cellular functions and suggest that FAT2 is a new regulator of collective invasion that may influence patient outcome. PMID:27081041

Analysis of the promoters involved in enterocin AS-48 expression.

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Cebrián, Rubén; Rodríguez-Ruano, Sonia; Martínez-Bueno, Manuel; Valdivia, Eva; Maqueda, Mercedes; Montalbán-López, Manuel

2014-01-01

The enterocin AS-48 is the best characterized antibacterial circular protein in prokaryotes. It is a hydrophobic and cationic bacteriocin, which is ribosomally synthesized by enterococcal cells and post-translationally cyclized by a head-to-tail peptide bond. The production of and immunity towards AS-48 depend upon the coordinated expression of ten genes organized in two operons, as-48ABC (where genes encoding enzymes with processing, secretion, and immunity functions are adjacent to the structural as-48A gene) and as-48C1DD1EFGH. The current study describes the identification of the promoters involved in AS-48 expression. Seven putative promoters have been here amplified, and separately inserted into the promoter-probe vector pTLR1, to create transcriptional fusions with the mCherry gene used as a reporter. The activity of these promoter regions was assessed measuring the expression of the fluorescent mCherry protein using the constitutive pneumococcal promoter PX as a reference. Our results revealed that only three promoters PA, P2(2) and PD1 were recognized in Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactis and Escherichia coli, in the conditions tested. The maximal fluorescence was obtained with PX in all the strains, followed by the P2(2) promoter, which level of fluorescence was 2-fold compared to PA and 4-fold compared to PD1. Analysis of putative factors influencing the promoter activity in single and double transformants in E. faecalis JH2-2 demonstrated that, in general, a better expression was achieved in presence of pAM401-81. In addition, the P2(2) promoter could be regulated in a negative fashion by genes existing in the native pMB-2 plasmid other than those of the as-48 cluster, while the pH seems to affect differently the as-48 promoter expression.

Analysis of the promoters involved in enterocin AS-48 expression.

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Rubén Cebrián

Full Text Available The enterocin AS-48 is the best characterized antibacterial circular protein in prokaryotes. It is a hydrophobic and cationic bacteriocin, which is ribosomally synthesized by enterococcal cells and post-translationally cyclized by a head-to-tail peptide bond. The production of and immunity towards AS-48 depend upon the coordinated expression of ten genes organized in two operons, as-48ABC (where genes encoding enzymes with processing, secretion, and immunity functions are adjacent to the structural as-48A gene and as-48C1DD1EFGH. The current study describes the identification of the promoters involved in AS-48 expression. Seven putative promoters have been here amplified, and separately inserted into the promoter-probe vector pTLR1, to create transcriptional fusions with the mCherry gene used as a reporter. The activity of these promoter regions was assessed measuring the expression of the fluorescent mCherry protein using the constitutive pneumococcal promoter PX as a reference. Our results revealed that only three promoters PA, P2(2 and PD1 were recognized in Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactis and Escherichia coli, in the conditions tested. The maximal fluorescence was obtained with PX in all the strains, followed by the P2(2 promoter, which level of fluorescence was 2-fold compared to PA and 4-fold compared to PD1. Analysis of putative factors influencing the promoter activity in single and double transformants in E. faecalis JH2-2 demonstrated that, in general, a better expression was achieved in presence of pAM401-81. In addition, the P2(2 promoter could be regulated in a negative fashion by genes existing in the native pMB-2 plasmid other than those of the as-48 cluster, while the pH seems to affect differently the as-48 promoter expression.

Phosphate solubilization and multiple plant growth promoting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phosphate solubilizing efficiencies of the strains were analyzed using different insoluble phosphorus sources and the results show that most isolates released a substantial amount of soluble phosphate from tricalcium phosphate, rock phosphate and bone meal. Screening for multiple plant growth promoting attributes ...

Modulating ectopic gene expression levels by using retroviral vectors equipped with synthetic promoters

OpenAIRE

Ferreira, Joshua P.; Peacock, Ryan W. S.; Lawhorn, Ingrid E. B.; Wang, Clifford L.

2011-01-01

The human cytomegalovirus and elongation factor 1α promoters are constitutive promoters commonly employed by mammalian expression vectors. These promoters generally produce high levels of expression in many types of cells and tissues. To generate a library of synthetic promoters capable of generating a range of low, intermediate, and high expression levels, the TATA and CAAT box elements of these promoters were mutated. Other promoter variants were also generated by random mutagenesis. Evalua...

Mining gene expression data of multiple sclerosis.

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Pi Guo

Full Text Available Microarray produces a large amount of gene expression data, containing various biological implications. The challenge is to detect a panel of discriminative genes associated with disease. This study proposed a robust classification model for gene selection using gene expression data, and performed an analysis to identify disease-related genes using multiple sclerosis as an example.Gene expression profiles based on the transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a total of 44 samples from 26 multiple sclerosis patients and 18 individuals with other neurological diseases (control were analyzed. Feature selection algorithms including Support Vector Machine based on Recursive Feature Elimination, Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve, and Boruta algorithms were jointly performed to select candidate genes associating with multiple sclerosis. Multiple classification models categorized samples into two different groups based on the identified genes. Models' performance was evaluated using cross-validation methods, and an optimal classifier for gene selection was determined.An overlapping feature set was identified consisting of 8 genes that were differentially expressed between the two phenotype groups. The genes were significantly associated with the pathways of apoptosis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. TNFSF10 was significantly associated with multiple sclerosis. A Support Vector Machine model was established based on the featured genes and gave a practical accuracy of ∼86%. This binary classification model also outperformed the other models in terms of Sensitivity, Specificity and F1 score.The combined analytical framework integrating feature ranking algorithms and Support Vector Machine model could be used for selecting genes for other diseases.

Methylation of class II transactivator gene promoter IV is not associated with susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis

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Lincoln Matthew R

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiple sclerosis (MS is a complex trait in which alleles at or near the class II loci HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 contribute significantly to genetic risk. The MHC class II transactivator (MHC2TA is the master controller of expression of class II genes, and methylation of the promoter of this gene has been previously been shown to alter its function. In this study we sought to assess whether or not methylation of the MHC2TA promoter pIV could contribute to MS disease aetiology. Methods In DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a sample of 50 monozygotic disease discordant MS twins the MHC2TA promoter IV was sequenced and analysed by methylation specific PCR. Results No methylation or sequence variation of the MHC2TA promoter pIV was found. Conclusion The results of this study cannot support the notion that methylation of the pIV promoter of MHC2TA contributes to MS disease risk, although tissue and timing specific epigenetic modifications cannot be ruled out.

Osteoprotegerin expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells promotes metastasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weichhaus, Michael; Segaran, Prabu; Renaud, Ashleigh; Geerts, Dirk; Connelly, Linda

2014-01-01

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a secreted member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily that has been well characterized as a negative regulator of bone remodeling. OPG is also expressed in human breast cancer tissues and cell lines. In vitro studies suggest that OPG exerts tumor-promoting effects by binding to TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), thereby preventing induction of apoptosis. However, the in vivo effect of OPG expression by primary breast tumors has not been characterized. We knocked down OPG expression in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436 human breast cancer cells using shRNA and siRNA to investigate impact on metastasis in the chick embryo model. We observed a reduction in metastasis with OPG knockdown cells. We found that lowering OPG expression did not alter sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis; however, the OPG knockdown cells had a reduced level of invasion. In association with this we observed reduced expression of the proteases Cathepsin D and Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 upon OPG knockdown, indicating that OPG may promote metastasis via modulation of protease expression and invasion. We conclude that OPG has a metastasis-promoting effect in breast cancer cells

Structural characterization of a novel full-length transcript promoter from Horseradish Latent Virus (HRLV) and its transcriptional regulation by multiple stress responsive transcription factors.

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Khan, Ahamed; Shrestha, Ankita; Bhuyan, Kashyap; Maiti, Indu B; Dey, Nrisingha

2018-01-01

The promoter fragment described in this study can be employed for strong transgene expression under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Plant-infecting Caulimoviruses have evolved multiple regulatory mechanisms to address various environmental stimuli during the course of evolution. One such mechanism involves the retention of discrete stress responsive cis-elements which are required for their survival and host-specificity. Here we describe the characterization of a novel Caulimoviral promoter isolated from Horseradish Latent Virus (HRLV) and its regulation by multiple stress responsive Transcription factors (TFs) namely DREB1, AREB1 and TGA1a. The activity of full length transcript (Flt-) promoter from HRLV (- 677 to + 283) was investigated in both transient and transgenic assays where we identified H12 (- 427 to + 73) as the highest expressing fragment having ~ 2.5-fold stronger activity than the CaMV35S promoter. The H12 promoter was highly active and near-constitutive in the vegetative and reproductive parts of both Tobacco and Arabidopsis transgenic plants. Interestingly, H12 contains a distinct cluster of cis-elements like dehydration-responsive element (DRE-core; GCCGAC), an ABA-responsive element (ABRE; ACGTGTC) and as-1 element (TGACG) which are known to be induced by cold, drought and pathogen/SA respectively. The specific binding of DREB1, AREB1 and TGA1a to DRE, ABRE and as-1 elements respectively were confirmed by the gel-binding assays using H12 promoter-specific probes. Detailed mutational analysis of the H12 promoter suggested that the presence of DRE-core and as-1 element was indispensable for its activity which was further confirmed by the transactivation assays. Our studies imply that H12 could be a valuable genetic tool for regulated transgene expression under diverse environmental conditions.

SATB1 tethers multiple gene loci to reprogram expression profiledriving breast cancer metastasis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Hye-Jung; Kohwi, Yoshinori; Kohwi-Shigematsu, Terumi

2006-07-13

Global changes in gene expression occur during tumor progression, as indicated by expression profiling of metastatic tumors. How this occurs is poorly understood. SATB1 functions as a genome organizer by folding chromatin via tethering multiple genomic loci and recruiting chromatin remodeling enzymes to regulate chromatin structure and expression of a large number of genes. Here we show that SATB1 is expressed at high levels in aggressive breast cancer cells, and is undetectable in non-malignant breast epithelial cells. Importantly, RNAi-mediated removal of SATB1 from highly-aggressive MDA-MB-231 cells altered the expression levels of over 1200 genes, restored breast-like acinar polarity in three-dimensional cultures, and prevented the metastastic phenotype in vivo. Conversely, overexpression of SATB1 in the less-aggressive breast cancer cell line Hs578T altered the gene expression profile and increased metastasis dramatically in vivo. Thus, SATB1 is a global regulator of gene expression in breast cancer cells, directly regulating crucial metastasis-associated genes, including ERRB2 (HER2/NEU), TGF-{beta}1, matrix metalloproteinase 3, and metastasin. The identification of SATB1 as a protein that re-programs chromatin organization and transcription profiles to promote breast cancer metastasis suggests a new model for metastasis and may provide means of therapeutic intervention.

EBI2 Is Highly Expressed in Multiple Sclerosis Lesions and Promotes Early CNS Migration of Encephalitogenic CD4 T Cells

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Florian Wanke

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Arrival of encephalitogenic T cells at inflammatory foci represents a critical step in development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, the animal model for multiple sclerosis. EBI2 and its ligand, 7α,25-OHC, direct immune cell localization in secondary lymphoid organs. CH25H and CYP7B1 hydroxylate cholesterol to 7α,25-OHC. During EAE, we found increased expression of CH25H by microglia and CYP7B1 by CNS-infiltrating immune cells elevating the ligand concentration in the CNS. Two critical pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-23 (IL-23 and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β, maintained expression of EBI2 in differentiating Th17 cells. In line with this, EBI2 enhanced early migration of encephalitogenic T cells into the CNS in a transfer EAE model. Nonetheless, EBI2 was dispensable in active EAE. Human Th17 cells do also express EBI2, and EBI2 expressing cells are abundant within multiple sclerosis (MS white matter lesions. These findings implicate EBI2 as a mediator of CNS autoimmunity and describe mechanistically its contribution to the migration of autoreactive T cells into inflamed organs.

Integrating ribosomal promoter vectors that offer a choice of constitutive expression profiles in Leishmania donovani.

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Soysa, Radika; Tran, Khoa D; Ullman, Buddy; Yates, Phillip A

2015-12-01

We have designed a novel series of integrating ribosomal RNA promoter vectors with five incrementally different constitutive expression profiles, covering a 250-fold range. Differential expression was achieved by placing different combinations of synthetic or leishmanial DNA sequences upstream and downstream of the transgene coding sequence in order to modulate pre-mRNA processing efficiency and mRNA stability, respectively. All of the vectors have extensive multiple cloning sites, and versions are available for producing N- or C- terminal GFP fusions at each of the possible relative expression levels. In addition, the modular configuration of the vectors allows drug resistance cassettes and other components to be readily exchanged. In toto, these vectors should be useful additions to the toolkit available for molecular and genetic studies of Leishmania donovani. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional differences in gene expression and promoter usage in aged human brains

KAUST Repository

Pardo, Luba M.

2013-02-19

To characterize the promoterome of caudate and putamen regions (striatum), frontal and temporal cortices, and hippocampi from aged human brains, we used high-throughput cap analysis of gene expression to profile the transcription start sites and to quantify the differences in gene expression across the 5 brain regions. We also analyzed the extent to which methylation influenced the observed expression profiles. We sequenced more than 71 million cap analysis of gene expression tags corresponding to 70,202 promoter regions and 16,888 genes. More than 7000 transcripts were differentially expressed, mainly because of differential alternative promoter usage. Unexpectedly, 7% of differentially expressed genes were neurodevelopmental transcription factors. Functional pathway analysis on the differentially expressed genes revealed an overrepresentation of several signaling pathways (e.g., fibroblast growth factor and wnt signaling) in hippocampus and striatum. We also found that although 73% of methylation signals mapped within genes, the influence of methylation on the expression profile was small. Our study underscores alternative promoter usage as an important mechanism for determining the regional differences in gene expression at old age.

AKT increases VEGF expression in tumor cells by transactivating the proximal VEGF promoter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pore, N.; Bernhard, E.J.; Shu, H.-K.; Li, B.; O'Rourke, D.M.; Maity, A.; Haas-Kogan, D.

2003-01-01

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is overexpressed in many cancers including glioblastomas and may contribute to their growth. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) amplification and loss of PTEN, commonly found in glioblastomas leading to increase phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) activity and VEGF expression. In the current study we show that AKT, which is downstream of PI3K, regulates VEGF expression. U87MG human glioblastoma cells lack wildtype PTEN and express high levels of phosphorylated AKT. Over expression of AKT either by stable expression in immortalized human astrocytes or by transduction with adenovirus containing activated myristoylated AKT in SF188 glioblastoma cells increases VEGF expression. Moreover the elevation of angiogenesis by constitutively expressed AKT is further confirmed by in vivo matrigel plug assay in nude mice. The upregulation of VEGF by AKT is mediated through a region in the proximal promoter located between -88 and -70 (+1 is transcription start site). In transient transfection activity of a luciferase reporter containing the -88/+54 region of the VEGF promoter is increased by cotransfection with myristoylated AKT and downregulated by a dominant negative AKT expression vector. Mutation of the putative Sp1 binding sites located in the -88/-70 region we show that AKT acts through Sp1 to transactivate the VEGF promoter. Cotransfection of the VEGF promoter reporter with both Sp1 and myristoylated AKT expression vectors increases promoter activity to a greater extent than either Sp1 or Akt by itself. In vivo phosphate labeling of proteins reveals that AKT leads to increased Sp1 phosphorylation. Gel shift assays using a radio labeled probe corresponding to nucleotides -88 through -66 in the promoter show increased binding with nuclear extracts from cells transduced with adenovirus expressing myristoylated AKT. In conclusion, our results suggest that loss of PTEN leads to increased VEGF expression by increasing AKT

Klf5 deletion promotes Pten deletion-initiated luminal-type mouse prostate tumors through multiple oncogenic signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Changsheng; Ci, Xinpei; Sun, Xiaodong; Fu, Xiaoying; Zhang, Zhiqian; Dong, Eric N; Hao, Zhao-Zhe; Dong, Jin-Tang

2014-11-01

Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) regulates multiple biologic processes. Its function in tumorigenesis appears contradictory though, showing both tumor suppressor and tumor promoting activities. In this study, we examined whether and how Klf5 functions in prostatic tumorigenesis using mice with prostate-specific deletion of Klf5 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten), both of which are frequently inactivated in human prostate cancer. Histologic analysis demonstrated that when one Pten allele was deleted, which causes mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN), Klf5 deletion accelerated the emergence and progression of mPIN. When both Pten alleles were deleted, which causes prostate cancer, Klf5 deletion promoted tumor growth, increased cell proliferation, and caused more severe morphologic and molecular alterations. Homozygous deletion of Klf5 was more effective than hemizygous deletion. Unexpectedly, while Pten deletion alone expanded basal cell population in a tumor as reported, Klf5 deletion in the Pten-null background clearly reduced basal cell population while expanding luminal cell population. Global gene expression profiling, pathway analysis, and experimental validation indicate that multiple mechanisms could mediate the tumor-promoting effect of Klf5 deletion, including the up-regulation of epidermal growth factor and its downstream signaling molecules AKT and ERK and the inactivation of the p15 cell cycle inhibitor. KLF5 also appears to cooperate with several transcription factors, including CREB1, Sp1, Myc, ER and AR, to regulate gene expression. These findings validate the tumor suppressor function of KLF5. They also yield a mouse model that shares two common genetic alterations with human prostate cancer-mutation/deletion of Pten and deletion of Klf5.

Altered gene-expression profile in rat plasma and promoted body ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Altered gene-expression profile in rat plasma and promoted body and brain development ... The study was aimed to explore how the prenatal EE impacts affect the ... positively promote the body and nervous system development of offspring, ...

A 310-bp minimal promoter mediates smooth muscle cell-specific expression of telokin.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, A F; Bigsby, R M; Word, R A; Herring, B P

1998-05-01

A cell-specific promoter located in an intron of the smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase gene directs transcription of telokin exclusively in smooth muscle cells. Transgenic mice were generated in which a 310-bp rabbit telokin promoter fragment, extending from -163 to +147, was used to drive expression of simian virus 40 large T antigen. Smooth muscle-specific expression of the T-antigen transgene paralleled that of the endogenous telokin gene in all smooth muscle tissues except uterus. The 310-bp promoter fragment resulted in very low levels of transgene expression in uterus; in contrast, a transgene driven by a 2.4-kb fragment (-2250 to +147) resulted in high levels of transgene expression in uterine smooth muscle. Telokin expression levels correlate with the estrogen status of human myometrial tissues, suggesting that deletion of an estrogen response element (ERE) may account for the low levels of transgene expression driven by the 310-bp rabbit telokin promoter in uterine smooth muscle. Experiments in A10 smooth muscle cells directly showed that reporter gene expression driven by the 2.4-kb, but not 310-bp, promoter fragment could be stimulated two- to threefold by estrogen. This stimulation was mediated through an ERE located between -1447 and -1474. Addition of the ERE to the 310-bp fragment restored estrogen responsiveness in A10 cells. These data demonstrate that in addition to a minimal 310-bp proximal promoter at least one distal cis-acting regulatory element is required for telokin expression in uterine smooth muscle. The distal element may include an ERE between -1447 and -1474.

Src Induces Podoplanin Expression to Promote Cell Migration*

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yongquan; Chen, Chen-Shan; Ichikawa, Hitoshi; Goldberg, Gary S.

2010-01-01

Nontransformed cells can force tumor cells to assume a normal morphology and phenotype by the process of contact normalization. Transformed cells must escape this process to become invasive and malignant. However, mechanisms underlying contact normalization have not been elucidated. Here, we have identified genes that are affected by contact normalization of Src-transformed cells. Tumor cells must migrate to become invasive and malignant. Src must phosphorylate the adaptor protein Cas (Crk-associated substrate) to promote tumor cell motility. We report here that Src utilizes Cas to induce podoplanin (Pdpn) expression to promote tumor cell migration. Pdpn is a membrane-bound extracellular glycoprotein that associates with endogenous ligands to promote tumor cell migration leading to cancer invasion and metastasis. In fact, Pdpn expression accounted for a major part of the increased migration seen in Src-transformed cells. Moreover, nontransformed cells suppressed Pdpn expression in adjacent Src-transformed cells. Of >39,000 genes, Pdpn was one of only 23 genes found to be induced by transforming Src activity and suppressed by contact normalization of Src-transformed cells. In addition, we found 16 genes suppressed by Src and induced by contact normalization. These genes encode growth factor receptors, adaptor proteins, and products that have not yet been annotated and may play important roles in tumor cell growth and migration. PMID:20123990

Evaluation of novel inducible promoter/repressor systems for recombinant protein expression in Lactobacillus plantarum.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiss, Silvia; Hörmann, Angelika; Tauer, Christopher; Sonnleitner, Margot; Egger, Esther; Grabherr, Reingard; Heinl, Stefan

2016-03-10

Engineering lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is of growing importance for food and feed industry as well as for in vivo vaccination or the production of recombinant proteins in food grade organisms. Often, expression of a transgene is only desired at a certain time point or period, e.g. to minimize the metabolic burden for the host cell or to control the expression time span. For this purpose, inducible expression systems are preferred, though cost and availability of the inducing agent must be feasible. We selected the plasmid free strain Lactobacillus plantarum 3NSH for testing and characterization of novel inducible promoters/repressor systems. Their feasibility in recombinant protein production was evaluated. Expression of the reporter protein mCherry was monitored with the BioLector(®) micro-fermentation system. Reporter gene mCherry expression was compared under the control of different promoter/repressor systems: PlacA (an endogenous promoter/repressor system derived from L. plantarum 3NSH), PxylA (a promoter/repressor system derived from Bacillus megaterium DSMZ 319) and PlacSynth (synthetic promoter and codon-optimized repressor gene based on the Escherichia coli lac operon). We observed that PlacA was inducible solely by lactose, but not by non-metabolizable allolactose analoga. PxylA was inducible by xylose, yet showed basal expression under non-induced conditions. Growth on galactose (as compared to exponential growth phase on glucose) reduced basal mCherry expression at non-induced conditions. PlacSynth was inducible with TMG (methyl β-D-thiogalactopyranoside) and IPTG (isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside), but also showed basal expression without inducer. The promoter PlacSynth was used for establishment of a dual plasmid expression system, based on T7 RNA polymerase driven expression in L. plantarum. Comparative Western blot supported BioLector(®) micro-fermentation measurements. Conclusively, overall expression levels were moderate (compared to a

Promoters of Escherichia coli versus promoter islands: function and structure comparison.

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Valeriy V Panyukov

Full Text Available Expression of bacterial genes takes place under the control of RNA polymerase with exchangeable σ-subunits and multiple transcription factors. A typical promoter region contains one or several overlapping promoters. In the latter case promoters have the same or different σ-specificity and are often subjected to different regulatory stimuli. Genes, transcribed from multiple promoters, have on average higher expression levels. However, recently in the genome of Escherichia coli we found 78 regions with an extremely large number of potential transcription start points (promoter islands, PIs. It was shown that all PIs interact with RNA polymerase in vivo and are able to form transcriptionally competent open complexes both in vitro and in vivo but their transcriptional activity measured by oligonucleotide microarrays was very low, if any. Here we confirmed transcriptional defectiveness of PIs by analyzing the 5'-end specific RNA-seq data, but showed their ability to produce short oligos (9-14 bases. This combination of functional properties indicated a deliberate suppression of transcriptional activity within PIs. According to our data this suppression may be due to a specific conformation of the DNA double helix, which provides an ideal platform for interaction with both RNA polymerase and the histone-like nucleoid protein H-NS. The genomic DNA of E.coli contains therefore several dozen sites optimized by evolution for staying in a heterochromatin-like state. Since almost all promoter islands are associated with horizontally acquired genes, we offer them as specific components of bacterial evolution involved in acquisition of foreign genetic material by turning off the expression of toxic or useless aliens or by providing optimal promoter for beneficial genes. The putative molecular mechanism underlying the appearance of promoter islands within recipient genomes is discussed.

Effect of cAMP signaling on expression of glucocorticoid receptor, Bim and Bad in glucocorticoid-sensitive and resistant leukemic and multiple myeloma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Hongli; Carlton, Michael E; Lerner, Adam; Epstein, Paul M

2015-01-01

Stimulation of cAMP signaling induces apoptosis in glucocorticoid-sensitive and resistant CEM leukemic and MM.1 multiple myeloma cell lines, and this effect is enhanced by dexamethasone in both glucocorticoid-sensitive cell types and in glucocorticoid-resistant CEM cells. Expression of the mRNA for the glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GR) promoters 1A3, 1B and 1C, expression of mRNA and protein for GR, and the BH3-only proapoptotic proteins, Bim and Bad, and the phosphorylation state of Bad were examined following stimulation of the cAMP and glucocorticoid signaling pathways. Expression levels of GR promoters were increased by cAMP and glucocorticoid signaling, but GR protein expression was little changed in CEM and decreased in MM.1 cells. Stimulation of these two signaling pathways induced Bim in CEM cells, induced Bad in MM.1 cells, and activated Bad, as indicated by its dephosphorylation on ser112, in both cell types. This study shows that leukemic and multiple myeloma cells, including those resistant to glucocorticoids, can be induced to undergo apoptosis by stimulating the cAMP signaling pathway, with enhancement by glucocorticoids, and the mechanism by which this occurs may be related to changes in Bim and Bad expression, and in all cases, to activation of Bad.

The analysis of correlation between IL-1B gene expression and genotyping in multiple sclerosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Heidary, Masoumeh; Rakhshi, Nahid; Pahlevan Kakhki, Majid; Behmanesh, Mehrdad; Sanati, Mohammad Hossein; Sanadgol, Nima; Kamaladini, Hossein; Nikravesh, Abbas

2014-08-15

IL-1B is released by monocytes, astrocytes and brain endothelial cells and seems to be involved in inflammatory reactions of the central nervous system (CNS) in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aims to evaluate the expression level of IL-1B mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), genotype the rs16944 SNP and find out the role of this SNP on the expression level of IL-1B in MS patients. We found that the expression level of IL-1B in MS patients increased 3.336 times more than controls in PBMCs but the rs16944 SNP in the promoter region of IL-1B did not affect the expression level of this gene and there was not association of this SNP with MS in the examined population. Also, our data did not reveal any correlation between normalized expressions of IL-1B gene with age of participants, age of onset, and disease duration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bivalent promoter marks and a latent enhancer may prime the leukaemia oncogene LMO1 for ectopic expression in T-cell leukaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Oram, S H; Thoms, J; Sive, J I; Calero-Nieto, F J; Kinston, S J; Schütte, J; Knezevic, K; Lock, R B; Pimanda, J E; Göttgens, B

2013-06-01

LMO1 is a transcriptional regulator and a T-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) oncogene. Although first identified in association with a chromosomal translocation in T-ALL, the ectopic expression of LMO1 occurs far more frequently in the absence of any known mutation involving its locus. Given that LMO1 is barely expressed in any haematopoietic lineage, and activation of transcriptional drivers in leukaemic cells is not well described, we investigated the regulation of this gene in normal haematopoietic and leukaemic cells. We show that LMO1 has two promoters that drive reporter gene expression in transgenic mice to neural tissues known to express endogenous LMO1. The LMO1 promoters display bivalent histone marks in multiple blood lineages including T-cells, and a 3' flanking region at LMO1 +57 contains a transcriptional enhancer that is active in developing blood cells in transgenic mouse embryos. The LMO1 promoters become activated in T-ALL together with the 3' enhancer, which is bound in primary T-ALL cells by SCL/TAL1 and GATA3. Taken together, our results show that LMO1 is poised for expression in normal progenitors, where activation of SCL/TAL1 together with a breakdown of epigenetic repression of LMO1 regulatory elements induces ectopic LMO1 expression that contributes to the development and maintenance of T-ALL.

CXCL17 expression by tumor cells recruits CD11b+Gr1 high F4/80- cells and promotes tumor progression.

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Aya Matsui

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chemokines are involved in multiple aspects of pathogenesis and cellular trafficking in tumorigenesis. In this study, we report that the latest member of the C-X-C-type chemokines, CXCL17 (DMC/VCC-1, recruits immature myeloid-derived cells and enhances early tumor progression. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: CXCL17 was preferentially expressed in some aggressive types of gastrointestinal, breast, and lung cancer cells. CXCL17 expression did not impart NIH3T3 cells with oncogenic potential in vitro, but CXCL17-expressing NIH3T3 cells could form vasculature-rich tumors in immunodeficient mice. Our data showed that CXCL17-expressing tumor cells increased immature CD11b(+Gr1(+ myeloid-derived cells at tumor sites in mice and promoted CD31(+ tumor angiogenesis. Extensive chemotactic assays proved that CXCL17-responding cells were CD11b(+Gr1(highF4/80(- cells (≈ 90% with a neutrophil-like morphology in vitro. Although CXCL17 expression could not increase the number of CD11b(+Gr1(+ cells in tumor-burdened SCID mice or promote metastases of low metastatic colon cancer cells, the existence of CXCL17-responding myeloid-derived cells caused a striking enhancement of xenograft tumor formation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that aberrant expression of CXCL17 in tumor cells recruits immature myeloid-derived cells and promotes tumor progression through angiogenesis.

Comparative study of four interleukin 17 cytokines of tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis: Genomic structure, expression pattern, and promoter activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Heng; Sun, Li

2015-11-01

The interleukin (IL)-17 cytokine family participates in the regulation of many cellular functions. In the present study, we analyzed the genomic structure, expression, and promoter activity of four IL-17 members from the teleost fish tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), i.e. CsIL-17C CsIL-17D, CsIL-17F, and IL-17F like (IL-17Fl). We found that CsIL-17C, CsIL-17D, CsIL-17F, and CsIL-17Fl share 21.2%-28.6% overall sequence identities among themselves and 31.5%-71.2% overall sequence identities with their counterparts in other teleost. All four CsIL-17 members possess an IL-17 domain and four conserved cysteine residues. Phylogenetic analysis classified the four CsIL-17 members into three clusters. Under normal physiological conditions, the four CsIL-17 expressed in multiple tissues, especially non-immune tissues. Bacterial infection upregulated the expression of all four CsIL-17, while viral infection upregulated the expression of CsIL-17D and CsIL-17Fl but downregulated the expression of CsIL-17C and CsIL-17F. The 1.2 kb 5'-flanking regions of the four CsIL-17 exhibited apparent promoter activity and contain a number of putative transcription factor-binding sites. Furthermore, the promoter activities of CsIL-17C, CsIL-17D, and CsIL-17F, but not CsIL-17Fl, were modulated to significant extents by lipopolysaccharide, PolyI:C, and PMA. This study provides the first evidence that in teleost, different IL-17 members differ in expression pattern and promoter activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The heptanucleotide motif GAGACGC is a key component of a cis-acting promoter element that is critical for SnSAG1 expression in Sarcocystis neurona.

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Gaji, Rajshekhar Y; Howe, Daniel K

2009-07-01

The apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis neurona undergoes a complex process of intracellular development, during which many genes are temporally regulated. The described study was undertaken to begin identifying the basic promoter elements that control gene expression in S. neurona. Sequence analysis of the 5'-flanking region of five S. neurona genes revealed a conserved heptanucleotide motif GAGACGC that is similar to the WGAGACG motif described upstream of multiple genes in Toxoplasma gondii. The promoter region for the major surface antigen gene SnSAG1, which contains three heptanucleotide motifs within 135 bases of the transcription start site, was dissected by functional analysis using a dual luciferase reporter assay. These analyses revealed that a minimal promoter fragment containing all three motifs was sufficient to drive reporter molecule expression, with the presence and orientation of the 5'-most heptanucleotide motif being absolutely critical for promoter function. Further studies should help to identify additional sequence elements important for promoter function and for controlling gene expression during intracellular development by this apicomplexan pathogen.

Tissue specific promoters improve the localization of radiation-inducible gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallahan, Dennis; Kataoka, Yasushi; Kuchibhotla, Jaya; Virudachalam, Subbu; Weichselbaum, Ralph

1996-01-01

Purpose: Site-specific activation of gene expression can be achieved by the use of a promoter that is induced by physical agents such as x-rays. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether site-specific activation of gene therapy can also be achieved within the vascular endothelium by use of radiation-inducible promoters. We studied induction of promoter-reporter gene constructs using previously identified radiation-promoters from c-jun, c-fos, Egr-1, ICAM-1, ELAM-1 after transfection into in the vascular endothelium. Methods: The following radiation-inducible genetic constructs were created: The ELAM-1 promoter fragment was cloned into pOGH to obtain the pE-sel(-587 +35)GH reporter construct. The ICAM-1 promoter fragment (-1162/+1) was cloned upstream of the CAT coding region of the pCAT-plasmid (Promega) after removal of the SV40 promoter by Bgl2/Stu1 digestion to create the pBS-CAT plasmid. The 132 to +170 bp segment of the 5' untranslated region of the c-jun promoter was cloned to the CAT reporter gene to create the -132/+170 cjun-CAT. The Egr-1 promoter fragment (-425/+75) was cloned upstream of the CAT coding region to create the pE425-CAT plasmid. Tandem repeats of the AP-1 binding site were cloned upstream of the CAT coding region (3 xTRE-CAT). Tandem repeats of the Egr binding site (EBS) were cloned upstream of the CAT coding region (EBS-CAT). Human vascular endothelial cells from both large vessel and small vessel origin (HUVEC and HMEC), as well as human tumor cell lines were transfected with plasmids -132/+170 cjun-CAT, pE425-CAT, 3 xTRE-CAT, EBS-CAT, pE-sel-GH and pBS-CAT by use of liposomes. Humor tumor cell lines included SQ20B (squamous), RIT3 (sarcoma), and HL525 (leukemia). Each plasmid was cotransfected with a plasmid containing a CMV promoter linked to the LacZ gene (1 μg). Transfected cells were treated with mock irradiation or x-rays. Cell extracts were assayed for reporter gene expression. Results: Radiation-induced gene

Role of promoter element in c-mpl gene expression induced by TPO.

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Sunohara, Masataka; Morikawa, Shigeru; Fuse, Akira; Sato, Iwao

2013-01-01

Thrombopoietin (TPO) and its receptor, c-Mpl, play the crucial role for the development of megakaryocyte and considered to regulate megakaryocytopoiesis. Previously we reported that TPO increased the c-mpl promoter activity determined by a transient expression system using a vector containing the luciferase gene as a reporter and the expression of the c-mpl gene is modulated by transcription through a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway in the megakaryoblastic cells. In this research, to elucidate the required elements in c-mpl promoter, the promoter activity of the deletion constructs and site-directed mutagenesis were measured by a transient transfection assay system. Destruction of -77GATA in c-mpl promoter decreased the activity by 22.8%. Our study elucidated that -77GATA involved in TPO-induced c-mpl gene expression in a human megakaryoblastic cell line, CMK.

A genome-wide study of DNA methylation patterns and gene expression levels in multiple human and chimpanzee tissues.

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Athma A Pai

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The modification of DNA by methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that affects the spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression. Methylation patterns have been described in many contexts within and across a range of species. However, the extent to which changes in methylation might underlie inter-species differences in gene regulation, in particular between humans and other primates, has not yet been studied. To this end, we studied DNA methylation patterns in livers, hearts, and kidneys from multiple humans and chimpanzees, using tissue samples for which genome-wide gene expression data were also available. Using the multi-species gene expression and methylation data for 7,723 genes, we were able to study the role of promoter DNA methylation in the evolution of gene regulation across tissues and species. We found that inter-tissue methylation patterns are often conserved between humans and chimpanzees. However, we also found a large number of gene expression differences between species that might be explained, at least in part, by corresponding differences in methylation levels. In particular, we estimate that, in the tissues we studied, inter-species differences in promoter methylation might underlie as much as 12%-18% of differences in gene expression levels between humans and chimpanzees.

PSMB4 promotes multiple myeloma cell growth by activating NF-κB-miR-21 signaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Peihao; Guo, Honggang [Department of Hematology, Navy General Hospital, Beijing 100048 (China); Li, Guangchao [School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Han, Siqi [Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing 210002 (China); Luo, Fei [Department of Stomatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing 210002 (China); Liu, Yi, E-mail: liuyi2033@163.com [Department of Hematology, Navy General Hospital, Beijing 100048 (China)

2015-03-06

Proteasomal subunit PSMB4, was recently identified as potential cancer driver genes in several tumors. However, the regulatory mechanism of PSMB4 on carcinogenesis process remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression and roles of PSMB4 in multiple myeloma (MM). We found a significant up-regulation of PSMB4 in MM plasma and cell lines. Ectopic overexpression of PSMB4 promoted cell growth and colony forming ability of MM cells, whereas inhibition of PSMB4 led to a decrease of such events. Furthermore, our results demonstrated the up-regulation of miR-21 and a positive correlation between the levels of miR-21 and PSMB4 in MM. Re-expression of miR-21 markedly rescued PSMB4 knockdown-mediated suppression of cell proliferation and clone-formation. Additionally, while enforced expression of PSMB4 profoundly increased NF-κB activity and the level of miR-21, PSMB4 knockdown or NF-κB inhibition suppressed miR-21 expression in MM cells. Taken together, our results demonstrated that PSMB4 regulated MM cell growth in part by activating NF-κB-miR-21 signaling, which may represent promising targets for novel specific therapies. - Highlights: • First reported upregulation of PSMB4 in MM plasma and cell lines. • PSMB4 promoted MM cell growth and colony forming ability. • Further found miR-21 was up-regulated by PSMB4 in MM plasma and cell lines. • PSMB4-induced miR-21 expression was modulated by NF-κB. • PSMB4-NF-κB-miR-21 axis may be potential therapeutic targets of MM.

Aberrant gene promoter methylation associated with sporadic multiple colorectal cancer.

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Victoria Gonzalo

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC multiplicity has been mainly related to polyposis and non-polyposis hereditary syndromes. In sporadic CRC, aberrant gene promoter methylation has been shown to play a key role in carcinogenesis, although little is known about its involvement in multiplicity. To assess the effect of methylation in tumor multiplicity in sporadic CRC, hypermethylation of key tumor suppressor genes was evaluated in patients with both multiple and solitary tumors, as a proof-of-concept of an underlying epigenetic defect. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examined a total of 47 synchronous/metachronous primary CRC from 41 patients, and 41 gender, age (5-year intervals and tumor location-paired patients with solitary tumors. Exclusion criteria were polyposis syndromes, Lynch syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. DNA methylation at the promoter region of the MGMT, CDKN2A, SFRP1, TMEFF2, HS3ST2 (3OST2, RASSF1A and GATA4 genes was evaluated by quantitative methylation specific PCR in both tumor and corresponding normal appearing colorectal mucosa samples. Overall, patients with multiple lesions exhibited a higher degree of methylation in tumor samples than those with solitary tumors regarding all evaluated genes. After adjusting for age and gender, binomial logistic regression analysis identified methylation of MGMT2 (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.97; p = 0.008 and RASSF1A (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.01 to 4.13; p = 0.047 as variables independently associated with tumor multiplicity, being the risk related to methylation of any of these two genes 4.57 (95% CI, 1.53 to 13.61; p = 0.006. Moreover, in six patients in whom both tumors were available, we found a correlation in the methylation levels of MGMT2 (r = 0.64, p = 0.17, SFRP1 (r = 0.83, 0.06, HPP1 (r = 0.64, p = 0.17, 3OST2 (r = 0.83, p = 0.06 and GATA4 (r = 0.6, p = 0.24. Methylation in normal appearing colorectal mucosa from patients with multiple and solitary CRC showed no relevant

Multiple regulatory mechanisms of hepatocyte growth factor expression in malignant cells with a short poly(dA) sequence in the HGF gene promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Kazuko; Takeda, Masayuki; Okamoto, Isamu; Nakagawa, Kazuhiko; Nishio, Kazuto

2015-01-01

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expression is a poor prognostic factor in various types of cancer. Expression levels of HGF have been reported to be regulated by shorter poly(dA) sequences in the promoter region. In the present study, the poly(dA) mononucleotide tract in various types of human cancer cell lines was examined and compared with the HGF expression levels in those cells. Short deoxyadenosine repeat sequences were detected in five of the 55 cell lines used in the present study. The H69, IM95, CCK-81, Sui73 and H28 cells exhibited a truncated poly(dA) sequence in which the number of poly(dA) repeats was reduced by ≥5 bp. Two of the cell lines exhibited high HGF expression, determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The CCK-81, Sui73 and H28 cells with shorter poly(dA) sequences exhibited low HGF expression. The cause of the suppression of HGF expression in the CCK-81, Sui73 and H28 cells was clarified by two approaches, suppression by methylation and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the HGF gene. Exposure to 5-Aza-dC, an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase 1, induced an increased expression of HGF in the CCK-81 cells, but not in the other cells. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs72525097 in intron 1 was detected in the Sui73 and H28 cells. Taken together, it was found that the defect of poly(dA) in the HGF promoter was present in various types of cancer, including lung, stomach, colorectal, pancreas and mesothelioma. The present study proposes the negative regulation mechanisms by methylation and SNP in intron 1 of HGF for HGF expression in cancer cells with short poly(dA).

Multiple promoters and alternative splicing: Hoxa5 transcriptional complexity in the mouse embryo.

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Yan Coulombe

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The genomic organization of Hox clusters is fundamental for the precise spatio-temporal regulation and the function of each Hox gene, and hence for correct embryo patterning. Multiple overlapping transcriptional units exist at the Hoxa5 locus reflecting the complexity of Hox clustering: a major form of 1.8 kb corresponding to the two characterized exons of the gene and polyadenylated RNA species of 5.0, 9.5 and 11.0 kb. This transcriptional intricacy raises the question of the involvement of the larger transcripts in Hox function and regulation.We have undertaken the molecular characterization of the Hoxa5 larger transcripts. They initiate from two highly conserved distal promoters, one corresponding to the putative Hoxa6 promoter, and a second located nearby Hoxa7. Alternative splicing is also involved in the generation of the different transcripts. No functional polyadenylation sequence was found at the Hoxa6 locus and all larger transcripts use the polyadenylation site of the Hoxa5 gene. Some larger transcripts are potential Hoxa6/Hoxa5 bicistronic units. However, even though all transcripts could produce the genuine 270 a.a. HOXA5 protein, only the 1.8 kb form is translated into the protein, indicative of its essential role in Hoxa5 gene function. The Hoxa6 mutation disrupts the larger transcripts without major phenotypic impact on axial specification in their expression domain. However, Hoxa5-like skeletal anomalies are observed in Hoxa6 mutants and these defects can be explained by the loss of expression of the 1.8 kb transcript. Our data raise the possibility that the larger transcripts may be involved in Hoxa5 gene regulation.Our observation that the Hoxa5 larger transcripts possess a developmentally-regulated expression combined to the increasing sum of data on the role of long noncoding RNAs in transcriptional regulation suggest that the Hoxa5 larger transcripts may participate in the control of Hox gene expression.

Cloning of a yeast alpha-amylase promoter and its regulated heterologous expression

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Johnway [Richland, WA; Skeen, Rodney S [Pendleton, OR; Hooker, Brian S [Kennewick, WA; Anderson, Daniel B [Pasco, WA

2003-04-01

The present invention provides the promoter clone discovery of an alpha-amylase gene of a starch utilizing yeast strain Schwanniomyces castellii. The isolated alpha-amylase promoter is an inducible promoter, which can regulate strong gene expression in starch culture medium.

Engineered promoters enable constant gene expression at any copy number in bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Segall-Shapiro, Thomas H; Sontag, Eduardo D; Voigt, Christopher A

2018-04-01

The internal environment of growing cells is variable and dynamic, making it difficult to introduce reliable parts, such as promoters, for genetic engineering. Here, we applied control-theoretic ideas to design promoters that maintained constant levels of expression at any copy number. Theory predicts that independence to copy number can be achieved by using an incoherent feedforward loop (iFFL) if the negative regulation is perfectly non-cooperative. We engineered iFFLs into Escherichia coli promoters using transcription-activator-like effectors (TALEs). These promoters had near-identical expression in different genome locations and plasmids, even when their copy number was perturbed by genomic mutations or changes in growth medium composition. We applied the stabilized promoters to show that a three-gene metabolic pathway to produce deoxychromoviridans could retain function without re-tuning when the stabilized-promoter-driven genes were moved from a plasmid into the genome.

PAX6 MiniPromoters drive restricted expression from rAAV in the adult mouse retina

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Jack W Hickmott

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Current gene therapies predominantly use small, strong, and readily available ubiquitous promoters. However, as the field matures, the availability of small, cell-specific promoters would be greatly beneficial. Here we design seven small promoters from the human paired box 6 (PAX6 gene and test them in the adult mouse retina using recombinant adeno-associated virus. We chose the retina due to previous successes in gene therapy for blindness, and the PAX6 gene since it is: well studied; known to be driven by discrete regulatory regions; expressed in therapeutically interesting retinal cell types; and mutated in the vision-loss disorder aniridia, which is in need of improved therapy. At the PAX6 locus, 31 regulatory regions were bioinformatically predicted, and nine regulatory regions were constructed into seven MiniPromoters. Driving Emerald GFP, these MiniPromoters were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus, and injected intravitreally into postnatal day 14 mice. Four MiniPromoters drove consistent retinal expression in the adult mouse, driving expression in combinations of cell-types that endogenously express Pax6: ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, and Müller glia. Two PAX6-MiniPromoters drive expression in three of the four cell types that express PAX6 in the adult mouse retina. Combined, they capture all four cell types, making them potential tools for research, and PAX6-gene therapy for aniridia.

PAX6 MiniPromoters drive restricted expression from rAAV in the adult mouse retina.

Science.gov (United States)

Hickmott, Jack W; Chen, Chih-Yu; Arenillas, David J; Korecki, Andrea J; Lam, Siu Ling; Molday, Laurie L; Bonaguro, Russell J; Zhou, Michelle; Chou, Alice Y; Mathelier, Anthony; Boye, Sanford L; Hauswirth, William W; Molday, Robert S; Wasserman, Wyeth W; Simpson, Elizabeth M

2016-01-01

Current gene therapies predominantly use small, strong, and readily available ubiquitous promoters. However, as the field matures, the availability of small, cell-specific promoters would be greatly beneficial. Here we design seven small promoters from the human paired box 6 (PAX6) gene and test them in the adult mouse retina using recombinant adeno-associated virus. We chose the retina due to previous successes in gene therapy for blindness, and the PAX6 gene since it is: well studied; known to be driven by discrete regulatory regions; expressed in therapeutically interesting retinal cell types; and mutated in the vision-loss disorder aniridia, which is in need of improved therapy. At the PAX6 locus, 31 regulatory regions were bioinformatically predicted, and nine regulatory regions were constructed into seven MiniPromoters. Driving Emerald GFP, these MiniPromoters were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus, and injected intravitreally into postnatal day 14 mice. Four MiniPromoters drove consistent retinal expression in the adult mouse, driving expression in combinations of cell-types that endogenously express Pax6: ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, and Müller glia. Two PAX6-MiniPromoters drive expression in three of the four cell types that express PAX6 in the adult mouse retina. Combined, they capture all four cell types, making them potential tools for research, and PAX6-gene therapy for aniridia.

5S rRNA Promoter for Guide RNA Expression Enabled Highly Efficient CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xiaomei; Zheng, Ping; Zhang, Kun; Cairns, Timothy C; Meyer, Vera; Sun, Jibin; Ma, Yanhe

2018-04-30

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a revolutionary genome editing tool. However, in eukaryotes, search and optimization of a suitable promoter for guide RNA expression is a significant technical challenge. Here we used the industrially important fungus, Aspergillus niger, to demonstrate that the 5S rRNA gene, which is both highly conserved and efficiently expressed in eukaryotes, can be used as a guide RNA promoter. The gene editing system was established with 100% rates of precision gene modifications among dozens of transformants using short (40-bp) homologous donor DNA. This system was also applicable for generation of designer chromosomes, as evidenced by deletion of a 48 kb gene cluster required for biosynthesis of the mycotoxin fumonisin B1. Moreover, this system also facilitated simultaneous mutagenesis of multiple genes in A. niger. We anticipate that the use of the 5S rRNA gene as guide RNA promoter can broadly be applied for engineering highly efficient eukaryotic CRISPR/Cas9 toolkits. Additionally, the system reported here will enable development of designer chromosomes in model and industrially important fungi.

GenoCAD Plant Grammar to Design Plant Expression Vectors for Promoter Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Coll, Anna; Wilson, Mandy L; Gruden, Kristina; Peccoud, Jean

2016-01-01

With the rapid advances in prediction tools for discovery of new promoters and their cis-elements, there is a need to improve plant expression methodologies in order to facilitate a high-throughput functional validation of these promoters in planta. The promoter-reporter analysis is an indispensible approach for characterization of plant promoters. It requires the design of complex plant expression vectors, which can be challenging. Here, we describe the use of a plant grammar implemented in GenoCAD that will allow the users to quickly design constructs for promoter analysis experiments but also for other in planta functional studies. The GenoCAD plant grammar includes a library of plant biological parts organized in structural categories to facilitate their use and management and a set of rules that guides the process of assembling these biological parts into large constructs.

Cancer cell specific cytotoxic gene expression mediated by ARF tumor suppressor promoter constructs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurayoshi, Kenta; Ozono, Eiko; Iwanaga, Ritsuko; Bradford, Andrew P.; Komori, Hideyuki; Ohtani, Kiyoshi

2014-01-01

Highlights: • ARF promoter showed higher responsiveness to deregulated E2F activity than the E2F1 promoter. • ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specificity than E2F1 promoter to drive gene expression. • HSV-TK driven by ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity than that driven by E2F1 promoter. - Abstract: In current cancer treatment protocols, such as radiation and chemotherapy, side effects on normal cells are major obstacles to radical therapy. To avoid these side effects, a cancer cell-specific approach is needed. One way to specifically target cancer cells is to utilize a cancer specific promoter to express a cytotoxic gene (suicide gene therapy) or a viral gene required for viral replication (oncolytic virotherapy). For this purpose, the selected promoter should have minimal activity in normal cells to avoid side effects, and high activity in a wide variety of cancers to obtain optimal therapeutic efficacy. In contrast to the AFP, CEA and PSA promoters, which have high activity only in a limited spectrum of tumors, the E2F1 promoter exhibits high activity in wide variety of cancers. This is based on the mechanism of carcinogenesis. Defects in the RB pathway and activation of the transcription factor E2F, the main target of the RB pathway, are observed in almost all cancers. Consequently, the E2F1 promoter, which is mainly regulated by E2F, has high activity in wide variety of cancers. However, E2F is also activated by growth stimulation in normal growing cells, suggesting that the E2F1 promoter may also be highly active in normal growing cells. In contrast, we found that the tumor suppressor ARF promoter is activated by deregulated E2F activity, induced by forced inactivation of pRB, but does not respond to physiological E2F activity induced by growth stimulation. We also found that the deregulated E2F activity, which activates the ARF promoter, is detected only in cancer cell lines. These observations suggest that ARF promoter

Cancer cell specific cytotoxic gene expression mediated by ARF tumor suppressor promoter constructs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurayoshi, Kenta [Department of Bioscience, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan); Ozono, Eiko [Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ (United Kingdom); Iwanaga, Ritsuko; Bradford, Andrew P. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045 (United States); Komori, Hideyuki [Center for Stem Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Ohtani, Kiyoshi, E-mail: btm88939@kwansei.ac.jp [Department of Bioscience, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan)

2014-07-18

Highlights: • ARF promoter showed higher responsiveness to deregulated E2F activity than the E2F1 promoter. • ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specificity than E2F1 promoter to drive gene expression. • HSV-TK driven by ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity than that driven by E2F1 promoter. - Abstract: In current cancer treatment protocols, such as radiation and chemotherapy, side effects on normal cells are major obstacles to radical therapy. To avoid these side effects, a cancer cell-specific approach is needed. One way to specifically target cancer cells is to utilize a cancer specific promoter to express a cytotoxic gene (suicide gene therapy) or a viral gene required for viral replication (oncolytic virotherapy). For this purpose, the selected promoter should have minimal activity in normal cells to avoid side effects, and high activity in a wide variety of cancers to obtain optimal therapeutic efficacy. In contrast to the AFP, CEA and PSA promoters, which have high activity only in a limited spectrum of tumors, the E2F1 promoter exhibits high activity in wide variety of cancers. This is based on the mechanism of carcinogenesis. Defects in the RB pathway and activation of the transcription factor E2F, the main target of the RB pathway, are observed in almost all cancers. Consequently, the E2F1 promoter, which is mainly regulated by E2F, has high activity in wide variety of cancers. However, E2F is also activated by growth stimulation in normal growing cells, suggesting that the E2F1 promoter may also be highly active in normal growing cells. In contrast, we found that the tumor suppressor ARF promoter is activated by deregulated E2F activity, induced by forced inactivation of pRB, but does not respond to physiological E2F activity induced by growth stimulation. We also found that the deregulated E2F activity, which activates the ARF promoter, is detected only in cancer cell lines. These observations suggest that ARF promoter

Dmp1 Promoter-Driven Diphtheria Toxin Receptor Transgene Expression Directs Unforeseen Effects in Multiple Tissues

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Ahmed Al-Jazzar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Mice harbouring a dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1 promoter-driven human diphtheria toxin (DT receptor (HDTR transgene (Tg have recently been used to attain targeted ablation of osteocytes by diphtheria toxin (DT treatment in order to define osteocyte function. Use of these Tg mice has asserted mechano- and novel paracrine regulatory osteocyte functions. To explore osteocyte roles fully, we sought to confirm the selectivity of DT effects in these transgenic mice. However, our findings revealed incomplete DT-induced osteocyte ablation, prevalent HDTR misexpression, as well as more prominent histopathological DT-induced changes in multiple organs in Tg than in wild-type (WT littermate mice. Mechanistic evidence for DT action, via prominent regulation of phosphorylation status of elongation factor-2 (EF-2, was also found in many non-skeletal tissues in Tg mice; indicative of direct “off-target” DT action. Finally, very rapid deterioration in health and welfare status in response to DT treatment was observed in these Tg when compared to WT control mice. Together, these data lead us to conclude that alternative models for osteocyte ablation should be sought and caution be exercised when drawing conclusions from experiments using these Tg mice alone.

Gene Expression in Class 2 Integrons Is SOS-Independent and Involves Two Pc Promoters.

Science.gov (United States)

Jové, Thomas; Da Re, Sandra; Tabesse, Aurore; Gassama-Sow, Amy; Ploy, Marie-Cécile

2017-01-01

Integrons are powerful bacterial genetic elements that permit the expression and dissemination of antibiotic-resistance gene cassettes. They contain a promoter Pc that allows the expression of gene cassettes captured through site-specific recombination catalyzed by IntI, the integron-encoded integrase. Class 1 and 2 integrons are found in both clinical and environmental settings. The regulation of intI and of Pc promoters has been extensively studied in class 1 integrons and the regulatory role of the SOS response on intI expression has been shown. Here we investigated class 2 integrons. We characterized the P intI2 promoter and showed that intI2 expression is not regulated via the SOS response. We also showed that, unlike class 1 integrons, class 2 integrons possess not one but two active Pc promoters that are located within the attI2 region that seem to contribute equally to gene cassette expression. Class 2 integrons mostly encode an inactive truncated integrase, but the rare class 2 integrons that encode an active integrase are associated with less efficient Pc2 promoter variants. We propose an evolutionary model for class 2 integrons in which the absence of repression of the integrase gene expression led to mutations resulting in either inactive integrase or Pc variants of weaker activity, thereby reducing the potential fitness cost of these integrons.

OCT4 increases BIRC5 and CCND1 expression and promotes cancer progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Lu; Wu, Mengchao; Zhang, Ying; Su, Changqing; Li, Chunguang; Shen, Shuwen; Yan, Yan; Ji, Weidan; Wang, Jinghan; Qian, Haihua; Jiang, Xiaoqing; Li, Zhigang

2013-01-01

OCT4 and BIRC5 are preferentially expressed in human cancer cells and mediate cancer cell survival and tumor maintenance. However, the molecular mechanism that regulates OCT4 and BIRC5 expression is not well characterized. By manipulating OCT4 and BIRC5 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, the regulatory mechanism of OCT4 on BIRC5 and CCND1 were investigated. Increasing or decreasing OCT4 expression could enhance or suppress BIRC5 expression, respectively, by regulating the activity of BIRC5 promoter. Because there is no binding site for OCT4 within BIRC5 promoter, the effect of OCT4 on BIRC5 promoter is indirect. An octamer motif for OCT4 in the CCND1 promoter has directly and partly participated in the regulation of CCND1 promoter activity, suggesting that OCT4 also could upregulated the expression of CCND1. Co-suppression of OCT4 and BIRC5 induced cancer cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, thereby efficiently inhibiting the proliferative activity of cancer cells and suppressing the growth of HCC xenogrfts in nude mice. OCT4 can upregulate BIRC5 and CCND1 expression by increasing their promoter activity. These factors collusively promotes HCC cell proliferation, and co-suppression of OCT4 and BIRC5 is potentially beneficial for HCC treatment

Systematic comparison of co-expression of multiple recombinant thermophilic enzymes in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hui; Huang, Rui; Zhang, Y-H Percival

2017-06-01

The precise control of multiple heterologous enzyme expression levels in one Escherichia coli strain is important for cascade biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, natural product synthesis, and studies of complexed proteins. We systematically investigated the co-expression of up to four thermophilic enzymes (i.e., α-glucan phosphorylase (αGP), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH)) in E. coli BL21(DE3) by adding T7 promoter or T7 terminator of each gene for multiple genes in tandem, changing gene alignment, and comparing one or two plasmid systems. It was found that the addition of T7 terminator after each gene was useful to decrease the influence of the upstream gene. The co-expression of the four enzymes in E. coli BL21(DE3) was demonstrated to generate two NADPH molecules from one glucose unit of maltodextrin, where NADPH was oxidized to convert xylose to xylitol. The best four-gene co-expression system was based on two plasmids (pET and pACYC) which harbored two genes. As a result, apparent enzymatic activities of the four enzymes were regulated to be at similar levels and the overall four-enzyme activity was the highest based on the formation of xylitol. This study provides useful information for the precise control of multi-enzyme-coordinated expression in E. coli BL21(DE3).

Aberrant microRNA expression in multiple myeloma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimopoulos, Konstantinos; Gimsing, Peter; Grønbæk, Kirsten

2013-01-01

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a devastating disease with a complex biology, and in spite of improved survivability by novel treatment strategies over the last decade, MM is still incurable by current therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at a post...

TGF-β promotes glioma cell growth via activating Nodal expression through Smad and ERK1/2 pathways

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Sun, Jing; Liu, Su-zhi; Lin, Yan; Cao, Xiao-pan; Liu, Jia-ming

2014-01-01

Highlights: •TGF-β promoted Nodal expression in glioma cells. •TGF-β promoted Nodal expression via activating Smad and ERK1/2 pathways. •TGF-β promotes glioma cell growth via activating Nodal expression. -- Abstract: While there were certain studies focusing on the mechanism of TGF-β promoting the growth of glioma cells, the present work revealed another novel mechanism that TGF-β may promote glioma cell growth via enhancing Nodal expression. Our results showed that Nodal expression was significantly upregulated in glioma cells when TGF-β was added, whereas the TGF-β-induced Nodal expression was evidently inhibited by transfection Smad2 or Smad3 siRNAs, and the suppression was especially significant when the Smad3 was downregulated. Another, the attenuation of TGF-β-induced Nodal expression was observed with blockade of the ERK1/2 pathway also. Further detection of the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of glioma cells indicated that Nodal overexpression promoted the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells and inhibited their apoptosis, resembling the effect of TGF-β addition. Downregulation of Nodal expression via transfection Nodal-specific siRNA in the presence of TGF-β weakened the promoting effect of the latter on glioma cells growth, and transfecting Nodal siRNA alone in the absence of exogenous TGF-β more profoundly inhibited the growth of glioma cells. These results demonstrated that while both TGF-β and Nodal promoted glioma cells growth, the former might exert such effect by enhancing Nodal expression, which may form a new target for glioma therapy

CD147 Promotes CXCL1 Expression and Modulates Liver Fibrogenesis

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Wen-Pu Shi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs release pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic factors. CXC chemokine-ligand-1 (CXCL1 is expressed on HSCs. We previously found that the CD147 is overexpressed in activated HSCs. In this study, we showed an important role of CD147 in promoting liver fibrosis by activating HSCs and upregulating expression of chemokines. Specifically, we found that CD147 specific deletion in HSCs mice alleviated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and inhibited HSCs activation. Overexpression of CD147 upregulated the secretion of CXCL1. Meanwhile, CXCL1 promoted HSCs activation through autocrine. Treating with PI3K/AKT inhibitor could effectively suppress CD147-induced CXCL1 expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that CD147 regulates CXCL1 release in HSCs by PI3K/AKT signaling. Inhibition of CD147 attenuates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and inflammation. Therefore, administration of targeting CD147 could be a promising therapeutic strategy in liver fibrosis.

The HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein induces centriole multiplication through deregulation of Polo-like kinase 4 expression

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Duensing Stefan

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs such as HPV-16 is intimately associated with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs of the anogenital tract and a subset of oropharyngeal carcinomas. Such lesions, including pre-invasive precursors, frequently show multipolar mitoses and aneuploidy. The high-risk HPV-16-encoded E7 oncoprotein has been shown to rapidly induce centrosome abnormalities thereby causing the formation of supernumerary mitotic spindle poles and increasing the risk for chromosome missegregation. HPV-16 E7 has been found to rapidly induce centriole overduplication, in part, through the simultaneous formation of more than one daughter centriole at single maternal centrioles (centriole multiplication. The precise molecular mechanism that underlies HPV-16 E7-induced centriole multiplication, however, remains poorly understood. Findings Here, we show that human keratinocytes engineered to stably express the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein exhibit aberrant Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4 protein expression at maternal centrioles. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR analysis of these cells revealed an increase of PLK4 mRNA levels compared to control cells. Importantly, the ability of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein to induce centriole multiplication was found to correlate with its ability to activate the PLK4 promoter and to up-regulate PLK4 mRNA. Conclusions These results highlight the critical role of PLK4 transcriptional deregulation in centriole multiplication in HPV-16 E7-expressing cells. Our findings encourage further experiments to test transcriptional inhibitors or small molecules targeting PLK4 to prevent centriole abnormalities, mitotic infidelity and malignant progression in HPV-associated neoplasms and other tumors in which PLK4 regulation is disrupted.

Quantitative Analyses of Core Promoters Enable Precise Engineering of Regulated Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells

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Ede, Christopher; Chen, Ximin; Lin, Meng-Yin; Chen, Yvonne Y.

2016-01-01

Inducible transcription systems play a crucial role in a wide array of synthetic biology circuits. However, the majority of inducible promoters are constructed from a limited set of tried-and-true promoter parts, which are susceptible to common shortcomings such as high basal expression levels (i.e., leakiness). To expand the toolbox for regulated mammalian gene expression and facilitate the construction of mammalian genetic circuits with precise functionality, we quantitatively characterized a panel of eight core promoters, including sequences with mammalian, viral, and synthetic origins. We demonstrate that this selection of core promoters can provide a wide range of basal gene expression levels and achieve a gradient of fold-inductions spanning two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, commonly used parts such as minimal CMV and minimal SV40 promoters were shown to achieve robust gene expression upon induction, but also suffer from high levels of leakiness. In contrast, a synthetic promoter, YB_TATA, was shown to combine low basal expression with high transcription rate in the induced state to achieve significantly higher fold-induction ratios compared to all other promoters tested. These behaviors remain consistent when the promoters are coupled to different genetic outputs and different response elements, as well as across different host-cell types and DNA copy numbers. We apply this quantitative understanding of core promoter properties to the successful engineering of human T cells that respond to antigen stimulation via chimeric antigen receptor signaling specifically under hypoxic environments. Results presented in this study can facilitate the design and calibration of future mammalian synthetic biology systems capable of precisely programmed functionality. PMID:26883397

MGMT DNA repair gene promoter/enhancer haplotypes alter transcription factor binding and gene expression.

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Xu, Meixiang; Cross, Courtney E; Speidel, Jordan T; Abdel-Rahman, Sherif Z

2016-10-01

The O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protein removes O 6 -alkyl-guanine adducts from DNA. MGMT expression can thus alter the sensitivity of cells and tissues to environmental and chemotherapeutic alkylating agents. Previously, we defined the haplotype structure encompassing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MGMT promoter/enhancer (P/E) region and found that haplotypes, rather than individual SNPs, alter MGMT promoter activity. The exact mechanism(s) by which these haplotypes exert their effect on MGMT promoter activity is currently unknown, but we noted that many of the SNPs comprising the MGMT P/E haplotypes are located within or in close proximity to putative transcription factor binding sites. Thus, these haplotypes could potentially affect transcription factor binding and, subsequently, alter MGMT promoter activity. In this study, we test the hypothesis that MGMT P/E haplotypes affect MGMT promoter activity by altering transcription factor (TF) binding to the P/E region. We used a promoter binding TF profiling array and a reporter assay to evaluate the effect of different P/E haplotypes on TF binding and MGMT expression, respectively. Our data revealed a significant difference in TF binding profiles between the different haplotypes evaluated. We identified TFs that consistently showed significant haplotype-dependent binding alterations (p ≤ 0.01) and revealed their role in regulating MGMT expression using siRNAs and a dual-luciferase reporter assay system. The data generated support our hypothesis that promoter haplotypes alter the binding of TFs to the MGMT P/E and, subsequently, affect their regulatory function on MGMT promoter activity and expression level.

CNPY2 promoted the proliferation of renal cell carcinoma cells and increased the expression of TP53

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Taniguchi, Hidefumi; Ito, Saya; Ueda, Takashi; Morioka, Yukako; Kayukawa, Naruhiro; Ueno, Akihisa; Nakagawa, Hideo; Fujihara, Atsuko; Ushijima, So; Kanazawa, Motohiro; Hongo, Fumiya; Ukimura, Osamu

2017-01-01

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the progression of the disease are not well understood. The data in this report suggest that canopy FGF signaling regulator 2 (CNPY2) is a promoter of RCC progression. We found that CNPY2 significantly promoted growth of RCC cells and upregulated TP53 gene expression. Although TP53 is widely known as a tumor suppressor, in RCC TP53 promoted tumor cell growth. A typical p53 target gene, CDKN1A, was upregulated by both p53 and CNPY2 in RCC cells, suggesting that CNPY2 increased the expression level of TP53. Consistent with these results, CNPY2 and TP53 expression levels were positively correlated in RCC patients. These findings suggested that CNPY2 promoted cancer cell growth in RCC through regulating TP53 gene expression. - Highlights: • CNPY2 promoted growth of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. • TP53 expression levels were increased by CNPY2 in RCC cells. • Growth of RCC cells was promoted by TP53. • CNPY2 expression positively correlated with TP53 expression in RCC patients.

Fine-mapping identifies multiple prostate cancer risk loci at 5p15, one of which associates with TERT expression

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Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Saunders, Edward J.; Leongamornlert, Daniel A.; Tymrakiewicz, Malgorzata; Dadaev, Tokhir; Jugurnauth-Little, Sarah; Ross-Adams, Helen; Al Olama, Ali Amin; Benlloch, Sara; Halim, Silvia; Russel, Roslin; Dunning, Alison M.; Luccarini, Craig; Dennis, Joe; Neal, David E.; Hamdy, Freddie C.; Donovan, Jenny L.; Muir, Ken; Giles, Graham G.; Severi, Gianluca; Wiklund, Fredrik; Gronberg, Henrik; Haiman, Christopher A.; Schumacher, Fredrick; Henderson, Brian E.; Le Marchand, Loic; Lindstrom, Sara; Kraft, Peter; Hunter, David J.; Gapstur, Susan; Chanock, Stephen; Berndt, Sonja I.; Albanes, Demetrius; Andriole, Gerald; Schleutker, Johanna; Weischer, Maren; Canzian, Federico; Riboli, Elio; Key, Tim J.; Travis, Ruth C.; Campa, Daniele; Ingles, Sue A.; John, Esther M.; Hayes, Richard B.; Pharoah, Paul; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Stanford, Janet L.; Ostrander, Elaine A.; Signorello, Lisa B.; Thibodeau, Stephen N.; Schaid, Dan; Maier, Christiane; Vogel, Walther; Kibel, Adam S.; Cybulski, Cezary; Lubinski, Jan; Cannon-Albright, Lisa; Brenner, Hermann; Park, Jong Y.; Kaneva, Radka; Batra, Jyotsna; Spurdle, Amanda; Clements, Judith A.; Teixeira, Manuel R.; Govindasami, Koveela; Guy, Michelle; Wilkinson, Rosemary A.; Sawyer, Emma J.; Morgan, Angela; Dicks, Ed; Baynes, Caroline; Conroy, Don; Bojesen, Stig E.; Kaaks, Rudolf; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, François; Tessier, Daniel C.; Easton, Douglas F.; Eeles, Rosalind A.

2013-01-01

Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 5p15 and multiple cancer types have been reported. We have previously shown evidence for a strong association between prostate cancer (PrCa) risk and rs2242652 at 5p15, intronic in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene that encodes TERT. To comprehensively evaluate the association between genetic variation across this region and PrCa, we performed a fine-mapping analysis by genotyping 134 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array or Sequenom MassArray iPlex, followed by imputation of 1094 SNPs in 22 301 PrCa cases and 22 320 controls in The PRACTICAL consortium. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified four signals in the promoter or intronic regions of TERT that independently associated with PrCa risk. Gene expression analysis of normal prostate tissue showed evidence that SNPs within one of these regions also associated with TERT expression, providing a potential mechanism for predisposition to disease. PMID:23535824

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

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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.

An amplified promoter system for targeted expression of calcium indicator proteins in the cerebellar cortex

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Bernd eKuhn

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Recording of identified neuronal network activity using genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs requires labeling that is cell type-specific and bright enough for the detection of functional signals. However, specificity and strong expression are often not achievable using the same promoter. Here we present a combinatorial approach for targeted expression and single-cell-level quantification in which a weak promoter is used to drive trans-amplification under a strong general promoter. We demonstrated this approach using recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs to deliver the sequence of the GECI D3cpv in the mouse cerebellar cortex. Direct expression under the human synapsin promoter (hSYN led to high levels of expression (50-100 µM in five interneuron types of the cerebellar cortex but not in Purkinje cells (PCs (≤10 μM, yielding sufficient contrast to allow functional signals to be recorded from somata and processes in awake animals using two-photon microscopy. When the hSYN promoter was used to drive expression of the tetracycline transactivator (tTA, a second rAAV containing the bidirectional TET promoter (Ptetbi could drive strong D3cpv expression in PCs (10-300 µM, enough to allow reliable complex spike detection in the dendritic arbor. An amplified approach should be of use in monitoring neural processing in selected cell types and boosting expression of optogenetic probes. Additionally, we overcome cell toxicity associated with rAAV injection and/or local GECI overexpression by combining the virus injection with systemic pre-injection of hyperosmotic D-mannitol, and by this double the time window for functional imaging.

NADPH promotes the rapid growth of the tumor

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Hao Sheng

2018-04-01

Full Text Available NADPH oxidase is the main source of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS. ROS plays an important role in a variety of tumor types. The ROS mediated by NADPH oxidase increases the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-α through multiple signaling pathways in tumor, and HIF-α could be regulated and controlled by downstream multiple targeted genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor, glucose transporter to promote tumor angiogenesis, cell energy metabolism reprogram and tumor metastasis. Meanwhile, HIF-α can also regulate the expression of NADPH oxidase by ROS, thus further promoting development of tumor. In this review, we summarized the functions of NADPH in tumorigenesis and discussed their potential implications in cancer therapy.

EphrinB1 expression is dysregulated and promotes oncogenic signaling in medulloblastoma.

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McKinney, Nicole; Yuan, Liangping; Zhang, Hongying; Liu, Jingbo; Cho, Yoon-Jae; Rushing, Elisabeth; Schniederjan, Matthew; MacDonald, Tobey J

2015-01-01

Eph receptors and ephrin ligands are master regulators of oncogenic signaling required for proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Yet, Eph/ephrin expression and activity in medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood, remains poorly defined. We hypothesized that Eph/ephrins are differentially expressed by sonic hedgehog (SHH) and non-SHH MB and that specific members contribute to the aggressive phenotype. Affymetrix gene expression profiling of 29 childhood MB, separated into SHH (N = 11) and non-SHH (N = 18), was performed followed by protein validation of selected Eph/ephrins in another 60 MB and two MB cell lines (DAOY, D556). Functional assays were performed using MB cells overexpressing or deleted for selected ephrins. We found EPHB4 and EFNA4 almost exclusively expressed by SHH MB, whereas EPHA2, EPHA8, EFNA1 and EFNA3 are predominantly expressed by non-SHH MB. The remaining family members, except EFNB1, are ubiquitously expressed by over 70-90 % MB, irrespective of subgroup. EFNB1 is the only member differentially expressed by 28 % of SHH and non-SHH MB. Corresponding protein expression for EphB/ephrinB1 and B2 was validated in MB. Only ephrinB2 was also detected in fetal cerebellum, indicating that EphB/ephrinB1 expression is MB-specific. EphrinB1 immunopositivity localizes to tumor cells within MB with the highest proliferative index. EphrinB1 overexpression promotes EphB activation, alters F-actin distribution and morphology, decreases adhesion, and significantly promotes proliferation. Either silencing or overexpression of ephrinB1 impairs migration. These results indicate that EphrinB1 is uniquely dysregulated in MB and promotes oncogenic responses in MB cells, implicating ephrinB1 as a potential target.

Differential expression of estrogen receptor α and β isoforms in multiple and solitary leiomyomas

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Shao, Ruyue; Fang, Liaoqiong; Xing, Ruoxi; Xiong, Yu; Fang, Liaoqiong; Wang, Zhibiao

2015-01-01

Uterine leiomyomas are benign myometrial neoplasms that function as one of the common indications for hysterectomy. Clinical and biological evidences indicate that uterine leiomyomas are estrogen-dependent. Estrogen stimulates cell proliferation through binding to the estrogen receptor (ER), of which both subtypes α and β are present in leiomyomas. Clinically, leiomyomas may be singular or multiple, where the first one is rarely recurring if removed and the latter associated to a relatively young age or genetic predisposition. These markedly different clinical phenotypes indicate that there may different mechanism causing a similar smooth muscle response. To investigate the relative expression of ERα and ERβ in multiple and solitary uterine leiomyomas, we collected samples from 35 Chinese women (multiple leiomyomas n = 20, solitary leiomyoma n = 15) undergoing surgery to remove uterine leiomyomas. ELISA assay was performed to detect estrogen(E_2) concentration. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed to detect ERα and ERβ mRNA expression. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to detect ERα and ERβ protein expression. We found that ERα mRNA and protein levels of in multiple leiomyomas were significantly lower than those of solitary leiomyomas, whereas ERβ mRNA and protein levels in multiple leiomyomas were significantly higher than those in solitary leiomyomas, irrespectively of the menstrual cycle stage. In both multiple and solitary leiomyomas, ERα expression was higher than that of ERβ. E_2 concentration in multiple and solitary leiomyomas correlated with that of ERα expression. ERα was present in nuclus and cytoplasma while estrogen receptor β localized only in nuclei in both multiple and solitary leiomyomas. Our findings suggest that the difference of ERα and ERβ expression between multiple and solitary leiomyomas may be responsible for the course of the disease subtypes. - Highlights: • In both multiple

Differential expression of estrogen receptor α and β isoforms in multiple and solitary leiomyomas

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Shao, Ruyue; Fang, Liaoqiong [State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Engineering in Medicine Co-Founded by Chongqing and The Ministry of Science and Technology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Xing, Ruoxi [Institute of Life Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Xiong, Yu [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chongqing Hifu Hospital, Chongqing 401121 (China); Fang, Liaoqiong, E-mail: lqfang06@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Engineering in Medicine Co-Founded by Chongqing and The Ministry of Science and Technology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Wang, Zhibiao, E-mail: wangzb@cqmu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Engineering in Medicine Co-Founded by Chongqing and The Ministry of Science and Technology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China)

2015-12-04

Uterine leiomyomas are benign myometrial neoplasms that function as one of the common indications for hysterectomy. Clinical and biological evidences indicate that uterine leiomyomas are estrogen-dependent. Estrogen stimulates cell proliferation through binding to the estrogen receptor (ER), of which both subtypes α and β are present in leiomyomas. Clinically, leiomyomas may be singular or multiple, where the first one is rarely recurring if removed and the latter associated to a relatively young age or genetic predisposition. These markedly different clinical phenotypes indicate that there may different mechanism causing a similar smooth muscle response. To investigate the relative expression of ERα and ERβ in multiple and solitary uterine leiomyomas, we collected samples from 35 Chinese women (multiple leiomyomas n = 20, solitary leiomyoma n = 15) undergoing surgery to remove uterine leiomyomas. ELISA assay was performed to detect estrogen(E{sub 2}) concentration. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed to detect ERα and ERβ mRNA expression. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to detect ERα and ERβ protein expression. We found that ERα mRNA and protein levels of in multiple leiomyomas were significantly lower than those of solitary leiomyomas, whereas ERβ mRNA and protein levels in multiple leiomyomas were significantly higher than those in solitary leiomyomas, irrespectively of the menstrual cycle stage. In both multiple and solitary leiomyomas, ERα expression was higher than that of ERβ. E{sub 2} concentration in multiple and solitary leiomyomas correlated with that of ERα expression. ERα was present in nuclus and cytoplasma while estrogen receptor β localized only in nuclei in both multiple and solitary leiomyomas. Our findings suggest that the difference of ERα and ERβ expression between multiple and solitary leiomyomas may be responsible for the course of the disease subtypes. - Highlights: • In both

FGF‐2 promotes osteocyte differentiation through increased E11/podoplanin expression

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Ikpegbu, Ekele; Basta, Lena; Clements, Dylan N.; Fleming, Robert; Vincent, Tonia L.; Buttle, David J.; Pitsillides, Andrew A.; Farquharson, Colin

2018-01-01

E11/podoplanin is critical in the early stages of osteoblast‐to‐osteocyte transitions (osteocytogenesis), however, the upstream events which regulate E11 expression are unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of FGF‐2 on E11‐mediated osteocytogenesis and to reveal the nature of the underlying signaling pathways regulating this process. Exposure of MC3T3 osteoblast‐like cells and murine primary osteoblasts to FGF‐2 (10 ng/ml) increased E11 mRNA and protein expression (p 70% reduction of basal E11 mRNA expression (p < 0.05) and effectively abrogated FGF‐2‐related changes in E11 expression and dendrite formation. FGF‐2 strongly activated the ERK signaling pathway in osteoblast‐like cells but inhibition of this pathway did not block the ability of FGF‐2 to enhance E11 expression or to promote acquisition of the osteocyte phenotype. The results of this study highlight a novel mechanism by which FGF‐2 can regulate osteoblast differentiation and osteocyte formation. Specifically, the data suggests that FGF‐2 promotes osteocytogenesis through increased E11 expression and further studies will identify if this regulatory pathway is essential for bone development and maintenance in health and disease. PMID:29215722

The Effect of Fearful Expressions on Multiple Face Tracking

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Hongjun Jin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available How does the visual system realize dynamic tracking? This topic has become popular within cognitive science in recent years. The classical theory argues that multiple object tracking is accomplished via pre-attention visual indexes as part of a cognitively impenetrable low-level visual system. The present research aimed to investigate whether and how tracking processes are influenced by facial expressions that convey abundant social information about one’s mental state and situated environment. The results showed that participants tracked fearful faces more effectively than neutral faces. However, this advantage was only present under the low-attentional load condition, and distractor face emotion did not impact tracking performance. These findings imply that visual tracking is not driven entirely by low-level vision and encapsulated by high-level representations; rather, that facial expressions, a kind of social information, are able to influence dynamic tracking. Furthermore, the effect of fearful expressions on multiple face tracking is mediated by the availability of attentional resources.

Novel strong tissue specific promoter for gene expression in human germ cells

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Kuzmin Denis

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tissue specific promoters may be utilized for a variety of applications, including programmed gene expression in cell types, tissues and organs of interest, for developing different cell culture models or for use in gene therapy. We report a novel, tissue-specific promoter that was identified and engineered from the native upstream regulatory region of the human gene NDUFV1 containing an endogenous retroviral sequence. Results Among seven established human cell lines and five primary cultures, this modified NDUFV1 upstream sequence (mNUS was active only in human undifferentiated germ-derived cells (lines Tera-1 and EP2102, where it demonstrated high promoter activity (~twice greater than that of the SV40 early promoter, and comparable to the routinely used cytomegaloviral promoter. To investigate the potential applicability of the mNUS promoter for biotechnological needs, a construct carrying a recombinant cytosine deaminase (RCD suicide gene under the control of mNUS was tested in cell lines of different tissue origin. High cytotoxic effect of RCD with a cell-death rate ~60% was observed only in germ-derived cells (Tera-1, whereas no effect was seen in a somatic, kidney-derived control cell line (HEK293. In further experiments, we tested mNUS-driven expression of a hyperactive Sleeping Beauty transposase (SB100X. The mNUS-SB100X construct mediated stable transgene insertions exclusively in germ-derived cells, thereby providing further evidence of tissue-specificity of the mNUS promoter. Conclusions We conclude that mNUS may be used as an efficient promoter for tissue-specific gene expression in human germ-derived cells in many applications. Our data also suggest that the 91 bp-long sequence located exactly upstream NDUFV1 transcriptional start site plays a crucial role in the activity of this gene promoter in vitro in the majority of tested cell types (10/12, and an important role - in the rest two cell lines.

c-Myc activates BRCA1 gene expression through distal promoter elements in breast cancer cells

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Chen, Yinghua; Xu, Jinhua; Borowicz, Stanley; Collins, Cindy; Huo, Dezheng; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I

2011-01-01

The BRCA1 gene plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. BRCA1 inactivation contributes to breast cancer tumorigenesis. An increasing number of transcription factors have been shown to regulate BRCA1 expression. c-Myc can act as a transcriptional activator, regulating up to 15% of all genes in the human genome and results from a high throughput screen suggest that BRCA1 is one of its targets. In this report, we used cultured breast cancer cells to examine the mechanisms of transcriptional activation of BRCA1 by c-Myc. c-Myc was depleted using c-Myc-specific siRNAs in cultured breast cancer cells. BRCA1 mRNA expression and BRCA1 protein expression were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot, respectively and BRCA1 promoter activities were examined under these conditions. DNA sequence analysis was conducted to search for high similarity to E boxes in the BRCA1 promoter region. The association of c-Myc with the BRCA1 promoter in vivo was tested by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We investigated the function of the c-Myc binding site in the BRCA1 promoter region by a promoter assay with nucleotide substitutions in the putative E boxes. BRCA1-dependent DNA repair activities were measured by a GFP-reporter assay. Depletion of c-Myc was found to be correlated with reduced expression levels of BRCA1 mRNA and BRCA1 protein. Depletion of c-Myc decreased BRCA1 promoter activity, while ectopically expressed c-Myc increased BRCA1 promoter activity. In the distal BRCA1 promoter, DNA sequence analysis revealed two tandem clusters with high similarity, and each cluster contained a possible c-Myc binding site. c-Myc bound to these regions in vivo. Nucleotide substitutions in the c-Myc binding sites in these regions abrogated c-Myc-dependent promoter activation. Furthermore, breast cancer cells with reduced BRCA1 expression due to depletion of c-Myc exhibited impaired DNA repair activity. The distal BRCA1 promoter region is associated with c

Evaluation of schistosome promoter expression for transgenesis and genetic analysis.

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Shuang Liang

Full Text Available Schistosome worms of the genus Schistosoma are the causative agents of schistosomiasis, a devastating parasitic disease affecting more than 240 million people worldwide. Schistosomes have complex life cycles, and have been challenging to manipulate genetically due to the dearth of molecular tools. Although the use of gene overexpression, gene knockouts or knockdowns are straight-forward genetic tools applied in many model systems, gene misexpression and genetic manipulation of schistosome genes in vivo has been exceptionally challenging, and plasmid based transfection inducing gene expression is limited. We recently reported the use of polyethyleneimine (PEI as a simple and effective method for schistosome transfection and gene expression. Here, we use PEI-mediated schistosome plasmid transgenesis to define and compare gene expression profiles from endogenous and nonendogenous promoters in the schistosomula stage of schistosomes that are potentially useful to misexpress (underexpress or overexpress gene product levels. In addition, we overexpress schistosome genes in vivo using a strong promoter and show plasmid-based misregulation of genes in schistosomes, producing a clear and distinct phenotype--death. These data focus on the schistosomula stage, but they foreshadow strong potential for genetic characterization of schistosome molecular pathways, and potential for use in overexpression screens and drug resistance studies in schistosomes using plasmid-based gene expression.

Pim kinases phosphorylate multiple sites on Bad and promote 14-3-3 binding and dissociation from Bcl-XL

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Hastie C James

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pim-1, 2 and 3 are a group of enzymes related to the calcium calmodulin family of protein kinases. Over-expression of Pim-1 and Pim-2 in mice promotes the development of lymphomas, and up-regulation of Pim expression has been observed in several human cancers. Results Here we show that the pim kinases are constitutively active when expressed in HEK-293 cells and are able to phosphorylate the Bcl-2 family member Bad on three residues, Ser112, Ser136 and Ser155 in vitro and in cells. In vitro mapping showed that Pim-2 predominantly phosphorylated Ser112, while Pim-1 phosphorylated Ser112, but also Ser136 and Ser155 at a reduced rate compared to Ser112. Pim-3 was found to be the least specific for Ser112, and the most effective at phosphorylating Ser136 and Ser155. Pim-3 was also able to phosphorylate other sites in Bad in vitro, including Ser170, another potential in vivo site. Mutation of Ser136 to alanine prevented the phosphorylation of Ser112 and Ser155 by Pim kinases in HEK-293 cells, suggesting that this site must be phosphorylated first in order to make the other sites accessible. Pim phosphorylation of Bad was also found to promote the 14-3-3 binding of Bad and block its association with Bcl-XL. Conclusion All three Pim kinase family members predominantly phosphorylate Bad on Ser112 and in addition are capable of phosphorylating Bad on multiple sites associated with the inhibition of the pro-apoptotic function of Bad in HEK-293 cells. This would be consistent with the proposed function of Pim kinases in promoting cell proliferation and preventing cell death.

GABAA receptor-expressing neurons promote consumption in Drosophila melanogaster.

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Cheung, Samantha K; Scott, Kristin

2017-01-01

Feeding decisions are highly plastic and bidirectionally regulated by neurons that either promote or inhibit feeding. In Drosophila melanogaster, recent studies have identified four GABAergic interneurons that act as critical brakes to prevent incessant feeding. These GABAergic neurons may inhibit target neurons that drive consumption. Here, we tested this hypothesis by examining GABA receptors and neurons that promote consumption. We find that Resistance to dieldrin (RDL), a GABAA type receptor, is required for proper control of ingestion. Knockdown of Rdl in a subset of neurons causes overconsumption of tastants. Acute activation of these neurons is sufficient to drive consumption of appetitive substances and non-appetitive substances and acute silencing of these neurons decreases consumption. Taken together, these studies identify GABAA receptor-expressing neurons that promote Drosophila ingestive behavior and provide insight into feeding regulation.

Glucocorticoid receptor gene expression and promoter CpG modifications throughout the human brain.

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Cao-Lei, Lei; Suwansirikul, Songkiet; Jutavijittum, Prapan; Mériaux, Sophie B; Turner, Jonathan D; Muller, Claude P

2013-11-01

Glucocorticoids and the glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors have been implicated in many processes, particularly in negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Epigenetically programmed GR alternative promoter usage underlies transcriptional control of GR levels, generation of GR 3' splice variants, and the overall GC response in the brain. No detailed analysis of GR first exons or GR transcript variants throughout the human brain has been reported. Therefore we investigated post mortem tissues from 28 brain regions of 5 individuals. GR first exons were expressed throughout the healthy human brain with no region-specific usage patterns. First exon levels were highly inter-correlated suggesting that they are co-regulated. GR 3' splice variants (GRα and GR-P) were equally distributed in all regions, and GRβ expression was always low. GR/MR ratios showed significant differences between the 28 tissues with the highest ratio in the pituitary gland. Modification levels of individual CpG dinucleotides, including 5-mC and 5-hmC, in promoters 1D, 1E, 1F, and 1H were low, and diffusely clustered; despite significant heterogeneity between the donors. In agreement with this clustering, sum modification levels rather than individual CpG modifications correlated with GR expression. Two-way ANOVA showed that this sum modification was both promoter and brain region specific, but that there was however no promoter*tissue interaction. The heterogeneity between donors may however hide such an interaction. In both promoters 1F and 1H modification levels correlated with GRα expression suggesting that 5-mC and 5-hmC play an important role in fine tuning GR expression levels throughout the brain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of mtl operon promoter of Bacillus subtilis: requirements of its use in expression vectors

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Altenbuchner Josef

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several vector systems have been developed to express any gene desired to be studied in Bacillus subtilis. Among them, the transcriptionally regulated promoters involved in carbohydrate utilization are a research priority. Expression systems based on Bacillus promoters for xylose, maltose, and mannose utilization, as well as on the heterologous E. coli lactose promoter, have been successfully constructed. The promoter of the mtlAFD operon for utilization of mannitol is another promising candidate for its use in expression vectors. In this study, we investigated the regulation of the mtl genes in order to identify the elements needed to construct a strong mannitol inducible expression system in B. subtilis. Results Regulation of the promoters of mtlAFD operon (PmtlA and mtlR (PmtlR encoding the activator were investigated by fusion to lacZ. Identification of the PmtlA and PmtlR transcription start sites revealed the σA like promoter structures. Also, the operator of PmtlA was determined by shortening, nucleotide exchange, and alignment of PmtlA and PmtlR operator regions. Deletion of the mannitol-specific PTS genes (mtlAF resulted in PmtlA constitutive expression demonstrating the inhibitory effect of EIICBMtl and EIIAMtl on MtlR in the absence of mannitol. Disruption of mtlD made the cells sensitive to mannitol and glucitol. Both PmtlA and PmtlR were influenced by carbon catabolite repression (CCR. However, a CcpA deficient mutant showed only a slight reduction in PmtlR catabolite repression. Similarly, using PgroE as a constitutive promoter, putative cre sites of PmtlA and PmtlR slightly reduced the promoter activity in the presence of glucose. In contrast, glucose repression of PmtlA and PmtlR was completely abolished in a ΔptsG mutant and significantly reduced in a MtlR (H342D mutant. Conclusions The mtl operon promoter (PmtlA is a strong promoter that reached a maximum of 13,000 Miller units with lacZ as a reporter on

Rational polypharmacology: systematically identifying and engaging multiple drug targets to promote axon growth

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Al-Ali, Hassan; Lee, Do-Hun; Danzi, Matt C.; Nassif, Houssam; Gautam, Prson; Wennerberg, Krister; Zuercher, Bill; Drewry, David H.; Lee, Jae K.; Lemmon, Vance P.; Bixby, John L.

2016-01-01

Mammalian Central Nervous System (CNS) neurons regrow their axons poorly following injury, resulting in irreversible functional losses. Identifying therapeutics that encourage CNS axon repair has been difficult, in part because multiple etiologies underlie this regenerative failure. This suggests a particular need for drugs that engage multiple molecular targets. Although multi-target drugs are generally more effective than highly selective alternatives, we lack systematic methods for discovering such drugs. Target-based screening is an efficient technique for identifying potent modulators of individual targets. In contrast, phenotypic screening can identify drugs with multiple targets; however, these targets remain unknown. To address this gap, we combined the two drug discovery approaches using machine learning and information theory. We screened compounds in a phenotypic assay with primary CNS neurons and also in a panel of kinase enzyme assays. We used learning algorithms to relate the compounds’ kinase inhibition profiles to their influence on neurite outgrowth. This allowed us to identify kinases that may serve as targets for promoting neurite outgrowth, as well as others whose targeting should be avoided. We found that compounds that inhibit multiple targets (polypharmacology) promote robust neurite outgrowth in vitro. One compound with exemplary polypharmacology, was found to promote axon growth in a rodent spinal cord injury model. A more general applicability of our approach is suggested by its ability to deconvolve known targets for a breast cancer cell line, as well as targets recently shown to mediate drug resistance. PMID:26056718

The application of powerful promoters to enhance gene expression in industrial microorganisms.

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Zhou, Shenghu; Du, Guocheng; Kang, Zhen; Li, Jianghua; Chen, Jian; Li, Huazhong; Zhou, Jingwen

2017-02-01

Production of useful chemicals by industrial microorganisms has been attracting more and more attention. Microorganisms screened from their natural environment usually suffer from low productivity, low stress resistance, and accumulation of by-products. In order to overcome these disadvantages, rational engineering of microorganisms to achieve specific industrial goals has become routine. Rapid development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies provide novel methods to improve the performance of industrial microorganisms. Rational regulation of gene expression by specific promoters is essential to engineer industrial microorganisms for high-efficiency production of target chemicals. Identification, modification, and application of suitable promoters could provide powerful switches at the transcriptional level for fine-tuning of a single gene or a group of genes, which are essential for the reconstruction of pathways. In this review, the characteristics of promoters from eukaryotic, prokaryotic, and archaea microorganisms are briefly introduced. Identification of promoters based on both traditional biochemical and systems biology routes are summarized. Besides rational modification, de novo design of promoters to achieve gradient, dynamic, and logic gate regulation are also introduced. Furthermore, flexible application of static and dynamic promoters for the rational engineering of industrial microorganisms is highlighted. From the perspective of powerful promoters in industrial microorganisms, this review will provide an extensive description of how to regulate gene expression in industrial microorganisms to achieve more useful goals.

Development of inducer-free expression plasmids based on IPTG-inducible promoters for Bacillus subtilis.

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Tran, Dinh Thi Minh; Phan, Trang Thi Phuong; Huynh, Thanh Kieu; Dang, Ngan Thi Kim; Huynh, Phuong Thi Kim; Nguyen, Tri Minh; Truong, Tuom Thi Tinh; Tran, Thuoc Linh; Schumann, Wolfgang; Nguyen, Hoang Duc

2017-07-25

Besides Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis is an important bacterial species for the production of recombinant proteins. Recombinant genes are inserted into shuttle expression vectors which replicate in both E. coli and in B. subtilis. The ligation products are first transformed into E. coli cells, analyzed for correct insertions, and the correct recombinant plasmids are then transformed into B. subtilis. A major problem using E. coli cells can be the strong basal level of expression of the recombinant protein which may interfere with the stability of the cells. To minimize this problem, we developed strong expression vectors being repressed in E. coli and inducer-free in B. subtilis. In general, induction of IPTG-inducible expression vectors is determined by the regulatory lacI gene encoding the LacI repressor in combination with the lacO operator on the promoter. To investigate the inducer-free properties of the vectors, we constructed inducer-free expression plasmids by removing the lacI gene and characterized their properties. First, we examined the ability to repress a reporter gene in E. coli, which is a prominent property facilitating the construction of the expression vectors carrying a target gene. The β-galactosidase (bgaB gene) basal levels expressed from Pgrac01-bgaB could be repressed at least twice in the E. coli cloning strain. Second, the inducer-free production of BgaB from four different plasmids with the Pgrac01 promoter in B. subtilis was investigated. As expected, BgaB expression levels of inducer-free constructs are at least 37 times higher than that of the inducible constructs in the absence of IPTG, and comparable to those in the presence of the inducer. Third, using efficient IPTG-inducible expression vectors containing the strong promoter Pgrac100, we could convert them into inducer-free expression plasmids. The BgaB production levels from the inducer-free plasmid in the absence of the inducer were at least 4.5 times higher than that of

Live-cell Imaging of Pol II Promoter Activity to Monitor Gene expression with RNA IMAGEtag reporters

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Shin, Ilchung [Ames Laboratory; Ray, Judhajeet [Ames Laboratory; Gupta, Vinayak [Iowa State University; Ilgu, Muslum [Ames Laboratory; Beasley, Jonathan [Iowa State University; Bendickson, Lee [Ames Laboratory; Mehanovic, Samir [Molecular Express; Kraus, George A. [Iowa State University; Nilsen-Hamilton, Marit [Ames Laboratory

2014-04-20

We describe a ribonucleic acid (RNA) reporter system for live-cell imaging of gene expression to detect changes in polymerase II activity on individual promoters in individual cells. The reporters use strings of RNA aptamers that constitute IMAGEtags (Intracellular MultiAptamer GEnetic tags) that can be expressed from a promoter of choice. For imaging, the cells are incubated with their ligands that are separately conjugated with one of the FRET pair, Cy3 and Cy5. The IMAGEtags were expressed in yeast from the GAL1, ADH1 or ACT1 promoters. Transcription from all three promoters was imaged in live cells and transcriptional increases from the GAL1 promoter were observed with time after adding galactose. Expression of the IMAGEtags did not affect cell proliferation or endogenous gene expression. Advantages of this method are that no foreign proteins are produced in the cells that could be toxic or otherwise influence the cellular response as they accumulate, the IMAGEtags are short lived and oxygen is not required to generate their signals. The IMAGEtag RNA reporter system provides a means of tracking changes in transcriptional activity in live cells and in real time.

Identification of aberrant gene expression associated with aberrant promoter methylation in primordial germ cells between E13 and E16 rat F3 generation vinclozolin lineage.

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Taguchi, Y-h

2015-01-01

Transgenerational epigenetics (TGE) are currently considered important in disease, but the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood. TGE abnormalities expected to cause disease are likely to be initiated during development and to be mediated by aberrant gene expression associated with aberrant promoter methylation that is heritable between generations. However, because methylation is removed and then re-established during development, it is not easy to identify promoter methylation abnormalities by comparing normal lineages with those expected to exhibit TGE abnormalities. This study applied the recently proposed principal component analysis (PCA)-based unsupervised feature extraction to previously reported and publically available gene expression/promoter methylation profiles of rat primordial germ cells, between E13 and E16 of the F3 generation vinclozolin lineage that are expected to exhibit TGE abnormalities, to identify multiple genes that exhibited aberrant gene expression/promoter methylation during development. The biological feasibility of the identified genes were tested via enrichment analyses of various biological concepts including pathway analysis, gene ontology terms and protein-protein interactions. All validations suggested superiority of the proposed method over three conventional and popular supervised methods that employed t test, limma and significance analysis of microarrays, respectively. The identified genes were globally related to tumors, the prostate, kidney, testis and the immune system and were previously reported to be related to various diseases caused by TGE. Among the genes reported by PCA-based unsupervised feature extraction, we propose that chemokine signaling pathways and leucine rich repeat proteins are key factors that initiate transgenerational epigenetic-mediated diseases, because multiple genes included in these two categories were identified in this study.

Precise regulation of gene expression dynamics favors complex promoter architectures.

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Dirk Müller

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Promoters process signals through recruitment of transcription factors and RNA polymerase, and dynamic changes in promoter activity constitute a major noise source in gene expression. However, it is barely understood how complex promoter architectures determine key features of promoter dynamics. Here, we employ prototypical promoters of yeast ribosomal protein genes as well as simplified versions thereof to analyze the relations among promoter design, complexity, and function. These promoters combine the action of a general regulatory factor with that of specific transcription factors, a common motif of many eukaryotic promoters. By comprehensively analyzing stationary and dynamic promoter properties, this model-based approach enables us to pinpoint the structural characteristics underlying the observed behavior. Functional tradeoffs impose constraints on the promoter architecture of ribosomal protein genes. We find that a stable scaffold in the natural design results in low transcriptional noise and strong co-regulation of target genes in the presence of gene silencing. This configuration also exhibits superior shut-off properties, and it can serve as a tunable switch in living cells. Model validation with independent experimental data suggests that the models are sufficiently realistic. When combined, our results offer a mechanistic explanation for why specific factors are associated with low protein noise in vivo. Many of these findings hold for a broad range of model parameters and likely apply to other eukaryotic promoters of similar structure.

An examination of the Apo-1/Fas promoter Mva I polymorphism in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis

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Yabe Ichiro

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Apo-1/Fas (CD95 molecule is an apoptosis-signaling cell surface receptor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF receptor family. Both Fas and Fas ligand (FasL are expressed in activated mature T cells, and prolonged cell activation induces susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis. The Apo-1/Fas gene is located in a chromosomal region that shows linkage in multiple sclerosis (MS genome screens, and studies indicate that there is aberrant expression of the Apo-1/Fas molecule in MS. Methods Mva I polymorphism on the Apo-1/Fas promoter gene was detected by PCR-RFLP from the DNA of 114 Japanese patients with conventional MS and 121 healthy controls. We investigated the association of the Mva I polymorphism in Japanese MS patients using a case-control association study design. Results We found no evidence that the polymorphism contributes to susceptibility to MS. Furthermore, there was no association between Apo-1/Fas gene polymorphisms and clinical course (relapsing-remitting course or secondary-progressive course. No significant association was observed between Apo-1/Fas gene polymorphisms and the age at disease onset. Conclusions Overall, our findings suggest that Apo-1/Fas promoter gene polymorphisms are not conclusively related to susceptibility to MS or the clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with MS.

Synthetic Promoters and Transcription Factors for Heterologous Protein Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Fabian Machens

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Orthogonal systems for heterologous protein expression as well as for the engineering of synthetic gene regulatory circuits in hosts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae depend on synthetic transcription factors (synTFs and corresponding cis-regulatory binding sites. We have constructed and characterized a set of synTFs based on either transcription activator-like effectors or CRISPR/Cas9, and corresponding small synthetic promoters (synPs with minimal sequence identity to the host’s endogenous promoters. The resulting collection of functional synTF/synP pairs confers very low background expression under uninduced conditions, while expression output upon induction of the various synTFs covers a wide range and reaches induction factors of up to 400. The broad spectrum of expression strengths that is achieved will be useful for various experimental setups, e.g., the transcriptional balancing of expression levels within heterologous pathways or the construction of artificial regulatory networks. Furthermore, our analyses reveal simple rules that enable the tuning of synTF expression output, thereby allowing easy modification of a given synTF/synP pair. This will make it easier for researchers to construct tailored transcriptional control systems.

FGF-2 promotes osteocyte differentiation through increased E11/podoplanin expression.

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Ikpegbu, Ekele; Basta, Lena; Clements, Dylan N; Fleming, Robert; Vincent, Tonia L; Buttle, David J; Pitsillides, Andrew A; Staines, Katherine A; Farquharson, Colin

2018-07-01

E11/podoplanin is critical in the early stages of osteoblast-to-osteocyte transitions (osteocytogenesis), however, the upstream events which regulate E11 expression are unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of FGF-2 on E11-mediated osteocytogenesis and to reveal the nature of the underlying signaling pathways regulating this process. Exposure of MC3T3 osteoblast-like cells and murine primary osteoblasts to FGF-2 (10 ng/ml) increased E11 mRNA and protein expression (p 70% reduction of basal E11 mRNA expression (p < 0.05) and effectively abrogated FGF-2-related changes in E11 expression and dendrite formation. FGF-2 strongly activated the ERK signaling pathway in osteoblast-like cells but inhibition of this pathway did not block the ability of FGF-2 to enhance E11 expression or to promote acquisition of the osteocyte phenotype. The results of this study highlight a novel mechanism by which FGF-2 can regulate osteoblast differentiation and osteocyte formation. Specifically, the data suggests that FGF-2 promotes osteocytogenesis through increased E11 expression and further studies will identify if this regulatory pathway is essential for bone development and maintenance in health and disease. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decreased Expression of DREAM Promotes the Degeneration of Retinal Neurons

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Chintala, Shravan; Cheng, Mei; Zhang, Xiao

2015-01-01

The intrinsic mechanisms that promote the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following the activation of N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) are unclear. In this study, we have investigated the role of downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM) in NMDA-mediated degeneration of the retina. NMDA, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and MK801 were injected into the vitreous humor of C57BL/6 mice. At 12, 24, and 48 hours after injection, expression of DREAM in the retina was determined by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis, and electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA). Apoptotic death of cells in the retina was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferace dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. Degeneration of RGCs in cross sections and in whole mount retinas was determined by using antibodies against Tuj1 and Brn3a respectively. Degeneration of amacrine cells and bipolar cells was determined by using antibodies against calretinin and protein kinase C (PKC)-alpha respectively. DREAM was expressed constitutively in RGCs, amacrine cells, bipolar cells, as well as in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). NMDA promoted a progressive decrease in DREAM levels in all three cell types over time, and at 48 h after NMDA-treatment very low DREAM levels were evident in the IPL only. DREAM expression in retinal nuclear proteins was decreased progressively after NMDA-treatment, and correlated with its decreased binding to the c-fos-DRE oligonucleotides. A decrease in DREAM expression correlated significantly with apoptotic death of RGCs, amacrine cells and bipolar cells. Treatment of eyes with NMDA antagonist MK801, restored DREAM expression to almost normal levels in the retina, and significantly decreased NMDA-mediated apoptotic death of RGCs, amacrine cells, and bipolar cells. Results presented in this study show for the first time that down-regulation of DREAM promotes the degeneration of RGCs, amacrine cells, and

Rev-erb beta regulates the Srebp-1c promoter and mRNA expression in skeletal muscle cells

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Ramakrishnan, Sathiya N.; Lau, Patrick; Crowther, Lisa M. [The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St. Lucia, Qld 4072 (Australia); Cleasby, Mark E. [Diabetes and Obesity Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St. Vincent' s Hospital, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010 (Australia); Millard, Susan; Leong, Gary M. [The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St. Lucia, Qld 4072 (Australia); Cooney, Gregory J. [Diabetes and Obesity Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St. Vincent' s Hospital, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010 (Australia); Muscat, George E.O., E-mail: g.muscat@imb.uq.edu.au [The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St. Lucia, Qld 4072 (Australia)

2009-10-30

The nuclear hormone receptor, Rev-erb beta operates as a transcriptional silencer. We previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of Rev-erb{beta}{Delta}E in skeletal muscle cells increased Srebp-1c mRNA expression. We validated these in vitro observations by injection of an expression vector driving Rev-erb{beta}{Delta}E expression into mouse tibialis muscle that resulted in increased Srebp-1c mRNA expression. Paradoxically, Rev-erb{beta} siRNA expression in skeletal muscle cells repressed Srebp-1c expression, and indicated that Rev-erb{beta} expression was necessary for Srebp-1c expression. ChIP analysis demonstrated that Rev-erb{beta} was recruited to the Srebp-1c promoter. Moreover, Rev-erb{beta} trans-activated the Srebp-1c promoter, in contrast, Rev-erb{beta} efficiently repressed the Rev-erb{alpha} promoter, a previously characterized target gene. Finally, treatment with the Rev-erb agonist (hemin) (i) increased the trans-activation of the Srebp-1c promoter by Rev-erb{beta}; and (ii) increased Rev-erb{beta} and Srebp-1c mRNA expression. These data suggest that Rev-erb{beta} has the potential to activate gene expression, and is a positive regulator of Srebp-1c, a regulator of lipogenesis.

High-level extracellular protein production in Bacillus subtilis using an optimized dual-promoter expression system.

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Zhang, Kang; Su, Lingqia; Duan, Xuguo; Liu, Lina; Wu, Jing

2017-02-20

We recently constructed a Bacillus subtilis strain (CCTCC M 2016536) from which we had deleted the srfC, spoIIAC, nprE, aprE and amyE genes. This strain is capable of robust recombinant protein production and amenable to high-cell-density fermentation. Because the promoter is among the factors that influence the production of target proteins, optimization of the initial promoter, P amyQ from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, should improve protein expression using this strain. This study was undertaken to develop a new, high-level expression system in B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536. Using the enzyme β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (β-CGTase) as a reporter protein and B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536 as the host, nine plasmids equipped with single promoters were screened using shake-flask cultivation. The plasmid containing the P amyQ' promoter produced the greatest extracellular β-CGTase activity; 24.1 U/mL. Subsequently, six plasmids equipped with dual promoters were constructed and evaluated using this same method. The plasmid containing the dual promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' produced the highest extracellular β-CGTase activity (30.5 U/mL) and was relatively glucose repressed. The dual promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' also mediated substantial extracellular pullulanase (90.7 U/mL) and α-CGTase expression (9.5 U/mL) during shake-flask cultivation, demonstrating the general applicability of this system. Finally, the production of β-CGTase using the dual-promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' system was investigated in a 3-L fermenter. Extracellular expression of β-CGTase reached 571.2 U/mL (2.5 mg/mL), demonstrating the potential of this system for use in industrial applications. The dual-promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' system was found to support superior expression of extracellular proteins in B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536. This system appears generally applicable and is amenable to scale-up.

Emerging Importance of Helicases in Plant Stress Tolerance: Characterization of Oryza sativa Repair Helicase XPB2 Promoter and Its Functional Validation in Tobacco under Multiple Stresses.

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Raikwar, Shailendra; Srivastava, Vineet K; Gill, Sarvajeet S; Tuteja, Renu; Tuteja, Narendra

2015-01-01

Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. Helicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as prospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in nucleic acid metabolism including DNA repair. The repair helicase, XPB is an evolutionary conserved protein present in different organisms, including plants. Availability of few efficient promoters for gene expression in plants provoked us to study the promoter of XPB for better understanding of gene regulation under stress conditions. Here, we report the in silico analysis of novel stress inducible promoter of Oryza sativa XPB2 (OsXPB2). The in vivo validation of functionality/activity of OsXPB2 promoter under abiotic and hormonal stress conditions was performed by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay in tobacco leaves using OsXPB2::GUS chimeric construct. The present research revealed that OsXPB2 promoter contains cis-elements accounting for various abiotic stresses (salt, dehydration, or cold) and hormone (Auxin, ABA, or MeJA) induced GUS expression/activity in the promoter-reporter assay. The promoter region of OsXPB2 contains CACG, GTAACG, CACGTG, CGTCA CCGCCGCGCT cis acting-elements which are reported to be salt, dehydration, cold, MeJA, or ABA responsive, respectively. Functional analysis was done by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay using agroinfiltration in tobacco leaves, followed by GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analyses. The results revealed high induction of GUS activity under multiple abiotic stresses as compared to mock treated control. The present findings suggest that OsXPB2 promoter is a multi-stress inducible promoter and has potential applications in sustainable crop production under abiotic stresses by regulating desirable pattern of gene expression.

Pro-oncogene Pokemon promotes breast cancer progression by upregulating survivin expression.

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Zu, Xuyu; Ma, Jun; Liu, Hongxia; Liu, Feng; Tan, Chunyan; Yu, Lingling; Wang, Jue; Xie, Zhenhua; Cao, Deliang; Jiang, Yuyang

2011-03-10

Pokemon is an oncogenic transcription factor involved in cell growth, differentiation and oncogenesis, but little is known about its role in human breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to reveal the role of Pokemon in breast cancer progression and patient survival and to understand its underlying mechanisms. Tissue microarray analysis of breast cancer tissues from patients with complete clinicopathological data and more than 20 years of follow-up were used to evaluate Pokemon expression and its correlation with the progression and prognosis of the disease. DNA microarray analysis of MCF-7 cells that overexpress Pokemon was used to identify Pokemon target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and site-directed mutagenesis were utilized to determine how Pokemon regulates survivin expression, a target gene. Pokemon was found to be overexpressed in 158 (86.8%) of 182 breast cancer tissues, and its expression was correlated with tumor size (P = 0.0148) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0014). Pokemon expression led to worse overall (n = 175, P = 0.01) and disease-related (n = 79, P = 0.0134) patient survival. DNA microarray analyses revealed that in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, Pokemon regulates the expression of at least 121 genes involved in several signaling and metabolic pathways, including anti-apoptotic survivin. In clinical specimens, Pokemon and survivin expression were highly correlated (n = 49, r = 0.6799, P Pokemon induces survivin expression by binding to the GT boxes in its promoter. Pokemon promotes breast cancer progression by upregulating survivin expression and thus may be a potential target for the treatment of this malignancy.

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

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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.

CCR5 in Multiple Sclerosis : expression, regulation, and modulation by statins

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Kuipers, Hedwich Fardau

2007-01-01

Activation of microglia, the macrophages of the central nervous system, is a key element in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion development and is characterized by enhanced expression of both classes of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. This enhanced expression results from increased

Expression Pattern of the Alpha-Kafirin Promoter Coupled with a Signal Peptide from Sorghum bicolor L. Moench

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Norazlina Ahmad

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Regulatory sequences with endosperm specificity are essential for foreign gene expression in the desired tissue for both grain quality improvement and molecular pharming. In this study, promoters of seed storage α-kafirin genes coupled with signal sequence (ss were isolated from Sorghum bicolor L. Moench genomic DNA by PCR. The α-kafirin promoter (α-kaf contains endosperm specificity-determining motifs, prolamin-box, the O2-box 1, CATC, and TATA boxes required for α-kafirin gene expression in sorghum seeds. The constructs pMB-Ubi-gfp and pMB-kaf-gfp were microprojectile bombarded into various sorghum and sweet corn explants. GFP expression was detected on all explants using the Ubi promoter but only in seeds for the α-kaf promoter. This shows that the α-kaf promoter isolated was functional and demonstrated seed-specific GFP expression. The constructs pMB-Ubi-ss-gfp and pMB-kaf-ss-gfp were also bombarded into the same explants. Detection of GFP expression showed that the signal peptide (SP::GFP fusion can assemble and fold properly, preserving the fluorescent properties of GFP.

Isolation and functional characterization of a cotton ubiquitination-related promoter and 5'UTR that drives high levels of expression in root and flower tissues.

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Viana, Antonio A B; Fragoso, Rodrigo R; Guimarães, Luciane M; Pontes, Naiara; Oliveira-Neto, Osmundo B; Artico, Sinara; Nardeli, Sarah M; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio; Batista, João A N; Silva, Maria C M; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria F

2011-11-24

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important crop worldwide that provides raw material to 40% of the textile fiber industry. Important traits have been studied aiming the development of genetically modified crops including resistance to insect and diseases, and tolerance to drought, cold and herbicide. Therefore, the characterization of promoters and regulatory regions is also important to achieve high gene expression and/or a specific expression pattern. Commonly, genes involved in ubiquitination pathways are highly and differentially expressed. In this study, we analyzed the expression of a cotton ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) family member with no previous characterization. Nucleotide analysis revealed high identity with cotton E2 homologues. Multiple alignment showed a premature stop codon, which prevents the encoding of the conserved cysteine residue at the E2 active site, and an intron that is spliced in E2 homologues, but not in GhGDRP85. The GhGDRP85 gene is highly expressed in different organs of cotton plants, and has high transcript levels in roots. Its promoter (uceApro2) and the 5'UTR compose a regulatory region named uceA1.7, and were isolated from cotton and studied in Arabidopsis thaliana. uceA1.7 shows strong expression levels, equaling or surpassing the expression levels of CaMV35S. The uceA1.7 regulatory sequence drives GUS expression 7-fold higher in flowers, 2-fold in roots and at similar levels in leaves and stems. GUS expression levels are decreased 7- to 15-fold when its 5'UTR is absent in uceApro2. uceA1.7 is a strong constitutive regulatory sequence composed of a promoter (uceApro2) and its 5'UTR that will be useful in genetic transformation of dicots, having high potential to drive high levels of transgene expression in crops, particularly for traits desirable in flower and root tissues.

Expression in Arabidopsis of a nucellus-specific promoter from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

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Dwivedi, Krishna K; Roche, Dominique; Carman, John G

2010-11-01

Though many tissue-specific promoters have been identified, few have been associated specifically with the angiospermous megasporangium (nucellus). In the present study the 2000-bp regulatory region upstream to the watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai, gene WM403 (GenBank accession no. AF008925), which shows nucellus-specific expression, was cloned from watermelon gDNA and fused to the β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS). The resulting plasmid, WM403 Prom::GUS(+), which also contained NPTII, was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Co1-0. Seedlings were selected on kanamycin-containing medium, and transformants were confirmed by PCR. GUS assays of T(3) transformants revealed weak promoter activation in epidermal layers of the placenta and locule septum during premeiotic ovule development but strong activation in the nucellus, embryo sac and early embryo, from early embryo sac formation to early globular embryo formation. Expression in seeds was absent thereafter. These results indicate that the WM403 promoter may be useful in driving nucellus-specific gene expression in plants including candidate genes for important nucellus-specific traits such as apospory or adventitious embryony. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Four inducible promoters for controlled gene expression in the oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula toruloides

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Alexander Michael Bedford Johns

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Rhodotorula (Rhodosporidium toruloides is an oleaginous yeast with great biotechnological potential, capable of accumulating lipid up to 70 % of its dry biomass, and of carotenoid biosynthesis. However, few molecular genetic tools are available for manipulation of this basidiomycete yeast and its high genomic GC content can make routine cloning difficult. We have developed plasmid vectors for transformation of R. toruloides which include elements for Saccharomyces cerevisiae in-yeast assembly; this method is robust to the assembly of GC-rich DNA and of large plasmids. Using such vectors we screened for controllable promoters, and identified inducible promoters from the genes NAR1, ICL1, CTR3 and MET16. These four promoters have independent induction/repression conditions and exhibit different levels and rates of induction in R. toruloides, making them appropriate for controllable transgene expression in different experimental situations. Nested deletions were used to identify regulatory regions in the four promoters, and to delimit the minimal inducible promoters, which are as small as 200 bp for the NAR1 promoter. The NAR1 promoter shows very tight regulation under repressed conditions as determined both by an EGFP reporter gene and by conditional rescue of a leu2 mutant. These new tools facilitate molecular genetic manipulation and controllable gene expression in R. toruloides.

Negative effect of the 5'-untranslated leader sequence on Ac transposon promoter expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Scortecci, K C; Raina, R; Fedoroff, N V; Van Sluys, M A

1999-08-01

Transposable elements are used in heterologous plant hosts to clone genes by insertional mutagenesis. The Activator (Ac) transposable element has been cloned from maize, and introduced into a variety of plants. However, differences in regulation and transposition frequency have been observed between different host plants. The cause of this variability is still unknown. To better understand the activity of the Ac element, we analyzed the Ac promoter region and its 5'-untranslated leader sequence (5' UTL). Transient assays in tobacco NT1 suspension cells showed that the Ac promoter is a weak promoter and its activity was localized by deletion analyses. The data presented here indicate that the core of the Ac promoter is contained within 153 bp fragment upstream to transcription start sites. An important inhibitory effect (80%) due to the presence of the 5' UTL was found on the expression of LUC reporter gene. Here we demonstrate that the presence of the 5' UTL in the constructs reduces the expression driven by either strong or weak promoters.

RNA polymerase II mediated transcription from the polymerase III promoters in short hairpin RNA expression vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rumi, Mohammad; Ishihara, Shunji; Aziz, Monowar; Kazumori, Hideaki; Ishimura, Norihisa; Yuki, Takafumi; Kadota, Chikara; Kadowaki, Yasunori; Kinoshita, Yoshikazu

2006-01-01

RNA polymerase III promoters of human ribonuclease P RNA component H1, human U6, and mouse U6 small nuclear RNA genes are commonly used in short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vectors due their precise initiation and termination sites. During transient transfection of shRNA vectors, we observed that H1 or U6 promoters also express longer transcripts enough to express several reporter genes including firefly luciferase, green fluorescent protein EGFP, and red fluorescent protein JRed. Expression of such longer transcripts was augmented by upstream RNA polymerase II enhancers and completely inhibited by downstream polyA signal sequences. Moreover, the transcription of firefly luciferase from human H1 promoter was sensitive to RNA polymerase II inhibitor α-amanitin. Our findings suggest that commonly used polymerase III promoters in shRNA vectors are also prone to RNA polymerase II mediated transcription, which may have negative impacts on their targeted use

Emerging importance of helicases in plant stress tolerance: characterization of Oryza sativa repair helicase XPB2 promoter and its functional validation in tobacco under multiple stresses

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Shailendra eRaikwar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. DNA hHelicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as potentialprospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in a variety of DNA nucleic acid metabolismc processes including DNA repair. The DNA repair helicase, OsXPB2 is an evolutionary conserved protein present in different organisms, including plants. Availability of few efficient promoters for gene expression in plants provoked us to study the promoter of XPB for better understanding of gene regulation under stress The analysis of promoter sequence from plant genome is important in understanding the gene regulation. Hereconditions. Here, we report the in silico analysis of novel stress inducible promoter of rice Oryza sativa OsXPB2 (OsXPB2. gene is reported. The in vivo validation of functionality/activity of novel stress inducible promoter of rice OsXPB2 gene promoter under abiotic and hormonal stress conditions was performed by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay in tobacco leaves using OsXPB2::GUS chimeric construct. Our resultsThe present research revealed that OsXPB2 promoter contains cis-elements accounting for various abiotic stresses (salt, dehydration or cold and hormone (Auxin, ABA or MeJA induced GUS expression/activity in the promoter-reporter assay. The promoter region of OsXPB2 contains CACG, GTAACG, CACGTG, CGTCA CCGCCGCGCT cis acting-elements which are reported to be salt, dehydration, cold, MeJA or ABA responsive, respectively. Functional analysis was done by Agrobacterium-transient assays using agroinfiltration in tobacco leaves, followed by GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analyses. The results revealed high induction of GUS activity under multiple abiotic stresses as compared to mock treated control. The present

Gene expression analysis of interferon-beta treatment in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sellebjerg, F.; Datta, P.; Larsen, J.

2008-01-01

by treatment with IFN-beta. We use DNA microarrays to study gene expression in 10 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who began de novo treatment with IFN-beta. After the first injection of IFN-beta, the expression of 74 out of 3428 genes changed at least two-fold and statistically significantly (after Bonferroni......Treatment with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) induces the expression of hundreds of genes in blood mononuclear cells, and the expression of several genes has been proposed as a marker of the effect of treatment with IFN-beta. However, to date no molecules have been identified that are stably induced...

A strategy for health promotion at multiple corporate sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexy, B; Eynon, D

1991-02-01

1. The logistical problems associated with delivery of health promotion programs at multiple corporate sites can be addressed through the use of health education packets. 2. The role of the nurse or health coordinator is critical in assisting and guiding the employee as the health plan is executed. 3. Problematic areas related to implementation of programs at remote sites can be alleviated through careful planning and extensive communication. 4. Advertising, input from employees and staff, and follow up are important in the success of a program.

Analyzing Multiple-Probe Microarray: Estimation and Application of Gene Expression Indexes

KAUST Repository

Maadooliat, Mehdi

2012-07-26

Gene expression index estimation is an essential step in analyzing multiple probe microarray data. Various modeling methods have been proposed in this area. Amidst all, a popular method proposed in Li and Wong (2001) is based on a multiplicative model, which is similar to the additive model discussed in Irizarry et al. (2003a) at the logarithm scale. Along this line, Hu et al. (2006) proposed data transformation to improve expression index estimation based on an ad hoc entropy criteria and naive grid search approach. In this work, we re-examined this problem using a new profile likelihood-based transformation estimation approach that is more statistically elegant and computationally efficient. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method using a benchmark Affymetrix U95A spiked-in experiment. Moreover, We introduced a new multivariate expression index and used the empirical study to shows its promise in terms of improving model fitting and power of detecting differential expression over the commonly used univariate expression index. As the other important content of the work, we discussed two generally encountered practical issues in application of gene expression index: normalization and summary statistic used for detecting differential expression. Our empirical study shows somewhat different findings from the MAQC project (MAQC, 2006).

Increased T cell expression of CD154 (CD40-ligand) in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, J; Krakauer, M; Sellebjerg, F

2001-01-01

CD154 (CD40-ligand, gp39), expressed on activated T cells, is crucial in T cell-dependent immune responses and may be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We studied cerebro-spinal fluid and peripheral blood T cell expression of CD154 in MS by flow cytometry. Patients with sec......CD154 (CD40-ligand, gp39), expressed on activated T cells, is crucial in T cell-dependent immune responses and may be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We studied cerebro-spinal fluid and peripheral blood T cell expression of CD154 in MS by flow cytometry. Patients...

Altered expression patterns of group I and II metabotropic glutamate receptors in multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geurts, J. J. G.; Wolswijk, G.; Bö, L.; van der Valk, P.; Polman, C. H.; Troost, D.; Aronica, E.

2003-01-01

Recent evidence supports a role for glutamate receptors in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis. In the present study, we have focused specifically on the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in multiple sclerosis brain tissue. The expression of group I (mGluR1alpha and

Chemokine receptor CCR5 in interferon-treated multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sellebjerg, F; Kristiansen, Thomas Birk; Wittenhagen, P

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between CC chemokine receptor CCR5 expression and disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with beta-interferon (IFN-beta). METHODS: The CCR5 Delta32 allele and a CCR5 promoter polymorphism associated with cell surface expression of CCR5 were...

Cardiac-Specific Gene Expression Facilitated by an Enhanced Myosin Light Chain Promoter

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Wolfgang Boecker

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Adenoviral gene transfer has been shown to be effective in cardiac myocytes in vitro and in vivo. A major limitation of myocardial gene therapy is the extracardiac transgene expression. Methods: To minimize extracardiac gene expression, we have constructed a tissue-specific promoter for cardiac gene transfer, namely, the 250-bp fragment of the myosin light chain-2v (MLC-2v gene, which is known to be expressed in a tissue-specific manner in ventricular myocardium followed by a luciferase (luc reporter gene (Ad.4 × MLC250.Luc. Rat cardiomyocytes, liver and kidney cells were infected with Ad.4 × MLC.Luc or control vectors. For in vivo testing, Ad.4 × MLC250.Luc was injected into the myocardium or in the liver of rats. Kinetics of promoter activity were monitored over 8 days using a cooled CCD camera. Results: In vitro: By infecting hepatic versus cardiomyocyte cells, we found that the promoter specificity ratio (luc activity in cardiomyocytes per liver cells was 20.4 versus 0.9 (Ad.4 × MLC250.Luc vs. Ad.CMV. In vivo: Ad.4 × MLC250.Luc significantly reduced luc activity in liver (38.4-fold, lung (16.1-fold, and kidney (21.8-fold versus Ad.CMV (p = .01; whereas activity in the heart was only 3.8-fold decreased. The gene expression rate of cardiomyocytes versus hepatocytes was 7:1 (Ad.4 × MLC.Luc versus 1:1.4 (Ad.CMV.Luc. Discussion: This new vector may be useful to validate therapeutic approaches in animal disease models and offers the perspective for selective expression of therapeutic genes in the diseased heart.

A Baculovirus immediate-early gene, ie1, promoter drives efficient expression of a transgene in both Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori.

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Mika Masumoto

Full Text Available Many promoters have been used to drive expression of heterologous transgenes in insects. One major obstacle in the study of non-model insects is the dearth of useful promoters for analysis of gene function. Here, we investigated whether the promoter of the immediate-early gene, ie1, from the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV could be used to drive efficient transgene expression in a wide variety of insects. We used a piggyBac-based vector with a 3xP3-DsRed transformation marker to generate a reporter construct; this construct was used to determine the expression patterns driven by the BmNPV ie1 promoter; we performed a detailed investigation of the promoter in transgene expression pattern in Drosophila melanogaster and in B. mori. Drosophila and Bombyx belong to different insect orders (Diptera and Lepidoptera, respectively; however, and to our surprise, ie1 promoter-driven expression was evident in several tissues (e.g., prothoracic gland, midgut, and tracheole in both insects. Furthermore, in both species, the ie1 promoter drove expression of the reporter gene from a relatively early embryonic stage, and strong ubiquitous ie1 promoter-driven expression continued throughout the larval, pupal, and adult stages by surface observation. Therefore, we suggest that the ie1 promoter can be used as an efficient expression driver in a diverse range of insect species.

The promoter for a variant surface glycoprotein gene expression site in Trypanosoma brucei

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zomerdijk, J. C.; Ouellette, M.; ten Asbroek, A. L.; Kieft, R.; Bommer, A. M.; Clayton, C. E.; Borst, P.

1990-01-01

The variant-specific surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene 221 of Trypanosoma brucei is transcribed as part of a 60 kb expression site (ES). We have identified the promoter controlling this multigene transcription unit by the use of 221 chromosome-enriched DNA libraries and VSG gene 221 expression site

Nitric oxide synthase expression and enzymatic activity in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, H; Andersen, B; Wanscher, B

2004-01-01

We used post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance to obtain paired biopsies from the brains of four patients with clinical definite multiple sclerosis (MS). Samples were analyzed for the immunoreactivity (IR) of the three nitric oxide (NO) synthase isoforms [inducible, neuronal......NOS expressing cells in active lesions. NOS IR expressing cells were widely distributed in plaques, in white and gray matter that appeared normal macroscopically, and on MR. Endothelial NOS (eNOS) was highly expressed in intraparenchymal vascular endothelial cells of MS patients. A control group matched for age...

COX-2 gene expression in colon cancer tissue related to regulating factors and promoter methylation status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asting, Annika Gustafsson; Carén, Helena; Andersson, Marianne; Lönnroth, Christina; Lagerstedt, Kristina; Lundholm, Kent

2011-01-01

Increased cyclooxygenase activity promotes progression of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms behind COX-2 induction remain elusive. This study was therefore aimed to define external cell signaling and transcription factors relating to high COX-2 expression in colon cancer tissue. Tumor and normal colon tissue were collected at primary curative operation in 48 unselected patients. COX-2 expression in tumor and normal colon tissue was quantified including microarray analyses on tumor mRNA accounting for high and low tumor COX-2 expression. Cross hybridization was performed between tumor and normal colon tissue. Methylation status of up-stream COX-2 promoter region was evaluated. Tumors with high COX-2 expression displayed large differences in gene expression compared to normal colon. Numerous genes with altered expression appeared in tumors of high COX-2 expression compared to tumors of low COX-2. COX-2 expression in normal colon was increased in patients with tumors of high COX-2 compared to normal colon from patients with tumors of low COX-2. IL1β, IL6 and iNOS transcripts were up-regulated among external cell signaling factors; nine transcription factors (ATF3, C/EBP, c-Fos, Fos-B, JDP2, JunB, c-Maf, NF-κB, TCF4) showed increased expression and 5 (AP-2, CBP, Elk-1, p53, PEA3) were decreased in tumors with high COX-2. The promoter region of COX-2 gene did not show consistent methylation in tumor or normal colon tissue. Transcription and external cell signaling factors are altered as covariates to COX-2 expression in colon cancer tissue, but DNA methylation of the COX-2 promoter region was not a significant factor behind COX-2 expression in tumor and normal colon tissue

COX-2 gene expression in colon cancer tissue related to regulating factors and promoter methylation status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lagerstedt Kristina

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Increased cyclooxygenase activity promotes progression of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms behind COX-2 induction remain elusive. This study was therefore aimed to define external cell signaling and transcription factors relating to high COX-2 expression in colon cancer tissue. Method Tumor and normal colon tissue were collected at primary curative operation in 48 unselected patients. COX-2 expression in tumor and normal colon tissue was quantified including microarray analyses on tumor mRNA accounting for high and low tumor COX-2 expression. Cross hybridization was performed between tumor and normal colon tissue. Methylation status of up-stream COX-2 promoter region was evaluated. Results Tumors with high COX-2 expression displayed large differences in gene expression compared to normal colon. Numerous genes with altered expression appeared in tumors of high COX-2 expression compared to tumors of low COX-2. COX-2 expression in normal colon was increased in patients with tumors of high COX-2 compared to normal colon from patients with tumors of low COX-2. IL1β, IL6 and iNOS transcripts were up-regulated among external cell signaling factors; nine transcription factors (ATF3, C/EBP, c-Fos, Fos-B, JDP2, JunB, c-Maf, NF-κB, TCF4 showed increased expression and 5 (AP-2, CBP, Elk-1, p53, PEA3 were decreased in tumors with high COX-2. The promoter region of COX-2 gene did not show consistent methylation in tumor or normal colon tissue. Conclusions Transcription and external cell signaling factors are altered as covariates to COX-2 expression in colon cancer tissue, but DNA methylation of the COX-2 promoter region was not a significant factor behind COX-2 expression in tumor and normal colon tissue.

Beyond Promotion-Based Store Switching: Antecedents and Consequences of Systematic Multiple-Store Shopping

OpenAIRE

Gijsbrechts, E.; Campo, K.; Nisol, P.

2005-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate that single-purpose multiple store shopping is not only driven by opportunistic, promotion-based motivations, but may also be part of a longer term shopping planning process based on stable store characteristics.Starting from a utility-maximizing shopping behavior model, we find that consumers systematically visit multiple stores to take advantage of two types of store complementarity.With 'fixed cost complementarity', consumers alternate visits to highly preferr...

Efficient construction of an inverted minimal H1 promoter driven siRNA expression cassette: facilitation of promoter and siRNA sequence exchange.

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Hoorig Nassanian

2007-08-01

Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi, mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA, is an effective method used to silence gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Upon introduction into target cells, siRNAs incorporate into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC. The antisense strand of the siRNA duplex then "guides" the RISC to the homologous mRNA, leading to target degradation and gene silencing. In recent years, various vector-based siRNA expression systems have been developed which utilize opposing polymerase III promoters to independently drive expression of the sense and antisense strands of the siRNA duplex from the same template.We show here the use of a ligase chain reaction (LCR to develop a new vector system called pInv-H1 in which a DNA sequence encoding a specific siRNA is placed between two inverted minimal human H1 promoters (approximately 100 bp each. Expression of functional siRNAs from this construct has led to efficient silencing of both reporter and endogenous genes. Furthermore, the inverted H1 promoter-siRNA expression cassette was used to generate a retrovirus vector capable of transducing and silencing expression of the targeted protein by>80% in target cells.The unique design of this construct allows for the efficient exchange of siRNA sequences by the directional cloning of short oligonucleotides via asymmetric restriction sites. This provides a convenient way to test the functionality of different siRNA sequences. Delivery of the siRNA cassette by retroviral transduction suggests that a single copy of the siRNA expression cassette efficiently knocks down gene expression at the protein level. We note that this vector system can potentially be used to generate a random siRNA library. The flexibility of the ligase chain reaction suggests that additional control elements can easily be introduced into this siRNA expression cassette.

Heterologous Protein Expression in Pichia pastoris: Latest Research Progress and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Juturu, Veeresh; Wu, Jin Chuan

2018-01-04

Pichia pastoris is a well-known platform strain for heterologous protein expression. Over the past five years, different strategies to improve the efficiency of recombinant protein expression by this yeast strain have been developed; these include a patent-free protein expression kit, construction of the P. pastoris CBS7435Ku70 platform strain with its high efficiency in site-specific recombination of plasmid DNA into the genomic DNA, the design of synthetic promoters and their variants by combining different core promoters with multiple putative transcription factors, the generation of mutant GAP promoter variants with various promoter strengths, codon optimization, engineering the α-factor signal sequence by replacing the native glutamic acid at the Kex2 cleavage site with the other 19 natural amino acids and the addition of mammalian signal sequence to the yeast signal sequence, and the co-expression of single chaperones, multiple chaperones or helper proteins that aid in recombinant protein folding. Publically available high-quality genome data from multiple strains of P. pastoris GS115, DSMZ 70382, and CBS7435 and the continuous development of yeast expression kits have successfully promoted the metabolic engineering of this strain to produce carotenoids, xanthophylls, nootkatone, ricinoleic acid, dammarenediol-II, and hyaluronic acid. The cell-surface display of enzymes has obviously increased enzyme stability, and high-level intracellular expression of acyl-CoA and ethanol O-acyltransferase, lipase and d-amino acid oxidase has opened up applications in whole-cell biocatalysis for producing flavor molecules and biodiesel, as well as the deracemization of racemic amino acids. High-level expression of various food-grade enzymes, cellulases, and hemicellulases for applications in the food, feed and biorefinery industries is in its infancy and needs strengthening. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Differentially expressed microRNA in multiple sclerosis: A window into pathogenesis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martin, Nellie Anne; Illés, Zsolt

2014-01-01

MicroRNA are small non-coding RNA that mediate mRNA translation repression or mRNA degradation, and thereby refine protein expression levels. More than 30–60% of all genes are regulated by microRNA. Exploring disease-related microRNA signatures is an emerging tool in biomarker discovery, and sile......MicroRNA are small non-coding RNA that mediate mRNA translation repression or mRNA degradation, and thereby refine protein expression levels. More than 30–60% of all genes are regulated by microRNA. Exploring disease-related microRNA signatures is an emerging tool in biomarker discovery......RNA related to multiple sclerosis has increased significantly in recent years. Differentially expressed microRNA have been identified in the whole blood, serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, blood-derived cell subsets and brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis....... Most studies applied a non-candidate approach of screening by microarray and validation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction or next generation sequencing; others used a candidate-driven approach. Despite a relatively high number of multiple sclerosis-associated microRNA, just a few could...

Induction of NFATc2 expression by interleukin 6 promotes T helper type 2 differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Sean; Chow, Chi-Wing; Weiss, Linda; Palmetshofer, Alois; Twardzik, Thomas; Rounds, Laura; Serfling, Edgar; Davis, Roger J; Anguita, Juan; Rincón, Mercedes

2002-07-01

Interleukin (IL)-6 is produced by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. It has been previously shown that APC-derived IL-6 promotes the differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into effector T helper type 2 (Th2) cells. Here, we have studied the molecular mechanism for IL-6-mediated Th2 differentiation. During the activation of CD4+ T cells, IL-6 induces the production of IL-4, which promotes the differentiation of these cells into effector Th2 cells. Regulation of IL-4 gene expression by IL-6 is mediated by nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), as inhibition of NFAT prevents IL-6-driven IL-4 production and Th2 differentiation. IL-6 upregulates NFAT transcriptional activity by increasing the levels of NFATc2. The ability of IL-6 to promote Th2 differentiation is impaired in CD4+ T cells that lack NFATc2, demonstrating that NFATc2 is required for regulation of IL-4 gene expression by IL-6. Regulation of NFATc2 expression and NFAT transcriptional activity represents a novel pathway by which IL-6 can modulate gene expression.

Statins Activate Human PPAR Promoter and Increase PPAR mRNA Expression and Activation in HepG2 Cells

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Makoto Seo

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Statins increase peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR mRNA expression, but the mechanism of this increased PPAR production remains elusive. To examine the regulation of PPAR production, we examined the effect of 7 statins (atorvastatin, cerivastatin, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin on human PPAR promoter activity, mRNA expression, nuclear protein levels, and transcriptional activity. The main results are as follows. (1 Majority of statins enhanced PPAR promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner in HepG2 cells transfected with the human PPAR promoter. This enhancement may be mediated by statin-induced HNF-4. (2 PPAR mRNA expression was increased by statin treatment. (3 The PPAR levels in nuclear fractions were increased by statin treatment. (4 Simvastatin, pravastatin, and cerivastatin markedly enhanced transcriptional activity in 293T cells cotransfected with acyl-coenzyme A oxidase promoter and PPAR/RXR expression vectors. In summary, these data demonstrate that PPAR production and activation are upregulated through the PPAR promoter activity by statin treatment.

Promoter Methylation and mRNA Expression of Response Gene to Complement 32 in Breast Carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasab, E. E.; Nasab, E. E.; Hashemi, M.; Rafighdoost, F.

2016-01-01

Response gene to complement 32 (RGC32), induced by activation of complements, has been characterized as a cell cycle regulator; however, its role in carcinogenesis is still controversial. In the present study we compared RGC32 promoter methylation patterns and mRNA expression in breast cancerous tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Materials and Methods. Sixty-three breast cancer tissues and 63 adjacent non neoplastic tissues were included in our study. Design. Nested methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (Nested-MSP) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to determine RGC32 promoter methylation status and its mRNA expression levels, respectively. Results. RGC32 methylation pattern was not different between breast cancerous tissue and adjacent non neoplastic tissue (OR=2.30, 95% CI=0.95-5.54). However, qPCR analysis displayed higher levels of RGC32 mRNA in breast cancerous tissues than in noncancerous tissues (1.073 versus 0.959; P=0.001), irrespective of the promoter methylation status. The expression levels and promoter methylation of RGC32 were not correlated with any of patients’ clinical characteristics (P>0.05).

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H.; Morton, Derrick J.; Patel, Divya; Joshi, Jugal; Upadhyay, Sunil; Chaudhary, Jaideep

2016-01-01

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. - Highlights: • ID4 expression induces AR expression in PC3 cells, which generally lack AR. • ID4 expression increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and invasion. • Overexpression of ID4 reduces tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. • ID4 induces p21 and FKBP51 expression- co-factors of AR tumor suppressor activity.

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H.; Morton, Derrick J.; Patel, Divya; Joshi, Jugal; Upadhyay, Sunil; Chaudhary, Jaideep, E-mail: jchaudhary@cau.edu

2016-09-09

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. - Highlights: • ID4 expression induces AR expression in PC3 cells, which generally lack AR. • ID4 expression increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and invasion. • Overexpression of ID4 reduces tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. • ID4 induces p21 and FKBP51 expression- co-factors of AR tumor suppressor activity.

Isolation and functional characterization of a cotton ubiquitination-related promoter and 5'UTR that drives high levels of expression in root and flower tissues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viana Antonio AB

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cotton (Gossypium spp. is an important crop worldwide that provides raw material to 40% of the textile fiber industry. Important traits have been studied aiming the development of genetically modified crops including resistance to insect and diseases, and tolerance to drought, cold and herbicide. Therefore, the characterization of promoters and regulatory regions is also important to achieve high gene expression and/or a specific expression pattern. Commonly, genes involved in ubiquitination pathways are highly and differentially expressed. In this study, we analyzed the expression of a cotton ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2 family member with no previous characterization. Results Nucleotide analysis revealed high identity with cotton E2 homologues. Multiple alignment showed a premature stop codon, which prevents the encoding of the conserved cysteine residue at the E2 active site, and an intron that is spliced in E2 homologues, but not in GhGDRP85. The GhGDRP85 gene is highly expressed in different organs of cotton plants, and has high transcript levels in roots. Its promoter (uceApro2 and the 5'UTR compose a regulatory region named uceA1.7, and were isolated from cotton and studied in Arabidopsis thaliana. uceA1.7 shows strong expression levels, equaling or surpassing the expression levels of CaMV35S. The uceA1.7 regulatory sequence drives GUS expression 7-fold higher in flowers, 2-fold in roots and at similar levels in leaves and stems. GUS expression levels are decreased 7- to 15-fold when its 5'UTR is absent in uceApro2. Conclusions uceA1.7 is a strong constitutive regulatory sequence composed of a promoter (uceApro2 and its 5'UTR that will be useful in genetic transformation of dicots, having high potential to drive high levels of transgene expression in crops, particularly for traits desirable in flower and root tissues.

Over-expression of heme oxygenase-1 promotes oxidative mitochondrial damage in rat astroglia.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Wei; Su, Haixiang; Song, Sisi; Paudel, Hemant K; Schipper, Hyman M

2006-03-01

Glial heme oxygenase-1 is over-expressed in the CNS of subjects with Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Up-regulation of HO-1 in rat astroglia has been shown to facilitate iron sequestration by the mitochondrial compartment. To determine whether HO-1 induction promotes mitochondrial oxidative stress, assays for 8-epiPGF(2alpha) (ELISA), protein carbonyls (ELISA) and 8-OHdG (HPLC-EC) were used to quantify oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, respectively, in mitochondrial fractions and whole-cell compartments derived from cultured rat astroglia engineered to over-express human (h) HO-1 by transient transfection. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion and the MTT assay, and cell proliferation was determined by [3H] thymidine incorporation and total cell counts. In rat astrocytes, hHO-1 over-expression (x 3 days) resulted in significant oxidative damage to mitochondrial lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, partial growth arrest, and increased cell death. These effects were attenuated by incubation with 1 microM tin mesoporphyrin, a competitive HO inhibitor, or the iron chelator, deferoxamine. Up-regulation of HO-1 engenders oxidative mitochondrial injury in cultured rat astroglia. Heme-derived ferrous iron and carbon monoxide (CO) may mediate the oxidative modification of mitochondrial lipids, proteins and nucleic acids in these cells. Glial HO-1 hyperactivity may contribute to cellular oxidative stress, pathological iron deposition, and bioenergetic failure characteristic of degenerating and inflamed neural tissues and may constitute a rational target for therapeutic intervention in these conditions. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Elevated expression of CD93 promotes angiogenesis and tumor growth in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

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Bao, Lili [Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province (China); Tang, Mingming [Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226361, Jiangsu (China); Zhang, Qicheng; You, Bo; Shan, Ying; Shi, Si; Li, Li [Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province (China); Hu, Songqun, E-mail: hsq@ntu.edu.cn [Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province (China); You, Yiwen, E-mail: youyiwen_nantong@163.com [Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province (China)

2016-08-05

CD93, also known as the complement component C1q receptor (C1qRp), has been reported to promote the progression of some cancer types. However, the expression and physiological significance of CD93 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely elusive. In this study, we first examined the expression of CD93 in NPC and experimentally manipulated its expression. We observed that vascular CD93 expression is elevated in NPC and is correlated with T classification, N classification, distant metastasis, clinical stage and poor prognosis (all P < 0.05). In addition, overexpression of CD93 promoted angiogenesis in vitro. What’s more, we found that CD93 was highly expressed in NPC tissues and cells, and the regulation of CD93 on cell proliferation was determined by cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay and cell cycle analyses. Our findings provide unique insight into the pathogenesis of NPC and underscore the need to explore novel therapeutic targets such as CD93 to improve NPC treatment. -- Highlights: •This is the first research about the relationship between CD93 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. •We explored the prognostic significance of vascular CD93 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. •We researched on angiogenesis and cell proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and how CD93 affected them.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor downregulates MYCN expression and promotes cell differentiation of neuroblastoma.

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Pei-Yi Wu

Full Text Available Neuroblastoma (NB is the most common malignant disease of infancy. MYCN amplification is a prognostic factor for NB and is a sign of highly malignant disease and poor patient prognosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate novel MYCN-related genes and assess how they affect NB cell behavior. The different gene expression found in 10 MYCN amplification NB tumors and 10 tumors with normal MYCN copy number were analyzed using tissue oligonucleotide microarrays. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was subsequently performed to identify the potential genes involved in MYCN regulation pathways. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR, a receptor for dioxin-like compounds, was found to be inversely correlated with MYCN expression in NB tissues. This correlation was confirmed in a further 14 human NB samples. Moreover, AHR expression in NB tumors was found to correlate highly with histological grade of differentiation. In vitro studies revealed that AHR overexpression in NB cells induced spontaneous cell differentiation. In addition, it was found that ectopic expression of AHR suppressed MYCN promoter activity resulting in downregulation of MYCN expression. The suppression effect of AHR on the transcription of MYCN was compensated for by E2F1 overexpression, indicating that E2F1 is involved in the AHR-regulating MYCN pathway. Furthermore, AHR shRNA promotes the expression of E2F1 and MYCN in NB cells. These findings suggest that AHR is one of the upstream regulators of MYCN. Through the modulation of E2F1, AHR regulates MYCN gene expression, which may in turn affect NB differentiation.

Cloning and functional analysis of the promoters that upregulate carotenogenic gene expression during flower development in Gentiana lutea.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Changfu; Yang, Qingjie; Ni, Xiuzhen; Bai, Chao; Sheng, Yanmin; Shi, Lianxuan; Capell, Teresa; Sandmann, Gerhard; Christou, Paul

2014-04-01

Over the last two decades, many carotenogenic genes have been cloned and used to generate metabolically engineered plants producing higher levels of carotenoids. However, comparatively little is known about the regulation of endogenous carotenogenic genes in higher plants, and this restricts our ability to predict how engineered plants will perform in terms of carotenoid content and composition. During petal development in the Great Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea), carotenoid accumulation, the formation of chromoplasts and the upregulation of several carotenogenic genes are temporally coordinated. We investigated the regulatory mechanisms responsible for this coordinated expression by isolating five G. lutea carotenogenic gene (GlPDS, GlZDS, GlLYCB, GlBCH and GlLYCE) promoters by inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Each promoter was sufficient for developmentally regulated expression of the gusA reporter gene following transient expression in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom). Interestingly, the GlLYCB and GlBCH promoters drove high levels of gusA expression in chromoplast-containing mature green fruits, but low levels in chloroplast-containing immature green fruits, indicating a strict correlation between promoter activity, tomato fruit development and chromoplast differentiation. As well as core promoter elements such as TATA and CAAT boxes, all five promoters together with previously characterized GlZEP promoter contained three common cis-regulatory motifs involved in the response to methyl jasmonate (CGTCA) and ethylene (ATCTA), and required for endosperm expression (Skn-1_motif, GTCAT). These shared common cis-acting elements may represent binding sites for transcription factors responsible for co-regulation. Our data provide insight into the regulatory basis of the coordinated upregulation of carotenogenic gene expression during flower development in G. lutea. © 2013 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Effect of adenovirus infection on transgene expression under the adenoviral MLP/TPL and the CMVie promoter/enhancer in CHO cells

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Mohamed A. El-Mogy

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The adenovirus major late promoter (MLP and its translational regulator – the tripartite leader (TPL sequence – can actively drive efficient gene expression during adenoviral infection. However, both elements have not been widely tested in transgene expression outside of the adenovirus genome context. In this study, we tested whether the combination of MLP and TPL would enhance transgene expression beyond that of the most widely used promoter in transgene expression in mammalian cells, the cytomegalovirus immediate early (CMVie promoter/enhancer. The activity of these two regulatory elements was compared in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO cells. Although transient expression was significantly higher under the control of the CMVie promoter/enhance compared to the MLP/TPL, this difference was greater at the level of transcription (30 folds than translation (11 folds. Even with adenovirus infection to provide additional elements (in trans, CMVie promoter/enhancer exhibited significantly higher activity relative to MLP/TPL. Interestingly, the CMVie promoter/enhancer was 1.9 folds more active in adenovirus-infected cells than in non-infected cells. Our study shows that the MLP-TPL drives lower transgene expression than the CMVie promoter/enhancer particularly at the transcription level. The data also highlight the utility of the TPL sequence at the translation level and/or possible overwhelming of the cellular translational machinery by the high transcription activity of the CMVie promoter/enhancer. In addition, here we present data that show stimulation of the CMVie promoter/enhancer by adenovirus infection, which may prove interesting in future work to test the combination of CMVie/TPL sequence, and additional adenovirus elements, for transgene expression.

MeCP2 Expression and Promoter Methylation of Cyclin D1 Gene Are Associated with Cyclin D1 Expression in Developing Rat Epididymal Duct

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwanto, Agus; Kitazawa, Riko; Mori, Kiyoshi; Kondo, Takeshi; Kitazawa, Sohei

2008-01-01

Hypermethylation-dependent silencing of the gene is achieved by recruiting methyl-CpG binding proteins (MeCPs). Among the MeCPs, MeCP2 is the most abundantly and ubiquitously expressed in various types of cells. We first screened the distribution and expression pattern of MeCP2 in adult and developing rat tissues and found strong MeCP2 expression, albeit rather ubiquitously among normal tissues, in ganglion cells and intestinal epithelium in the small intestine, in Purkinje cells and neurons in the brain, in spermatogonia and in epithelial cells in the epididymal duct of the testis. We then assessed the expression and the methylation pattern of the promoter region of cyclin D1 by immunohistochemistry and sodium bisulfite mapping, and found that cyclin D1 expression in the epididymal duct decreased rapidly during rat development: strong in newborn rats and very weak or almost negative in 7-day-old rats. Mirroring the decrease of cyclin D1 expression, methylated cytosine at both CpG and non-CpG loci in the cyclin D1 promoter was frequently observed in the epididymal duct of 7-day-old rats but not in that of newborn rats. Interestingly, MeCP2 expression also increased concomitant with the increase of methylation. Cyclin D1 expression in the epididymal duct may be efficiently regulated by the epigenetic mechanism of the cooperative increase of MeCP2 expression and promoter methylation

Recurrent and multiple bladder tumors show conserved expression profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindgren, David; Fioretos, Thoas; Månsson, Wiking; Höglund, Mattias; Gudjonsson, Sigurdur; Jee, Kowan Ja; Liedberg, Fredrik; Aits, Sonja; Andersson, Anna; Chebil, Gunilla; Borg, Åke; Knuutila, Sakari

2008-01-01

Urothelial carcinomas originate from the epithelial cells of the inner lining of the bladder and may appear as single or as multiple synchronous tumors. Patients with urothelial carcinomas frequently show recurrences after treatment making follow-up necessary. The leading hypothesis explaining the origin of meta- and synchronous tumors assumes a monoclonal origin. However, the genetic relationship among consecutive tumors has been shown to be complex in as much as the genetic evolution does not adhere to the chronological appearance of the metachronous tumors. Consequently, genetically less evolved tumors may appear chronologically later than genetically related but more evolved tumors. Forty-nine meta- or synchronous urothelial tumors from 22 patients were analyzed using expression profiling, conventional CGH, LOH, and mutation analyses. We show by CGH that partial chromosomal losses in the initial tumors may not be present in the recurring tumors, by LOH that different haplotypes may be lost and that detected regions of LOH may be smaller in recurring tumors, and that mutations present in the initial tumor may not be present in the recurring ones. In contrast we show that despite apparent genomic differences, the recurrent and multiple bladder tumors from the same patients display remarkably similar expression profiles. Our findings show that even though the vast majority of the analyzed meta- and synchronous tumors from the same patients are not likely to have originated directly from the preceding tumor they still show remarkably similar expressions profiles. The presented data suggests that an expression profile is established early in tumor development and that this profile is stable and maintained in recurring tumors

Beyond Promotion-Based Store Switching : Antecedents and Consequences of Systematic Multiple-Store Shopping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gijsbrechts, E.; Campo, K.; Nisol, P.

2005-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate that single-purpose multiple store shopping is not only driven by opportunistic, promotion-based motivations, but may also be part of a longer term shopping planning process based on stable store characteristics.Starting from a utility-maximizing shopping behavior

HBx induced AFP receptor expressed to activate PI3K/AKT signal to promote expression of Src in liver cells and hepatoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Mingyue; Guo, Junli; Li, Wei; Xia, Hua; Lu, Yan; Dong, Xu; Chen, Yi; Xie, Xieju; Fu, Shigan; Li, Mengsen

2015-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-X protein(HBx) is a transactivator of host several cellular genes including alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) and AFP receptor(AFPR) which contributes to HBV-associated tumor development. The expression of AFP/AFPR are correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)-initial cells. But the role of AFP and AFPR in promoting occurrence of HBV-related HCC were still unclear. A total of 71 clinical patients’ liver specimens, normal human liver cells L-02 and HCC cell lines, PLC/PRF/5 were selected for analyzing the effects of HBx on expression of AFP, AFPR and Src. The expression of goal proteins were detected by Immunohistochemical stained and Western blotting; HBx-expressed vectors were constructed and transfected into L-02 cells, laser confocal microscopy was applied to observe expression and location of AFP, AFPR and Src in the normal liver cells and HCC cells, soft agar colony formation assay was used to observe colonies formed of the cells. We confirmed HBx gives preference to promote the expression of AFP and AFPR; HBx priors to up-regulate the expression of AFPR and AFP in L-02 cells and in normal liver specimens; AFPR signal been able to stimulate Src expression. The results also indicated that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K) inhibitors Ly294002 and GDC0941 effectively suppress AFPR mediated up-regulation expression of Src in AFPR positive HCC lines. HBx priors to drive the expression of AFP and AFPR to promote expression of Src in normal liver cells and hepatoma cells; AFP and AFPR maybe play pivotal role in HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis; Targeting AFPR is an available therapeutic strategy of HCC. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1384-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

HMGA2 promotes adipogenesis by activating C/EBPβ-mediated expression of PPARγ

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Xi, Yang; Shen, Wanjing; Ma, Lili; Zhao, Ming; Zheng, Jiachen [Diabetes Center, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Bu, Shizhong, E-mail: bushizhong@nbu.edu.cn [Diabetes Center, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Hino, Shinjiro [Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 (Japan); Nakao, Mitsuyoshi, E-mail: mnakao@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811 (Japan); Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo (Japan)

2016-04-15

Adipogenesis is orchestrated by a highly ordered network of transcription factors including peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family proteins. High mobility group protein AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), an architectural transcription factor, has been reported to play an essential role in preadipocyte proliferation, and its overexpression has been implicated in obesity in mice and humans. However, the direct role of HMGA2 in regulating the gene expression program during adipogenesis is not known. Here, we demonstrate that HMGA2 is required for C/EBPβ-mediated expression of PPARγ, and thus promotes adipogenic differentiation. We observed a transient but marked increase of Hmga2 transcript at an early phase of differentiation of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Importantly, Hmga2 knockdown greatly impaired adipocyte formation, while its overexpression promoted the formation of mature adipocytes. We found that HMGA2 colocalized with C/EBPβ in the nucleus and was required for the recruitment of C/EBPβ to its binding element at the Pparγ2 promoter. Accordingly, HMGA2 and C/EBPβ cooperatively enhanced the Pparγ2 promoter activity. Our results indicate that HMGA2 is an essential constituent of the adipogenic transcription factor network, and thus its function may be affected during the course of obesity. - Highlights: • Overexpression of HMGA2 has been implicated in obesity in mice and humans. • HMGA2 is required for adipocyte formation. • HMGA2 colocalizes with C/EBPβ and is required for C/EBPβ recruitment to Pparγ2 promoter. • HMGA2 and C/EBPβ cooperatively enhance the Pparγ2 promoter activity.

HMGA2 promotes adipogenesis by activating C/EBPβ-mediated expression of PPARγ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi, Yang; Shen, Wanjing; Ma, Lili; Zhao, Ming; Zheng, Jiachen; Bu, Shizhong; Hino, Shinjiro; Nakao, Mitsuyoshi

2016-01-01

Adipogenesis is orchestrated by a highly ordered network of transcription factors including peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family proteins. High mobility group protein AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), an architectural transcription factor, has been reported to play an essential role in preadipocyte proliferation, and its overexpression has been implicated in obesity in mice and humans. However, the direct role of HMGA2 in regulating the gene expression program during adipogenesis is not known. Here, we demonstrate that HMGA2 is required for C/EBPβ-mediated expression of PPARγ, and thus promotes adipogenic differentiation. We observed a transient but marked increase of Hmga2 transcript at an early phase of differentiation of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Importantly, Hmga2 knockdown greatly impaired adipocyte formation, while its overexpression promoted the formation of mature adipocytes. We found that HMGA2 colocalized with C/EBPβ in the nucleus and was required for the recruitment of C/EBPβ to its binding element at the Pparγ2 promoter. Accordingly, HMGA2 and C/EBPβ cooperatively enhanced the Pparγ2 promoter activity. Our results indicate that HMGA2 is an essential constituent of the adipogenic transcription factor network, and thus its function may be affected during the course of obesity. - Highlights: • Overexpression of HMGA2 has been implicated in obesity in mice and humans. • HMGA2 is required for adipocyte formation. • HMGA2 colocalizes with C/EBPβ and is required for C/EBPβ recruitment to Pparγ2 promoter. • HMGA2 and C/EBPβ cooperatively enhance the Pparγ2 promoter activity.

Visual Comparison of Multiple Gene Expression Datasets in a Genomic Context

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Borowski Krzysztof

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The need for novel methods of visualizing microarray data is growing. New perspectives are beneficial to finding patterns in expression data. The Bluejay genome browser provides an integrative way of visualizing gene expression datasets in a genomic context. We have now developed the functionality to display multiple microarray datasets simultaneously in Bluejay, in order to provide researchers with a comprehensive view of their datasets linked to a graphical representation of gene function. This will enable biologists to obtain valuable insights on expression patterns, by allowing them to analyze the expression values in relation to the gene locations as well as to compare expression profiles of related genomes or of di erent experiments for the same genome.

Identifying Growth Conditions for Nicotiana benthimiana Resulting in Predictable Gene Expression of Promoter-Gus Fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval, V.; Barton, K.; Longhurst, A.

2012-12-01

Revoluta (Rev) is a transcription factor that establishes leaf polarity inArabidopsis thaliana. Through previous work in Dr. Barton's Lab, it is known that Revoluta binds to the ZPR3 promoter, thus activating the ZPR3 gene product inArabidopsis thaliana. Using this knowledge, two separate DNA constructs were made, one carrying revgene and in the other, the ZPR3 promoter fussed with the GUS gene. When inoculated in Nicotiana benthimiana (tobacco), the pMDC32 plasmid produces the Rev protein. Rev binds to the ZPR3 promoter thereby activating the transcription of the GUS gene, which can only be expressed in the presence of Rev. When GUS protein comes in contact with X-Gluc it produce the blue stain seen (See Figure 1). In the past, variability has been seen of GUS expression on tobacco therefore we hypothesized that changing the growing conditions and leaf age might improve how well it's expressed.

Surface Expression of TGFβ Docking Receptor GARP Promotes Oncogenesis and Immune Tolerance in Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Metelli, Alessandra; Wu, Bill X; Fugle, Caroline W; Rachidi, Saleh; Sun, Shaoli; Zhang, Yongliang; Wu, Jennifer; Tomlinson, Stephen; Howe, Philip H; Yang, Yi; Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth; Liu, Bei; Li, Zihai

2016-12-15

GARP encoded by the Lrrc32 gene is the cell surface docking receptor for latent TGFβ, which is expressed naturally by platelets and regulatory T cells (Treg). Although Lrrc32 is amplified frequently in breast cancer, the expression and relevant functions of GARP in cancer have not been explored. Here, we report that GARP exerts oncogenic effects, promoting immune tolerance by enriching and activating latent TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment. We found that human breast, lung, and colon cancers expressed GARP aberrantly. In genetic studies in normal mammary gland epithelial and carcinoma cells, GARP expression increased TGFβ bioactivity and promoted malignant transformation in immunodeficient mice. In breast carcinoma-bearing mice that were immunocompetent, GARP overexpression promoted Foxp3 + Treg activity, which in turn contributed to enhancing cancer progression and metastasis. Notably, administration of a GARP-specific mAb limited metastasis in an orthotopic model of human breast cancer. Overall, these results define the oncogenic effects of the GARP-TGFβ axis in the tumor microenvironment and suggest mechanisms that might be exploited for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Cancer Res; 76(24); 7106-17. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

MicroRNA genes preferentially expressed in dendritic cells contain sites for conserved transcription factor binding motifs in their promoters

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Huynen Martijn A

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs play a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression by translational repression or target mRNA degradation. Regulatory elements in miRNA promoters are less well studied, but may reveal a link between their expression and a specific cell type. Results To explore this link in myeloid cells, miRNA expression profiles were generated from monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs. Differences in miRNA expression among monocytes, DCs and their stimulated progeny were observed. Furthermore, putative promoter regions of miRNAs that are significantly up-regulated in DCs were screened for Transcription Factor Binding Sites (TFBSs based on TFBS motif matching score, the degree to which those TFBSs are over-represented in the promoters of the up-regulated miRNAs, and the extent of conservation of the TFBSs in mammals. Conclusions Analysis of evolutionarily conserved TFBSs in DC promoters revealed preferential clustering of sites within 500 bp upstream of the precursor miRNAs and that many mRNAs of cognate TFs of the conserved TFBSs were indeed expressed in the DCs. Taken together, our data provide evidence that selected miRNAs expressed in DCs have evolutionarily conserved TFBSs relevant to DC biology in their promoters.

CIITA promoter I CARD-deficient mice express functional MHC class II genes in myeloid and lymphoid compartments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinzow-Kramer, W M; Long, A B; Youngblood, B A; Rosenthal, K M; Butler, R; Mohammed, A-U-R; Skountzou, I; Ahmed, R; Evavold, B D; Boss, J M

2012-06-01

Three distinct promoters control the master regulator of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression, class II transactivator (CIITA), in a cell type-specific manner. Promoter I (pI) CIITA, expressed primarily by dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, expresses a unique isoform that contains a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD). The activity and function of this isoform are not understood, but are believed to enhance the function of CIITA in antigen-presenting cells. To determine whether isoform I of CIITA has specific functions, CIITA mutant mice were created in which isoform I was replaced with isoform III sequences. Mice in which pI and the CARD-encoding exon were deleted were also created. No defect in the formation of CD4 T cells, the ability to respond to a model antigen or bacterial or viral challenge was observed in mice lacking CIITA isoform I. Although CIITA and MHC-II expression was decreased in splenic DCs, pI knockout animals expressed CIITA from downstream promoters, suggesting that control of pI activity is mediated by unknown distal elements that could act at pIII, the B-cell promoter. Thus, no critical function is linked to the CARD domain of CIITA isoform I with respect to basic immune system development, function and challenge.

Bee Venom Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Inhibiting 5α-Reductase Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Seeun; Erdogan, Sedef; Hwang, Dahyun; Hwang, Seonwook; Han, Eun Hye; Lim, Young-Hee

2016-06-01

Alopecia is an important issue that can occur in people of all ages. Recent studies show that bee venom can be used to treat certain diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, and multiple sclerosis. In this study, we investigated the preventive effect of bee venom on alopecia, which was measured by applying bee venom (0.001, 0.005, 0.01%) or minoxidil (2%) as a positive control to the dorsal skin of female C57BL/6 mice for 19 d. Growth factors responsible for hair growth were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis using mice skins and human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs). Bee venom promoted hair growth and inhibited transition from the anagen to catagen phase. In both anagen phase mice and dexamethasone-induced catagen phase mice, hair growth was increased dose dependently compared with controls. Bee venom inhibited the expression of SRD5A2, which encodes a type II 5α-reductase that plays a major role in the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Moreover, bee venom stimulated proliferation of hDPCs and several growth factors (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)2 and 7) in bee venom-treated hDPCs dose dependently compared with the control group. In conclusion, bee venom is a potentially potent 5α-reductase inhibitor and hair growth promoter.

Expression of the central growth regulator BIG BROTHER is regulated by multiple cis-elements

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Breuninger Holger

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Much of the organismal variation we observe in nature is due to differences in organ size. The observation that even closely related species can show large, stably inherited differences in organ size indicates a strong genetic component to the control of organ size. Despite recent progress in identifying factors controlling organ growth in plants, our overall understanding of this process remains limited, partly because the individual factors have not yet been connected into larger regulatory pathways or networks. To begin addressing this aim, we have studied the upstream regulation of expression of BIG BROTHER (BB, a central growth-control gene in Arabidopsis thaliana that prevents overgrowth of organs. Final organ size and BB expression levels are tightly correlated, implying the need for precise control of its expression. BB expression mirrors proliferative activity, yet the gene functions to limit proliferation, suggesting that it acts in an incoherent feedforward loop downstream of growth activators to prevent over-proliferation. Results To investigate the upstream regulation of BB we combined a promoter deletion analysis with a phylogenetic footprinting approach. We were able to narrow down important, highly conserved, cis-regulatory elements within the BB promoter. Promoter sequences of other Brassicaceae species were able to partially complement the A. thaliana bb-1 mutant, suggesting that at least within the Brassicaceae family the regulatory pathways are conserved. Conclusions This work underlines the complexity involved in precise quantitative control of gene expression and lays the foundation for identifying important upstream regulators that determine BB expression levels and thus final organ size.

CDH1 promoter hypermethylation and E-cadherin protein expression in infiltrating breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caldeira, José Roberto F; Prando, Erika C; Quevedo, Francisco C

2006-01-01

prognosis, and metastasis. Differential CpG island methylation in the promoter region of the CDH1 gene might be an alternative way for the loss of expression and function of E-cadherin, leading to loss of tissue integrity, an essential step in tumor progression. METHODS: The aim of our study was to assess...... not statistically significant, the levels of E-cadherin expression tended to diminish with the CDH1 promoter region methylation. In the group of 71 ductal cancinomas, most of the cases of showing CDH1 hypermethylation also presented reduced levels of expression of ER and PgR proteins, and a possible association......BACKGROUND: The E-cadherin gene (CDH1) maps, at chromosome 16q22.1, a region often associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in human breast cancer. LOH at this site is thought to lead to loss of function of this tumor suppressor gene and was correlated with decreased disease-free survival, poor...

CHIR99021 promotes self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells by modulation of protein-encoding gene and long intergenic non-coding RNA expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Yongyan [College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Ai, Zhiying [Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); College of Life Sciences, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Yao, Kezhen [College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Cao, Lixia; Du, Juan; Shi, Xiaoyan [Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); College of Life Sciences, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Guo, Zekun, E-mail: gzk@nwsuaf.edu.cn [College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Zhang, Yong, E-mail: zhylab@hotmail.com [College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China); Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi (China)

2013-10-15

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can proliferate indefinitely in vitro and differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. These unique properties make them exceptionally valuable for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. However, the practical application of ESCs is limited because it is difficult to derive and culture ESCs. It has been demonstrated that CHIR99021 (CHIR) promotes self-renewal and enhances the derivation efficiency of mouse (m)ESCs. However, the downstream targets of CHIR are not fully understood. In this study, we identified CHIR-regulated genes in mESCs using microarray analysis. Our microarray data demonstrated that CHIR not only influenced the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by stabilizing β-catenin, but also modulated several other pluripotency-related signaling pathways such as TGF-β, Notch and MAPK signaling pathways. More detailed analysis demonstrated that CHIR inhibited Nodal signaling, while activating bone morphogenetic protein signaling in mESCs. In addition, we found that pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors were up-regulated by CHIR, while several developmental-related genes were down-regulated. Furthermore, we found that CHIR altered the expression of epigenetic regulatory genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs. Quantitative real-time PCR results were consistent with microarray data, suggesting that CHIR alters the expression pattern of protein-encoding genes (especially transcription factors), epigenetic regulatory genes and non-coding RNAs to establish a relatively stable pluripotency-maintaining network. - Highlights: • Combined use of CHIR with LIF promotes self-renewal of J1 mESCs. • CHIR-regulated genes are involved in multiple pathways. • CHIR inhibits Nodal signaling and promotes Bmp4 expression to activate BMP signaling. • Expression of epigenetic regulatory genes and lincRNAs is altered by CHIR.

CHIR99021 promotes self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells by modulation of protein-encoding gene and long intergenic non-coding RNA expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Yongyan; Ai, Zhiying; Yao, Kezhen; Cao, Lixia; Du, Juan; Shi, Xiaoyan; Guo, Zekun; Zhang, Yong

2013-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can proliferate indefinitely in vitro and differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. These unique properties make them exceptionally valuable for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. However, the practical application of ESCs is limited because it is difficult to derive and culture ESCs. It has been demonstrated that CHIR99021 (CHIR) promotes self-renewal and enhances the derivation efficiency of mouse (m)ESCs. However, the downstream targets of CHIR are not fully understood. In this study, we identified CHIR-regulated genes in mESCs using microarray analysis. Our microarray data demonstrated that CHIR not only influenced the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by stabilizing β-catenin, but also modulated several other pluripotency-related signaling pathways such as TGF-β, Notch and MAPK signaling pathways. More detailed analysis demonstrated that CHIR inhibited Nodal signaling, while activating bone morphogenetic protein signaling in mESCs. In addition, we found that pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors were up-regulated by CHIR, while several developmental-related genes were down-regulated. Furthermore, we found that CHIR altered the expression of epigenetic regulatory genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs. Quantitative real-time PCR results were consistent with microarray data, suggesting that CHIR alters the expression pattern of protein-encoding genes (especially transcription factors), epigenetic regulatory genes and non-coding RNAs to establish a relatively stable pluripotency-maintaining network. - Highlights: • Combined use of CHIR with LIF promotes self-renewal of J1 mESCs. • CHIR-regulated genes are involved in multiple pathways. • CHIR inhibits Nodal signaling and promotes Bmp4 expression to activate BMP signaling. • Expression of epigenetic regulatory genes and lincRNAs is altered by CHIR

High-level intracellular expression of heterologous proteins in Brevibacillus choshinensis SP3 under the control of a xylose inducible promoter

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D’Urzo Nunzia

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In past years research has focused on the development of alternative Gram positive bacterial expression systems to produce industrially relevant proteins. Brevibacillus choshinensis is an easy to handle non-sporulating bacterium, lacking extracellular proteases, that has been already shown to provide a high level of recombinant protein expression. One major drawback, limiting the applicability of the Brevibacillus expression system, is the absence of expression vectors based on inducible promoters. Here we used the PxylA inducible promoter, commonly employed in other Bacillae expression systems, in Brevibacillus. Results Using GFP, α-amylase and TcdA-GT as model proteins, high level of intracellular protein expression (up to 250 mg/L for the GFP was achieved in Brevibacillus, using the pHis1522 vector carrying the B. megaterium xylose-inducible promoter (PxylA. The GFP expression yields were more than 25 fold higher than those reported for B. megaterium carrying the same vector. All the tested proteins show significant increment in their expression levels (2-10 folds than those obtained using the available plasmids based on the P2 constitutive promoter. Conclusion Combining the components of two different commercially available Gram positive expression systems, such as Brevibacillus (from Takara Bio and B. megaterium (from Mobitec, we demonstrate that vectors based on the B. megaterium PxylA xylose inducible promoter can be successfully used to induce high level of intracellular expression of heterologous proteins in Brevibacillus.

Kalrn promoter usage and isoform expression respond to chronic cocaine exposure

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Ma Xin-Ming

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The long-term effects of cocaine on behavior are accompanied by structural changes in excitatory glutamatergic synapses onto the medium spiny neurons of the striatum. The Kalrn gene encodes several functionally distinct isoforms; these multidomain guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs contain additional domains known to interact with phosphatidylinositides as well as with a number of different proteins. Through their activation of Rho proteins and their interactions with other proteins, the different Kalirin isoforms affect cytoskeletal organization. Chronic exposure of adult male rodents to cocaine increases levels of Kalirin 7 in the striatum. When exposed chronically to cocaine, mice lacking Kalirin 7, the major adult isoform, fail to show an increase in dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens, show diminished place preference for cocaine, and exhibit increased locomotor activity in response to cocaine. Results The use of alternate promoters and 3'-terminal exons of the mouse Kalrn gene were investigated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. While the two most distal full-length Kalrn promoters are used equally in the prefrontal cortex, the more proximal of these promoters accounts for most of the transcripts expressed in the nucleus accumbens. The 3'-terminal exon unique to the Kalirin 7 isoform accounts for a greater percentage of the Kalrn transcripts in prefrontal cortex than in nucleus accumbens. Western blot analyses confirmed these differences. Chronic cocaine treatment increases usage of the promoter encoding the Δ-Kalirin isoforms but does not alter full-length Kalirin promoter usage. Usage of the 3'-terminal exon unique to Kalirin 7 increases following chronic cocaine exposure. Conclusions Kalrn promoter and 3'-terminal exon utilization are region-specific. In the nucleus accumbens, cocaine-mediated alterations in promoter usage and 3'-terminal exon usage favor expression of

Tunable promoters in synthetic and systems biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dehli, Tore; Solem, Christian; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal

2012-01-01

in synthetic biology. A number of tools exist to manipulate the steps in between gene sequence and functional protein in living cells, but out of these the most straight-forward approach is to alter the gene expression level by manipulating the promoter sequence. Some of the promoter tuning tools available......Synthetic and systems biologists need standardized, modular and orthogonal tools yielding predictable functions in vivo. In systems biology such tools are needed to quantitatively analyze the behavior of biological systems while the efficient engineering of artificial gene networks is central...... for accomplishing such altered gene expression levels are discussed here along with examples of their use, and ideas for new tools are described. The road ahead looks very promising for synthetic and systems biologists as tools to achieve just about anything in terms of tuning and timing multiple gene expression...

Facile promoter deletion in Escherichia coli in response to leaky expression of very robust and benign proteins from common expression vectors

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Kawe Martin

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Overexpression of proteins in Escherichia coli is considered routine today, at least when the protein is soluble and not otherwise toxic for the host. We report here that the massive overproduction of even such "benign" proteins can cause surprisingly efficient promoter deletions in the expression plasmid, leading to the growth of only non-producers, when expression is not well repressed in the newly transformed bacterial cell. Because deletion is so facile, it might impact on high-throughput protein production, e.g. for structural genomics, where not every expression parameter will be monitored. Results We studied the high-level expression of several robust non-toxic proteins using a T5 promoter under lac operator control. Full induction leads to no significant growth retardation. We compared expression from almost identical plasmids with or without the lacI gene together in strains expressing different levels of LacI. Any combination without net overexpression of LacI led to an efficient promoter deletion in the plasmid, although the number of growing colonies and even the plasmid size – all antibiotic-resistant non-producers – was almost normal, and thus the problem not immediately recognizable. However, by assuring sufficient repression during the initial establishment phase of the plasmid, deletion was completely prevented. Conclusion The deletions in the insufficiently repressed system are caused entirely by the burden of high-level translation. Since the E. coli Dps protein, known to protect DNA against stress in the stationary phase, is accumulated in the deletion mutants, the mutation may have taken place during a transient stationary phase. The cause of the deletion is thus distinct from the well known interference of high-level transcription with plasmid replication. The deletion can be entirely prevented by overexpressing LacI, a useful precaution even without any signs of stress caused by the protein.

Characterization and functional analysis of the Paralichthys olivaceus prdm1 gene promoter.

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Li, Peizhen; Wang, Bo; Cao, Dandan; Liu, Yuezhong; Zhang, Quanqi; Wang, Xubo

2017-10-01

PR domain containing protein 1 (Prdm1) is a transcriptional repressor identified in various species and plays multiple important roles in immune response and embryonic development. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the prdm1 gene. This study aims to characterize the promoter of Paralichthys olivaceus prdm1 (Po-prdm1) gene and determine the regulatory mechanism of Po-prdm1 expression. A 2000bp-long 5'-flanking region (translation initiation site designated as +1) of the Po-prdm1 gene was isolated and characterized. The regulatory elements in this fragment were then investigated and many putative transcription factor (TF) binding sites involved in immunity and multiple tissue development were identified. A 5'-deletion analysis was then conducted, and the ability of the deletion mutants to promote luciferase and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in a flounder gill cell line was examined. The results revealed that the minimal promoter is located in the region between -446 and -13bp, and the region between -1415 and -13bp enhanced the promoter activity. Site-directed mutation analysis was subsequently performed on the putative regulatory elements sites, and the results indicated that FOXP1, MSX and BCL6 binding sites play negative functional roles in the regulation of the Po-prdm1 expression in FG cells. In vivo analysis demonstrated that a GFP reporter gene containing 1.4kb-long promoter fragment (-1415/-13) was expressed in the head and trunk muscle fibres of transient transgenic zebrafish embryos. Our study provided the basic information for the exploration of Po-prdm1 regulation and expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of SV40 polyA on Gene Expression of Baculovirus Expression Vector Systems.

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Tamer Z Salem

Full Text Available The simian virus 40 polyadenylation signal (SV40 polyA has been routinely inserted downstream of the polyhedrin promoter in many baculovirus expression vector systems (BEVS. In the baculovirus prototype Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV, the polyhedrin promoter (very late promoter transcribes its gene by a viral RNA polymerase therefore there is no supporting evidence that SV40 polyA is required for the proper gene expression under the polyhedrin promoter. Moreover, the effect of the SV40 polyA sequence on the polyhedrin promoter activity has not been tested either at its natural polyhedrin locus or in other loci in the viral genome. In order to test the significance of adding the SV40 polyA sequence on gene expression, the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp was evaluated with and without the presence of SV40 polyA under the control of the polyhedrin promoter at different genomic loci (polyherin, ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt, and gp37. In this study, spectrofluorometry and western blot showed reduction of EGFP protein for all recombinant viruses with SV40 polyA, whereas qPCR showed an increase in the egfp mRNA levels. Therefore, we conclude that SV40 polyA increases mRNA levels but decreases protein production in the BEVS when the polyhedrin promoter is used at different loci. This work suggests that SV40 polyA in BEVSs should be replaced by an AcMNPV late gene polyA for optimal protein production or left untouched for optimal RNA production (RNA interference applications.

The Influence of SV40 polyA on Gene Expression of Baculovirus Expression Vector Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, Tamer Z.; Seaborn, Craig P.; Turney, Colin M.; Xue, Jianli; Shang, Hui; Cheng, Xiao-Wen

2015-01-01

The simian virus 40 polyadenylation signal (SV40 polyA) has been routinely inserted downstream of the polyhedrin promoter in many baculovirus expression vector systems (BEVS). In the baculovirus prototype Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), the polyhedrin promoter (very late promoter) transcribes its gene by a viral RNA polymerase therefore there is no supporting evidence that SV40 polyA is required for the proper gene expression under the polyhedrin promoter. Moreover, the effect of the SV40 polyA sequence on the polyhedrin promoter activity has not been tested either at its natural polyhedrin locus or in other loci in the viral genome. In order to test the significance of adding the SV40 polyA sequence on gene expression, the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp) was evaluated with and without the presence of SV40 polyA under the control of the polyhedrin promoter at different genomic loci (polyherin, ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt), and gp37). In this study, spectrofluorometry and western blot showed reduction of EGFP protein for all recombinant viruses with SV40 polyA, whereas qPCR showed an increase in the egfp mRNA levels. Therefore, we conclude that SV40 polyA increases mRNA levels but decreases protein production in the BEVS when the polyhedrin promoter is used at different loci. This work suggests that SV40 polyA in BEVSs should be replaced by an AcMNPV late gene polyA for optimal protein production or left untouched for optimal RNA production (RNA interference applications). PMID:26659470

Specific expression of bioluminescence reporter gene in cardiomyocyte regulated by tissue specific promoter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Vu Hong; Tae, Seong Ho; Le, Nguyen Uyen Chi; Min, Jung Joon [Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

As the human heart is not capable of regenerating the great numbers of cardiac cells that are lost after myocardial infarction, impaired cardiac function is the inevitable result of ischemic disease. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have gained popularity as a potentially ideal cell candidate for tissue regeneration. In particular, hESCs are capable of cardiac lineage-specific differentiation and confer improvement of cardiac function following transplantation into animal models. Although such data are encouraging, the specific strategy for in vivo and non-invasive detection of differentiated cardiac lineage is still limited. Therefore, in the present study, we established the gene construction in which the optical reporter gene Firefly luciferase was controlled by Myosin Heavy Chain promoter for specific expressing in heart cells. The vector consisting of - MHC promoter and a firefly luciferase coding sequence flanked by full-length bovine growth hormone (BGH) 3'-polyadenylation sequence based on pcDNA3.1- vector backbone. To test the specific transcription of this promoter in g of MHC-Fluc or CMV-Flue (for control) plasmid DNA in myocardial tissue, 20 phosphate-buffered saline was directly injected into mouse myocardium through a midline sternotomy and liver. After 1 week of injection, MHC-Fluc expression was detected from heart region which was observed under cooled CCD camera of in vivo imaging system but not from liver. In control group injected with CMV-Flue, the bioluminescence was detected from all these organs. The expression of Flue under control of Myosin Heavy Chain promoter may become a suitable optical reporter gene for stem cell-derived cardiac lineage differentiation study.

Melanoma NOS1 expression promotes dysfunctional IFN signaling.

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Liu, Qiuzhen; Tomei, Sara; Ascierto, Maria Libera; De Giorgi, Valeria; Bedognetti, Davide; Dai, Cuilian; Uccellini, Lorenzo; Spivey, Tara; Pos, Zoltan; Thomas, Jaime; Reinboth, Jennifer; Murtas, Daniela; Zhang, Qianbing; Chouchane, Lotfi; Weiss, Geoffrey R; Slingluff, Craig L; Lee, Peter P; Rosenberg, Steven A; Alter, Harvey; Yao, Kaitai; Wang, Ena; Marincola, Francesco M

2014-05-01

In multiple forms of cancer, constitutive activation of type I IFN signaling is a critical consequence of immune surveillance against cancer; however, PBMCs isolated from cancer patients exhibit depressed STAT1 phosphorylation in response to IFN-α, suggesting IFN signaling dysfunction. Here, we demonstrated in a coculture system that melanoma cells differentially impairs the IFN-α response in PBMCs and that the inhibitory potential of a particular melanoma cell correlates with NOS1 expression. Comparison of gene transcription and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) between melanoma cells from different patients indicated that suppression of IFN-α signaling correlates with an amplification of the NOS1 locus within segment 12q22-24. Evaluation of NOS1 levels in melanomas and IFN responsiveness of purified PBMCs from patients indicated a negative correlation between NOS1 expression in melanomas and the responsiveness of PBMCs to IFN-α. Furthermore, in an explorative study, NOS1 expression in melanoma metastases was negatively associated with patient response to adoptive T cell therapy. This study provides a link between cancer cell phenotype and IFN signal dysfunction in circulating immune cells.

Regulated expression of the human cytomegalovirus pp65 gene: Octamer sequence in the promoter is required for activation by viral gene products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Depto, A.S.; Stenberg, R.M.

1989-01-01

To better understand the regulation of late gene expression in human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-infected cells, the authors examined expression of the gene that codes for the 65-kilodalton lower-matrix phosphoprotein (pp65). Analysis of RNA isolated at 72 h from cells infected with CMV Towne or ts66, a DNA-negative temperature-sensitive mutant, supported the fact that pp65 is expressed at low levels prior to viral DNA replication but maximally expressed after the initiation of viral DNA replication. To investigate promoter activation in a transient expression assay, the pp65 promoter was cloned into the indicator plasmid containing the gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Transfection of the promoter-CAT construct and subsequent superinfection with CMV resulted in activation of the promoter at early times after infection. Cotransfection with plasmids capable of expressing immediate-early (IE) proteins demonstrated that the promoter was activated by IE proteins and that both IE regions 1 and 2 were necessary. These studies suggest that interactions between IE proteins and this octamer sequence may be important for the regulation and expression of this CMV gene

Promoter methylation-associated loss of ID4 expression is a marker of tumour recurrence in human breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noetzel, Erik; Veeck, Jürgen; Niederacher, Dieter; Galm, Oliver; Horn, Felicitas; Hartmann, Arndt; Knüchel, Ruth; Dahl, Edgar

2008-01-01

Inhibitor of DNA binding/Inhibitor of differentiation 4 (ID4) is a critical factor for cell proliferation and differentiation in normal vertebrate development. ID4 has regulative functions for differentiation and growth of the developing brain. The role of ID1, ID2 and ID3 are expected to be oncogenic due to their overexpression in pancreatic cancer and colorectal adenocarcinomas, respectively. Aside from these findings, loss of ID3 expression was demonstrated in ovarian cancer. The aim of the present study was to reveal the factual role of ID4 in carcinogenesis in more detail, since its role for the pathogenesis of human breast cancer has been discussed controversially, assigning both oncogenic and tumour suppressive functions. ID4 promoter methylation, ID4 mRNA expression and ID4 protein expression were analysed in primary human breast cancer specimens using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) (n=170), semiquantitative realtime RT-PCR (n=46) and immunhistochemistry (n=3), respectively. In order to demonstrate a functional association of ID4 promoter methylation with its gene silencing, we performed DNA demethylation analysis with four human breast cell lines using MSP and semiquantitative realtime RT-PCR. In addition, we performed correlations of ID4 promoter methylation with ID4 mRNA and ID4 protein expression in matched samples of breast tumour and corresponding normal tissue. We carried out statistical analyses in order to find correlations between ID4 promoter methylation and clinicopathological parameters. Frequent ID4 promoter methylation was observed in primary breast cancer samples (69%, 117/170). We found a tight correlation (P<0.0001) between ID4 promoter methylation and loss of ID4 expression in primary breast cancer 3 specimens. Demethylating treatment with breast cancer cell lines was associated with clear ID4 mRNA re-expression. Tumours with ID4 promoter methylation showed distinct loss of ID4 expression on both transcription and protein level

p8 inhibits the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells and its expression is induced through pathways involved in growth inhibition and repressed by factors promoting cell growth

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Vasseur Sophie

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background p8 is a stress-induced protein with multiple functions and biochemically related to the architectural factor HMG-I/Y. We analyzed the expression and function of p8 in pancreatic cancer-derived cells. Methods Expression of p8 was silenced in the human pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1 and BxPc-3 by infection with a retrovirus expressing p8 RNA in the antisense orientation. Cell growth was measured in control and p8-silenced cells. Influence on p8 expression of the induction of intracellular pathways promoting cellular growth or growth arrest was monitored. Results p8-silenced cells grew more rapidly than control cells transfected with the empty retrovirus. Activation of the Ras→Raf→MEK→ERK and JNK intracellular pathways down-regulated p8 expression. In addition, the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 up-regulates expression of p8. Conversely, p38 or TGFβ-1 induced p8 expression whereas the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 down-regulated p8 expression. Finally, TGFβ-1 induction was in part mediated through p38. Conclusions p8 inhibits the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells. p8 expression is induced through pathways involved in growth inhibition and repressed by factors that promote cell growth. These results suggest that p8 belongs to a pathway regulating the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

TRIP-Br2 promotes oncogenesis in nude mice and is frequently overexpressed in multiple human tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, Jit Kong; Gunaratnam, Lakshman; Zang, Zhi Jiang; Yang, Christopher M; Sun, Xiaoming; Nasr, Susan L; Sim, Khe Guan; Peh, Bee Keow; Rashid, Suhaimi Bin Abdul; Bonventre, Joseph V; Salto-Tellez, Manuel; Hsu, Stephen I

2009-01-20

Members of the TRIP-Br/SERTAD family of mammalian transcriptional coregulators have recently been implicated in E2F-mediated cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis. We, herein, focus on the detailed functional characterization of the least understood member of the TRIP-Br/SERTAD protein family, TRIP-Br2 (SERTAD2). Oncogenic potential of TRIP-Br2 was demonstrated by (1) inoculation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts, which were engineered to stably overexpress ectopic TRIP-Br2, into athymic nude mice for tumor induction and (2) comprehensive immunohistochemical high-throughput screening of TRIP-Br2 protein expression in multiple human tumor cell lines and human tumor tissue microarrays (TMAs). Clinicopathologic analysis was conducted to assess the potential of TRIP-Br2 as a novel prognostic marker of human cancer. RNA interference of TRIP-Br2 expression in HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells was performed to determine the potential of TRIP-Br2 as a novel chemotherapeutic drug target. Overexpression of TRIP-Br2 is sufficient to transform murine fibroblasts and promotes tumorigenesis in nude mice. The transformed phenotype is characterized by deregulation of the E2F/DP-transcriptional pathway through upregulation of the key E2F-responsive genes CYCLIN E, CYCLIN A2, CDC6 and DHFR. TRIP-Br2 is frequently overexpressed in both cancer cell lines and multiple human tumors. Clinicopathologic correlation indicates that overexpression of TRIP-Br2 in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a worse clinical outcome by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Small interfering RNA-mediated (siRNA) knockdown of TRIP-Br2 was sufficient to inhibit cell-autonomous growth of HCT-116 cells in vitro. This study identifies TRIP-Br2 as a bona-fide protooncogene and supports the potential for TRIP-Br2 as a novel prognostic marker and a chemotherapeutic drug target in human cancer.

Surface Expression of TGF-β Docking Receptor GARP Promotes Oncogenesis and Immune Tolerance in Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Metelli, Alessandra; Wu, Bill X; Fugle, Caroline W; Rachidi, Saleh; Sun, Shaoli; Zhang, Yongliang; Wu, Jennifer; Tomlinson, Stephen; Howe, Philip; Yang, Yi; Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth; Liu, Bei; Li, Zihai

2016-01-01

GARP encoded by the Lrrc32 gene is the cell surface docking receptor for latent TGF-β which is expressed naturally by platelets and regulatory T cells. Although Lrrc32 is amplified frequently in breast cancer, the expression and relevant functions of GARP in cancer have not been explored. Here we report that GARP exerts oncogenic effects, promoting immune tolerance by enriching and activating latent TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment. We found that human breast, lung and colon cancers expressed GARP aberrantly. In genetic studies in normal mammary gland epithelial and carcinoma cells, GARP expression increased TGF-β bioactivity and promoted malignant transformation in immune deficient mice. In breast carcinoma-bearing mice that were immune competent, GARP overexpression promoted Foxp3+ regulatory T cell activity, which in turn contributed to enhancing cancer progression and metastasis. Notably, administration of a panel of GARP-specific monoclonal antibodies limited metastasis in an orthotopic model of human breast cancer. Overall, these results define the oncogenic effects of the GARP-TGF-β axis in the tumor microenvironment and suggest mechanisms that might be exploited for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. PMID:27913437

Isolation and characterization of the Jatropha curcas APETALA1 (JcAP1) promoter conferring preferential expression in inflorescence buds.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yan-Bin; He, Liang-Liang; Niu, Longjian; Xu, Zeng-Fu

2016-08-01

The 1.5 kb JcAP1 promoter from the biofuel plant Jatropha curcas is predominantly active in the inflorescence buds of transgenic plants, in which the -1313/-1057 region is essential for maintaining the activity. Arabidopsis thaliana APETALA1 (AP1) is a MADS-domain transcription factor gene that functions primarily in flower development. We isolated a homolog of AP1 from Jatropha curcas (designated JcAP1), which was shown to exhibit flower-specific expression in Jatropha. JcAP1 is first expressed in inflorescence buds and continues to be primarily expressed in the sepals. We isolated a 1.5 kb JcAP1 promoter and evaluated its activity in transgenic Arabidopsis and Jatropha using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. In transgenic Arabidopsis and Jatropha, the inflorescence buds exhibited notable GUS activity, whereas the sepals did not. Against expectations, the JcAP1 promoter was active in the anthers of Arabidopsis and Jatropha and was highly expressed in Jatropha seeds. An analysis of promoter deletions in transgenic Arabidopsis revealed that deletion of the -1313/-1057 region resulted in loss of JcAP1 promoter activity in the inflorescence buds and increased activity in the anthers. These results suggested that some regulatory sequences in the -1313/-1057 region are essential for maintaining promoter activity in inflorescence buds and can partly suppress activity in the anthers. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that other elements located upstream of the 1.5 kb JcAP1 promoter may be required for flower-specific activation. The JcAP1 promoter characterized in this study can be used to drive transgene expression in both the inflorescence buds and seeds of Jatropha.

Expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Vierstra, Richard D.; Walker, Joseph M.

2002-01-01

A method is disclosed for the production of multiple proteins in transgenic plants. A DNA construct for introduction into plants includes a provision to express a fusion protein of two proteins of interest joined by a linking domain including plant ubiquitin. When the fusion protein is produced in the cells of a transgenic plant transformed with the DNA construction, native enzymes present in plant cells cleave the fusion protein to release both proteins of interest into the cells of the transgenic plant. Since the proteins are produced from the same fusion protein, the initial quantities of the proteins in the cells of the plant are approximately equal.

Ibandronate promotes osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells by regulating the expression of microRNAs

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Zhou, Qiang [Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China); Zhao, Zhi-Ning [Clinical Laboratory, 451 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Xi' an 710054 (China); Cheng, Jing-Tao [Department of Special Dentistry, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China); Zhang, Bin [Department of Orthodontics, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China); Xu, Jie [Department of Periodontology, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China); Huang, Fei; Zhao, Rui-Ni [Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China); Chen, Yong-Jin, E-mail: cyj1229@fmmu.edu.cn [Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710032 (China)

2011-01-07

Research highlights: {yields} Ibandronate significantly promote the proliferation of PDLSC cells. {yields} Ibandronate enhanced the expression of ALP, COL-1, OPG, OCN, Runx2. {yields} The expression of a class of miRNAs, e.g., miR-18a, miR-133a, miR-141 and miR-19a, was significantly modified in PDLSC cells cultured with ibandronate. {yields} Ibandronate regulates the expression of diverse bone formation-related genes via miRNAs in PDLSCs. {yields} Ibandronate can suppress the activity of osteoclast while promoting the proliferation of osteoblast by regulating the expression of microRNAs. -- Abstract: Bisphosphonates (BPs) have a profound effect on bone resorption and are widely used to treat osteoclast-mediated bone diseases. They suppress bone resorption by inhibiting the activity of mature osteoclasts and/or the formation of new osteoclasts. Osteoblasts may be an alternative target for BPs. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) exhibit osteoblast-like features and are capable of differentiating into osteoblasts or cementoblasts. This study aimed to determine the effects of ibandronate, a nitrogen-containing BP, on the proliferation and the differentiation of PDLSCs and to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate these effects. The PDLSCs were treated with ibandronate, and cell proliferation was measured using the MTT (3-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The expression of genes and miRNAs involved in osteoblastic differentiation was assayed using quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Ibandronate promoted the proliferation of PDLSCs and enhanced the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type I collagen (COL-1), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteocalcin (OCN), and Runx2. The expression of miRNAs, including miR-18a, miR-133a, miR-141 and miR-19a, was significantly altered in the PDLSCs cultured with ibandronate. In PDLSCs, ibandronate regulates the expression of diverse bone formation

Ibandronate promotes osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells by regulating the expression of microRNAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Qiang; Zhao, Zhi-Ning; Cheng, Jing-Tao; Zhang, Bin; Xu, Jie; Huang, Fei; Zhao, Rui-Ni; Chen, Yong-Jin

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Ibandronate significantly promote the proliferation of PDLSC cells. → Ibandronate enhanced the expression of ALP, COL-1, OPG, OCN, Runx2. → The expression of a class of miRNAs, e.g., miR-18a, miR-133a, miR-141 and miR-19a, was significantly modified in PDLSC cells cultured with ibandronate. → Ibandronate regulates the expression of diverse bone formation-related genes via miRNAs in PDLSCs. → Ibandronate can suppress the activity of osteoclast while promoting the proliferation of osteoblast by regulating the expression of microRNAs. -- Abstract: Bisphosphonates (BPs) have a profound effect on bone resorption and are widely used to treat osteoclast-mediated bone diseases. They suppress bone resorption by inhibiting the activity of mature osteoclasts and/or the formation of new osteoclasts. Osteoblasts may be an alternative target for BPs. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) exhibit osteoblast-like features and are capable of differentiating into osteoblasts or cementoblasts. This study aimed to determine the effects of ibandronate, a nitrogen-containing BP, on the proliferation and the differentiation of PDLSCs and to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate these effects. The PDLSCs were treated with ibandronate, and cell proliferation was measured using the MTT (3-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The expression of genes and miRNAs involved in osteoblastic differentiation was assayed using quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Ibandronate promoted the proliferation of PDLSCs and enhanced the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type I collagen (COL-1), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteocalcin (OCN), and Runx2. The expression of miRNAs, including miR-18a, miR-133a, miR-141 and miR-19a, was significantly altered in the PDLSCs cultured with ibandronate. In PDLSCs, ibandronate regulates the expression of diverse bone formation-related genes via miRNAs. The exact

PAI-1 expression and its regulation by promoter 4G/5G polymorphism in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

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Choi, Jung-Woo; Lee, Ju-Han; Park, Hong Seok; Kim, Young-Sik

2011-10-01

To characterise patients with high plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression as oral PAI-1 antagonists are currently in preclinical trials, and to determine whether the PAI-1 promoter 4G/5G polymorphism regulates PAI-1 expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC). PAI-1 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 69 CCRCC specimens. In addition, the promoter 4G/5G polymorphism was investigated by both allele-specific PCR and direct DNA sequencing. PAI-1 was overexpressed in 25/69 (36.2%) patients with CCRCC. PAI-1 staining was intense in tumour cells with a high Fuhrman nuclear grade and in spindle-shaped tumour cells. PAI-1 expression was significantly associated with older age at diagnosis (p=0.027), high nuclear grade (p5G and 31.9% (22/69) 5G/5G. The homozygous 4G/4G or 5G/5G group showed a tendency for a high nuclear grade (p=0.05) but the 4G/5G polymorphism was not related to other prognostic parameters. PAI-1 expression was poorly correlated with its promoter 4G/5G polymorphism (Spearman ρ=0.088). CCRCC with high PAI-1 expression is characterised by older age, high nuclear grade, advanced stage, distant metastasis and/or shortened disease-free survival. PAI-1 expression is not affected by the promoter 4G/5G polymorphism.

Bayesian models and meta analysis for multiple tissue gene expression data following corticosteroid administration

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Kelemen Arpad

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper addresses key biological problems and statistical issues in the analysis of large gene expression data sets that describe systemic temporal response cascades to therapeutic doses in multiple tissues such as liver, skeletal muscle, and kidney from the same animals. Affymetrix time course gene expression data U34A are obtained from three different tissues including kidney, liver and muscle. Our goal is not only to find the concordance of gene in different tissues, identify the common differentially expressed genes over time and also examine the reproducibility of the findings by integrating the results through meta analysis from multiple tissues in order to gain a significant increase in the power of detecting differentially expressed genes over time and to find the differential differences of three tissues responding to the drug. Results and conclusion Bayesian categorical model for estimating the proportion of the 'call' are used for pre-screening genes. Hierarchical Bayesian Mixture Model is further developed for the identifications of differentially expressed genes across time and dynamic clusters. Deviance information criterion is applied to determine the number of components for model comparisons and selections. Bayesian mixture model produces the gene-specific posterior probability of differential/non-differential expression and the 95% credible interval, which is the basis for our further Bayesian meta-inference. Meta-analysis is performed in order to identify commonly expressed genes from multiple tissues that may serve as ideal targets for novel treatment strategies and to integrate the results across separate studies. We have found the common expressed genes in the three tissues. However, the up/down/no regulations of these common genes are different at different time points. Moreover, the most differentially expressed genes were found in the liver, then in kidney, and then in muscle.

A distal region of the human TGM1 promoter is required for expression in transgenic mice and cultured keratinocytes

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Lu Ying

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background TGM1(transglutaminase 1 is an enzyme that crosslinks the cornified envelope of mature keratinocytes. Appropriate expression of the TGM1 gene is crucial for proper keratinocyte function as inactivating mutations lead to the debilitating skin disease, lamellar ichthyosis. TGM1 is also expressed in squamous metaplasia, a consequence in some epithelia of vitamin A deficiency or toxic insult that can lead to neoplasia. An understanding of the regulation of this gene in normal and abnormal differentiation states may contribute to better disease diagnosis and treatment. Methods In vivo requirements for expression of the TGM1 gene were studied by fusing various lengths of promoter DNA to a reporter and injecting the DNA into mouse embryos to generate transgenic animals. Expression of the reporter was ascertained by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Further delineation of a transcriptionally important distal region was determined by transfections of progressively shortened or mutated promoter DNA into cultured keratinocytes. Results In vivo analysis of a reporter transgene driven by the TGM1 promoter revealed that 1.6 kilobases, but not 1.1 kilobases, of DNA was sufficient to confer tissue-specific and cell layer-specific expression. This same region was responsible for reporter expression in tissues undergoing squamous metaplasia as a response to vitamin A deprivation. Mutation of a distal promoter AP1 site or proximal promoter CRE site, both identified as important transcriptional elements in transfection assays, did not prevent appropriate expression. Further searching for transcriptional elements using electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA and transfection assays in cultured keratinocytes identified two Sp1 elements in a transcriptionally active region between -1.6 and -1.4 kilobases. While mutation of either Sp1 site or the AP1 site singly had only a small effect, mutation of all three sites eliminated nearly all the

Differential effects of simple repeating DNA sequences on gene expression from the SV40 early promoter.

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Amirhaeri, S; Wohlrab, F; Wells, R D

1995-02-17

The influence of simple repeat sequences, cloned into different positions relative to the SV40 early promoter/enhancer, on the transient expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene was investigated. Insertion of (G)29.(C)29 in either orientation into the 5'-untranslated region of the CAT gene reduced expression in CV-1 cells 50-100 fold when compared with controls with random sequence inserts. Analysis of CAT-specific mRNA levels demonstrated that the effect was due to a reduction of CAT mRNA production rather than to posttranscriptional events. In contrast, insertion of the same insert in either orientation upstream of the promoter-enhancer or downstream of the gene stimulated gene expression 2-3-fold. These effects could be reversed by cotransfection of a competitor plasmid carrying (G)25.(C)25 sequences. The results suggest that a G.C-binding transcription factor modulates gene expression in this system and that promoter strength can be regulated by providing protein-binding sites in trans. Although constructs containing longer tracts of alternating (C-G), (T-G), or (A-T) sequences inhibited CAT expression when inserted in the 5'-untranslated region of the CAT gene, the amount of CAT mRNA was unaffected. Hence, these inhibitions must be due to posttranscriptional events, presumably at the level of translation. These effects of microsatellite sequences on gene expression are discussed with respect to recent data on related simple repeat sequences which cause several human genetic diseases.

Wheat chloroplast targeted sHSP26 promoter confers heat and abiotic stress inducible expression in transgenic Arabidopsis Plants.

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Neetika Khurana

Full Text Available The small heat shock proteins (sHSPs have been found to play a critical role in physiological stress conditions in protecting proteins from irreversible aggregation. To characterize the hloroplast targeted sHSP26 promoter in detail, deletion analysis of the promoter is carried out and analysed via transgenics in Arabidopsis. In the present study, complete assessment of the importance of CCAAT-box elements along with Heat shock elements (HSEs in the promoter of sHSP26 was performed. Moreover, the importance of 5' untranslated region (UTR has also been established in the promoter via Arabidopsis transgenics. An intense GUS expression was observed after heat stress in the transgenics harbouring a full-length promoter, confirming the heat-stress inducibility of the promoter. Transgenic plants without UTR showed reduced GUS expression when compared to transgenic plants with UTR as was confirmed at the RNA and protein levels by qRT-PCR and GUS histochemical assays, thus suggesting the possible involvement of some regulatory elements present in the UTR in heat-stress inducibility of the promoter. Promoter activity was also checked under different abiotic stresses and revealed differential expression in different deletion constructs. Promoter analysis based on histochemical assay, real-time qPCR and fluorimetric analysis revealed that HSEs alone could not transcribe GUS gene significantly in sHSP26 promoter and CCAAT box elements contribute synergistically to the transcription. Our results also provide insight into the importance of 5`UTR of sHsp26 promoter thus emphasizing the probable role of imperfect CCAAT-box element or some novel cis-element with respect to heat stress.

Over-expression of Gene FaASR Promotes Strawberry Fruit Coloring

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Liu Zhongjie

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Fruit development and ripening is a complicate process. Although much progress has been made on the ripenig process, the molecular mechamism of fruit development is not yet clear. In this study, we used ‘Sweet Charlie’ strawberry as test materials, based on cloning the strawberries ASR homologous gene, we carried out the bioinformatics and temporal expression analysis of FaASR, by manipulating ASR gene expression level in strawberry fruit, we tested the changes of physiological indicators, including sugar, ABA, pigments content, and fruit firmness, as well as phenotypic changes. In addition, we measured the expression changes of some anthocyanin-related gene, such as CHS and UFGT, by which we revealed the regulation mechanisms of ASR gene over strawberry fruit ripening. Strawberry ASR contained a typical domain of ABA/WDS that was related to fruit ripening and stress-resistance, and ASR gene over-expression could promote strawberry fruit coloring, endogenous ABA and sucrose accumulation, fruit softening, and induced the transcription levels of anthocyanin-related genes CHS and UFGT. The present study will further reveal the molecular mechanisms of information transmission in fruit development, and will also play an important foundation for future molecular improvement of strawberries breeding.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Expression in Macrophages Promotes Development of Atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Annemarie Aarup; Pedersen, Tanja X; Junker, Nanna

2016-01-01

transplanted with bone marrow from mice with HIF-1α deficiency in the myeloid cells or control bone marrow. The HIF-1α deficiency in myeloid cells reduced atherosclerosis in aorta of the Ldlr(-/-) recipient mice by ≈72% (P=0.006).In vitro, HIF-1α-deficient macrophages displayed decreased differentiation...... to proinflammatory M1 macrophages and reduced expression of inflammatory genes. HIF-1α deficiency also affected glucose uptake, apoptosis, and migratory abilities of the macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: HIF-1α expression in macrophages affects their intrinsic inflammatory profile and promotes development of atherosclerosis....

Cloning of the chrysanthemum UEP1 promoter and comparative expression in leaves and ray and disc florets of Dendranthema grandiflora

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Annadana, S.; Beekwilder, M.J.; Kuipers, G.; Visser, P.B.; Outchkourov, N.; Pereira, A.; Udayakumar, M.; Jongsma, M.A.

2002-01-01

To attain high transgene expression in petal tissue of ray florets of chrysanthemum an endogenous ubiquitin extension protein (UEP1) promoter was cloned and tested with the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. Expression levels were compared with four heterologous promoters: chalcone synthase

Once for All: A Novel Robust System for Co-expression of Multiple Chimeric Fluorescent Fusion Proteins in Plants

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Guitao Zhong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins have been employed as a powerful tool to reveal the subcellular localizations and dynamics of proteins in living cells. Co-expression of a fluorescent fusion protein with well-known organelle markers in the same cell is especially useful in revealing its spatial and temporal functions of the protein in question. However, the conventional methods for co-expressing multiple fluorescent tagged proteins in plants have the drawbacks of low expression efficiency, variations in the expression level and time-consuming genetic crossing. Here, we have developed a novel robust system that allows for high-efficient co-expression of multiple chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins in plants in a time-saving fashion. This system takes advantage of employing a single expression vector which consists of multiple semi-independent expressing cassettes for the protein co-expression thereby overcoming the limitations of using multiple independent expressing plasmids. In addition, it is a highly manipulable DNA assembly system, in which modification and recombination of DNA molecules are easily achieved through an optimized one-step assembly reaction. By employing this effective system, we demonstrated that co-expression of two chimeric fluorescent fusion reporter proteins of vacuolar sorting receptor and secretory carrier membrane protein gave rise to their perspective subcellular localizations in plants via both transient expression and stable transformation. Thus, we believed that this technical advance represents a promising approach for multi-color-protein co-expression in plant cells.

Multiple mutualist effects on genomewide expression in the tripartite association between Medicago truncatula, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Afkhami, Michelle E; Stinchcombe, John R

2016-10-01

While all species interact with multiple mutualists, the fitness consequences and molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions remain largely unknown. We combined factorial ecological experiments with genomewide expression analyses to examine the phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of model legume Medicago truncatula to rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi. We found synergistic effects of these mutualists on plant performance and examined unique features of plant gene expression responses to multiple mutualists. There were genomewide signatures of mutualists and multiple mutualists on expression, with partners often affecting unique sets of genes. Mycorrhizal fungi had stronger effects on plant expression than rhizobia, with 70% of differentially expressed genes affected by fungi. Fungal and bacterial mutualists had joint effects on 10% of differentially expressed genes, including unexpected, nonadditive effects on some genes with important functions such as nutrient metabolism. For a subset of genes, interacting with multiple mutualists even led to reversals in the direction of expression (shifts from up to downregulation) compared to interacting with single mutualists. Rhizobia also affected the expression of several mycorrhizal genes, including those involved in nutrient transfer to host plants, indicating that partner species can also impact each other's molecular phenotypes. Collectively, these data illustrate the diverse molecular mechanisms and transcriptional responses associated with the synergistic benefits of multiple mutualists. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Methylation of the claudin 1 promoter is associated with loss of expression in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

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Francescopaolo Di Cello

Full Text Available Downregulation of the tight junction protein claudin 1 is a frequent event in breast cancer and is associated with recurrence, metastasis, and reduced survival, suggesting a tumor suppressor role for this protein. Tumor suppressor genes are often epigenetically silenced in cancer. Downregulation of claudin 1 via DNA promoter methylation may thus be an important determinant in breast cancer development and progression. To investigate if silencing of claudin 1 has an epigenetic etiology in breast cancer we compared gene expression and methylation data from 217 breast cancer samples and 40 matched normal samples available through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA. Moreover, we analyzed claudin 1 expression and methylation in 26 breast cancer cell lines. We found that methylation of the claudin 1 promoter CpG island is relatively frequent in estrogen receptor positive (ER+ breast cancer and is associated with low claudin 1 expression. In contrast, the claudin 1 promoter was not methylated in most of the ER-breast cancers samples and some of these tumors overexpress claudin 1. In addition, we observed that the demethylating agents, azacitidine and decitabine can upregulate claudin 1 expression in breast cancer cell lines that have a methylated claudin 1 promoter. Taken together, our results indicate that DNA promoter methylation is causally associated with downregulation of claudin 1 in a subgroup of breast cancer that includes mostly ER+ tumors, and suggest that epigenetic therapy to restore claudin 1 expression might represent a viable therapeutic strategy in this subtype of breast cancer.

Enhancement of extracellular expression of Bacillus naganoensis pullulanase from recombinant Bacillus subtilis: Effects of promoter and host.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Wan; Nie, Yao; Mu, Xiao Qing; Xu, Yan

2016-08-01

Pullulanase plays an important role in industrial applications of starch processing. However, extracellular production of pullulanase from recombinant Bacillus subtilis is yet limited due to the issues on regulatory elements of B. subtilis expression system. In this study, the gene encoding B. naganoensis pullulanase (PUL) was expressed in B. subtilis WB800 under the promoter PHpaII in the shuttle vector pMA0911. The extracellular activity of expressed pullulanase was 3.9 U ml(-1) from the recombinant B. subtilis WB800/pMA0911-PHpaII-pul. To further enhance the yield of PUL, the promoter PHpaII in pMA0911 was replaced by a stronger constitutive promoter P43. Then the activity was increased to 8.7 U ml(-1) from the recombinant B. subtilis WB800/pMA0911-P43-pul. Effect of host on pullulanase expression was further investigated by comparison between B. subtilis WB600 and B. subtilis WB800. In addition to the available B. subtilis WB800 recombinants, the constructed plasmids pMA0911-PHpaII-pul and pMA0911-P43-pul were transformed into B. subtilis WB600, respectively. Consequently, the extracellular production of PUL was significantly enhanced by B. subtilis WB600/pMA0911-P43-pul, resulting in the extracellular pullulanase activity of 24.5 U ml(-1). Therefore, promoter and host had an impact on pullulanase expression and their optimization would be useful to improve heterologous protein expression in B. subtilis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of useful recombinant promoter and its expression analysis in different plant cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy.

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Deepak Kumar

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Designing functionally efficient recombinant promoters having reduced sequence homology and enhanced promoter activity will be an important step toward successful stacking or pyramiding of genes in a plant cell for developing transgenic plants expressing desired traits(s. Also basic knowledge regarding plant cell specific expression of a transgene under control of a promoter is crucial to assess the promoter's efficacy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have constructed a set of 10 recombinant promoters incorporating different up-stream activation sequences (UAS of Mirabilis mosaic virus sub-genomic transcript (MS8, -306 to +27 and TATA containing core domains of Figwort mosaic virus sub-genomic transcript promoter (FS3, -271 to +31. Efficacies of recombinant promoters coupled to GUS and GFP reporter genes were tested in tobacco protoplasts. Among these, a 369-bp long hybrid sub-genomic transcript promoter (MSgt-FSgt showed the highest activity in both transient and transgenic systems. In a transient system, MSgt-FSgt was 10.31, 2.86 and 2.18 times more active compared to the CaMV35S, MS8 and FS3 promoters, respectively. In transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum, var. Samsun NN and Arabidopsis plants, the MSgt-FSgt hybrid promoter showed 14.22 and 7.16 times stronger activity compared to CaMV35S promoter respectively. The correlation between GUS activity and uidA-mRNA levels in transgenic tobacco plants were identified by qRT-PCR. Both CaMV35S and MSgt-FSgt promoters caused gene silencing but the degree of silencing are less in the case of the MSgt-FSgt promoter compared to CaMV35S. Quantification of GUS activity in individual plant cells driven by the MSgt-FSgt and the CaMV35S promoter were estimated using confocal laser scanning microscopy and compared. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: We propose strong recombinant promoter MSgt-FSgt, developed in this study, could be very useful for high-level constitutive expression of transgenes in

IL-6 Promotes FSH-Induced VEGF Expression Through JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Bovine Granulosa Cells

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Meng Yang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the regulation of angiogenesis in ovarian follicular development, particularly during the preovulatory period. Although numerous studies have shown that interleukin-6 (IL-6 is one of the major inducing factors that regulate the expression of VEGF in non-ovarian cells, whether it involved in regulating the expression of VEGF in normal ovarian granulosa cells is still unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effect of IL-6 on FSH-induced VEGF expression in bovine granulosa cells derived from large follicles. Methods: VEGF mRNA expression in granulosa cells after IL-6 with/without inhibitors treatment was analyzed by RT-qPCR. Phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and STAT3 proteins induced by IL-6 were analyzed by western blotting. The protein levels produced by granulosa cells were detected by ELISA. Results: High concentration of IL-6 (10ng/ml can significantly up-regulate FSH-induced VEGF gene and protein expression levels in granulosa cells, and also promote the VEGF upstream regulators HIF-1α and COX2 mRNA expression. VEGF expression levels were significantly decreased after specifically blocking HIF-1α and COX2 by using inhibitors. The up-regulation effect of IL-6 on FSH-induced VEGF expression in granulosa cells mainly through activating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, which can be impaired by JAK inhibitors. Conclusion: IL-6 can promote FSH-induced VEGF expression in granulosa cells, which is mainly achieved by increasing the expression of HIF-1α and COX2.This promoting effect is mediated by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway. Moreover, there may be a synergistic relationship between FSH and IL-6 in the regulation of VEGF expression.

Semiotic mediation: from multiplication properties to arithmetical expressions

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Andrea Maffia

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Multiplication is introduced early in primary school, but its properties are usually introduced after the rote memorization of multiplicative facts. In this paper we present a teaching experiment aimed to early introducing arithmetical properties of multiplication. It is realized through an artefact built on the rectangle model for multiplication. Children activity is designed and analyzed using Theory of Semiotic Mediation. The development of the relational meaning of arithmetical expressions is shown through the enchaining of representations from signs related to the activity with the artefact to mathematical ones. In particular, the role of the teacher in the process of semiotic mediation results as crucial. Mediazione semiotica: dalle proprietà della moltiplicazione alle espressioni aritmeticheLa moltiplicazione viene presentata presto nella scuola primaria, ma le sue proprietà sono introdotte solo dopo che le cosiddette tabelline sono state memorizzate. Nell’articolo si presenta un teaching experiment volto a introdurre precocemente le proprietà della moltiplicazione per facilitare la memorizzazione di fatti moltiplicativi. L’esperimento è centrato sull’uso di un artefatto costruito sul modello rettangolare della moltiplicazione. L’attività degli studenti è progettata e analizzata nel quadro della Teoria della Mediazione Semiotica (TMS. Lo sviluppo del significato relazionale delle espressioni aritmetiche viene mostrato attraverso la concatenazione di rappresentazioni che vanno da segni strettamente legati all’attività con l’artefatto fino a segni matematici. In particolare, si evidenzia il ruolo dell’insegnante nello sviluppo del processo di mediazione semiotica.

Multiple promoters drive tissue-specific expression of the human M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor gene

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krejčí, Alena; Bruce, A. W.; Doležal, Vladimír; Tuček, Stanislav; Buckley, N. J.

2004-01-01

Roč. 91, č. 1 (2004), s. 88-98 ISSN 0022-3042 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA5011306 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : M2 muscarinic receptor * neuron-restrictive silence factor * promoter Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 4.824, year: 2004

Esrrb directly binds to Gata6 promoter and regulates its expression with Dax1 and Ncoa3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uranishi, Kousuke; Akagi, Tadayuki; Koide, Hiroshi; Yokota, Takashi

2016-01-01

Estrogen-related receptor beta (Esrrb) is expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells and is involved in self-renewal ability and pluripotency. Previously, we found that Dax1 is associated with Esrrb and represses its transcriptional activity. Further, the disruption of the Dax1–Esrrb interaction increases the expression of the extra-embryonic endoderm marker Gata6 in ES cells. Here, we investigated the influences of Esrrb and Dax1 on Gata6 expression. Esrrb overexpression in ES cells induced endogenous Gata6 mRNA and Gata6 promoter activity. In addition, the Gata6 promoter was found to contain the Esrrb recognition motifs ERRE1 and ERRE2, and the latter was the responsive element of Esrrb. Associations between ERRE2 and Esrrb were then confirmed by biotin DNA pulldown and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Subsequently, we showed that Esrrb activity at the Gata6 promoter was repressed by Dax1, and although Dax1 did not bind to ERRE2, it was associated with Esrrb, which directly binds to ERRE2. In addition, the transcriptional activity of Esrrb was enhanced by nuclear receptor co-activator 3 (Ncoa3), which has recently been shown to be a binding partner of Esrrb. Finally, we showed that Dax1 was associated with Ncoa3 and repressed its transcriptional activity. Taken together, the present study indicates that the Gata6 promoter is activated by Esrrb in association with Ncoa3, and Dax1 inhibited activities of Esrrb and Ncoa3, resulting maintenance of the undifferentiated status of ES cells. - Highlights: • Esrrb induced Gata6 expression in ES cells. • Gata6 promoter activity was enhanced by Esrrb, which was repressed by Dax1. • Dax1 associated with the Gata6 promoter via Esrrb. • Dax1 associated with Ncoa3 and repressed its transcriptional activity.

The LIKE system, a novel protein expression toolbox for Bacillus subtilis based on the liaI promoter

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Bacillus subtilis is a very important Gram-positive model organism of high biotechnological relevance, which is widely used as a host for the production of both secreted and cytoplasmic proteins. We developed a novel and efficient expression system, based on the liaI promoter (PliaI) from B. subtilis, which is under control of the LiaRS antibiotic-inducible two-component system. In the absence of a stimulus, this promoter is kept tightly inactive. Upon induction by cell wall antibiotics, it shows an over 100-fold increase in activity within 10 min. Results Based on these traits of PliaI, we developed a novel LiaRS-controlled gene expression system for B. subtilis (the “LIKE" system). Two expression vectors, the integrative pLIKE-int and the replicative pLIKE-rep, were constructed. To enhance the performance of the PliaI-derived system, site-directed mutagenesis was employed to optimize the ribosome binding site and alter its spacing to the initiation codon used for the translational fusion. The impact of these genetic modifications on protein production yield was measured using GFP as a model protein. Moreover, a number of tailored B. subtilis expression strains containing different markerless chromosomal deletions of the liaIH region were constructed to circumvent undesired protein production, enhance the positive autoregulation of the LiaRS system and thereby increase target gene expression strength from the PliaI promoter. Conclusions The LIKE protein expression system is a novel protein expression system, which offers a number of advantages over existing systems. Its major advantages are (i) a tightly switched-off promoter during exponential growth in the absence of a stimulus, (ii) a concentration-dependent activation of PliaI in the presence of suitable inducers, (iii) a very fast but transient response with a very high dynamic range of over 100-fold (up to 1,000-fold) induction, (iv) a choice from a range of well-defined, commercially available

Expression and promoter DNA methylation of MLH1 in colorectal cancer and lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yunxia; Chen, Yuan; Petersen, Iver

2017-04-01

Aberrant DNA methylation is a common molecular feature in human cancer. The aims of this study were to analyze the methylation status of MLH1, one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, in human colorectal and lung cancer and to evaluate its clinical relevance. The expression of MLH1 was analyzed in 8 colorectal cancer (CRC) and 8 lung cancer cell lines by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. The MLH1 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays including 121 primary CRC and 90 lung cancer patient samples. In cancer cell lines, the methylation status of MLH1 promoter and exon 2 was investigated by bisulfite sequencing (BS). Methylation-specific-PCR (MSP) was used to evaluate methylation status of MLH1. The expression of MLH1 mRNA was detected in 8 CRC cell lines as well as normal colonic fibroblast cells CCD-33Co. At protein levels, MLH1 was lost in one CRC cell line HCT-116 and normal cells CCD-33Co. No methylation was found in the promoter and exon 2 of MLH1 in CRC cell lines. MLH1 was expressed in 8 lung cancer cell lines at both mRNA and protein levels. Compared to cancer cells, normal bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) had lower expression of MLH1 protein. In primary CRC, 54.5% of cases exhibited positive staining, while 47.8% of lung tumors were positive for MLH1 protein. MSP analysis showed that 58 out of 92 (63.0%) CRC and 41 out of 73 (56.2%) lung cancer exhibited MLH1 methylation. In CRC, the MLH1 methylation was significantly associated with tumor invasion in veins (P=0.012). However, no significant links were found between MLH1 expression and promoter methylation in both tumor entities. MLH1 methylation is a frequent molecular event in CRC and lung cancer patients. In CRC, methylation of MLH1 could be linked to vascular invasiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A synthetic arabinose-inducible promoter confers high levels of recombinant protein expression in hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peng, Nan; Deng, Ling; Mei, Yuxia

2012-01-01

Despite major progresses in genetic studies of hyperthermophilic archaea, recombinant protein production in these organisms always suffers from low yields and a robust expression system is still in great demand. Here we report a versatile vector that confers high levels of protein expression...... to remove the peptide tags from expressed recombinant proteins. While pEXA employed an araS promoter for protein expression, pSeSD utilized P(araS-SD), an araS derivative promoter carrying an engineered ribosome-binding site (RBS; a Shine-Dalgarno [SD] sequence). We found that P(araS-SD) directed high...... levels of target gene expression. More strikingly, N-terminal amino acid sequencing of recombinant proteins unraveled that the protein synthesized from pEXA-N-lacS lacked the designed 6×His tag and that translation initiation did not start at the ATG codon of the fusion gene. Instead, it started...

Cell-Specific PEAR1 Methylation Studies Reveal a Locus that Coordinates Expression of Multiple Genes

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Benedetta Izzi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Chromosomal interactions connect distant enhancers and promoters on the same chromosome, activating or repressing gene expression. PEAR1 encodes the Platelet-Endothelial Aggregation Receptor 1, a contact receptor involved in platelet function and megakaryocyte and endothelial cell proliferation. PEAR1 expression during megakaryocyte differentiation is controlled by DNA methylation at its first CpG island. We identified a PEAR1 cell-specific methylation sensitive region in endothelial cells and megakaryocytes that showed strong chromosomal interactions with ISGL20L2, RRNAD1, MRLP24, HDGF and PRCC, using available promoter capture Hi-C datasets. These genes are involved in ribosome processing, protein synthesis, cell cycle and cell proliferation. We next studied the methylation and expression profile of these five genes in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs and megakaryocyte precursors. While cell-specific PEAR1 methylation corresponded to variability in expression for four out of five genes, no methylation change was observed in their promoter regions across cell types. Our data suggest that PEAR1 cell-type specific methylation changes may control long distance interactions with other genes. Further studies are needed to show whether such interaction data might be relevant for the genome-wide association data that showed a role for non-coding PEAR1 variants in the same region and platelet function, platelet count and cardiovascular risk.

Transcriptional factor DLX3 promotes the gene expression of enamel matrix proteins during amelogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhichun; Tian, Hua; Lv, Ping; Wang, Weiping; Jia, Zhuqing; Wang, Sainan; Zhou, Chunyan; Gao, Xuejun

2015-01-01

Mutation of distal-less homeobox 3 (DLX3) is responsible for human tricho-dento-osseous syndrome (TDO) with amelogenesis imperfecta, indicating a crucial role of DLX3 in amelogenesis. However, the expression pattern of DLX3 and its specific function in amelogenesis remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of DLX3 on enamel matrix protein (EMP) genes. By immunohistochemistry assays of mouse tooth germs, stronger immunostaining of DLX3 protein was identified in ameloblasts in the secretory stage than in the pre-secretory and maturation stages, and the same pattern was found for Dlx3 mRNA using Realtime PCR. In a mouse ameloblast cell lineage, forced expression of DLX3 up-regulated the expression of the EMP genes Amelx, Enam, Klk4, and Odam, whereas knockdown of DLX3 down-regulated these four EMP genes. Further, bioinformatics, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase assays revealed that DLX3 transactivated Enam, Amelx, and Odam through direct binding to their enhancer regions. Particularly, over-expression of mutant-DLX3 (c.571_574delGGGG, responsible for TDO) inhibited the activation function of DLX3 on expression levels and promoter activities of the Enam, Amelx, and Odam genes. Together, our data show that DLX3 promotes the expression of the EMP genes Amelx, Enam, Klk4, and Odam in amelogenesis, while mutant-DLX3 disrupts this regulatory function, thus providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the enamel defects of TDO disease.

Light-promoted rhodopsin expression and starvation survival in the marine dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina.

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Zhiling Guo

Full Text Available The discovery of microbial rhodopsins in marine proteobacteria changed the dogma that photosynthesis is the only pathway to use the solar energy for biological utilization in the marine environment. Although homologs of these rhodopsins have been identified in dinoflagellates, the diversity of the encoding genes and their physiological roles remain unexplored. As an initial step toward addressing the gap, we conducted high-throughput transcriptome sequencing on Oxyrrhis marina to retrieve rhodopsin transcripts, rapid amplification of cDNA ends to isolate full-length cDNAs of dominant representatives, and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR to investigate their expression under varying conditions. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that O. marina contained both the proton-pumping type (PR and sensory type (SR rhodopsins, and the transcriptome data showed that the PR type dominated over the SR type. We compared rhodopsin gene expression for cultures kept under light: dark cycle and continuous darkness in a time course of 24 days without feeding. Although both types of rhodopsin were expressed under the two conditions, the expression levels of PR were much higher than SR, consistent with the transcriptomic data. Furthermore, relative to cultures kept in the dark, rhodopsin expression levels and cell survival rate were both higher in cultures grown in the light. This is the first report of light-dependent promotion of starvation survival and concomitant promotion of PR expression in a eukaryote. While direct evidence needs to come from functional test on rhodopsins in vitro or gene knockout/knockdown experiments, our results suggest that the proton-pumping rhodopsin might be responsible for the light-enhanced survival of O. marina, as previously demonstrated in bacteria.

DOF-binding sites additively contribute to guard cell-specificity of AtMYB60 promoter

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Cominelli Eleonora

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We previously demonstrated that the Arabidopsis thaliana AtMYB60 protein is an R2R3MYB transcription factor required for stomatal opening. AtMYB60 is specifically expressed in guard cells and down-regulated at the transcriptional levels by the phytohormone ABA. Results To investigate the molecular mechanisms governing AtMYB60 expression, its promoter was dissected through deletion and mutagenesis analyses. By studying different versions of AtMYB60 promoter::GUS reporter fusions in transgenic plants we were able to demonstrate a modular organization for the AtMYB60 promoter. Particularly we defined: a minimal promoter sufficient to confer guard cell-specific activity to the reporter gene; the distinct roles of different DOF-binding sites organised in a cluster in the minimal promoter in determining guard cell-specific expression; the promoter regions responsible for the enhancement of activity in guard cells; a promoter region responsible for the negative transcriptional regulation by ABA. Moreover from the analysis of single and multiple mutants we could rule out the involvement of a group of DOF proteins, known as CDFs, already characterised for their involvement in flowering time, in the regulation of AtMYB60 expression. Conclusions These findings shed light on the regulation of gene expression in guard cells and provide new promoter modules as useful tools for manipulating gene expression in guard cells, both for physiological studies and future biotechnological applications.

Reduced MeCP2 expression is frequent in autism frontal cortex and correlates with aberrant MECP2 promoter methylation.

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Nagarajan, Raman P; Hogart, Amber R; Gwye, Ynnez; Martin, Michelle R; LaSalle, Janine M

2006-01-01

Mutations in MECP2, encoding methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), cause most cases of Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder. Both RTT and autism are "pervasive developmental disorders" and share a loss of social, cognitive and language skills and a gain in repetitive stereotyped behavior, following apparently normal perinatal development. Although MECP2 coding mutations are a rare cause of autism, MeCP2 expression defects were previously found in autism brain. To further study the role of MeCP2 in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), we determined the frequency of MeCP2 expression defects in brain samples from autism and other ASDs. We also tested the hypotheses that MECP2 promoter mutations or aberrant promoter methylation correlate with reduced expression in cases of idiopathic autism. MeCP2 immunofluorescence in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders was quantified by laser scanning cytometry and compared with control postmortem cerebral cortex samples on a large tissue microarray. A significant reduction in MeCP2 expression compared to age-matched controls was found in 11/14 autism (79%), 9/9 RTT (100%), 4/4 Angelman syndrome (100%), 3/4 Prader-Willi syndrome (75%), 3/5 Down syndrome (60%), and 2/2 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (100%) frontal cortex samples. One autism female was heterozygous for a rare MECP2 promoter variant that correlated with reduced MeCP2 expression. A more frequent occurrence was significantly increased MECP2 promoter methylation in autism male frontal cortex compared to controls. Furthermore, percent promoter methylation of MECP2 significantly correlated with reduced MeCP2 protein expression. These results suggest that both genetic and epigenetic defects lead to reduced MeCP2 expression and may be important in the complex etiology of autism.

Heterologous gene expression driven by carbonic anhydrase gene promoter in Dunaliella salina

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Yurong, Chai; Yumin, Lu; Tianyun, Wang; Weihong, Hou; Lexun, Xue

2006-12-01

Dunaliella salina, a halotolerant unicellular green alga without a rigid cell wall, can live in salinities ranging from 0.05 to 5 mol/L NaCl. These features of D. salina make it an ideal host for the production of antibodies, oral vaccine, and commercially valuable polypeptides. To produce high level of heterologous proteins from D. salina, highly efficient promoters are required to drive expression of target genes under controlled condition. In the present study, we cloned a 5' franking region of 1.4 kb from the carbonic anhydrase ( CAH) gene of D. salina by genomic walking and PCR. The fragment was ligated to the pMD18-T vector and characterized. Sequence analysis indicated that this region contained conserved motifs, including a TATA- like box and CAAT-box. Tandem (GT)n repeats that had a potential role of transcriptional control, were also found in this region. The transcription start site (TSS) of the CAH gene was determined by 5' RACE and nested PCR method. Transformation assays showed that the 1.4 kb fragment was able to drive expression of the selectable bar (bialaphos resistance) gene when the fusion was transformed into D. salina by biolistics. Northern blotting hybridizations showed that the bar transcript was most abundant in cells grown in 2 mol/L NaCl, and less abundant in 0.5 mol/L NaCl, indicating that expression of the bar gene was induced at high salinity. These results suggest the potential use of the CAH gene promoter to induce the expression of heterologous genes in D. salina under varied salt condition.

Deficient Fas expression by CD4+ CCR5+ T cells in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Julià, Eva; Montalban, Xavier; Al-Zayat, Hammad

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether T cells expressing CCR5 and CXCR3 from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are more resistant to apoptosis. METHODS: Expression of CD69, TNF-R1, Fas, FasL, bcl-2, and bax was investigated in 41 MS patients and 12 healthy controls by flow cytometry in CD4+ and CD8+ T...... cells expressing CCR5 and CXCR3. RESULTS: In MS patients, the percentage of CD69 was increased and Fas expression decreased in CD4+ CCR5+ T cells. INTERPRETATION: The lower Fas expression in activated CD4+ CCR5+ T cells might contribute to disease pathogenesis by prolonging cell survival and favoring...

Prolonged Cre expression driven by the α-myosin heavy chain promoter can be cardiotoxic.

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Pugach, Emily K; Richmond, Phillip A; Azofeifa, Joseph G; Dowell, Robin D; Leinwand, Leslie A

2015-09-01

Studying the importance of genetic factors in a desired cell type or tissue necessitates the use of precise genetic tools. With the introduction of bacteriophage Cre recombinase/loxP mediated DNA editing and promoter-specific Cre expression, it is feasible to generate conditional knockout mice in which particular genes are disrupted in a cell type-specific manner in vivo. In cardiac myocytes, this is often achieved through α-myosin heavy chain promoter (αMyHC)-driven Cre expression in conjunction with a loxP-site flanked gene of interest. Recent studies in other cell types demonstrate toxicity of Cre expression through induction of DNA damage. However, it is unclear to what extent the traditionally used αMyHC-Cre line [1] may exhibit cardiotoxicity. Further, the genotype of αMyHC-Cre(+/-) is not often included as a control group in cardiac myocyte-specific knockout studies. Here we present evidence that these αMyHC-Cre(+/-) mice show molecular signs of cardiac toxicity by 3months of age and exhibit decreased cardiac function by 6months of age compared to wild-type littermates. Hearts from αMyHC-Cre(+/-) mice also display evidence of fibrosis, inflammation, and DNA damage. Interestingly, some of the early functional changes observed in αMyHC-Cre(+/-) mice are sexually dimorphic. Given the high level of Cre recombinase expression resulting from expression from the αMyHC promoter, we asked if degenerate loxP-like sites naturally exist in the mouse genome and if so, whether they are affected by Cre in the absence of canonical loxP-sites. Using a novel bioinformatics search tool, we identified 619 loxP-like sites with 4 or less mismatches to the canonical loxP-site. 227 sites overlapped with annotated genes and 55 of these genes were expressed in cardiac muscle. Expression of ~26% of the 27 genes tested was disrupted in αMyHC-Cre(+/-) mice indicating potential targeting by Cre. Taken together, these results highlight both the importance of using αMyHC-Cre mice

A Vector with a Single Promoter for In Vitro Transcription and Mammalian Cell Expression of CRISPR gRNAs.

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Peter J Romanienko

Full Text Available The genomes of more than 50 organisms have now been manipulated due to rapid advancement of gene editing technology. One way to perform gene editing in the mouse using the CRISPR/CAS system, guide RNA (gRNA and CAS9 mRNA transcribed in vitro are microinjected into fertilized eggs that are then allowed to develop to term. As a rule, gRNAs are tested first in tissue culture cells and the one with the highest locus-specific cleavage activity is chosen for microinjection. For cell transfections, gRNAs are typically expressed using the human U6 promoter (hU6. However, gRNAs for microinjection into zygotes are obtained by in vitro transcription from a T7 bacteriophage promoter in a separate plasmid vector. Here, we describe the design and construction of a combined U6T7 hybrid promoter from which the same gRNA sequence can be expressed. An expression vector containing such a hybrid promoter can now be used to generate gRNA for testing in mammalian cells as well as for microinjection purposes. The gRNAs expressed and transcribed from this vector are found to be functional in cells as well as in mice.

Understanding Selective Downregulation of c-Myc Expression through Inhibition of General Transcription Regulators in Multiple Myeloma

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2015-06-01

We next tested whether BET bromodomain inhibition mitigated the acti- vation of proadhesion pathways in aortic endothelium, which oc- curs during the...tinuum of activity as Myc flickers on and off of weakly bound, weakly expressed promoters, but stays longer or more frequently at high output promoters

Paradoxical expression of INK4c in proliferative multiple myeloma tumors: bi-allelic deletion vs increased expression

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Hanamura Ichiro

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A high proliferative capacity of tumor cells usually is associated with shortened patient survival. Disruption of the RB pathway, which is critically involved in regulating the G1 to S cell cycle transition, is a frequent target of oncogenic events that are thought to contribute to increased proliferation during tumor progression. Previously, we determined that p18INK4c, an essential gene for normal plasma cell differentiation, was bi-allelically deleted in five of sixteen multiple myeloma (MM cell lines. The present study was undertaken to investigate a possible role of p18INK4c in increased proliferation of myeloma tumors as they progress. Results Thirteen of 40 (33% human myeloma cell lines do not express normal p18INK4c, with bi-allelic deletion of p18 in twelve, and expression of a mutated p18 fragment in one. Bi-allelic deletion of p18, which appears to be a late progression event, has a prevalence of about 2% in 261 multiple myeloma (MM tumors, but the prevalence is 6 to10% in the 50 tumors with a high expression-based proliferation index. Paradoxically, 24 of 40 (60% MM cell lines, and 30 of 50 (60% MM tumors with a high proliferation index express an increased level of p18 RNA compared to normal bone marrow plasma cells, whereas this occurs in only five of the 151 (3% MM tumors with a low proliferation index. Tumor progression is often accompanied by increased p18 expression and an increased proliferation index. Retroviral-mediated expression of exogenous p18 results in marked growth inhibition in three MM cell lines that express little or no endogenous p18, but has no effect in another MM cell line that already expresses a high level of p18. Conclusion Paradoxically, although loss of p18 appears to contribute to increased proliferation of nearly 10% of MM tumors, most MM cell lines and proliferative MM tumors have increased expression of p18. Apart from a small fraction of cell lines and tumors that have inactivated

Construction of recombinant adenovirus with Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA and study of the Egr-1 promoter's biological activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Xuwei; Fu Xiaolong; Yang Jian; Song Houyan

2005-01-01

Objective: To construct a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus containing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA, then to evaluate the biological activity of Egr-1 promoter. Methods: Based on Adeno- X TM expression system, CMV promoter of the pShuttle vector was replaced by Egr-1 promoter, and the Smad7 cDNA was subcloned into the MCS(multiple cloning site) of pShuttle. The recombinant pShuttle was then sub-cloned into the Adeno-X TM genome, which was transformed into E. coli to get recombinant Adeno-X TM plasmid DNA. The recombinant adenovirus was packaged and amplified in the transfected HEK293 cells before it was purified and tested for viral titer. The fibroblasts (3T6 cells) infected by the recombinant adenovirus were irradiated , and the activity of Egr-1 promoter was quantitively determined by the amount of Smad7 protein expressed in the 3T6 cells using Western blot. Results: Identified by restriction endonuclease analysis and PCR, the recombinant adenovirus containing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA was constructed successfully, with a viral titer of 1.0 x 10 11 TCID 50 /ml. The expressed amount of Smad7 protein varied at different dose levels and different time points post-irradiation in the 3T6 cells infected with the recombinant adenovirus. The amount of Smad7 protein increased along with the rising of the irradiation dose, and remained at a high expression level from 8 Gy to 15 Gy. The amount of Smad7 protein started to increase at 2 hours post-irradiation, and maintained a relatively high level for the next 5 hours before it descended, which was not observed in the control 3T6 cells. Conclusions: With the aid of Adeno-X TM expression system and molecular cloning techniques, construction of recombinant adenovirus could be quick and efficient. The recombined Egr-1 promoter has the activity of regulating the expression of downstream Smad7 cDNA. The increase in Smad7 expression under control of Egr-1 promoter induced by ionizing radiation is time- and dose

Expression of RNA virus proteins by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids is hindered at multiple steps

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Überla Klaus

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteins of human and animal viruses are frequently expressed from RNA polymerase II dependent expression cassettes to study protein function and to develop gene-based vaccines. Initial attempts to express the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV and the F protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV by eukaryotic promoters revealed restrictions at several steps of gene expression. Results Insertion of an intron flanked by exonic sequences 5'-terminal to the open reading frames (ORF of VSV-G and RSV-F led to detectable cytoplasmic mRNA levels of both genes. While the exonic sequences were sufficient to stabilise the VSV-G mRNA, cytoplasmic mRNA levels of RSV-F were dependent on the presence of a functional intron. Cytoplasmic VSV-G mRNA levels led to readily detectable levels of VSV-G protein, whereas RSV-F protein expression remained undetectable. However, RSV-F expression was observed after mutating two of four consensus sites for polyadenylation present in the RSV-F ORF. Expression levels could be further enhanced by codon optimisation. Conclusion Insufficient cytoplasmic mRNA levels and premature polyadenylation prevent expression of RSV-F by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids. Since RSV replicates in the cytoplasm, the presence of premature polyadenylation sites and elements leading to nuclear instability should not interfere with RSV-F expression during virus replication. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the destabilisation of the RSV-F and VSV-G mRNAs and the different requirements for their rescue by insertion of an intron remain to be defined.

Promotion of Self-Transcendence in a Multiple Sclerosis Peer Support Groups

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Tahereh Ashktorab

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Self-transcendence can organize the challenges of multiple sclerosis patients to achieve and maintain a constant state of well-being and sense of integrity in the disease process. As a research based on self-transcendence didn't done in Iran, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of peer groups on promoting selftranscendence level in multiple sclerosis (MS patients. Materials and Methods: This study is a before and after quasi-experimental study that was conducted on 33 patients with confirmed MS participated in three peer support groups: 10 men in male group, 11 women in female group and 12 men and women in mixed group. Eight weekly sessions and each session was 2 hours were held. Data collection tool was Self-Transcendence Scale (STS with 15 item and Cronbach's coefficient was 0.68 that after modifying, it increased to 0.81. Patients completed self administered questionnaires pre- and post of sessions. Results: Results showed that peer support groups promote the self-transcendence (p=0.001 with increases in mean self-transcendence scores in all 3 groups (men group: 0.008, women group 0.005 and mixed group: 0.003. Comparing scores before and after intervention demonstrated that self-transcendence increased equally in all groups. Conclusion: The results showed an improving in self-transcendence in peer support group participants at the end of the intervention. The results can be used in areas of nursing education and management. It is proposed that the self-transcendence assessment to be done in other chronic disease in order to evaluate its efficiency.

Co-regulated expression of HAND2 and DEIN by a bidirectional promoter with asymmetrical activity in neuroblastoma

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Berthold Frank

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background HAND2, a key regulator for the development of the sympathetic nervous system, is located on chromosome 4q33 in a head-to-head orientation with DEIN, a recently identified novel gene with stage specific expression in primary neuroblastoma (NB. Both genes are expressed in primary NB as well as most NB cell lines and are separated by a genomic sequence of 228 bp. The similar expression profile of both genes suggests a common transcriptional regulation mediated by a bidirectional promoter. Results Northern Blot analysis of DEIN and HAND2 in 20 primary NBs indicated concurrent expression levels of the two genes, which was confirmed by microarray analysis of 236 primary NBs (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.65. While DEIN expression in the latter cohort was associated with stage 4S (p = 0.02, HAND2 expression was not associated with tumor stage. In contrast, both HAND2 and DEIN transcript levels were highly associated with age at diagnosis DEIN orientation, an average 3.4 fold increase in activity was observed as compared to the promoterless vector, whereas an average 15.4 fold activation was detected in HAND2 orientation. The presence of two highly conserved putative regulatory elements, one of which was shown to enhance HAND2 expression in branchial arches previously, displayed weak repressor activity for both genes. Conclusion HAND2 and DEIN represent a gene pair that is tightly linked by a bidirectional promoter in an evolutionary highly conserved manner. Expression of both genes in NB is co-regulated by asymmetrical activity of this promoter and modulated by the activity of two cis-regulatory elements acting as weak repressors. The concurrent quantitative and tissue specific expression of HAND2 and DEIN suggests a functional link between both genes.

Effect of external and internal factors on the expression of reporter genes driven by the N resistance gene promoter.

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Kathiria, Palak; Sidler, Corinne; Woycicki, Rafal; Yao, Youli; Kovalchuk, Igor

2013-07-01

The role of resistance (R) genes in plant pathogen interaction has been studied extensively due to its economical impact on agriculture. Interaction between tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and the N protein from tobacco is one of the most widely used models to understand various aspects of pathogen resistance. The transcription activity governed by N gene promoter is one of the least understood elements of the model. In this study, the N gene promoter was cloned and fused with two different reporter genes, one encoding β-glucuronidase (N::GUS) and another, luciferase (N::LUC). Tobacco plants transformed with the N::GUS or N::LUC reporter constructs were screened for homozygosity and stable expression. Histochemical analysis of N::GUS tobacco plants revealed that the expression is organ specific and developmentally regulated. Whereas two week old plants expressed GUS in midveins only, 6-wk-old plants also expressed GUS in leaf lamella. Roots did not show GUS expression at any time during development. Experiments to address effects of external stress were performed using N::LUC tobacco plants. These experiments showed that N gene promoter expression was suppressed when plants were exposed to high but not low temperatures. Expression was also upregulated in response to TMV, but no changes were observed in plants treated with SA.

Light-regulated promoters for tunable, temporal, and affordable control of fungal gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Kevin K; Dunlap, Jay C; Loros, Jennifer J

2018-05-01

Regulatable promoters are important genetic tools, particularly for assigning function to essential and redundant genes. They can also be used to control the expression of enzymes that influence metabolic flux or protein secretion, thereby optimizing product yield in bioindustry. This review will focus on regulatable systems for use in filamentous fungi, an important group of organisms whose members include key research models, devastating pathogens of plants and animals, and exploitable cell factories. Though we will begin by cataloging those promoters that are controlled by nutritional or chemical means, our primary focus will rest on those who can be controlled by a literal flip-of-the-switch: promoters of light-regulated genes. The vvd promoter of Neurospora will first serve as a paradigm for how light-driven systems can provide tight, robust, tunable, and temporal control of either autologous or heterologous fungal proteins. We will then discuss a theoretical approach to, and practical considerations for, the development of such promoters in other species. To this end, we have compiled genes from six previously published light-regulated transcriptomic studies to guide the search for suitable photoregulatable promoters in your fungus of interest.

Etanercept Promotes Bone Formation via Suppression of Dickkopf-1 Expression in Rats with Collagen-Induced Arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Tanida, Atsushi; Kishimoto, Yuji; Okano, Toru; Hagino, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Background Various clinical reports suggest etanercept (ETN) has some efficacy in bone formation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To examine this effect, we investigated the gene expression of cytokines relevant to osteoblast/osteoclast differentiation, and evaluated histomorphometric findings in mature rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Methods Total RNA was extracted from knee joints with CIA after ETN or placebo administration. Subsequently, realtime-PCR was carried out to quantify the mRNAs encoding Wnt-1, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegelin (OPG) and TNF (tumor necrosis factor)-alpha. In histomorphometric analysis, the infiltrating pannus volume and pannus surface, and the following items in contact with pannus surface were measured: osteoclast number, osteoid surface, osteoid volume and labeling surface. These were evaluated in the distal femur with CIA with or without ETN administration. Results TNF-alpha, RANKL and OPG mRNA expressions, linked to osteoclastogenesis, were not significantly different with or without ETN administration. ETN administration significantly increased Wnt-1 mRNA expression, the osteoblast promoter, and decreased DKK-1 mRNA expression, the Wnt signal inhibitor. In histomorphometric analysis, pannus volume, pannus surface and osteoclast number, parameters of bone destruction, were not significantly different among groups. Osteoid volume, osteoid surface and labeling surface, parameters of bone formation, increased significantly with ETN administration. Conclusion Our results suggest that ETN suppresses DDK-1 expression, and, as a result, Wnt expression is promoted and osteoblastogenesis becomes more active, independent of the regulation of osteoclast activity. Marked bone formation is attributed to the fact that ETN directly promotes osteoblastogenesis, not as a result of suppressing osteoclastogenesis. PMID:24031147

Transcriptional factor DLX3 promotes the gene expression of enamel matrix proteins during amelogenesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhichun Zhang

Full Text Available Mutation of distal-less homeobox 3 (DLX3 is responsible for human tricho-dento-osseous syndrome (TDO with amelogenesis imperfecta, indicating a crucial role of DLX3 in amelogenesis. However, the expression pattern of DLX3 and its specific function in amelogenesis remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of DLX3 on enamel matrix protein (EMP genes. By immunohistochemistry assays of mouse tooth germs, stronger immunostaining of DLX3 protein was identified in ameloblasts in the secretory stage than in the pre-secretory and maturation stages, and the same pattern was found for Dlx3 mRNA using Realtime PCR. In a mouse ameloblast cell lineage, forced expression of DLX3 up-regulated the expression of the EMP genes Amelx, Enam, Klk4, and Odam, whereas knockdown of DLX3 down-regulated these four EMP genes. Further, bioinformatics, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase assays revealed that DLX3 transactivated Enam, Amelx, and Odam through direct binding to their enhancer regions. Particularly, over-expression of mutant-DLX3 (c.571_574delGGGG, responsible for TDO inhibited the activation function of DLX3 on expression levels and promoter activities of the Enam, Amelx, and Odam genes. Together, our data show that DLX3 promotes the expression of the EMP genes Amelx, Enam, Klk4, and Odam in amelogenesis, while mutant-DLX3 disrupts this regulatory function, thus providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the enamel defects of TDO disease.

Increased expression of CYP4Z1 promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in human breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Wei; Chai, Hongyan; Li, Ying; Zhao, Haixia; Xie, Xianfei; Zheng, Hao; Wang, Chenlong; Wang, Xue; Yang, Guifang; Cai, Xiaojun; Falck, John R.; Yang, Jing

2012-01-01

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4Z1, a novel CYP4 family member, is over-expressed in human mammary carcinoma and associated with high-grade tumors and poor prognosis. However, the precise role of CYP4Z1 in tumor progression is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that CYP4Z1 overexpression promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in breast cancer. Stable expression of CYP4Z1 in T47D and BT-474 human breast cancer cells significantly increased mRNA expression and production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and decreased mRNA levels and secretion of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), without affecting cell proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth in vitro. Notably, the conditioned medium from CYP4Z1-expressing cells enhanced proliferation, migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and promoted angiogenesis in the zebrafish embryo and chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo. In addition, there were lower levels of myristic acid and lauric acid, and higher contents of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) in CYP4Z1-expressing T47D cells compared with vector control. CYP4Z1 overexpression significantly increased tumor weight and microvessel density by 2.6-fold and 1.9-fold in human tumor xenograft models, respectively. Moreover, CYP4Z1 transfection increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt, while PI3K or ERK inhibitors and siRNA silencing reversed CYP4Z1-mediated changes in VEGF-A and TIMP-2 expression. Conversely, HET0016, an inhibitor of the CYP4 family, potently inhibited the tumor-induced angiogenesis with associated changes in the intracellular levels of myristic acid, lauric acid and 20-HETE. Collectively, these data suggest that increased CYP4Z1 expression promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in breast cancer partly via PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 activation. -- Highlights: ► CYP4Z1 overexpression promotes human breast cancer growth and angiogenesis. ► The pro-angiogenic effects of CYP4Z1 have

Increased expression of CYP4Z1 promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in human breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Wei [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Chai, Hongyan [Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Li, Ying; Zhao, Haixia; Xie, Xianfei; Zheng, Hao; Wang, Chenlong; Wang, Xue [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Yang, Guifang [Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Cai, Xiaojun [Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Falck, John R. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390 (United States); Yang, Jing, E-mail: yangjingliu@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Research Center of Food and Drug Evaluation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2012-10-01

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4Z1, a novel CYP4 family member, is over-expressed in human mammary carcinoma and associated with high-grade tumors and poor prognosis. However, the precise role of CYP4Z1 in tumor progression is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that CYP4Z1 overexpression promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in breast cancer. Stable expression of CYP4Z1 in T47D and BT-474 human breast cancer cells significantly increased mRNA expression and production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and decreased mRNA levels and secretion of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), without affecting cell proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth in vitro. Notably, the conditioned medium from CYP4Z1-expressing cells enhanced proliferation, migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and promoted angiogenesis in the zebrafish embryo and chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo. In addition, there were lower levels of myristic acid and lauric acid, and higher contents of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) in CYP4Z1-expressing T47D cells compared with vector control. CYP4Z1 overexpression significantly increased tumor weight and microvessel density by 2.6-fold and 1.9-fold in human tumor xenograft models, respectively. Moreover, CYP4Z1 transfection increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt, while PI3K or ERK inhibitors and siRNA silencing reversed CYP4Z1-mediated changes in VEGF-A and TIMP-2 expression. Conversely, HET0016, an inhibitor of the CYP4 family, potently inhibited the tumor-induced angiogenesis with associated changes in the intracellular levels of myristic acid, lauric acid and 20-HETE. Collectively, these data suggest that increased CYP4Z1 expression promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth in breast cancer partly via PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 activation. -- Highlights: ► CYP4Z1 overexpression promotes human breast cancer growth and angiogenesis. ► The pro-angiogenic effects of CYP4Z1 have

Loss of expression and promoter methylation of SLIT2 are associated with sessile serrated adenoma formation.

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Andrew D Beggs

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Serrated adenomas form a distinct subtype of colorectal pre-malignant lesions that may progress to malignancy along a different molecular pathway than the conventional adenoma-carcinoma pathway. Previous studies have hypothesised that BRAF mutation and promoter hypermethylation plays a role, but the evidence for this is not robust. We aimed to carry out a whole-genome loss of heterozygosity analysis, followed by targeted promoter methylation and expression analysis to identify potential pathways in serrated adenomas. An initial panel of 9 sessile serrated adenomas (SSA and one TSA were analysed using Illumina Goldengate HumanLinkage panel arrays to ascertain regions of loss of heterozygosity. This was verified via molecular inversion probe analysis and microsatellite analysis of a further 32 samples. Methylation analysis of genes of interest was carried out using methylation specific PCR (verified by pyrosequencing and immunohistochemistry used to correlate loss of expression of genes of interest. All experiments used adenoma samples and normal tissue samples as control. SSA samples were found on whole-genome analysis to have consistent loss of heterozygosity at 4p15.1-4p15.31, which was not found in the sole TSA, adenomas, or normal tissues. Genes of interest in this region were PDCH7 and SLIT2, and combined MSP/IHC analysis of these genes revealed significant loss of SLIT2 expression associated with promoter methylation of SLIT2. Loss of expression of SLIT2 by promoter hypermethylation and loss of heterozygosity events is significantly associated with serrated adenoma development, and SLIT2 may represent a epimutated tumour suppressor gene according to the Knudson "two hit" hypothesis.

Natural selection in a population of Drosophila melanogaster explained by changes in gene expression caused by sequence variation in core promoter regions.

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Sato, Mitsuhiko P; Makino, Takashi; Kawata, Masakado

2016-02-09

Understanding the evolutionary forces that influence variation in gene regulatory regions in natural populations is an important challenge for evolutionary biology because natural selection for such variations could promote adaptive phenotypic evolution. Recently, whole-genome sequence analyses have identified regulatory regions subject to natural selection. However, these studies could not identify the relationship between sequence variation in the detected regions and change in gene expression levels. We analyzed sequence variations in core promoter regions, which are critical regions for gene regulation in higher eukaryotes, in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster, and identified core promoter sequence variations associated with differences in gene expression levels subjected to natural selection. Among the core promoter regions whose sequence variation could change transcription factor binding sites and explain differences in expression levels, three core promoter regions were detected as candidates associated with purifying selection or selective sweep and seven as candidates associated with balancing selection, excluding the possibility of linkage between these regions and core promoter regions. CHKov1, which confers resistance to the sigma virus and related insecticides, was identified as core promoter regions that has been subject to selective sweep, although it could not be denied that selection for variation in core promoter regions was due to linked single nucleotide polymorphisms in the regulatory region outside core promoter regions. Nucleotide changes in core promoter regions of CHKov1 caused the loss of two basal transcription factor binding sites and acquisition of one transcription factor binding site, resulting in decreased gene expression levels. Of nine core promoter regions regions associated with balancing selection, brat, and CG9044 are associated with neuromuscular junction development, and Nmda1 are associated with learning

Rhythmic expression of Nocturnin mRNA in multiple tissues of the mouse

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Green Carla B

2001-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nocturnin was originally identified by differential display as a circadian clock regulated gene with high expression at night in photoreceptors of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Although encoding a novel protein, the nocturnin cDNA had strong sequence similarity with a C-terminal domain of the yeast transcription factor CCR4, and with mouse and human ESTs. Since its original identification others have cloned mouse and human homologues of nocturnin/CCR4, and we have cloned a full-length cDNA from mouse retina, along with partial cDNAs from human, cow and chicken. The goal of this study was to determine the temporal pattern of nocturnin mRNA expression in multiple tissues of the mouse. Results cDNA sequence analysis revealed a high degree of conservation among vertebrate nocturnin/CCR4 homologues along with a possible homologue in Drosophila. Northern analysis of mRNA in C3H/He and C57/Bl6 mice revealed that the mNoc gene is expressed in a broad range of tissues, with greatest abundance in liver, kidney and testis. mNoc is also expressed in multiple brain regions including suprachiasmatic nucleus and pineal gland. Furthermore, mNoc exhibits circadian rhythmicity of mRNA abundance with peak levels at the time of light offset in the retina, spleen, heart, kidney and liver. Conclusion The widespread expression and rhythmicity of mNoc mRNA parallels the widespread expression of other circadian clock genes in mammalian tissues, and suggests that nocturnin plays an important role in clock function or as a circadian clock effector.

Combination of the Endogenous lhcsr1 Promoter and Codon Usage Optimization Boosts Protein Expression in the Moss Physcomitrella patens

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Manuel Hiss

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The moss Physcomitrella patens is used both as an evo-devo model and biotechnological production system for metabolites and pharmaceuticals. Strong in vivo expression of genes of interest is important for production of recombinant proteins, e.g., selectable markers, fluorescent proteins, or enzymes. In this regard, the choice of the promoter sequence as well as codon usage optimization are two important inside factors to consider in order to obtain optimum protein accumulation level. To reliably quantify fluorescence, we transfected protoplasts with promoter:GFP fusion constructs and measured fluorescence intensity of living protoplasts in a plate reader system. We used the red fluorescent protein mCherry under 2x 35S promoter control as second reporter to normalize for different transfection efficiencies. We derived a novel endogenous promoter and compared deletion variants with exogenous promoters. We used different codon-adapted green fluorescent protein (GFP genes to evaluate the influence of promoter choice and codon optimization on protein accumulation in P. patens, and show that the promoter of the gene of P. patens chlorophyll a/b binding protein lhcsr1 drives expression of GFP in protoplasts significantly (more than twofold better than the commonly used 2x 35S promoter or the rice actin1 promoter. We identified a shortened 677 bp version of the lhcsr1 promoter that retains full activity in protoplasts. The codon optimized GFP yields significantly (more than twofold stronger fluorescence signals and thus demonstrates that adjusting codon usage in P. patens can increase expression strength. In combination, new promotor and codon optimized GFP conveyed sixfold increased fluorescence signal.

Expression of Nanog gene promotes NIH3T3 cell proliferation

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Zhang Jingyu; Wang Xia; Chen Bing; Suo Guangli; Zhao Yanhong; Duan Ziyuan; Dai Jianwu

2005-01-01

Cells are the functional elements in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. A large number of cells are usually needed for these purposes. However, there are numbers of limitations for in vitro cell proliferation. Nanog is an important self-renewal determinant in embryonic stem cells. However, it remains unknown whether Nanog will influence the cell cycle and cell proliferation of mature cells. In this study, we expressed Nanog in NIH3T3 cells and showed that expression of Nanog in NIH3T3 promoted cells to enter into S phase and enhanced cell proliferation. This suggests that Nanog gene might function in a similar fashion in mature cells as in ES cells. In addition, it may provide an approach for in vitro cell expansion

Highly specific expression of luciferase gene in lungs of naive nude mice directed by prostate-specific antigen promoter

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Li Hongwei; Li Jinzhong; Helm, Gregory A.; Pan Dongfeng

2005-01-01

PSA promoter has been demonstrated the utility for tissue-specific toxic gene therapy in prostate cancer models. Characterization of foreign gene overexpression in normal animals elicited by PSA promoter should help evaluate therapy safety. Here we constructed an adenovirus vector (AdPSA-Luc), containing firefly luciferase gene under the control of the 5837 bp long prostate-specific antigen promoter. A charge coupled device video camera was used to non-invasively image expression of firefly luciferase in nude mice on days 3, 7, 11 after injection of 2 x 10 9 PFU of AdPSA-Luc virus via tail vein. The result showed highly specific expression of the luciferase gene in lungs of mice from day 7. The finding indicates the potential limitations of the suicide gene therapy of prostate cancer based on selectivity of PSA promoter. By contrary, it has encouraging implications for further development of vectors via PSA promoter to enable gene therapy for pulmonary diseases

AML1/ETO trans-activates c-KIT expression through the long range interaction between promoter and intronic enhancer.

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Tian, Ying; Wang, Genjie; Hu, Qingzhu; Xiao, Xichun; Chen, Shuxia

2018-04-01

The AML1/ETO onco-fusion protein is crucial for the genesis of t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is well documented as a transcriptional repressor through dominant-negative effect. However, little is known about the transactivation mechanism of AML1/ETO. Through large cohort of patient's expression level data analysis and a series of experimental validation, we report here that AML1/ETO transactivates c-KIT expression through directly binding to and mediating the long-range interaction between the promoter and intronic enhancer regions of c-KIT. Gene expression analyses verify that c-KIT expression is significantly high in t(8;21) AML. Further ChIP-seq analysis and motif scanning identify two regulatory regions located in the promoter and intronic enhancer region of c-KIT, respectively. Both regions are enriched by co-factors of AML1/ETO, such as AML1, CEBPe, c-Jun, and c-Fos. Further luciferase reporter assays show that AML1/ETO trans-activates c-KIT promoter activity through directly recognizing the AML1 motif and the co-existence of co-factors. The induction of c-KIT promoter activity is reinforced with the existence of intronic enhancer region. Furthermore, ChIP-3C-qPCR assays verify that AML1/ETO mediates the formation of DNA-looping between the c-KIT promoter and intronic enhancer region through the long-range interaction. Collectively, our data uncover a novel transcriptional activity mechanism of AML1/ETO and enrich our knowledge of the onco-fusion protein mediated transcription regulation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pgas, a Low-pH-Induced Promoter, as a Tool for Dynamic Control of Gene Expression for Metabolic Engineering of Aspergillus niger.

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Yin, Xian; Shin, Hyun-Dong; Li, Jianghua; Du, Guocheng; Liu, Long; Chen, Jian

2017-03-15

The dynamic control of gene expression is important for adjusting fluxes in order to obtain desired products and achieve appropriate cell growth, particularly when the synthesis of a desired product drains metabolites required for cell growth. For dynamic gene expression, a promoter responsive to a particular environmental stressor is vital. Here, we report a low-pH-inducible promoter, P gas , which promotes minimal gene expression at pH values above 5.0 but functions efficiently at low pHs, such as pH 2.0. First, we performed a transcriptional analysis of Aspergillus niger , an excellent platform for the production of organic acids, and we found that the promoter P gas may act efficiently at low pH. Then, a gene for synthetic green fluorescent protein ( sGFP ) was successfully expressed by P gas at pH 2.0, verifying the results of the transcriptional analysis. Next, P gas was used to express the cis -aconitate decarboxylase ( cad ) gene of Aspergillus terreus in A. niger , allowing the production of itaconic acid at a titer of 4.92 g/liter. Finally, we found that P gas strength was independent of acid type and acid ion concentration, showing dependence on pH only. IMPORTANCE The promoter P gas can be used for the dynamic control of gene expression in A. niger for metabolic engineering to produce organic acids. This promoter may also be a candidate tool for genetic engineering. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Andrographolide protects mouse astrocytes against hypoxia injury by promoting autophagy and S100B expression

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Juan Du

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Andrographolide (ANDRO has been studied for its immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotection effects. Because brain hypoxia is the most common factor of secondary brain injury after traumatic brain injury, we studied the role and possible mechanism of ANDRO in this process using hypoxia-injured astrocytes. Mouse cortical astrocytes C8-D1A (astrocyte type I clone from C57/BL6 strains were subjected to 3 and 21% of O2 for various times (0–12 h to establish an astrocyte hypoxia injury model in vitro. After hypoxia and ANDRO administration, the changes in cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Expression changes in apoptosis-related proteins, autophagy-related proteins, main factors of JNK pathway, ATG5, and S100B were determined by western blot. Hypoxia remarkably damaged C8-D1A cells evidenced by reduction of cell viability and induction of apoptosis. Hypoxia also induced autophagy and overproduction of S100B. ANDRO reduced cell apoptosis and promoted cell autophagy and S100B expression. After ANDRO administration, autophagy-related proteins, S-100B, JNK pathway proteins, and ATG5 were all upregulated, while autophagy-related proteins and s100b were downregulated when the jnk pathway was inhibited or ATG5 was knocked down. ANDRO conferred a survival advantage to hypoxia-injured astrocytes by reducing cell apoptosis and promoting autophagy and s100b expression. Furthermore, the promotion of autophagy and s100b expression by ANDRO was via activation of jnk pathway and regulation of ATG5.

Positive- and negative-acting regulatory elements contribute to the tissue-specific expression of INNER NO OUTER, a YABBY-type transcription factor gene in Arabidopsis

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Simon Marissa K

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The INNER NO OUTER (INO gene, which encodes a YABBY-type transcription factor, specifies and promotes the growth of the outer integument of the ovule in Arabidopsis. INO expression is limited to the abaxial cell layer of the developing outer integument of the ovule and is regulated by multiple regions of the INO promoter, including POS9, a positive element that when present in quadruplicate can produce low-level expression in the normal INO pattern. Results Significant redundancy in activity between different regions of the INO promoter is demonstrated. For specific regulatory elements, multimerization or the addition of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S general enhancer was able to activate expression of reporter gene constructs that were otherwise incapable of expression on their own. A new promoter element, POS6, is defined and is shown to include sufficient positive regulatory information to reproduce the endogenous pattern of expression in ovules, but other promoter regions are necessary to fully suppress expression outside of ovules. The full-length INO promoter, but not any of the INO promoter deletions tested, is able to act as an enhancer-blocking insulator to prevent the ectopic activation of expression by the 35S enhancer. Sequence conservation between the promoter regions of Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa aligns closely with the functional definition of the POS6 and POS9 regions, and with a defined INO minimal promoter. The B. oleracea INO promoter is sufficient to promote a similar pattern and level of reporter gene expression in Arabidopsis to that observed for the Arabidopsis promoter. Conclusions At least two independent regions of the INO promoter contain sufficient regulatory information to direct the specific pattern but not the level of INO gene expression. These regulatory regions act in a partially redundant manner to promote the expression in a specific pattern in the ovule and

TRIP-Br2 promotes oncogenesis in nude mice and is frequently overexpressed in multiple human tumors

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Peh Bee

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Members of the TRIP-Br/SERTAD family of mammalian transcriptional coregulators have recently been implicated in E2F-mediated cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis. We, herein, focus on the detailed functional characterization of the least understood member of the TRIP-Br/SERTAD protein family, TRIP-Br2 (SERTAD2. Methods Oncogenic potential of TRIP-Br2 was demonstrated by (1 inoculation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts, which were engineered to stably overexpress ectopic TRIP-Br2, into athymic nude mice for tumor induction and (2 comprehensive immunohistochemical high-throughput screening of TRIP-Br2 protein expression in multiple human tumor cell lines and human tumor tissue microarrays (TMAs. Clinicopathologic analysis was conducted to assess the potential of TRIP-Br2 as a novel prognostic marker of human cancer. RNA interference of TRIP-Br2 expression in HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells was performed to determine the potential of TRIP-Br2 as a novel chemotherapeutic drug target. Results Overexpression of TRIP-Br2 is sufficient to transform murine fibroblasts and promotes tumorigenesis in nude mice. The transformed phenotype is characterized by deregulation of the E2F/DP-transcriptional pathway through upregulation of the key E2F-responsive genes CYCLIN E, CYCLIN A2, CDC6 and DHFR. TRIP-Br2 is frequently overexpressed in both cancer cell lines and multiple human tumors. Clinicopathologic correlation indicates that overexpression of TRIP-Br2 in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a worse clinical outcome by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Small interfering RNA-mediated (siRNA knockdown of TRIP-Br2 was sufficient to inhibit cell-autonomous growth of HCT-116 cells in vitro. Conclusion This study identifies TRIP-Br2 as a bona-fide protooncogene and supports the potential for TRIP-Br2 as a novel prognostic marker and a chemotherapeutic drug target in human cancer.

Synthetic cold-inducible promoter enhances recombinant protein accumulation during Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana excelsior at chilling temperatures.

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Gerasymenko, I M; Sheludko, Y V

2017-07-01

To exploit cold-inducible biochemical processes beneficial for foreign mRNA transcription, translation and storage, as well as protein product stability, during Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression. The efficiency of three different 5'-regulatory sequences to achieve transient expression of the GFP-based reporter gene under chilling conditions (6-8 °C since the 3rd day post inoculation) was compared. We studied the upstream sequences of a cold-inducible Arabidopsis thaliana cor15a gene, the core element of 35S CaMV promoter fused to the TMV omega 5'-UTR, and the synthetic promoter including the 35S core sequence and two binding sites for cold-inducible CBF transcription factors (P_DRE::35S). Cultivation of plants transiently expressing reporter gene under control of the synthetic P_DRE::35S promoter under chilling conditions since the 3rd dpi led to the reliably higher reporter accumulation as compared to the other tested regulatory sequences under chilling or greenhouse conditions. Reporter protein fluorescence under chilling conditions using P_DRE::35S reached 160% as compared to the transient expression in the greenhouse. Period of transient expression considerably extended if plants were cultivated at chilling temperature since the 3rd dpi: reporter protein fluorescence reached its maximum at the 20th dpi and was detected in leaves up to the 65th dpi. The enhanced protein accumulation at low temperature was accompanied by the prolonged period of corresponding mRNA accumulation. Transient expression under chilling conditions using synthetic cold-inducible promoter enhances target protein accumulation and may decrease greenhouse heating expenses.

Distinct profiles of TERT promoter mutations and telomerase expression in head and neck cancer and cervical carcinoma.

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Annunziata, Clorinda; Pezzuto, Francesca; Greggi, Stefano; Ionna, Franco; Losito, Simona; Botti, Gerardo; Buonaguro, Luigi; Buonaguro, Franco M; Tornesello, Maria Lina

2018-03-31

Two recurrent mutations (-124 G > A and -146 G > A) in the core promoter region of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene create consensus binding sites for ETS transcription factors and cause increased TERT expression in several tumour types. We analyzed TERT promoter mutations and TERT mRNA levels in head and neck cancer, cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) as well as in C-4I, CaSki, HeLa and SiHa cervical cell lines. Nucleotide sequence analysis of TERT promoter region showed that 33.3% of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 16.8% of cervical SCC harboured mutually exclusive G to A transitions at nucleotide position -124 or -146. TERT promoter was mutated at nucleotide -146 (G > A) in SiHa cell line. Other nucleotide changes creating in some cases putative ETS binding sites were more frequent in oral SCC (26.7%) than in cervical carcinoma (4.8%). The frequency of mutations was independent of human papillomavirus (HPV) tumour status in both cervical and oral cancer. Expression of TERT gene was significantly higher in TERT promoter mutated (-124G > A or -146G > A) cervical SCC compared to not mutated SCC irrespective of HPV16 E6 and E7 levels. Such hot spot changes were not detected in oropharyngeal SCC, cervical adenocarcinoma and CIN lesions. Our results suggest that TERT promoter mutations play a relevant role in oral SCC as well as in cervical SCC, besides the already known effect of HPV16 E6 protein on TERT expression. © 2018 UICC.

Expression of multiple transgenes from a single construct using viral 2A peptides in Drosophila.

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Richard W Daniels

Full Text Available Expression of multiple reporter or effector transgenes in the same cell from a single construct is increasingly necessary in various experimental paradigms. The discovery of short, virus-derived peptide sequences that mediate a ribosome-skipping event enables generation of multiple separate peptide products from one mRNA. Here we describe methods and vectors to facilitate easy production of polycistronic-like sequences utilizing these 2A peptides tailored for expression in Drosophila both in vitro and in vivo. We tested the separation efficiency of different viral 2A peptides in cultured Drosophila cells and in vivo and found that the 2A peptides from porcine teschovirus-1 (P2A and Thosea asigna virus (T2A worked best. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we used the P2A peptide to co-express the red fluorescent protein tdTomato and the genetically-encoded calcium indicator GCaMP5G in larval motorneurons. This technique enabled ratiometric calcium imaging with motion correction allowing us to record synaptic activity at the neuromuscular junction in an intact larval preparation through the cuticle. The tools presented here should greatly facilitate the generation of 2A peptide-mediated expression of multiple transgenes in Drosophila.

Multiple 5' ends of human cytomegalovirus UL57 transcripts identify a complex, cycloheximide-resistant promoter region that activates oriLyt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiehl, Anita; Huang, Lili; Franchi, David; Anders, David G.

2003-01-01

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL57 gene lies adjacent to HCMV oriLyt, from which it is separated by an organizationally conserved, mostly noncoding region that is thought to both regulate UL57 expression and activate oriLyt function. However, the UL57 promoter has not been studied. We determined the 5' ends of UL57 transcripts toward an understanding of the potential relationship between UL57 expression and oriLyt activation. The results presented here identified three distinct 5' ends spread over 800 bp, at nt 90302, 90530, and 91138; use of these sites exhibited differential sensitivity to phosphonoformic acid treatment. Interestingly, a 10-kb UL57 transcript accumulated in cycloheximide-treated infected cells, even though other early transcripts were not detectable. However, the 10-kb transcript did not accumulate in cells treated with the more stringent translation inhibitor anisomycin. Consistent with the notion that the identified 5' ends arise from distinct transcription start sites, the sequences upstream of sites I and II functioned as promoters responsive to HCMV infection in transient assays. However, the origin-proximal promoter region III required downstream sequences for transcriptional activity. Mutation of candidate core promoter elements suggested that promoter III is regulated by an initiator region (Inr) and a downstream promoter element. Finally, a 42-bp sequence containing the candidate Inr activated a minimal oriLyt core construct in transient replication assays. Thus, these studies showed that a large, complex promoter region with novel features controls UL57 expression, and identified a sequence that regulates both UL57 transcription and oriLyt activation

Expression of human cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) in murine acinar cells promotes pancreatitis and apoptotic cell death

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Athwal, T; Huang, W; Mukherjee, R; Latawiec, D; Chvanov, M; Clarke, R; Smith, K; Campbell, F; Merriman, C; Criddle, D; Sutton, R; Neoptolemos, J; Vlatković, N

2014-01-01

Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is an autosomal dominant disease that displays the features of both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Mutations in human cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) are associated with HP and have provided some insight into the pathogenesis of pancreatitis, but mechanisms responsible for the initiation of pancreatitis have not been elucidated and the role of apoptosis and necrosis has been much debated. However, it has been generally accepted that trypsinogen, prematurely activated within the pancreatic acinar cell, has a major role in the initiation process. Functional studies of HP have been limited by the absence of an experimental system that authentically mimics disease development. We therefore developed a novel transgenic murine model system using wild-type (WT) human PRSS1 or two HP-associated mutants (R122H and N29I) to determine whether expression of human cationic trypsinogen in murine acinar cells promotes pancreatitis. The rat elastase promoter was used to target transgene expression to pancreatic acinar cells in three transgenic strains that were generated: Tg(Ela-PRSS1)NV, Tg(Ela-PRSS1*R122H)NV and Tg(Ela-PRSS1*N29I)NV. Mice were analysed histologically, immunohistochemically and biochemically. We found that transgene expression is restricted to pancreatic acinar cells and transgenic PRSS1 proteins are targeted to the pancreatic secretory pathway. Animals from all transgenic strains developed pancreatitis characterised by acinar cell vacuolisation, inflammatory infiltrates and fibrosis. Transgenic animals also developed more severe pancreatitis upon treatment with low-dose cerulein than controls, displaying significantly higher scores for oedema, inflammation and overall histopathology. Expression of PRSS1, WT or mutant, in acinar cells increased apoptosis in pancreatic tissues and isolated acinar cells. Moreover, studies of isolated acinar cells demonstrated that transgene expression promotes apoptosis rather than necrosis. We therefore

p16(INK4a) promoter methylation and protein expression in breast fibroadenoma and carcinoma.

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Di Vinci, Angela; Perdelli, Luisa; Banelli, Barbara; Salvi, Sandra; Casciano, Ida; Gelvi, Ilaria; Allemanni, Giorgio; Margallo, Edoardo; Gatteschi, Beatrice; Romani, Massimo

2005-04-10

The potential role of p16(INK4a) methylation in breast cancer is controversial whereas there are no data on fibroadenoma. To assess if inactivation of p16(INK4a) by promoter hypermethylation occurs in this hyperproliferative benign breast lesion or, on the contrary, it is strictly related to the carcinogenic process, we have tested the different histological components of 15 cases of fibroadenoma and the intraductal and infiltrating components of 15 cases of carcinoma and their adjacent non-tumoral epithelium. All samples were obtained by laser-assisted microdissection. The relationship between promoter methylation status, immunohistochemical protein expression and ki67 proliferative activity was evaluated for each lesion. Our data demonstrate that hypermethylation of p16(INK4a) promoter is a common event occurring at similar frequency in all the different histological areas of the benign and malignant breast lesions taken into exam. Conversely, protein p16 expression, although heterogeneously distributed within the section, is considerably higher in breast carcinoma as compared to fibroadenoma in both tumoral and non-tumoral epithelia and stroma. The protein localization was almost exclusively nuclear in fibroadenoma and non-tumoral epithelia whereas, in carcinoma, the staining was both nuclear and cytoplasmic or cytoplasmic alone. Furthermore, in a subset of fibroadenoma with higher proliferative activity, p16 protein expression was substantially decreased as compared to those showing lower proliferation. We did not observe this association in carcinomas. Our data demonstrate that the hypermethylation of the p16(INK4a) promoter is not specifically associated with malignancy and that, on the contrary, the overexpression of p16 and its cytoplasmic sequestration is a feature of breast carcinoma. (c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PIF4 Promotes Expression of LNG1 and LNG2 to Induce Thermomorphogenic Growth in Arabidopsis

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Geonhee Hwang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Arabidopsis plants adapt to high ambient temperature by a suite of morphological changes including elongation of hypocotyls and petioles and leaf hyponastic growth. These morphological changes are collectively called thermomorphogenesis and are believed to increase leaf cooling capacity by enhancing transpiration efficiency, thereby increasing tolerance to heat stress. The bHLH transcription factor PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4 has been identified as a major regulator of thermomorphogenic growth. Here, we show that PIF4 promotes the expression of two homologous genes LONGIFOLIA1 (LNG1 and LONGIFOLIA2 (LNG2 that have been reported to regulate leaf morphology. ChIP-Seq analyses and ChIP assays showed that PIF4 directly binds to the promoters of both LNG1 and LNG2. The expression of LNG1 and LNG2 is induced by high temperature in wild type plants. However, the high temperature activation of LNG1 and LNG2 is compromised in the pif4 mutant, indicating that PIF4 directly regulates LNG1 and LNG2 expression in response to high ambient temperatures. We further show that the activities of LNGs support thermomorphogenic growth. The expression of auxin biosynthetic and responsive genes is decreased in the lng quadruple mutant, implying that LNGs promote thermomorphogenic growth by activating the auxin pathway. Together, our results demonstrate that LNG1 and LNG2 are directly regulated by PIF4 and are new components for the regulation of thermomorphogenesis.

Feasibility of a novel positive feedback effect of 131I-promoted Bac-Egr1-hNIS expression in malignant glioma via baculovirus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Rui; Tian Lipeng; Han Bing; Xu Haoping; Zhang Miao; Li Biao

2011-01-01

Purpose: As intracellular iodine is released rapidly, increased expression of sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) is required for effective radioiodine treatment of tumor. As Egr1 promoter is activated by 131 I and may promote human NIS (hNIS) expression, hNIS also induces 131 I uptake and activates Egr1, so the existence of a positive feedback effect of 131 I-promoted Egr1-hNIS expression is possible. Our purpose was to investigate the possible existence of this positive feedback effect through a series of in vitro pioneer studies. Method: Recombinant baculovirus (Bac-Egr1-hNIS) encoding the hNIS gene under the control of a radiation-inducible Egrl promoter was constructed. To test 131 I-promoted hNIS expression, human malignant glioma U87 cells were transfected with Bac-Egr1-hNIS, stimulated with or without 131 I; the expression of hNIS protein was detected by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry test. In addition, the uptake and efflux of 131 I were determined after the incubation of Bac-Egr1-hNIS-transfected U87 cells with or without 131 I. Results: Immunocytochemical staining and flow cytometry test showed a higher hNIS protein expression in Bac-Egr1-hNIS-transfected U87 cells with 131 I stimulation than in cells without stimulation. Bac-Egr1-hNIS-transfected U87 cells accumulated up to about 4.05 times of 131 I after 131 I stimulation. The amount of 131 I uptake in both groups showed a baculovirus dose-dependent manner. However, rapid efflux of radioactivity was observed in both groups, with 50% lost during the first 2 min after the 131 I-containing medium had been replaced by a nonradioactive medium. Conclusion: Our results indicated that an improved transgene expression of 131 I-stimulated hNIS in U87 cells using a baculovirus vector containing the Egr1 promoter is possible, and the increased expression of hNIS is responsible for a higher 131 I uptake. It might provide a reference for the existence of a positive feedback effect in 131 I-promoted Bac-Egr1-h

Putative tumour-suppressor gene DAB2 is frequently down regulated by promoter hypermethylation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong, Joanna H; Lo, Kwok W; To, Ka F; Ng, David C; Chau, Shuk L; So, Ken K; Leung, Patrick P; Lee, Tin L; Lung, Raymond W; Chan, Michael W; Chan, Anthony W

2010-01-01

Human Disabled-2 (DAB2), is a multi-function signalling molecule that it is frequently down-regulated in human cancers. We aimed to investigate the possible tumour suppressor effect of DAB2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We studied the expression of DAB2 in NPC cell lines, xenografts and primary tumour samples. The status of promoter methylation was assessed by methylation specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing. The functional role of DAB2 in NPC was investigated by re-introducing DAB2 expression into NPC cell line C666-1. Decrease or absent of DAB2 transcript was observed in NPC cell lines and xenografts. Loss of DAB2 protein expression was seen in 72% (33/46) of primary NPC as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Aberrant DAB2 promoter methylation was detected in 65.2% (30/46) of primary NPC samples by methylation specific PCR. Treatment of the DAB2 negative NPC cell line C666-1 with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in restoration of DAB2 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of DAB2 in NPC cell line C666-1 resulted in reduced growth rate and 35% reduction in anchorage-dependent colony formation, and inhibition of serum-induced c-Fos expression compared to vector-transfected controls. Over expression of DAB2 resulted in alterations of multiple pathways as demonstrated by expression profiling and functional network analysis, which confirmed the role of DAB2 as an adaptor molecule involved in multiple receptor-mediated signalling pathways. We report the frequent down regulation of DAB2 in NPC and the promoter hypermethylation contributes to the loss of expression of DAB2. This is the first study demonstrating frequent DAB2 promoter hypermethylation in human cancer. Our functional studies support the putative tumour suppressor effect of DAB2 in NPC cells

Isolation of a novel promoter for efficient protein expression by Aspergillus oryzae in solid-state culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Bando, Hiroki; Hisada, Hiromoto; Ishida, Hiroki; Hata, Yoji; Katakura, Yoshio; Kondo, Akihiko

2011-11-01

A novel promoter from a hemolysin-like protein encoding the gene, hlyA, was characterized for protein overexpression in Aspergillus oryzae grown in solid-state culture. Using endo-1,4-β-glucanase from A. oryzae (CelA) as the reporter, promoter activity was found to be higher than that of the α-amylase (amyA) and manganese superoxide dismutase (sodM) genes not only in wheat bran solid-state culture but also in liquid culture. Expression of the A. oryzae endoglucanase CelB and two heterologous endoglucanases (TrEglI and TrEglIII from Trichoderma reesei) under the control of the hlyA promoter were also found to be stronger than under the control of the amyA promoter in A. oryzae grown in wheat bran solid-state culture, suggesting that the hlyA promoter may be useful for the overproduction of other proteins as well. In wheat bran solid-state culture, the productivity of the hlyA promoter in terms of protein produced was high when the cultivation temperature was 30°C or 37°C, when the water content was 0.6 or 0.8 ml/g wheat bran, and from 48 to 72 h after inoculation. Because A. oryzae sporulated actively under these conditions and because hemolysin has been reported to play a role in fungal fruiting body formation, high-level expression of hlyA may be related to sporulation.

Co-expression of interleukin 12 enhances antitumor effects of a novel chimeric promoter-mediated suicide gene therapy in an immunocompetent mouse model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Yu; Liu, Zhengchun; Kong, Haiyan; Sun, Wenjie; Liao, Zhengkai; Zhou, Fuxiang; Xie, Conghua

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A novel chimeric promoter consisting of CArG element and hTERT promoter was developed. → The promoter was characterized with radiation-inducibility and tumor-specificity. → Suicide gene system driven by the promoter showed remarkable cytotoxicity in vitro. → Co-expression of IL12 enhanced the promoter mediated suicide gene therapy in vivo. -- Abstract: The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter has been widely used in target gene therapy of cancer. However, low transcriptional activity limited its clinical application. Here, we designed a novel dual radiation-inducible and tumor-specific promoter system consisting of CArG elements and the hTERT promoter, resulting in increased expression of reporter genes after gamma-irradiation. Therapeutic and side effects of adenovirus-mediated horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/indole-3-acetic (IAA) system downstream of the chimeric promoter were evaluated in mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma, combining with or without adenovirus-mediated interleukin 12 (IL12) gene driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter. The combination treatment showed more effective suppression of tumor growth than those with single agent alone, being associated with pronounced intratumoral T-lymphocyte infiltration and minor side effects. Our results suggest that the combination treatment with HRP/IAA system driven by the novel chimeric promoter and the co-expression of IL12 might be an effective and safe target gene therapy strategy of cancer.

Co-expression of interleukin 12 enhances antitumor effects of a novel chimeric promoter-mediated suicide gene therapy in an immunocompetent mouse model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yu, E-mail: xuyu1001@gmail.com [Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Liu, Zhengchun, E-mail: l135027@126.com [Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Kong, Haiyan, E-mail: suppleant@163.com [Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Sun, Wenjie, E-mail: wendy11240325@163.com [Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Liao, Zhengkai, E-mail: fastbeta@gmail.com [Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Zhou, Fuxiang, E-mail: happyzhoufx@sina.com [Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Xie, Conghua, E-mail: chxie_65@hotmail.com [Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071 (China); and others

2011-09-09

Highlights: {yields} A novel chimeric promoter consisting of CArG element and hTERT promoter was developed. {yields} The promoter was characterized with radiation-inducibility and tumor-specificity. {yields} Suicide gene system driven by the promoter showed remarkable cytotoxicity in vitro. {yields} Co-expression of IL12 enhanced the promoter mediated suicide gene therapy in vivo. -- Abstract: The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter has been widely used in target gene therapy of cancer. However, low transcriptional activity limited its clinical application. Here, we designed a novel dual radiation-inducible and tumor-specific promoter system consisting of CArG elements and the hTERT promoter, resulting in increased expression of reporter genes after gamma-irradiation. Therapeutic and side effects of adenovirus-mediated horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/indole-3-acetic (IAA) system downstream of the chimeric promoter were evaluated in mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma, combining with or without adenovirus-mediated interleukin 12 (IL12) gene driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter. The combination treatment showed more effective suppression of tumor growth than those with single agent alone, being associated with pronounced intratumoral T-lymphocyte infiltration and minor side effects. Our results suggest that the combination treatment with HRP/IAA system driven by the novel chimeric promoter and the co-expression of IL12 might be an effective and safe target gene therapy strategy of cancer.

Strontium Promotes Cementoblasts Differentiation through Inhibiting Sclerostin Expression In Vitro

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Xingfu Bao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cementogenesis, performed by cementoblasts, is important for the repair of root resorption caused by orthodontic treatment. Based on recent studies, strontium has been applied for osteoporosis treatment due to its positive effect on osteoblasts. Although promising, the effect of strontium on cementoblasts is still unclear. So the aim of this research was to clarify and investigate the effect of strontium on cementogenesis via employing cementoblasts as model. A series of experiments including MTT, alkaline phosphatase activity, gene analysis, alizarin red staining, and western blot were carried out to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation of cementoblasts. In addition, expression of sclerostin was checked to analyze the possible mechanism. Our results show that strontium inhibits the proliferation of cementoblasts with a dose dependent manner; however, it can promote the differentiation of cementoblasts via downregulating sclerostin expression. Taking together, strontium may facilitate cementogenesis and benefit the treatment of root resorption at a low dose.

GroEL-GroES assisted folding of multiple recombinant proteins simultaneously over-expressed in Escherichia coli.

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Goyal, Megha; Chaudhuri, Tapan K

2015-07-01

Folding of aggregation prone recombinant proteins through co-expression of chaperonin GroEL and GroES has been a popular practice in the effort to optimize preparation of functional protein in Escherichia coli. Considering the demand for functional recombinant protein products, it is desirable to apply the chaperone assisted protein folding strategy for enhancing the yield of properly folded protein. Toward the same direction, it is also worth attempting folding of multiple recombinant proteins simultaneously over-expressed in E. coli through the assistance of co-expressed GroEL-ES. The genesis of this thinking was originated from the fact that cellular GroEL and GroES assist in the folding of several endogenous proteins expressed in the bacterial cell. Here we present the experimental findings from our study on co-expressed GroEL-GroES assisted folding of simultaneously over-expressed proteins maltodextrin glucosidase (MalZ) and yeast mitochondrial aconitase (mAco). Both proteins mentioned here are relatively larger and aggregation prone, mostly form inclusion bodies, and undergo GroEL-ES assisted folding in E. coli cells during over-expression. It has been reported that the relative yield of properly folded functional forms of MalZ and mAco with the exogenous GroEL-ES assistance were comparable with the results when these proteins were overexpressed alone. This observation is quite promising and highlights the fact that GroEL and GroES can assist in the folding of multiple substrate proteins simultaneously when over-expressed in E. coli. This method might be a potential tool for enhanced production of multiple functional recombinant proteins simultaneously in E. coli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TNF-α and IL-1β Dependent Induction of CCL3 Expression by Nucleus Pulposus Cells Promotes Macrophage Migration through CCR1

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianru; Tian, Ye; Phillips, Kate L.E.; Chiverton, Neil; Haddock, Gail; Bunning, Rowena A.; Cross, Alison K.; Shapiro, Irving M.; LeMaitre, Christine L.; Risbud, Makarand V.

2012-01-01

Objective To investigate TNF-α and IL-1β regulation of CCL3 expression in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and in macrophage migration. Methods qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to measure CCL3 expression in NP cells. Transfections were used to determine the role of NF-κB, C/EBP-β and MAPK on cytokine mediated CCL3 promoter activity. Effect of NP-conditioned medium on macrophage migration was measured using a transwell system. Results An increase in CCL3 expression and promoter activity was observed in NP cells after TNF-α or IL-1β treatment. Treatment of cells with NF-κB and MAPK inhibitors abolished the effect of the cytokines on CCL3 expression. The inductive effect of p65 and C/EBP-β on CCL3 promoter was confirmed through gain- and loss-of-function studies. Noteworthy, co-transfection of p50 completely blocked cytokine and p65 dependent induction. In contrast, c-Rel and RelB had little effect on promoter activity. Lentiviral transduction with Sh-p65 and Sh-Ikkβ significantly decreased TNF-α dependent increase in CCL3 expression. Analysis of degenerate human NP tissues showed that CCL3, but not CCL4 expression correlated positively with the grade of tissue degeneration. Importantly, treatment of macrophages with conditioned medium of NP cells treated with TNF-α or IL-1β promoted their migration; pretreatment of macrophages with antagonist to CCR1, primary receptor for CCL3 and CCL4, blocked cytokine mediated migration. Conclusions By controlling the activation of MAPK, NF-κB and C/EBPβ signaling, TNF-α and IL-1β modulate the expression of CCL3 in NP cells. The CCL3-CCR1 axis may play an important role in promoting macrophage infiltration in degenerate, herniated discs. PMID:23233369

Suppression of cancer growth in mice by adeno-associated virus vector-mediated IFN-beta expression driven by hTERT promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ling Feng; Wang, Yi Gang; Xiao, Tian; Zhang, Kang Jiang; Li, Gong Chu; Gu, Jin Fa; Chu, Liang; Tang, Wen Hao; Tan, Wen-Song; Liu, Xin Yuan

2009-12-28

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has rapidly become a promising gene delivery vehicle for its excellent advantages of non-immunogenic, low pathogenicity and long-term gene expression in vivo. However, a major obstacle in development of effective AAV vector is the lack of tissue specificity, which caused low efficiency of AAV transfer to target cells. The application of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter is a prior targeting strategy for AAV in cancer gene therapy as hTERT activity is transcriptionally upregulated in most cancer cells. In the present work, we investigated whether AAV-mediated human interferon beta (IFN-beta) gene driven by hTERT promoter could specifically express in tumor cells and suppress tumor cell growth. Our data demonstrated that hTERT promoter-driven IFN-beta expression was the tumor-specific, decreased the cell viability of tumor cells but not normal cells, and induced tumor cell apoptosis via activation of caspase pathway and release of cytochrome c. AAV-mediated IFN-beta expression driven by hTERT promoter significantly suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer and lung cancer xenograft in mice and resulted in tumor cells death in vivo. These data suggested that AAVs in combination with hTERT-mediated IFN-beta expression could exert potential antitumor activity and provide a novel targeting approach to clinical gene therapy of varieties of cancers.

Vitamin K2 promotes mesenchymal stem cell differentiation by inhibiting miR‑133a expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuelei; Weng, Shiyang; Yin, Junhui; Ding, Hao; Zhang, Changqing; Gao, Youshui

2017-05-01

Vitamin K2 has been demonstrated to promote the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells; however, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. As microRNA (miR)‑133a has been identified as a negative regulator of osteogenic differentiation, the present study hypothesized that vitamin K2 promoted osteogenesis by inhibiting miR‑133a. Using human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) overexpressing miR‑133a, or a control, the expression levels of osteogenesis‑associated proteins, including runt‑related transcription factor 2, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin, were analyzed. miR‑133a significantly suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. To determine the effect of vitamin K2 on miR‑133a expression and osteogenesis, hBMSCs were treated with vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 inhibited miR‑133a expression, which was accompanied by enhanced osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the expression levels of vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1, the key protein in γ‑carboxylation, were downregulated by miR‑133a overexpression and upregulated by vitamin K2 treatment, indicating a positive feedback on γ‑carboxylation. The results of the present study suggested that vitamin K2 targets miR‑133a to regulate osteogenesis.

DNMT 1 maintains hypermethylation of CAG promoter specific region and prevents expression of exogenous gene in fat-1 transgenic sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chunrong; Shang, Xueying; Cheng, Lei; Yang, Lei; Liu, Xuefei; Bai, Chunling; Wei, Zhuying; Hua, Jinlian; Li, Guangpeng

2017-01-01

Methylation is an important issue in gene expression regulation and also in the fields of genetics and reproduction. In this study, we created fat-1 transgenic sheep, investigated the fine-mapping and the modulatory mechanisms of promoter methylation. Sheep fetal fibroblasts were transfected by pCAG-fat1-IRES-EGFP. Monoclonal cell line was screened as nuclear donor and carried out nuclear transfer (441 transgenic cloned embryos, 52 synchronism recipient sheep). Six offsprings were obtained. Expressions of exogenous genes fat-1 and EGFP were detectable in 10 examined tissues and upregulated omega-3 fatty acid content. Interestingly, more or less EGFP negative cells were detectable in the positive transgenic fetal skin cells. EGFP negative and positive cells were sorted by flow cytometry, and their methylation status in the whole promoter region (1701 nt) were investigated by bisulphate sequencing. The fine-mapping of methylation in CAG promoter were proposed. The results suggested that exogenous gene expression was determined by the methylation status from 721-1346 nt and modulated by methylation levels at 101, 108 and 115 nt sites in CAG promoter. To clarify the regulatory mechanism of methylation, examination of four DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) demonstrated that hypermethylation of CAG promoter is mainly maintained by DNMT 1 in EGFP negative cells. Furthermore, investigation of the cell surface antigen CD34, CD45 and CD166 indicated that EGFP positive and negative cells belong to different types. The present study systematically clarified methylation status of CAG promoter in transgenic sheep and regulatory mechanism, which will provide research strategies for gene expression regulation in transgenic animals.

Transcriptional analysis of heterologous gene expression using the endogenous sD promoter from Bacillus halodurans

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Crampton, Michael C

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This presentation focused on the transcriptional analysis of heterologous gene expression using the endogenous sD promoter from Bacillus halodurans. It concludes to a successful implementation of a high throughput mRNA sandwich hybridisation...

Engineered Promoters for Potent Transient Overexpression.

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Dan Y Even

Full Text Available The core promoter, which is generally defined as the region to which RNA Polymerase II is recruited to initiate transcription, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression. The core promoter consists of different combinations of several short DNA sequences, termed core promoter elements or motifs, which confer specific functional properties to each promoter. Earlier studies that examined the ability to modulate gene expression levels via the core promoter, led to the design of strong synthetic core promoters, which combine different core elements into a single core promoter. Here, we designed a new core promoter, termed super core promoter 3 (SCP3, which combines four core promoter elements (the TATA box, Inr, MTE and DPE into a single promoter that drives prolonged and potent gene expression. We analyzed the effect of core promoter architecture on the temporal dynamics of reporter gene expression by engineering EGFP expression vectors that are driven by distinct core promoters. We used live cell imaging and flow cytometric analyses in different human cell lines to demonstrate that SCPs, particularly the novel SCP3, drive unusually strong long-term EGFP expression. Importantly, this is the first demonstration of long-term expression in transiently transfected mammalian cells, indicating that engineered core promoters can provide a novel non-viral strategy for biotechnological as well as gene-therapy-related applications that require potent expression for extended time periods.

Multiple upstream modules regulate zebrafish myf5 expression

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Weng Chih-Wei

2007-01-01

that the cell lineage-specific expression of myf5 is delicately orchestrated by multiple modules within the distal upstream region. This study provides an insight to understand the molecular control of myf5 and myogenesis in the zebrafish.

Isolation, Expression, and Promoter Analysis of GbWRKY2: A Novel Transcription Factor Gene from Ginkgo biloba

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Yong-Ling Liao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available WRKY transcription factor is involved in multiple life activities including plant growth and development as well as biotic and abiotic responses. We identified 28 WRKY genes from transcriptome data of Ginkgo biloba according to conserved WRKY domains and zinc finger structure and selected three WRKY genes, which are GbWRKY2, GbWRKY16, and GbWRKY21, for expression pattern analysis. GbWRKY2 was preferentially expressed in flowers and strongly induced by methyl jasmonate. Here, we cloned the full-length cDNA and genomic DNA of GbWRKY2. The full-length cDNA of GbWRKY2 was 1,713 bp containing a 1,014 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 337 amino acids. The GbWRKY2 genomic DNA had one intron and two exons. The deduced GbWRKY2 contained one WRKY domain and one zinc finger motif. GbWRKY2 was classified into Group II WRKYs. Southern blot analysis revealed that GbWRKY2 was a single copy gene in G. biloba. Many cis-acting elements related to hormone and stress responses were identified in the 1,363 bp-length 5′-flanking sequence of GbWRKY2, including W-box, ABRE-motif, MYBCOREs, and PYRIMIDINE-boxes, revealing the molecular mechanism of upregulated expression of GbWRKY2 by hormone and stress treatments. Further functional characterizations in transiently transformed tobacco leaves allowed us to identify the region that can be considered as the minimal promoter.

Gene expression profiling reveals multiple toxicity endpoints induced by hepatotoxicants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Qihong; Jin Xidong; Gaillard, Elias T.; Knight, Brian L.; Pack, Franklin D.; Stoltz, James H.; Jayadev, Supriya; Blanchard, Kerry T

2004-05-18

Microarray technology continues to gain increased acceptance in the drug development process, particularly at the stage of toxicology and safety assessment. In the current study, microarrays were used to investigate gene expression changes associated with hepatotoxicity, the most commonly reported clinical liability with pharmaceutical agents. Acetaminophen, methotrexate, methapyrilene, furan and phenytoin were used as benchmark compounds capable of inducing specific but different types of hepatotoxicity. The goal of the work was to define gene expression profiles capable of distinguishing the different subtypes of hepatotoxicity. Sprague-Dawley rats were orally dosed with acetaminophen (single dose, 4500 mg/kg for 6, 24 and 72 h), methotrexate (1 mg/kg per day for 1, 7 and 14 days), methapyrilene (100 mg/kg per day for 3 and 7 days), furan (40 mg/kg per day for 1, 3, 7 and 14 days) or phenytoin (300 mg/kg per day for 14 days). Hepatic gene expression was assessed using toxicology-specific gene arrays containing 684 target genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Principal component analysis (PCA) of gene expression data was able to provide a clear distinction of each compound, suggesting that gene expression data can be used to discern different hepatotoxic agents and toxicity endpoints. Gene expression data were applied to the multiplicity-adjusted permutation test and significantly changed genes were categorized and correlated to hepatotoxic endpoints. Repression of enzymes involved in lipid oxidation (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, medium chain, enoyl CoA hydratase, very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase) were associated with microvesicular lipidosis. Likewise, subsets of genes associated with hepatotocellular necrosis, inflammation, hepatitis, bile duct hyperplasia and fibrosis have been identified. The current study illustrates that expression profiling can be used to: (1) distinguish different hepatotoxic endpoints; (2) predict the development of toxic endpoints; and

Glatiramer acetate treatment normalizes deregulated microRNA expression in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

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Anne Waschbisch

Full Text Available The expression of selected microRNAs (miRNAs known to be involved in the regulation of immune responses was analyzed in 74 patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS and 32 healthy controls. Four miRNAs (miR-326, miR-155, miR-146a, miR-142-3p were aberrantly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from RRMS patients compared to controls. Although expression of these selected miRNAs did not differ between treatment-naïve (n = 36 and interferon-beta treated RRMS patients (n = 18, expression of miR-146a and miR-142-3p was significantly lower in glatiramer acetate (GA treated RRMS patients (n = 20 suggesting that GA, at least in part, restores the expression of deregulated miRNAs in MS.

Cellular MYCro economics: Balancing MYC function with MYC expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Levens, David

2013-11-01

The expression levels of the MYC oncoprotein have long been recognized to be associated with the outputs of major cellular processes including proliferation, cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation, and metabolism. Therefore, to understand how MYC operates, it is important to define quantitatively the relationship between MYC input and expression output for its targets as well as the higher-order relationships between the expression levels of subnetwork components and the flow of information and materials through those networks. Two different views of MYC are considered, first as a molecular microeconomic manager orchestrating specific positive and negative responses at individual promoters in collaboration with other transcription and chromatin components, and second, as a macroeconomic czar imposing an overarching rule onto all active genes. In either case, c-myc promoter output requires multiple inputs and exploits diverse mechanisms to tune expression to the appropriate levels relative to the thresholds of expression that separate health and disease.

Screening of Toll-like receptors expression in multiple system atrophy brains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brudek, Tomasz; Winge, Kristian; Agander, Tina Klitmøller

2013-01-01

The family of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) plays a key role in controlling innate immune responses to a wide variety of pathogen-associated molecules. It was recently suggested that TLRs have an important role in the crosstalk between neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system, thus...... inclusions in oligodendrocytes. α-Synuclein can act as a danger-associated molecular pattern and alter TLR expression thereby activating inflammatory responses in the brain. In this study, using real-time PCR, we assessed the expression of TLRs (TLR1-10) in selected areas of MSA brains (substantia nigra......TLR-1 mRNA were elevated in substantia nigra and striatum whereas levels of hTLR-8 and hTLR-9 mRNAs were significantly higher in cerebella from MSA patients. The concerted alteration of expression of multiple TLRs in MSA brains can be of relevance for understanding the pathogenesis of the disease....

Autocrine CSF-1 and CSF-1 Receptor Co-expression Promotes Renal Cell Carcinoma Growth

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Menke, Julia; Kriegsmann, Jörg; Schimanski, Carl Christoph; Schwartz, Melvin M.; Schwarting, Andreas; Kelley, Vicki R.

2011-01-01

Renal cell carcinoma is increasing in incidence but the molecular mechanisms regulating its growth remain elusive. Co-expression of the monocytic growth factor CSF-1 and its receptor CSF-1R on renal tubular epithelial cells (TEC) will promote proliferation and anti-apoptosis during regeneration of renal tubules. Here we show that a CSF-1-dependent autocrine pathway is also responsible for the growth of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). CSF-1 and CSF-1R were co-expressed in RCC and TEC proximally adjacent to RCC. CSF-1 engagement of CSF-1R promoted RCC survival and proliferation and reduced apoptosis, in support of the likelihood that CSF-1R effector signals mediate RCC growth. In vivo CSF-1R blockade using a CSF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitor decreased RCC proliferation and macrophage infiltration in a manner associated with a dramatic reduction in tumor mass. Further mechanistic investigations linked CSF-1 and EGF signaling in RCC. Taken together, our results suggest that budding RCC stimulates the proximal adjacent microenvironment in the kidney to release mediators of CSF-1, CSF-1R and EGF expression in RCC. Further, our findings imply that targeting CSF-1/CSF-1R signaling may be therapeutically effective in RCC. PMID:22052465

The amygdalo-motor pathway and the control of facial expressions

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Katalin M Gothard

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Facial expressions reflect decisions about the perceived meaning of social stimuli emitted by others and the expected socio-emotional outcome of the reciprocating expression. The decision to produce a facial expression emerges from the joint activity of a network of structures that include the amygdala and multiple, interconnected cortical and subcortical motor areas. Reciprocal transformations between sensory and motor signals give rise to distinct brain states that promote, or impede the production of facial expressions. The muscles of the upper and lower face are controlled by anatomically distinct motor areas and thus require distinct patterns of motor commands. Concomitantly multiple areas, including the amygdala, monitor the ongoing overt behavior (the expression of self and the covert, autonomic responses that accompany emotional expressions. Interoceptive signals and visceral states, therefore, should be incorporated into the formalisms of decision making in order account for decisions that govern the receiving-emitting cycle of facial expressions.

Histone Deacetylase 7 Promotes Toll-like Receptor 4-dependent Proinflammatory Gene Expression in Macrophages*

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespear, Melanie R.; Hohenhaus, Daniel M.; Kelly, Greg M.; Kamal, Nabilah A.; Gupta, Praveer; Labzin, Larisa I.; Schroder, Kate; Garceau, Valerie; Barbero, Sheila; Iyer, Abishek; Hume, David A.; Reid, Robert C.; Irvine, Katharine M.; Fairlie, David P.; Sweet, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

Broad-spectrum inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) constrain Toll-like receptor (TLR)-inducible production of key proinflammatory mediators. Here we investigated HDAC-dependent inflammatory responses in mouse macrophages. Of the classical Hdacs, Hdac7 was expressed at elevated levels in inflammatory macrophages (thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages) as compared with bone marrow-derived macrophages and the RAW264 cell line. Overexpression of a specific, alternatively spliced isoform of Hdac7 lacking the N-terminal 22 amino acids (Hdac7-u), but not the Refseq Hdac7 (Hdac7-s), promoted LPS-inducible expression of Hdac-dependent genes (Edn1, Il-12p40, and Il-6) in RAW264 cells. A novel class IIa-selective HDAC inhibitor reduced recombinant human HDAC7 enzyme activity as well as TLR-induced production of inflammatory mediators in thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages. Both LPS and Hdac7-u up-regulated the activity of the Edn1 promoter in an HDAC-dependent fashion in RAW264 cells. A hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1 binding site in this promoter was required for HDAC-dependent TLR-inducible promoter activity and for Hdac7- and HIF-1α-mediated trans-activation. Coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that both Hdac7-u and Hdac7-s interacted with HIF-1α, whereas only Hdac7-s interacted with the transcriptional repressor CtBP1. Thus, Hdac7-u positively regulates HIF-1α-dependent TLR signaling in macrophages, whereas an interaction with CtBP1 likely prevents Hdac7-s from exerting this effect. Hdac7 may represent a potential inflammatory disease target. PMID:23853092

Histone deacetylase 7 promotes Toll-like receptor 4-dependent proinflammatory gene expression in macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespear, Melanie R; Hohenhaus, Daniel M; Kelly, Greg M; Kamal, Nabilah A; Gupta, Praveer; Labzin, Larisa I; Schroder, Kate; Garceau, Valerie; Barbero, Sheila; Iyer, Abishek; Hume, David A; Reid, Robert C; Irvine, Katharine M; Fairlie, David P; Sweet, Matthew J

2013-08-30

Broad-spectrum inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) constrain Toll-like receptor (TLR)-inducible production of key proinflammatory mediators. Here we investigated HDAC-dependent inflammatory responses in mouse macrophages. Of the classical Hdacs, Hdac7 was expressed at elevated levels in inflammatory macrophages (thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages) as compared with bone marrow-derived macrophages and the RAW264 cell line. Overexpression of a specific, alternatively spliced isoform of Hdac7 lacking the N-terminal 22 amino acids (Hdac7-u), but not the Refseq Hdac7 (Hdac7-s), promoted LPS-inducible expression of Hdac-dependent genes (Edn1, Il-12p40, and Il-6) in RAW264 cells. A novel class IIa-selective HDAC inhibitor reduced recombinant human HDAC7 enzyme activity as well as TLR-induced production of inflammatory mediators in thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages. Both LPS and Hdac7-u up-regulated the activity of the Edn1 promoter in an HDAC-dependent fashion in RAW264 cells. A hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1 binding site in this promoter was required for HDAC-dependent TLR-inducible promoter activity and for Hdac7- and HIF-1α-mediated trans-activation. Coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that both Hdac7-u and Hdac7-s interacted with HIF-1α, whereas only Hdac7-s interacted with the transcriptional repressor CtBP1. Thus, Hdac7-u positively regulates HIF-1α-dependent TLR signaling in macrophages, whereas an interaction with CtBP1 likely prevents Hdac7-s from exerting this effect. Hdac7 may represent a potential inflammatory disease target.

The dipeptide Pro-Asp promotes IGF-1 secretion and expression in hepatocytes by enhancing JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Songbo; Wang, Guoqing; Zhang, Mengyuan; Zhuang, Lu; Wan, Xiaojuan; Xu, Jingren; Wang, Lina; Zhu, Xiaotong; Gao, Ping; Xi, Qianyun; Zhang, Yongliang; Shu, Gang; Jiang, Qingyan

2016-11-15

It has been implicated that IGF-1 secretion can be regulated by dietary protein. However, whether the dipeptides, one of digested products of dietary protein, have influence on IGF-1 secretion remain largely unknown. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of the dipeptide Pro-Asp on IGF-1 secretion and expression in hepatocytes and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. Our findings demonstrated that Pro-Asp promoted the secretion and gene expression of IGF-1 in HepG2 cells and primary porcine hepatocytes. Meanwhile, Pro-Asp activated the ERK and Akt signaling pathways, downstream of IGF-1. In addition, Pro-Asp enhanced GH-mediated JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway, while inhibition of JAK2/STAT5 blocked the promotive effect of Pro-Asp on IGF-1 secretion and expression. Moreover, acute injection of Pro-Asp stimulated IGF-1 expression and activated JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway in mice liver. Together, these results suggested that the dipeptide Pro-Asp promoted IGF-1 secretion and expression in hepatocytes by enhancing GH-mediated JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Lack of death receptor 4 (DR4) expression through gene promoter methylation in gastric carcinoma.

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Lee, Kyung Hwa; Lim, Sang Woo; Kim, Ho Gun; Kim, Dong Yi; Ryu, Seong Yeob; Joo, Jae Kyun; Kim, Jung Chul; Lee, Jae Hyuk

2009-07-01

To determine the underlying mechanism for the differential expression, the extent of promoter methylation in tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-related genes acting downstream of TRAIL was examined in early and advanced gastric carcinomas. The extent of promoter methylation in the DR4, DR5, DcR1, DcR2, and CASP8 genes was quantified using bisulfite modification and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The promoters for DcR1, DcR2, and CASP8 were largely unmethylated in early gastric carcinoma, advanced gastric carcinoma, and controls, with no significant difference among them. Protein levels of DR4, DcR1, and DcR2 as revealed by immunohistochemistry correlated with the extent of the respective promoter methylation (P < 0.05 in all cases). Hypomethylation, rather than hypermethylation, of the DR4 promoter was noted in invasive gastric malignancies, with statistical significance (P = 0.003). The promoter methylation status of TRAIL receptors in gastric carcinoma may have clinical implications for improving therapeutic strategies in patients with gastric carcinoma.

The promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana plastocyanin gene contains a far upstream enhancer-like element involved in chloroplast-dependent expression.

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Vorst, O; Kock, P; Lever, A; Weterings, B; Weisbeek, P; Smeekens, S

1993-12-01

Plastocyanin is part of the photosynthetic electron transport chain in the chloroplast and is encoded in the nucleus. Expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana plastocyanin gene is organ specific: high mRNA levels are observed in young green parts of the plant. Furthermore, expression is dependent on the presence of light and functional chloroplasts. When grown in the presence of norflurazon under white light conditions, resulting in the photo-oxidative destruction of the chloroplast, plastocyanin mRNA levels are strongly reduced. A -1579 to -9 promoter fragment confers light-regulated and chloroplast-dependent expression to the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene in transgenic tobacco plants. This suggests that regulation takes place at the level of transcription. A plastocyanin promoter deletion series ranging from -1579 to -121 which was also tested in tobacco, revealed the presence of a strong positive regulating element (PRE) in the -1579 to -705 region. Deletion of this part of the promoter resulted in a approximately 100-fold reduction of GUS expression as measured in mature leaves. Surprisingly, this enhancer-like element was capable of stimulating transcription from a position downstream of its reporter. Moreover, it could also activate a truncated CaMV 35S promoter. Deletion of this element coincides with the loss of chloroplast-dependency of reporter gene expression, as judged by norflurazon treatment of transgenic seedlings. So, the activity of the PRE itself might depend on the presence of functional chloroplasts.

Gene expression profiling for molecular classification of multiple myeloma in newly diagnosed patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broyl, Annemiek; Hose, Dirk; Lokhorst, Henk; de Knegt, Yvonne; Peeters, Justine; Jauch, Anna; Bertsch, Uta; Buijs, Arjan; Stevens-Kroef, Marian; Beverloo, H. Berna; Vellenga, Edo; Zweegman, Sonja; Kersten, Marie-Josée; van der Holt, Bronno; el Jarari, Laila; Mulligan, George; Goldschmidt, Hartmut; van Duin, Mark; Sonneveld, Pieter

2010-01-01

To identify molecularly defined subgroups in multiple myeloma, gene expression profiling was performed on purified CD138(+) plasma cells of 320 newly diagnosed myeloma patients included in the Dutch-Belgian/German HOVON-65/GMMG-HD4 trial. Hierarchical clustering identified 10 subgroups; 6

Lhx6-positive GABA-releasing neurons of the zona incerta promote sleep

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Liu, Kai; Kim, Juhyun; Kim, Dong Won; Zhang, Yi Stephanie; Bao, Hechen; Denaxa, Myrto; Lim, Szu-Aun; Kim, Eileen; Liu, Chang; Wickersham, Ian R.; Pachnis, Vassilis; Hattar, Samer; Song, Juan; Brown, Solange P.; Blackshaw, Seth

2017-01-01

Multiple populations of wake-promoting neurons have been characterized in mammals, but few sleep-promoting neurons have been identified1. Wake-promoting cell types include hypocretin and GABA (γ-aminobutyric-acid)-releasing neurons of the lateral hypothalamus, which promote the transition to wakefulness from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep2,3. Here we show that a subset of GABAergic neurons in the mouse ventral zona incerta, which express the LIM homeodomain factor Lhx6 and are activated by sleep pressure, both directly inhibit wake-active hypocretin and GABAergic cells in the lateral hypothalamus and receive inputs from multiple sleep–wake-regulating neurons. Conditional deletion of Lhx6 from the developing diencephalon leads to decreases in both NREM and REM sleep. Furthermore, selective activation and inhibition of Lhx6-positive neurons in the ventral zona incerta bidirectionally regulate sleep time in adult mice, in part through hypocretin-dependent mechanisms. These studies identify a GABAergic subpopulation of neurons in the ventral zona incerta that promote sleep. PMID:28847002

Regulation of the CD56 promoter and its association with proliferation, anti-apoptosis and clinical factors in multiple myeloma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Tina; Knudsen, Lene M; Dahl, Inger Marie S

2009-01-01

the regulation of the CD56 promoter in relation to typical clinical factors. We used qPCR and FACS to measure the expression levels of CD56, and potential regulatory factors in patients with MM and related these with MM progression/prognosis. The transcription factors BTBD3, Pax5, RUNX1 and MMSET were positively...... associated with CD56 expression, as was CYCLIN D1, which is involved in disease progression, anti-apoptosis and proliferation. RUNX1 was negatively associated with the survival of stem-cell transplanted patients. Our findings propose four potential activators of the CD56 promoter and for CD56 to be involved...

Monoclonal antibodies reveal multiple forms of expression of human microsomal epoxide hydrolase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, Hongying; Takagi, Akira [Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495 (Japan); Kayano, Hidekazu [Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495 (Japan); Koyama, Isamu [Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Saitama International Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1298 (Japan); Morisseau, Christophe; Hammock, Bruce D. [Department of Entomology and Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8584 (United States); Akatsuka, Toshitaka, E-mail: akatsuka@saitama-med.ac.jp [Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495 (Japan)

2012-04-01

In a previous study, we developed five kinds of monoclonal antibodies against different portions of human mEH: three, anti-N-terminal; one, anti-C-terminal; one, anti-conformational epitope. Using them, we stained the intact and the permeabilized human cells of various kinds and performed flow cytometric analysis. Primary hepatocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) showed remarkable differences. On the surface, hepatocytes exhibited 4 out of 5 epitopes whereas PBMC did not show any of the epitopes. mEH was detected inside both cell types, but the most prominent expression was observed for the conformational epitope in the hepatocytes and the two N-terminal epitopes in PBMC. These differences were also observed between hepatocyte-derived cell lines and mononuclear cell-derived cell lines. In addition, among each group, there were several differences which may be related to the cultivation, the degree of differentiation, or the original cell subsets. We also noted that two glioblastoma cell lines reveal marked expression of the conformational epitope on the surface which seemed to correlate with the brain tumor-associated antigen reported elsewhere. Several cell lines also underwent selective permeabilization before flow cytometric analysis, and we noticed that the topological orientation of mEH on the ER membrane in those cells was in accordance with the previous report. However, the orientation on the cell surface was inconsistent with the report and had a great variation between the cells. These findings show the multiple mode of expression of mEH which may be possibly related to the multiple roles that mEH plays in different cells. -- Highlights: ► We examine expression of five mEH epitopes in human cells. ► Remarkable differences exist between hepatocytes and PBMC. ► mEH expression in cell lines differs depending on several factors. ► Some glioblastoma cell lines reveal marked surface expression of mEH. ► Topology of mEH on the cell

Efficient expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) mediated by a chimeric promoter in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jinxia; Hu, Zhangli; Wang, Chaogang; Li, Shuangfei; Lei, Anping

2008-08-01

To improve the expression efficiency of exogenous genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a high efficient expression vector was constructed. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) was expressed in C. reinhardtii under the control of promoters: RBCS2 and HSP70A-RBCS2. Efficiency of transformation and expression were compared between two transgenic algae: RBCS2 mediated strain Tran-I and HSP70A-RBCS2 mediated strain Tran-II. Results show that HSP70A-RBCS2 could improve greatly the transformation efficiency by approximately eightfold of RBCS2, and the expression efficiency of GFP in Tran-II was at least double of that in Tran-I. In addition, a threefold increase of GFP in Tran-II was induced by heat shock at 40°C. All of the results demonstrated that HSP70A-RBCS2 was more efficient than RBCS2 in expressing exogenous gene in C. reinhardtii.

Cytokeratin 19 promoter directs the expression of Cre recombinase in various epithelia of transgenic mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Gui-Feng; Zhao, Shuang; Liu, Jia-Jie; Wu, Ji-Cheng; He, Hao-Yu; Ding, Xiao-Qing; Yu, Xue-Wen; Huang, Ke-Qiang; Li, Zhi-Jie; Zheng, Hua-Chuan

2017-03-14

Cytokeratin 19 (K19) is expressed in various differentiated cells, including gastric, intestinal and bronchial epithelial cells, and liver duct cells. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse line, K19-Cre, in which the expression of Cre recombinase was controlled by the promoter of K19. To test the tissue distribution and excision activity of Cre recombinase, K19-Cre transgenic mice were bred with Rosa26 reporter strain and a mouse strain that carries PTEN conditional alleles (PTENLoxp/Loxp). At mRNA level, Cre was strongly expressed in the stomach, lung and intestine, while in stomach, lung, and liver at protein level. The immunoreactivity to Cre was strongly observed the cytoplasm of gastric, bronchial and intestinal epithelial cells. Cre activity was detectable in gastric, bronchial and intestinal epithelial cells, according to LacZ staining. In K19-Cre/PTEN Loxp/Loxp mice, PTEN was abrogated in stomach, intestine, lung, liver and breast, the former two of which were verified by in situ PCR. There appeared breast cancer with PTEN loss. These data suggest that K19 promoter may be a useful tool to study the pathophysiological functions of cytokeratin 19-positive cells, especially gastrointestinal epithelial cells. Cell specificity of neoplasia is not completely attributable to the cell-specific expression of oncogenes and cell-specific loss of tumor suppressor genes.

Promoter de-methylation of cyclin D2 by sulforaphane in prostate cancer cells

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Hsu Anna

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Sulforaphane (SFN, an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables, induces potent anti-proliferative effects in prostate cancer cells. One mechanism that may contribute to the anti-proliferative effects of SFN is the modulation of epigenetic marks, such as inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC enzymes. However, the effects of SFN on other common epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation are understudied. Promoter hyper-methylation of cyclin D2, a major regulator of cell cycle, is correlated with prostate cancer progression, and restoration of cyclin D2 expression exerts anti-proliferative effects on LnCap prostate cancer cells. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of SFN on DNA methylation status of cyclin D2 promoter, and how alteration in promoter methylation impacts cyclin D2 gene expression in LnCap cells. We found that SFN significantly decreased the expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs, especially DNMT1 and DNMT3b. Furthermore, SFN significantly decreased methylation in cyclin D2 promoter regions containing c-Myc and multiple Sp1 binding sites. Reduced methlyation of cyclin D2 promoter corresponded to an increase in cyclin D2 transcript levels, suggesting that SFN may de-repress methylation-silenced cyclin D2 by impacting epigenetic pathways. Our results demonstrated the ability of SFN to epigenetically modulate cyclin D2 expression, and provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which SFN may regulate gene expression as a prostate cancer chemopreventive agent.

An integrated expression atlas of miRNAs and their promoters in human and mouse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Rie, Derek; Abugessaisa, Imad; Alam, Tanvir

2017-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs with key roles in cellular regulation. As part of the fifth edition of the Functional Annotation of Mammalian Genome (FANTOM5) project, we created an integrated expression atlas of miRNAs and their promoters by deep-sequencing 492 short RNA (sRNA) libr...

Cilostazol promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells through activating the expression of PGC-1α

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo, Luning; Li, Qiang; Sun, Bei; Xu, Zhiying; Ge, Zhiming

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► First time to show that cilostazol promotes the expressions of PGC-1α. ► First time to show that cilostazol stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in HUVECs. ► PKA/CREB pathway mediates the effect of cilostazol on PGC-1α expression. ► Suggesting the roles of cilostazol in mitochondrial dysfunction related disease. -- Abstract: Mitochondrial dysfunction is frequently observed in vascular diseases. Cilostazol is a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of intermittent claudication. Cilostazol increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels through inhibition of type III phosphodiesterase. The effects of cilostazol in mitochondrial biogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated in this study. Cilostazol treated HUVECs displayed increased levels of ATP, mitochondrial DNA/nuclear DNA ratio, expressions of cytochrome B, and mitochondrial mass, suggesting an enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis induced by cilostazol. The promoted mitochondrial biogenesis could be abolished by Protein kinase A (PKA) specific inhibitor H-89, implying that PKA pathway played a critical role in increased mitochondrial biogenesis after cilostazol treatment. Indeed, expression levels of peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma-coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), NRF 1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) were significantly increased in HUVECs after incubation with cilostazol at both mRNA levels and protein levels. Importantly, knockdown of PGC-1α could abolish cilostazol-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. Enhanced expression of p-CREB and PGC-1α induced by cilostazol could be inhibited by H-89. Moreover, the increased expression of PGC-1α induced by cilostazol could be inhibited by downregulation of CREB using CREB siRNA at both mRNA and protein levels. All the results indicated that cilostazol promoted mitochondrial biogenesis through activating the expression of PGC-1α in

The epigenetic modifier PRDM5 functions as a tumor suppressor through modulating WNT/β-catenin signaling and is frequently silenced in multiple tumors.

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Xing-sheng Shu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: PRDM (PRDI-BF1 and RIZ domain containing proteins are zinc finger proteins involved in multiple cellular regulations by acting as epigenetic modifiers. We studied a recently identified PRDM member PRDM5 for its epigenetic abnormality and tumor suppressive functions in multiple tumorigeneses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that PRDM5 was broadly expressed in human normal tissues, but frequently silenced or downregulated in multiple carcinoma cell lines due to promoter CpG methylation, including 80% (4/5 nasopharyngeal, 44% (8/18 esophageal, 76% (13/17 gastric, 50% (2/4 cervical, and 25% (3/12 hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, but not in any immortalized normal epithelial cell lines. PRDM5 expression could be restored by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine demethylation treatment in silenced cell lines. PRDM5 methylation was frequently detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP in multiple primary tumors, including 93% (43/46 nasopharyngeal, 58% (25/43 esophageal, 88% (37/42 gastric and 63% (29/46 hepatocellular tumors. PRDM5 was further found a stress-responsive gene, but its response was impaired when the promoter was methylated. Ectopic PRDM5 expression significantly inhibited tumor cell clonogenicity, accompanied by the inhibition of TCF/β-catenin-dependent transcription and downregulation of CDK4, TWIST1 and MDM2 oncogenes, while knocking down of PRDM5 expression lead to increased cell proliferation. ChIP assay showed that PRDM5 bound to its target gene promoters and suppressed their transcription. An inverse correlation between the expression of PRDM5 and activated β-catenin was also observed in cell lines. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: PRDM5 functions as a tumor suppressor at least partially through antagonizing aberrant WNT/β-catenin signaling and oncogene expression. Frequent epigenetic silencing of PRDM5 is involved in multiple tumorigeneses, which could serve as a tumor biomarker.

Lack of promoter IV-driven BDNF transcription results in depression-like behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakata, K; Jin, L; Jha, S

2010-10-01

Transcription of Bdnf is controlled by multiple promoters, in which promoter IV contributes significantly to activity-dependent Bdnf transcription. We have generated promoter IV mutant mice [brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-KIV] in which promoter IV-driven expression of BDNF is selectively disrupted by inserting a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-STOP cassette within the Bdnf exon IV locus. BDNF-KIV animals exhibited depression-like behavior as shown by the tail suspension test (TST), sucrose preference test (SPT) and learned helplessness test (LHT). In addition, BDNF-KIV mice showed reduced activity in the open field test (OFT) and reduced food intake in the novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT). The mutant mice did not display anxiety-like behavior in the light and dark box test and elevated plus maze tests. Interestingly, the mutant mice showed defective response inhibition in the passive avoidance test (PAT) even though their learning ability was intact when measured with the active avoidance test (AAT). These results suggest that promoter IV-dependent BDNF expression plays a critical role in the control of mood-related behaviors. This is the first study that directly addressed the effects of endogenous promoter-driven expression of BDNF in depression-like behavior. © 2010 The Authors. Genes, Brain and Behavior © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

MR molecular imaging of tumours using ferritin heavy chain reporter gene expression mediated by the hTERT promoter

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Yang, Yan [Third Military Medical University, Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hospital, ChongQing (China); The First Affiliated Hospital of ChengDu Medical College, Department of Radiology, ChengDu (China); Gong, Ming-fu; Yang, Hua; Zhang, Song; Wang, Guang-xian; Su, Tong-sheng; Wen, Li; Zhang, Dong [Third Military Medical University, Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hospital, ChongQing (China)

2016-11-15

Using the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter and the modified ferritin heavy chain (Fth) reporter gene, reporter gene expression for MRI was examined in telomerase positive and negative tumour cells and xenografts. Activity of the reporter gene expression vector Lenti-hTERT-Fth1-3FLAG-Puro was compared to constitutive CMV-driven expression and to the untransfected parental control in five tumour cell lines: A549, SKOV3, 293T, U2OS and HPDLF. In vitro, transfected cells were evaluated for FLAG-tagged protein expression, iron accumulation and transverse relaxation. In vivo, tumours transduced by lentiviral vector injection were imaged using T2*WI. Changes in tumour signal intensity were validated by histology. Only telomerase positive tumour cells expressed FLAG-tagged Fth and displayed an increase in R2* above the parental control, with a corresponding change in T2*WI. In addition, only telomerase positive tumours, transduced by injection of the reporter gene expression construct, exhibited a change in signal intensity on T2*WI. Tumour histology verified the expression of FLAG-tagged Fth and iron accumulation in telomerase positive tissue. Reporter gene expression for MRI, using the Fth reporter and the hTERT promoter, may be a useful strategy for the non-invasive diagnosis of many types of cancer. (orig.)

Loss of the NKX3.1 tumorsuppressor promotes the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene expression in prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thangapazham, Rajesh; Saenz, Francisco; Katta, Shilpa; Mohamed, Ahmed A; Tan, Shyh-Han; Petrovics, Gyorgy; Srivastava, Shiv; Dobi, Albert

2014-01-01

In normal prostate epithelium the TMPRSS2 gene encoding a type II serine protease is directly regulated by male hormones through the androgen receptor. In prostate cancer ERG protooncogene frequently gains hormonal control by seizing gene regulatory elements of TMPRSS2 through genomic fusion events. Although, the androgenic activation of TMPRSS2 gene has been established, little is known about other elements that may interact with TMPRSS2 promoter sequences to modulate ERG expression in TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion context. Comparative genomic analyses of the TMPRSS2 promoter upstream sequences and pathway analyses were performed by the Genomatix Software. NKX3.1 and ERG genes expressions were evaluated by immunoblot or by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays in response to siRNA knockdown or heterologous expression. QRT-PCR assay was used for monitoring the gene expression levels of NKX3.1-regulated genes. Transcriptional regulatory function of NKX3.1 was assessed by luciferase assay. Recruitment of NKX3.1 to its cognate elements was monitored by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay. Comparative analysis of the TMPRSS2 promoter upstream sequences among different species revealed the conservation of binding sites for the androgen inducible NKX3.1 tumor suppressor. Defects of NKX3.1, such as, allelic loss, haploinsufficiency, attenuated expression or decreased protein stability represent established pathways in prostate tumorigenesis. We found that NKX3.1 directly binds to TMPRSS2 upstream sequences and negatively regulates the expression of the ERG protooncogene through the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. These observations imply that the frequently noted loss-of-function of NKX3.1 cooperates with the activation of TMPRSS2-ERG fusions in prostate tumorigenesis

Analysis of promoter activity reveals that GmFTL2 expression differs from that of the known Flowering Locus T genes in soybean

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Limin Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Regulation of flowering is one of the key issues in crop yield. The Flowering Locus T (FT gene is a well-known florigen, which integrates various signals from multiple flowering-regulation pathways to initiate flowering. We previously reported that there are at least six FT genes (GmFTL1–6 in soybean displaying flowering activity. However, the individual functions of genes GmFTL1–6 remain to be identified. In this study, we cloned the GmFTL2 promoter (GmFTLpro from soybean (Glycine max cultivar Tianlong 1 and analyzed its motifs bioinformatically and its expression patterns using both a transgenic approach and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR. In GmFTLpro::GUS transgenic lines, GUS signals were enriched in cotyledons, hypocotyledons, pollen, embryos, and root tips in a photoperiod-independent manner. qRT-PCR confirmed the GUS reporter results. Our results suggest that GmFTL2 expression is regulated by developmental and tissue-specific clues and plays roles in seedling establishment and the development of microgametophytes, embryos, and roots.

Increased IL-10 mRNA and IL-23 mRNA expression in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krakauer, Martin; Sorensen, P; Khademi, M

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Interferon (IFN)-beta therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been suggested to promote a deviation from T lymphocyte production of pathogenic Th1 cytokines to less detrimental Th2 cytokines, but this is still controversial. We studied patterns of in vivo blood mononuclear cell (MNC...... of any Th1 or Th2 cytokines. The largest changes in cytokine mRNA levels occurred early (~9-12 h) after an IFN-beta injection. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of a Th1- or Th2-mRNA-promoting effect of IFN-beta therapy. The therapeutic effect of IFN-beta is more likely attributable to the induction...

Intragenic HIV-1 env sequences that enhance gag expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suptawiwat, Ornpreya; Sutthent, Ruengpung; Lee, T.-H.; Auewarakul, Prasert

2003-01-01

Expression of HIV-1 genes is regulated at multiple levels including the complex RNA splicing and transport mechanisms. Multiple cis-acting elements involved in these regulations have been previously identified in various regions of HIV-1 genome. Here we show that another cis-acting element was present in HIV-1 env region. This element enhanced the expression of Gag when inserted together with Rev response element (RRE) into a truncated HIV-1 genome in the presence of Rev. The enhancing activity was mapped to a 263-bp fragment in the gp41 region downstream to RRE. RNA analysis showed that it might function by promoting RNA stability and Rev-dependent RNA export. The enhancement was specific to Rev-dependent expression, since it did not enhance Gag expression driven by Sam68, a cellular protein that has been shown to be able to substitute for Rev in RNA export function

Novel system uses probasin-based promoter, transcriptional silencers and amplification loop to induce high-level prostate expression

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Yu Hong

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite several effective treatment options available for prostate cancer, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Thus, there is a great need for new treatments to improve outcomes. One such strategy is to eliminate cancer through the expression of cytotoxic genes specifically in prostate cells by gene therapy vectored delivery. To prevent systemic toxicity, tissue- and/or cancer-specific gene expression is required. However, the use of tissue- or cancer-specific promoters to target transgene expression has been hampered by their weak activity. Results To address this issue, we have developed a regulation strategy that includes feedback amplification of gene expression along with a differentially suppressible tetracycline regulated expression system (DiSTRES. By differentially suppressing expression of the tetracycline-regulated transcriptional activator (tTA and silencer (tTS genes based on the cell origin, this leads to the activation and silencing of the TRE promoter, respectively. In vitro transduction of LNCaP cells with Ad/GFPDiSTRES lead to GFP expression levels that were over 30-fold higher than Ad/CMV-GFP. Furthermore, Ad/FasL-GFPDiSTRES demonstrated cytotoxic effects in prostate cancer cells known to be resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Conclusion Prostate-specific regulation from the DiSTRES system, therefore, serves as a promising new regulation strategy for future applications in the field of cancer gene therapy and gene therapy as a whole.

Gibberellin overproduction promotes sucrose synthase expression and secondary cell wall deposition in cotton fibers.

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Wen-Qin Bai

Full Text Available Bioactive gibberellins (GAs comprise an important class of natural plant growth regulators and play essential roles in cotton fiber development. To date, the molecular base of GAs' functions in fiber development is largely unclear. To address this question, the endogenous bioactive GA levels in cotton developing fibers were elevated by specifically up-regulating GA 20-oxidase and suppressing GA 2-oxidase via transgenic methods. Higher GA levels in transgenic cotton fibers significantly increased micronaire values, 1000-fiber weight, cell wall thickness and cellulose contents of mature fibers. Quantitative RT-PCR and biochemical analysis revealed that the transcription of sucrose synthase gene GhSusA1 and sucrose synthase activities were significantly enhanced in GA overproducing transgenic fibers, compared to the wild-type cotton. In addition, exogenous application of bioactive GA could promote GhSusA1 expression in cultured fibers, as well as in cotton hypocotyls. Our results suggested that bioactive GAs promoted secondary cell wall deposition in cotton fibers by enhancing sucrose synthase expression.

A Hybrid One-Way ANOVA Approach for the Robust and Efficient Estimation of Differential Gene Expression with Multiple Patterns.

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Mohammad Manir Hossain Mollah

Full Text Available Identifying genes that are differentially expressed (DE between two or more conditions with multiple patterns of expression is one of the primary objectives of gene expression data analysis. Several statistical approaches, including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA, are used to identify DE genes. However, most of these methods provide misleading results for two or more conditions with multiple patterns of expression in the presence of outlying genes. In this paper, an attempt is made to develop a hybrid one-way ANOVA approach that unifies the robustness and efficiency of estimation using the minimum β-divergence method to overcome some problems that arise in the existing robust methods for both small- and large-sample cases with multiple patterns of expression.The proposed method relies on a β-weight function, which produces values between 0 and 1. The β-weight function with β = 0.2 is used as a measure of outlier detection. It assigns smaller weights (≥ 0 to outlying expressions and larger weights (≤ 1 to typical expressions. The distribution of the β-weights is used to calculate the cut-off point, which is compared to the observed β-weight of an expression to determine whether that gene expression is an outlier. This weight function plays a key role in unifying the robustness and efficiency of estimation in one-way ANOVA.Analyses of simulated gene expression profiles revealed that all eight methods (ANOVA, SAM, LIMMA, EBarrays, eLNN, KW, robust BetaEB and proposed perform almost identically for m = 2 conditions in the absence of outliers. However, the robust BetaEB method and the proposed method exhibited considerably better performance than the other six methods in the presence of outliers. In this case, the BetaEB method exhibited slightly better performance than the proposed method for the small-sample cases, but the the proposed method exhibited much better performance than the BetaEB method for both the small- and large

Differentiation-Dependent KLF4 Expression Promotes Lytic Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in Epithelial Cells.

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Dhananjay M Nawandar

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Epstein-Barr virus (EBV is a human herpesvirus associated with B-cell and epithelial cell malignancies. EBV lytically infects normal differentiated oral epithelial cells, where it causes a tongue lesion known as oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL in immunosuppressed patients. However, the cellular mechanism(s that enable EBV to establish exclusively lytic infection in normal differentiated oral epithelial cells are not currently understood. Here we show that a cellular transcription factor known to promote epithelial cell differentiation, KLF4, induces differentiation-dependent lytic EBV infection by binding to and activating the two EBV immediate-early gene (BZLF1 and BRLF1 promoters. We demonstrate that latently EBV-infected, telomerase-immortalized normal oral keratinocyte (NOKs cells undergo lytic viral reactivation confined to the more differentiated cell layers in organotypic raft culture. Furthermore, we show that endogenous KLF4 expression is required for efficient lytic viral reactivation in response to phorbol ester and sodium butyrate treatment in several different EBV-infected epithelial cell lines, and that the combination of KLF4 and another differentiation-dependent cellular transcription factor, BLIMP1, is highly synergistic for inducing lytic EBV infection. We confirm that both KLF4 and BLIMP1 are expressed in differentiated, but not undifferentiated, epithelial cells in normal tongue tissue, and show that KLF4 and BLIMP1 are both expressed in a patient-derived OHL lesion. In contrast, KLF4 protein is not detectably expressed in B cells, where EBV normally enters latent infection, although KLF4 over-expression is sufficient to induce lytic EBV reactivation in Burkitt lymphoma cells. Thus, KLF4, together with BLIMP1, plays a critical role in mediating lytic EBV reactivation in epithelial cells.

STAT6 expression in glioblastoma promotes invasive growth

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Silva Corinne M

2011-05-01

-type. There was some variation among the different shRNA- silenced clones, but all had a reduction in 3H-Thymidine uptake ranging from 35%- 70% in U-1242MG and 40- 50% in U-87MG cells. Additionally, STAT6- depleted cells were less invasive than controls in our in vitro transmembrane invasion assay. Invasiveness was decreased by 25-40% and 30-75% in U-1242MG and U-87MG cells, respectively. The microarray analysis identified matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1 and urokinase Plasminogen activator (uPA as potential STA6 target genes involved in the promotion of GBM cell invasion. In a Kaplan-Meier survival curve based on Rembrandt 1 gene expression microarray and clinical data, there was a significant difference in survival (P Conclusions Taken together, these findings suggest a role for STAT6 in enhancing cell proliferation and invasion in GBM, which may explain why up-regulation of STAT6 correlates with shorter survival times in glioma patients. This report thus identifies STAT6 as a new and potentially promising therapeutic target.

STAT6 expression in glioblastoma promotes invasive growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merk, Barbara C; Owens, Jennifer L; Lopes, Maria-Beatriz S; Silva, Corinne M; Hussaini, Isa M

2011-01-01

different shRNA- silenced clones, but all had a reduction in 3 H-Thymidine uptake ranging from 35%- 70% in U-1242MG and 40- 50% in U-87MG cells. Additionally, STAT6- depleted cells were less invasive than controls in our in vitro transmembrane invasion assay. Invasiveness was decreased by 25-40% and 30-75% in U-1242MG and U-87MG cells, respectively. The microarray analysis identified matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and urokinase Plasminogen activator (uPA) as potential STA6 target genes involved in the promotion of GBM cell invasion. In a Kaplan-Meier survival curve based on Rembrandt [1] gene expression microarray and clinical data, there was a significant difference in survival (P < 0.05) between glioma patients with up- and down-regulated STAT6. Decreased STAT6 expression correlated with longer survival times. In two subsets of patients with either grade IV tumors (GBM) or Grade II/III astrocytomas, there was a similar trend that however did not reach statistical significance. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for STAT6 in enhancing cell proliferation and invasion in GBM, which may explain why up-regulation of STAT6 correlates with shorter survival times in glioma patients. This report thus identifies STAT6 as a new and potentially promising therapeutic target

Hepatitis B virus X protein suppresses caveolin-1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating DNA methylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Jun; Lu, Qian; Dong, Jiahong; Li, Xiaowu; Ma, Kuansheng; Cai, Lei

2012-01-01

To understand the molecular mechanisms of caveolin-1 downregulation by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx). The DNA methylation status of the caveolin-1 promoter was examined by nested methylation-specific PCR of 33 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples. The SMMC-7721 hepatoma cell line was transfected with a recombinant HBx adenoviral vector, and the effects of HBx protein on caveolin-1 expression and promoter methylation were examined and confirmed by sequencing. A reporter gene containing the caveolin-1 promoter region was constructed, and the effects of HBx on the transcriptional activity of the promoter were also studied. Methylation of the caveolin-1 promoter was detected in 84.8% (28/33) of HBV-infected HCC samples. Expression of caveolin-1 was significantly downregulated (P = 0.022), and multiple CpG sites in the promoter region of caveolin-1 were methylated in SMMC-7721 cells after HBx transfection. Transfected HBx significantly suppressed caveolin-1 promoter activity (P = 0.001). HBx protein induces methylation of the caveolin-1 promoter region and suppresses its expression

Deletion analysis of susy-sl promoter for the identification of optimal promoter sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacha, S.; Khatoon, A.; Asif, M.; Bshir, A.

2015-01-01

The promoter region of sucrose synthase (susy-Sl) was identified and isolated from tomato. The 5? deletion analysis was carried out for the identification of minimum optimal promoter. Transgenic lines of Arabidopsis thaliana were developed by floral dip method incorporating various promoter deletion cassettes controlling GUS reporter gene. GUS assay of transgenic tissues indicated that full length susy-Sl promoter and its deletion mutants were constitutively expressed in vegetative and floral tissues of A. thaliana. The expression was observed in roots, shoots and flowers of A. thaliana. Analysis of 5? deletion series of susy-Sl promoter showed that a minimum of 679 bp fragment of the promoter was sufficient to drive expression of GUS reporter gene in the major tissues of transgenic A. thaliana. (author)

ATF3 expression improves motor function in the ALS mouse model by promoting motor neuron survival and retaining muscle innervation.

Science.gov (United States)

Seijffers, Rhona; Zhang, Jiangwen; Matthews, Jonathan C; Chen, Adam; Tamrazian, Eric; Babaniyi, Olusegun; Selig, Martin; Hynynen, Meri; Woolf, Clifford J; Brown, Robert H

2014-01-28

ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive loss of motor neurons and atrophy of distal axon terminals in muscle, resulting in loss of motor function. Motor end plates denervated by axonal retraction of dying motor neurons are partially reinnervated by remaining viable motor neurons; however, this axonal sprouting is insufficient to compensate for motor neuron loss. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) promotes neuronal survival and axonal growth. Here, we reveal that forced expression of ATF3 in motor neurons of transgenic SOD1(G93A) ALS mice delays neuromuscular junction denervation by inducing axonal sprouting and enhancing motor neuron viability. Maintenance of neuromuscular junction innervation during the course of the disease in ATF3/SOD1(G93A) mice is associated with a substantial delay in muscle atrophy and improved motor performance. Although disease onset and mortality are delayed, disease duration is not affected. This study shows that adaptive axonal growth-promoting mechanisms can substantially improve motor function in ALS and importantly, that augmenting viability of the motor neuron soma and maintaining functional neuromuscular junction connections are both essential elements in therapy for motor neuron disease in the SOD1(G93A) mice. Accordingly, effective protection of optimal motor neuron function requires restitution of multiple dysregulated cellular pathways.

A novel Meloidogyne graminicola effector, MgMO237, interacts with multiple host defence-related proteins to manipulate plant basal immunity and promote parasitism.

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Chen, Jiansong; Hu, Lili; Sun, Longhua; Lin, Borong; Huang, Kun; Zhuo, Kan; Liao, Jinling

2018-02-27

Plant-parasitic nematodes can secrete effector proteins into the host tissue to facilitate their parasitism. In this study, we report a novel effector protein, MgMO237, from Meloidogyne graminicola, which is exclusively expressed within the dorsal oesophageal gland cell and markedly up-regulated in parasitic third-/fourth-stage juveniles of M. graminicola. Transient expression of MgMO237 in protoplasts from rice roots showed that MgMO237 was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the host cells. Rice plants overexpressing MgMO237 showed an increased susceptibility to M. graminicola. In contrast, rice plants expressing RNA interference vectors targeting MgMO237 showed an increased resistance to M. graminicola. In addition, yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that MgMO237 interacted specifically with three rice endogenous proteins, i.e. 1,3-β-glucan synthase component (OsGSC), cysteine-rich repeat secretory protein 55 (OsCRRSP55) and pathogenesis-related BetvI family protein (OsBetvI), which are all related to host defences. Moreover, MgMO237 can suppress host defence responses, including the expression of host defence-related genes, cell wall callose deposition and the burst of reactive oxygen species. These results demonstrate that the effector MgMO237 probably promotes the parasitism of M. graminicola by interacting with multiple host defence-related proteins and suppressing plant basal immunity in the later parasitic stages of nematodes. © 2018 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Inflammation promotes oral squamous carcinoma immune evasion via induced programmed death ligand-1 surface expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Wanlu; Lu, Libing; Feng, Yun; Chen, Jiao; Li, Yan; Kong, Xiangli; Chen, Sixiu; Li, Xiaoyu; Chen, Qianming; Zhang, Ping

2013-05-01

The association between inflammation and cancer provides a new target for tumor biotherapy. The inflammatory cells and molecules within the tumor microenvironment have decisive dual roles in antitumor immunity and immune evasion. In the present study, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to simulate the tumor inflammatory microenvironment. The effect of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines on the surface expression of programmed cell death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and tumor immune evasion was investigated using flow cytometry (FCM) and an in vivo xenotransplantation model. Based on the data, PHA-activated, but not resting, immune cells were able to promote the surface expression of PD-L1 in Tca8113 oral squamous carcinoma cells via the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, but not by cell-cell contact. The majority of the inflammatory cytokines had no significant effect on the proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis of the Tca8113 cells, although they each induced the expression of PD-L1 in a dose-dependent manner. In total, 99% of the Tca8113 cells expressed PD-L1 following treatment with the supernatant of PHA-stimulated PBMCs. The PHA-supernatant pretreated Tca8113 cells unusually induced Tca8113 antigen-specific CD8 + T cell apoptosis in vitro and the evasion of antigen-specific T cell attraction in a nude mouse tumor-bearing model. These results indicate a new mechanism for the promotion of tumor immune evasion by the tumor inflammatory microenvironment.

TNF-α promotes human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell migration by inducing matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) expression through activation of Akt/mTORC1 signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Cheng-hu; Cao, Guo-Fan; Jiang, Qin; Yao, Jin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► TNF-α induces MMP-9 expression and secretion to promote RPE cell migration. ► MAPK activation is not critical for TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression. ► Akt and mTORC1 signaling mediate TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression. ► SIN1 knockdown showed no significant effect on MMP-9 expression by TNF-α. -- Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) promotes in vitro retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell migration to initiate proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Here we report that TNF-α promotes human RPE cell migration by inducing matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) expression. Inhibition of MMP-9 by its inhibitor or its neutralizing antibody inhibited TNF-α-induced in vitro RPE cell migration. Reversely, exogenously-added active MMP-9 promoted RPE cell migration. Suppression Akt/mTOR complex 1(mTORC1) activation by LY 294002 and rapamycin inhibited TNF-α-mediated MMP-9 expression. To introduce a constitutively active Akt (CA-Akt) in cultured RPE cells increased MMP-9 expression, and to block mTORC1 activation by rapamycin inhibited its effect. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of SIN1, a key component of mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), had no effect on MMP-9 expression or secretion. In conclusion, this study suggest that TNF-α promotes RPE cell migration by inducing MMP-9 expression through activation of Akt/ mTORC1, but not mTORC2 signaling.

TNF-{alpha} promotes human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell migration by inducing matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) expression through activation of Akt/mTORC1 signaling

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Wang, Cheng-hu; Cao, Guo-Fan [The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Jiang, Qin, E-mail: Jqin710@vip.sina.com [The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Yao, Jin, E-mail: dryaojin@yahoo.com [The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China)

2012-08-17

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TNF-{alpha} induces MMP-9 expression and secretion to promote RPE cell migration. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MAPK activation is not critical for TNF-{alpha}-induced MMP-9 expression. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Akt and mTORC1 signaling mediate TNF-{alpha}-induced MMP-9 expression. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SIN1 knockdown showed no significant effect on MMP-9 expression by TNF-{alpha}. -- Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-{alpha}) promotes in vitro retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell migration to initiate proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Here we report that TNF-{alpha} promotes human RPE cell migration by inducing matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) expression. Inhibition of MMP-9 by its inhibitor or its neutralizing antibody inhibited TNF-{alpha}-induced in vitro RPE cell migration. Reversely, exogenously-added active MMP-9 promoted RPE cell migration. Suppression Akt/mTOR complex 1(mTORC1) activation by LY 294002 and rapamycin inhibited TNF-{alpha}-mediated MMP-9 expression. To introduce a constitutively active Akt (CA-Akt) in cultured RPE cells increased MMP-9 expression, and to block mTORC1 activation by rapamycin inhibited its effect. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of SIN1, a key component of mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), had no effect on MMP-9 expression or secretion. In conclusion, this study suggest that TNF-{alpha} promotes RPE cell migration by inducing MMP-9 expression through activation of Akt/ mTORC1, but not mTORC2 signaling.

Cell-type specific oxytocin gene expression from AAV delivered promoter deletion constructs into the rat supraoptic nucleus in vivo.

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Raymond L Fields

Full Text Available The magnocellular neurons (MCNs in the hypothalamus selectively express either oxytocin (OXT or vasopressin (AVP neuropeptide genes, a property that defines their phenotypes. Here we examine the molecular basis of this selectivity in the OXT MCNs by stereotaxic microinjections of adeno-associated virus (AAV vectors that contain various OXT gene promoter deletion constructs using EGFP as the reporter into the rat supraoptic nucleus (SON. Two weeks following injection of the AAVs, immunohistochemical assays of EGFP expression from these constructs were done to determine whether the EGFP reporter co-localizes with either the OXT- or AVP-immunoreactivity in the MCNs. The results show that the key elements in the OT gene promoter that regulate the cell-type specific expression the SON are located -216 to -100 bp upstream of the transcription start site. We hypothesize that within this 116 bp domain a repressor exists that inhibits expression specifically in AVP MCNs, thereby leading to the cell-type specific expression of the OXT gene only in the OXT MCNs.

The expression of p53 protein in patients with multiple myeloma

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Marković Olivera

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Although mutations of p53 are one of the most often acquired genetic changes in malignant tumors, these mutations are rare events in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM. Moreover, there are a few literature data about clinical significance of p53 overexpression in multiple myeloma. Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical significance of p53 immunoexpression in multiple myeloma. Method A total of 58 patients with newly diagnosed MM (26 females and 32 males, mean age 62 years were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of MM was made according to criteria of Chronic Leukemia-Myeloma Task Force. Clinical staging was done according to Durie and Salmon classification (4 patients had disease stage I, 15 patients stage II and 39 patients stage III. The histological grade and histological stage were determined according to predominant plasma cell morphology and volume of myeloma infiltration, respectively. Standard immunohistochemical analysis with p53 antibody in B5-fixed and paraffin- embedded bone marrow specimens was used to evaluate the expression of p53 in myeloma cells. The specimens were considered positive when ≥5% of plasma cells exhibited clear nuclear positivity. Results Out of 58 patients, p53 expression was detected in 9 (15.52%. No significant correlation was found between p53 expression and clinical stage (I+II vs. III, Я2-microglobulin level (≤6 mg/L vs. >6mg/L, histological grade (I vs. II+III, histological stage (<20% vs. 21-50% vs. >50% and the extent of osteolytic lesions (≤3 vs. >3 lesions. Median survival of patients with p53 immunoreactivity in =>5% of plasma cells was 10 months, whilst median survival of patients with p53 immunoreactivity in <5% of plasma cells was 36 months. However, such difference was not significant (p=0.2. Conclusion The frequency of p53 immunoexpression in our group of newly diagnosed MM was relatively low. Although p53 immunoexpression was not

Hepatitis Bx Antigen Stimulates Expression of a Novel Cellular Gene, URG4, that Promotes Hepatocellular Growth and Survival

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N. Lale Satiroglu Tufan

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus encoded X antigen (HBxAg may contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC by up-or downregulating the expression of cellular genes that promote cell growth and survival. To test this hypothesis, HBxAg-positive and-negative HepG2 cells were constructed, and the patterns of cellular gene expression compared by polymerase chain reaction select cDNA subtraction. The full-length clone of one of these upregulated genes (URG, URG4, encoded a protein of about 104 kDa. URG4 was strongly expressed in hepatitis 13-infected liver and in HCC cells, where it costained with HBxAg, and was weakly expressed in uninfected liver, suggesting URG4 was an effector of HBxAg in vivo. Overexpression of URG4 in HepG2 cells promoted hepatocellular growth and survival in tissue culture and in soft agar, and accelerated tumor development in nude mice. Hence, URG4 may be a natural effector of HBxAg that contributes importantly to multistep hepatocarcinogenesis.

Estradiol represses Insulin-like 3 expression and promoter activity in MA-10 Leydig cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lague, Eric; Tremblay, Jacques J.

2009-01-01

There are increasing evidence in the literature reporting the detrimental effects of endocrine disruptors on the development and function of the male reproductive system. One example is cryptorchidism, or undescended testis, caused by exposure to excessive estrogens. Estrogens, acting through the estrogen receptor α (ERα), have been shown to repress expression of the gene encoding insulin-like 3 (INSL3), a small peptide produced by testicular Leydig cells that is essential for normal testis descent. The molecular mechanism of estrogen/ER action on Insl3 expression, however, remains poorly understood. Here we report estradiol (E 2 ) represses Insl3 mRNA levels in MA-10 cells, a Leydig cell line model. We also found that E 2 represses the activity of the human and mouse Insl3 promoter in these cells. The E 2 -responsive region of the human INSL3 promoter was located to the proximal INSL3 promoter. This region does not contain a consensus estrogen response element indicating an indirect mechanism of action. In agreement with this, we found that E 2 -responsiveness was lost when two previously characterized binding sites for the nuclear receptors NUR77 and SF1 were mutated. Finally we show that the E 2 repressive effect could be overcome by cotreatment with testosterone, a positive regulator of Insl3 transcription. Collectively our data provide important new insights into the molecular mechanism of estrogen action in Insl3 transcription in Leydig cells

Multiple growth hormone-binding proteins are expressed on insulin-producing cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møldrup, A; Billestrup, N; Thorn, N A

1989-01-01

The insulin-producing rat islet tumor cell line, RIN-5AH, expresses somatogen binding sites and responds to GH by increased proliferation and insulin production. Affinity cross-linking shows that RIN-5AH cells contain two major GH-binding subunits of Mr 100-130K (110K), which appear to exist as d....... It is concluded that the RIN-5AH cells have multiple GH-binding proteins which may mediate signals for either proliferation and/or insulin production....

NFAT5 promotes proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells in part through regulating AQP5 expression

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Guo, Kai, E-mail: gk161@163.com [Department of Respiration, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an 710038 (China); Department of Respiration, 161th Hospital, PLA, Wuhan 430015 (China); Jin, Faguang, E-mail: jinfag@fmmu.edu.cn [Department of Respiration, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi' an 710038 (China)

2015-09-25

The osmoregulated transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5(NFAT5), has been found to play important roles in the development of many kinds of human cancers, including breast cancer, colon carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. The aim of the present study was to determine whether NFAT5 is involved in the proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. We found that NFAT5 was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma cells and knockdown of NFAT5 decreased proliferation and migration of the cells, accompanied by a significant reduction in the expression of AQP5. AQP5 was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma cells and knockdown of AQP5 also inhibited proliferation and migration of the cells as knockdown of NFAT5 did. Moreover, overexpression of NFAT5 promoted proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells, accompanied by a significant increase in the expression of AQP5. These results indicate that NFAT5 plays important roles in proliferation and migration of human lung adenocarcinoma cells through regulating AQP5 expression, providing a new therapeutic option for lung adenocarcinoma therapy. - Highlights: • NFAT5 expression is higher in lung adenocarcinoma cells compared with normal cells. • NFAT5 knockdown decreases proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Knockdown of NFAT5 reduces AQP5 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Overexpression of NFAT5 promotes proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Overexpression of NFAT5 increases AQP5 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

NFAT5 promotes proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells in part through regulating AQP5 expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Kai; Jin, Faguang

2015-01-01

The osmoregulated transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5(NFAT5), has been found to play important roles in the development of many kinds of human cancers, including breast cancer, colon carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. The aim of the present study was to determine whether NFAT5 is involved in the proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. We found that NFAT5 was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma cells and knockdown of NFAT5 decreased proliferation and migration of the cells, accompanied by a significant reduction in the expression of AQP5. AQP5 was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma cells and knockdown of AQP5 also inhibited proliferation and migration of the cells as knockdown of NFAT5 did. Moreover, overexpression of NFAT5 promoted proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells, accompanied by a significant increase in the expression of AQP5. These results indicate that NFAT5 plays important roles in proliferation and migration of human lung adenocarcinoma cells through regulating AQP5 expression, providing a new therapeutic option for lung adenocarcinoma therapy. - Highlights: • NFAT5 expression is higher in lung adenocarcinoma cells compared with normal cells. • NFAT5 knockdown decreases proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Knockdown of NFAT5 reduces AQP5 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Overexpression of NFAT5 promotes proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. • Overexpression of NFAT5 increases AQP5 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Cooperative binding of transcription factors promotes bimodal gene expression response.

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Pablo S Gutierrez

Full Text Available In the present work we extend and analyze the scope of our recently proposed stochastic model for transcriptional regulation, which considers an arbitrarily complex cis-regulatory system using only elementary reactions. Previously, we determined the role of cooperativity on the intrinsic fluctuations of gene expression for activating transcriptional switches, by means of master equation formalism and computer simulation. This model allowed us to distinguish between two cooperative binding mechanisms and, even though the mean expression levels were not affected differently by the acting mechanism, we showed that the associated fluctuations were different. In the present generalized model we include other regulatory functions in addition to those associated to an activator switch. Namely, we introduce repressive regulatory functions and two theoretical mechanisms that account for the biphasic response that some cis-regulatory systems show to the transcription factor concentration. We have also extended our previous master equation formalism in order to include protein production by stochastic translation of mRNA. Furthermore, we examine the graded/binary scenarios in the context of the interaction energy between transcription factors. In this sense, this is the first report to show that the cooperative binding of transcription factors to DNA promotes the "all-or-none" phenomenon observed in eukaryotic systems. In addition, we confirm that gene expression fluctuation levels associated with one of two cooperative binding mechanism never exceed the fluctuation levels of the other.

Functional analysis of the rice rubisco activase promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis

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Yang, Zhipan; Lu, Qingtao; Wen, Xiaogang [Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093 (China); Chen, Fan [Key Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (China); Lu, Congming, E-mail: lucm@ibcas.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093 (China)

2012-02-17

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rice rubisco activase promoter was analyzed in transgenic Arabidopsis system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Region conferring tissue specific and light inducible expression of Rca was identified. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer -58 to +43 bp region mediates tissue-specific expression of rice Rca. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Light inducible expression of rice Rca is mediated by -297 to -58 bp region. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rice nuclear proteins bind specifically with the light inducible region. -- Abstract: To gain a better understanding of the regulatory mechanism of the rice rubisco activase (Rca) gene, variants of the Rca gene promoter (one full-length and four deletion mutants) fused to the coding region of the bacterial reporter gene {beta}-glucuronidase (GUS) were introduced into Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Our results show that a 340 bp fragment spanning from -297 to +43 bp relative to the transcription initiation site is enough to promote tissue-specific and light-inducible expression of the rice Rca gene as done by the full-length promoter (-1428 to +43 bp). Further deletion analysis indicated that the region conferring tissue-specificity of Rca expression is localized within a 105 bp fragment from -58 to +43 bp, while light-inducible expression of Rca is mediated by the region from -297 to -58 bp. Gel shift assays and competition experiments demonstrated that rice nuclear proteins bind specifically with the fragment conferring light responsiveness at more than one binding site. This implies that multiple cis-elements may be involved in light-induced expression of the rice Rca gene. These works provide a useful reference for understanding transcriptional regulation mechanism of the rice Rca gene, and lay a strong foundation for further detection of related cis-elements and trans-factors.

Functional analysis of the rice rubisco activase promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Zhipan; Lu, Qingtao; Wen, Xiaogang; Chen, Fan; Lu, Congming

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Rice rubisco activase promoter was analyzed in transgenic Arabidopsis system. ► Region conferring tissue specific and light inducible expression of Rca was identified. ► −58 to +43 bp region mediates tissue-specific expression of rice Rca. ► Light inducible expression of rice Rca is mediated by −297 to −58 bp region. ► Rice nuclear proteins bind specifically with the light inducible region. -- Abstract: To gain a better understanding of the regulatory mechanism of the rice rubisco activase (Rca) gene, variants of the Rca gene promoter (one full-length and four deletion mutants) fused to the coding region of the bacterial reporter gene β-glucuronidase (GUS) were introduced into Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Our results show that a 340 bp fragment spanning from −297 to +43 bp relative to the transcription initiation site is enough to promote tissue-specific and light-inducible expression of the rice Rca gene as done by the full-length promoter (−1428 to +43 bp). Further deletion analysis indicated that the region conferring tissue-specificity of Rca expression is localized within a 105 bp fragment from −58 to +43 bp, while light-inducible expression of Rca is mediated by the region from −297 to −58 bp. Gel shift assays and competition experiments demonstrated that rice nuclear proteins bind specifically with the fragment conferring light responsiveness at more than one binding site. This implies that multiple cis-elements may be involved in light-induced expression of the rice Rca gene. These works provide a useful reference for understanding transcriptional regulation mechanism of the rice Rca gene, and lay a strong foundation for further detection of related cis-elements and trans-factors.

EWS Knockdown and Taxifolin Treatment Induced Differentiation and Removed DNA Methylation from p53 Promoter to Promote Expression of Puma and Noxa for Apoptosis in Ewing's Sarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Mohammad Motarab; Ray, Swapan Kumar

2014-10-01

Ewing's sarcoma is a pediatric tumor that mainly occurs in soft tissues and bones. Malignant characteristics of Ewing's sarcoma are correlated with expression of EWS oncogene. We achieved knockdown of EWS expression using a plasmid vector encoding EWS short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to increase anti-tumor mechanisms of taxifolin (TFL), a new flavonoid, in human Ewing's sarcoma cells in culture and animal models. Immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometric analysis showed high expression of EWS in human Ewing's sarcoma SK-N-MC and RD-ES cell lines. EWS shRNA plus TFL inhibited 80% cell viability and caused the highest decreases in EWS expression at mRNA and protein levels in both cell lines. Knockdown of EWS expression induced morphological features of differentiation. EWS shRNA plus TFL caused more alterations in molecular markers of differentiation than either agent alone. EWS shRNA plus TFL caused the highest decreases in cell migration with inhibition of survival, angiogenic and invasive factors. Knockdown of EWS expression was associated with removal of DNA methylation from p53 promoter, promoting expression of p53, Puma, and Noxa. EWS shRNA plus TFL induced the highest amounts of apoptosis with activation of extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in both cell lines in culture. EWS shRNA plus TFL also inhibited growth of Ewing's sarcoma tumors in animal models due to inhibition of differentiation inhibitors and angiogenic and invasive factors and also induction of activation of caspase-3 for apoptosis. Collectively, knockdown of EWS expression increased various anti-tumor mechanisms of TFL in human Ewing's sarcoma in cell culture and animal models.

Identification of hamster inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) promoter sequences that influence basal and inducible iNOS expression

Science.gov (United States)

Saldarriaga, Omar A.; Travi, Bruno L.; Choudhury, Goutam Ghosh; Melby, Peter C.

2012-01-01

IFN-γ/LPS-activated hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) macrophages express significantly less iNOS (NOS2) than activated mouse macrophages, which contributes to the hamster's susceptibility to intracellular pathogens. We determined a mechanism responsible for differences in iNOS promoter activity in hamsters and mice. The HtPP (1.2 kb) showed low basal and inducible promoter activity when compared with the mouse, and sequences within a 100-bp region (−233 to −133) of the mouse and hamster promoters influenced this activity. Moreover, within this 100 bp, we identified a smaller region (44 bp) in the mouse promoter, which recovered basal promoter activity when swapped into the hamster promoter. The mouse homolog (100-bp region) contained a cis-element for NF-IL-6 (−153/−142), which was absent in the hamster counterpart. EMSA and supershift assays revealed that the hamster sequence did not support the binding of NF-IL-6. Introduction of a functional NF-IL-6 binding sequence into the hamster promoter or its alteration in the mouse promoter revealed the critical importance of this transcription factor for full iNOS promoter activity. Furthermore, the binding of NF-IL-6 to the iNOS promoter (−153/−142) in vivo was increased in mouse cells but was reduced in hamster cells after IFN-γ/LPS stimulation. Differences in the activity of the iNOS promoters were evident in mouse and hamster cells, so they were not merely a result of species-specific differences in transcription factors. Thus, we have identified unique DNA sequences and a critical transcription factor, NF-IL-6, which contribute to the overall basal and inducible expression of hamster iNOS. PMID:22517919

Robust heat-inducible gene expression by two endogenous hsp70-derived promoters in transgenic Aedes aegypti

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenetti, Tiffany L. G.; Aryan, Azadeh; Myles, Kevin M.; Adelman, Zach N.

2011-01-01

Aedes aegypti is an important vector of the viruses that cause dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever. Reverse genetic approaches to the study of gene function in this mosquito have been limited by the lack of a robust inducible promoter to allow precise temporal control over a protein-encoding or hairpin RNA transgene. Likewise, investigations into the molecular and biochemical basis of vector competence would benefit from the ability to activate an anti-pathogen molecule at specific times during infection. We have characterized the ability of genomic sequences derived from two Ae. aegypti hsp70 genes to drive heat-inducible expression of a reporter in both transient and germline transformation contexts. AaHsp70-luciferase transcripts accumulated specifically after heat shock, and displayed a pattern of rapid induction and decay similar to endogenous AaHsp70 genes. Luciferase expression in transgenic Ae. aegypti increased by ∼25-50 fold in whole adults by four hours after heat-shock, with significant activity (∼20 fold) remaining at 24 hr. Heat-induced expression was even more dramatic in midgut tissues, with one strain showing a ∼2500-fold increase in luciferase activity. The AaHsp70 promoters described could be valuable for gene function studies as well as for the precise timing of the expression of anti-pathogen molecules. PMID:22142225

Both positive and negative regulatory elements mediate expression of a photoregulated CAB gene from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Castresana, C; Garcia-Luque, I; Alonso, E; Malik, V S; Cashmore, A R

1988-01-01

We have analyzed promoter regulatory elements from a photoregulated CAB gene (Cab-E) isolated from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. These studies have been performed by introducing chimeric gene constructs into tobacco cells via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Expression studies on the regenerated transgenic plants have allowed us to characterize three positive and one negative cis-acting elements that influence photoregulated expression of the Cab-E gene. Within the upstream sequences we have identified two positive regulatory elements (PRE1 and PRE2) which confer maximum levels of photoregulated expression. These sequences contain multiple repeated elements related to the sequence-ACCGGCCCACTT-. We have also identified within the upstream region a negative regulatory element (NRE) extremely rich in AT sequences, which reduces the level of gene expression in the light. We have defined a light regulatory element (LRE) within the promoter region extending from -396 to -186 bp which confers photoregulated expression when fused to a constitutive nopaline synthase ('nos') promoter. Within this region there is a 132-bp element, extending from -368 to -234 bp, which on deletion from the Cab-E promoter reduces gene expression from high levels to undetectable levels. Finally, we have demonstrated for a full length Cab-E promoter conferring high levels of photoregulated expression, that sequences proximal to the Cab-E TATA box are not replaceable by corresponding sequences from a 'nos' promoter. This contrasts with the apparent equivalence of these Cab-E and 'nos' TATA box-proximal sequences in truncated promoters conferring low levels of photoregulated expression. Images PMID:2901343

Nicotine induced CpG methylation of Pax6 binding motif in StAR promoter reduces the gene expression and cortisol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Tingting; Chen, Man; Liu, Lian; Cheng, Huaiyan; Yan, You-E; Feng, Ying-Hong; Wang, Hui

2011-01-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of steroid hormones, essential to fetal development. We have reported that the StAR expression in fetal adrenal is inhibited in a rat model of nicotine-induced intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Here using primary human fetal adrenal cortex (pHFAC) cells and a human fetal adrenal cell line NCI-H295A, we show that nicotine inhibits StAR expression and cortisol production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and prolongs the inhibitory effect on cells proliferating over 5 passages after termination of nicotine treatment. Methylation detection within the StAR promoter region uncovers a single site CpG methylation at nt -377 that is sensitive to nicotine treatment. Nicotine-induced alterations in frequency of this point methylation correlates well with the levels of StAR expression, suggesting an important role of the single site in regulating StAR expression. Further studies using bioinformatics analysis and siRNA approach reveal that the single CpG site is part of the Pax6 binding motif (CGCCTGA) in the StAR promoter. The luciferase activity assays validate that Pax6 increases StAR gene expression by binding to the glucagon G3-like motif (CGCCTGA) and methylation of this site blocks Pax6 binding and thus suppresses StAR expression. These data identify a nicotine-sensitive CpG site at the Pax6 binding motif in the StAR promoter that may play a central role in regulating StAR expression. The results suggest an epigenetic mechanism that may explain how nicotine contributes to onset of adult diseases or disorders such as metabolic syndrome via fetal programming. -- Highlights: ► Nicotine-induced StAR inhibition in two human adrenal cell models. ► Nicotine-induced single CpG site methylation in StAR promoter. ► Persistent StAR inhibition and single CpG methylation after nicotine termination. ► Single CpG methylation located at Pax6 binding motif regulates St

Autoantigen La promotes efficient RNAi, antiviral response, and transposon silencing by facilitating multiple-turnover RISC catalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Tan, Huiling; Tian, Hui; Liang, Chunyang; Chen, She; Liu, Qinghua

2011-11-04

The effector of RNA interference (RNAi) is the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). C3PO promotes the activation of RISC by degrading the Argonaute2 (Ago2)-nicked passenger strand of duplex siRNA. Active RISC is a multiple-turnover enzyme that uses the guide strand of siRNA to direct the Ago2-mediated sequence-specific cleavage of complementary mRNA. How this effector step of RNAi is regulated is currently unknown. Here, we used the human Ago2 minimal RISC system to purify Sjögren's syndrome antigen B (SSB)/autoantigen La as an activator of the RISC-mediated mRNA cleavage activity. Our reconstitution studies showed that La could promote multiple-turnover RISC catalysis by facilitating the release of cleaved mRNA from RISC. Moreover, we demonstrated that La was required for efficient RNAi, antiviral defense, and transposon silencing in vivo. Taken together, the findings of C3PO and La reveal a general concept that regulatory factors are required to remove Ago2-cleaved products to assemble or restore active RISC. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface Expression of TGF-β Docking Receptor GARP Promotes Oncogenesis and Immune Tolerance in Breast Cancer

OpenAIRE

Metelli, Alessandra; Wu, Bill X; Fugle, Caroline W; Rachidi, Saleh; Sun, Shaoli; Zhang, Yongliang; Wu, Jennifer; Tomlinson, Stephen; Howe, Philip; Yang, Yi; Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth; Liu, Bei; Li, Zihai

2016-01-01

GARP encoded by the Lrrc32 gene is the cell surface docking receptor for latent TGF-β which is expressed naturally by platelets and regulatory T cells. Although Lrrc32 is amplified frequently in breast cancer, the expression and relevant functions of GARP in cancer have not been explored. Here we report that GARP exerts oncogenic effects, promoting immune tolerance by enriching and activating latent TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment. We found that human breast, lung and colon cancers expres...

Low-Dose Gene Therapy for Murine PKU Using Episomal Naked DNA Vectors Expressing PAH from Its Endogenous Liver Promoter

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Hiu Man Grisch-Chan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Limited duration of transgene expression, insertional mutagenesis, and size limitations for transgene cassettes pose challenges and risk factors for many gene therapy vectors. Here, we report on physiological expression of liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH by delivery of naked DNA/minicircle (MC-based vectors for correction of homozygous enu2 mice, a model of human phenylketonuria (PKU. Because MC vectors lack a defined size limit, we constructed a MC vector expressing a codon-optimized murine Pah cDNA that includes a truncated intron and is under the transcriptional control of a 3.6-kb native Pah promoter/enhancer sequence. This vector, delivered via hydrodynamic injection, yielded therapeutic liver PAH activity and sustained correction of blood phenylalanine comparable to viral or synthetic liver promoters. Therapeutic efficacy was seen with vector copy numbers of 95% loss of vector genomes and PAH activity in liver, demonstrating that MC vectors had not integrated into the liver genome. In conclusion, MC vectors, which do not have a defined size-limitation, offer a favorable safety profile for hepatic gene therapy due to their non-integration in combination with native promoters.

Construction of an expression vector for Lactococcus lactis based on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To construct an expression vector for Lactococcus lactis, the EmPMT fragment which contained the erythromycin resistance gene, P32 promoter, multiple cloning site (MCS) and terminator (T) was subcloned into the small cryptic plasmid pAR141. The resulting vector, designated as pAR1411, was found to be stably ...

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 regulates multiple signaling pathways to promote lung cancer cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng, Xiumei; Wang, Zhengxin

2016-01-01

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) catalyzes the formation of symmetrical dimethylation of arginine residues in proteins. WD repeat domain 77 (WDR77), also known as p44, MEP50, or WD45, forms a stoichiometric complex with PRMT5. The PRMT5/p44 complex is required for cellular proliferation of lung and prostate epithelial cells during earlier stages of development and is re-activated during prostate and lung tumorigenesis. The molecular mechanisms by which PRMT5 and p44 promote cellular proliferation are unknown. Expression of PRMT5 and p44 in lung and prostate cancer cells was silenced and their target genes were identified. The regulation of target genes was validated in various cancer cells during lung development and tumorigenesis. Altered expression of target genes was achieved by ectopic cDNA expression and shRNA-mediated silencing. PRMT5 and p44 regulate expression of a specific set of genes encoding growth and anti-growth factors, including receptor tyrosine kinases and antiproliferative proteins. Genes whose expression was suppressed by PRMT5 and p44 encoded anti-growth factors and inhibited cell growth when ectopically expressed. In contrast, genes whose expression was enhanced by PRMT5 and p44 encoded growth factors and increased cell growth when expressed. Altered expression of target genes is associated with re-activation of PRMT5 and p44 during lung tumorigenesis. Our data provide the molecular basis by which PRMT5 and p44 regulate cell growth and lay a foundation for further investigation of their role in lung tumor initiation. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2632-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Expression of Wnt-Inhibitors and SDF-1 in Whole Bone Marrow Biopsies in Association to the Osteolytic Bone Disease of Multiple Myeloma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Ida Bruun; Christensen, Jacob Haaber; Lyng, Maria Bibi

Expression of Wnt-Inhibitors and SDF-1 in Whole Bone Marrow Biopsies in Association to the Osteolytic Bone Disease of Multiple Myeloma......Expression of Wnt-Inhibitors and SDF-1 in Whole Bone Marrow Biopsies in Association to the Osteolytic Bone Disease of Multiple Myeloma...

MicroRNA expression in multiple myeloma is associated with genetic subtype, isotype and survival

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Pezzella Francesco

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs are small RNA species that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and are aberrantly expressed in many cancers including hematological malignancies. However, the role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM is only poorly understood. We therefore used microarray analysis to elucidate the complete miRNome (miRBase version 13.0 of purified tumor (CD138+ cells from 33 patients with MM, 5 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS and 9 controls. Results Unsupervised cluster analysis revealed that MM and MGUS samples have a distinct microRNA expression profile from control CD138+ cells. The majority of microRNAs aberrantly expressed in MM (109/129 were up-regulated. A comparison of these microRNAs with those aberrantly expressed in other B-cell and T-cell malignancies revealed a surprising degree of similarity (~40% suggesting the existence of a common lymphoma microRNA signature. We identified 39 microRNAs associated with the pre-malignant condition MGUS. Twenty-three (59% of these were also aberrantly expressed in MM suggesting common microRNA expression events in MM progression. MM is characterized by multiple chromosomal abnormalities of varying prognostic significance. We identified specific microRNA signatures associated with the most common IgH translocations (t(4;14 and t(11;14 and del(13q. Expression levels of these microRNAs were distinct between the genetic subtypes (by cluster analysis and correctly predicted these abnormalities in > 85% of cases using the support vector machine algorithm. Additionally, we identified microRNAs associated with light chain only myeloma, as well as IgG and IgA-type MM. Finally, we identified 32 microRNAs associated with event-free survival (EFS in MM, ten of which were significant by univariate (logrank survival analysis. Conclusions In summary, this work has identified aberrantly expressed microRNAs associated with the

Reduced expression of APC-1B but not APC-1A by the deletion of promoter 1B is responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Kiyoshi; Nagayama, Satoshi; Shimizu, Eigo; Komura, Mitsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Rui; Shibuya, Tetsuo; Arai, Masami; Hatakeyama, Seira; Ikenoue, Tsuneo; Ueno, Masashi; Miyano, Satoru; Imoto, Seiya; Furukawa, Yoichi

2016-05-24

Germline mutations in the tumor suppressor gene APC are associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Here we applied whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to the DNA of a sporadic FAP patient in which we did not find any pathological APC mutations by direct sequencing. WGS identified a promoter deletion of approximately 10 kb encompassing promoter 1B and exon1B of APC. Additional allele-specific expression analysis by deep cDNA sequencing revealed that the deletion reduced the expression of the mutated APC allele to as low as 11.2% in the total APC transcripts, suggesting that the residual mutant transcripts were driven by other promoter(s). Furthermore, cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE) demonstrated that the deleted promoter 1B region is responsible for the great majority of APC transcription in many tissues except the brain. The deletion decreased the transcripts of APC-1B to 39-45% in the patient compared to the healthy controls, but it did not decrease those of APC-1A. Different deletions including promoter 1B have been reported in FAP patients. Taken together, our results strengthen the evidence that analysis of structural variations in promoter 1B should be considered for the FAP patients whose pathological mutations are not identified by conventional direct sequencing.

Transcriptional coactivator NT-PGC-1α promotes gluconeogenic gene expression and enhances hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ji Suk; Jun, Hee-Jin; Park, Minsung

2016-10-01

The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α plays a central role in hepatic gluconeogenesis. We previously reported that alternative splicing of the PGC-1α gene produces an additional transcript encoding the truncated protein NT-PGC-1α NT-PGC-1α is co-expressed with PGC-1α and highly induced by fasting in the liver. NT-PGC-1α regulates tissue-specific metabolism, but its role in the liver has not been investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the role of hepatic NT-PGC-1α in the regulation of gluconeogenesis. Adenovirus-mediated expression of NT-PGC-1α in primary hepatocytes strongly stimulated the expression of key gluconeogenic enzyme genes (PEPCK and G6Pase), leading to increased glucose production. To further understand NT-PGC-1α function in hepatic gluconeogenesis in vivo, we took advantage of a previously reported FL-PGC-1α -/- mouse line that lacks full-length PGC-1α (FL-PGC-1α) but retains a slightly shorter and functionally equivalent form of NT-PGC-1α (NT-PGC-1α 254 ). In FL-PGC-1α -/- mice, NT-PGC-1α 254 was induced by fasting in the liver and recruited to the promoters of PEPCK and G6Pase genes. The enrichment of NT-PGC-1α 254 at the promoters was closely associated with fasting-induced increase in PEPCK and G6Pase gene expression and efficient production of glucose from pyruvate during a pyruvate tolerance test in FL-PGC-1α -/- mice. Moreover, FL-PGC-1α -/- primary hepatocytes showed a significant increase in gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production after treatment with dexamethasone and forskolin, suggesting that NT-PGC-1α 254 is sufficient to stimulate the gluconeogenic program in the absence of FL-PGC-1α Collectively, our findings highlight the role of hepatic NT-PGC-1α in stimulating gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production. © 2016 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

NF45/ILF2 tissue expression, promoter analysis, and interleukin-2 transactivating function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Guohua; Shi Lingfang; Qiu Daoming; Hu Hong; Kao, Peter N.

2005-01-01

NF45/ILF2 associates with NF90/ILF3 in the nucleus and regulates IL-2 gene transcription at the antigen receptor response element (ARRE)/NF-AT DNA target sequence (P.N. Kao, L. Chen, G. Brock, J. Ng, A.J. Smith, B. Corthesy, J. Biol. Chem. 269 (1994) 20691-20699). NF45 is widely expressed in normal tissues, especially testis, brain, and kidney, with a predominantly nuclear distribution. NF45 mRNA expression is increased in lymphoma and leukemia cell lines. The human and murine NF45 proteins differ only by substitution of valine by isoleucine at amino acid 142. Fluorescence in situ hybridization localized the human NF45 gene to chromosome 1q21.3, and mouse NF45 gene to chromosome 3F1. Promoter analysis of 2.5 kB of the murine NF45 gene reveals that significant activation is conferred by factors, possible including NF-Y, that bind to the CCAAT-box sequence. The function of human NF45 in regulating IL-2 gene expression was characterized in Jurkat T-cells stably transfected with plasmids directing expression of NF45 cDNA in sense or antisense orientations. NF45 sense expression increased IL-2 luciferase reporter gene activity 120-fold, and IL-2 protein expression 2-fold compared to control cells. NF45 is a highly conserved, regulated transcriptional activator, and one target gene is IL-2

Multiple cis-regulatory elements are involved in the complex regulation of the sieve element-specific MtSEO-F1 promoter from Medicago truncatula.

Science.gov (United States)

Bucsenez, M; Rüping, B; Behrens, S; Twyman, R M; Noll, G A; Prüfer, D

2012-09-01

The sieve element occlusion (SEO) gene family includes several members that are expressed specifically in immature sieve elements (SEs) in the developing phloem of dicotyledonous plants. To determine how this restricted expression profile is achieved, we analysed the SE-specific Medicago truncatula SEO-F1 promoter (PMtSEO-F1) by constructing deletion, substitution and hybrid constructs and testing them in transgenic tobacco plants using green fluorescent protein as a reporter. This revealed four promoter regions, each containing cis-regulatory elements that activate transcription in SEs. One of these segments also contained sufficient information to suppress PMtSEO-F1 transcription in the phloem companion cells (CCs). Subsequent in silico analysis revealed several candidate cis-regulatory elements that PMtSEO-F1 shares with other SEO promoters. These putative sieve element boxes (PSE boxes) are promising candidates for cis-regulatory elements controlling the SE-specific expression of PMtSEO-F1. © 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

TIM-family proteins promote infection of multiple enveloped viruses through virion-associated phosphatidylserine.

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Stephanie Jemielity

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Human T-cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin-domain containing proteins (TIM1, 3, and 4 specifically bind phosphatidylserine (PS. TIM1 has been proposed to serve as a cellular receptor for hepatitis A virus and Ebola virus and as an entry factor for dengue virus. Here we show that TIM1 promotes infection of retroviruses and virus-like particles (VLPs pseudotyped with a range of viral entry proteins, in particular those from the filovirus, flavivirus, New World arenavirus and alphavirus families. TIM1 also robustly enhanced the infection of replication-competent viruses from the same families, including dengue, Tacaribe, Sindbis and Ross River viruses. All interactions between TIM1 and pseudoviruses or VLPs were PS-mediated, as demonstrated with liposome blocking and TIM1 mutagenesis experiments. In addition, other PS-binding proteins, such as Axl and TIM4, promoted infection similarly to TIM1. Finally, the blocking of PS receptors on macrophages inhibited the entry of Ebola VLPs, suggesting that PS receptors can contribute to infection in physiologically relevant cells. Notably, infection mediated by the entry proteins of Lassa fever virus, influenza A virus and SARS coronavirus was largely unaffected by TIM1 expression. Taken together our data show that TIM1 and related PS-binding proteins promote infection of diverse families of enveloped viruses, and may therefore be useful targets for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies.

Overexpression of HMGA2-LPP fusion transcripts promotes expression of the α 2 type XI collagen gene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Takahiro; Matsui, Yoshito; Goto, Tomohiro; Yukata, Kiminori; Yasui, Natsuo

2006-01-01

In a subset of human lipomas, a specific t (3; 12) chromosome translocation gives rise to HMGA2-LPP fusion protein, containing the amino (N)-terminal DNA binding domains of HMGA2 fused to the carboxyl (C)-terminal LIM domains of LPP. In addition to its role in adipogenesis, several observations suggest that HMGA2-LPP is linked to chondrogenesis. Here, we analyzed whether HMGA2-LPP promotes chondrogenic differentiation, a marker of which is transactivation of the α 2 type XI collagen gene (Col11a2). Real-time PCR analysis showed that HMGA2-LPP and COL11A2 were co-expressed. Luciferase assay demonstrated that either of HMGA2-LPP, wild-type HMGA2 or the N-terminal HMGA2 transactivated the Col11a2 promoter in HeLa cells, while the C-terminal LPP did not. RT-PCR analysis revealed that HMGA2-LPP transcripts in lipomas with the fusion were 591-fold of full-length HMGA2 transcripts in lipomas without the fusion. These results indicate that in vivo overexpression of HMGA2-LPP promotes chondrogenesis by upregulating cartilage-specific collagen gene expression through the N-terminal DNA binding domains

Integration of molecular biology tools for identifying promoters and genes abundantly expressed in flowers of Oncidium Gower Ramsey

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Tung Shu-Yun

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Orchids comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants and generate commercially important flowers. However, model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana do not contain all plant genes, and agronomic and horticulturally important genera and species must be individually studied. Results Several molecular biology tools were used to isolate flower-specific gene promoters from Oncidium 'Gower Ramsey' (Onc. GR. A cDNA library of reproductive tissues was used to construct a microarray in order to compare gene expression in flowers and leaves. Five genes were highly expressed in flower tissues, and the subcellular locations of the corresponding proteins were identified using lip transient transformation with fluorescent protein-fusion constructs. BAC clones of the 5 genes, together with 7 previously published flower- and reproductive growth-specific genes in Onc. GR, were identified for cloning of their promoter regions. Interestingly, 3 of the 5 novel flower-abundant genes were putative trypsin inhibitor (TI genes (OnTI1, OnTI2 and OnTI3, which were tandemly duplicated in the same BAC clone. Their promoters were identified using transient GUS reporter gene transformation and stable A. thaliana transformation analyses. Conclusions By combining cDNA microarray, BAC library, and bombardment assay techniques, we successfully identified flower-directed orchid genes and promoters.

Regulation of the intronic promoter of rat estrogen receptor alpha gene, responsible for truncated estrogen receptor product-1 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Schausi, Diane; Tiffoche, Christophe; Thieulant, Marie-Lise

2003-07-01

We have characterized the intronic promoter of the rat estrogen receptor (ER) alpha gene, responsible for the lactotrope-specific truncated ER product (TERP)-1 isoform expression. Transcriptional regulation was investigated by transient transfections using 5'-deletion constructs. TERP promoter constructs were highly active in MMQ cells, a pure lactotrope cell line, whereas a low basal activity was detected in alphaT3-1 gonadotrope cells or in COS-7 monkey kidney cells. Serial deletion analysis revealed that 1) a minimal -693-bp region encompassing the TATA box is sufficient to allow lactotrope-specific expression; 2) the promoter contains strong positive cis-acting elements both in the distal and proximal regions, and 3) the region spanning the -1698/-1194 region includes repressor elements. Transient transfection studies, EMSAs, and gel shifts demonstrated that estrogen activates the TERP promoter via an estrogen-responsive element (ERE1) located within the proximal region. Mutation of ERE1 site completely abolishes the estradiol-dependent transcription, indicating that ERE1 site is sufficient to confer estrogen responsiveness to TERP promoter. In addition, ERalpha action was synergized by transfection of the pituitary-specific factor Pit-1. EMSAs showed that a single Pit-1 DNA binding element in the vicinity of the TATA box is sufficient to confer response by the TERP promoter. In conclusion, we demonstrated, for the first time, that TERP promoter regulation involves ERE and Pit-1 cis-elements and corresponding trans-acting factors, which could play a role in the physiological changes that occur in TERP-1 transcription in lactotrope cells.

Erasure and reestablishment of random allelic expression imbalance after epigenetic reprogramming.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffries, Aaron Richard; Uwanogho, Dafe Aghogho; Cocks, Graham; Perfect, Leo William; Dempster, Emma; Mill, Jonathan; Price, Jack

2016-10-01

Clonal level random allelic expression imbalance and random monoallelic expression provides cellular heterogeneity within tissues by modulating allelic dosage. Although such expression patterns have been observed in multiple cell types, little is known about when in development these stochastic allelic choices are made. We examine allelic expression patterns in human neural progenitor cells before and after epigenetic reprogramming to induced pluripotency, observing that loci previously characterized by random allelic expression imbalance (0.63% of expressed genes) are generally reset to a biallelic state in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We subsequently neuralized the iPSCs and profiled isolated clonal neural stem cells, observing that significant random allelic expression imbalance is reestablished at 0.65% of expressed genes, including novel loci not found to show allelic expression imbalance in the original parental neural progenitor cells. Allelic expression imbalance was associated with altered DNA methylation across promoter regulatory regions, with clones characterized by skewed allelic expression being hypermethylated compared to their biallelic sister clones. Our results suggest that random allelic expression imbalance is established during lineage commitment and is associated with increased DNA methylation at the gene promoter. © 2016 Jeffries et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

Roles for common MLL/COMPASS subunits and the 19S proteasome in regulating CIITA pIV and MHC class II gene expression and promoter methylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Koues, Olivia I; Mehta, Ninad T; Truax, Agnieszka D; Dudley, R Kyle; Brooks, Jeanne K; Greer, Susanna F

2010-02-04

Studies indicate that the 19S proteasome contributes to chromatin reorganization, independent of the role the proteasome plays in protein degradation. We have previously shown that components of the 19S proteasome are crucial for regulating inducible histone activation events in mammalian cells. The 19S ATPase Sug1 binds to histone-remodeling enzymes, and in the absence of Sug1, a subset of activating epigenetic modifications including histone H3 acetylation, H3 lysine 4 trimethylation and H3 arginine 17 dimethylation are inhibited at cytokine-inducible major histocompatibilty complex (MHC)-II and class II transactivator (CIITA) promoters, implicating Sug1 in events required to initiate mammalian transcription. Our previous studies indicate that H3 lysine 4 trimethylation at cytokine-inducible MHC-II and CIITA promoters is dependent on proteolytic-independent functions of 19S ATPases. In this report, we show that multiple common subunits of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)/complex of proteins associated with Set I (COMPASS) complexes bind to the inducible MHC-II and CIITA promoters; that overexpressing a single common MLL/COMPASS subunit significantly enhances promoter activity and MHC-II HLA-DRA expression; and that these common subunits are important for H3 lysine 4 trimethylation at MHC-II and CIITA promoters. In addition, we show that H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, which is inversely correlated with H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, is significantly elevated in the presence of diminished 19S ATPase Sug1. Taken together, these experiments suggest that the 19S proteasome plays a crucial role in the initial reorganization of events enabling the relaxation of the repressive chromatin structure surrounding inducible promoters.

Roles for common MLL/COMPASS subunits and the 19S proteasome in regulating CIITA pIV and MHC class II gene expression and promoter methylation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koues Olivia I

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies indicate that the 19S proteasome contributes to chromatin reorganization, independent of the role the proteasome plays in protein degradation. We have previously shown that components of the 19S proteasome are crucial for regulating inducible histone activation events in mammalian cells. The 19S ATPase Sug1 binds to histone-remodeling enzymes, and in the absence of Sug1, a subset of activating epigenetic modifications including histone H3 acetylation, H3 lysine 4 trimethylation and H3 arginine 17 dimethylation are inhibited at cytokine-inducible major histocompatibilty complex (MHC-II and class II transactivator (CIITA promoters, implicating Sug1 in events required to initiate mammalian transcription. Results Our previous studies indicate that H3 lysine 4 trimethylation at cytokine-inducible MHC-II and CIITA promoters is dependent on proteolytic-independent functions of 19S ATPases. In this report, we show that multiple common subunits of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL/complex of proteins associated with Set I (COMPASS complexes bind to the inducible MHC-II and CIITA promoters; that overexpressing a single common MLL/COMPASS subunit significantly enhances promoter activity and MHC-II HLA-DRA expression; and that these common subunits are important for H3 lysine 4 trimethylation at MHC-II and CIITA promoters. In addition, we show that H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, which is inversely correlated with H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, is significantly elevated in the presence of diminished 19S ATPase Sug1. Conclusion Taken together, these experiments suggest that the 19S proteasome plays a crucial role in the initial reorganization of events enabling the relaxation of the repressive chromatin structure surrounding inducible promoters.

Stat3 induces oncogenic Skp2 expression in human cervical carcinoma cells

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Huang, Hanhui [Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Zhao, Wenrong [Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011 (China); Yang, Dan, E-mail: yangdandr@gmail.com [Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200040 (China)

2012-02-03

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Upregulation of Skp2 by IL-6 or Stat3 activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stat3 activates Skp2 expression through bound to its promoter region. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stat3 activates Skp2 expression through recruitment of P300. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stat3 activation decreases the P27 stability. -- Abstract: Dysregulated Skp2 function promotes cell proliferation, which is consistent with observations of Skp2 over-expression in many types of human cancers, including cervical carcinoma (CC). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying elevated Skp2 expression have not been fully explored. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) induced Stat3 activation is viewed as crucial for multiple tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we demonstrate that Skp2 is a direct transcriptional target of Stat3 in the human cervical carcinoma cells. Our data show that IL-6 administration or transfection of a constitutively activated Stat3 in HeLa cells activates Skp2 mRNA transcription. Using luciferase reporter and ChIP assays, we show that Stat3 binds to the promoter region of Skp2 and promotes its activity through recruiting P300. As a result of the increase of Skp2 expression, endogenous p27 protein levels are markedly decreased. Thus, our results suggest a previously unknown Stat3-Skp2 molecular network controlling cervical carcinoma development.

A multiplexed miRNA and transgene expression platform for simultaneous repression and expression of protein coding sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Seyhan, Attila A

2016-01-01

Knockdown of single or multiple gene targets by RNA interference (RNAi) is necessary to overcome escape mutants or isoform redundancy. It is also necessary to use multiple RNAi reagents to knockdown multiple targets. It is also desirable to express a transgene or positive regulatory elements and inhibit a target gene in a coordinated fashion. This study reports a flexible multiplexed RNAi and transgene platform using endogenous intronic primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) as a scaffold located in the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a model for any functional transgene. The multiplexed intronic miRNA - GFP transgene platform was designed to co-express multiple small RNAs within the polycistronic cluster from a Pol II promoter at more moderate levels to reduce potential vector toxicity. The native intronic miRNAs are co-transcribed with a precursor GFP mRNA as a single transcript and presumably cleaved out of the precursor-(pre) mRNA by the RNA splicing machinery, spliceosome. The spliced intron with miRNA hairpins will be further processed into mature miRNAs or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) capable of triggering RNAi effects, while the ligated exons become a mature messenger RNA for the translation of the functional GFP protein. Data show that this approach led to robust RNAi-mediated silencing of multiple Renilla Luciferase (R-Luc)-tagged target genes and coordinated expression of functional GFP from a single transcript in transiently transfected HeLa cells. The results demonstrated that this design facilitates the coordinated expression of all mature miRNAs either as individual miRNAs or as multiple miRNAs and the associated protein. The data suggest that, it is possible to simultaneously deliver multiple negative (miRNA or shRNA) and positive (transgene) regulatory elements. Because many cellular processes require simultaneous repression and activation of downstream pathways, this approach offers a platform technology to achieve that dual manipulation efficiently

Targeting the Pim kinases in multiple myeloma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Keane, N A

2015-07-17

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that remains incurable. Novel treatment strategies to improve survival are urgently required. The Pims are a small family of serine\\/threonine kinases with increased expression across the hematological malignancies. Pim-2 shows highest expression in MM and constitutes a promising therapeutic target. It is upregulated by the bone marrow microenvironment to mediate proliferation and promote MM survival. Pim-2 also has a key role in the bone destruction typically seen in MM. Additional putative roles of the Pim kinases in MM include trafficking of malignant cells, promoting oncogenic signaling in the hypoxic bone marrow microenvironment and mediating resistance to therapy. A number of Pim inhibitors are now under development with lead compounds entering the clinic. The ATP-competitive Pim inhibitor LGH447 has recently been reported to have single agent activity in MM. It is anticipated that Pim inhibition will be of clinical benefit in combination with standard treatments and\\/or with novel drugs targeting other survival pathways in MM.

Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Sleiman, Sama F; Henry, Jeffrey; Al-Haddad, Rami; El Hayek, Lauretta; Abou Haidar, Edwina; Stringer, Thomas; Ulja, Devyani; Karuppagounder, Saravanan S; Holson, Edward B; Ratan, Rajiv R; Ninan, Ipe; Chao, Moses V

2016-06-02

Exercise induces beneficial responses in the brain, which is accompanied by an increase in BDNF, a trophic factor associated with cognitive improvement and the alleviation of depression and anxiety. However, the exact mechanisms whereby physical exercise produces an induction in brain Bdnf gene expression are not well understood. While pharmacological doses of HDAC inhibitors exert positive effects on Bdnf gene transcription, the inhibitors represent small molecules that do not occur in vivo. Here, we report that an endogenous molecule released after exercise is capable of inducing key promoters of the Mus musculus Bdnf gene. The metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate, which increases after prolonged exercise, induces the activities of Bdnf promoters, particularly promoter I, which is activity-dependent. We have discovered that the action of β-hydroxybutyrate is specifically upon HDAC2 and HDAC3, which act upon selective Bdnf promoters. Moreover, the effects upon hippocampal Bdnf expression were observed after direct ventricular application of β-hydroxybutyrate. Electrophysiological measurements indicate that β-hydroxybutyrate causes an increase in neurotransmitter release, which is dependent upon the TrkB receptor. These results reveal an endogenous mechanism to explain how physical exercise leads to the induction of BDNF.

Assembly and multiple gene expression of thermophilic enzymes in Escherichia coli for in vitro metabolic engineering.

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Ninh, Pham Huynh; Honda, Kohsuke; Sakai, Takaaki; Okano, Kenji; Ohtake, Hisao

2015-01-01

In vitro reconstitution of an artificial metabolic pathway is an emerging approach for the biocatalytic production of industrial chemicals. However, several enzymes have to be separately prepared (and purified) for the construction of an in vitro metabolic pathway, thereby limiting the practical applicability of this approach. In this study, genes encoding the nine thermophilic enzymes involved in a non-ATP-forming chimeric glycolytic pathway were assembled in an artificial operon and co-expressed in a single recombinant Escherichia coli strain. Gene expression levels of the thermophilic enzymes were controlled by their sequential order in the artificial operon. The specific activities of the recombinant enzymes in the cell-free extract of the multiple-gene-expression E. coli were 5.0-1,370 times higher than those in an enzyme cocktail prepared from a mixture of single-gene-expression strains, in each of which a single one of the nine thermophilic enzymes was overproduced. Heat treatment of a crude extract of the multiple-gene-expression cells led to the denaturation of indigenous proteins and one-step preparation of an in vitro synthetic pathway comprising only a limited number of thermotolerant enzymes. Coupling this in vitro pathway with other thermophilic enzymes including the H2 O-forming NADH oxidase or the malate/lactate dehydrogenase facilitated one-pot conversion of glucose to pyruvate or lactate, respectively. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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...

Promoter methylation and expression of MGMT and the DNA mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 in paired primary and recurrent glioblastomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Felsberg, Jörg; Thon, Niklas; Eigenbrod, Sabina; Hentschel, Bettina; Sabel, Michael C; Westphal, Manfred; Schackert, Gabriele; Kreth, Friedrich Wilhelm; Pietsch, Torsten; Löffler, Markus; Weller, Michael; Reifenberger, Guido; Tonn, Jörg C

2011-08-01

Epigenetic silencing of the O(6) -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter is associated with prolonged survival in glioblastoma patients treated with temozolomide (TMZ). We investigated whether glioblastoma recurrence is associated with changes in the promoter methylation status and the expression of MGMT and the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 in pairs of primary and recurrent glioblastomas of 80 patients, including 64 patients treated with radiotherapy and TMZ after the first operation. Among the primary tumors, the MGMT promoter was methylated in 31 patients and unmethylated in 49 patients. In 71 patients (89%), the MGMT promoter methylation status of the primary tumor was retained at recurrence. MGMT promoter methylation, but not MGMT protein expression, was associated with longer progression-free survival, overall survival and postrecurrence survival (PRS). Moreover, PRS was increased under salvage chemotherapy. Investigation of primary and recurrent glioblastomas of 43 patients did not identify promoter methylation in any of the four MMR genes. However, recurrent glioblastomas demonstrated significantly lower MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 protein expression as detected by immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, reduced expression of MMR proteins, but not changes in MGMT promoter methylation, is characteristic of glioblastomas recurring after the current standards of care. Copyright © 2011 UICC.

Nicotine induced CpG methylation of Pax6 binding motif in StAR promoter reduces the gene expression and cortisol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Tingting [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Chen, Man; Liu, Lian [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Cheng, Huaiyan [Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Yan, You-E [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Feng, Ying-Hong, E-mail: yhfeng@usuhs.edu [Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Wang, Hui, E-mail: wanghui19@whu.edu.cn [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Research Center of Food and Drug Evaluation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2011-12-15

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of steroid hormones, essential to fetal development. We have reported that the StAR expression in fetal adrenal is inhibited in a rat model of nicotine-induced intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Here using primary human fetal adrenal cortex (pHFAC) cells and a human fetal adrenal cell line NCI-H295A, we show that nicotine inhibits StAR expression and cortisol production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and prolongs the inhibitory effect on cells proliferating over 5 passages after termination of nicotine treatment. Methylation detection within the StAR promoter region uncovers a single site CpG methylation at nt -377 that is sensitive to nicotine treatment. Nicotine-induced alterations in frequency of this point methylation correlates well with the levels of StAR expression, suggesting an important role of the single site in regulating StAR expression. Further studies using bioinformatics analysis and siRNA approach reveal that the single CpG site is part of the Pax6 binding motif (CGCCTGA) in the StAR promoter. The luciferase activity assays validate that Pax6 increases StAR gene expression by binding to the glucagon G3-like motif (CGCCTGA) and methylation of this site blocks Pax6 binding and thus suppresses StAR expression. These data identify a nicotine-sensitive CpG site at the Pax6 binding motif in the StAR promoter that may play a central role in regulating StAR expression. The results suggest an epigenetic mechanism that may explain how nicotine contributes to onset of adult diseases or disorders such as metabolic syndrome via fetal programming. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nicotine-induced StAR inhibition in two human adrenal cell models. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nicotine-induced single CpG site methylation in StAR promoter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Persistent StAR inhibition and single CpG methylation after nicotine termination

Expression of multiple sexual signals by fathers and sons in the East-Mediterranean barn swallow: are advertising strategies heritable?

Science.gov (United States)

Vortman, Yoni; Safran, Rebecca J; Reiner Brodetzki, Tali; Dor, Roi; Lotem, Arnon

2015-01-01

The level of expression of sexually selected traits is generally determined by genes, environment and their interaction. In species that use multiple sexual signals which may be costly to produce, investing in the expression of one sexual signal may limit the expression of the other, favoring the evolution of a strategy for resource allocation among signals. As a result, even when the expression of sexual signals is condition dependent, the relative level of expression of each signal may be heritable. We tested this hypothesis in the East-Mediterranean barn swallow (Hirundo rustica transitiva), in which males have been shown to express two uncorrelated sexual signals: red-brown ventral coloration, and long tail streamers. We show that variation in both signals may partially be explained by age, as well as by paternal origin (genetic father-son regressions), but that the strongest similarity between fathers and sons is the relative allocation towards one trait or the other (relative expression index), rather than the expression of the traits themselves. These results suggest that the expression of one signal is not independent of the other, and that genetic strategies for resource allocation among sexual signals may be selected for during the evolution of multiple sexual signals.

Pseudogene PHBP1 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation by increasing its cognate gene PHB expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Feiyue; Qiu, Bin; Zang, Ruochuan; Song, Peng; Gao, Shugeng

2017-04-25

Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) as one of the most diverse classes of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), have been demonstrated involved in fundamental biological processes in human. Here, we reported that human prohibitin gene pseudogene 1 (PHBP1) was upregulated in ESCC, and increased PHBP1 expression in ESCC was associated with clinical advanced stage. Functional experiments showed that PHBP1 knockdown inhibited ESCC cells proliferation, colony formation and xenograft tumor growth in vitro and in vivo by causing cell-cycle arrest at the G1-G0 phase. Mechanisms analysis revealed that PHBP1 transcript as an antisense transcript of PHB is partially complementary to PHB mRNA and formed an RNA-RNA hybrid with PHB, consequently inducing an increase of PHB expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, PHBP1 expression is strongly correlated with PHB expression in ESCC tissues. Collectively, this study elucidates an important role of PHBP1 in promoting ESCC partly via increasing PHB expression.

Promoter polymorphisms in two overlapping 6p25 genes implicate mitochondrial proteins in cognitive deficit in schizophrenia.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Jablensky, A

2011-10-04

In a previous study, we detected a 6p25-p24 region linked to schizophrenia in families with high composite cognitive deficit (CD) scores, a quantitative trait integrating multiple cognitive measures. Association mapping of a 10 Mb interval identified a 260 kb region with a cluster of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with CD scores and memory performance. The region contains two colocalising genes, LYRM4 and FARS2, both encoding mitochondrial proteins. The two tagging SNPs with strongest evidence of association were located around the overlapping putative promoters, with rs2224391 predicted to alter a transcription factor binding site (TFBS). Sequencing the promoter region identified 22 SNPs, many predicted to affect TFBSs, in a tight linkage disequilibrium block. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed promoter activity in the predicted promoter region, and demonstrated marked downregulation of expression in the LYRM4 direction under the haplotype comprising the minor alleles of promoter SNPs, which however is not driven by rs2224391. Experimental evidence from LYRM4 expression in lymphoblasts, gel-shift assays and modelling of DNA breathing dynamics pointed to two adjacent promoter SNPs, rs7752203-rs4141761, as the functional variants affecting expression. Their C-G alleles were associated with higher transcriptional activity and preferential binding of nuclear proteins, whereas the G-A combination had opposite effects and was associated with poor memory and high CD scores. LYRM4 is a eukaryote-specific component of the mitochondrial biogenesis of Fe-S clusters, essential cofactors in multiple processes, including oxidative phosphorylation. LYRM4 downregulation may be one of the mechanisms involved in inefficient oxidative phosphorylation and oxidative stress, increasingly recognised as contributors to schizophrenia pathogenesis.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 4 October 2011; doi:10.1038\\/mp.2011.129.

Association of diminished expression of RASSF1A with promoter methylation in primary gastric cancer from patients of central China

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Zhou Feng

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although methylation-mediated inactivation of expression of RASSF1A, a candidate tumor suppressor gene, has been observed in several human cancers, the data concerning alteration of RASSF1A expression and methylation in Chinese primary gastric cancer are scarce. Moreover, direct evidence showing the association between protein expression of RASSF1A and primary human cancers is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate RASSF1A expression in tissue of primary gastric cancer (GC at mRNA and protein levels, and to establish the possible relationship between DNA methylation status and protein expression of RASSF1A in Chinese. Methods Fifty-four patients with primary gastric cancers were included in the study of RASSF1A mRNA expression and methylation status between the cancer tissue and the corresponding adjacent normal tissue. 20 out of 54 patients were included for study of RASSF1A protein expression. The expression of RASSF1A at mRNA and protein levels was determined by RT-PCR and Western-blotting, respectively. The RASSF1A promoter methylation was detected by methylation-specific PCR. Results RASSF1A mRNA and protein expressions in GC were reduced significantly with comparison to the corresponding normal tissues (OD value: 0.2589 ± 0.2407 vs 0.5448 ± 0.2971, P P P P Conclusion Expression of RASSF1A was reduced in tissue of GC at mRNA and protein levels. Diminished expression of RASSF1A was associated with the promoter methylation.

The study on Egr-1 promoter which is radioactive promoter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chunzhi; Guo Yang; Lv Zhonghong

2006-01-01

Radiogenetic therapy is a heated reaseach on oncotherapy. Early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1) gene promoter is a probably means in radiogenetic therapy. The article review studying on Egr-1 gene promoter and constructing regulating gene expressing system by radiation-inducible Egr-1 gene promoter. (authors)

35S Promoter Methylation in Kanamycin-Resistant Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe pinnata L.) Plants Expressing the Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin P1 Transgene.

Science.gov (United States)

Shevchuk, T V; Zakharchenko, N S; Tarlachkov, S V; Furs, O V; Dyachenko, O V; Buryanov, Y I

2016-09-01

Transgenic kalanchoe plants (Kalanchoe pinnata L.) expressing the antimicrobial peptide cecropin P1 gene (cecP1) under the control of the 35S cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter and the selective neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene under the control of the nopaline synthase gene promoter were studied. The 35S promoter methylation and the cecropin P1 biosynthesis levels were compared in plants growing on media with and without kanamycin. The low level of active 35S promoter methylation further decreases upon cultivation on kanamycin-containing medium, while cecropin P1 synthesis increases.

Enhanced expression of membrane proteins in E. coli with a PBAD promoter mutant: synergies with chaperone pathway engineering strategies

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Nannenga Brent L

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Membrane proteins (MPs populate 20-30% of genomes sequenced to date and hold potential as therapeutic targets as well as for practical applications in bionanotechnology. However, MP toxicity and low yields in normally robust expression hosts such as E. coli has curtailed progress in our understanding of their structure and function. Results Using the seven transmembrane segments H. turkmenica deltarhodopsin (HtdR as a reporter, we isolated a spontaneous mutant in the arabinose-inducible PBAD promoter leading to improved cell growth and a twofold increase in the recovery of active HtdR at 37°C. A single transversion in a conserved region of the cyclic AMP receptor protein binding site caused the phenotype by reducing htdR transcript levels by 65%. When the mutant promoter was used in conjunction with a host lacking the molecular chaperone Trigger Factor (Δtig cells, toxicity was further suppressed and the amount of correctly folded HtdR was 4-fold that present in the membranes of control cells. More importantly, while improved growth barely compensated for the reduction in transcription rates when another polytopic membrane protein (N. pharonis sensory rhodopsin II was expressed under control of the mutant promoter in wild type cells, a 4-fold increase in productivity could be achieved in a Δtig host. Conclusions Our system, which combines a downregulated version of the tightly repressed PBAD promoter with a TF-deficient host may prove a valuable alternative to T7-based expression for the production of membrane proteins that have so far remained elusive targets.

Brn3a regulates neuronal subtype specification in the trigeminal ganglion by promoting Runx expression during sensory differentiation

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Raisa Eng S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The transcription factor Brn3a, product of the pou4f1 gene, is expressed in most sensory neurons throughout embryogenesis. Prior work has demonstrated a role for Brn3a in the repression of early neurogenic genes; here we describe a second major role for Brn3a in the specification of sensory subtypes in the trigeminal ganglion (TG. Sensory neurons initially co-express multiple Trk-family neurotrophin receptors, but are later marked by the unique expression of TrkA, TrkB or TrkC. Maturation of these sensory subtypes is known to depend on the expression of Runx transcription factors. Newborn Brn3a knockout mice fail to express TrkC, which is associated in the TG with mechanoreceptors, plus a set of functional genes associated with nociceptor subtypes. In embryonic Brn3a-/- ganglia, the normal expression of Runx3 is never initiated in TrkC+ neurons, and Runx1 expression is greatly attenuated in TrkA+ nociceptors. These changes are accompanied by expanded expression of TrkB in neurons that abnormally express multiple Trks, followed by the loss of TrkC and TrkA expression. In transgenic embryos expressing a Brn3a-VP16 dominant transactivator, Runx3 mRNA expression is increased, suggesting that it is a direct regulatory target of Brn3a. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirms that Brn3a binds in vivo to a conserved upstream enhancer element within histone H3-acetylated chromatin in the Runx3 locus. Together these data show that Brn3a acts upstream of the Runx factors, which then repress TrkB expression to allow establishment of the non-overlapping Trk receptor profiles and correct terminally differentiated phenotypes.

BAG3 promotes chondrosarcoma progression by upregulating the expression of β-catenin

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Shi, Huijuan; Chen, Wenfang; Dong, Yu; Lu, Xiaofang; Zhang, Wenhui; Wang, Liantang

2018-01-01

To investigate the roles of B-cell lymphoma-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) in human chondrosarcoma and the potential mechanisms, the expression levels of BAG3 were detected in the present study, and the associations between BAG3 and clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage as well as the survival of patients were analyzed. The present study detected BAG3 mRNA and protein expression in the normal cartilage cell line HC-a and in SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The BAG3 protein expression in 59 cases of chondrosarcoma, 30 patients with endogenous chondroma and 8 cases of normal cartilage was semi-quantitatively analyzed using the immunohistochemical method. In addition, the BAG3 protein expression level, the clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage and the survival time of patients with chondrosarcoma were analyzed. The plasmid transfection method was employed to upregulate the expression BAG3 and small RNA interference to downregulate the expression of BAG3 in SW1353 cells. The expression levels of BAG3 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in the chondrosarcoma cell line when compared with the normal cartilage cell line. The immunohistochemistry results indicated that BAG3 protein was overexpressed in the tissue of human chondrosarcoma. Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of BAG3 was significantly increased in the different Enneking staging of patients with chondrosarcoma and Tumor staging, and there were no statistical differences in age, gender, histological classification and tumor size. In the in vitro experiments, the data revealed that BAG3 significantly promoted chondrosarcoma cell proliferation, colony-formation, migration and invasion; however, it inhibited chondrosarcoma cell apoptosis. It was observed that BAG3 upregulated β-catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, BAG3 induced the expression of runt

BAG3 promotes chondrosarcoma progression by upregulating the expression of β-catenin.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Huijuan; Chen, Wenfang; Dong, Yu; Lu, Xiaofang; Zhang, Wenhui; Wang, Liantang

2018-04-01

To investigate the roles of B‑cell lymphoma‑2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) in human chondrosarcoma and the potential mechanisms, the expression levels of BAG3 were detected in the present study, and the associations between BAG3 and clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage as well as the survival of patients were analyzed. The present study detected BAG3 mRNA and protein expression in the normal cartilage cell line HC‑a and in SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The BAG3 protein expression in 59 cases of chondrosarcoma, 30 patients with endogenous chondroma and 8 cases of normal cartilage was semi-quantitatively analyzed using the immunohistochemical method. In addition, the BAG3 protein expression level, the clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage and the survival time of patients with chondrosarcoma were analyzed. The plasmid transfection method was employed to upregulate the expression BAG3 and small RNA interference to downregulate the expression of BAG3 in SW1353 cells. The expression levels of BAG3 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in the chondrosarcoma cell line when compared with the normal cartilage cell line. The immunohistochemistry results indicated that BAG3 protein was overexpressed in the tissue of human chondrosarcoma. Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of BAG3 was significantly increased in the different Enneking staging of patients with chondrosarcoma and Tumor staging, and there were no statistical differences in age, gender, histological classification and tumor size. In the in vitro experiments, the data revealed that BAG3 significantly promoted chondrosarcoma cell proliferation, colony‑formation, migration and invasion; however, it inhibited chondrosarcoma cell apoptosis. It was observed that BAG3 upregulated β‑catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, BAG3 induced the

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

Ectopic expression of PTTG1/securin promotes tumorigenesis in human embryonic kidney cells

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Malik Mohammed T

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pituitary tumor transforming gene1 (PTTG1 is a novel oncogene that is expressed in most tumors. It encodes a protein that is primarily involved in the regulation of sister chromatid separation during cell division. The oncogenic potential of PTTG1 has been well characterized in the mouse, particularly mouse fibroblast (NIH3T3 cells, in which it induces cell proliferation, promotes tumor formation and angiogenesis. Human tumorigenesis is a complex and a multistep process often requiring concordant expression of a number of genes. Also due to differences between rodent and human cell biology it is difficult to extrapolate results from mouse models to humans. To determine if PTTG1 functions similarly as an oncogene in humans, we have characterized its effects on human embryonic kidney (HEK293 cells. Results We report that introduction of human PTTG1 into HEK293 cells through transfection with PTTG1 cDNA resulted in increased cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, and formation of tumors after subcutaneous injection of nu/nu mice. Pathologic analysis revealed that these tumors were poorly differentiated. Both analysis of HEK293 cells transiently transfected with PTTG1 cDNA and analysis of tumors developed on injection of HEK293 cells that had been stably transfected with PTTG1 cDNA indicated significantly higher levels of secretion and expression of bFGF, VEGF and IL-8 compared to HEK293 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1 vector or uninvolved tissues collected from the mice. Mutation of the proline-rich motifs at the C-terminal of PTTG1 abolished its oncogenic properties. Mice injected with this mutated PTTG1 either did not form tumors or formed very small tumors. Taken together our results suggest that PTTG1 is a human oncogene that possesses the ability to promote tumorigenesis in human cells at least in part through the regulation of expression or secretion of bFGF, VEGF and IL-8. Conclusions Our results

Allele-Specific DNA Methylation and Its Interplay with Repressive Histone Marks at Promoter-Mutant TERT Genes

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Josh Lewis Stern

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A mutation in the promoter of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT gene is the most frequent noncoding mutation in cancer. The mutation drives unusual monoallelic expression of TERT, allowing immortalization. Here, we find that DNA methylation of the TERT CpG island (CGI is also allele-specific in multiple cancers. The expressed allele is hypomethylated, which is opposite to cancers without TERT promoter mutations. The continued presence of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2 on the inactive allele suggests that histone marks of repressed chromatin may be causally linked to high DNA methylation. Consistent with this hypothesis, TERT promoter DNA containing 5-methyl-CpG has much increased affinity for PRC2 in vitro. Thus, CpG methylation and histone marks appear to collaborate to maintain the two TERT alleles in different epigenetic states in TERT promoter mutant cancers. Finally, in several cancers, DNA methylation levels at the TERT CGI correlate with altered patient survival.

HDAC inhibitors TSA and sodium butyrate enhanced the human IL-5 expression by altering histone acetylation status at its promoter region.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Songyan; Lu, Jun; Zhang, Yu; Cheng, Cao; Li, Lin; Han, Liping; Huang, Baiqu

2007-02-15

The expression of IL-5 correlated tightly with the maturation and differentiation of eosinophils, and is considered as a cytokine responsible for allergic inflammation. We report here that inhibition of HDAC activity by Trichostatin A (TSA) and sodium butyrate (NaBu), the two specific HDAC inhibitors, resulted in the elevation of both endogenous and exogenous activity of IL-5 promoter. We demonstrated that both the mRNA expression and protein production of IL-5 were stimulated by TSA and NaBu treatments. ChIP assays showed that treatments of TSA and NaBu caused hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4 on IL-5 promoter in Jurkat cells, which consequently promoted the exogenous luciferase activity driven by this promoter. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis studies showed that the binding sites for transcription factors NFAT, GATA3 and YY1 on IL-5 promoter were critical for the effects of TSA and NaBu, suggesting that the transcriptional activation of IL-5 gene by these inhibitors was achieved by affecting HDAC function on IL-5 promoter via transcription factors. These data will contribute to elucidating the unique mechanism of IL-5 transcriptional control and to the therapy of allergic disorders related to IL-5.

Genistein promotes DNA demethylation of the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) promoter in endometrial stromal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsukura, Hiroshi; Aisaki, Ken-ichi; Igarashi, Katsuhide; Matsushima, Yuko; Kanno, Jun; Muramatsu, Masaaki; Sudo, Katsuko; Sato, Noriko

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Genistein (GEN) is a phytoestrogen found in soy products. → GEN demethylated/unsilenced the steroidogenic factor 1 gene in endometrial tissue. → GEN thus altered mRNA expression in uteri of ovariectomized (OVX) mice. → A high-resolution melting assay was used to screen for epigenetic change. → We isolated an endometrial cell clone that was epigenetically modulated by GEN. -- Abstract: It has recently been demonstrated that genistein (GEN), a phytoestrogen in soy products, is an epigenetic modulator in various types of cells; but its effect on endometrium has not yet been determined. We investigated the effects of GEN on mouse uterine cells, in vivo and in vitro. Oral administration of GEN for 1 week induced mild proliferation of the endometrium in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, which was accompanied by the induction of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) gene expression. GEN administration induced demethylation of multiple CpG sites in the SF-1 promoter; these sites are extensively methylated and thus silenced in normal endometrium. The GEN-mediated promoter demethylation occurred predominantly on the luminal side, as opposed to myometrium side, indicating that the epigenetic change was mainly shown in regenerated cells. Primary cultures of endometrial stromal cell colonies were screened for GEN-mediated alterations of DNA methylation by a high-resolution melting (HRM) method. One out of 20 colony-forming cell clones showed GEN-induced demethylation of SF-1. This clone exhibited a high proliferation capacity with continuous colony formation activity through multiple serial clonings. We propose that only a portion of endometrial cells are capable of receiving epigenetic modulation by GEN.

Genistein promotes DNA demethylation of the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) promoter in endometrial stromal cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsukura, Hiroshi, E-mail: hmatsukura.epi@mri.tmd.ac.jp [Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062 (Japan); Aisaki, Ken-ichi; Igarashi, Katsuhide; Matsushima, Yuko; Kanno, Jun [Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8501 (Japan); Muramatsu, Masaaki [Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062 (Japan); Sudo, Katsuko [Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062 (Japan); Animal Research Center, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402 (Japan); Sato, Noriko, E-mail: nsato.epi@tmd.ac.jp [Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062 (Japan)

2011-08-26

Highlights: {yields} Genistein (GEN) is a phytoestrogen found in soy products. {yields} GEN demethylated/unsilenced the steroidogenic factor 1 gene in endometrial tissue. {yields} GEN thus altered mRNA expression in uteri of ovariectomized (OVX) mice. {yields} A high-resolution melting assay was used to screen for epigenetic change. {yields} We isolated an endometrial cell clone that was epigenetically modulated by GEN. -- Abstract: It has recently been demonstrated that genistein (GEN), a phytoestrogen in soy products, is an epigenetic modulator in various types of cells; but its effect on endometrium has not yet been determined. We investigated the effects of GEN on mouse uterine cells, in vivo and in vitro. Oral administration of GEN for 1 week induced mild proliferation of the endometrium in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, which was accompanied by the induction of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) gene expression. GEN administration induced demethylation of multiple CpG sites in the SF-1 promoter; these sites are extensively methylated and thus silenced in normal endometrium. The GEN-mediated promoter demethylation occurred predominantly on the luminal side, as opposed to myometrium side, indicating that the epigenetic change was mainly shown in regenerated cells. Primary cultures of endometrial stromal cell colonies were screened for GEN-mediated alterations of DNA methylation by a high-resolution melting (HRM) method. One out of 20 colony-forming cell clones showed GEN-induced demethylation of SF-1. This clone exhibited a high proliferation capacity with continuous colony formation activity through multiple serial clonings. We propose that only a portion of endometrial cells are capable of receiving epigenetic modulation by GEN.

Expression of the nifA gene of Herbaspirillum seropedicae: role of the NtrC and NifA binding sites and of the -24/-12 promoter element.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, E M; Pedrosa, F O; Rigo, L U; Machado, H B; Yates, M G

2000-06-01

The nifA promoter of Herbaspirillum seropedicae contains potential NtrC, NifA and IHF binding sites together with a -12/-24 sigma(N)-dependent promoter. This region has now been investigated by deletion mutagenesis for the effect of NtrC and NifA on the expression of a nifA::lacZ fusion. A 5' end to the RNA was identified at position 641, 12 bp downstream from the -12/-24 promoter. Footprinting experiments showed that the G residues at positions -26 and -9 are hypermethylated, and that the region from -10 to +10 is partially melted under nitrogen-fixing conditions, confirming that this is the active nifA promoter. In H. seropedicae nifA expression from the sigma(N)-dependent promoter is repressed by fixed nitrogen but not by oxygen and is probably activated by the NtrC protein. NifA protein is apparently not essential for nifA expression but it can still bind the NifA upstream activating sequence.

Self-processing 2A-polyproteins--a system for co-ordinate expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpin, C; Cooke, S E; Barakate, A; El Amrani, A; Ryan, M D

1999-02-01

Achieving co-ordinate, high-level and stable expression of multiple transgenes in plants is currently difficult. Expression levels are notoriously variable and influenced by factors that act independently on transgenes at different genetic loci. Instability of expression due to loss, re-arrangement or silencing of transgenes may occur, and is exacerbated by increasing numbers of transgenic loci and repeated use of homologous sequences. Even linking two or more genes within a T-DNA does not necessarily result in co-ordinate expression. Linking proteins in a single open reading frame--a polyprotein--is a strategy for co-ordinate expression used by many viruses. After translation, polyproteins are processed into constituent polypeptides, usually by proteinases encoded within the polyprotein itself. However, in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a sequence (2A) of just 16-20 amino acids appears to have the unique capability to mediate cleavage at its own C-terminus by an apparently enzyme-independent, novel type of reaction. This sequence can also mediate cleavage in a heterologous protein context in a range of eukaryotic expression systems. We have constructed a plasmid in which the 2A sequence is inserted between the reporter genes chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and beta-glucuronidase (GUS), maintaining a single open reading frame. Here we report that expression of this construct in wheatgerm lysate and transgenic plants results in efficient cleavage of the polyprotein and co-ordinate expression of active CAT and GUS. Self-processing polyproteins using the FMDV 2A sequence could therefore provide a system for ensuring co-ordinated, stable expression of multiple introduced proteins in plant cells.

Designing a HER2/neu promoter to drive α1,3galactosyltransferase expression for targeted anti-αGal antibody-mediated tumor cell killing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanteri, Marion; Ollier, Laurence; Giordanengo, Valérie; Lefebvre, Jean-Claude

2005-01-01

Our goal was to specifically render tumor cells susceptible to natural cytolytic anti-αGal antibodies by using a murine α1,3galactosyltransferase (mαGalT) transgene driven by a designed form of HER2/neu promoter (pNeu), the transcription of which is frequently observed to be above basal in breast tumors. Indeed, the αGalT activity that promotes Galα1,3Galβ1,4GlcNAc-R (αGal) epitope expression has been mutationally disrupted during the course of evolution, starting from Old World primates, and this has led to the counter-production of large amounts of cytotoxic anti-αGal antibodies in recent primates, including man. Expression of the endogenous c-erbB-2 gene was investigated in various cell lines by northern blotting. A mαGalT cDNA was constructed into pcDNA3 vector downstream of the original CMV promoter (pCMV/mαGalT) and various forms of pNeu were prepared by PCR amplification and inserted in the pCMV/mαGalT construct upstream of the mαGalT cDNA, in the place of the CMV promoter. These constructs were transferred into HEK-293 control and breast tumor cell lines. Stably transfected cells were analyzed by northern blotting for their expression of αGalT and c-erbB-2, and by flow cytometry for their binding with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Griffonia simplicifolia/isolectin B4. We show that expression of the mαGalT was up- or down-modulated according to the level of endogenous pNeu activity and the particular form of constructed pNeu. Among several constructs, two particular forms of the promoter, pNeu250 containing the CCAAT box and the PEA3 motif adjacent to the TATAA box, and pNeu664, which has three additional PEA3 motifs upstream of the CCAAT box, were found to promote differential αGalT expression. Our results strengthen current concepts about the crucial role played by the proximal PEA3 motif of pNeu, and may represent a novel therapeutic approach for the development of targeted transgene expression

Upregulation of miR-3607 promotes lung adenocarcinoma proliferation by suppressing APC expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yong; Gu, Qiangye; Sun, Zongwen; Sheng, Baowei; Qi, Congcong; Liu, Bing; Fu, Tian; Liu, Cun; Zhang, Yan

2017-11-01

Lung cancer is the leading cause of worldwide cancer-related deaths, although many drugs and new therapeutic approaches have been used, the 5-years survival rate is still low for lung cancer patients. microRNAs have been shown to regulate lung cancer initiation and development, here we studied the role of miR-3607 in lung cancer cell proliferation. We found miR-3607 was upregulated in lung cancer tissues and cells, miR-3607 overexpression promoted lung cancer cell A549 proliferation determined by MTT assay, colony formation assay, anchorage-independent growth ability assay and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay, while the opposite phenotypes were shown when miR-3607 was knocked down. Predicted analysis suggested a Wnt signaling pathway regulator adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) was the target of miR-3607, miR-3607 could directly bind to the 3'UTR of APC, and promoted Cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression which can be suppressed by APC. Double knockdown of miR-3607 and APC copied the phenotypes of miR-3607 overexpression, suggesting miR-3607 promoted lung cancer cell A549 proliferation by targeting APC. In conclusion, our study suggested miR-3607 contributes to lung cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting APC. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Functional analysis of human and chimpanzee promoters.

Science.gov (United States)

Heissig, Florian; Krause, Johannes; Bryk, Jaroslaw; Khaitovich, Philipp; Enard, Wolfgang; Pääbo, Svante

2005-01-01

It has long been argued that changes in gene expression may provide an additional and crucial perspective on the evolutionary differences between humans and chimpanzees. To investigate how often expression differences seen in tissues are caused by sequence differences in the proximal promoters, we tested the expression activity in cultured cells of human and chimpanzee promoters from genes that differ in mRNA expression between human and chimpanzee tissues. Twelve promoters for which the corresponding gene had been shown to be differentially expressed between humans and chimpanzees in liver or brain were tested. Seven showed a significant difference in activity between the human promoter and the orthologous chimpanzee promoter in at least one of the two cell lines used. However, only three of them showed a difference in the same direction as in the tissues. Differences in proximal promoter activity are likely to be common between humans and chimpanzees, but are not linked in a simple fashion to gene-expression levels in tissues. This suggests that several genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees might be responsible for a single expression difference and thus that relevant expression differences between humans and chimpanzees will be difficult to predict from cell culture experiments or DNA sequences.

Biased Iglambda expression in hypermutated IgD multiple myelomas does not result from receptor revision

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Burg, M.; Bende, R. J.; Aarts, W. M.; Langerak, A. W.; van Dongen, J. J. M.; van Noesel, C. J. M.

2002-01-01

Normal IgM(-)IgD(+) CD38(+) B cells and IgM(-)IgD(+) multiple myelomas (MM) are characterized by Cmu deletion, biased Iglambda expression and hypermutated IgV regions. The predominant Iglambda usage has been proposed as resulting from secondary Ig gene rearrangements during extensive clonal

Expression of a novel cardiac-specific tropomyosin isoform in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denz, Christopher R.; Narshi, Aruna; Zajdel, Robert W.; Dube, Dipak K.

2004-01-01

Tropomyosins are a family of actin binding proteins encoded by a group of highly conserved genes. Humans have four tropomyosin-encoding genes: TPM1, TPM2, TPM3, and TPM4, each of which is known to generate multiple isoforms by alternative splicing, promoters, and 3 ' end processing. TPM1 is the most versatile and encodes a variety of tissue specific isoforms. The TPM1 isoform specific to striated muscle, designated TPM1α, consists of 10 exons: 1a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 7, 8, and 9a/b. In this study, using RT-PCR with adult and fetal human RNAs, we present evidence for the expression of a novel isoform of the TPM1 gene that is specifically expressed in cardiac tissues. The new isoform is designated TPM1κ and contains exon 2a instead of 2b. Ectopic expression of human GFP.TPM1κ fusion protein can promote myofibrillogenesis in cardiac mutant axolotl hearts that are lacking in tropomyosin

Analysis of clustered point mutations in the human ribosomal RNA gene promoter by transient expression in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, M.H.; Learned, R.M.; Tjian, R.

1988-01-01

The authors have mapped the cis regulatory elements required in vivo for initiation at the human rRNA promoter by RNA polymerase I. Transient expression in COS-7 cells was used to evaluate the transcription phenotype of clustered base substitution mutations in the human rRNA promoter. The promoter consists of two major elements: a large upstream region, composed of several domains, that lies between nucleotides -234 and -107 relative to the transcription initiation site and affects transcription up to 100-fold and a core element that lies between nucleotides -45 and +20 and affects transcription up to 1000-fold. The upstream regions is able to retain partial function when positioned within 100-160 nucleotides of the transcription initiation site, but it cannot stimulate transcription from distances of ≥ 600 nucleotides. In addition, they demonstrate, using mouse-human hybrid rRNA promoters, that the sequences responsible for human species-specific transcription in vivo appear to reside in both the core and upstream elements, and sequences from the mouse rRNA promoter cannot be substituted for them

An ABA-responsive element in the AtSUC1 promoter is involved in the regulation of AtSUC1 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoth, Stefan; Niedermeier, Matthias; Feuerstein, Andrea; Hornig, Julia; Sauer, Norbert

2010-09-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) and sugars regulate many aspects of plant growth and development, and we are only just beginning to understand the complex interactions between ABA and sugar signaling networks. Here, we show that ABA-dependent transcription factors bind to the promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana AtSUC1 (At1g71880) sucrose transporter gene in vitro. We present the characterization of a cis-regulatory element by truncation of the AtSUC1 promoter and by electrophoretic mobility shift assays that is identical to a previously characterized ABA-responsive element (ABRE). In yeast 1-hybrid analyses we identified ABI5 (AtbZIP39; At2g36270) and AREB3 (AtbZIP66; At3g56850) as potential interactors. Analyses of plants expressing the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of ABI5 or AREB3 promoter sequences demonstrated that both transcription factor genes are co-expressed with AtSUC1 in pollen and seedlings, the primary sites of AtSUC1 action. Mutational analyses of the identified cis-regulatory element verified its importance for AtSUC1 expression in young seedlings. In abi5-4 seedlings, we observed an increase of sucrose-dependent anthocyanin accumulation and AtSUC1 mRNA levels. This suggests that ABI5 prevents an overshoot of sucrose-induced AtSUC1 expression and confirmed a novel cross-link between sugar and ABA signaling.

Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Is Associated with E-Cadherin Promoter Methylation, Downregulation of E-Cadherin Expression, and Increased Expression of Fibronectin and α-SMA—Implications for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovana Rajić

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct can induce scarring disease of the ocular mucosa, known as trachoma, the most common infectious cause of blindness worldwide. We hypothesized that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT contributes to the fibrotic process in trachomatous scarring. Infection of human conjunctival epithelial cells (HCjE with Ct activated signaling pathways involved in EMT induction, which was correlated with decreased expression of E-cadherin, guardian of the epithelial phenotype. In addition, Ct infection was associated with increased expression of two mesenchymal cell markers: fibronectin and α-SMA. The DNA methylation statuses of selected regions of E-cadherin, fibronectin, and α-SMA genes revealed that Ct infection was accompanied with changes in DNA methylation of the E-cadherin promoter, while the expression of the two mesenchymal markers was not related with this epigenetic event. Our data suggest that Ct infection of conjunctival epithelial cells induces EMT-like changes that go along with modification of the methylation profile of the E-cadherin promoter and could, as one of the earliest events, contribute to processes triggering conjunctival scarring.

High efficiency of targeted mutagenesis in arabidopsis via meiotic promoter-driven expression of Cas9 endonuclease

KAUST Repository

Eid, Ayman

2016-05-28

Key message: The use of a meiosis I-specific promoter increased the efficiency of targeted mutagenesis and will facilitate the manipulation of homologous recombination. Abstract: The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been harnessed for targeted engineering of eukaryotic genomes, including plants; however, CRISPR/Cas9 efficiency varies considerably in different plant tissues and species. In Arabidopsis, the generation of homozygous or bi-allelic mutants in the first (T1) generation is inefficient. Here, we used specific promoters to drive the expression of Cas9 during meiosis to maximize the efficiency of recovering heritable mutants in T1 plants. Our data reveal that the use of a promoter active in meiosis I resulted in high-efficiency (28 %) recovery of targeted mutants in the T1 generation. Moreover, this method enabled efficient simultaneous targeting of three genes for mutagenesis. Taken together, our results show that the use of meiosis-specific promoters will improve methods for functional genomic analysis and studying the molecular underpinnings of homologous recombination. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Alteration of a recombinant protein N-glycan structure in silkworms by partial suppression of N-acetylglucosaminidase gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Tatsuya; Kikuta, Kotaro; Kanematsu, Ayumi; Kondo, Sachiko; Yagi, Hirokazu; Kato, Koichi; Park, Enoch Y

2017-09-01

To synthesize complex type N-glycans in silkworms, shRNAs against the fused lobe from Bombyx mori (BmFDL), which codes N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) in the Golgi, was expressed by recombinant B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) in silkworm larvae. Expression was under the control of the actin promoter of B. mori or the U6-2 and i.e.-2 promoters from Orgyia pseudotsugata multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV). The reduction of specific GlcNAcase activity was observed in Bm5 cells and silkworm larvae using the U6-2 promoter. In silkworm larvae, the partial suppression of BmFDL gene expression was observed. When shRNA against BmFDL was expressed under the control of U6-2 promoter, the Man 3 GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc structure appeared in a main N-glycans of recombinant human IgG. These results suggested that the control of BmFDL expression by its shRNA in silkworms caused the modification of its N-glycan synthetic pathway, which may lead to the alteration of N-glycans in the expressed recombinant proteins. Suppression of BmFDL gene expression by shRNA is not sufficient to synthesize complex N-glycans in silkworm larvae but can modify the N-glycan synthetic pathway.

Pirated Siderophores Promote Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandchamp, Gabrielle M; Caro, Lews; Shank, Elizabeth A

2017-05-15

In microbial communities, bacteria chemically and physically interact with one another. Some of these interactions are mediated by secreted specialized metabolites that act as either intraspecies or interspecies signals to alter gene expression and to change cell physiology. Bacillus subtilis is a well-characterized soil microbe that can differentiate into multiple cell types, including metabolically dormant endospores. We were interested in identifying microbial interactions that affected sporulation in B. subtilis Using a fluorescent transcriptional reporter, we observed that coculturing B. subtilis with Escherichia coli promoted sporulation gene expression via a secreted metabolite. To identify the active compound, we screened the E. coli Keio Collection and identified the sporulation-accelerating cue as the siderophore enterobactin. B. subtilis has multiple iron acquisition systems that are used to take up the B. subtilis- produced siderophore bacillibactin, as well as to pirate exogenous siderophores such as enterobactin. While B. subtilis uses a single substrate binding protein (FeuA) to take up both bacillibactin and enterobactin, we discovered that it requires two distinct genes to sporulate in response to these siderophores (the esterase gene besA for bacillibactin and a putative esterase gene, ybbA , for enterobactin). In addition, we found that siderophores from a variety of other microbial species also promote sporulation in B. subtilis Our results thus demonstrate that siderophores can act not only as bacterial iron acquisition systems but also as interspecies cues that alter cellular development and accelerate sporulation in B. subtilis IMPORTANCE While much is known about the genetic regulation of Bacillus subtilis sporulation, little is understood about how other bacteria influence this process. This work describes an interaction between Escherichia coli and B. subtilis that accelerates sporulation in B. subtilis The interaction is mediated by the E

An APOA1 promoter polymorphism is associated with cognitive performance in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Koutsis, G; Panas, M; Giogkaraki, E; Karadima, G; Sfagos, C; Vassilopoulos, D

2009-02-01

Elevated ApoA1 levels have been associated with decreased dementia risk. The A-allele of the APOA1 -75G/A promoter polymorphism has been associated with elevated ApoA1 levels. We sought to investigate the effect of the APOA1 -75G/A promoter polymorphism on cognitive performance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A total of 138 patients with MS and 43 controls were studied and underwent neuropsychological assessment with Rao's Brief Repeatable Battery and the Stroop test. All patients were genotyped for APOA1. APOA1 A-allele carriers displayed superior overall cognitive performance compared with non-carriers (P 0.008) and had a three-fold decrease in the relative risk of overall cognitive impairment (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11-0.74). Regarding performance on individual cognitive domains, although APOA1 A-allele carriers performed better than non-carriers on all tests, this was significant only for semantic verbal fluency and the Stroop interference task (P 0.036 and 0.018, respectively). We found an association of the APOA1 -75G/A promoter polymorphism with cognitive performance in MS. This effect was most prominent on semantic verbal fluency and the Stroop interference task.

Synthetic promoter libraries- tuning of gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammer, Karin; Mijakovic, Ivan; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal

2006-01-01

knockout and strong overexpression. However, applications such as metabolic optimization and control analysis necessitate a continuous set of expression levels with only slight increments in strength to cover a specific window around the wildtype expression level of the studied gene; this requirement can......The study of gene function often requires changing the expression of a gene and evaluating the consequences. In principle, the expression of any given gene can be modulated in a quasi-continuum of discrete expression levels but the traditional approaches are usually limited to two extremes: gene...

The multiple Dirichlet product and the multiple Dirichlet series

OpenAIRE

Onozuka, Tomokazu

2016-01-01

First, we define the multiple Dirichlet product and study the properties of it. From those properties, we obtain a zero-free region of a multiple Dirichlet series and a multiple Dirichlet series expression of the reciprocal of a multiple Dirichlet series.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokine Expression Profile in Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, Serena; Zanotta, Nunzia; Sartori, Arianna; Bratina, Alessio; Manganotti, Paolo; Trevisan, Giusto; Comar, Manola

2018-02-01

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis in patients with particular neurologic disorders is a powerful tool to evaluate specific central nervous system inflammatory markers for diagnostic needs, because CSF represents the specific immune micro-environment to the central nervous system. CSF samples from 49 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and non-inflammatory neurologic disorders (NIND) as controls were submitted to protein expression profiles of 47 inflammatory biomarkers by multiplex Luminex bead assay to investigate possible differences in the inflammatory process for MS and CIDP. Our results showed differences in CSF cytokine levels in MS and CIDP; in particular, IL12 (p40) was significantly highly expressed in MS in comparison with CIDP and NIND, while SDF-1α and SCGF-β were significantly highly expressed in CIDP cohort when compared to MS and NIND. IL-9, IL-13, and IL-17 had higher expression levels in NIND if compared with the other groups. Our study showed that, despite some common pathogenic mechanisms, central and peripheral nervous system demyelinating diseases, such as MS and CIDP, differ in some specific inflammatory soluble proteins in CSF, underlining differences in the immune response involved in those autoimmune diseases.

Delivery of a survivin promoter-driven antisense survivin-expressing plasmid DNA as a cancer therapeutic: a proof-of-concept study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin KY

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Kun-Yuan Lin,1 Siao Muk Cheng,2 Shing-Ling Tsai,2 Ju-Ya Tsai,1 Chun-Hui Lin,1 Chun Hei Antonio Cheung1,2 1Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC; 2Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC Abstract: Survivin is a member of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins family. It is overexpressed in many different cancer types but not in the differentiated normal tissue. In addition, overexpression of survivin promotes cancer cell survival and induces chemotherapeutic drug resistance, making it an attractive target for new anticancer interventions. Despite survivin being a promising molecular target for anticancer treatment, it is widely accepted that survivin is only a “semi-druggable” target. Therefore, it is important to develop a new strategy to target survivin for anticancer treatment. In this study, we constructed a novel survivin promoter-driven full-length antisense survivin (pSur/AS-Sur expression plasmid DNA. Promoter activity assay revealed that the activity of the survivin promoter of pSur/AS-Sur correlated with the endogenous expression of survivin at the transcriptional level in the transfected A549, MDA-MB-231, and PANC-1 cancer cells. Western blot analysis showed that liposomal delivery of pSur/AS-Sur successfully downregulated the expression of survivin in A549, MBA-MB-231, and PANC-1 cells in vitro. In addition, delivery of pSur/AS-Sur induced autophagy, caspase-dependent apoptosis, and caspase-independent apoptosis as indicated by the increased LC3B-II conversion, autophagosome formation, caspase-9/-3 and poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 cleavage, and apoptosis-inducing factor nuclear translocation in A549, MBA-MB-231, and PANC-1 cells. Importantly, liposomal delivery of pSur/AS-Sur was also capable of decreasing the proliferation of the survivin/MDR1 coexpressing multidrug-resistant KB-TAX50 cancer cells and

PCFT/SLC46A1 promoter methylation and restoration of gene expression in human leukemia cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonen, Nitzan; Bram, Eran E.; Assaraf, Yehuda G.

2008-01-01

The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT/SLC46A1) displays optimal and prominent folate and antifolate transport activity at acidic pH in human carcinoma cells but poor activity in leukemia cells. Consistently herein, human leukemia cell lines expressed poor PCFT transcript levels, whereas various carcinoma cell lines showed substantial PCFT gene expression. We identified a CpG island with high density at nucleotides -200 through +100 and explored its role in PCFT promoter silencing. Leukemia cells with barely detectable PCFT transcripts consistently harbored 85-100% methylation of this CpG island, whereas no methylation was found in carcinoma cells. Treatment with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine which induced demethylation but not with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A, restored 50-fold PCFT expression only in leukemia cells. These findings constitute the first demonstration of the dominant epigenetic silencing of the PCFT gene in leukemia cells. The potential translational implications of the restoration of PCFT expression in chemotherapy of leukemia are discussed

Methods for monitoring multiple gene expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berka, Randy [Davis, CA; Bachkirova, Elena [Davis, CA; Rey, Michael [Davis, CA

2012-05-01

The present invention relates to methods for monitoring differential expression of a plurality of genes in a first filamentous fungal cell relative to expression of the same genes in one or more second filamentous fungal cells using microarrays containing Trichoderma reesei ESTs or SSH clones, or a combination thereof. The present invention also relates to computer readable media and substrates containing such array features for monitoring expression of a plurality of genes in filamentous fungal cells.

Methods for monitoring multiple gene expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berka, Randy; Bachkirova, Elena; Rey, Michael

2013-10-01

The present invention relates to methods for monitoring differential expression of a plurality of genes in a first filamentous fungal cell relative to expression of the same genes in one or more second filamentous fungal cells using microarrays containing Trichoderma reesei ESTs or SSH clones, or a combination thereof. The present invention also relates to computer readable media and substrates containing such array features for monitoring expression of a plurality of genes in filamentous fungal cells.

Lithium-Induced Neuroprotection is Associated with Epigenetic Modification of Specific BDNF Gene Promoter and Altered Expression of Apoptotic-Regulatory Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tushar eDwivedi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Bipolar disorder (BD, one of the most debilitating mental disorders, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Lithium is the first line of treatment option for BD and is often used for maintenance therapy. Recently, the neuroprotective action of lithium has gained tremendous attention, given that BD is associated with structural and functional abnormalities of the brain. However, the precise molecular mechanism by which lithium exerts its neuroprotective action is not clearly understood. In hippocampal neurons, the effects of lithium on neuronal viability against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, dendritic length and number, and expression and methylation of BDNF promoter exons and expression of apoptotic regulatory genes were studied. In rat hippocampal neurons, lithium not only increased dendritic length and number, but also neuronal viability against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. While lithium increased the expression of BDNF as well as genes associated with neuroprotection such as Bcl2 and Bcl-XL, it decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax, Bad, and caspases 3. Interestingly, lithium activated transcription of specific exon IV to induce BDNF gene expression. This was accompanied by hypomethylation of BDNF exon IV promoter. This study delineates mechanisms by which lithium mediates its effects in protecting neurons.

Expression of N-WASP is regulated by HiF1α through the hypoxia response element in the N-WASP promoter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amrita Salvi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Cancer cell migration and invasion involves temporal and spatial regulation of actin cytoskeleton reorganization, which is regulated by the WASP family of proteins such as N-WASP (Neural- Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein. We have previously shown that expression of N-WASP was increased under hypoxic conditions. In order to characterize the regulation of N-WASP expression, we constructed an N-WASP promoter driven GFP reporter construct, N-WASPpro-GFP. Transfection of N-WASPpro-GFP construct and plasmid expressing HiF1α (Hypoxia Inducible factor 1α enhanced the expression of GFP suggesting that increased expression of N-WASP under hypoxic conditions is mediated by HiF1α. Sequence analysis of the N-WASP promoter revealed the presence of two hypoxia response elements (HREs characterized by the consensus sequence 5′-GCGTG-3′ at -132 bp(HRE1 and at -662 bp(HRE2 relative to transcription start site (TSS. Site-directed mutagenesis of HRE1(-132 but not HRE2(-662 abolished the HiF1α induced activation of N-WASP promoter. Similarly ChIP assay demonstrated that HiF1α bound to HRE1(-132 but not HRE2(-662 under hypoxic condition. MDA-MB-231 cells but not MDA-MB-231KD cells treated with hypoxia mimicking agent, DMOG showed enhanced gelatin degradation. Similarly MDA-MB-231KD(N-WASPpro-N-WASPR cells expressing N-WASPR under the transcriptional regulation of WT N-WASPpro but not MDA-MB-231KD(N-WASPproHRE1-N-WASPR cells expressing N-WASPR under the transcriptional regulation of N-WASPproHRE1 showed enhanced gelatin degradation when treated with DMOG. Thus indicating the importance of N-WASP in hypoxia induced invadopodia formation. Thus, our data demonstrates that hypoxia-induced activation of N-WASP expression is mediated by interaction of HiF1α with the HRE1(-132 and explains the role of N-WASP in hypoxia induced invadopodia formation.

Regulation of MLH1 mRNA and protein expression by promoter methylation in primary colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars Henrik; Rasmussen, Anders Aamann; Byriel, Lene

2013-01-01

In colorectal cancer MLH1 deficiency causes microsatellite instability, which is relevant for the patient's prognosis and treatment, and its putative heredity. Dysfunction of MLH1 is caused by sporadic gene promoter hypermethylation or by hereditary mutations as seen in Lynch Syndrome. The aim...... of this study was to determine in detail how DNA methylation regulates MLH1 expression and impacts clinical management....

Expression profiling of O6 methylguanine-DNA-methyl transferase in prolactinomas: a correlative study of promoter methylation and pathological features in 136 cases