Dissecting Cell-Type Composition and Activity-Dependent Transcriptional State in Mammalian Brains by Massively Parallel Single-Nucleus RNA-Seq.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Peng; Fabyanic, Emily; Kwon, Deborah Y; Tang, Sheng; Zhou, Zhaolan; Wu, Hao

2017-12-07

Massively parallel single-cell RNA sequencing can precisely resolve cellular diversity in a high-throughput manner at low cost, but unbiased isolation of intact single cells from complex tissues such as adult mammalian brains is challenging. Here, we integrate sucrose-gradient-assisted purification of nuclei with droplet microfluidics to develop a highly scalable single-nucleus RNA-seq approach (sNucDrop-seq), which is free of enzymatic dissociation and nucleus sorting. By profiling ∼18,000 nuclei isolated from cortical tissues of adult mice, we demonstrate that sNucDrop-seq not only accurately reveals neuronal and non-neuronal subtype composition with high sensitivity but also enables in-depth analysis of transient transcriptional states driven by neuronal activity, at single-cell resolution, in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

cgCorrect: a method to correct for confounding cell-cell variation due to cell growth in single-cell transcriptomics

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Blasi, Thomas; Buettner, Florian; Strasser, Michael K.; Marr, Carsten; Theis, Fabian J.

2017-06-01

Accessing gene expression at a single-cell level has unraveled often large heterogeneity among seemingly homogeneous cells, which remains obscured when using traditional population-based approaches. The computational analysis of single-cell transcriptomics data, however, still imposes unresolved challenges with respect to normalization, visualization and modeling the data. One such issue is differences in cell size, which introduce additional variability into the data and for which appropriate normalization techniques are needed. Otherwise, these differences in cell size may obscure genuine heterogeneities among cell populations and lead to overdispersed steady-state distributions of mRNA transcript numbers. We present cgCorrect, a statistical framework to correct for differences in cell size that are due to cell growth in single-cell transcriptomics data. We derive the probability for the cell-growth-corrected mRNA transcript number given the measured, cell size-dependent mRNA transcript number, based on the assumption that the average number of transcripts in a cell increases proportionally to the cell’s volume during the cell cycle. cgCorrect can be used for both data normalization and to analyze the steady-state distributions used to infer the gene expression mechanism. We demonstrate its applicability on both simulated data and single-cell quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data from mouse blood stem and progenitor cells (and to quantitative single-cell RNA-sequencing data obtained from mouse embryonic stem cells). We show that correcting for differences in cell size affects the interpretation of the data obtained by typically performed computational analysis.

Single molecule transcription profiling with AFM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, Jason; Mishra, Bud; Pittenger, Bede; Magonov, Sergei; Troke, Joshua; Teitell, Michael A; Gimzewski, James K

2007-01-01

Established techniques for global gene expression profiling, such as microarrays, face fundamental sensitivity constraints. Due to greatly increasing interest in examining minute samples from micro-dissected tissues, including single cells, unorthodox approaches, including molecular nanotechnologies, are being explored in this application. Here, we examine the use of single molecule, ordered restriction mapping, combined with AFM, to measure gene transcription levels from very low abundance samples. We frame the problem mathematically, using coding theory, and present an analysis of the critical error sources that may serve as a guide to designing future studies. We follow with experiments detailing the construction of high density, single molecule, ordered restriction maps from plasmids and from cDNA molecules, using two different enzymes, a result not previously reported. We discuss these results in the context of our calculations

Transcriptional profiling at whole population and single cell levels reveals somatosensory neuron molecular diversity

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Chiu, Isaac M; Barrett, Lee B; Williams, Erika K; Strochlic, David E; Lee, Seungkyu; Weyer, Andy D; Lou, Shan; Bryman, Gregory S; Roberson, David P; Ghasemlou, Nader; Piccoli, Cara; Ahat, Ezgi; Wang, Victor; Cobos, Enrique J; Stucky, Cheryl L; Ma, Qiufu; Liberles, Stephen D; Woolf, Clifford J

2014-01-01

The somatosensory nervous system is critical for the organism's ability to respond to mechanical, thermal, and nociceptive stimuli. Somatosensory neurons are functionally and anatomically diverse but their molecular profiles are not well-defined. Here, we used transcriptional profiling to analyze the detailed molecular signatures of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. We used two mouse reporter lines and surface IB4 labeling to purify three major non-overlapping classes of neurons: 1) IB4+SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, 2) IB4−SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, and 3) Parv-Cre/TdTomato+ cells, encompassing the majority of nociceptive, pruriceptive, and proprioceptive neurons. These neurons displayed distinct expression patterns of ion channels, transcription factors, and GPCRs. Highly parallel qRT-PCR analysis of 334 single neurons selected by membership of the three populations demonstrated further diversity, with unbiased clustering analysis identifying six distinct subgroups. These data significantly increase our knowledge of the molecular identities of known DRG populations and uncover potentially novel subsets, revealing the complexity and diversity of those neurons underlying somatosensation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04660.001 PMID:25525749

Transcriptional analysis of phloem-associated cells of potato.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tian; Lashbrook, Coralie C; Cho, Sung Ki; Butler, Nathaniel M; Sharma, Pooja; Muppirala, Usha; Severin, Andrew J; Hannapel, David J

2015-09-03

Numerous signal molecules, including proteins and mRNAs, are transported through the architecture of plants via the vascular system. As the connection between leaves and other organs, the petiole and stem are especially important in their transport function, which is carried out by the phloem and xylem, especially by the sieve elements in the phloem system. The phloem is an important conduit for transporting photosynthate and signal molecules like metabolites, proteins, small RNAs, and full-length mRNAs. Phloem sap has been used as an unadulterated source to profile phloem proteins and RNAs, but unfortunately, pure phloem sap cannot be obtained in most plant species. Here we make use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA-seq for an in-depth transcriptional profile of phloem-associated cells of both petioles and stems of potato. To expedite our analysis, we have taken advantage of the potato genome that has recently been fully sequenced and annotated. Out of the 27 k transcripts assembled that we identified, approximately 15 k were present in phloem-associated cells of petiole and stem with greater than ten reads. Among these genes, roughly 10 k are affected by photoperiod. Several RNAs from this day length-regulated group are also abundant in phloem cells of petioles and encode for proteins involved in signaling or transcriptional control. Approximately 22 % of the transcripts in phloem cells contained at least one binding motif for Pumilio, Nova, or polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins in their downstream sequences. Highlighting the predominance of binding processes identified in the gene ontology analysis of active genes from phloem cells, 78 % of the 464 RNA-binding proteins present in the potato genome were detected in our phloem transcriptome. As a reasonable alternative when phloem sap collection is not possible, LCM can be used to isolate RNA from specific cell types, and along with RNA-seq, provides practical access to expression profiles of

Dynamic analysis of stochastic transcription cycles.

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Claire V Harper

2011-04-01

Full Text Available In individual mammalian cells the expression of some genes such as prolactin is highly variable over time and has been suggested to occur in stochastic pulses. To investigate the origins of this behavior and to understand its functional relevance, we quantitatively analyzed this variability using new mathematical tools that allowed us to reconstruct dynamic transcription rates of different reporter genes controlled by identical promoters in the same living cell. Quantitative microscopic analysis of two reporter genes, firefly luciferase and destabilized EGFP, was used to analyze the dynamics of prolactin promoter-directed gene expression in living individual clonal and primary pituitary cells over periods of up to 25 h. We quantified the time-dependence and cyclicity of the transcription pulses and estimated the length and variation of active and inactive transcription phases. We showed an average cycle period of approximately 11 h and demonstrated that while the measured time distribution of active phases agreed with commonly accepted models of transcription, the inactive phases were differently distributed and showed strong memory, with a refractory period of transcriptional inactivation close to 3 h. Cycles in transcription occurred at two distinct prolactin-promoter controlled reporter genes in the same individual clonal or primary cells. However, the timing of the cycles was independent and out-of-phase. For the first time, we have analyzed transcription dynamics from two equivalent loci in real-time in single cells. In unstimulated conditions, cells showed independent transcription dynamics at each locus. A key result from these analyses was the evidence for a minimum refractory period in the inactive-phase of transcription. The response to acute signals and the result of manipulation of histone acetylation was consistent with the hypothesis that this refractory period corresponded to a phase of chromatin remodeling which significantly

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) co-transcriptional scanning at single-molecule resolution

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Senavirathne, Gayan; Bertram, Jeffrey G.; Jaszczur, Malgorzata; Chaurasiya, Kathy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mak, Chi H.; Goodman, Myron F.; Rueda, David

2015-12-01

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity in B cells by initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) during transcription of immunoglobulin variable (IgV) and switch region (IgS) DNA. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that AID binds to transcribed dsDNA and translocates unidirectionally in concert with RNA polymerase (RNAP) on moving transcription bubbles, while increasing the fraction of stalled bubbles. AID scans randomly when constrained in an 8 nt model bubble. When unconstrained on single-stranded (ss) DNA, AID moves in random bidirectional short slides/hops over the entire molecule while remaining bound for ~5 min. Our analysis distinguishes dynamic scanning from static ssDNA creasing. That AID alone can track along with RNAP during transcription and scan within stalled transcription bubbles suggests a mechanism by which AID can initiate SHM and CSR when properly regulated, yet when unregulated can access non-Ig genes and cause cancer.

Quantitative expression analysis of selected transcription factors in pavement, basal and trichome cells of mature leaves from Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Schliep, Martin; Ebert, Berit; Simon-Rosin, Ulrike; Zoeller, Daniela; Fisahn, Joachim

2010-05-01

Gene expression levels of several transcription factors from Arabidopsis thaliana that were described previously to be involved in leaf development and trichome formation were analysed in trichome, basal and pavement cells of mature leaves. Single cell samples of these three cells types were collected by glass micro-capillaries. Real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was used to analyse expression patterns of the following transcription factors: MYB23, MYB55, AtHB1, FILAMENTOUS FLOWER (FIL)/YABBY1 (YAB1), TRIPTYCHON (TRY) and CAPRICE (CPC). A difference in the expression patterns of TRY and CPC was revealed. Contrary to the CPC expression pattern, no transcripts of TRY could be detected in pavement cells. FIL/YAB1 was exclusively expressed in trichome cells. AtHB1 was highly expressed throughout all three cell types. MYB55 was higher expressed in basal cells than in trichome and pavement cells. MYB23 showed a pattern of low expression in pavement cells, medium in basal cells and high expression in trichomes. Expression patterns obtained by single cell sampling and real-time RT-PCR were compared to promoter GUS fusions of the selected transcription factors. Therefore, we regenerated two transgenic Arabidopsis lines that expressed the GUS reporter gene under control of the promoters of MYB55 and YAB1. In conclusion, despite their function in leaf morphogenesis, all six transcription factors were detected in mature leaves. Furthermore, single cell sampling and promoter GUS staining patterns demonstrated the predominant presence of MYB55 in basal cells as compared to pavement cells and trichomes.

Single-Cell Network Analysis Identifies DDIT3 as a Nodal Lineage Regulator in Hematopoiesis

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Cristina Pina

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We explore cell heterogeneity during spontaneous and transcription-factor-driven commitment for network inference in hematopoiesis. Since individual genes display discrete OFF states or a distribution of ON levels, we compute and combine pairwise gene associations from binary and continuous components of gene expression in single cells. Ddit3 emerges as a regulatory node with positive linkage to erythroid regulators and negative association with myeloid determinants. Ddit3 loss impairs erythroid colony output from multipotent cells, while forcing Ddit3 in granulo-monocytic progenitors (GMPs enhances self-renewal and impedes differentiation. Network analysis of Ddit3-transduced GMPs reveals uncoupling of myeloid networks and strengthening of erythroid linkages. RNA sequencing suggests that Ddit3 acts through development or stabilization of a precursor upstream of GMPs with inherent Meg-E potential. The enrichment of Gata2 target genes in Ddit3-dependent transcriptional responses suggests that Ddit3 functions in an erythroid transcriptional network nucleated by Gata2.

Transcription-factor-mediated DNA looping probed by high-resolution, single-molecule imaging in live E. coli cells.

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Zach Hensel

Full Text Available DNA looping mediated by transcription factors plays critical roles in prokaryotic gene regulation. The "genetic switch" of bacteriophage λ determines whether a prophage stays incorporated in the E. coli chromosome or enters the lytic cycle of phage propagation and cell lysis. Past studies have shown that long-range DNA interactions between the operator sequences O(R and O(L (separated by 2.3 kb, mediated by the λ repressor CI (accession number P03034, play key roles in regulating the λ switch. In vitro, it was demonstrated that DNA segments harboring the operator sequences formed loops in the presence of CI, but CI-mediated DNA looping has not been directly visualized in vivo, hindering a deep understanding of the corresponding dynamics in realistic cellular environments. We report a high-resolution, single-molecule imaging method to probe CI-mediated DNA looping in live E. coli cells. We labeled two DNA loci with differently colored fluorescent fusion proteins and tracked their separations in real time with ∼40 nm accuracy, enabling the first direct analysis of transcription-factor-mediated DNA looping in live cells. Combining looping measurements with measurements of CI expression levels in different operator mutants, we show quantitatively that DNA looping activates transcription and enhances repression. Further, we estimated the upper bound of the rate of conformational change from the unlooped to the looped state, and discuss how chromosome compaction may impact looping kinetics. Our results provide insights into transcription-factor-mediated DNA looping in a variety of operator and CI mutant backgrounds in vivo, and our methodology can be applied to a broad range of questions regarding chromosome conformations in prokaryotes and higher organisms.

Platforms for Single-Cell Collection and Analysis

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Lukas Valihrach

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Single-cell analysis has become an established method to study cell heterogeneity and for rare cell characterization. Despite the high cost and technical constraints, applications are increasing every year in all fields of biology. Following the trend, there is a tremendous development of tools for single-cell analysis, especially in the RNA sequencing field. Every improvement increases sensitivity and throughput. Collecting a large amount of data also stimulates the development of new approaches for bioinformatic analysis and interpretation. However, the essential requirement for any analysis is the collection of single cells of high quality. The single-cell isolation must be fast, effective, and gentle to maintain the native expression profiles. Classical methods for single-cell isolation are micromanipulation, microdissection, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS. In the last decade several new and highly efficient approaches have been developed, which not just supplement but may fully replace the traditional ones. These new techniques are based on microfluidic chips, droplets, micro-well plates, and automatic collection of cells using capillaries, magnets, an electric field, or a punching probe. In this review we summarize the current methods and developments in this field. We discuss the advantages of the different commercially available platforms and their applicability, and also provide remarks on future developments.

Platforms for Single-Cell Collection and Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Valihrach, Lukas; Androvic, Peter; Kubista, Mikael

2018-03-11

Single-cell analysis has become an established method to study cell heterogeneity and for rare cell characterization. Despite the high cost and technical constraints, applications are increasing every year in all fields of biology. Following the trend, there is a tremendous development of tools for single-cell analysis, especially in the RNA sequencing field. Every improvement increases sensitivity and throughput. Collecting a large amount of data also stimulates the development of new approaches for bioinformatic analysis and interpretation. However, the essential requirement for any analysis is the collection of single cells of high quality. The single-cell isolation must be fast, effective, and gentle to maintain the native expression profiles. Classical methods for single-cell isolation are micromanipulation, microdissection, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). In the last decade several new and highly efficient approaches have been developed, which not just supplement but may fully replace the traditional ones. These new techniques are based on microfluidic chips, droplets, micro-well plates, and automatic collection of cells using capillaries, magnets, an electric field, or a punching probe. In this review we summarize the current methods and developments in this field. We discuss the advantages of the different commercially available platforms and their applicability, and also provide remarks on future developments.

Single cell analysis of normal and leukemic hematopoiesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Povinelli, Benjamin J; Rodriguez-Meira, Alba; Mead, Adam J

2018-02-01

The hematopoietic system is well established as a paradigm for the study of cellular hierarchies, their disruption in disease and therapeutic use in regenerative medicine. Traditional approaches to study hematopoiesis involve purification of cell populations based on a small number of surface markers. However, such population-based analysis obscures underlying heterogeneity contained within any phenotypically defined cell population. This heterogeneity can only be resolved through single cell analysis. Recent advances in single cell techniques allow analysis of the genome, transcriptome, epigenome and proteome in single cells at an unprecedented scale. The application of these new single cell methods to investigate the hematopoietic system has led to paradigm shifts in our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in hematopoiesis and how this is disrupted in disease. In this review, we summarize how single cell techniques have been applied to the analysis of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, with a particular focus on recent advances in single-cell genomics, including how these might be utilized for clinical application. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Unbiased analysis of TCRα/β chains at the single-cell level in human CD8+ T-cell subsets.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaoming; Saito, Masumichi; Sato, Yoshinori; Chikata, Takayuki; Naruto, Takuya; Ozawa, Tatsuhiko; Kobayashi, Eiji; Kishi, Hiroyuki; Muraguchi, Atsushi; Takiguchi, Masafumi

2012-01-01

T-cell receptor (TCR) α/β chains are expressed on the surface of CD8(+) T-cells and have been implicated in antigen recognition, activation, and proliferation. However, the methods for characterization of human TCRα/β chains have not been well established largely because of the complexity of their structures owing to the extensive genetic rearrangements that they undergo. Here we report the development of an integrated 5'-RACE and multiplex PCR method to amplify the full-length transcripts of TCRα/β at the single-cell level in human CD8(+) subsets, including naive, central memory, early effector memory, late effector memory, and effector phenotypic cells. Using this method, with an approximately 47% and 62% of PCR success rate for TCRα and for TCRβ chains, respectively, we were able to analyze more than 1,000 reads of transcripts of each TCR chain. Our comprehensive analysis revealed the following: (1) chimeric rearrangements of TCRδ-α, (2) control of TCRα/β transcription with multiple transcriptional initiation sites, (3) altered utilization of TCRα/β chains in CD8(+) subsets, and (4) strong association between the clonal size of TCRα/β chains and the effector phenotype of CD8(+) T-cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that our method is a useful tool to identify the dynamics of the TCRα/β repertoire, and provides new insights into the study of human TCRα/β chains.

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis of Infiltrating Neoplastic Cells at the Migrating Front of Human Glioblastoma

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Spyros Darmanis

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM is the most common primary brain cancer in adults and is notoriously difficult to treat because of its diffuse nature. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq on 3,589 cells in a cohort of four patients. We obtained cells from the tumor core as well as surrounding peripheral tissue. Our analysis revealed cellular variation in the tumor’s genome and transcriptome. We were also able to identify infiltrating neoplastic cells in regions peripheral to the core lesions. Despite the existence of significant heterogeneity among neoplastic cells, we found that infiltrating GBM cells share a consistent gene signature between patients, suggesting a common mechanism of infiltration. Additionally, in investigating the immunological response to the tumors, we found transcriptionally distinct myeloid cell populations residing in the tumor core and the surrounding peritumoral space. Our data provide a detailed dissection of GBM cell types, revealing an abundance of information about tumor formation and migration. : Darmanis et al. perform single-cell transcriptomic analyses of neoplastic and stromal cells within and proximal to primary glioblastomas. The authors describe a population of neoplastic-infiltrating glioblastoma cells as well as a putative role of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in supporting tumor growth. Keywords: single cell, RNA-seq, glioma, glioblastoma, GBM, brain, heterogeneity, infiltrating, diffuse, checkpoint

Parallel single-cell analysis microfluidic platform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, Floris Teunis Gerardus; Gool, Elmar; Frimat, Jean-Philippe; Bomer, Johan G.; van den Berg, Albert; le Gac, Severine

2011-01-01

We report a PDMS microfluidic platform for parallel single-cell analysis (PaSCAl) as a powerful tool to decipher the heterogeneity found in cell populations. Cells are trapped individually in dedicated pockets, and thereafter, a number of invasive or non-invasive analysis schemes are performed.

Single-cell analysis of targeted transcriptome predicts drug sensitivity of single cells within human myeloma tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, A K; Mukherjee, U K; Harding, T; Jang, J S; Stessman, H; Li, Y; Abyzov, A; Jen, J; Kumar, S; Rajkumar, V; Van Ness, B

2016-05-01

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by significant genetic diversity at subclonal levels that have a defining role in the heterogeneity of tumor progression, clinical aggressiveness and drug sensitivity. Although genome profiling studies have demonstrated heterogeneity in subclonal architecture that may ultimately lead to relapse, a gene expression-based prediction program that can identify, distinguish and quantify drug response in sub-populations within a bulk population of myeloma cells is lacking. In this study, we performed targeted transcriptome analysis on 528 pre-treatment single cells from 11 myeloma cell lines and 418 single cells from 8 drug-naïve MM patients, followed by intensive bioinformatics and statistical analysis for prediction of proteasome inhibitor sensitivity in individual cells. Using our previously reported drug response gene expression profile signature at the single-cell level, we developed an R Statistical analysis package available at https://github.com/bvnlabSCATTome, SCATTome (single-cell analysis of targeted transcriptome), that restructures the data obtained from Fluidigm single-cell quantitative real-time-PCR analysis run, filters missing data, performs scaling of filtered data, builds classification models and predicts drug response of individual cells based on targeted transcriptome using an assortment of machine learning methods. Application of SCATT should contribute to clinically relevant analysis of intratumor heterogeneity, and better inform drug choices based on subclonal cellular responses.

Single cell lineage analysis of mouse embryonic stem cells at the exit from pluripotency

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Jamie Trott

2013-08-01

Understanding how interactions between extracellular signalling pathways and transcription factor networks influence cellular decision making will be crucial for understanding mammalian embryogenesis and for generating specialised cell types in vitro. To this end, pluripotent mouse Embryonic Stem (mES cells have proven to be a useful model system. However, understanding how transcription factors and signalling pathways affect decisions made by individual cells is confounded by the fact that measurements are generally made on groups of cells, whilst individual mES cells differentiate at different rates and towards different lineages, even in conditions that favour a particular lineage. Here we have used single-cell measurements of transcription factor expression and Wnt/β-catenin signalling activity to investigate their effects on lineage commitment decisions made by individual cells. We find that pluripotent mES cells exhibit differing degrees of heterogeneity in their expression of important regulators from pluripotency, depending on the signalling environment to which they are exposed. As mES cells differentiate, downregulation of Nanog and Oct4 primes cells for neural commitment, whilst loss of Sox2 expression primes cells for primitive streak commitment. Furthermore, we find that Wnt signalling acts through Nanog to direct cells towards a primitive streak fate, but that transcriptionally active β-catenin is associated with both neural and primitive streak commitment. These observations confirm and extend previous suggestions that pluripotency genes influence lineage commitment and demonstrate how their dynamic expression affects the direction of lineage commitment, whilst illustrating two ways in which the Wnt signalling pathway acts on this network during cell fate assignment.

Unbiased analysis of TCRα/β chains at the single-cell level in human CD8+ T-cell subsets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoming Sun

Full Text Available T-cell receptor (TCR α/β chains are expressed on the surface of CD8(+ T-cells and have been implicated in antigen recognition, activation, and proliferation. However, the methods for characterization of human TCRα/β chains have not been well established largely because of the complexity of their structures owing to the extensive genetic rearrangements that they undergo. Here we report the development of an integrated 5'-RACE and multiplex PCR method to amplify the full-length transcripts of TCRα/β at the single-cell level in human CD8(+ subsets, including naive, central memory, early effector memory, late effector memory, and effector phenotypic cells. Using this method, with an approximately 47% and 62% of PCR success rate for TCRα and for TCRβ chains, respectively, we were able to analyze more than 1,000 reads of transcripts of each TCR chain. Our comprehensive analysis revealed the following: (1 chimeric rearrangements of TCRδ-α, (2 control of TCRα/β transcription with multiple transcriptional initiation sites, (3 altered utilization of TCRα/β chains in CD8(+ subsets, and (4 strong association between the clonal size of TCRα/β chains and the effector phenotype of CD8(+ T-cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that our method is a useful tool to identify the dynamics of the TCRα/β repertoire, and provides new insights into the study of human TCRα/β chains.

Technical aspects and recommendations for single-cell qPCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Ståhlberg, Anders; Kubista, Mikael

2018-02-01

Single cells are basic physiological and biological units that can function individually as well as in groups in tissues and organs. It is central to identify, characterize and profile single cells at molecular level to be able to distinguish different kinds, to understand their functions and determine how they interact with each other. During the last decade several technologies for single-cell profiling have been developed and used in various applications, revealing many novel findings. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is one of the most developed methods for single-cell profiling that can be used to interrogate several analytes, including DNA, RNA and protein. Single-cell qPCR has the potential to become routine methodology but the technique is still challenging, as it involves several experimental steps and few molecules are handled. Here, we discuss technical aspects and provide recommendation for single-cell qPCR analysis. The workflow includes experimental design, sample preparation, single-cell collection, direct lysis, reverse transcription, preamplification, qPCR and data analysis. Detailed reporting and sharing of experimental details and data will promote further development and make validation studies possible. Efforts aiming to standardize single-cell qPCR open up means to move single-cell analysis from specialized research settings to standard research laboratories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis of Cholinergic Neurons in the Arcuate Nucleus of the Hypothalamus.

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Jae Hoon Jeong

Full Text Available The cholinoceptive system in the hypothalamus, in particular in the arcuate nucleus (ARC, plays a role in regulating food intake. Neurons in the ARC contain multiple neuropeptides, amines, and neurotransmitters. To study molecular and neurochemical heterogeneity of ARC neurons, we combine single-cell qRT-PCR and single-cell whole transcriptome amplification methods to analyze expression patterns of our hand-picked 60 genes in individual neurons in the ARC. Immunohistochemical and single-cell qRT-PCR analyses show choline acetyltransferase (ChAT-expressing neurons in the ARC. Gene expression patterns are remarkably distinct in each individual cholinergic neuron. Two-thirds of cholinergic neurons express tyrosine hydroxylase (Th mRNA. A large subset of these Th-positive cholinergic neurons is GABAergic as they express the GABA synthesizing enzyme glutamate decarboxylase and vesicular GABA transporter transcripts. Some cholinergic neurons also express the vesicular glutamate transporter transcript gene. POMC and POMC-processing enzyme transcripts are found in a subpopulation of cholinergic neurons. Despite this heterogeneity, gene expression patterns in individual cholinergic cells appear to be highly regulated in a cell-specific manner. In fact, membrane receptor transcripts are clustered with their respective intracellular signaling and downstream targets. This novel population of cholinergic neurons may be part of the neural circuitries that detect homeostatic need for food and control the drive to eat.

Spatial and Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Functionally Distinct Human Dermal Fibroblast Subpopulations.

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Philippeos, Christina; Telerman, Stephanie B; Oulès, Bénédicte; Pisco, Angela O; Shaw, Tanya J; Elgueta, Raul; Lombardi, Giovanna; Driskell, Ryan R; Soldin, Mark; Lynch, Magnus D; Watt, Fiona M

2018-04-01

Previous studies have shown that mouse dermis is composed of functionally distinct fibroblast lineages. To explore the extent of fibroblast heterogeneity in human skin, we used a combination of comparative spatial transcriptional profiling of human and mouse dermis and single-cell transcriptional profiling of human dermal fibroblasts. We show that there are at least four distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin, not all of which are spatially segregated. We define markers permitting their isolation and show that although marker expression is lost in culture, different fibroblast subpopulations retain distinct functionality in terms of Wnt signaling, responsiveness to IFN-γ, and ability to support human epidermal reconstitution when introduced into decellularized dermis. These findings suggest that ex vivo expansion or in vivo ablation of specific fibroblast subpopulations may have therapeutic applications in wound healing and diseases characterized by excessive fibrosis. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lessons from single-cell transcriptome analysis of oxygen-sensing cells.

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Zhou, Ting; Matsunami, Hiroaki

2018-05-01

The advent of single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology has enabled transcriptome profiling of individual cells. Comprehensive gene expression analysis at the single-cell level has proven to be effective in characterizing the most fundamental aspects of cellular function and identity. This unbiased approach is revolutionary for small and/or heterogeneous tissues like oxygen-sensing cells in identifying key molecules. Here, we review the major methods of current single-cell RNA-Seq technology. We discuss how this technology has advanced the understanding of oxygen-sensing glomus cells in the carotid body and helped uncover novel oxygen-sensing cells and mechanisms in the mice olfactory system. We conclude by providing our perspective on future single-cell RNA-Seq research directed at oxygen-sensing cells.

Single-cell RNA-seq and computational analysis using temporal mixture modelling resolves Th1/Tfh fate bifurcation in malaria

OpenAIRE

L?nnberg, Tapio; Svensson, Valentine; James, Kylie R.; Fernandez-Ruiz, Daniel; Sebina, Ismail; Montandon, Ruddy; Soon, Megan S. F.; Fogg, Lily G.; Nair, Arya Sheela; Liligeto, Urijah; Stubbington, Michael J. T.; Ly, Lam-Ha; Bagger, Frederik Otzen; Zwiessele, Max; Lawrence, Neil D.

2017-01-01

Differentiation of na?ve CD4+ T cells into functionally distinct T helper subsets is crucial for the orchestration of immune responses. Due to extensive heterogeneity and multiple overlapping transcriptional programs in differentiating T cell populations, this process has remained a challenge for systematic dissection in vivo. By using single-cell transcriptomics and computational analysis using a temporal mixtures of Gaussian processes model, termed GPfates, we reconstructed the developmenta...

Single cell elemental analysis using nuclear microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, M.Q.; Thong, P.S.P.; Kara, U.; Watt, F.

1999-01-01

The use of Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) to provide quantitative elemental analysis of single cells is an area which has high potential, particularly when the trace elements such as Ca, Fe, Zn and Cu can be monitored. We describe the methodology of sample preparation for two cell types, the procedures of cell imaging using STIM, and the quantitative elemental analysis of single cells using RBS and PIXE. Recent work on single cells at the Nuclear Microscopy Research Centre,National University of Singapore has centred around two research areas: (a) Apoptosis (programmed cell death), which has been recently implicated in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cancer, Parkinson's disease etc, and (b) Malaria (infection of red blood cells by the malaria parasite). Firstly we present results on the elemental analysis of human Chang liver cells (ATTCC CCL 13) where vanadium ions were used to trigger apoptosis, and demonstrate that nuclear microscopy has the capability of monitoring vanadium loading within individual cells. Secondly we present the results of elemental changes taking place in individual mouse red blood cells which have been infected with the malaria parasite and treated with the anti-malaria drug Qinghaosu (QHS)

Full-length single-cell RNA-seq applied to a viral human cancer: applications to HPV expression and splicing analysis in HeLa S3 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Liang; Zhang, Xiaolong; Zhao, Zhikun; Wang, Ling; Li, Bo; Li, Guibo; Dean, Michael; Yu, Qichao; Wang, Yanhui; Lin, Xinxin; Rao, Weijian; Mei, Zhanlong; Li, Yang; Jiang, Runze; Yang, Huan; Li, Fuqiang; Xie, Guoyun; Xu, Liqin; Wu, Kui; Zhang, Jie; Chen, Jianghao; Wang, Ting; Kristiansen, Karsten; Zhang, Xiuqing; Li, Yingrui; Yang, Huanming; Wang, Jian; Hou, Yong; Xu, Xun

2015-01-01

Viral infection causes multiple forms of human cancer, and HPV infection is the primary factor in cervical carcinomas. Recent single-cell RNA-seq studies highlight the tumor heterogeneity present in most cancers, but virally induced tumors have not been studied. HeLa is a well characterized HPV+ cervical cancer cell line. We developed a new high throughput platform to prepare single-cell RNA on a nanoliter scale based on a customized microwell chip. Using this method, we successfully amplified full-length transcripts of 669 single HeLa S3 cells and 40 of them were randomly selected to perform single-cell RNA sequencing. Based on these data, we obtained a comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity of HeLa S3 cells in gene expression, alternative splicing and fusions. Furthermore, we identified a high diversity of HPV-18 expression and splicing at the single-cell level. By co-expression analysis we identified 283 E6, E7 co-regulated genes, including CDC25, PCNA, PLK4, BUB1B and IRF1 known to interact with HPV viral proteins. Our results reveal the heterogeneity of a virus-infected cell line. It not only provides a transcriptome characterization of HeLa S3 cells at the single cell level, but is a demonstration of the power of single cell RNA-seq analysis of virally infected cells and cancers.

Bioinformatics approaches to single-cell analysis in developmental biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalcin, Dicle; Hakguder, Zeynep M; Otu, Hasan H

2016-03-01

Individual cells within the same population show various degrees of heterogeneity, which may be better handled with single-cell analysis to address biological and clinical questions. Single-cell analysis is especially important in developmental biology as subtle spatial and temporal differences in cells have significant associations with cell fate decisions during differentiation and with the description of a particular state of a cell exhibiting an aberrant phenotype. Biotechnological advances, especially in the area of microfluidics, have led to a robust, massively parallel and multi-dimensional capturing, sorting, and lysis of single-cells and amplification of related macromolecules, which have enabled the use of imaging and omics techniques on single cells. There have been improvements in computational single-cell image analysis in developmental biology regarding feature extraction, segmentation, image enhancement and machine learning, handling limitations of optical resolution to gain new perspectives from the raw microscopy images. Omics approaches, such as transcriptomics, genomics and epigenomics, targeting gene and small RNA expression, single nucleotide and structural variations and methylation and histone modifications, rely heavily on high-throughput sequencing technologies. Although there are well-established bioinformatics methods for analysis of sequence data, there are limited bioinformatics approaches which address experimental design, sample size considerations, amplification bias, normalization, differential expression, coverage, clustering and classification issues, specifically applied at the single-cell level. In this review, we summarize biological and technological advancements, discuss challenges faced in the aforementioned data acquisition and analysis issues and present future prospects for application of single-cell analyses to developmental biology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European

Rapid transcriptional pulsing dynamics of high expressing retroviral transgenes in embryonic stem cells.

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Mandy Y M Lo

Full Text Available Single cell imaging studies suggest that transcription is not continuous and occurs as discrete pulses of gene activity. To study mechanisms by which retroviral transgenes can transcribe to high levels, we used the MS2 system to visualize transcriptional dynamics of high expressing proviral integration sites in embryonic stem (ES cells. We established two ES cell lines each bearing a single copy, self-inactivating retroviral vector with a strong ubiquitous human EF1α gene promoter directing expression of mRFP fused to an MS2-stem-loop array. Transfection of MS2-EGFP generated EGFP focal dots bound to the mRFP-MS2 stem loop mRNA. These transcription foci colocalized with the transgene integration site detected by immunoFISH. Live tracking of single cells for 20 minutes detected EGFP focal dots that displayed frequent and rapid fluctuations in transcription over periods as short as 25 seconds. Similarly rapid fluctuations were detected from focal doublet signals that colocalized with replicated proviral integration sites by immunoFISH, consistent with transcriptional pulses from sister chromatids. We concluded that retroviral transgenes experience rapid transcriptional pulses in clonal ES cell lines that exhibit high level expression. These events are directed by a constitutive housekeeping gene promoter and may provide precedence for rapid transcriptional pulsing at endogenous genes in mammalian stem cells.

Deconstructing stem cell population heterogeneity: Single-cell analysis and modeling approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jincheng; Tzanakakis, Emmanuel S.

2014-01-01

Isogenic stem cell populations display cell-to-cell variations in a multitude of attributes including gene or protein expression, epigenetic state, morphology, proliferation and proclivity for differentiation. The origins of the observed heterogeneity and its roles in the maintenance of pluripotency and the lineage specification of stem cells remain unclear. Addressing pertinent questions will require the employment of single-cell analysis methods as traditional cell biochemical and biomolecular assays yield mostly population-average data. In addition to time-lapse microscopy and flow cytometry, recent advances in single-cell genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling are reviewed. The application of multiple displacement amplification, next generation sequencing, mass cytometry and spectrometry to stem cell systems is expected to provide a wealth of information affording unprecedented levels of multiparametric characterization of cell ensembles under defined conditions promoting pluripotency or commitment. Establishing connections between single-cell analysis information and the observed phenotypes will also require suitable mathematical models. Stem cell self-renewal and differentiation are orchestrated by the coordinated regulation of subcellular, intercellular and niche-wide processes spanning multiple time scales. Here, we discuss different modeling approaches and challenges arising from their application to stem cell populations. Integrating single-cell analysis with computational methods will fill gaps in our knowledge about the functions of heterogeneity in stem cell physiology. This combination will also aid the rational design of efficient differentiation and reprogramming strategies as well as bioprocesses for the production of clinically valuable stem cell derivatives. PMID:24035899

The transcriptional diversity of 25 Drosophila cell lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cherbas, Lucy [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Willingham, Aarron [Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Zhang, Dayu [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Yang, Li [University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut (United States); Zou, Yi [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Eads, Brian D. [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Carlson, Joseph W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Landolin, Jane M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kapranov, Philipp [Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Dumais, Jacqueline [Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Samsonova, Anastasia [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Choi, Jeong-Hyeon [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Roberts, Johnny [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Davis, Carrie A. [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Tang, Haixu [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); van Baren, Marijke J. [Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Ghosh, Srinka [Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Dobin, Alexander [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Bell, Kim [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Lin, Wei [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Langton, Laura [Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Duff, Michael O. [University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut (United States); Tenney, Aaron E. [Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Zaleski, Chris [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Brent, Michael R. [Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Hoskins, Roger A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kaufman, Thomas C. [Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (United States); Andrews, Justen [Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (United States); Graveley, Brenton R. [University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut (United States); Perrimon, Norbert [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA (United States); Celniker, Susan E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gingeras, Thomas R. [Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York (United States); Cherbas, Peter [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)

2010-12-22

Drosophila melanogaster cell lines are important resources for cell biologists. In this article, we catalog the expression of exons, genes, and unannotated transcriptional signals for 25 lines. Unannotated transcription is substantial (typically 19% of euchromatic signal). Conservatively, we identify 1405 novel transcribed regions; 684 of these appear to be new exons of neighboring, often distant, genes. Sixty-four percent of genes are expressed detectably in at least one line, but only 21% are detected in all lines. Each cell line expresses, on average, 5885 genes, including a common set of 3109. Expression levels vary over several orders of magnitude. Major signaling pathways are well represented: most differentiation pathways are ‘‘off’’ and survival/growth pathways ‘‘on.’’ Roughly 50% of the genes expressed by each line are not part of the common set, and these show considerable individuality. Thirty-one percent are expressed at a higher level in at least one cell line than in any single developmental stage, suggesting that each line is enriched for genes characteristic of small sets of cells. Most remarkable is that imaginal disc-derived lines can generally be assigned, on the basis of expression, to small territories within developing discs. These mappings reveal unexpected stability of even fine-grained spatial determination. No two cell lines show identical transcription factor expression. We conclude that each line has retained features of an individual founder cell superimposed on a common ‘‘cell line‘‘ gene expression pattern. We report the transcriptional profiles of 25 Drosophila melanogaster cell lines, principally by whole-genome tiling microarray analysis of total RNA, carried out as part of the modENCODE project. The data produced in this study add to our knowledge of the cell lines and of the Drosophila transcriptome in several ways. We summarize the expression of previously annotated genes in each of the 25

Aging increases cell-to-cell transcriptional variability upon immune stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Jimenez, Celia Pilar; Eling, Nils; Chen, Hung-Chang; Vallejos, Catalina A; Kolodziejczyk, Aleksandra A; Connor, Frances; Stojic, Lovorka; Rayner, Timothy F; Stubbington, Michael J T; Teichmann, Sarah A; de la Roche, Maike; Marioni, John C; Odom, Duncan T

2017-03-31

Aging is characterized by progressive loss of physiological and cellular functions, but the molecular basis of this decline remains unclear. We explored how aging affects transcriptional dynamics using single-cell RNA sequencing of unstimulated and stimulated naïve and effector memory CD4 + T cells from young and old mice from two divergent species. In young animals, immunological activation drives a conserved transcriptomic switch, resulting in tightly controlled gene expression characterized by a strong up-regulation of a core activation program, coupled with a decrease in cell-to-cell variability. Aging perturbed the activation of this core program and increased expression heterogeneity across populations of cells in both species. These discoveries suggest that increased cell-to-cell transcriptional variability will be a hallmark feature of aging across most, if not all, mammalian tissues. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Single cell analysis facilitates staging of Blimp1-dependent primordial germ cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells.

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John J Vincent

Full Text Available The cell intrinsic programming that regulates mammalian primordial germ cell (PGC development in the pre-gonadal stage is challenging to investigate. To overcome this we created a transgene-free method for generating PGCs in vitro (iPGCs from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs. Using labeling for SSEA1 and cKit, two cell surface molecules used previously to isolate presumptive iPGCs, we show that not all SSEA1+/cKit+ double positive cells exhibit a PGC identity. Instead, we determined that selecting for cKit(bright cells within the SSEA1+ fraction significantly enriches for the putative iPGC population. Single cell analysis comparing SSEA1+/cKit(bright iPGCs to ESCs and embryonic PGCs demonstrates that 97% of single iPGCs co-express PGC signature genes Blimp1, Stella, Dnd1, Prdm14 and Dazl at similar levels to e9.5-10.5 PGCs, whereas 90% of single mouse ESC do not co-express PGC signature genes. For the 10% of ESCs that co-express PGC signature genes, the levels are significantly lower than iPGCs. Microarray analysis shows that iPGCs are transcriptionally distinct from ESCs and repress gene ontology groups associated with mesoderm and heart development. At the level of chromatin, iPGCs contain 5-methyl cytosine bases in their DNA at imprinted and non-imprinted loci, and are enriched in histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, yet do not have detectable levels of Mvh protein, consistent with a Blimp1-positive pre-gonadal PGC identity. In order to determine whether iPGC formation is dependent upon Blimp1, we generated Blimp1 null ESCs and found that loss of Blimp1 significantly depletes SSEA1/cKit(bright iPGCs. Taken together, the generation of Blimp1-positive iPGCs from ESCs constitutes a robust model for examining cell-intrinsic regulation of PGCs during the Blimp1-positive stage of development.

Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Reveals a Continuous Spectrum of Differentiation in Hematopoietic Cells

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Iain C. Macaulay

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The transcriptional programs that govern hematopoiesis have been investigated primarily by population-level analysis of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which cannot reveal the continuous nature of the differentiation process. Here we applied single-cell RNA-sequencing to a population of hematopoietic cells in zebrafish as they undergo thrombocyte lineage commitment. By reconstructing their developmental chronology computationally, we were able to place each cell along a continuum from stem cell to mature cell, refining the traditional lineage tree. The progression of cells along this continuum is characterized by a highly coordinated transcriptional program, displaying simultaneous suppression of genes involved in cell proliferation and ribosomal biogenesis as the expression of lineage specific genes increases. Within this program, there is substantial heterogeneity in the expression of the key lineage regulators. Overall, the total number of genes expressed, as well as the total mRNA content of the cell, decreases as the cells undergo lineage commitment.

High-dimensional single-cell cancer biology.

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Irish, Jonathan M; Doxie, Deon B

2014-01-01

Cancer cells are distinguished from each other and from healthy cells by features that drive clonal evolution and therapy resistance. New advances in high-dimensional flow cytometry make it possible to systematically measure mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression, and therapy resistance on millions of cells from human tumors. Here we describe flow cytometry techniques that enable a "single-cell " view of cancer. High-dimensional techniques like mass cytometry enable multiplexed single-cell analysis of cell identity, clinical biomarkers, signaling network phospho-proteins, transcription factors, and functional readouts of proliferation, cell cycle status, and apoptosis. This capability pairs well with a signaling profiles approach that dissects mechanism by systematically perturbing and measuring many nodes in a signaling network. Single-cell approaches enable study of cellular heterogeneity of primary tissues and turn cell subsets into experimental controls or opportunities for new discovery. Rare populations of stem cells or therapy-resistant cancer cells can be identified and compared to other types of cells within the same sample. In the long term, these techniques will enable tracking of minimal residual disease (MRD) and disease progression. By better understanding biological systems that control development and cell-cell interactions in healthy and diseased contexts, we can learn to program cells to become therapeutic agents or target malignant signaling events to specifically kill cancer cells. Single-cell approaches that provide deep insight into cell signaling and fate decisions will be critical to optimizing the next generation of cancer treatments combining targeted approaches and immunotherapy.

Quantitative high-resolution genomic analysis of single cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannemann, Juliane; Meyer-Staeckling, Sönke; Kemming, Dirk; Alpers, Iris; Joosse, Simon A; Pospisil, Heike; Kurtz, Stefan; Görndt, Jennifer; Püschel, Klaus; Riethdorf, Sabine; Pantel, Klaus; Brandt, Burkhard

2011-01-01

During cancer progression, specific genomic aberrations arise that can determine the scope of the disease and can be used as predictive or prognostic markers. The detection of specific gene amplifications or deletions in single blood-borne or disseminated tumour cells that may give rise to the development of metastases is of great clinical interest but technically challenging. In this study, we present a method for quantitative high-resolution genomic analysis of single cells. Cells were isolated under permanent microscopic control followed by high-fidelity whole genome amplification and subsequent analyses by fine tiling array-CGH and qPCR. The assay was applied to single breast cancer cells to analyze the chromosomal region centred by the therapeutical relevant EGFR gene. This method allows precise quantitative analysis of copy number variations in single cell diagnostics.

RoboSCell: An automated single cell arraying and analysis instrument

KAUST Repository

Sakaki, Kelly

2009-09-09

Single cell research has the potential to revolutionize experimental methods in biomedical sciences and contribute to clinical practices. Recent studies suggest analysis of single cells reveals novel features of intracellular processes, cell-to-cell interactions and cell structure. The methods of single cell analysis require mechanical resolution and accuracy that is not possible using conventional techniques. Robotic instruments and novel microdevices can achieve higher throughput and repeatability; however, the development of such instrumentation is a formidable task. A void exists in the state-of-the-art for automated analysis of single cells. With the increase in interest in single cell analyses in stem cell and cancer research the ability to facilitate higher throughput and repeatable procedures is necessary. In this paper, a high-throughput, single cell microarray-based robotic instrument, called the RoboSCell, is described. The proposed instrument employs a partially transparent single cell microarray (SCM) integrated with a robotic biomanipulator for in vitro analyses of live single cells trapped at the array sites. Cells, labeled with immunomagnetic particles, are captured at the array sites by channeling magnetic fields through encapsulated permalloy channels in the SCM. The RoboSCell is capable of systematically scanning the captured cells temporarily immobilized at the array sites and using optical methods to repeatedly measure extracellular and intracellular characteristics over time. The instrument\\'s capabilities are demonstrated by arraying human T lymphocytes and measuring the uptake dynamics of calcein acetoxymethylester-all in a fully automated fashion. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Essentials of single-cell analysis concepts, applications and future prospects

CERN Document Server

Santra, Tuhin

2016-01-01

This book provides an overview of single-cell isolation, separation, injection, lysis and dynamics analysis as well as a study of their heterogeneity using different miniaturized devices. As an important part of single-cell analysis, different techniques including electroporation, microinjection, optical trapping, optoporation, rapid electrokinetic patterning and optoelectronic tweezers are described in detail. It presents different fluidic systems (e.g. continuous micro/nano-fluidic devices, microfluidic cytometry) and their integration with sensor technology, optical and hydrodynamic stretchers etc., and demonstrates the applications of single-cell analysis in systems biology, proteomics, genomics, epigenomics, cancer transcriptomics, metabolomics, biomedicine and drug delivery systems. It also discusses the future challenges for single-cell analysis, including the advantages and limitations. This book is enjoyable reading material while at the same time providing essential information to scientists in acad...

Conversion of Human Fibroblasts to Stably Self-Renewing Neural Stem Cells with a Single Zinc-Finger Transcription Factor

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Ebrahim Shahbazi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Direct conversion of somatic cells into neural stem cells (NSCs by defined factors holds great promise for mechanistic studies, drug screening, and potential cell therapies for different neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report that a single zinc-finger transcription factor, Zfp521, is sufficient for direct conversion of human fibroblasts into long-term self-renewable and multipotent NSCs. In vitro, Zfp521-induced NSCs maintained their characteristics in the absence of exogenous factor expression and exhibited morphological, molecular, developmental, and functional properties that were similar to control NSCs. In addition, the single-seeded induced NSCs were able to form NSC colonies with efficiency comparable with control NSCs and expressed NSC markers. The converted cells were capable of surviving, migrating, and attaining neural phenotypes after transplantation into neonatal mouse and adult rat brains, without forming tumors. Moreover, the Zfp521-induced NSCs predominantly expressed rostral genes. Our results suggest a facilitated approach for establishing human NSCs through Zfp521-driven conversion of fibroblasts.

Single cell analysis: the new frontier in 'Omics'

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Wang, Daojing; Bodovitz, Steven

2010-01-14

Cellular heterogeneity arising from stochastic expression of genes, proteins, and metabolites is a fundamental principle of cell biology, but single cell analysis has been beyond the capabilities of 'Omics' technologies. This is rapidly changing with the recent examples of single cell genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. The rate of change is expected to accelerate owing to emerging technologies that range from micro/nanofluidics to microfabricated interfaces for mass spectrometry to third- and fourth-generation automated DNA sequencers. As described in this review, single cell analysis is the new frontier in Omics, and single cell Omics has the potential to transform systems biology through new discoveries derived from cellular heterogeneity.

Quantitative high-resolution genomic analysis of single cancer cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliane Hannemann

Full Text Available During cancer progression, specific genomic aberrations arise that can determine the scope of the disease and can be used as predictive or prognostic markers. The detection of specific gene amplifications or deletions in single blood-borne or disseminated tumour cells that may give rise to the development of metastases is of great clinical interest but technically challenging. In this study, we present a method for quantitative high-resolution genomic analysis of single cells. Cells were isolated under permanent microscopic control followed by high-fidelity whole genome amplification and subsequent analyses by fine tiling array-CGH and qPCR. The assay was applied to single breast cancer cells to analyze the chromosomal region centred by the therapeutical relevant EGFR gene. This method allows precise quantitative analysis of copy number variations in single cell diagnostics.

New frontiers in single-cell analysis

OpenAIRE

Templer, Richard H.; Ces, Oscar

2008-01-01

For this special issue of J. R. Soc. Interface we present an overview of the driving forces behind technological advances in the field of single-cell analysis. These range from increasing our understanding of cellular heterogeneity through to the study of rare cells, areas of research that cannot be tackled effectively using current high-throughput population-based averaging techniques.

Central dogma at the single-molecule level in living cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gene-Wei; Xie, X Sunney

2011-07-20

Gene expression originates from individual DNA molecules within living cells. Like many single-molecule processes, gene expression and regulation are stochastic, that is, sporadic in time. This leads to heterogeneity in the messenger-RNA and protein copy numbers in a population of cells with identical genomes. With advanced single-cell fluorescence microscopy, it is now possible to quantify transcriptomes and proteomes with single-molecule sensitivity. Dynamic processes such as transcription-factor binding, transcription and translation can be monitored in real time, providing quantitative descriptions of the central dogma of molecular biology and the demonstration that a stochastic single-molecule event can determine the phenotype of a cell.

RoboSCell: An automated single cell arraying and analysis instrument

KAUST Repository

Sakaki, Kelly; Foulds, Ian G.; Liu, William; Dechev, Nikolai; Burke, Robert Douglas; Park, Edward

2009-01-01

Single cell research has the potential to revolutionize experimental methods in biomedical sciences and contribute to clinical practices. Recent studies suggest analysis of single cells reveals novel features of intracellular processes, cell-to-cell

Analysis of allelic expression patterns in clonal somatic cells by single-cell RNA-seq.

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Reinius, Björn; Mold, Jeff E; Ramsköld, Daniel; Deng, Qiaolin; Johnsson, Per; Michaëlsson, Jakob; Frisén, Jonas; Sandberg, Rickard

2016-11-01

Cellular heterogeneity can emerge from the expression of only one parental allele. However, it has remained controversial whether, or to what degree, random monoallelic expression of autosomal genes (aRME) is mitotically inherited (clonal) or stochastic (dynamic) in somatic cells, particularly in vivo. Here we used allele-sensitive single-cell RNA-seq on clonal primary mouse fibroblasts and freshly isolated human CD8 + T cells to dissect clonal and dynamic monoallelic expression patterns. Dynamic aRME affected a considerable portion of the cells' transcriptomes, with levels dependent on the cells' transcriptional activity. Notably, clonal aRME was detected, but it was surprisingly scarce (aRME occurs transiently within individual cells, and patterns of aRME are thus primarily scattered throughout somatic cell populations rather than, as previously hypothesized, confined to patches of clonally related cells.

Systematic analysis of transcription start sites in avian development.

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Marina Lizio

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE in combination with single-molecule sequencing technology allows precision mapping of transcription start sites (TSSs and genome-wide capture of promoter activities in differentiated and steady state cell populations. Much less is known about whether TSS profiling can characterize diverse and non-steady state cell populations, such as the approximately 400 transitory and heterogeneous cell types that arise during ontogeny of vertebrate animals. To gain such insight, we used the chick model and performed CAGE-based TSS analysis on embryonic samples covering the full 3-week developmental period. In total, 31,863 robust TSS peaks (>1 tag per million [TPM] were mapped to the latest chicken genome assembly, of which 34% to 46% were active in any given developmental stage. ZENBU, a web-based, open-source platform, was used for interactive data exploration. TSSs of genes critical for lineage differentiation could be precisely mapped and their activities tracked throughout development, suggesting that non-steady state and heterogeneous cell populations are amenable to CAGE-based transcriptional analysis. Our study also uncovered a large set of extremely stable housekeeping TSSs and many novel stage-specific ones. We furthermore demonstrated that TSS mapping could expedite motif-based promoter analysis for regulatory modules associated with stage-specific and housekeeping genes. Finally, using Brachyury as an example, we provide evidence that precise TSS mapping in combination with Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR-on technology enables us, for the first time, to efficiently target endogenous avian genes for transcriptional activation. Taken together, our results represent the first report of genome-wide TSS mapping in birds and the first systematic developmental TSS analysis in any amniote species (birds and mammals. By facilitating promoter-based molecular analysis and genetic

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals the Transcriptional Landscape and Heterogeneity of Aortic Macrophages in Murine Atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cochain, Clément; Vafadarnejad, Ehsan; Arampatzi, Panagiota; Jaroslav, Pelisek; Winkels, Holger; Ley, Klaus; Wolf, Dennis; Saliba, Antoine-Emmanuel; Zernecke, Alma

2018-03-15

Rationale: It is assumed that atherosclerotic arteries contain several macrophage subsets endowed with specific functions. The precise identity of these subsets is poorly characterized as they ha ve been defined by the expression of a restricted number of markers. Objective: We have applied single-cell RNA-seq as an unbiased profiling strategy to interrogate and classify aortic macrophage heterogeneity at the single-cell level in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of total aortic CD45 + cells extracted from the non-diseased (chow fed) and atherosclerotic (11 weeks of high fat diet) aorta of Ldlr -/- mice. Unsupervised clustering singled out 13 distinct aortic cell clusters. Among the myeloid cell populations, Resident-like macrophages with a gene expression profile similar to aortic resident macrophages were found in healthy and diseased aortae, whereas monocytes, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC), and two populations of macrophages were almost exclusively detectable in atherosclerotic aortae, comprising Inflammatory macrophages showing enrichment in I l1b , and previously undescribed TREM2 hi macrophages. Differential gene expression and gene ontology enrichment analyses revealed specific gene expression patterns distinguishing these three macrophage subsets and MoDC, and uncovered putative functions of each cell type. Notably, TREM2 hi macrophages appeared to be endowed with specialized functions in lipid metabolism and catabolism, and presented a gene expression signature reminiscent of osteoclasts, suggesting a role in lesion calcification. TREM2 expression was moreover detected in human lesional macrophages. Importantly, these macrophage populations were present also in advanced atherosclerosis and in Apoe -/- aortae, indicating relevance of our findings in different stages of atherosclerosis and mouse models. Conclusions: These data unprecedentedly uncovered the transcriptional landscape and phenotypic

DNA damage-inducible transcripts in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fornace, A.J. Jr.; Alamo, I. Jr.; Hollander, M.C.

1988-01-01

Hybridization subtraction at low ratios of RNA to cDNA was used to enrich for the cDNA of transcripts increased in Chinese hamster cells after UV irradiation. Forty-nine different cDNA clones were isolated. Most coded for nonabundant transcripts rapidly induced 2- to 10-fold after UV irradiation. Only 2 of the 20 cDNA clones sequenced matched known sequences (metallothionein I and II). The predicted amino acid sequence of one cDNA had two localized areas of homology with the rat helix-destabilizing protein. These areas of homology were at the two DNA-binding sites of this nucleic acid single-strand-binding protein. The induced transcripts were separated into two general classes. Class I transcripts were induced by UV radiation and not by the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate. Class II transcripts were induced by UV radiation and by methyl methanesulfonate. Many class II transcripts were induced also by H2O2 and various alkylating agents but not by heat shock, phorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate, or DNA-damaging agents which do not produce high levels of base damage. Since many of the cDNA clones coded for transcripts which were induced rapidly and only by certain types of DNA-damaging agents, their induction is likely a specific response to such damage rather than a general response to cell injury

Tools for Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Microbes at Single-Cell Level

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Zixi Chen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Microbiologists traditionally study population rather than individual cells, as it is generally assumed that the status of individual cells will be similar to that observed in the population. However, the recent studies have shown that the individual behavior of each single cell could be quite different from that of the whole population, suggesting the importance of extending traditional microbiology studies to single-cell level. With recent technological advances, such as flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing (NGS, and microspectroscopy, single-cell microbiology has greatly enhanced the understanding of individuality and heterogeneity of microbes in many biological systems. Notably, the application of multiple ‘omics’ in single-cell analysis has shed light on how individual cells perceive, respond, and adapt to the environment, how heterogeneity arises under external stress and finally determines the fate of the whole population, and how microbes survive under natural conditions. As single-cell analysis involves no axenic cultivation of target microorganism, it has also been demonstrated as a valuable tool for dissecting the microbial ‘dark matter.’ In this review, current state-of-the-art tools and methods for genomic and transcriptomic analysis of microbes at single-cell level were critically summarized, including single-cell isolation methods and experimental strategies of single-cell analysis with NGS. In addition, perspectives on the future trends of technology development in the field of single-cell analysis was also presented.

QSpec: online control and data analysis system for single-cell Raman spectroscopy

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Lihui Ren

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Single-cell phenotyping is critical to the success of biological reductionism. Raman-activated cell sorting (RACS has shown promise in resolving the dynamics of living cells at the individual level and to uncover population heterogeneities in comparison to established approaches such as fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS. Given that the number of single-cells would be massive in any experiment, the power of Raman profiling technique for single-cell analysis would be fully utilized only when coupled with a high-throughput and intelligent process control and data analysis system. In this work, we established QSpec, an automatic system that supports high-throughput Raman-based single-cell phenotyping. Additionally, a single-cell Raman profile database has been established upon which data-mining could be applied to discover the heterogeneity among single-cells under different conditions. To test the effectiveness of this control and data analysis system, a sub-system was also developed to simulate the phenotypes of single-cells as well as the device features.

Mapping cellular hierarchy by single-cell analysis of the cell surface repertoire.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Guoji; Luc, Sidinh; Marco, Eugenio; Lin, Ta-Wei; Peng, Cong; Kerenyi, Marc A; Beyaz, Semir; Kim, Woojin; Xu, Jian; Das, Partha Pratim; Neff, Tobias; Zou, Keyong; Yuan, Guo-Cheng; Orkin, Stuart H

2013-10-03

Stem cell differentiation pathways are most often studied at the population level, whereas critical decisions are executed at the level of single cells. We have established a highly multiplexed, quantitative PCR assay to profile in an unbiased manner a panel of all commonly used cell surface markers (280 genes) from individual cells. With this method, we analyzed over 1,500 single cells throughout the mouse hematopoietic system and illustrate its utility for revealing important biological insights. The comprehensive single cell data set permits mapping of the mouse hematopoietic stem cell differentiation hierarchy by computational lineage progression analysis. Further profiling of 180 intracellular regulators enabled construction of a genetic network to assign the earliest differentiation event during hematopoietic lineage specification. Analysis of acute myeloid leukemia elicited by MLL-AF9 uncovered a distinct cellular hierarchy containing two independent self-renewing lineages with different clonal activities. The strategy has broad applicability in other cellular systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single cell analysis contemporary research and clinical applications

CERN Document Server

Cossarizza, Andrea

2017-01-01

This book highlights the current state of the art in single cell analysis, an area that involves many fields of science – from clinical hematology, functional analysis and drug screening, to platelet and microparticle analysis, marine biology and fundamental cancer research. This book brings together an eclectic group of current applications, all of which have a significant impact on our current state of knowledge. The authors of these chapters are all pioneering researchers in the field of single cell analysis. The book will not only appeal to those readers more focused on clinical applications, but also those interested in highly technical aspects of the technologies. All of the technologies identified utilize unique applications of photon detection systems.

Numerical Analysis of Hydrodynamic Flow in Microfluidic Biochip for Single-Cell Trapping Application

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Amelia Ahmad Khalili

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Single-cell analysis has become the interest of a wide range of biological and biomedical engineering research. It could provide precise information on individual cells, leading to important knowledge regarding human diseases. To perform single-cell analysis, it is crucial to isolate the individual cells before further manipulation is carried out. Recently, microfluidic biochips have been widely used for cell trapping and single cell analysis, such as mechanical and electrical detection. This work focuses on developing a finite element simulation model of single-cell trapping system for any types of cells or particles based on the hydrodynamic flow resistance (Rh manipulations in the main channel and trap channel to achieve successful trapping. Analysis is carried out using finite element ABAQUS-FEA™ software. A guideline to design and optimize single-cell trapping model is proposed and the example of a thorough optimization analysis is carried out using a yeast cell model. The results show the finite element model is able to trap a single cell inside the fluidic environment. Fluid’s velocity profile and streamline plots for successful and unsuccessful single yeast cell trapping are presented according to the hydrodynamic concept. The single-cell trapping model can be a significant important guideline in designing a new chip for biomedical applications.

Deconstructing transcriptional heterogeneity in pluripotent stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Shalek, Alex K.; Satija, Rahul; DaleyKeyser, AJay; Li, Hu; Zhang, Jin; Pardee, Keith; Gennert, David; Trombetta, John J.; Ferrante, Thomas C.; Regev, Aviv; Daley, George Q.; Collins, James J.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are capable of dynamic interconversion between distinct substates, but the regulatory circuits specifying these states and enabling transitions between them are not well understood. We set out to characterize transcriptional heterogeneity in PSCs by single-cell expression profiling under different chemical and genetic perturbations. Signaling factors and developmental regulators show highly variable expression, with expression states for some variable genes heritable through multiple cell divisions. Expression variability and population heterogeneity can be influenced by perturbation of signaling pathways and chromatin regulators. Strikingly, either removal of mature miRNAs or pharmacologic blockage of signaling pathways drives PSCs into a low-noise ground state characterized by a reconfigured pluripotency network, enhanced self-renewal, and a distinct chromatin state, an effect mediated by opposing miRNA families acting on the c-myc / Lin28 / let-7 axis. These data illuminate the nature of transcriptional heterogeneity in PSCs. PMID:25471879

What Population Reveals about Individual Cell Identity: Single-Cell Parameter Estimation of Models of Gene Expression in Yeast.

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Artémis Llamosi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Significant cell-to-cell heterogeneity is ubiquitously observed in isogenic cell populations. Consequently, parameters of models of intracellular processes, usually fitted to population-averaged data, should rather be fitted to individual cells to obtain a population of models of similar but non-identical individuals. Here, we propose a quantitative modeling framework that attributes specific parameter values to single cells for a standard model of gene expression. We combine high quality single-cell measurements of the response of yeast cells to repeated hyperosmotic shocks and state-of-the-art statistical inference approaches for mixed-effects models to infer multidimensional parameter distributions describing the population, and then derive specific parameters for individual cells. The analysis of single-cell parameters shows that single-cell identity (e.g. gene expression dynamics, cell size, growth rate, mother-daughter relationships is, at least partially, captured by the parameter values of gene expression models (e.g. rates of transcription, translation and degradation. Our approach shows how to use the rich information contained into longitudinal single-cell data to infer parameters that can faithfully represent single-cell identity.

Network analysis of the transcriptional pattern of young and old cells of Escherichia coli during lag phase

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Hinton Jay CD

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aging process of bacteria in stationary phase is halted if cells are subcultured and enter lag phase and it is then followed by cellular division. Network science has been applied to analyse the transcriptional response, during lag phase, of bacterial cells starved previously in stationary phase for 1 day (young cells and 16 days (old cells. Results A genome scale network was constructed for E. coli K-12 by connecting genes with operons, transcription and sigma factors, metabolic pathways and cell functional categories. Most of the transcriptional changes were detected immediately upon entering lag phase and were maintained throughout this period. The lag period was longer for older cells and the analysis of the transcriptome revealed different intracellular activity in young and old cells. The number of genes differentially expressed was smaller in old cells (186 than in young cells (467. Relatively, few genes (62 were up- or down-regulated in both cultures. Transcription of genes related to osmotolerance, acid resistance, oxidative stress and adaptation to other stresses was down-regulated in both young and old cells. Regarding carbohydrate metabolism, genes related to the citrate cycle were up-regulated in young cells while old cells up-regulated the Entner Doudoroff and gluconate pathways and down-regulated the pentose phosphate pathway. In both old and young cells, anaerobic respiration and fermentation pathways were down-regulated, but only young cells up-regulated aerobic respiration while there was no evidence of aerobic respiration in old cells. Numerous genes related to DNA maintenance and replication, translation, ribosomal biosynthesis and RNA processing as well as biosynthesis of the cell envelope and flagellum and several components of the chemotaxis signal transduction complex were up-regulated only in young cells. The genes for several transport proteins for iron compounds were up-regulated in both young

Network analysis of the transcriptional pattern of young and old cells of Escherichia coli during lag phase

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Pin, Carmen

2009-11-16

Abstract Background The aging process of bacteria in stationary phase is halted if cells are subcultured and enter lag phase and it is then followed by cellular division. Network science has been applied to analyse the transcriptional response, during lag phase, of bacterial cells starved previously in stationary phase for 1 day (young cells) and 16 days (old cells). Results A genome scale network was constructed for E. coli K-12 by connecting genes with operons, transcription and sigma factors, metabolic pathways and cell functional categories. Most of the transcriptional changes were detected immediately upon entering lag phase and were maintained throughout this period. The lag period was longer for older cells and the analysis of the transcriptome revealed different intracellular activity in young and old cells. The number of genes differentially expressed was smaller in old cells (186) than in young cells (467). Relatively, few genes (62) were up- or down-regulated in both cultures. Transcription of genes related to osmotolerance, acid resistance, oxidative stress and adaptation to other stresses was down-regulated in both young and old cells. Regarding carbohydrate metabolism, genes related to the citrate cycle were up-regulated in young cells while old cells up-regulated the Entner Doudoroff and gluconate pathways and down-regulated the pentose phosphate pathway. In both old and young cells, anaerobic respiration and fermentation pathways were down-regulated, but only young cells up-regulated aerobic respiration while there was no evidence of aerobic respiration in old cells. Numerous genes related to DNA maintenance and replication, translation, ribosomal biosynthesis and RNA processing as well as biosynthesis of the cell envelope and flagellum and several components of the chemotaxis signal transduction complex were up-regulated only in young cells. The genes for several transport proteins for iron compounds were up-regulated in both young and old cells

Single-cell duplex RT-LATE-PCR reveals Oct4 and Xist RNA gradients in 8-cell embryos

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Hartung Odelya

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The formation of two distinctive cell lineages in preimplantation mouse embryos is characterized by differential gene expression. The cells of the inner cell mass are pluripotent and express high levels of Oct4 mRNA, which is down-regulated in the surrounding trophectoderm. In contrast, the trophectoderm of female embryos contains Xist mRNA, which is absent from cells of the inner mass. Prior to blastocyst formation, all blastomeres of female embryos still express both of these RNAs. We, thus, postulated that simultaneous quantification of Oct4 and Xist transcripts in individual blastomeres at the 8-cell stage could be informative as to their subsequent fate. Testing this hypothesis, however, presented numerous technical challenges. We overcame these difficulties by combining PurAmp, a single-tube method for RNA preparation and quantification, with LATE-PCR, an advanced form of asymmetric PCR. Results We constructed a duplex RT-LATE-PCR assay for real-time measurement of Oct4 and Xist templates and confirmed its specificity and quantitative accuracy with different methods. We then undertook analysis of sets of blastomeres isolated from embryos at the 8-cell stage. At this stage, all cells in the embryo are still pluripotent and morphologically equivalent. Our results demonstrate, however, that both Oct4 and Xist RNA levels vary in individual blastomeres comprising the same embryo, with some cells having particularly elevated levels of either transcript. Analysis of multiple embryos also shows that Xist and Oct4 expression levels are not correlated at the 8-cell stage, although transcription of both genes is up-regulated at this time in development. In addition, comparison of data from males and females allowed us to determine that the efficiency of the Oct4/Xist assay is unaffected by sex-related differences in gene expression. Conclusion This paper describes the first example of multiplex RT-LATE-PCR and its utility, when

Atomic force microscope observation of branching in single transcript molecules derived from human cardiac muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, Jason; Hsueh, Carlin; Gimzewski, James K; Mishra, Bud

2008-01-01

We have used an atomic force microscope to examine a clinically derived sample of single-molecule gene transcripts, in the form of double-stranded cDNA, (c: complementary) obtained from human cardiac muscle without the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. We observed a log-normal distribution of transcript sizes, with most molecules being in the range of 0.4-7.0 kilobase pairs (kb) or 130-2300 nm in contour length, in accordance with the expected distribution of mRNA (m: messenger) sizes in mammalian cells. We observed novel branching structures not previously known to exist in cDNA, and which could have profound negative effects on traditional analysis of cDNA samples through cloning, PCR and DNA sequencing

Dielectrophoretic capture and genetic analysis of single neuroblastoma tumor cells

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Erica L Carpenter

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Our understanding of the diversity of cells that escape the primary tumor and seed micrometastases remains rudimentary, and approaches for studying circulating and disseminated tumor cells have been limited by low throughput and sensitivity, reliance on single parameter sorting, and a focus on enumeration rather than phenotypic and genetic characterization. Here we utilize a highly sensitive microfluidic and dielectrophoretic approach for the isolation and genetic analysis of individual tumor cells. We employed fluorescence labeling to isolate 208 single cells from spiking experiments conducted with 11 cell lines, including 8 neuroblastoma cell lines, and achieved a capture sensitivity of 1 tumor cell per 106 white blood cells. Sample fixation or freezing had no detectable effect on cell capture. Point mutations were accurately detected in the whole genome amplification product of captured single tumor cells but not in negative control white blood cells. We applied this approach to capture 144 single tumor cells from 10 bone marrow samples from patients suffering from neuroblastoma. In this pediatric malignancy, high-risk patients often exhibit wide-spread hematogenous metastasis, but access to primary tumor can be difficult or impossible. Here we used flow-based sorting to pre-enrich samples with tumor involvement below 0.02%. For all patients for whom a mutation in the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase gene had already been detected in their primary tumor, the same mutation was detected in single cells from their marrow. These findings demonstrate a novel, non-invasive, and adaptable method for the capture and genetic analysis of single tumor cells from cancer patients.

Interpretation of Cellular Imaging and AQP4 Quantification Data in a Single Cell Simulator

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Seon B. Kim

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The goal of the present study is to integrate different datasets in cell biology to derive additional quantitative information about a gene or protein of interest within a single cell using computational simulations. We propose a novel prototype cell simulator as a quantitative tool to integrate datasets including dynamic information about transcript and protein levels and the spatial information on protein trafficking in a complex cellular geometry. In order to represent the stochastic nature of transcription and gene expression, our cell simulator uses event-based stochastic simulations to capture transcription, translation, and dynamic trafficking events. In a reconstructed cellular geometry, a realistic microtubule structure is generated with a novel growth algorithm for simulating vesicular transport and trafficking events. In a case study, we investigate the change in quantitative expression levels of a water channel-aquaporin 4-in a single astrocyte cell, upon pharmacological treatment. Gillespie based discrete time approximation method results in stochastic fluctuation of mRNA and protein levels. In addition, we compute the dynamic trafficking of aquaporin-4 on microtubules in this reconstructed astrocyte. Computational predictions are validated with experimental data. The demonstrated cell simulator facilitates the analysis and prediction of protein expression dynamics.

Analysis of transcript and protein overlap in a human osteosarcoma cell line

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Emanuelsson Olof

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An interesting field of research in genomics and proteomics is to compare the overlap between the transcriptome and the proteome. Recently, the tools to analyse gene and protein expression on a whole-genome scale have been improved, including the availability of the new generation sequencing instruments and high-throughput antibody-based methods to analyze the presence and localization of proteins. In this study, we used massive transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq to investigate the transcriptome of a human osteosarcoma cell line and compared the expression levels with in situ protein data obtained in-situ from antibody-based immunohistochemistry (IHC and immunofluorescence microscopy (IF. Results A large-scale analysis based on 2749 genes was performed, corresponding to approximately 13% of the protein coding genes in the human genome. We found the presence of both RNA and proteins to a large fraction of the analyzed genes with 60% of the analyzed human genes detected by all three methods. Only 34 genes (1.2% were not detected on the transcriptional or protein level with any method. Our data suggest that the majority of the human genes are expressed at detectable transcript or protein levels in this cell line. Since the reliability of antibodies depends on possible cross-reactivity, we compared the RNA and protein data using antibodies with different reliability scores based on various criteria, including Western blot analysis. Gene products detected in all three platforms generally have good antibody validation scores, while those detected only by antibodies, but not by RNA sequencing, generally consist of more low-scoring antibodies. Conclusion This suggests that some antibodies are staining the cells in an unspecific manner, and that assessment of transcript presence by RNA-seq can provide guidance for validation of the corresponding antibodies.

An Immunofluorescence-assisted Microfluidic Single Cell Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Tumour Cells Separated from Blood

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Kazunori Hoshino

2015-11-01

matched the results from a few thousand cells. Some markers (e.g., ER, HER2 that are commonly used for cancer identification showed relatively large deviations in expres‐ sion levels. However, others (e.g., GRB7 showed devia‐ tions that are small enough to supplement single cell disease profiling.

CEL-Seq: Single-Cell RNA-Seq by Multiplexed Linear Amplification

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Tamar Hashimshony

2012-09-01

Full Text Available High-throughput sequencing has allowed for unprecedented detail in gene expression analyses, yet its efficient application to single cells is challenged by the small starting amounts of RNA. We have developed CEL-Seq, a method for overcoming this limitation by barcoding and pooling samples before linearly amplifying mRNA with the use of one round of in vitro transcription. We show that CEL-Seq gives more reproducible, linear, and sensitive results than a PCR-based amplification method. We demonstrate the power of this method by studying early C. elegans embryonic development at single-cell resolution. Differential distribution of transcripts between sister cells is seen as early as the two-cell stage embryo, and zygotic expression in the somatic cell lineages is enriched for transcription factors. The robust transcriptome quantifications enabled by CEL-Seq will be useful for transcriptomic analyses of complex tissues containing populations of diverse cell types.

Single-Cell mRNA-Seq Using the Fluidigm C1 System and Integrated Fluidics Circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Haibiao; Do, Devin; Ramakrishnan, Ramesh

2018-01-01

Single-cell mRNA-seq is a valuable tool to dissect expression profiles and to understand the regulatory network of genes. Microfluidics is well suited for single-cell analysis owing both to the small volume of the reaction chambers and easiness of automation. Here we describe the workflow of single-cell mRNA-seq using C1 IFC, which can isolate and process up to 96 cells. Both on-chip procedure (lysis, reverse transcription, and preamplification PCR) and off-chip sequencing library preparation protocols are described. The workflow generates full-length mRNA information, which is more valuable compared to 3' end counting method for many applications.

Single molecule approaches for quantifying transcription and degradation rates in intact mammalian tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahar Halpern, Keren; Itzkovitz, Shalev

2016-04-01

A key challenge in mammalian biology is to understand how rates of transcription and mRNA degradation jointly shape cellular gene expression. Powerful techniques have been developed for measuring these rates either genome-wide or at the single-molecule level, however these techniques are not applicable to assessment of cells within their native tissue microenvironment. Here we describe a technique based on single molecule Fluorescence in-situ Hybridization (smFISH) to measure transcription and degradation rates in intact mammalian tissues. The technique is based on dual-color libraries targeting the introns and exons of the genes of interest, enabling visualization and quantification of both nascent and mature mRNA. We present a software, TransQuant, that facilitates quantifying these rates from smFISH images. Our approach enables assessment of both transcription and degradation rates of any gene of interest while controlling for the inherent heterogeneity of intact tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Image segmentation and dynamic lineage analysis in single-cell fluorescence microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Quanli; Niemi, Jarad; Tan, Chee-Meng; You, Lingchong; West, Mike

2010-01-01

An increasingly common component of studies in synthetic and systems biology is analysis of dynamics of gene expression at the single-cell level, a context that is heavily dependent on the use of time-lapse movies. Extracting quantitative data on the single-cell temporal dynamics from such movies remains a major challenge. Here, we describe novel methods for automating key steps in the analysis of single-cell, fluorescent images-segmentation and lineage reconstruction-to recognize and track individual cells over time. The automated analysis iteratively combines a set of extended morphological methods for segmentation, and uses a neighborhood-based scoring method for frame-to-frame lineage linking. Our studies with bacteria, budding yeast and human cells, demonstrate the portability and usability of these methods, whether using phase, bright field or fluorescent images. These examples also demonstrate the utility of our integrated approach in facilitating analyses of engineered and natural cellular networks in diverse settings. The automated methods are implemented in freely available, open-source software.

Microarray analysis of the transcriptional response to single or multiple doses of ionizing radiation in human subcutaneous fibroblasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rødningen, Olaug Kristin; Overgaard, Jens; Alsner, Jan

2005-01-01

cell lines after various ionizing radiation (IR) schemes in order to provide information on potential targets for prevention and to suggest candidate genes for SNP association studies aimed at predicting individual risk of radiation-induced morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty different human......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Transcriptional profiling of fibroblasts derived from breast cancer patients might improve our understanding of subcutaneous radiation-induced fibrosis. The aim of this study was to get a comprehensive overview of the changes in gene expression in subcutaneous fibroblast...... fibroblast cell lines were included in the study, and two different radiation schemes; single dose experiments with 3.5 Gy or fractionated with 3 x 3.5 Gy. Expression analyses were performed on unexposed and exposed cells after different time points. The IR response was analyzed using the statistical method...

Scientist, Single Cell Analysis Facility | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives.  The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for Cancer Research (CCR).  The dedicated units provide electron microscopy, protein characterization, protein expression, optical microscopy and nextGen sequencing. These research efforts are an integral part of CCR at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR).  CRTP scientists also work collaboratively with intramural NCI investigators to provide research technologies and expertise. KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist II to join the newly established Single Cell Analysis Facility (SCAF) of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at NCI. The SCAF will house state of the art single cell sequencing technologies including 10xGenomics Chromium, BD Genomics Rhapsody, DEPPArray, and other emerging single cell technologies. The Scientist: Will interact with close to 200 laboratories within the CCR to design and carry out single cell experiments for cancer research Will work on single cell isolation/preparation from various tissues and cells and related NexGen sequencing library preparation Is expected to author publications in peer reviewed scientific journals

mRNA-Seq of single prostate cancer circulating tumor cells reveals recapitulation of gene expression and pathways found in prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cann, Gordon M; Gulzar, Zulfiqar G; Cooper, Samantha; Li, Robin; Luo, Shujun; Tat, Mai; Stuart, Sarah; Schroth, Gary; Srinivas, Sandhya; Ronaghi, Mostafa; Brooks, James D; Talasaz, Amirali H

2012-01-01

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) mediate metastatic spread of many solid tumors and enumeration of CTCs is currently used as a prognostic indicator of survival in metastatic prostate cancer patients. Some evidence suggests that it is possible to derive additional information about tumors from expression analysis of CTCs, but the technical difficulty of isolating and analyzing individual CTCs has limited progress in this area. To assess the ability of a new generation of MagSweeper to isolate intact CTCs for downstream analysis, we performed mRNA-Seq on single CTCs isolated from the blood of patients with metastatic prostate cancer and on single prostate cancer cell line LNCaP cells spiked into the blood of healthy donors. We found that the MagSweeper effectively isolated CTCs with a capture efficiency that matched the CellSearch platform. However, unlike CellSearch, the MagSweeper facilitates isolation of individual live CTCs without contaminating leukocytes. Importantly, mRNA-Seq analysis showed that the MagSweeper isolation process did not have a discernible impact on the transcriptional profile of single LNCaPs isolated from spiked human blood, suggesting that any perturbations caused by the MagSweeper process on the transcriptional signature of isolated cells are modest. Although the RNA from patient CTCs showed signs of significant degradation, consistent with reports of short half-lives and apoptosis amongst CTCs, transcriptional signatures of prostate tissue and of cancer were readily detectable with single CTC mRNA-Seq. These results demonstrate that the MagSweeper provides access to intact CTCs and that these CTCs can potentially supply clinically relevant information.

Dataset of transcriptional landscape of B cell early activation

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Alexander S. Garruss

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Signaling via B cell receptors (BCR and Toll-like receptors (TLRs result in activation of B cells with distinct physiological outcomes, but transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that drive activation and distinguish these pathways remain unknown. At early time points after BCR and TLR ligand exposure, 0.5 and 2 h, RNA-seq was performed allowing observations on rapid transcriptional changes. At 2 h, ChIP-seq was performed to allow observations on important regulatory mechanisms potentially driving transcriptional change. The dataset includes RNA-seq, ChIP-seq of control (Input, RNA Pol II, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and a separate RNA-seq for miRNA expression, which can be found at Gene Expression Omnibus Dataset GSE61608. Here, we provide details on the experimental and analysis methods used to obtain and analyze this dataset and to examine the transcriptional landscape of B cell early activation.

Early dynamic fate changes in haemogenic endothelium characterized at the single-cell level

Science.gov (United States)

Swiers, Gemma; Baumann, Claudia; O'Rourke, John; Giannoulatou, Eleni; Taylor, Stephen; Joshi, Anagha; Moignard, Victoria; Pina, Cristina; Bee, Thomas; Kokkaliaris, Konstantinos D.; Yoshimoto, Momoko; Yoder, Mervin C.; Frampton, Jon; Schroeder, Timm; Enver, Tariq; Göttgens, Berthold; de Bruijn, Marella F. T. R.

2013-12-01

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the founding cells of the adult haematopoietic system, born during ontogeny from a specialized subset of endothelium, the haemogenic endothelium (HE) via an endothelial-to-haematopoietic transition (EHT). Although recently imaged in real time, the underlying mechanism of EHT is still poorly understood. We have generated a Runx1 +23 enhancer-reporter transgenic mouse (23GFP) for the prospective isolation of HE throughout embryonic development. Here we perform functional analysis of over 1,800 and transcriptional analysis of 268 single 23GFP+ HE cells to explore the onset of EHT at the single-cell level. We show that initiation of the haematopoietic programme occurs in cells still embedded in the endothelial layer, and is accompanied by a previously unrecognized early loss of endothelial potential before HSCs emerge. Our data therefore provide important insights on the timeline of early haematopoietic commitment.

Downregulation of rRNA transcription triggers cell differentiation.

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Yuki Hayashi

Full Text Available Responding to various stimuli is indispensable for the maintenance of homeostasis. The downregulation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA transcription is one of the mechanisms involved in the response to stimuli by various cellular processes, such as cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Cell differentiation is caused by intra- and extracellular stimuli and is associated with the downregulation of rRNA transcription as well as reduced cell growth. The downregulation of rRNA transcription during differentiation is considered to contribute to reduced cell growth. However, the downregulation of rRNA transcription can induce various cellular processes; therefore, it may positively regulate cell differentiation. To test this possibility, we specifically downregulated rRNA transcription using actinomycin D or a siRNA for Pol I-specific transcription factor IA (TIF-IA in HL-60 and THP-1 cells, both of which have differentiation potential. The inhibition of rRNA transcription induced cell differentiation in both cell lines, which was demonstrated by the expression of the common differentiation marker CD11b. Furthermore, TIF-IA knockdown in an ex vivo culture of mouse hematopoietic stem cells increased the percentage of myeloid cells and reduced the percentage of immature cells. We also evaluated whether differentiation was induced via the inhibition of cell cycle progression because rRNA transcription is tightly coupled to cell growth. We found that cell cycle arrest without affecting rRNA transcription did not induce differentiation. To the best of our knowledge, our results demonstrate the first time that the downregulation of rRNA levels could be a trigger for the induction of differentiation in mammalian cells. Furthermore, this phenomenon was not simply a reflection of cell cycle arrest. Our results provide a novel insight into the relationship between rRNA transcription and cell differentiation.

RT-qPCR work-flow for single-cell data analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Stahlberg, A.; Rusňáková, Vendula; Forootan, A.; Anděrová, Miroslava; Kubista, Mikael

2013-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 1 (2013), s. 80-88 ISSN 1046-2023 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ME10052; GA ČR GAP303/10/1338 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520701 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : RT-qPCR * Single-cell biology * Single-cell data analysis Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology; FH - Neurology (UEM-P) Impact factor: 3.221, year: 2013

Fluidic Logic Used in a Systems Approach to Enable Integrated Single-cell Functional Analysis

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Naveen Ramalingam

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The study of single cells has evolved over the past several years to include expression and genomic analysis of an increasing number of single cells. Several studies have demonstrated wide-spread variation and heterogeneity within cell populations of similar phenotype. While the characterization of these populations will likely set the foundation for our understanding of genomic- and expression-based diversity, it will not be able to link the functional differences of a single cell to its underlying genomic structure and activity. Currently, it is difficult to perturb single cells in a controlled environment, monitor and measure the response due to perturbation, and link these response measurements to downstream genomic and transcriptomic analysis. In order to address this challenge, we developed a platform to integrate and miniaturize many of the experimental steps required to study single-cell function. The heart of this platform is an elastomer-based Integrated Fluidic Circuit (IFC that uses fluidic logic to select and sequester specific single cells based on a phenotypic trait for downstream experimentation. Experiments with sequestered cells that have been performed include on-chip culture, exposure to a variety of stimulants, and post-exposure image-based response analysis, followed by preparation of the mRNA transcriptome for massively parallel sequencing analysis. The flexible system embodies experimental design and execution that enable routine functional studies of single cells.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals a Population of Dormant Neural Stem Cells that Become Activated upon Brain Injury.

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Llorens-Bobadilla, Enric; Zhao, Sheng; Baser, Avni; Saiz-Castro, Gonzalo; Zwadlo, Klara; Martin-Villalba, Ana

2015-09-03

Heterogeneous pools of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) contribute to brain maintenance and regeneration after injury. The balance of NSC activation and quiescence, as well as the induction of lineage-specific transcription factors, may contribute to diversity of neuronal and glial fates. To identify molecular hallmarks governing these characteristics, we performed single-cell sequencing of an unbiased pool of adult subventricular zone NSCs. This analysis identified a discrete, dormant NSC subpopulation that already expresses distinct combinations of lineage-specific transcription factors during homeostasis. Dormant NSCs enter a primed-quiescent state before activation, which is accompanied by downregulation of glycolytic metabolism, Notch, and BMP signaling and a concomitant upregulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and protein synthesis. In response to brain ischemia, interferon gamma signaling induces dormant NSC subpopulations to enter the primed-quiescent state. This study unveils general principles underlying NSC activation and lineage priming and opens potential avenues for regenerative medicine in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of an ultralow-light-level luminescence image analysis system for dynamic measurements of transcriptional activity in living and migrating cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Maire, E; Lelièvre, E; Brau, D; Lyons, A; Woodward, M; Fafeur, V; Vandenbunder, B

2000-04-10

We have developed an approach to study in single living epithelial cells both cell migration and transcriptional activation, which was evidenced by the detection of luminescence emission from cells transfected with luciferase reporter vectors. The image acquisition chain consists of an epifluorescence inverted microscope, connected to an ultralow-light-level photon-counting camera and an image-acquisition card associated to specialized image analysis software running on a PC computer. Using a simple method based on a thin calibrated light source, the image acquisition chain has been optimized following comparisons of the performance of microscopy objectives and photon-counting cameras designed to observe luminescence. This setup allows us to measure by image analysis the luminescent light emitted by individual cells stably expressing a luciferase reporter vector. The sensitivity of the camera was adjusted to a high value, which required the use of a segmentation algorithm to eliminate the background noise. Following mathematical morphology treatments, kinetic changes of luminescent sources were analyzed and then correlated with the distance and speed of migration. Our results highlight the usefulness of our image acquisition chain and mathematical morphology software to quantify the kinetics of luminescence changes in migrating cells.

The transcriptional landscape of hematopoietic stem cell ontogeny

Science.gov (United States)

McKinney-Freeman, Shannon; Cahan, Patrick; Li, Hu; Lacadie, Scott A.; Huang, Hsuan-Ting; Curran, Matthew; Loewer, Sabine; Naveiras, Olaia; Kathrein, Katie L.; Konantz, Martina; Langdon, Erin M.; Lengerke, Claudia; Zon, Leonard I.; Collins, James J.; Daley, George Q.

2012-01-01

Transcriptome analysis of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and their progeny has revealed mechanisms of blood differentiation and leukemogenesis, but a similar analysis of HSC development is lacking. Here, we acquired the transcriptomes of developing HSC purified from >2500 murine embryos and adult mice. We found that embryonic hematopoietic elements clustered into three distinct transcriptional states characteristic of the definitive yolk sac, HSCs undergoing specification, and definitive HSCs. We applied a network biology-based analysis to reconstruct the gene regulatory networks of sequential stages of HSC development and functionally validated candidate transcriptional regulators of HSC ontogeny by morpholino-mediated knock-down in zebrafish embryos. Moreover, we found that HSCs from in vitro differentiated embryonic stem cells closely resemble definitive HSC, yet lack a Notch-signaling signature, likely accounting for their defective lymphopoiesis. Our analysis and web resource (http://hsc.hms.harvard.edu) will enhance efforts to identify regulators of HSC ontogeny and facilitate the engineering of hematopoietic specification. PMID:23122293

Granatum: a graphical single-cell RNA-Seq analysis pipeline for genomics scientists.

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Zhu, Xun; Wolfgruber, Thomas K; Tasato, Austin; Arisdakessian, Cédric; Garmire, David G; Garmire, Lana X

2017-12-05

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) is an increasingly popular platform to study heterogeneity at the single-cell level. Computational methods to process scRNA-Seq data are not very accessible to bench scientists as they require a significant amount of bioinformatic skills. We have developed Granatum, a web-based scRNA-Seq analysis pipeline to make analysis more broadly accessible to researchers. Without a single line of programming code, users can click through the pipeline, setting parameters and visualizing results via the interactive graphical interface. Granatum conveniently walks users through various steps of scRNA-Seq analysis. It has a comprehensive list of modules, including plate merging and batch-effect removal, outlier-sample removal, gene-expression normalization, imputation, gene filtering, cell clustering, differential gene expression analysis, pathway/ontology enrichment analysis, protein network interaction visualization, and pseudo-time cell series construction. Granatum enables broad adoption of scRNA-Seq technology by empowering bench scientists with an easy-to-use graphical interface for scRNA-Seq data analysis. The package is freely available for research use at http://garmiregroup.org/granatum/app.

Single cells for forensic DNA analysis--from evidence material to test tube.

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Brück, Simon; Evers, Heidrun; Heidorn, Frank; Müller, Ute; Kilper, Roland; Verhoff, Marcel A

2011-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a method that, while providing morphological quality control, allows single cells to be obtained from the surfaces of various evidence materials and be made available for DNA analysis in cases where only small amounts of cell material are present or where only mixed traces are found. With the SteREO Lumar.V12 stereomicroscope and UV unit from Zeiss, it was possible to detect and assess single epithelial cells on the surfaces of various objects (e.g., glass, plastic, metal). A digitally operated micromanipulator developed by aura optik was used to lift a single cell from the surface of evidence material and to transfer it to a conventional PCR tube or to an AmpliGrid(®) from Advalytix. The actual lifting of the cells was performed with microglobes that acted as carriers. The microglobes were held with microtweezers and were transferred to the DNA analysis receptacles along with the adhering cells. In a next step, the PCR can be carried out in this receptacle without removing the microglobe. Our method allows a single cell to be isolated directly from evidence material and be made available for forensic DNA analysis. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Single-cell transcriptomic reconstruction reveals cell cycle and multi-lineage differentiation defects in Bcl11a-deficient hematopoietic stem cells.

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Tsang, Jason C H; Yu, Yong; Burke, Shannon; Buettner, Florian; Wang, Cui; Kolodziejczyk, Aleksandra A; Teichmann, Sarah A; Lu, Liming; Liu, Pentao

2015-09-21

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a rare cell type with the ability of long-term self-renewal and multipotency to reconstitute all blood lineages. HSCs are typically purified from the bone marrow using cell surface markers. Recent studies have identified significant cellular heterogeneities in the HSC compartment with subsets of HSCs displaying lineage bias. We previously discovered that the transcription factor Bcl11a has critical functions in the lymphoid development of the HSC compartment. In this report, we employ single-cell transcriptomic analysis to dissect the molecular heterogeneities in HSCs. We profile the transcriptomes of 180 highly purified HSCs (Bcl11a (+/+) and Bcl11a (-/-)). Detailed analysis of the RNA-seq data identifies cell cycle activity as the major source of transcriptomic variation in the HSC compartment, which allows reconstruction of HSC cell cycle progression in silico. Single-cell RNA-seq profiling of Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs reveals abnormal proliferative phenotypes. Analysis of lineage gene expression suggests that the Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs are constituted of two distinct myeloerythroid-restricted subpopulations. Remarkably, similar myeloid-restricted cells could also be detected in the wild-type HSC compartment, suggesting selective elimination of lymphoid-competent HSCs after Bcl11a deletion. These defects are experimentally validated in serial transplantation experiments where Bcl11a (-/-) HSCs are myeloerythroid-restricted and defective in self-renewal. Our study demonstrates the power of single-cell transcriptomics in dissecting cellular process and lineage heterogeneities in stem cell compartments, and further reveals the molecular and cellular defects in the Bcl11a-deficient HSC compartment.

mRNA-Seq of single prostate cancer circulating tumor cells reveals recapitulation of gene expression and pathways found in prostate cancer.

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Gordon M Cann

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cells (CTC mediate metastatic spread of many solid tumors and enumeration of CTCs is currently used as a prognostic indicator of survival in metastatic prostate cancer patients. Some evidence suggests that it is possible to derive additional information about tumors from expression analysis of CTCs, but the technical difficulty of isolating and analyzing individual CTCs has limited progress in this area. To assess the ability of a new generation of MagSweeper to isolate intact CTCs for downstream analysis, we performed mRNA-Seq on single CTCs isolated from the blood of patients with metastatic prostate cancer and on single prostate cancer cell line LNCaP cells spiked into the blood of healthy donors. We found that the MagSweeper effectively isolated CTCs with a capture efficiency that matched the CellSearch platform. However, unlike CellSearch, the MagSweeper facilitates isolation of individual live CTCs without contaminating leukocytes. Importantly, mRNA-Seq analysis showed that the MagSweeper isolation process did not have a discernible impact on the transcriptional profile of single LNCaPs isolated from spiked human blood, suggesting that any perturbations caused by the MagSweeper process on the transcriptional signature of isolated cells are modest. Although the RNA from patient CTCs showed signs of significant degradation, consistent with reports of short half-lives and apoptosis amongst CTCs, transcriptional signatures of prostate tissue and of cancer were readily detectable with single CTC mRNA-Seq. These results demonstrate that the MagSweeper provides access to intact CTCs and that these CTCs can potentially supply clinically relevant information.

Symposium on single cell analysis and genomic approaches, Experimental Biology 2017 Chicago, Illinois, April 23, 2017.

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Coller, Hilary A

2017-09-01

Emerging technologies for the analysis of genome-wide information in single cells have the potential to transform many fields of biology, including our understanding of cell states, the response of cells to external stimuli, mosaicism, and intratumor heterogeneity. At Experimental Biology 2017 in Chicago, Physiological Genomics hosted a symposium in which five leaders in the field of single cell genomics presented their recent research. The speakers discussed emerging methodologies in single cell analysis and critical issues for the analysis of single cell data. Also discussed were applications of single cell genomics to understanding the different types of cells within an organism or tissue and the basis for cell-to-cell variability in response to stimuli. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Analysis artefacts of the INS-IGF2 fusion transcript

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Wernersson, Rasmus; Frogne, Thomas; Rescan, Claude

2015-01-01

Background: In gene expression analysis, overlapping genes, splice variants, and fusion transcripts are potential sources of data analysis artefacts, depending on how the observed intensity is assigned to one, or more genes. We here exemplify this by an in-depth analysis of the INS-IGF2 fusion...... transcript, which has recently been reported to be among the highest expressed transcripts in human pancreatic beta cells and its protein indicated as a novel autoantigen in Type 1 Diabetes. Results: Through RNA sequencing and variant specific qPCR analyses we demonstrate that the true abundance of INS-IGF2...... is >20,000 fold lower than INS in human beta cells, and we suggest an explanation to the nature of the artefacts which have previously led to overestimation of the gene expression level in selected studies. We reinvestigated the previous reported findings of detection of INS-IGF2 using antibodies both...

Micromagnetic Cancer Cell Immobilization and Release for Real-Time Single Cell Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaiswal, Devina; Rad, Armin Tahmasbi [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269 (United States); Nieh, Mu-Ping [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269 (United States); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Claffey, Kevin P. [Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030 (United States); Hoshino, Kazunori, E-mail: hoshino@engr.uconn.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269 (United States)

2017-04-01

Understanding the interaction of live cells with macromolecules is crucial for designing efficient therapies. Considering the functional heterogeneity found in cancer cells, real-time single cell analysis is necessary to characterize responses. In this study, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic channel with patterned micromagnets which can temporarily immobilize the cells during analysis and release them after measurements. The microchannel is composed of plain coverslip top and bottom panels to facilitate easy microscopic observation and undisturbed application of analytes to the cells. Cells labeled with functionalized magnetic beads were immobilized in the device with an efficiency of 90.8±3.6%. Since the micromagnets are made of soft magnetic material (Ni), they released cells when external magnetic field was turned off from the channel. This allows the reuse of the channel for a new sample. As a model drug analysis, the immobilized breast cancer cells (MCF7) were exposed to fluorescent lipid nanoparticles and association and dissociation were measured through fluorescence analysis. Two concentrations of nanoparticles, 0.06 µg/ml and 0.08 µg/ml were tested and time lapse images were recorded and analyzed. The microfluidic device was able to provide a microenvironment for sample analysis, making it an efficient platform for real-time analysis.

A machine learning approach for the identification of key markers involved in brain development from single-cell transcriptomic data.

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Hu, Yongli; Hase, Takeshi; Li, Hui Peng; Prabhakar, Shyam; Kitano, Hiroaki; Ng, See Kiong; Ghosh, Samik; Wee, Lawrence Jin Kiat

2016-12-22

The ability to sequence the transcriptomes of single cells using single-cell RNA-seq sequencing technologies presents a shift in the scientific paradigm where scientists, now, are able to concurrently investigate the complex biology of a heterogeneous population of cells, one at a time. However, till date, there has not been a suitable computational methodology for the analysis of such intricate deluge of data, in particular techniques which will aid the identification of the unique transcriptomic profiles difference between the different cellular subtypes. In this paper, we describe the novel methodology for the analysis of single-cell RNA-seq data, obtained from neocortical cells and neural progenitor cells, using machine learning algorithms (Support Vector machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF)). Thirty-eight key transcripts were identified, using the SVM-based recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) method of feature selection, to best differentiate developing neocortical cells from neural progenitor cells in the SVM and RF classifiers built. Also, these genes possessed a higher discriminative power (enhanced prediction accuracy) as compared commonly used statistical techniques or geneset-based approaches. Further downstream network reconstruction analysis was carried out to unravel hidden general regulatory networks where novel interactions could be further validated in web-lab experimentation and be useful candidates to be targeted for the treatment of neuronal developmental diseases. This novel approach reported for is able to identify transcripts, with reported neuronal involvement, which optimally differentiate neocortical cells and neural progenitor cells. It is believed to be extensible and applicable to other single-cell RNA-seq expression profiles like that of the study of the cancer progression and treatment within a highly heterogeneous tumour.

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

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

2018-05-10

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

Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis of a Human ESC Model of Pancreatic Endocrine Development Reveals Different Paths to β-Cell Differentiation.

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Petersen, Maja Borup Kjær; Azad, Ajuna; Ingvorsen, Camilla; Hess, Katja; Hansson, Mattias; Grapin-Botton, Anne; Honoré, Christian

2017-10-10

The production of insulin-producing β cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro represents a promising strategy for a cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus. To explore the cellular heterogeneity and temporal progression of endocrine progenitors and their progeny, we performed single-cell qPCR on more than 500 cells across several stages of in vitro differentiation of hESCs and compared them with human islets. We reveal distinct subpopulations along the endocrine differentiation path and an early lineage bifurcation toward either polyhormonal cells or β-like cells. We uncover several similarities and differences with mouse development and reveal that cells can take multiple paths to the same differentiation state, a principle that could be relevant to other systems. Notably, activation of the key β-cell transcription factor NKX6.1 can be initiated before or after endocrine commitment. The single-cell temporal resolution we provide can be used to improve the production of functional β cells. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beta-Poisson model for single-cell RNA-seq data analyses.

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Vu, Trung Nghia; Wills, Quin F; Kalari, Krishna R; Niu, Nifang; Wang, Liewei; Rantalainen, Mattias; Pawitan, Yudi

2016-07-15

Single-cell RNA-sequencing technology allows detection of gene expression at the single-cell level. One typical feature of the data is a bimodality in the cellular distribution even for highly expressed genes, primarily caused by a proportion of non-expressing cells. The standard and the over-dispersed gamma-Poisson models that are commonly used in bulk-cell RNA-sequencing are not able to capture this property. We introduce a beta-Poisson mixture model that can capture the bimodality of the single-cell gene expression distribution. We further integrate the model into the generalized linear model framework in order to perform differential expression analyses. The whole analytical procedure is called BPSC. The results from several real single-cell RNA-seq datasets indicate that ∼90% of the transcripts are well characterized by the beta-Poisson model; the model-fit from BPSC is better than the fit of the standard gamma-Poisson model in > 80% of the transcripts. Moreover, in differential expression analyses of simulated and real datasets, BPSC performs well against edgeR, a conventional method widely used in bulk-cell RNA-sequencing data, and against scde and MAST, two recent methods specifically designed for single-cell RNA-seq data. An R package BPSC for model fitting and differential expression analyses of single-cell RNA-seq data is available under GPL-3 license at https://github.com/nghiavtr/BPSC CONTACT: yudi.pawitan@ki.se or mattias.rantalainen@ki.se Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comprehensive meta-analysis of Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT genomic binding patterns discerns cell-specific cis-regulatory modules

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Kang Keunsoo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cytokine-activated transcription factors from the STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription family control common and context-specific genetic programs. It is not clear to what extent cell-specific features determine the binding capacity of seven STAT members and to what degree they share genetic targets. Molecular insight into the biology of STATs was gained from a meta-analysis of 29 available ChIP-seq data sets covering genome-wide occupancy of STATs 1, 3, 4, 5A, 5B and 6 in several cell types. Results We determined that the genomic binding capacity of STATs is primarily defined by the cell type and to a lesser extent by individual family members. For example, the overlap of shared binding sites between STATs 3 and 5 in T cells is greater than that between STAT5 in T cells and non-T cells. Even for the top 1,000 highly enriched STAT binding sites, ~15% of STAT5 binding sites in mouse female liver are shared by other STATs in different cell types while in T cells ~90% of STAT5 binding sites are co-occupied by STAT3, STAT4 and STAT6. In addition, we identified 116 cis-regulatory modules (CRM, which are recognized by all STAT members across cell types defining a common JAK-STAT signature. Lastly, in liver STAT5 binding significantly coincides with binding of the cell-specific transcription factors HNF4A, FOXA1 and FOXA2 and is associated with cell-type specific gene transcription. Conclusions Our results suggest that genomic binding of STATs is primarily determined by the cell type and further specificity is achieved in part by juxtaposed binding of cell-specific transcription factors.

Identification of transcript regulatory patterns in cell differentiation.

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Gusnanto, Arief; Gosling, John Paul; Pope, Christopher

2017-10-15

Studying transcript regulatory patterns in cell differentiation is critical in understanding its complex nature of the formation and function of different cell types. This is done usually by measuring gene expression at different stages of the cell differentiation. However, if the gene expression data available are only from the mature cells, we have some challenges in identifying transcript regulatory patterns that govern the cell differentiation. We propose to exploit the information of the lineage of cell differentiation in terms of correlation structure between cell types. We assume that two different cell types that are close in the lineage will exhibit many common genes that are co-expressed relative to those that are far in the lineage. Current analysis methods tend to ignore this correlation by testing for differential expression assuming some sort of independence between cell types. We employ a Bayesian approach to estimate the posterior distribution of the mean of expression in each cell type, by taking into account the cell formation path in the lineage. This enables us to infer genes that are specific in each cell type, indicating the genes are involved in directing the cell differentiation to that particular cell type. We illustrate the method using gene expression data from a study of haematopoiesis. R codes to perform the analysis are available in http://www1.maths.leeds.ac.uk/∼arief/R/CellDiff/. a.gusnanto@leeds.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Single-cell analysis of growth and cell division of the anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

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Anouchka eFievet

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding basic bacterial cell cycle properties such as cell growth and cell division. While characterization and regulation of bacterial cell cycle is quite well documented in the case of fast growing aerobic model organisms, no data has been so far reported for anaerobic bacteria. This lack of information in anaerobic microorganisms can mainly be explained by the absence of molecular and cellular tools such as single cell microscopy and fluorescent probes usable for anaerobes and essential to study cellular events and/or subcellular localization of the actors involved in cell cycle.In this study, single-cell microscopy has been adapted to study for the first time, in real time, the cell cycle of a bacterial anaerobe, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH. This single-cell analysis provides mechanistic insights into the cell division cycle of DvH, which seems to be governed by the recently discussed so-called incremental model that generates remarkably homogeneous cell sizes. Furthermore, cell division was reversibly blocked during oxygen exposure. This may constitute a strategy for anaerobic cells to cope with transient exposure to oxygen that they may encounter in their natural environment, thereby contributing to their aerotolerance. This study lays the foundation for the first molecular, single-cell assay that will address factors that cannot otherwise be resolved in bulk assays and that will allow visualization of a wide range of molecular mechanisms within living anaerobic cells.

Transcription factor levels enable metabolic diversification of single cells of environmental bacteria.

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Guantes, Raúl; Benedetti, Ilaria; Silva-Rocha, Rafael; de Lorenzo, Víctor

2016-05-01

Transcriptional noise is a necessary consequence of the molecular events that drive gene expression in prokaryotes. However, some environmental microorganisms that inhabit polluted sites, for example, the m-xylene degrading soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida mt-2 seem to have co-opted evolutionarily such a noise for deploying a metabolic diversification strategy that allows a cautious exploration of new chemical landscapes. We have examined this phenomenon under the light of deterministic and stochastic models for activation of the main promoter of the master m-xylene responsive promoter of the system (Pu) by its cognate transcriptional factor (XylR). These analyses consider the role of co-factors for Pu activation and determinants of xylR mRNA translation. The model traces the onset and eventual disappearance of the bimodal distribution of Pu activity along time to the growth-phase dependent abundance of XylR itself, that is, very low in exponentially growing cells and high in stationary. This tenet was validated by examining the behaviour of a Pu-GFP fusion in a P. putida strain in which xylR expression was engineered under the control of an IPTG-inducible system. This work shows how a relatively simple regulatory scenario (for example, growth-phase dependent expression of a limiting transcription factor) originates a regime of phenotypic diversity likely to be advantageous in competitive environmental settings.

Cell type discovery using single-cell transcriptomics: implications for ontological representation.

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Aevermann, Brian D; Novotny, Mark; Bakken, Trygve; Miller, Jeremy A; Diehl, Alexander D; Osumi-Sutherland, David; Lasken, Roger S; Lein, Ed S; Scheuermann, Richard H

2018-05-01

Cells are fundamental function units of multicellular organisms, with different cell types playing distinct physiological roles in the body. The recent advent of single-cell transcriptional profiling using RNA sequencing is producing 'big data', enabling the identification of novel human cell types at an unprecedented rate. In this review, we summarize recent work characterizing cell types in the human central nervous and immune systems using single-cell and single-nuclei RNA sequencing, and discuss the implications that these discoveries are having on the representation of cell types in the reference Cell Ontology (CL). We propose a method, based on random forest machine learning, for identifying sets of necessary and sufficient marker genes, which can be used to assemble consistent and reproducible cell type definitions for incorporation into the CL. The representation of defined cell type classes and their relationships in the CL using this strategy will make the cell type classes being identified by high-throughput/high-content technologies findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), allowing the CL to serve as a reference knowledgebase of information about the role that distinct cellular phenotypes play in human health and disease.

Whole genome transcription profiling of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in human and tick host cells by tiling array analysis

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Chavez Adela

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging tick-borne disease. Ap alternately infects ticks and mammals and a variety of cell types within each. Understanding the biology behind such versatile cellular parasitism may be derived through the use of tiling microarrays to establish high resolution, genome-wide transcription profiles of the organism as it infects cell lines representative of its life cycle (tick; ISE6 and pathogenesis (human; HL-60 and HMEC-1. Results Detailed, host cell specific transcriptional behavior was revealed. There was extensive differential Ap gene transcription between the tick (ISE6 and the human (HL-60 and HMEC-1 cell lines, with far fewer differentially transcribed genes between the human cell lines, and all disproportionately represented by membrane or surface proteins. There were Ap genes exclusively transcribed in each cell line, apparent human- and tick-specific operons and paralogs, and anti-sense transcripts that suggest novel expression regulation processes. Seven virB2 paralogs (of the bacterial type IV secretion system showed human or tick cell dependent transcription. Previously unrecognized genes and coding sequences were identified, as were the expressed p44/msp2 (major surface proteins paralogs (of 114 total, through elevated signal produced to the unique hypervariable region of each – 2/114 in HL-60, 3/114 in HMEC-1, and none in ISE6. Conclusion Using these methods, whole genome transcription profiles can likely be generated for Ap, as well as other obligate intracellular organisms, in any host cells and for all stages of the cell infection process. Visual representation of comprehensive transcription data alongside an annotated map of the genome renders complex transcription into discernable patterns.

Separation of replication and transcription domains in nucleoli.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, E; Borkovec, J; Kováčik, L; Svidenská, S; Schröfel, A; Skalníková, M; Švindrych, Z; Křížek, P; Ovesný, M; Hagen, G M; Juda, P; Michalová, K; Cardoso, M C; Cmarko, D; Raška, I

2014-12-01

In mammalian cells, active ribosomal genes produce the 18S, 5.8S and 28S RNAs of ribosomal particles. Transcription levels of these genes are very high throughout interphase, and the cell needs a special strategy to avoid collision of the DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase machineries. To investigate this problem, we measured the correlation of various replication and transcription signals in the nucleoli of HeLa, HT-1080 and NIH 3T3 cells using a specially devised software for analysis of confocal images. Additionally, to follow the relationship between nucleolar replication and transcription in living cells, we produced a stable cell line expressing GFP-RPA43 (subunit of RNA polymerase I, pol I) and RFP-PCNA (the sliding clamp protein) based on human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. We found that replication and transcription signals are more efficiently separated in nucleoli than in the nucleoplasm. In the course of S phase, separation of PCNA and pol I signals gradually increased. During the same period, separation of pol I and incorporated Cy5-dUTP signals decreased. Analysis of single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) images indicated that transcriptionally active FC/DFC units (i.e. fibrillar centers with adjacent dense fibrillar components) did not incorporate DNA nucleotides. Taken together, our data show that replication of the ribosomal genes is spatially separated from their transcription, and FC/DFC units may provide a structural basis for that separation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of a Plant Transcriptional Regulatory Network Using Transient Expression Systems.

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Díaz-Triviño, Sara; Long, Yuchen; Scheres, Ben; Blilou, Ikram

2017-01-01

In plant biology, transient expression systems have become valuable approaches used routinely to rapidly study protein expression, subcellular localization, protein-protein interactions, and transcriptional activity prior to in vivo studies. When studying transcriptional regulation, luciferase reporter assays offer a sensitive readout for assaying promoter behavior in response to different regulators or environmental contexts and to confirm and assess the functional relevance of predicted binding sites in target promoters. This chapter aims to provide detailed methods for using luciferase reporter system as a rapid, efficient, and versatile assay to analyze transcriptional regulation of target genes by transcriptional regulators. We describe a series of optimized transient expression systems consisting of Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts, infiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, and human HeLa cells to study the transcriptional regulations of two well-characterized transcriptional regulators SCARECROW (SCR) and SHORT-ROOT (SHR) on one of their targets, CYCLIN D6 (CYCD6).Here, we illustrate similarities and differences in outcomes when using different systems. The plant-based systems revealed that the SCR-SHR complex enhances CYCD6 transcription, while analysis in HeLa cells showed that the complex is not sufficient to strongly induce CYCD6 transcription, suggesting that additional, plant-specific regulators are required for full activation. These results highlight the importance of the system and suggest that including heterologous systems, such as HeLa cells, can provide a more comprehensive analysis of a complex gene regulatory network.

Daughter-specific transcription factors regulate cell size control in budding yeast.

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Di Talia, Stefano; Wang, Hongyin; Skotheim, Jan M; Rosebrock, Adam P; Futcher, Bruce; Cross, Frederick R

2009-10-01

In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle.

Daughter-Specific Transcription Factors Regulate Cell Size Control in Budding Yeast

Science.gov (United States)

Di Talia, Stefano; Wang, Hongyin; Skotheim, Jan M.; Rosebrock, Adam P.; Futcher, Bruce; Cross, Frederick R.

2009-01-01

In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle. PMID:19841732

Daughter-specific transcription factors regulate cell size control in budding yeast.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Di Talia

2009-10-01

Full Text Available In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle.

ERK-dependent phosphorylation of the transcription initiation factor TIF-IA is required for RNA polymerase I transcription and cell growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Jian; Yuan, Xuejun; Frödin, Morten

2003-01-01

-specific transcription initiation factor TIF-IA. Activation of TIF-IA and ribosomal gene transcription is sensitive to PD98059, indicating that TIF-IA is targeted by MAPK in vivo. Phosphopeptide mapping and mutational analysis reveals two serine residues (S633 and S649) that are phosphorylated by ERK and RSK kinases....... Replacement of S649 by alanine inactivates TIF-IA, inhibits pre-rRNA synthesis, and retards cell growth. The results provide a link between growth factor signaling, ribosome production, and cell growth, and may have a major impact on the mechanism of cell transformation....

Bisphenol A Disrupts Transcription and Decreases Viability in Aging Vascular Endothelial Cells

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Ribeiro-Varandas, Edna; Pereira, H. Sofia; Monteiro, Sara; Neves, Elsa; Brito, Luísa; Boavida Ferreira, Ricardo; Viegas, Wanda; Delgado, Margarida

2014-01-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely utilized endocrine disruptor capable of mimicking endogenous hormones, employed in the manufacture of numerous consumer products, thereby interfering with physiological cellular functions. Recent research has shown that BPA alters epigenetic cellular mechanisms in mammals and may be correlated to enhanced cellular senescence. Here, the effects of BPA at 10 ng/mL and 1 µg/mL, concentrations found in human samples, were analyzed on HT29 human colon adenocarcinona cell line and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC). Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) transcriptional analysis of the Long Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) retroelement showed that BPA induces global transcription deregulation in both cell lines, although with more pronounced effects in HUVEC cells. Whereas there was an increase in global transcription in HT29 exclusively after 24 h of exposure, this chemical had prolonged effects on HUVEC. Immunoblotting revealed that this was not accompanied by alterations in the overall content of H3K9me2 and H3K4me3 epigenetic marks. Importantly, cell viability assays and transcriptional analysis indicated that prolonged BPA exposure affects aging processes in senescent HUVEC. To our knowledge this is the first report that BPA interferes with senescence in primary vascular endothelial cells, therefore, suggesting its association to the etiology of age-related human pathologies, such as atherosclerosis. PMID:25207595

Single-cell multiple gene expression analysis based on single-molecule-detection microarray assay for multi-DNA determination

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Li, Lu [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wang, Xianwei [School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Zhang, Xiaoli [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wang, Jinxing [School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Jin, Wenrui, E-mail: jwr@sdu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

2015-01-07

Highlights: • A single-molecule-detection (SMD) microarray for 10 samples is fabricated. • The based-SMD microarray assay (SMA) can determine 8 DNAs for each sample. • The limit of detection of SMA is as low as 1.3 × 10{sup −16} mol L{sup −1}. • The SMA can be applied in single-cell multiple gene expression analysis. - Abstract: We report a novel ultra-sensitive and high-selective single-molecule-detection microarray assay (SMA) for multiple DNA determination. In the SMA, a capture DNA (DNAc) microarray consisting of 10 subarrays with 9 spots for each subarray is fabricated on a silanized glass coverslip as the substrate. On the subarrays, the spot-to-spot spacing is 500 μm and each spot has a diameter of ∼300 μm. The sequence of the DNAcs on the 9 spots of a subarray is different, to determine 8 types of target DNAs (DNAts). Thus, 8 types of DNAts are captured to their complementary DNAcs at 8 spots of a subarray, respectively, and then labeled with quantum dots (QDs) attached to 8 types of detection DNAs (DNAds) with different sequences. The ninth spot is used to detect the blank value. In order to determine the same 8 types of DNAts in 10 samples, the 10 DNAc-modified subarrays on the microarray are identical. Fluorescence single-molecule images of the QD-labeled DNAts on each spot of the subarray are acquired using a home-made single-molecule microarray reader. The amounts of the DNAts are quantified by counting the bright dots from the QDs. For a microarray, 8 types of DNAts in 10 samples can be quantified in parallel. The limit of detection of the SMA for DNA determination is as low as 1.3 × 10{sup −16} mol L{sup −1}. The SMA for multi-DNA determination can also be applied in single-cell multiple gene expression analysis through quantification of complementary DNAs (cDNAs) corresponding to multiple messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in single cells. To do so, total RNA in single cells is extracted and reversely transcribed into their cDNAs. Three

Transcriptional profiling of MEF2-regulated genes in human neural progenitor cells derived from embryonic stem cells

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Shing Fai Chan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2 family of transcription factors is highly expressed in the brain and constitutes a key determinant of neuronal survival, differentiation, and synaptic plasticity. However, genome-wide transcriptional profiling of MEF2-regulated genes has not yet been fully elucidated, particularly at the neural stem cell stage. Here we report the results of microarray analysis comparing mRNAs isolated from human neural progenitor/stem cells (hNPCs derived from embryonic stem cells expressing a control vector versus progenitors expressing a constitutively-active form of MEF2 (MEF2CA, which increases MEF2 activity. Microarray experiments were performed using the Illumina Human HT-12 V4.0 expression beadchip (GEO#: GSE57184. By comparing vector-control cells to MEF2CA cells, microarray analysis identified 1880 unique genes that were differentially expressed. Among these genes, 1121 genes were up-regulated and 759 genes were down-regulated. Our results provide a valuable resource for identifying transcriptional targets of MEF2 in hNPCs.

One nuclear calcium transient induced by a single burst of action potentials represents the minimum signal strength in activity-dependent transcription in hippocampal neurons.

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Yu, Yan; Oberlaender, Kristin; Bengtson, C Peter; Bading, Hilmar

2017-07-01

Neurons undergo dramatic changes in their gene expression profiles in response to synaptic stimulation. The coupling of neuronal excitation to gene transcription is well studied and is mediated by signaling pathways activated by cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium transients. Despite this, the minimum synaptic activity required to induce gene expression remains unknown. To address this, we used cultured hippocampal neurons and cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescence in situ hybridization (catFISH) that allows detection of nascent transcripts in the cell nucleus. We found that a single burst of action potentials, consisting of 24.4±5.1 action potentials during a 6.7±1.9s depolarization of 19.5±2.0mV causing a 9.3±0.9s somatic calcium transient, is sufficient to activate transcription of the immediate early gene arc (also known as Arg3.1). The total arc mRNA yield produced after a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient was very small and, compared to unstimulated control neurons, did not lead to a significant increase in arc mRNA levels measured using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) of cell lysates. Significantly increased arc mRNA levels became detectable in hippocampal neurons that had undergone 5-8 consecutive burst-induced nuclear calcium transients at 0.05-0.15Hz. These results indicate that a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient can activate gene expression and that transcription is rapidly shut off after synaptic stimulation has ceased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benzimidazoles diminish ERE transcriptional activity and cell growth in breast cancer cells

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Payton-Stewart, Florastina [Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Tilghman, Syreeta L. [Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Williams, LaKeisha G. [Division of Clinical and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA (United States); Winfield, Leyte L., E-mail: lwinfield@spelman.edu [Department of Chemistry, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2014-08-08

Highlights: • The methyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MDA-MB 231 cells. • The naphthyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MCF-7 cells than ICI. • The benzimidazole molecules demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in ERE transcriptional activity. • The benzimidazole molecules had binding mode in ERα and ERβ comparable to that of the co-crystallized ligand. - Abstract: Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. They regulate the transcription of estrogen-responsive genes and mediate numerous estrogen related diseases (i.e., fertility, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.). As such, ERs are potentially useful targets for developing therapies and diagnostic tools for hormonally responsive human breast cancers. In this work, two benzimidazole-based sulfonamides originally designed to reduce proliferation in prostate cancer, have been evaluated for their ability to modulate growth in estrogen dependent and independent cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231) using cell viability assays. The molecules reduced growth in MCF-7 cells, but differed in their impact on the growth of MDA-MB 231 cells. Although both molecules reduced estrogen response element (ERE) transcriptional activity in a dose dependent manner, the contrasting activity in the MDA-MB-231 cells seems to suggest that the molecules may act through alternate ER-mediated pathways. Further, the methyl analog showed modest selectivity for the ERβ receptor in an ER gene expression array panel, while the naphthyl analog did not significantly alter gene expression. The molecules were docked in the ligand binding domains of the ERα-antagonist and ERβ-agonist crystal structures to evaluate the potential of the molecules to interact with the receptors. The computational analysis complimented the results obtained in the assay of transcriptional activity and gene expression suggesting that the molecules

Benzimidazoles diminish ERE transcriptional activity and cell growth in breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payton-Stewart, Florastina; Tilghman, Syreeta L.; Williams, LaKeisha G.; Winfield, Leyte L.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The methyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MDA-MB 231 cells. • The naphthyl-substituted benzimidazole was more effective at inhibiting growth in MCF-7 cells than ICI. • The benzimidazole molecules demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in ERE transcriptional activity. • The benzimidazole molecules had binding mode in ERα and ERβ comparable to that of the co-crystallized ligand. - Abstract: Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. They regulate the transcription of estrogen-responsive genes and mediate numerous estrogen related diseases (i.e., fertility, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.). As such, ERs are potentially useful targets for developing therapies and diagnostic tools for hormonally responsive human breast cancers. In this work, two benzimidazole-based sulfonamides originally designed to reduce proliferation in prostate cancer, have been evaluated for their ability to modulate growth in estrogen dependent and independent cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231) using cell viability assays. The molecules reduced growth in MCF-7 cells, but differed in their impact on the growth of MDA-MB 231 cells. Although both molecules reduced estrogen response element (ERE) transcriptional activity in a dose dependent manner, the contrasting activity in the MDA-MB-231 cells seems to suggest that the molecules may act through alternate ER-mediated pathways. Further, the methyl analog showed modest selectivity for the ERβ receptor in an ER gene expression array panel, while the naphthyl analog did not significantly alter gene expression. The molecules were docked in the ligand binding domains of the ERα-antagonist and ERβ-agonist crystal structures to evaluate the potential of the molecules to interact with the receptors. The computational analysis complimented the results obtained in the assay of transcriptional activity and gene expression suggesting that the molecules

Genome-wide analysis of differential transcriptional and epigenetic variability across human immune cell types

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ecker, Simone; Chen, Lu; Pancaldi, Vera

2017-01-01

Background: A healthy immune system requires immune cells that adapt rapidly to environmental challenges. This phenotypic plasticity can be mediated by transcriptional and epigenetic variability. Results: We apply a novel analytical approach to measure and compare transcriptional and epigenetic v...

Transcript profiling of two alfalfa genotypes with contrasting cell wall composition in stems using a cross-species platform: optimizing analysis by masking biased probes

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Jung Hans-Joachim G

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The GeneChip® Medicago Genome Array, developed for Medicago truncatula, is a suitable platform for transcript profiling in tetraploid alfalfa [Medicago sativa (L. subsp. sativa]. However, previous research involving cross-species hybridization (CSH has shown that sequence variation between two species can bias transcript profiling by decreasing sensitivity (number of expressed genes detected and the accuracy of measuring fold-differences in gene expression. Results Transcript profiling using the Medicago GeneChip® was conducted with elongating stem (ES and post-elongation stem (PES internodes from alfalfa genotypes 252 and 1283 that differ in stem cell wall concentrations of cellulose and lignin. A protocol was developed that masked probes targeting inter-species variable (ISV regions of alfalfa transcripts. A probe signal intensity threshold was selected that optimized both sensitivity and accuracy. After masking for both ISV regions and previously identified single-feature polymorphisms (SFPs, the number of differentially expressed genes between the two genotypes in both ES and PES internodes was approximately 2-fold greater than the number detected prior to masking. Regulatory genes, including transcription factor and receptor kinase genes that may play a role in development of secondary xylem, were significantly over-represented among genes up-regulated in 252 PES internodes compared to 1283 PES internodes. Several cell wall-related genes were also up-regulated in genotype 252 PES internodes. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR of differentially expressed regulatory and cell wall-related genes demonstrated increased sensitivity and accuracy after masking for both ISV regions and SFPs. Over 1,000 genes that were differentially expressed in ES and PES internodes of genotypes 252 and 1283 were mapped onto putative orthologous loci on M. truncatula chromosomes. Clustering simulation analysis of the differentially expressed genes

Analysis of the paired TCR α- and β-chains of single human T cells.

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Song-Min Kim

Full Text Available Analysis of the paired i.e. matching TCR α- and β-chain rearrangements of single human T cells is required for a precise investigation of clonal diversity, tissue distribution and specificity of protective and pathologic T-cell mediated immune responses. Here we describe a multiplex RT-PCR based technology, which for the first time allows for an unbiased analysis of the complete sequences of both α- and β-chains of TCR from single T cells. We validated our technology by the analysis of the pathologic T-cell infiltrates from tissue lesions of two T-cell mediated autoimmune diseases, psoriasis vulgaris (PV and multiple sclerosis (MS. In both disorders we could detect various T cell clones as defined by multiple T cells with identical α- and β-chain rearrangements distributed across the tissue lesions. In PV, single cell TCR analysis of lesional T cells identified clonal CD8(+ T cell expansions that predominated in the epidermis of psoriatic plaques. An MS brain lesion contained two dominant CD8(+ T-cell clones that extended over the white and grey matter and meninges. In both diseases several clonally expanded T cells carried dual TCRs composed of one Vβ and two different Vα-chain rearrangements. These results show that our technology is an efficient instrument to analyse αβ-T cell responses with single cell resolution in man. It should facilitate essential new insights into the mechanisms of protective and pathologic immunity in many human T-cell mediated conditions and allow for resurrecting functional TCRs from any αβ-T cell of choice that can be used for investigating their specificity.

Single-cell analysis reveals early manifestation of cancerous phenotype in pre-malignant esophageal cells.

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Jiangxin Wang

Full Text Available Cellular heterogeneity plays a pivotal role in a variety of functional processes in vivo including carcinogenesis. However, our knowledge about cell-to-cell diversity and how differences in individual cells manifest in alterations at the population level remains very limited mainly due to the lack of appropriate tools enabling studies at the single-cell level. We present a study on changes in cellular heterogeneity in the context of pre-malignant progression in response to hypoxic stress. Utilizing pre-malignant progression of Barrett's esophagus (BE as a disease model system we studied molecular mechanisms underlying the progression from metaplastic to dysplastic (pre-cancerous stage. We used newly developed methods enabling measurements of cell-to-cell differences in copy numbers of mitochondrial DNA, expression levels of a set of mitochondrial and nuclear genes involved in hypoxia response pathways, and mitochondrial membrane potential. In contrast to bulk cell studies reported earlier, our study shows significant differences between metaplastic and dysplastic BE cells in both average values and single-cell parameter distributions of mtDNA copy numbers, mitochondrial function, and mRNA expression levels of studied genes. Based on single-cell data analysis, we propose that mitochondria may be one of the key factors in pre-malignant progression in BE.

A Single-Chain Photoswitchable CRISPR-Cas9 Architecture for Light-Inducible Gene Editing and Transcription.

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Zhou, Xin X; Zou, Xinzhi; Chung, Hokyung K; Gao, Yuchen; Liu, Yanxia; Qi, Lei S; Lin, Michael Z

2018-02-16

Optical control of CRISPR-Cas9-derived proteins would be useful for restricting gene editing or transcriptional regulation to desired times and places. Optical control of Cas9 functions has been achieved with photouncageable unnatural amino acids or by using light-induced protein interactions to reconstitute Cas9-mediated functions from two polypeptides. However, these methods have only been applied to one Cas9 species and have not been used for optical control of different perturbations at two genes. Here, we use photodissociable dimeric fluorescent protein domains to engineer single-chain photoswitchable Cas9 (ps-Cas9) proteins in which the DNA-binding cleft is occluded at baseline and opened upon illumination. This design successfully controlled different species and functional variants of Cas9, mediated transcriptional activation more robustly than previous optogenetic methods, and enabled light-induced transcription of one gene and editing of another in the same cells. Thus, a single-chain photoswitchable architecture provides a general method to control a variety of Cas9-mediated functions.

Using network component analysis to dissect regulatory networks mediated by transcription factors in yeast.

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Chun Ye

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Understanding the relationship between genetic variation and gene expression is a central question in genetics. With the availability of data from high-throughput technologies such as ChIP-Chip, expression, and genotyping arrays, we can begin to not only identify associations but to understand how genetic variations perturb the underlying transcription regulatory networks to induce differential gene expression. In this study, we describe a simple model of transcription regulation where the expression of a gene is completely characterized by two properties: the concentrations and promoter affinities of active transcription factors. We devise a method that extends Network Component Analysis (NCA to determine how genetic variations in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs perturb these two properties. Applying our method to a segregating population of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found statistically significant examples of trans-acting SNPs located in regulatory hotspots that perturb transcription factor concentrations and affinities for target promoters to cause global differential expression and cis-acting genetic variations that perturb the promoter affinities of transcription factors on a single gene to cause local differential expression. Although many genetic variations linked to gene expressions have been identified, it is not clear how they perturb the underlying regulatory networks that govern gene expression. Our work begins to fill this void by showing that many genetic variations affect the concentrations of active transcription factors in a cell and their affinities for target promoters. Understanding the effects of these perturbations can help us to paint a more complete picture of the complex landscape of transcription regulation. The software package implementing the algorithms discussed in this work is available as a MATLAB package upon request.

Cell type-specific termination of transcription by transposable element sequences.

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Conley, Andrew B; Jordan, I King

2012-09-30

Transposable elements (TEs) encode sequences necessary for their own transposition, including signals required for the termination of transcription. TE sequences within the introns of human genes show an antisense orientation bias, which has been proposed to reflect selection against TE sequences in the sense orientation owing to their ability to terminate the transcription of host gene transcripts. While there is evidence in support of this model for some elements, the extent to which TE sequences actually terminate transcription of human gene across the genome remains an open question. Using high-throughput sequencing data, we have characterized over 9,000 distinct TE-derived sequences that provide transcription termination sites for 5,747 human genes across eight different cell types. Rarefaction curve analysis suggests that there may be twice as many TE-derived termination sites (TE-TTS) genome-wide among all human cell types. The local chromatin environment for these TE-TTS is similar to that seen for 3' UTR canonical TTS and distinct from the chromatin environment of other intragenic TE sequences. However, those TE-TTS located within the introns of human genes were found to be far more cell type-specific than the canonical TTS. TE-TTS were much more likely to be found in the sense orientation than other intragenic TE sequences of the same TE family and TE-TTS in the sense orientation terminate transcription more efficiently than those found in the antisense orientation. Alu sequences were found to provide a large number of relatively weak TTS, whereas LTR elements provided a smaller number of much stronger TTS. TE sequences provide numerous termination sites to human genes, and TE-derived TTS are particularly cell type-specific. Thus, TE sequences provide a powerful mechanism for the diversification of transcriptional profiles between cell types and among evolutionary lineages, since most TE-TTS are evolutionarily young. The extent of transcription

Single cell analysis of G1 check points-the relationship between the restriction point and phosphorylation of pRb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinsson, Hanna-Stina; Starborg, Maria; Erlandsson, Fredrik; Zetterberg, Anders

2005-01-01

Single cell analysis allows high resolution investigation of temporal relationships between transition events in G 1 . It has been suggested that phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb) is the molecular mechanism behind passage through the restriction point (R). We performed a detailed single cell study of the temporal relationship between R and pRb phosphorylation in human fibroblasts using time lapse video-microscopy combined with immunocytochemistry. Four principally different criteria for pRb phosphorylation were used, namely (i) phosphorylation of residues Ser 795 and Ser 780 (ii) degree of pRb-association with the nuclear structure, a property that is closely related with pRb phosphorylation status, (iii) release of the transcription factor E2F-1 from pRb, and (iv) accumulation of cyclin E, which is dependent on phosphorylation of pRb. The analyses of individual cells revealed that passage through R preceded phosphorylation of pRb, which occurs in a gradually increasing proportion of cells in late G 1 . Our data clearly suggest that pRb phosphorylation is not the molecular mechanism behind the passage through R. The restriction point and phosphorylation of pRb thus seem to represent two separate check point in G 1

Spatial reconstruction of single-cell gene expression data.

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Satija, Rahul; Farrell, Jeffrey A; Gennert, David; Schier, Alexander F; Regev, Aviv

2015-05-01

Spatial localization is a key determinant of cellular fate and behavior, but methods for spatially resolved, transcriptome-wide gene expression profiling across complex tissues are lacking. RNA staining methods assay only a small number of transcripts, whereas single-cell RNA-seq, which measures global gene expression, separates cells from their native spatial context. Here we present Seurat, a computational strategy to infer cellular localization by integrating single-cell RNA-seq data with in situ RNA patterns. We applied Seurat to spatially map 851 single cells from dissociated zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and generated a transcriptome-wide map of spatial patterning. We confirmed Seurat's accuracy using several experimental approaches, then used the strategy to identify a set of archetypal expression patterns and spatial markers. Seurat correctly localizes rare subpopulations, accurately mapping both spatially restricted and scattered groups. Seurat will be applicable to mapping cellular localization within complex patterned tissues in diverse systems.

RNA-Seq for enrichment and analysis of IRF5 transcript expression in SLE.

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Rivka C Stone

Full Text Available Polymorphisms in the interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5 gene have been consistently replicated and shown to confer risk for or protection from the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE. IRF5 expression is significantly upregulated in SLE patients and upregulation associates with IRF5-SLE risk haplotypes. IRF5 alternative splicing has also been shown to be elevated in SLE patients. Given that human IRF5 exists as multiple alternatively spliced transcripts with distinct function(s, it is important to determine whether the IRF5 transcript profile expressed in healthy donor immune cells is different from that expressed in SLE patients. Moreover, it is not currently known whether an IRF5-SLE risk haplotype defines the profile of IRF5 transcripts expressed. Using standard molecular cloning techniques, we identified and isolated 14 new differentially spliced IRF5 transcript variants from purified monocytes of healthy donors and SLE patients to generate an IRF5 variant transcriptome. Next-generation sequencing was then used to perform in-depth and quantitative analysis of full-length IRF5 transcript expression in primary immune cells of SLE patients and healthy donors by next-generation sequencing. Evidence for additional alternatively spliced transcripts was obtained from de novo junction discovery. Data from these studies support the overall complexity of IRF5 alternative splicing in SLE. Results from next-generation sequencing correlated with cloning and gave similar abundance rankings in SLE patients thus supporting the use of this new technology for in-depth single gene transcript profiling. Results from this study provide the first proof that 1 SLE patients express an IRF5 transcript signature that is distinct from healthy donors, 2 an IRF5-SLE risk haplotype defines the top four most abundant IRF5 transcripts expressed in SLE patients, and 3 an IRF5 transcript signature enables clustering of SLE patients with the H2 risk haplotype.

Study of USH1 splicing variants through minigenes and transcript analysis from nasal epithelial cells.

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María José Aparisi

Full Text Available Usher syndrome type I (USH1 is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital profound deafness, vestibular areflexia and prepubertal retinitis pigmentosa. The first purpose of this study was to determine the pathologic nature of eighteen USH1 putative splicing variants found in our series and their effect in the splicing process by minigene assays. These variants were selected according to bioinformatic analysis. The second aim was to analyze the USH1 transcripts, obtained from nasal epithelial cells samples of our patients, in order to corroborate the observed effect of mutations by minigenes in patient's tissues. The last objective was to evaluate the nasal ciliary beat frequency in patients with USH1 and compare it with control subjects. In silico analysis were performed using four bioinformatic programs: NNSplice, Human Splicing Finder, NetGene2 and Spliceview. Afterward, minigenes based on the pSPL3 vector were used to investigate the implication of selected changes in the mRNA processing. To observe the effect of mutations in the patient's tissues, RNA was extracted from nasal epithelial cells and RT-PCR analyses were performed. Four MYO7A (c.470G>A, c.1342_1343delAG, c.5856G>A and c.3652G>A, three CDH23 (c.2289+1G>A, c.6049G>A and c.8722+1delG and one PCDH15 (c.3717+2dupTT variants were observed to affect the splicing process by minigene assays and/or transcripts analysis obtained from nasal cells. Based on our results, minigenes are a good approach to determine the implication of identified variants in the mRNA processing, and the analysis of RNA obtained from nasal epithelial cells is an alternative method to discriminate neutral Usher variants from those with a pathogenic effect on the splicing process. In addition, we could observe that the nasal ciliated epithelium of USH1 patients shows a lower ciliary beat frequency than control subjects.

Gene expression profiling analysis of CRTC1-MAML2 fusion oncogene-induced transcriptional program in human mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jie; Li, Jian-Liang; Chen, Zirong; Griffin, James D.; Wu, Lizi

2015-01-01

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) arises from multiple organs and accounts for the most common types of salivary gland malignancies. Currently, patients with unresectable and metastatic MEC have poor long-term clinical outcomes and no targeted therapies are available. The majority of MEC tumors contain a t(11;19) chromosomal translocation that fuses two genes, CRTC1 and MAML2, to generate the chimeric protein CRTC1-MAML2. CRTC1-MAML2 displays transforming activity in vitro and is required for human MEC cell growth and survival, partially due to its ability to constitutively activate CREB-mediated transcription. Consequently, CRTC1-MAML2 is implicated as a major etiologic molecular event and a therapeutic target for MEC. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CRTC1-MAML2 oncogenic action in MEC have not yet been systematically analyzed. Elucidation of the CRTC1-MAML2-regulated transcriptional program and its underlying mechanisms will provide important insights into MEC pathogenesis that are essential for the development of targeted therapeutics. Transcriptional profiling was performed on human MEC cells with the depletion of endogenous CRTC1-MAML2 fusion or its interacting partner CREB via shRNA-mediated gene knockdown. A subset of target genes was validated via real-time RT-PCR assays. CRTC1-MAML2-perturbed molecular pathways in MEC were identified through pathway analyses. Finally, comparative analysis of CRTC1-MAML2-regulated and CREB-regulated transcriptional profiles was carried out to assess the contribution of CREB in mediating CRTC1-MAML2-induced transcription. A total of 808 differentially expressed genes were identified in human MEC cells after CRTC1-MAML2 knockdown and a subset of known and novel fusion target genes was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Pathway Analysis revealed that CRTC1-MAML2-regulated genes were associated with network functions that are important for cell growth, proliferation, survival, migration, and metabolism. Comparison of CRTC

Ionizing radiation activates vascular endothelial growth factor-A transcription in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

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Lee, Hyounji; Kim, Kwang Seok; Jeong, Jae Hoon; Lim, Young Bin [Radiation Cancer Biology Team, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential paracrine factor for developmental and pathological angiogenesis. VEGF also exerts its effects in an autocrine manner in VEGF-producing cells. For instance, autocrine VEGF signaling occurs in tumor cells and contributes to key aspects of tumorigenesis, such as in the function of cancer stem cells and tumor initiation, which are independent of angiogenesis. In addition to tumors cells, non-transformed cells also express VEGF. For example, a VEGF dependent intracellular autocrine mechanism is crucial for the survival of hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoiesis. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a novel treatment modality for early primary cancer and oligometastatic disease. SBRT delivers high-dose hypofractionated radiation, such as 20-60 Gy, to tumors in a single fraction or 2-5 fractions. As VEGF is a critical regulator of functional integrity and viability of vascular endothelial cells, we examined whether high-dose irradiation alters VEGF signaling by measuring the expression levels of VEGFA transcript. It is generally believed that endothelial cells do not produce VEGF in response to radiation. In present study, however, we provide the first demonstration of transcriptional regulation of VEGFA in human vascular endothelial cells by IR treatment. Irradiation with doses higher than 10 Gy in a single exposure triggers up-regulation of VEGFA transcription within 2 hours in HUVECs, whereas irradiation with 10 Gy does not alter VEGFA levels. Our data have shown that high-dose irradiation triggers immediate transactivation of VEGFA in human vascular endothelial cells.

Strand transfer and elongation of HIV-1 reverse transcription is facilitated by cell factors in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Warrilow

Full Text Available Recent work suggests a role for multiple host factors in facilitating HIV-1 reverse transcription. Previously, we identified a cellular activity which increases the efficiency of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro. Here, we describe aspects of the activity which shed light on its function. The cellular factor did not affect synthesis of strong-stop DNA but did improve downstream DNA synthesis. The stimulatory activity was isolated by gel filtration in a single fraction of the exclusion volume. Velocity-gradient purified HIV-1, which was free of detectable RNase activity, showed poor reverse transcription efficiency but was strongly stimulated by partially purified cell proteins. Hence, the cell factor(s did not inactivate an RNase activity that might degrade the viral genomic RNA and block completion of reverse transcription. Instead, the cell factor(s enhanced first strand transfer and synthesis of late reverse transcription suggesting it stabilized the reverse transcription complex. The factor did not affect lysis of HIV-1 by Triton X-100 in the endogenous reverse transcription (ERT system, and ERT reactions with HIV-1 containing capsid mutations, which varied the biochemical stability of viral core structures and impeded reverse transcription in cells, showed no difference in the ability to be stimulated by the cell factor(s suggesting a lack of involvement of the capsid in the in vitro assay. In addition, reverse transcription products were found to be resistant to exogenous DNase I activity when the active fraction was present in the ERT assay. These results indicate that the cell factor(s may improve reverse transcription by facilitating DNA strand transfer and DNA synthesis. It also had a protective function for the reverse transcription products, but it is unclear if this is related to improved DNA synthesis.

Single-cell sequencing in stem cell biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Lu; Tang, Fuchou

2016-04-15

Cell-to-cell variation and heterogeneity are fundamental and intrinsic characteristics of stem cell populations, but these differences are masked when bulk cells are used for omic analysis. Single-cell sequencing technologies serve as powerful tools to dissect cellular heterogeneity comprehensively and to identify distinct phenotypic cell types, even within a 'homogeneous' stem cell population. These technologies, including single-cell genome, epigenome, and transcriptome sequencing technologies, have been developing rapidly in recent years. The application of these methods to different types of stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells and tissue-specific stem cells, has led to exciting new findings in the stem cell field. In this review, we discuss the recent progress as well as future perspectives in the methodologies and applications of single-cell omic sequencing technologies.

Condensing Raman spectrum for single-cell phenotype analysis

KAUST Repository

Sun, Shiwei

2015-12-09

Background In recent years, high throughput and non-invasive Raman spectrometry technique has matured as an effective approach to identification of individual cells by species, even in complex, mixed populations. Raman profiling is an appealing optical microscopic method to achieve this. To fully utilize Raman proling for single-cell analysis, an extensive understanding of Raman spectra is necessary to answer questions such as which filtering methodologies are effective for pre-processing of Raman spectra, what strains can be distinguished by Raman spectra, and what features serve best as Raman-based biomarkers for single-cells, etc. Results In this work, we have proposed an approach called rDisc to discretize the original Raman spectrum into only a few (usually less than 20) representative peaks (Raman shifts). The approach has advantages in removing noises, and condensing the original spectrum. In particular, effective signal processing procedures were designed to eliminate noise, utilising wavelet transform denoising, baseline correction, and signal normalization. In the discretizing process, representative peaks were selected to signicantly decrease the Raman data size. More importantly, the selected peaks are chosen as suitable to serve as key biological markers to differentiate species and other cellular features. Additionally, the classication performance of discretized spectra was found to be comparable to full spectrum having more than 1000 Raman shifts. Overall, the discretized spectrum needs about 5storage space of a full spectrum and the processing speed is considerably faster. This makes rDisc clearly superior to other methods for single-cell classication.

Proximity-based differential single cell analysis of the niche to identify stem/progenitor cell regulators

Science.gov (United States)

Silberstein, Lev; Goncalves, Kevin A; Kharchenko, Peter V; Turcotte, Raphael; Kfoury, Youmna; Mercier, Francois; Baryawno, Ninib; Severe, Nicolas; Bachand, Jacqueline; Spencer, Joel; Papazian, Ani; Lee, Dongjun; Chitteti, Brahmananda Reddy; Srour, Edward F; Hoggatt, Jonathan; Tate, Tiffany; Celso, Cristina Lo; Ono, Noriaki; Nutt, Stephen; Heino, Jyrki; Sipilä, Kalle; Shioda, Toshihiro; Osawa, Masatake; Lin, Charles P; Hu, Guo-fu; Scadden, David T

2016-01-01

SUMMARY Physiological stem cell function is regulated by secreted factors produced by niche cells. In this study, we describe an unbiased approach based on differential single-cell gene expression analysis of mesenchymal osteolineage cells close to and further removed from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to identify candidate niche factors. Mesenchymal cells displayed distinct molecular profiles based on their relative location. Amongst the genes which were preferentially expressed in proximal cells, we functionally examined three secreted or cell surface molecules not previously connected to HSPC biology: the secreted RNase Angiogenin, the cytokine IL18 and the adhesion molecule Embigin and discovered that all of these factors are HSPC quiescence regulators. Our proximity-based differential single cell approach therefore reveals molecular heterogeneity within niche cells and can be used to identify novel extrinsic stem/progenitor cell regulators. Similar approaches could also be applied to other stem cell/niche pairs to advance understanding of microenvironmental regulation of stem cell function. PMID:27524439

Photocleavable DNA Barcoding Antibodies for Multiplexed Protein Analysis in Single Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullal, Adeeti V; Weissleder, Ralph

2015-01-01

We describe a DNA-barcoded antibody sensing technique for single cell protein analysis in which the barcodes are photocleaved and digitally detected without amplification steps (Ullal et al., Sci Transl Med 6:219, 2014). After photocleaving the unique ~70 mer DNA barcodes we use a fluorescent hybridization technology for detection, similar to what is commonly done for nucleic acid readouts. This protocol offers a simple method for multiplexed protein detection using 100+ antibodies and can be performed on clinical samples as well as single cells.

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-01-01

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field. PMID:26213926

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre Gross

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage, laser microdissection (17%, manual cell picking (17%, random seeding/dilution (15%, and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12% are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

Technologies for Single-Cell Isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Andre; Schoendube, Jonas; Zimmermann, Stefan; Steeb, Maximilian; Zengerle, Roland; Koltay, Peter

2015-07-24

The handling of single cells is of great importance in applications such as cell line development or single-cell analysis, e.g., for cancer research or for emerging diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to isolate single cells for subsequent single-cell analysis. Data from a dedicated online market survey conducted to identify the most relevant technologies, presented here for the first time, shows that FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) respectively Flow cytometry (33% usage), laser microdissection (17%), manual cell picking (17%), random seeding/dilution (15%), and microfluidics/lab-on-a-chip devices (12%) are currently the most frequently used technologies. These most prominent technologies are described in detail and key performance factors are discussed. The survey data indicates a further increasing interest in single-cell isolation tools for the coming years. Additionally, a worldwide patent search was performed to screen for emerging technologies that might become relevant in the future. In total 179 patents were found, out of which 25 were evaluated by screening the title and abstract to be relevant to the field.

Analysis of the human intestinal epithelial cell transcriptional response to Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Bifidobacterium lactis and Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putaala, H; Barrangou, R; Leyer, G J

2010-01-01

a comparative analysis of the global in vitro transcriptional response of human intestinal epithelial cells to Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM™, Lactobacillus salivarius Ls-33, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420, and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC). Interestingly, L. salivarius Ls-33...

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of nucleotide excision repair genes in human cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lefkofsky, Hailey B. [Translational Oncology Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Veloso, Artur [Translational Oncology Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Bioinformatics Program, Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Ljungman, Mats, E-mail: ljungman@umich.edu [Translational Oncology Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2015-06-15

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes DNA helix-distorting lesions induced by UV light and various chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin. These lesions efficiently block the elongation of transcription and need to be rapidly removed by transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER) to avoid the induction of apoptosis. Twenty-nine genes have been classified to code for proteins participating in nucleotide excision repair (NER) in human cells. Here we explored the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of these NER genes across 13 human cell lines using Bru-seq and BruChase-seq, respectively. Many NER genes are relatively large in size and therefore will be easily inactivated by UV-induced transcription-blocking lesions. Furthermore, many of these genes produce transcripts that are rather unstable. Thus, these genes are expected to rapidly lose expression leading to a diminished function of NER. One such gene is ERCC6 that codes for the CSB protein critical for TC-NER. Due to its large gene size and high RNA turnover rate, the ERCC6 gene may act as dosimeter of DNA damage so that at high levels of damage, ERCC6 RNA levels would be diminished leading to the loss of CSB expression, inhibition of TC-NER and the promotion of cell death.

Demonstration of interleukin-1 beta transcripts in acute myeloblastic leukemic cells by in situ hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, M; Kanakura, Y; Furukawa, Y; Ernst, T J; Griffin, J D

1990-07-01

The cells from some patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia will secrete autostimulatory cytokines in tissue culture without the addition of stimulators such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), for example, has been observed in up to 50% of cases. In order to investigate the nature of the cell secreting IL-1 beta in AML, we used an antisense RNA probe to detect specific IL-1 beta transcripts in individual leukemic cells by in situ hybridization. In fresh, uncultured cells, IL-1 beta transcripts were observed in 1-40% of undifferentiated leukemic blast cells in 17 of 19 cases. In situ hybridization was at least as sensitive as Northern blot analysis in detecting IL-1 beta transcripts. No correlation of IL-1 beta transcript expression with FAB classification was observed. Normal blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells did not contain cells expressing IL-1 beta transcripts. These results support the concept that the regulation of cytokine genes in AML cells is aberrant.

Transcriptional Waves in the Yeast Cell Cycle

OpenAIRE

Oliva, Anna; Rosebrock, Adam; Ferrezuelo, Francisco; Pyne, Saumyadipta; Chen, Haiying; Skiena, Steve; Futcher, Bruce; Leatherwood, Janet

2005-01-01

Many genes are regulated as an innate part of the eukaryotic cell cycle, and a complex transcriptional network helps enable the cyclic behavior of dividing cells. This transcriptional network has been studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and elsewhere. To provide more perspective on these regulatory mechanisms, we have used microarrays to measure gene expression through the cell cycle of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast). The 750 genes with the most significant oscillat...

Cell type-specific termination of transcription by transposable element sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Conley Andrew B

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transposable elements (TEs encode sequences necessary for their own transposition, including signals required for the termination of transcription. TE sequences within the introns of human genes show an antisense orientation bias, which has been proposed to reflect selection against TE sequences in the sense orientation owing to their ability to terminate the transcription of host gene transcripts. While there is evidence in support of this model for some elements, the extent to which TE sequences actually terminate transcription of human gene across the genome remains an open question. Results Using high-throughput sequencing data, we have characterized over 9,000 distinct TE-derived sequences that provide transcription termination sites for 5,747 human genes across eight different cell types. Rarefaction curve analysis suggests that there may be twice as many TE-derived termination sites (TE-TTS genome-wide among all human cell types. The local chromatin environment for these TE-TTS is similar to that seen for 3′ UTR canonical TTS and distinct from the chromatin environment of other intragenic TE sequences. However, those TE-TTS located within the introns of human genes were found to be far more cell type-specific than the canonical TTS. TE-TTS were much more likely to be found in the sense orientation than other intragenic TE sequences of the same TE family and TE-TTS in the sense orientation terminate transcription more efficiently than those found in the antisense orientation. Alu sequences were found to provide a large number of relatively weak TTS, whereas LTR elements provided a smaller number of much stronger TTS. Conclusions TE sequences provide numerous termination sites to human genes, and TE-derived TTS are particularly cell type-specific. Thus, TE sequences provide a powerful mechanism for the diversification of transcriptional profiles between cell types and among evolutionary lineages, since most TE-TTS are

Determining Physical Mechanisms of Gene Expression Regulation from Single Cell Gene Expression Data

OpenAIRE

Ezer, Daphne; Moignard, Victoria; G?ttgens, Berthold; Adryan, Boris

2016-01-01

Many genes are expressed in bursts, which can contribute to cell-to-cell heterogeneity. It is now possible to measure this heterogeneity with high throughput single cell gene expression assays (single cell qPCR and RNA-seq). These experimental approaches generate gene expression distributions which can be used to estimate the kinetic parameters of gene expression bursting, namely the rate that genes turn on, the rate that genes turn off, and the rate of transcription. We construct a complete ...

Transcriptional landscape of glomerular parietal epithelial cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sina A Gharib

Full Text Available Very little is known about the function of glomerular parietal epithelial cells (PECs. In this study, we performed genome-wide expression analysis on PEC-enriched capsulated vs. PEC-deprived decapsulated rat glomeruli to determine the transcriptional state of PECs under normal conditions. We identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes that mapped to distinct biologic modules including development, tight junction, ion transport, and metabolic processes. Since developmental programs were highly enriched in PECs, we characterized several of their candidate members at the protein level. Collectively, our findings confirm that PECs are multifaceted cells and help define their diverse functional repertoire.

Gold-coated polydimethylsiloxane microwells for high-throughput electrochemiluminescence analysis of intracellular glucose at single cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Juan; Zhou, Junyu; Zhang, Ronggui; Jiang, Dechen; Jiang, Depeng

2018-06-04

In this communication, a gold-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip with cell-sized microwells was prepared through a stamping and spraying process that was applied directly for high-throughput electrochemiluminescence (ECL) analysis of intracellular glucose at single cells. As compared with the previous multiple-step fabrication of photoresist-based microwells on the electrode, the preparation process is simple and offers fresh electrode surface for higher luminescence intensity. More luminescence intensity was recorded from cell-retained microwells than that at the planar region among the microwells that was correlated with the content of intracellular glucose. The successful monitoring of intracellular glucose at single cells using this PDMS chip will provide an alternative strategy for high-throughput single-cell analysis. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Proximity-Based Differential Single-Cell Analysis of the Niche to Identify Stem/Progenitor Cell Regulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Silberstein, Lev; Goncalves, Kevin A; Kharchenko, Peter V; Turcotte, Raphael; Kfoury, Youmna; Mercier, Francois; Baryawno, Ninib; Severe, Nicolas; Bachand, Jacqueline; Spencer, Joel A; Papazian, Ani; Lee, Dongjun; Chitteti, Brahmananda Reddy; Srour, Edward F; Hoggatt, Jonathan; Tate, Tiffany; Lo Celso, Cristina; Ono, Noriaki; Nutt, Stephen; Heino, Jyrki; Sipilä, Kalle; Shioda, Toshihiro; Osawa, Masatake; Lin, Charles P; Hu, Guo-Fu; Scadden, David T

2016-10-06

Physiological stem cell function is regulated by secreted factors produced by niche cells. In this study, we describe an unbiased approach based on the differential single-cell gene expression analysis of mesenchymal osteolineage cells close to, and further removed from, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to identify candidate niche factors. Mesenchymal cells displayed distinct molecular profiles based on their relative location. We functionally examined, among the genes that were preferentially expressed in proximal cells, three secreted or cell-surface molecules not previously connected to HSPC biology-the secreted RNase angiogenin, the cytokine IL18, and the adhesion molecule Embigin-and discovered that all of these factors are HSPC quiescence regulators. Therefore, our proximity-based differential single-cell approach reveals molecular heterogeneity within niche cells and can be used to identify novel extrinsic stem/progenitor cell regulators. Similar approaches could also be applied to other stem cell/niche pairs to advance the understanding of microenvironmental regulation of stem cell function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated patterning and probing with multiple nanoscale tools for single-cell analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiayao; Kim, Yeonuk; Liu, Boyin; Qin, Ruwen; Li, Jian; Fu, Jing

2017-10-01

The nano-manipulation approach that combines Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling and various imaging and probing techniques enables researchers to investigate the cellular structures in three dimensions. Such fusion approach, however, requires extensive effort on locating and examining randomly-distributed targets due to limited Field of View (FOV) when high magnification is desired. In the present study, we present the development that automates 'pattern and probe' particularly for single-cell analysis, achieved by computer aided tools including feature recognition and geometric planning algorithms. Scheduling of serial FOVs for imaging and probing of multiple cells was considered as a rectangle covering problem, and optimal or near-optimal solutions were obtained with the heuristics developed. FIB milling was then employed automatically followed by downstream analysis using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to probe the cellular interior. Our strategy was applied to examine bacterial cells (Klebsiella pneumoniae) and achieved high efficiency with limited human interference. The developed algorithms can be easily adapted and integrated with different imaging platforms towards high-throughput imaging analysis of single cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic EBF1 occupancy directs sequential epigenetic and transcriptional events in B-cell programming.

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Li, Rui; Cauchy, Pierre; Ramamoorthy, Senthilkumar; Boller, Sören; Chavez, Lukas; Grosschedl, Rudolf

2018-01-15

B-cell fate determination requires the action of transcription factors that operate in a regulatory network to activate B-lineage genes and repress lineage-inappropriate genes. However, the dynamics and hierarchy of events in B-cell programming remain obscure. To uncouple the dynamics of transcription factor expression from functional consequences, we generated induction systems in developmentally arrested Ebf1 -/- pre-pro-B cells to allow precise experimental control of EBF1 expression in the genomic context of progenitor cells. Consistent with the described role of EBF1 as a pioneer transcription factor, we show in a time-resolved analysis that EBF1 occupancy coincides with EBF1 expression and precedes the formation of chromatin accessibility. We observed dynamic patterns of EBF1 target gene expression and sequential up-regulation of transcription factors that expand the regulatory network at the pro-B-cell stage. A continuous EBF1 function was found to be required for Cd79a promoter activity and for the maintenance of an accessible chromatin domain that is permissive for binding of other transcription factors. Notably, transient EBF1 occupancy was detected at lineage-inappropriate genes prior to their silencing in pro-B cells. Thus, persistent and transient functions of EBF1 allow for an ordered sequence of epigenetic and transcriptional events in B-cell programming. © 2018 Li et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Transcriptional profiling of cells sorted by RNA abundance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klemm, Sandy; Semrau, Stefan; Wiebrands, Kay; Mooijman, Dylan; Faddah, Dina A; Jaenisch, Rudolf; van Oudenaarden, Alexander

We have developed a quantitative technique for sorting cells on the basis of endogenous RNA abundance, with a molecular resolution of 10-20 transcripts. We demonstrate efficient and unbiased RNA extraction from transcriptionally sorted cells and report a high-fidelity transcriptome measurement of

A single-cell resolution map of mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nestorowa, Sonia; Hamey, Fiona K; Pijuan Sala, Blanca; Diamanti, Evangelia; Shepherd, Mairi; Laurenti, Elisa; Wilson, Nicola K; Kent, David G; Göttgens, Berthold

2016-08-25

Maintenance of the blood system requires balanced cell fate decisions by hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Because cell fate choices are executed at the individual cell level, new single-cell profiling technologies offer exciting possibilities for mapping the dynamic molecular changes underlying HSPC differentiation. Here, we have used single-cell RNA sequencing to profile more than 1600 single HSPCs, and deep sequencing has enabled detection of an average of 6558 protein-coding genes per cell. Index sorting, in combination with broad sorting gates, allowed us to retrospectively assign cells to 12 commonly sorted HSPC phenotypes while also capturing intermediate cells typically excluded by conventional gating. We further show that independently generated single-cell data sets can be projected onto the single-cell resolution expression map to directly compare data from multiple groups and to build and refine new hypotheses. Reconstruction of differentiation trajectories reveals dynamic expression changes associated with early lymphoid, erythroid, and granulocyte-macrophage differentiation. The latter two trajectories were characterized by common upregulation of cell cycle and oxidative phosphorylation transcriptional programs. By using external spike-in controls, we estimate absolute messenger RNA (mRNA) levels per cell, showing for the first time that despite a general reduction in total mRNA, a subset of genes shows higher expression levels in immature stem cells consistent with active maintenance of the stem-cell state. Finally, we report the development of an intuitive Web interface as a new community resource to permit visualization of gene expression in HSPCs at single-cell resolution for any gene of choice. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Single-cell RNA-seq and computational analysis using temporal mixture modelling resolves Th1/Tfh fate bifurcation in malaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Lönnberg, Tapio; Svensson, Valentine; James, Kylie R; Fernandez-Ruiz, Daniel; Sebina, Ismail; Montandon, Ruddy; Soon, Megan S F; Fogg, Lily G; Nair, Arya Sheela; Liligeto, Urijah; Stubbington, Michael J T; Ly, Lam-Ha; Bagger, Frederik Otzen; Zwiessele, Max; Lawrence, Neil D; Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Fernando; Bunn, Patrick T; Engwerda, Christian R; Heath, William R; Billker, Oliver; Stegle, Oliver; Haque, Ashraful; Teichmann, Sarah A

2017-03-03

Differentiation of naïve CD4 + T cells into functionally distinct T helper subsets is crucial for the orchestration of immune responses. Due to extensive heterogeneity and multiple overlapping transcriptional programs in differentiating T cell populations, this process has remained a challenge for systematic dissection in vivo . By using single-cell transcriptomics and computational analysis using a temporal mixtures of Gaussian processes model, termed GPfates, we reconstructed the developmental trajectories of Th1 and Tfh cells during blood-stage Plasmodium infection in mice. By tracking clonality using endogenous TCR sequences, we first demonstrated that Th1/Tfh bifurcation had occurred at both population and single-clone levels. Next, we identified genes whose expression was associated with Th1 or Tfh fates, and demonstrated a T-cell intrinsic role for Galectin-1 in supporting a Th1 differentiation. We also revealed the close molecular relationship between Th1 and IL-10-producing Tr1 cells in this infection. Th1 and Tfh fates emerged from a highly proliferative precursor that upregulated aerobic glycolysis and accelerated cell cycling as cytokine expression began. Dynamic gene expression of chemokine receptors around bifurcation predicted roles for cell-cell in driving Th1/Tfh fates. In particular, we found that precursor Th cells were coached towards a Th1 but not a Tfh fate by inflammatory monocytes. Thus, by integrating genomic and computational approaches, our study has provided two unique resources, a database www.PlasmoTH.org, which facilitates discovery of novel factors controlling Th1/Tfh fate commitment, and more generally, GPfates, a modelling framework for characterizing cell differentiation towards multiple fates.

Each cell counts: Hematopoiesis and immunity research in the era of single cell genomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaitin, Diego Adhemar; Keren-Shaul, Hadas; Elefant, Naama; Amit, Ido

2015-02-01

Hematopoiesis and immunity are mediated through complex interactions between multiple cell types and states. This complexity is currently addressed following a reductionist approach of characterizing cell types by a small number of cell surface molecular features and gross functions. While the introduction of global transcriptional profiling technologies enabled a more comprehensive view, heterogeneity within sampled populations remained unaddressed, obscuring the true picture of hematopoiesis and immune system function. A critical mass of technological advances in molecular biology and genomics has enabled genome-wide measurements of single cells - the fundamental unit of immunity. These new advances are expected to boost detection of less frequent cell types and fuzzy intermediate cell states, greatly expanding the resolution of current available classifications. This new era of single-cell genomics in immunology research holds great promise for further understanding of the mechanisms and circuits regulating hematopoiesis and immunity in both health and disease. In the near future, the accuracy of single-cell genomics will ultimately enable precise diagnostics and treatment of multiple hematopoietic and immune related diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Human Adipose Tissue Stromal Heterogeneity in Metabolic Disease Using Single Cell RNA-Seq

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0251 TITLE: “Evaluation of Human Adipose Tissue Stromal Heterogeneity in Metabolic Disease Using Single Cell RNA...Heterogeneity in Metabolic Disease Using Single- Cell RNA-Seq 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Linus Tzu-Yen...ABSTRACT We have developed a robust protocol to generate single cell transcriptional profiles from subcutaneous adipose tissue samples of both human

Accounting for technical noise in differential expression analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Cheng; Hu, Yu; Kelly, Derek; Kim, Junhyong; Li, Mingyao; Zhang, Nancy R

2017-11-02

Recent technological breakthroughs have made it possible to measure RNA expression at the single-cell level, thus paving the way for exploring expression heterogeneity among individual cells. Current single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) protocols are complex and introduce technical biases that vary across cells, which can bias downstream analysis without proper adjustment. To account for cell-to-cell technical differences, we propose a statistical framework, TASC (Toolkit for Analysis of Single Cell RNA-seq), an empirical Bayes approach to reliably model the cell-specific dropout rates and amplification bias by use of external RNA spike-ins. TASC incorporates the technical parameters, which reflect cell-to-cell batch effects, into a hierarchical mixture model to estimate the biological variance of a gene and detect differentially expressed genes. More importantly, TASC is able to adjust for covariates to further eliminate confounding that may originate from cell size and cell cycle differences. In simulation and real scRNA-seq data, TASC achieves accurate Type I error control and displays competitive sensitivity and improved robustness to batch effects in differential expression analysis, compared to existing methods. TASC is programmed to be computationally efficient, taking advantage of multi-threaded parallelization. We believe that TASC will provide a robust platform for researchers to leverage the power of scRNA-seq. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Catherine M.

2013-01-01

The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity. PMID:23878131

Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Catherine M; Jenner, Richard G

2013-11-01

The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity.

Transcriptional profiling of putative human epithelial stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koçer Salih S

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human interfollicular epidermis is sustained by the proliferation of stem cells and their progeny, transient amplifying cells. Molecular characterization of these two cell populations is essential for better understanding of self renewal, differentiation and mechanisms of skin pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to obtain gene expression profiles of alpha 6+/MHCI+, transient amplifying cells and alpha 6+/MHCI-, putative stem cells, and to compare them with existing data bases of gene expression profiles of hair follicle stem cells. The expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC class I, previously shown to be absent in stem cells in several tissues, and alpha 6 integrin were used to isolate MHCI positive basal cells, and MHCI low/negative basal cells. Results Transcriptional profiles of the two cell populations were determined and comparisons made with published data for hair follicle stem cell gene expression profiles. We demonstrate that presumptive interfollicular stem cells, alpha 6+/MHCI- cells, are enriched in messenger RNAs encoding surface receptors, cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins, transcripts encoding members of IFN-alpha family proteins and components of IFN signaling, but contain lower levels of transcripts encoding proteins which take part in energy metabolism, cell cycle, ribosome biosynthesis, splicing, protein translation, degradation, DNA replication, repair, and chromosome remodeling. Furthermore, our data indicate that the cell signaling pathways Notch1 and NF-κB are downregulated/inhibited in MHC negative basal cells. Conclusion This study demonstrates that alpha 6+/MHCI- cells have additional characteristics attributed to stem cells. Moreover, the transcription profile of alpha 6+/MHCI- cells shows similarities to transcription profiles of mouse hair follicle bulge cells known to be enriched for stem cells. Collectively, our data suggests that alpha 6+/MHCI- cells

The transcriptional network that controls growth arrest and differentiation in a human myeloid leukemia cell line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suzuki, Harukazu; Forrest, Alistair R R; van Nimwegen, Erik

2009-01-01

, we identified the key transcription regulators, their time-dependent activities and target genes. Systematic siRNA knockdown of 52 transcription factors confirmed the roles of individual factors in the regulatory network. Our results indicate that cellular states are constrained by complex networks......Using deep sequencing (deepCAGE), the FANTOM4 study measured the genome-wide dynamics of transcription-start-site usage in the human monocytic cell line THP-1 throughout a time course of growth arrest and differentiation. Modeling the expression dynamics in terms of predicted cis-regulatory sites...... involving both positive and negative regulatory interactions among substantial numbers of transcription factors and that no single transcription factor is both necessary and sufficient to drive the differentiation process....

Single-cell Analysis of Lambda Immunity Regulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bæk, Kristoffer Torbjørn; Svenningsen, Sine Lo; Eisen, Harvey

2003-01-01

We have examined expression of the ¿cI operon in single cells via a rexgfp substitution. Although average fluorescence agreed with expectations for expression of ¿-repressor, fluorescence fluctuated greatly from cell-to-cell. Fluctuations in repressor concentration are not predicted by previous m...

A Resource for the Transcriptional Signature of Bona Fide Trophoblast Stem Cells and Analysis of Their Embryonic Persistence

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Georg Kuales

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs represent the multipotent progenitors that give rise to the different cells of the embryonic portion of the placenta. Here, we analysed the expression of key TSC transcription factors Cdx2, Eomes, and Elf5 in the early developing placenta of mouse embryos and in cultured TSCs and reveal surprising heterogeneity in protein levels. We analysed persistence of TSCs in the early placenta and find that TSCs remain in the chorionic hinge until E9.5 and are lost shortly afterwards. To define the transcriptional signature of bona fide TSCs, we used inducible gain- and loss-of-function alleles of Eomes or Cdx2, and EomesGFP, to manipulate and monitor the core maintenance factors of TSCs, followed by genome-wide expression profiling. Combinatorial analysis of resulting expression profiles allowed for defining novel TSC marker genes that might functionally contribute to the maintenance of the TSC state. Analyses by qRT-PCR and in situ hybridisation validated novel TSC- and chorion-specific marker genes, such as Bok/Mtd, Cldn26, Duox2, Duoxa2, Nr0b1, and Sox21. Thus, these expression data provide a valuable resource for the transcriptional signature of bona fide and early differentiating TSCs and may contribute to an increased understanding of the transcriptional circuitries that maintain and/or establish stemness of TSCs.

Transcriptome-wide analysis of jasmonate-treated BY-2 cells reveals new transcriptional regulators associated with alkaloid formation in tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yuping; Yan, Pengcheng; Yi, Che; Li, Wenzheng; Chai, Yuhui; Fei, Lingling; Gao, Ping; Zhao, Heping; Wang, Yingdian; Timko, Michael P; Wang, Bingwu; Han, Shengcheng

2017-08-01

Jasmonates (JAs) are well-known regulators of stress, defence, and secondary metabolism in plants, with JA perception triggering extensive transcriptional reprogramming, including both activation and/or repression of entire metabolic pathways. We performed RNA sequencing based transcriptomic profiling of tobacco BY-2 cells before and after treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to identify novel transcriptional regulators associated with alkaloid formation. A total of 107,140 unigenes were obtained through de novo assembly, and at least 33,213 transcripts (31%) encode proteins, in which 3419 transcription factors (TFs) were identified, representing 72 gene families, as well as 840 transcriptional regulators (TRs) distributed among 19 gene families. After MeJA treatment BY-2 cells, 7260 differentially expressed transcripts were characterised, which include 4443 MeJA-upregulated and 2817 MeJA-downregulated genes. Of these, 227 TFs/TRs in 36 families were specifically upregulated, and 102 TFs/TRs in 38 families were downregulated in MeJA-treated BY-2 cells. We further showed that the expression of 12 ethylene response factors and four basic helix-loop-helix factors increased at the transcriptional level after MeJA treatment in BY-2 cells and displayed specific expression patterns in nic mutants with or without MeJA treatments. Our data provide a catalogue of transcripts of tobacco BY-2 cells and benefit future study of JA-modulated regulation of secondary metabolism in tobacco. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Gene array analysis of neural crest cells identifies transcription factors necessary for direct conversion of embryonic fibroblasts into neural crest cells

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Tsutomu Motohashi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Neural crest cells (NC cells are multipotent cells that emerge from the edge of the neural folds and migrate throughout the developing embryo. Although the gene regulatory network for generation of NC cells has been elucidated in detail, it has not been revealed which of the factors in the network are pivotal to directing NC identity. In this study we analyzed the gene expression profile of a pure NC subpopulation isolated from Sox10-IRES-Venus mice and investigated whether these genes played a key role in the direct conversion of Sox10-IRES-Venus mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs into NC cells. The comparative molecular profiles of NC cells and neural tube cells in 9.5-day embryos revealed genes including transcription factors selectively expressed in developing trunk NC cells. Among 25 NC cell-specific transcription factor genes tested, SOX10 and SOX9 were capable of converting MEFs into SOX10-positive (SOX10+ cells. The SOX10+ cells were then shown to differentiate into neurons, glial cells, smooth muscle cells, adipocytes and osteoblasts. These SOX10+ cells also showed limited self-renewal ability, suggesting that SOX10 and SOX9 directly converted MEFs into NC cells. Conversely, the remaining transcription factors, including well-known NC cell specifiers, were unable to convert MEFs into SOX10+ NC cells. These results suggest that SOX10 and SOX9 are the key factors necessary for the direct conversion of MEFs into NC cells.

Triptolide inhibits transcription of hTERT through down-regulation of transcription factor specificity protein 1 in primary effusion lymphoma cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, Cong; Wang, Jingchao [Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071 (China); Guo, Wei [Department of Pathology and Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071 (China); Wang, Huan; Wang, Chao; Liu, Yu [Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071 (China); Sun, Xiaoping, E-mail: xsun6@whu.edu.cn [Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071 (China); State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China)

2016-01-01

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), a key component responsible for the regulation of telomerase activity, plays important roles in cellular immortalization and cancer development. Triptolide purified from Tripterygium extracts displays a broad-spectrum bioactivity profile, including immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor. In this study, it is investigated whether triptolide reduces hTERT expression and suppresses its activity in PEL cells. The mRNA and protein levels of hTERT were examined by real time-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The activity of hTERT promoter was determined by Dual luciferase reporter assay. Our results demonstrated that triptolide decreased expression of hTERT at both mRNA and protein levels. Further gene sequence analysis indicated that the activity of hTERT promoter was suppressed by triptolide. Triptolide also reduced the half-time of hTERT. Additionally, triptolide inhibited the expression of transcription factor specificity protein 1(Sp1) in PEL cells. Furthermore, knock-down of Sp1 by using specific shRNAs resulted in down-regulation of hTERT transcription and protein expression levels. Inhibition of Sp1 by specific shRNAs enhanced triptolide-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the inhibitory effect of triptolide on hTERT transcription is possibly mediated by inhibition of transcription factor Sp1 in PEL cells. - Highlights: • Triptolide reduces expression of hTERT by decreasing its transcription level. • Triptolide reduces promoter activity and stability of hTERT. • Triptolide down-regulates expression of Sp1. • Special Sp1 shRNAs inhibit transcription and protein expression of hTERT. • Triptolide and Sp1 shRNA2 induce cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis.

Identification of transcription-factor genes expressed in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte

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Kang Il-Ho

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In flowering plants, the female gametophyte is typically a seven-celled structure with four cell types: the egg cell, the central cell, the synergid cells, and the antipodal cells. These cells perform essential functions required for double fertilization and early seed development. Differentiation of these distinct cell types likely involves coordinated changes in gene expression regulated by transcription factors. Therefore, understanding female gametophyte cell differentiation and function will require dissection of the gene regulatory networks operating in each of the cell types. These efforts have been hampered because few transcription factor genes expressed in the female gametophyte have been identified. To identify such genes, we undertook a large-scale differential expression screen followed by promoter-fusion analysis to detect transcription-factor genes transcribed in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte. Results Using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR, we analyzed 1,482 Arabidopsis transcription-factor genes and identified 26 genes exhibiting reduced mRNA levels in determinate infertile 1 mutant ovaries, which lack female gametophytes, relative to ovaries containing female gametophytes. Spatial patterns of gene transcription within the mature female gametophyte were identified for 17 transcription-factor genes using promoter-fusion analysis. Of these, ten genes were predominantly expressed in a single cell type of the female gametophyte including the egg cell, central cell and the antipodal cells whereas the remaining seven genes were expressed in two or more cell types. After fertilization, 12 genes were transcriptionally active in the developing embryo and/or endosperm. Conclusions We have shown that our quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR differential-expression screen is sufficiently sensitive to detect transcription-factor genes transcribed in the female gametophyte. Most of the genes identified in this

Population transcriptomics with single-cell resolution: a new field made possible by microfluidics: a technology for high throughput transcript counting and data-driven definition of cell types.

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Plessy, Charles; Desbois, Linda; Fujii, Teruo; Carninci, Piero

2013-02-01

Tissues contain complex populations of cells. Like countries, which are comprised of mixed populations of people, tissues are not homogeneous. Gene expression studies that analyze entire populations of cells from tissues as a mixture are blind to this diversity. Thus, critical information is lost when studying samples rich in specialized but diverse cells such as tumors, iPS colonies, or brain tissue. High throughput methods are needed to address, model and understand the constitutive and stochastic differences between individual cells. Here, we describe microfluidics technologies that utilize a combination of molecular biology and miniaturized labs on chips to study gene expression at the single cell level. We discuss how the characterization of the transcriptome of each cell in a sample will open a new field in gene expression analysis, population transcriptomics, that will change the academic and biomedical analysis of complex samples by defining them as quantified populations of single cells. Copyright © 2013 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Induction of specific neuron types by overexpression of single transcription factors.

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Teratani-Ota, Yusuke; Yamamizu, Kohei; Piao, Yulan; Sharova, Lioudmila; Amano, Misa; Yu, Hong; Schlessinger, David; Ko, Minoru S H; Sharov, Alexei A

2016-10-01

Specific neuronal types derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can facilitate mechanistic studies and potentially aid in regenerative medicine. Existing induction methods, however, mostly rely on the effects of the combined action of multiple added growth factors, which generally tend to result in mixed populations of neurons. Here, we report that overexpression of specific transcription factors (TFs) in ESCs can rather guide the differentiation of ESCs towards specific neuron lineages. Analysis of data on gene expression changes 2 d after induction of each of 185 TFs implicated candidate TFs for further ESC differentiation studies. Induction of 23 TFs (out of 49 TFs tested) for 6 d facilitated neural differentiation of ESCs as inferred from increased proportion of cells with neural progenitor marker PSA-NCAM. We identified early activation of the Notch signaling pathway as a common feature of most potent inducers of neural differentiation. The majority of neuron-like cells generated by induction of Ascl1, Smad7, Nr2f1, Dlx2, Dlx4, Nr2f2, Barhl2, and Lhx1 were GABA-positive and expressed other markers of GABAergic neurons. In the same way, we identified Lmx1a and Nr4a2 as inducers for neurons bearing dopaminergic markers and Isl1, Fezf2, and St18 for cholinergic motor neurons. A time-course experiment with induction of Ascl1 showed early upregulation of most neural-specific messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs). Sets of Ascl1-induced mRNAs and miRNAs were enriched in Ascl1 targets. In further studies, enrichment of cells obtained with the induction of Ascl1, Smad7, and Nr2f1 using microbeads resulted in essentially pure population of neuron-like cells with expression profiles similar to neural tissues and expressed markers of GABAergic neurons. In summary, this study indicates that induction of transcription factors is a promising approach to generate cultures that show the transcription profiles characteristic of specific neural cell types.

Microfluidic device for continuous single cells analysis via Raman spectroscopy enhanced by integrated plasmonic nanodimers

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, Gerardo

2015-12-11

In this work a Raman flow cytometer is presented. It consists of a microfluidic device that takes advantages of the basic principles of Raman spectroscopy and flow cytometry. The microfluidic device integrates calibrated microfluidic channels- where the cells can flow one-by-one -, allowing single cell Raman analysis. The microfluidic channel integrates plasmonic nanodimers in a fluidic trapping region. In this way it is possible to perform Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on single cell. These allow a label-free analysis, providing information about the biochemical content of membrane and cytoplasm of the each cell. Experiments are performed on red blood cells (RBCs), peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and myelogenous leukemia tumor cells (K562). © 2015 Optical Society of America.

Sasquatch: predicting the impact of regulatory SNPs on transcription factor binding from cell- and tissue-specific DNase footprints.

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Schwessinger, Ron; Suciu, Maria C; McGowan, Simon J; Telenius, Jelena; Taylor, Stephen; Higgs, Doug R; Hughes, Jim R

2017-10-01

In the era of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and personalized medicine, predicting the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in regulatory elements is an important goal. Current approaches to determine the potential of regulatory SNPs depend on inadequate knowledge of cell-specific DNA binding motifs. Here, we present Sasquatch, a new computational approach that uses DNase footprint data to estimate and visualize the effects of noncoding variants on transcription factor binding. Sasquatch performs a comprehensive k -mer-based analysis of DNase footprints to determine any k -mer's potential for protein binding in a specific cell type and how this may be changed by sequence variants. Therefore, Sasquatch uses an unbiased approach, independent of known transcription factor binding sites and motifs. Sasquatch only requires a single DNase-seq data set per cell type, from any genotype, and produces consistent predictions from data generated by different experimental procedures and at different sequence depths. Here we demonstrate the effectiveness of Sasquatch using previously validated functional SNPs and benchmark its performance against existing approaches. Sasquatch is available as a versatile webtool incorporating publicly available data, including the human ENCODE collection. Thus, Sasquatch provides a powerful tool and repository for prioritizing likely regulatory SNPs in the noncoding genome. © 2017 Schwessinger et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Cloning and functional analysis of human mTERFL encoding a novel mitochondrial transcription termination factor-like protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yao; Zhou Guangjin; Yu Min; He Yungang; Tang Wei; Lai Jianhua; He Jie; Liu Wanguo; Tan Deyong

2005-01-01

Serum plays an important role in the regulation of cell cycle and cell growth. To identify novel serum-inhibitory factors and study their roles in cell cycle regulation, we performed mRNA differential display analysis of U251 cells in the presence or absence of serum and cloned a novel gene encoding the human mitochondrial transcription termination factor-like protein (mTERFL). The full-length mTERFL cDNA has been isolated and the genomic structure determined. The mTERFL gene consists of three exons and encodes 385 amino acids with 52% sequence similarity to the human mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF). However, mTERFL and mTERF have an opposite expression pattern in response to serum. The expression of mTERFL is dramatically inhibited by the addition of serum in serum-starved cells while the mTERF is rather induced. Northern blot analysis detected three mTERFL transcripts of 1.7, 3.2, and 3.5 kb. Besides the 3.2 kb transcript that is unique to skeletal muscle, other two transcripts express predominant in heart, liver, pancreas, and skeletal muscle. Expression of the GFP-mTERFL fusion protein in HeLa cells localized it to the mitochondria. Furthermore, ectopic expression of mTERFL suppresses cell growth and arrests cells in the G1 stage demonstrated by MTT and flow cytometry analysis. Collectively, our data suggest that mTERFL is a novel mTERF family member and a serum-inhibitory factor probably participating in the regulation of cell growth through the modulation of mitochondrial transcription

Computer and Statistical Analysis of Transcription Factor Binding and Chromatin Modifications by ChIP-seq data in Embryonic Stem Cell

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Orlov Yuriy

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Advances in high throughput sequencing technology have enabled the identification of transcription factor (TF binding sites in genome scale. TF binding studies are important for medical applications and stem cell research. Somatic cells can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent state by the combined introduction of factors such as Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, Klf4. These reprogrammed cells share many characteristics with embryonic stem cells (ESCs and are known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs. The signaling requirements for maintenance of human and murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs differ considerably. Genome wide ChIP-seq TF binding maps in mouse stem cells include Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Tbx3, Smad2 as well as group of other factors. ChIP-seq allows study of new candidate transcription factors for reprogramming. It was shown that Nr5a2 could replace Oct4 for reprogramming. Epigenetic modifications play important role in regulation of gene expression adding additional complexity to transcription network functioning. We have studied associations between different histone modification using published data together with RNA Pol II sites. We found strong associations between activation marks and TF binding sites and present it qualitatively. To meet issues of statistical analysis of genome ChIP-sequencing maps we developed computer program to filter out noise signals and find significant association between binding site affinity and number of sequence reads. The data provide new insights into the function of chromatin organization and regulation in stem cells.

Single-cell Hi-C for genome-wide detection of chromatin interactions that occur simultaneously in a single cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagano, Takashi; Lubling, Yaniv; Yaffe, Eitan; Wingett, Steven W; Dean, Wendy; Tanay, Amos; Fraser, Peter

2015-12-01

Hi-C is a powerful method that provides pairwise information on genomic regions in spatial proximity in the nucleus. Hi-C requires millions of cells as input and, as genome organization varies from cell to cell, a limitation of Hi-C is that it only provides a population average of genome conformations. We developed single-cell Hi-C to create snapshots of thousands of chromatin interactions that occur simultaneously in a single cell. To adapt Hi-C to single-cell analysis, we modified the protocol to include in-nucleus ligation. This enables the isolation of single nuclei carrying Hi-C-ligated DNA into separate tubes, followed by reversal of cross-links, capture of biotinylated ligation junctions on streptavidin-coated magnetic beads and PCR amplification of single-cell Hi-C libraries. The entire laboratory protocol can be carried out in 1 week, and although we have demonstrated its use in mouse T helper (TH1) cells, it should be applicable to any cell type or species for which standard Hi-C has been successful. We also developed an analysis pipeline to filter noise and assess the quality of data sets in a few hours. Although the interactome maps produced by single-cell Hi-C are sparse, the data provide useful information to understand cellular variability in nuclear genome organization and chromosome structure. Standard wet and dry laboratory skills in molecular biology and computational analysis are required.

Dynamic analysis of the combinatorial regulation involving transcription factors and microRNAs in cell fate decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Fang; Liu, Haihong; Liu, Zengrong

2014-01-01

P53 and E2F1 are critical transcription factors involved in the choices between different cell fates including cell differentiation, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Recent experiments have shown that two families of microRNAs (miRNAs), p53-responsive miR34 (miRNA-34 a, b and c) and E2F1-inducible miR449 (miRNA-449 a, b and c) are potent inducers of these different fates and might have an important role in sensitizing cancer cells to drug treatment and tumor suppression. Identifying the mechanisms responsible for the combinatorial regulatory roles of these two transcription factors and two miRNAs is an important and challenging problem. Here, based in part on the model proposed in Tongli Zhang et al. (2007), we developed a mathematical model of the decision process and explored the combinatorial regulation between these two transcription factors and two miRNAs in response to DNA damage. By analyzing nonlinear dynamic behaviors of the model, we found that p53 exhibits pulsatile behavior. Moreover, a comparison is given to reveal the subtle differences of the cell fate decision process between regulation and deregulation of miR34 on E2F1. It predicts that miR34 plays a critical role in promoting cell cycle arrest. In addition, a computer simulation result also predicts that the miR449 is necessary for apoptosis in response to sustained DNA damage. In agreement with experimental observations, our model can account for the intricate regulatory relationship between these two transcription factors and two miRNAs in the cell fate decision process after DNA damage. These theoretical results indicate that miR34 and miR449 are effective tumor suppressors and play critical roles in cell fate decisions. The work provides a dynamic mechanism that shows how cell fate decisions are coordinated by two transcription factors and two miRNAs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Computational Proteomics, Systems Biology and Clinical Implications. Guest Editor: Yudong Cai

Toward single-cell analysis by plume collimation in laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

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Stolee, Jessica A; Vertes, Akos

2013-04-02

Ambient ionization methods for mass spectrometry have enabled the in situ and in vivo analysis of biological tissues and cells. When an etched optical fiber is used to deliver laser energy to a sample in laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) mass spectrometry, the analysis of large single cells becomes possible. However, because in this arrangement the ablation plume expands in three dimensions, only a small portion of it is ionized by the electrospray. Here we show that sample ablation within a capillary helps to confine the radial expansion of the plume. Plume collimation, due to the altered expansion dynamics, leads to greater interaction with the electrospray plume resulting in increased ionization efficiency, reduced limit of detection (by a factor of ~13, reaching 600 amol for verapamil), and extended dynamic range (6 orders of magnitude) compared to conventional LAESI. This enhanced sensitivity enables the analysis of a range of metabolites from small cell populations and single cells in the ambient environment. This technique has the potential to be integrated with flow cytometry for high-throughput metabolite analysis of sorted cells.

Microfluidic device for continuous single cells analysis via Raman spectroscopy enhanced by integrated plasmonic nanodimers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perozziello, Gerardo; Candeloro, Patrizio; De Grazia, Antonio

2016-01-01

In this work a Raman flow cytometer is presented. It consists of a microfluidic device that takes advantages of the basic principles of Raman spectroscopy and flow cytometry. The microfluidic device integrates calibrated microfluidic channels-where the cells can flow one-by-one -, allowing single...... cell Raman analysis. The microfluidic channel integrates plasmonic nanodimers in a fluidic trapping region. In this way it is possible to perform Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on single cell. These allow a label-free analysis, providing information about the biochemical content of membrane and cytoplasm...

Regulation of a transcription factor network by Cdk1 coordinates late cell cycle gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Benjamin D; Mapa, Claudine E; Arsenault, Heather E; Poti, Kristin E; Benanti, Jennifer A

2014-05-02

To maintain genome stability, regulators of chromosome segregation must be expressed in coordination with mitotic events. Expression of these late cell cycle genes is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk1), which phosphorylates a network of conserved transcription factors (TFs). However, the effects of Cdk1 phosphorylation on many key TFs are not known. We find that elimination of Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of four S-phase TFs decreases expression of many late cell cycle genes, delays mitotic progression, and reduces fitness in budding yeast. Blocking phosphorylation impairs degradation of all four TFs. Consequently, phosphorylation-deficient mutants of the repressors Yox1 and Yhp1 exhibit increased promoter occupancy and decreased expression of their target genes. Interestingly, although phosphorylation of the transcriptional activator Hcm1 on its N-terminus promotes its degradation, phosphorylation on its C-terminus is required for its activity, indicating that Cdk1 both activates and inhibits a single TF. We conclude that Cdk1 promotes gene expression by both activating transcriptional activators and inactivating transcriptional repressors. Furthermore, our data suggest that coordinated regulation of the TF network by Cdk1 is necessary for faithful cell division.

Mapping Cellular Hierarchy by Single-Cell Analysis of the Cell Surface Repertoire

OpenAIRE

Guo, Guoji; Luc, Sidinh; Marco, Eugenio; Lin, Ta-Wei; Peng, Cong; Kerenyi, Marc A.; Beyaz, Semir; Kim, Woojin; Xu, Jian; Das, Partha Pratim; Neff, Tobias; Zou, Keyong; Yuan, Guo-Cheng; Orkin, Stuart H.

2013-01-01

Stem cell differentiation pathways are most often studied at the population level, whereas critical decisions are executed at the level of single cells. We have established a highly multiplexed, quantitative PCR assay to profile in an unbiased manner a panel of all commonly used cell surface markers (280 genes) from individual cells. With this method we analyzed over 1500 single cells throughout the mouse hematopoietic system, and illustrate its utility for revealing important biological insi...

Radiation activation of transcription factors in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, M.; Stein, B.; Mai, S.; Kunz, E.; Koenig, H.; Ponta, H.; Herrlich, P.; Rahmsdorf, H.J.; Loferer, H.; Grunicke, H.H.

1990-01-01

In mammalian cells radiation induces the enhanced transcription of several genes. The cis acting elements in the control region of inducible genes have been delimited by site directed mutagenesis. Several different elements have been found in different genes. They do not only activate gene transcription in response to radiation but also in response to growth factors and to tumor promoter phorbol esters. The transcription factors binding to these elements are present also in non-irradiated cells, but their DNA binding activity and their transactivating capability is increased upon irradiation. The signal chain linking the primary radiation induced signal (damaged DNA) to the activation of transcription factors involves the action of (a) protein kinase(s). (orig.)

Micro-PIXE for single cell analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, Richard

2012-01-01

The knowledge of the intracellular distribution of biological relevant metals is important to understand their mechanisms of action in cells, either for physiological, toxicological or pathological processes. However, the direct detection of trace metals in single cells is a challenging task that requires sophisticated analytical developments. The combination of micro-PIXE with RBS and STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy) allows the quantitative determination of trace metal content within sub-cellular compartments. The application of STIM analysis provides high spatial resolution imaging (< 200 nm) and excellent mass sensitivity (< 0.1 ng). Application of the STIM-PIXE-RBS methodology is absolutely needed when organic mass loss appears during PIXE-RBS irradiation. This combination of STIM-PIXE-RBS provides fully quantitative determination of trace element content, expressed in μg/g, which is a quite unique capability for micro-PIXE compared to other micro-analytical methods such as the electron and synchrotron x-ray fluorescence. Examples of micro-PIXE studies for sub-cellular imaging of trace elements in various fields of interest will be presented: in patho-physiology of trace elements involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, and in toxicology of metals such as cobalt. (author)

Heterogeneity of neuroblastoma cell identity defined by transcriptional circuitries.

Science.gov (United States)

Boeva, Valentina; Louis-Brennetot, Caroline; Peltier, Agathe; Durand, Simon; Pierre-Eugène, Cécile; Raynal, Virginie; Etchevers, Heather C; Thomas, Sophie; Lermine, Alban; Daudigeos-Dubus, Estelle; Geoerger, Birgit; Orth, Martin F; Grünewald, Thomas G P; Diaz, Elise; Ducos, Bertrand; Surdez, Didier; Carcaboso, Angel M; Medvedeva, Irina; Deller, Thomas; Combaret, Valérie; Lapouble, Eve; Pierron, Gaelle; Grossetête-Lalami, Sandrine; Baulande, Sylvain; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Barillot, Emmanuel; Rohrer, Hermann; Delattre, Olivier; Janoueix-Lerosey, Isabelle

2017-09-01

Neuroblastoma is a tumor of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, derived from multipotent neural crest cells (NCCs). To define core regulatory circuitries (CRCs) controlling the gene expression program of neuroblastoma, we established and analyzed the neuroblastoma super-enhancer landscape. We discovered three types of identity in neuroblastoma cell lines: a sympathetic noradrenergic identity, defined by a CRC module including the PHOX2B, HAND2 and GATA3 transcription factors (TFs); an NCC-like identity, driven by a CRC module containing AP-1 TFs; and a mixed type, further deconvoluted at the single-cell level. Treatment of the mixed type with chemotherapeutic agents resulted in enrichment of NCC-like cells. The noradrenergic module was validated by ChIP-seq. Functional studies demonstrated dependency of neuroblastoma with noradrenergic identity on PHOX2B, evocative of lineage addiction. Most neuroblastoma primary tumors express TFs from the noradrenergic and NCC-like modules. Our data demonstrate a previously unknown aspect of tumor heterogeneity relevant for neuroblastoma treatment strategies.

Transcriptional regulation of lineage commitment--a stochastic model of cell fate decisions.

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Jose Teles

Full Text Available Molecular mechanisms employed by individual multipotent cells at the point of lineage commitment remain largely uncharacterized. Current paradigms span from instructive to noise-driven mechanisms. Of considerable interest is also whether commitment involves a limited set of genes or the entire transcriptional program, and to what extent gene expression configures multiple trajectories into commitment. Importantly, the transient nature of the commitment transition confounds the experimental capture of committing cells. We develop a computational framework that simulates stochastic commitment events, and affords mechanistic exploration of the fate transition. We use a combined modeling approach guided by gene expression classifier methods that infers a time-series of stochastic commitment events from experimental growth characteristics and gene expression profiling of individual hematopoietic cells captured immediately before and after commitment. We define putative regulators of commitment and probabilistic rules of transition through machine learning methods, and employ clustering and correlation analyses to interrogate gene regulatory interactions in multipotent cells. Against this background, we develop a Monte Carlo time-series stochastic model of transcription where the parameters governing promoter status, mRNA production and mRNA decay in multipotent cells are fitted to experimental static gene expression distributions. Monte Carlo time is converted to physical time using cell culture kinetic data. Probability of commitment in time is a function of gene expression as defined by a logistic regression model obtained from experimental single-cell expression data. Our approach should be applicable to similar differentiating systems where single cell data is available. Within our system, we identify robust model solutions for the multipotent population within physiologically reasonable values and explore model predictions with regard to

Landscape of Infiltrating T Cells in Liver Cancer Revealed by Single-Cell Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Chunhong; Zheng, Liangtao; Yoo, Jae-Kwang; Guo, Huahu; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Guo, Xinyi; Kang, Boxi; Hu, Ruozhen; Huang, Julie Y; Zhang, Qiming; Liu, Zhouzerui; Dong, Minghui; Hu, Xueda; Ouyang, Wenjun; Peng, Jirun; Zhang, Zemin

2017-06-15

Systematic interrogation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is key to the development of immunotherapies and the prediction of their clinical responses in cancers. Here, we perform deep single-cell RNA sequencing on 5,063 single T cells isolated from peripheral blood, tumor, and adjacent normal tissues from six hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The transcriptional profiles of these individual cells, coupled with assembled T cell receptor (TCR) sequences, enable us to identify 11 T cell subsets based on their molecular and functional properties and delineate their developmental trajectory. Specific subsets such as exhausted CD8 + T cells and Tregs are preferentially enriched and potentially clonally expanded in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and we identified signature genes for each subset. One of the genes, layilin, is upregulated on activated CD8 + T cells and Tregs and represses the CD8 + T cell functions in vitro. This compendium of transcriptome data provides valuable insights and a rich resource for understanding the immune landscape in cancers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular detection of peripheral blood breast cancer mRNA transcripts as a surrogate biomarker for circulating tumor cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Lasa

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cells (CTCs are becoming a scientifically recognized indicator of primary tumors and/or metastasis. These cells can now be accurately detected and characterized as the result of technological advances. We analyzed the presence of CTCs in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR using a panel of selected genes. The analysis of a single marker, without an EpCAM based enrichment approach, allowed the positive identification of 35% of the metastatic breast cancer patients. The analysis of five genes (SCGB2, TFF1, TFF3, Muc1, KRT20 performed in all the samples increased the detection to 61%. We describe a sensitive, reproducible and easy to implement approach to characterize CTC in patients with metastasic breast cancer.

Asymmetric cell division requires specific mechanisms for adjusting global transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Mena, Adriana; Medina, Daniel A; García-Martínez, José; Begley, Victoria; Singh, Abhyudai; Chávez, Sebastián; Muñoz-Centeno, Mari C; Pérez-Ortín, José E

2017-12-01

Most cells divide symmetrically into two approximately identical cells. There are many examples, however, of asymmetric cell division that can generate sibling cell size differences. Whereas physical asymmetric division mechanisms and cell fate consequences have been investigated, the specific problem caused by asymmetric division at the transcription level has not yet been addressed. In symmetrically dividing cells the nascent transcription rate increases in parallel to cell volume to compensate it by keeping the actual mRNA synthesis rate constant. This cannot apply to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where this mechanism would provoke a never-ending increasing mRNA synthesis rate in smaller daughter cells. We show here that, contrarily to other eukaryotes with symmetric division, budding yeast keeps the nascent transcription rates of its RNA polymerases constant and increases mRNA stability. This control on RNA pol II-dependent transcription rate is obtained by controlling the cellular concentration of this enzyme. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

CITED2 modulates estrogen receptor transcriptional activity in breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, Wen Min; Doucet, Michele; Huang, David; Weber, Kristy L.; Kominsky, Scott L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •The effects of elevated CITED2 on ER function in breast cancer cells are examined. •CITED2 enhances cell growth in the absence of estrogen and presence of tamoxifen. •CITED2 functions as a transcriptional co-activator of ER in breast cancer cells. -- Abstract: Cbp/p300-interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp-rich carboxy-terminal domain 2 (CITED2) is a member of the CITED family of non-DNA binding transcriptional co-activators of the p300/CBP-mediated transcription complex. Previously, we identified CITED2 as being overexpressed in human breast tumors relative to normal mammary epithelium. Upon further investigation within the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive subset of these breast tumor samples, we found that CITED2 mRNA expression was elevated in those associated with poor survival. In light of this observation, we investigated the effect of elevated CITED2 levels on ER function. While ectopic overexpression of CITED2 in three ER-positive breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, and CAMA-1) did not alter cell proliferation in complete media, growth was markedly enhanced in the absence of exogenous estrogen. Correspondingly, cells overexpressing CITED2 demonstrated reduced sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effects of the selective estrogen receptor modulator, 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Subsequent studies revealed that basal ER transcriptional activity was elevated in CITED2-overexpressing cells and was further increased upon the addition of estrogen. Similarly, basal and estrogen-induced expression of the ER-regulated genes trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) and progesterone receptor (PGR) was higher in cells overexpressing CITED2. Concordant with this observation, ChIP analysis revealed higher basal levels of CITED2 localized to the TFF-1 and PGR promoters in cells with ectopic overexpression of CITED2, and these levels were elevated further in response to estrogen stimulation. Taken together, these data indicate that CITED2 functions as a transcriptional co

Nuclear entry of poliovirus protease-polymerase precursor 3CD: implications for host cell transcription shut-off

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Rakhi; Raychaudhuri, Santanu; Dasgupta, Asim

2004-01-01

Host cell transcription mediated by all three RNA polymerases is rapidly inhibited after infection of mammalian cells with poliovirus (PV). Both genetic and biochemical studies have shown that the virus-encoded protease 3C cleaves the TATA-binding protein and other transcription factors at glutamine-glycine sites and is directly responsible for host cell transcription shut-off. PV replicates in the cytoplasm of infected cells. To shut-off host cell transcription, 3C or a precursor of 3C must enter the nucleus of infected cells. Although the 3C protease itself lacks a nuclear localization signal (NLS), amino acid sequence examination of 3D identified a potential single basic type NLS, KKKRD, spanning amino acids 125-129 within this polypeptide. Thus, a plausible scenario is that 3C enters the nucleus in the form of its precursor, 3CD, which then generates 3C by auto-proteolysis ultimately leading to cleavage of transcription factors in the nucleus. Using transient transfection of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion polypeptides, we demonstrate here that both 3CD and 3D are capable of entering the nucleus in PV-infected cells. However, both polypeptides remain in the cytoplasm in uninfected HeLa cells. Mutagenesis of the NLS sequence in 3D prevents nuclear entry of 3D and 3CD in PV-infected cells. We also demonstrate that 3CD can be detected in the nuclear fraction from PV-infected HeLa cells as early as 2 h postinfection. Significant amount of 3CD is found associated with the nuclear fraction by 3-4 h of infection. Taken together, these results suggest that both the 3D NLS and PV infection are required for the entry of 3CD into the nucleus and that this may constitute a means by which viral protease 3C is delivered into the nucleus leading to host cell transcription shut-off

Linnorm: improved statistical analysis for single cell RNA-seq expression data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Shun H; Wang, Panwen; Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Sham, Pak Chung; Wang, Junwen

2017-12-15

Linnorm is a novel normalization and transformation method for the analysis of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Linnorm is developed to remove technical noises and simultaneously preserve biological variations in scRNA-seq data, such that existing statistical methods can be improved. Using real scRNA-seq data, we compared Linnorm with existing normalization methods, including NODES, SAMstrt, SCnorm, scran, DESeq and TMM. Linnorm shows advantages in speed, technical noise removal and preservation of cell heterogeneity, which can improve existing methods in the discovery of novel subtypes, pseudo-temporal ordering of cells, clustering analysis, etc. Linnorm also performs better than existing DEG analysis methods, including BASiCS, NODES, SAMstrt, Seurat and DESeq2, in false positive rate control and accuracy. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Transcriptional dysregulation in NIPBL and cohesin mutant human cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinglan Liu

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Cohesin regulates sister chromatid cohesion during the mitotic cell cycle with Nipped-B-Like (NIPBL facilitating its loading and unloading. In addition to this canonical role, cohesin has also been demonstrated to play a critical role in regulation of gene expression in nondividing cells. Heterozygous mutations in the cohesin regulator NIPBL or cohesin structural components SMC1A and SMC3 result in the multisystem developmental disorder Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS. Genome-wide assessment of transcription in 16 mutant cell lines from severely affected CdLS probands has identified a unique profile of dysregulated gene expression that was validated in an additional 101 samples and correlates with phenotypic severity. This profile could serve as a diagnostic and classification tool. Cohesin binding analysis demonstrates a preference for intergenic regions suggesting a cis-regulatory function mimicking that of a boundary/insulator interacting protein. However, the binding sites are enriched within the promoter regions of the dysregulated genes and are significantly decreased in CdLS proband, indicating an alternative role of cohesin as a transcription factor.

X-ray microanalysis of single and cultured cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wroblewski, J.; Roomans, G.M.

1984-01-01

X-ray microanalysis of single or cultured cells is often a useful alternative or complement to the analysis of the corresponding tissue. It also allows the analysis of individual cells in a cell population. Preparation for X-ray microanalysis poses a number of typical problems. Suspensions of single cells can be prepared by either of two pathways: (1) washing - mounting - drying, or (2) centrifugation - freezing or fixation - sectioning. The washing step in the preparation of single or cultured cells presents the most severe problems. Cultured cells are generally grown on a substrate that is compatible with both the analysis and the culture, washed and dried. In some cases, sectioning of cultured cell monolayers has been performed. Special problems in quantitative analysis occur in those cases where the cells are analyzed on a thick substrate, since the substrate contributes to the spectral background

Single-cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing Csx/Nkx2.5 and GATA4 undergo the stochastic cardiomyogenic fate and behave like transient amplifying cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Yoji; Sakurada, Kazuhiro; Takeda, Yukiji; Gojo, Satoshi; Umezawa, Akihiro

2007-01-01

Bone marrow-derived stromal cells can give rise to cardiomyocytes as well as adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes in vitro. The existence of mesenchymal stem cells has been proposed, but it remains unclear if a single-cell-derived stem cell stochastically commits toward a cardiac lineage. By single-cell marking, we performed a follow-up study of individual cells during the differentiation of 9-15c mesenchymal stromal cells derived from bone marrow cells. Three types of cells, i.e., cardiac myoblasts, cardiac progenitors and multipotent stem cells were differentiated from a single cell, implying that cardiomyocytes are generated stochastically from a single-cell-derived stem cell. We also demonstrated that overexpression of Csx/Nkx2.5 and GATA4, precardiac mesodermal transcription factors, enhanced cardiomyogenic differentiation of 9-15c cells, and the frequency of cardiomyogenic differentiation was increased by co-culturing with fetal cardiomyocytes. Single-cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing Csx/Nkx2.5 and GATA4 behaved like cardiac transient amplifying cells, and still retained their plasticity in vivo

Molecular cloning of transcripts induced by UV-radiation in rodent cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fornace, A.J. Jr.; Mitchell, J.B.

1987-01-01

Several inducible DNA repair genes have been well characterized in bacteria. In eukaryotes including mammalian cells, there is increasing evidence that similar events may occur. Recently, the authors have shown that hybridization subtraction can be used to enrich for sequences induced only several fold by a particular cell treatment such as heat shock. Chinese hamster V79 cells were UV-irradiated with 17 Jm/sup -2/ and cDNA was synthesized from the polyadenylated (poly A) RNA. This ''UV'' cDNA was hybridized with a 3 fold excess of polyA RNA from unirradiated cells and the nonhybridizing cDNA was isolated. With this approach, UV-induced sequences were enriched over 20 fold. This enriched cDNA was cloned into a high copy number plasmid and a cDNA library was constructed. By RNA dot blot and northern analysis, 42 clones from this library were found to represent transcripts induced 3 to 25 fold by UV. The most common isolates were found to be metallothionein transcripts by DNA sequencing. The metallothionein transcripts were found to be induced 10 to 25 fold by UV with maximum induction at 4-8 h after 10 Jm/sup -2/. A similar approach was also used with a Chinese hamster ovary line which does not express metallothionein and multiple clones were isolated which represented transcripts induced 3-15 fold by UV. Except for the metallothionein clones, the other Chinese hamster cDNA clones have not been identified, but it is probable that the protein products of at least some of these transcripts play a role in the cellular response to UV damage

Time-resolved, single-cell analysis of induced and programmed cell death via non-invasive propidium iodide and counterstain perfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Krämer, Christina E M; Wiechert, Wolfgang; Kohlheyer, Dietrich

2016-09-01

Conventional propidium iodide (PI) staining requires the execution of multiple steps prior to analysis, potentially affecting assay results as well as cell vitality. In this study, this multistep analysis method has been transformed into a single-step, non-toxic, real-time method via live-cell imaging during perfusion with 0.1 μM PI inside a microfluidic cultivation device. Dynamic PI staining was an effective live/dead analytical tool and demonstrated consistent results for single-cell death initiated by direct or indirect triggers. Application of this method for the first time revealed the apparent antibiotic tolerance of wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum cells, as indicated by the conversion of violet fluorogenic calcein acetoxymethyl ester (CvAM). Additional implementation of this method provided insight into the induced cell lysis of Escherichia coli cells expressing a lytic toxin-antitoxin module, providing evidence for non-lytic cell death and cell resistance to toxin production. Finally, our dynamic PI staining method distinguished necrotic-like and apoptotic-like cell death phenotypes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae among predisposed descendants of nutrient-deprived ancestor cells using PO-PRO-1 or green fluorogenic calcein acetoxymethyl ester (CgAM) as counterstains. The combination of single-cell cultivation, fluorescent time-lapse imaging, and PI perfusion facilitates spatiotemporally resolved observations that deliver new insights into the dynamics of cellular behaviour.

Single molecule analysis of c-myb alternative splicing reveals novel classifiers for precursor B-ALL.

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Ye E Zhou

Full Text Available The c-Myb transcription factor, a key regulator of proliferation and differentiation in hematopoietic and other cell types, has an N-terminal DNA binding domain and a large C-terminal domain responsible for transcriptional activation, negative regulation and determining target gene specificity. Overexpression and rearrangement of the c-myb gene (MYB has been reported in some patients with leukemias and other types of cancers, implicating activated alleles of c-myb in the development of human tumors. Alternative RNA splicing can produce variants of c-myb with qualitatively distinct transcriptional activities that may be involved in transformation and leukemogenesis. Here, by performing a detailed, single molecule assay we found that c-myb alternative RNA splicing was elevated and much more complex in leukemia samples than in cell lines or CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells from normal donors. The results revealed that leukemia samples express more than 60 different c-myb splice variants, most of which have multiple alternative splicing events and were not detectable by conventional microarray or PCR approaches. For example, the single molecule assay detected 21 and 22 splice variants containing the 9B and 9S exons, respectively, most of which encoded unexpected variant forms of c-Myb protein. Furthermore, the detailed analysis identified some splice variants whose expression correlated with poor survival in a small cohort of precursor B-ALL samples. Our findings indicate that single molecule assays can reveal complexities in c-myb alternative splicing that have potential as novel biomarkers and could help explain the role of c-Myb variants in the development of human leukemia.

Genome Binding and Gene Regulation by Stem Cell Transcription Factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.H. Brandsma (Johan)

2016-01-01

markdownabstractNearly all cells of an individual organism contain the same genome. However, each cell type transcribes a different set of genes due to the presence of different sets of cell type-specific transcription factors. Such transcription factors bind to regulatory regions such as promoters

DNA-barcode directed capture and electrochemical metabolic analysis of single mammalian cells on a microelectrode array.

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Erik S; Hsiao, Sonny C; Onoe, Hiroaki; Bertozzi, Carolyn R; Francis, Matthew B; Mathies, Richard A

2009-07-21

A microdevice is developed for DNA-barcode directed capture of single cells on an array of pH-sensitive microelectrodes for metabolic analysis. Cells are modified with membrane-bound single-stranded DNA, and specific single-cell capture is directed by the complementary strand bound in the sensor area of the iridium oxide pH microelectrodes within a microfluidic channel. This bifunctional microelectrode array is demonstrated for the pH monitoring and differentiation of primary T cells and Jurkat T lymphoma cells. Single Jurkat cells exhibited an extracellular acidification rate of 11 milli-pH min(-1), while primary T cells exhibited only 2 milli-pH min(-1). This system can be used to capture non-adherent cells specifically and to discriminate between visually similar healthy and cancerous cells in a heterogeneous ensemble based on their altered metabolic properties.

Genomewide analysis of TCP transcription factor gene family in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Genetics; Volume 93; Issue 3. Genomewide ... Teosinte branched1/cycloidea/proliferating cell factor1 (TCP) proteins are a large family of transcriptional regulators in angiosperms. They are ... To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of a genomewide analysis of apple TCP gene family.

Direct Ex Vivo Analysis of Activated, Fas-sensitive Autoreactive T Cells in Human Autoimmune Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Bieganowska, Katarzyna D.; Ausubel, Lara J.; Modabber, Yalda; Slovik, Elissa; Messersmith, Wells; Hafler, David A.

1997-01-01

The frequency of clonally expanded and persistent T cells recognizing the immunodominant autoantigenic peptide of myelin basic protein (MBP)p85-99 was directly measured ex vivo in subjects with typical relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). T cells expressing mRNA transcripts encoding T cell receptor (TCR)-α and -β chains found in T cell clones previously isolated from these subjects recognizing the MBPp85-99 epitope were examined. In contrast to frequencies of 1 in 105–106 as measured by limiting dilution analysis, estimates of the T cell frequencies expressing MBPp85-99–associated TCR chain transcripts were as high as 1 in 300. These high frequencies were confirmed by performing PCR on single T cells isolated by flow cytometry. MBPp85-99 TCR transcripts were present in IL-2 receptor α–positive T cells which were induced to undergo Fas-mediated cell death upon antigen stimulation. These data demonstrate that at least a subpopulation of patients with MS can have a very high frequency of activated autoreactive T cells. PMID:9151896

PRAPI: post-transcriptional regulation analysis pipeline for Iso-Seq.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yubang; Wang, Huiyuan; Zhang, Hangxiao; Wang, Yongsheng; Chen, Jinfeng; Gu, Lianfeng

2018-05-01

The single-molecule real-time (SMRT) isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) based on Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) platform has received increasing attention for its ability to explore full-length isoforms. Thus, comprehensive tools for Iso-Seq bioinformatics analysis are extremely useful. Here, we present a one-stop solution for Iso-Seq analysis, called PRAPI to analyze alternative transcription initiation (ATI), alternative splicing (AS), alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA), natural antisense transcripts (NAT), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) comprehensively. PRAPI is capable of combining Iso-Seq full-length isoforms with short read data, such as RNA-Seq or polyadenylation site sequencing (PAS-seq) for differential expression analysis of NAT, AS, APA and circRNAs. Furthermore, PRAPI can annotate new genes and correct mis-annotated genes when gene annotation is available. Finally, PRAPI generates high-quality vector graphics to visualize and highlight the Iso-Seq results. The Dockerfile of PRAPI is available at http://www.bioinfor.org/tool/PRAPI. lfgu@fafu.edu.cn.

A probabilistic cell model in background corrected image sequences for single cell analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fieguth Paul

2010-10-01

of localizing single cells in microwells and can be adapted for the other cell types that may not have circular shape. This method can be potentially used for single cell analysis to study the temporal dynamics of cells.

Expression of early transcription factors Oct-4, Sox-2 and Nanog by porcine umbilical cord (PUC matrix cells

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Schultz Bruce

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Three transcription factors that are expressed at high levels in embryonic stem cells (ESCs are Nanog, Oct-4 and Sox-2. These transcription factors regulate the expression of other genes during development and are found at high levels in the pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass. The downregulation of these three transcription factors correlates with the loss of pluripotency and self-renewal, and the beginning of subsequent differentiation steps. The roles of Nanog, Oct-4 and Sox-2 have not been fully elucidated. They are important in embryonic development and maintenance of pluripotency in ESCs. We studied the expression of these transcription factors in porcine umbilical cord (PUC matrix cells. Methods Cells were isolated from Wharton's jelly of porcine umbilical cords (PUC and histochemically assayed for the presence of alkaline phosphatase and the presence of Nanog, Oct-4 and Sox-2 mRNA and protein. PCR amplicons were sequenced and compared with known sequences. The synthesis of Oct-4 and Nanog protein was analyzed using immunocytochemistry. FACS analysis was utilized to evaluate Hoechst 33342 dye-stained cells. Results PUC isolates were maintained in culture and formed colonies that express alkaline phosphatase. FACS analysis revealed a side population of Hoechst dye-excluding cells, the Hoechst exclusion was verapamil sensitive. Quantitative and non-quantitative RT-PCR reactions revealed expression of Nanog, Oct-4 and Sox-2 in day 15 embryonic discs, PUC cell isolates and porcine fibroblasts. Immunocytochemical analysis detected Nanog immunoreactivity in PUC cell nuclei, and faint labeling in fibroblasts. Oct-4 immunoreactivity was detected in the nuclei of some PUC cells, but not in fibroblasts. Conclusion Cells isolated from PUC express three transcription factors found in pluripotent stem cell markers both at the mRNA and protein level. The presence of these transcription factors, along with the other

The transcription factor Nerfin-1 prevents reversion of neurons into neural stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Froldi, Francesca; Szuperak, Milan; Weng, Chen-Fang; Shi, Wei; Papenfuss, Anthony T; Cheng, Louise Y

2015-01-15

Cellular dedifferentiation is the regression of a cell from a specialized state to a more multipotent state and is implicated in cancer. However, the transcriptional network that prevents differentiated cells from reacquiring stem cell fate is so far unclear. Neuroblasts (NBs), the Drosophila neural stem cells, are a model for the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Here we show that the Drosophila zinc finger transcription factor Nervous fingers 1 (Nerfin-1) locks neurons into differentiation, preventing their reversion into NBs. Following Prospero-dependent neuronal specification in the ganglion mother cell (GMC), a Nerfin-1-specific transcriptional program maintains differentiation in the post-mitotic neurons. The loss of Nerfin-1 causes reversion to multipotency and results in tumors in several neural lineages. Both the onset and rate of neuronal dedifferentiation in nerfin-1 mutant lineages are dependent on Myc- and target of rapamycin (Tor)-mediated cellular growth. In addition, Nerfin-1 is required for NB differentiation at the end of neurogenesis. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis show that Nerfin-1 administers its function by repression of self-renewing-specific and activation of differentiation-specific genes. Our findings support the model of bidirectional interconvertibility between neural stem cells and their post-mitotic progeny and highlight the importance of the Nerfin-1-regulated transcriptional program in neuronal maintenance. © 2015 Froldi et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Analysis of single-cell differences by use of an on-chip microculture system and optical trapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakamoto, Y; Inoue, I; Moriguchi, H; Yasuda, K

2001-09-01

A method is described for continuous observation of isolated single cells that enables genetically identical cells to be compared; it uses an on-chip microculture system and optical tweezers. Photolithography is used to construct microchambers with 5-microm-high walls made of thick photoresist (SU-8) on the surface of a glass slide. These microchambers are connected by a channel through which cells are transported, by means of optical tweezers, from a cultivation microchamber to an analysis microchamber, or from the analysis microchamber to a waste microchamber. The microchambers are covered with a semi-permeable membrane to separate them from nutrient medium circulating through a "cover chamber" above. Differential analysis of isolated direct descendants of single cells showed that this system could be used to compare genetically identical cells under contamination-free conditions. It should thus help in the clarification of heterogeneous phenomena, for example unequal cell division and cell differentiation.

Single-Cell Quantitative PCR: Advances and Potential in Cancer Diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ok, Chi Young; Singh, Rajesh R; Salim, Alaa A

2016-01-01

Tissues are heterogeneous in their components. If cells of interest are a minor population of collected tissue, it would be difficult to obtain genetic or genomic information of the interested cell population with conventional genomic DNA extraction from the collected tissue. Single-cell DNA analysis is important in the analysis of genetics of cell clonality, genetic anticipation, and single-cell DNA polymorphisms. Single-cell PCR using Single Cell Ampligrid/GeXP platform is described in this chapter.

Quantitative transcriptional profiling of ATDC5 mouse progenitor cells during chondrogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Li; Fink, Trine; Zhang, Xiao-Yan

2005-01-01

During the differentiation of a mouse chondroprogenitor cell line, ATDC5, an analysis of the transcription cartilage-related genes was carried out using real-time RT-PCR in a semiquantitative fashion. A total number of 104 genes both previously linked to chondrogenesis and hitherto not associated...

Methodology for single-cell genetic analysis of planktonic foraminifera for studies of protist diversity and evolution

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Agnes Katharina Maria Weiner

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Single-cell genetic analysis is an essential method to investigate the biodiversity and evolutionary ecology of marine protists. In protist groups that do not reproduce under laboratory conditions, this approach provides the only means to directly associate molecular sequences with cell morphology. The resulting unambiguous taxonomic identification of the DNA sequences is a prerequisite for barcoding and analyses of environmental metagenomic data. Extensive single-cell genetic studies have been carried out on planktonic foraminifera over the past 20 years to elucidate their phylogeny, cryptic diversity, biogeography and the relationship between genetic and morphological variability. In the course of these investigations, it has become evident that genetic analysis at the individual specimen level is confronted by innumerable challenges ranging from the negligible amount of DNA present in the single cell to the substantial amount of DNA contamination introduced by endosymbionts or food particles. Consequently, a range of methods has been developed and applied throughout the years for the genetic analysis of planktonic foraminifera in order to enhance DNA amplification success rates. Yet, the description of these methods in the literature rarely occurred with equivalent levels of detail and the different approaches have never been compared in terms of their efficiency and reproducibility. Here, aiming at a standardization of methods, we provide a comprehensive review of all methods that have been employed for the single-cell genetic analysis of planktonic foraminifera. We compile data on success rates of DNA amplification and use these to evaluate the effects of key parameters associated with the methods of sample collection, storage and extraction of single-cell DNA. We show that the chosen methods influence the success rates of single-cell genetic studies, but the differences between them are not sufficient to hinder comparisons between studies

Single-cell technologies in environmental omics

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2015-10-22

Environmental studies are primarily done by culturing isolated microorganisms or by amplifying and sequencing conserved genes. Difficulties understanding the complexity of large numbers of various microorganisms in an environment led to the development of techniques to enrich specific microorganisms for upstream analysis, ultimately leading to single-cell isolation and analyses. We discuss the significance of single-cell technologies in omics studies with focus on metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. We propose that by reducing sample heterogeneity using single-cell genomics, metaomic studies can be simplified.

Single-cell technologies in environmental omics

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas; Gojobori, Takashi

2015-01-01

Environmental studies are primarily done by culturing isolated microorganisms or by amplifying and sequencing conserved genes. Difficulties understanding the complexity of large numbers of various microorganisms in an environment led to the development of techniques to enrich specific microorganisms for upstream analysis, ultimately leading to single-cell isolation and analyses. We discuss the significance of single-cell technologies in omics studies with focus on metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. We propose that by reducing sample heterogeneity using single-cell genomics, metaomic studies can be simplified.

TLX1 and NOTCH coregulate transcription in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

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Lee Norman H

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The homeobox gene TLX1 (for T-cell leukemia homeobox 1, previously known as HOX11 is inappropriately expressed in a major subgroup of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL where it is strongly associated with activating NOTCH1 mutations. Despite the recognition that these genetic lesions cooperate in leukemogenesis, there have been no mechanistic studies addressing how TLX1 and NOTCH1 functionally interact to promote the leukemic phenotype. Results Global gene expression profiling after downregulation of TLX1 and inhibition of the NOTCH pathway in ALL-SIL cells revealed that TLX1 synergistically regulated more than 60% of the NOTCH-responsive genes. Structure-function analysis demonstrated that TLX1 binding to Groucho-related TLE corepressors was necessary for maximal transcriptional regulation of the NOTCH-responsive genes tested, implicating TLX1 modulation of the NOTCH-TLE regulatory network. Comparison of the dataset to publicly available biological databases indicated that the TLX1/NOTCH-coregulated genes are frequently targeted by MYC. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments confirmed that MYC was an essential mediator of TLX1/NOTCH transcriptional output and growth promotion in ALL-SIL cells, with TLX1 contributing to the NOTCH-MYC regulatory axis by posttranscriptional enhancement of MYC protein levels. Functional classification of the TLX1/NOTCH-coregulated targets also showed enrichment for genes associated with other human cancers as well as those involved in developmental processes. In particular, we found that TLX1, NOTCH and MYC coregulate CD1B and RAG1, characteristic markers of early cortical thymocytes, and that concerted downregulation of the TLX1 and NOTCH pathways resulted in their irreversible repression. Conclusions We found that TLX1 and NOTCH synergistically regulate transcription in T-ALL, at least in part via the sharing of a TLE corepressor and by augmenting expression of MYC. We conclude that

Implementation of stimulated Raman scattering microscopy for single cell analysis

Science.gov (United States)

D'Arco, Annalisa; Ferrara, Maria Antonietta; Indolfi, Maurizio; Tufano, Vitaliano; Sirleto, Luigi

2017-05-01

In this work, we present successfully realization of a nonlinear microscope, not purchasable in commerce, based on stimulated Raman scattering. It is obtained by the integration of a femtosecond SRS spectroscopic setup with an inverted research microscope equipped with a scanning unit. Taking account of strength of vibrational contrast of SRS, it provides label-free imaging of single cell analysis. Validation tests on images of polystyrene beads are reported to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. In order to test the microscope on biological structures, we report and discuss the label-free images of lipid droplets inside fixed adipocyte cells.

Epigenetics reloaded: the single-cell revolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bheda, Poonam; Schneider, Robert

2014-11-01

Mechanistically, how epigenetic states are inherited through cellular divisions remains an important open question in the chromatin field and beyond. Defining the heritability of epigenetic states and the underlying chromatin-based mechanisms within a population of cells is complicated due to cell heterogeneity combined with varying levels of stability of these states; thus, efforts must be focused toward single-cell analyses. The approaches presented here constitute the forefront of epigenetics research at the single-cell level using classic and innovative methods to dissect epigenetics mechanisms from the limited material available in a single cell. This review further outlines exciting future avenues of research to address the significance of epigenetic heterogeneity and the contributions of microfluidics technologies to single-cell isolation and analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional analysis of exopolysaccharides biosynthesis gene clusters in Lactobacillus plantarum.

Science.gov (United States)

Vastano, Valeria; Perrone, Filomena; Marasco, Rosangela; Sacco, Margherita; Muscariello, Lidia

2016-04-01

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) from lactic acid bacteria contribute to specific rheology and texture of fermented milk products and find applications also in non-dairy foods and in therapeutics. Recently, four clusters of genes (cps) associated with surface polysaccharide production have been identified in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1, a probiotic and food-associated lactobacillus. These clusters are involved in cell surface architecture and probably in release and/or exposure of immunomodulating bacterial molecules. Here we show a transcriptional analysis of these clusters. Indeed, RT-PCR experiments revealed that the cps loci are organized in five operons. Moreover, by reverse transcription-qPCR analysis performed on L. plantarum WCFS1 (wild type) and WCFS1-2 (ΔccpA), we demonstrated that expression of three cps clusters is under the control of the global regulator CcpA. These results, together with the identification of putative CcpA target sequences (catabolite responsive element CRE) in the regulatory region of four out of five transcriptional units, strongly suggest for the first time a role of the master regulator CcpA in EPS gene transcription among lactobacilli.

The single-cell transcriptional landscape of hematopoiesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baron, Chloé Sophie

2018-01-01

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are responsible for the production of all mature hematopoietic cells during the entire life of an organism. It is now known that HSCs are generated from a specific subset of endothelial cells in the main arteries of the developing mouse and zebrafish embryos. In the

Dissecting interferon-induced transcriptional programs in human peripheral blood cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon J Waddell

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Interferons are key modulators of the immune system, and are central to the control of many diseases. The response of immune cells to stimuli in complex populations is the product of direct and indirect effects, and of homotypic and heterotypic cell interactions. Dissecting the global transcriptional profiles of immune cell populations may provide insights into this regulatory interplay. The host transcriptional response may also be useful in discriminating between disease states, and in understanding pathophysiology. The transcriptional programs of cell populations in health therefore provide a paradigm for deconvoluting disease-associated gene expression profiles.We used human cDNA microarrays to (1 compare the gene expression programs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs elicited by 6 major mediators of the immune response: interferons alpha, beta, omega and gamma, IL12 and TNFalpha; and (2 characterize the transcriptional responses of purified immune cell populations (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, NK cells and monocytes to IFNgamma stimulation. We defined a highly stereotyped response to type I interferons, while responses to IFNgamma and IL12 were largely restricted to a subset of type I interferon-inducible genes. TNFalpha stimulation resulted in a distinct pattern of gene expression. Cell type-specific transcriptional programs were identified, highlighting the pronounced response of monocytes to IFNgamma, and emergent properties associated with IFN-mediated activation of mixed cell populations. This information provides a detailed view of cellular activation by immune mediators, and contributes an interpretive framework for the definition of host immune responses in a variety of disease settings.

In vivo transcriptional profile analysis reveals RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling as prominent processes for adult neurogenesis.

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Lim, Daniel A; Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Naef, Felix; Hacker, Coleen R; Menn, Benedicte; Takebayashi, Hirohide; Magnasco, Marcelo; Patil, Nila; Alvarez-Buylla, Arturo

2006-01-01

Neural stem cells and neurogenesis persist in the adult mammalian brain subventricular zone (SVZ). Cells born in the rodent SVZ migrate to the olfactory bulb (Ob) where they differentiate into interneurons. To determine the gene expression and functional profile of SVZ neurogenesis, we performed three complementary sets of transcriptional analysis experiments using Affymetrix GeneChips: (1) comparison of adult mouse SVZ and Ob gene expression profiles with those of the striatum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus; (2) profiling of SVZ stem cells and ependyma isolated by fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS); and (3) analysis of gene expression changes during in vivo SVZ regeneration after anti-mitotic treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of data from these three separate approaches showed that in adult SVZ neurogenesis, RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling are biological processes as statistically significant as cell proliferation, transcription, and neurogenesis. In non-neurogenic brain regions, RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling were not prominent processes. Fourteen mRNA splicing factors including Sf3b1, Sfrs2, Lsm4, and Khdrbs1/Sam68 were detected along with 9 chromatin remodeling genes including Mll, Bmi1, Smarcad1, Baf53a, and Hat1. We validated the transcriptional profile data with Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. The data greatly expand the catalogue of cell cycle components, transcription factors, and migration genes for adult SVZ neurogenesis and reveal RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling as prominent biological processes for these germinal cells.

Screening of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Populations with Single-Cell Resolution by Using a High-Throughput Microscale Sample Preparation for Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Krismer, Jasmin; Sobek, Jens; Steinhoff, Robert F; Fagerer, Stephan R; Pabst, Martin; Zenobi, Renato

2015-08-15

The consequences of cellular heterogeneity, such as biocide persistence, can only be tackled by studying each individual in a cell population. Fluorescent tags provide tools for the high-throughput analysis of genomes, RNA transcripts, or proteins on the single-cell level. However, the analysis of lower-molecular-weight compounds that elude tagging is still a great challenge. Here, we describe a novel high-throughput microscale sample preparation technique for single cells that allows a mass spectrum to be obtained for each individual cell within a microbial population. The approach presented includes spotting Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells, using a noncontact microarrayer, onto a specialized slide and controlled lysis of cells separated on the slide. Throughout the sample preparation, analytes were traced and individual steps optimized using autofluorescence detection of chlorophyll. The lysates of isolated cells are subjected to a direct, label-free analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Thus, we were able to differentiate individual cells of two Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains based on single-cell mass spectra. Furthermore, we showed that only population profiles with real single-cell resolution render a nondistorted picture of the phenotypes contained in a population. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Primate-specific endogenous retrovirus-driven transcription defines naive-like stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jichang; Xie, Gangcai; Singh, Manvendra; Ghanbarian, Avazeh T; Raskó, Tamás; Szvetnik, Attila; Cai, Huiqiang; Besser, Daniel; Prigione, Alessandro; Fuchs, Nina V; Schumann, Gerald G; Chen, Wei; Lorincz, Matthew C; Ivics, Zoltán; Hurst, Laurence D; Izsvák, Zsuzsanna

2014-12-18

Naive embryonic stem cells hold great promise for research and therapeutics as they have broad and robust developmental potential. While such cells are readily derived from mouse blastocysts it has not been possible to isolate human equivalents easily, although human naive-like cells have been artificially generated (rather than extracted) by coercion of human primed embryonic stem cells by modifying culture conditions or through transgenic modification. Here we show that a sub-population within cultures of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) manifests key properties of naive state cells. These naive-like cells can be genetically tagged, and are associated with elevated transcription of HERVH, a primate-specific endogenous retrovirus. HERVH elements provide functional binding sites for a combination of naive pluripotency transcription factors, including LBP9, recently recognized as relevant to naivety in mice. LBP9-HERVH drives hESC-specific alternative and chimaeric transcripts, including pluripotency-modulating long non-coding RNAs. Disruption of LBP9, HERVH and HERVH-derived transcripts compromises self-renewal. These observations define HERVH expression as a hallmark of naive-like hESCs, and establish novel primate-specific transcriptional circuitry regulating pluripotency.

Silencing of human T-cell leukemia virus type I gene transcription by epigenetic mechanisms

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Mueller Nancy

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I causes adult T-cell leukemia (ATL after a long latent period. Among accessory genes encoded by HTLV-I, the tax gene is thought to play a central role in oncogenesis. However, Tax expression is disrupted by several mechanims including genetic changes of the tax gene, deletion/hypermethylation of 5'-LTR. To clarify the role of epigenetic changes, we analyzed DNA methylation and histone modification in the whole HTLV-I provirus genome. Results The gag, pol and env genes of HTLV-I provirus were more methylated than pX region, whereas methylation of 5'-LTR was variable and 3'-LTR was not methylated at all. In ATL cell lines, complete DNA methylation of 5'-LTR was associated with transcriptional silencing of viral genes. HTLV-I provirus was more methylated in primary ATL cells than in carrier state, indicating the association with disease progression. In seroconvertors, DNA methylation was already observed in internal sequences of provirus just after seroconversion. Taken together, it is speculated that DNA methylation first occurs in the gag, pol and env regions and then extends in the 5' and 3' directions in vivo, and when 5'-LTR becomes methylated, viral transcription is silenced. Analysis of histone modification in the HTLV-I provirus showed that the methylated provirus was associated with hypoacetylation. However, the tax gene transcript could not be detected in fresh ATL cells regardless of hyperacetylated histone H3 in 5'-LTR. The transcription rapidly recovered after in vitro culture in such ATL cells. Conclusion These results showed that epigenetic changes of provirus facilitated ATL cells to evade host immune system by suppressing viral gene transcription. In addition, this study shows the presence of another reversible mechanism that suppresses the tax gene transcription without DNA methylation and hypoacetylated histone.

Elemental analysis of single phytoplankton cells using the Lund nuclear microprobe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pallon, Jan; Elfman, Mikael; Kristiansson, Per; Malmqvist, Klas; Graneli, Edna; Sellborn, Anders; Karlsson, Chatarina

1999-01-01

The occurrence of annual marine phytoplankton blooms is becoming a global problem. In Europe, the NUTOX project supported by the EC investigates if unbalanced nutrient compositions in the water promote the dominance of harmful phytoplankton species. One of the tasks is the determination of the elemental composition of single phytoplankton cells. This is carried out using the Lund Nuclear Microprobe with a special focus on C, N, P and K. The overall aim is to understand the mechanism leading to toxin production, model it and eventually propose a counteracting method. The preparative method, used to isolate single living cells while reducing their salt environment, is an important part of the analytical procedure. A comparison of light element detection using backscattering from protons and nuclear reaction analysis using deuterons is made

Recent advances in the development of single cell analysis-A review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Klepárník, Karel; Foret, František

2013-01-01

Roč. 800, OCT (2013), s. 12-21 ISSN 0003-2670 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0182; GA ČR GAP206/11/2377 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : single cell analysis * capillary electrophoresis * electrochemistry * microfluidic devices Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 4.517, year: 2013

Transcriptional control of megakaryocyte development.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, A N

2007-10-15

Megakaryocytes are highly specialized cells that arise from a bipotent megakaryocytic-erythroid progenitor (MEP). This developmental leap requires coordinated activation of megakaryocyte-specific genes, radical changes in cell cycle properties, and active prevention of erythroid differentiation. These programs result from upregulation of megakaryocyte-selective transcription factors, downregulation of erythroid-selective transcription factors and ongoing mediation of common erythro-megakaryocytic transcription factors. Unlike most developmental programs, no single lineage-unique family of master regulators exerts executive control over the megakaryocytic plan. Rather, an assemblage of non-unique factors and signals converge to determine lineage and differentiation. In human megakaryopoiesis, hereditary disorders of platelet production have confirmed contributions from three distinct transcription factor families. Murine models have extended this repertoire to include multiple additional factors. At a mechanistic level, the means by which these non-unique factors collaborate in the establishment of a perfectly unique cell type remains a central question.

Heterochromatin Reorganization during Early Mouse Development Requires a Single-Stranded Noncoding Transcript

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Miguel Casanova

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The equalization of pericentric heterochromatin from distinct parental origins following fertilization is essential for genome function and development. The recent implication of noncoding transcripts in this process raises questions regarding the connection between RNA and the nuclear organization of distinct chromatin environments. Our study addresses the interrelationship between replication and transcription of the two parental pericentric heterochromatin (PHC domains and their reorganization during early embryonic development. We demonstrate that the replication of PHC is dispensable for its clustering at the late two-cell stage. In contrast, using parthenogenetic embryos, we show that pericentric transcripts are essential for this reorganization independent of the chromatin marks associated with the PHC domains. Finally, our discovery that only reverse pericentric transcripts are required for both the nuclear reorganization of PHC and development beyond the two-cell stage challenges current views on heterochromatin organization.

Specific transcripts are elevated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClanahan, T.; McEntee, K.

1984-01-01

Differential hybridization has been used to identify genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae displaying increased transcript levels after treatment of cells with UV irradiation or with the mutagen/carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO). The authors describe the isolation and characterization of four DNA damage responsive genes obtained from screening ca. 9000 yeast genomic clones. Two of these clones, lambda 78A and pBR178C, contain repetitive elements in the yeast genome as shown by Southern hybridization analysis. Although the genomic hybridization pattern is distinct for each of these two clones, both of these sequences hybridize to large polyadenylated transcripts ca. 5 kilobases in length. Two other DNA damage responsive sequences, pBRA2 and pBR3016B, are single-copy genes and hybridize to 0.5- and 3.2-kilobase transcripts, respectively. Kinetic analysis of the 0.5-kilobase transcript homologous to pBRA2 indicates that the level of this RNA increases more than 15-fold within 20 min after exposure to 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. Moreover, the level of this transcript is significantly elevated in cells containing the rad52-1 mutation which are deficient in DNA strand break repair and gene conversion. These results provide some of the first evidence that DNA damage stimulates transcription of specific genes in eucaryotic cells

Going single but not solo with podocytes: potentials, limitations, and pitfalls of single-cell analysis.

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Schiffer, Mario

2017-11-01

Single-cell RNA-sequence (RNA-seq) is a widely used tool to study biological questions in single cells. The discussed study identified 92 genes being predominantly expressed in podocytes based on a 5-fold higher expression compared with endothelial and mesangial cells. In addition to technical pitfalls, the question that is discussed in this commentary is whether results of a single-cell RNAseq study are able to deliver expression data that truly characterize a podocyte. Copyright © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single cell analysis of Vibrio harveyi uncovers functional heterogeneity in response to quorum sensing signals

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Anetzberger Claudia

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Vibrio harveyi and closely related species are important pathogens in aquaculture. A complex quorum sensing cascade involving three autoinducers controls bioluminescence and several genes encoding virulence factors. Single cell analysis of a V. harveyi population has already indicated intercellular heterogeneity in the production of bioluminescence. This study was undertaken to analyze the expression of various autoinducer-dependent genes in individual cells. Results Here we used reporter strains bearing promoter::gfp fusions to monitor the induction/repression of three autoinducer-regulated genes in wild type conjugates at the single cell level. Two genes involved in pathogenesis - vhp and vscP, which code for an exoprotease and a component of the type III secretion system, respectively, and luxC (the first gene in the lux operon were chosen for analysis. The lux operon and the exoprotease gene are induced, while vscP is repressed at high cell density. As controls luxS and recA, whose expression is not dependent on autoinducers, were examined. The responses of the promoter::gfp fusions in individual cells from the same culture ranged from no to high induction. Importantly, simultaneous analysis of two autoinducer induced phenotypes, bioluminescence (light detection and exoproteolytic activity (fluorescence of a promoter::gfp fusion, in single cells provided evidence for functional heterogeneity within a V. harveyi population. Conclusions Autoinducers are not only an indicator for cell density, but play a pivotal role in the coordination of physiological activities within the population.

Single cell analysis of Vibrio harveyi uncovers functional heterogeneity in response to quorum sensing signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Anetzberger, Claudia; Schell, Ursula; Jung, Kirsten

2012-09-18

Vibrio harveyi and closely related species are important pathogens in aquaculture. A complex quorum sensing cascade involving three autoinducers controls bioluminescence and several genes encoding virulence factors. Single cell analysis of a V. harveyi population has already indicated intercellular heterogeneity in the production of bioluminescence. This study was undertaken to analyze the expression of various autoinducer-dependent genes in individual cells. Here we used reporter strains bearing promoter::gfp fusions to monitor the induction/repression of three autoinducer-regulated genes in wild type conjugates at the single cell level. Two genes involved in pathogenesis - vhp and vscP, which code for an exoprotease and a component of the type III secretion system, respectively, and luxC (the first gene in the lux operon) were chosen for analysis. The lux operon and the exoprotease gene are induced, while vscP is repressed at high cell density. As controls luxS and recA, whose expression is not dependent on autoinducers, were examined. The responses of the promoter::gfp fusions in individual cells from the same culture ranged from no to high induction. Importantly, simultaneous analysis of two autoinducer induced phenotypes, bioluminescence (light detection) and exoproteolytic activity (fluorescence of a promoter::gfp fusion), in single cells provided evidence for functional heterogeneity within a V. harveyi population. Autoinducers are not only an indicator for cell density, but play a pivotal role in the coordination of physiological activities within the population.

Mammalian transcriptional hotspots are enriched for tissue specific enhancers near cell type specific highly expressed genes and are predicted to act as transcriptional activator hubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Anagha

2014-12-30

Transcriptional hotspots are defined as genomic regions bound by multiple factors. They have been identified recently as cell type specific enhancers regulating developmentally essential genes in many species such as worm, fly and humans. The in-depth analysis of hotspots across multiple cell types in same species still remains to be explored and can bring new biological insights. We therefore collected 108 transcription-related factor (TF) ChIP sequencing data sets in ten murine cell types and classified the peaks in each cell type in three groups according to binding occupancy as singletons (low-occupancy), combinatorials (mid-occupancy) and hotspots (high-occupancy). The peaks in the three groups clustered largely according to the occupancy, suggesting priming of genomic loci for mid occupancy irrespective of cell type. We then characterized hotspots for diverse structural functional properties. The genes neighbouring hotspots had a small overlap with hotspot genes in other cell types and were highly enriched for cell type specific function. Hotspots were enriched for sequence motifs of key TFs in that cell type and more than 90% of hotspots were occupied by pioneering factors. Though we did not find any sequence signature in the three groups, the H3K4me1 binding profile had bimodal peaks at hotspots, distinguishing hotspots from mono-modal H3K4me1 singletons. In ES cells, differentially expressed genes after perturbation of activators were enriched for hotspot genes suggesting hotspots primarily act as transcriptional activator hubs. Finally, we proposed that ES hotspots might be under control of SetDB1 and not DNMT for silencing. Transcriptional hotspots are enriched for tissue specific enhancers near cell type specific highly expressed genes. In ES cells, they are predicted to act as transcriptional activator hubs and might be under SetDB1 control for silencing.

Single cell time-lapse analysis reveals that podoplanin enhances cell survival and colony formation capacity of squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyashita, Tomoyuki; Higuchi, Youichi; Kojima, Motohiro; Ochiai, Atsushi; Ishii, Genichiro

2017-01-06

Tumor initiating cells (TICs) are characterized by high clonal expansion capacity. We previously reported that podoplanin is a TIC-specific marker for the human squamous cell carcinoma cell line A431. The aim of this study is to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the high clonal expansion potential of podoplanin-positive A431cells using Fucci imaging. Single podoplanin-positive cells created large colonies at a significantly higher frequency than single podoplanin-negative cells, whereas no difference was observed between the two types of cells with respect to cell cycle status. Conversely, the cell death ratio of progenies derived from podoplanin-positive single cell was significantly lower than that of cells derived from podoplanin-negative cells. Single A431 cells, whose podoplanin expression was suppressed by RNA interference, exhibited increased cell death ratios and decreased frequency of large colony forming. Moreover, the frequency of large colony forming decreased significantly when podoplanin-positive single cells was treated with a ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase) inhibitor, whereas no difference was observed in single podoplanin-negative cells. Our current study cleared that high clonal expansion capacity of podoplanin-positive TICs populations was the result of reduced cell death by podoplanin-mediated signaling. Therefore, podoplanin activity may be a therapeutic target in the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas.

Alternative transcription of sodium/bicarbonate transporter SLC4A7 gene enhanced by single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hae Jeong; Lee, Soojung; Ju, Eunji; Jones, Jayre A; Choi, Inyeong

2017-03-01

Genome-wide association studies have identified the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3278 in the human SLC4A7 gene as one of the marker loci for addiction vulnerability. This marker is located in an intron of the gene, and its genomic role has been unknown. In this study, we examined rs3278 and three adjacent SNPs prevalent in alcoholics for their effects on an alternative promoter that would lead to the production of the NH 2 -terminally truncated protein NBCn1ΔN450, missing the first 450 amino acids. Analysis of the transcription start site database and a promoter prediction algorithm identified a cluster of three promoters in intron 7 and two short CpG-rich sites in intron 6. The promoter closest to rs3278 showed strong transcription activity in luciferase reporter gene assays. Major-to-minor allele substitution at rs3278 resulted in increased transcription activity. Equivalent substitutions at adjacent rs3772723 (intron 7) and rs13077400 (exon 8) had negligible effect; however, the substitution at nonsynonymous rs3755652 (exon 8) increased the activity by more than twofold. The concomitant substitution at rs3278/rs3755652 produced an additive effect. The rs3755652 had more profound effects on the promoter than the upstream regulatory CpG sites. The amino acid change E326K caused by rs3755652 had negligible effect on transporter function. In HEK 293 cells, NBCn1ΔN450 was expressed in plasma membranes, but at significantly lower levels than the nontruncated NBCn1-E. The pH change mediated by NBCn1ΔN450 was also low. We conclude that rs3278 and rs3755652 stimulate an alternative transcription of the SLC4A7 gene, increasing the production of a defective transporter. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

High-content analysis of single cells directly assembled on CMOS sensor based on color imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Tsuyoshi; Saeki, Tatsuya; Sunaga, Yoshihiko; Matsunaga, Tadashi

2010-12-15

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor was applied to high-content analysis of single cells which were assembled closely or directly onto the CMOS sensor surface. The direct assembling of cell groups on CMOS sensor surface allows large-field (6.66 mm×5.32 mm in entire active area of CMOS sensor) imaging within a second. Trypan blue-stained and non-stained cells in the same field area on the CMOS sensor were successfully distinguished as white- and blue-colored images under white LED light irradiation. Furthermore, the chemiluminescent signals of each cell were successfully visualized as blue-colored images on CMOS sensor only when HeLa cells were placed directly on the micro-lens array of the CMOS sensor. Our proposed approach will be a promising technique for real-time and high-content analysis of single cells in a large-field area based on color imaging. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optofluidics for handling and analysis of single living cells

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, Gerardo

2017-12-07

Optofluidics is a field with important applications in areas such as biotechnology, chemical synthesis and analytical chemistry. Optofluidic devices combine optical elements into microfluidic devices in ways that increase portability and sensitivity of analysis for diagnostic or screening purposes .In fact in these devices fluids give fine adaptability, mobility and accessibility to nanoscale photonic devices which otherwise could not be realized using conventional devices. This review describes several cases inwhich optical or microfluidic approaches are used to trap single cells in proximity of integrated optical sensor for being analysed.

Optofluidics for handling and analysis of single living cells

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, Gerardo; Candeloro, Patrizio; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2017-01-01

Optofluidics is a field with important applications in areas such as biotechnology, chemical synthesis and analytical chemistry. Optofluidic devices combine optical elements into microfluidic devices in ways that increase portability and sensitivity of analysis for diagnostic or screening purposes .In fact in these devices fluids give fine adaptability, mobility and accessibility to nanoscale photonic devices which otherwise could not be realized using conventional devices. This review describes several cases inwhich optical or microfluidic approaches are used to trap single cells in proximity of integrated optical sensor for being analysed.

Regulation of Arabidopsis Early Anther Development by Putative Cell-Cell Signaling Molecules and Transcriptional Regulators

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yu-Jin Sun; Carey LH Hord; Chang-Bin Chen; Hong Ma

2007-01-01

Anther development in flowering plants involves the formation of several cell types, including the tapetal and pollen mother cells. The use of genetic and molecular tools has led to the identification and characterization of genes that are critical for normal cell division and differentiation in Arabidopsis early anther development. We review here several recent studies on these genes, including the demonstration that the putative receptor protein kinases BAM1 and BAM2 together play essential roles in the control of early cell division and differentiation. In addition, we discuss the hypothesis that BAM1/2 may form a positive-negative feedback regulatory loop with a previously identified key regulator, SPOROCYTELESS (also called NOZZLE),to control the balance between sporogenous and somatic cell types in the anther. Furthermore, we summarize the isolation and functional analysis of the DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM1 (DYT1) gene in promoting proper tapetal cell differentiation. Our finding that DYT1 encodes a putative transcription factor of the bHLH family, as well as relevant expression analyses, strongly supports a model that DYT1 serves as a critical link between upstream factors and downstream target genes that are critical for normal tapetum development and function. These studies, together with other recently published works, indicate that cell-cell communication and transcriptional control are key processes essential for cell fate specification in anther development.

Transcription-associated processes cause DNA double-strand breaks and translocations in neural stem/progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwer, Bjoern; Wei, Pei-Chi; Chang, Amelia N; Kao, Jennifer; Du, Zhou; Meyers, Robin M; Alt, Frederick W

2016-02-23

High-throughput, genome-wide translocation sequencing (HTGTS) studies of activated B cells have revealed that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) capable of translocating to defined bait DSBs are enriched around the transcription start sites (TSSs) of active genes. We used the HTGTS approach to investigate whether a similar phenomenon occurs in primary neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). We report that breakpoint junctions indeed are enriched around TSSs that were determined to be active by global run-on sequencing analyses of NSPCs. Comparative analyses of transcription profiles in NSPCs and B cells revealed that the great majority of TSS-proximal junctions occurred in genes commonly expressed in both cell types, possibly because this common set has higher transcription levels on average than genes transcribed in only one or the other cell type. In the latter context, among all actively transcribed genes containing translocation junctions in NSPCs, those with junctions located within 2 kb of the TSS show a significantly higher transcription rate on average than genes with junctions in the gene body located at distances greater than 2 kb from the TSS. Finally, analysis of repair junction signatures of TSS-associated translocations in wild-type versus classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ)-deficient NSPCs reveals that both C-NHEJ and alternative end-joining pathways can generate translocations by joining TSS-proximal DSBs to DSBs on other chromosomes. Our studies show that the generation of transcription-associated DSBs is conserved across divergent cell types.

Reliable single cell array CGH for clinical samples.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbigniew T Czyż

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Disseminated cancer cells (DCCs and circulating tumor cells (CTCs are extremely rare, but comprise the precursors cells of distant metastases or therapy resistant cells. The detailed molecular analysis of these cells may help to identify key events of cancer cell dissemination, metastatic colony formation and systemic therapy escape. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Ampli1™ whole genome amplification (WGA technology and high-resolution oligonucleotide aCGH microarrays we optimized conditions for the analysis of structural copy number changes. The protocol presented here enables reliable detection of numerical genomic alterations as small as 0.1 Mb in a single cell. Analysis of single cells from well-characterized cell lines and single normal cells confirmed the stringent quantitative nature of the amplification and hybridization protocol. Importantly, fixation and staining procedures used to detect DCCs showed no significant impact on the outcome of the analysis, proving the clinical usability of our method. In a proof-of-principle study we tracked the chromosomal changes of single DCCs over a full course of high-dose chemotherapy treatment by isolating and analyzing DCCs of an individual breast cancer patient at four different time points. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The protocol enables detailed genome analysis of DCCs and thereby assessment of the clonal evolution during the natural course of the disease and under selection pressures. The results from an exemplary patient provide evidence that DCCs surviving selective therapeutic conditions may be recruited from a pool of genomically less advanced cells, which display a stable subset of specific genomic alterations.

Signed weighted gene co-expression network analysis of transcriptional regulation in murine embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Zhou Qing; Plath Kathrin; Fan Guoping; Mason Mike J; Horvath Steve

2009-01-01

Abstract Background Recent work has revealed that a core group of transcription factors (TFs) regulates the key characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells: pluripotency and self-renewal. Current efforts focus on identifying genes that play important roles in maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal in ES cells and aim to understand the interactions among these genes. To that end, we...

The presence of lytic HSV-1 transcripts and clonally expanded T cells with a memory effector phenotype in human sensory ganglia.

Science.gov (United States)

Derfuss, Tobias; Arbusow, Viktor; Strupp, Michael; Brandt, Thomas; Theil, Diethilde

2009-05-01

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) latent persistence in human trigeminal ganglia (TG) is accompanied by a chronic CD8 T-cell infiltration. Thus far, during HSV-1 latency only a single transcript, namely the latency-associated transcript (LAT), has been identified to be synthesized but not translated into a protein. In contrast, the chronic CD8 T-cell infiltration suggests that an antigen trigger must be present. The focus of the current work was to look for HSV-1 transcription activity as a potential trigger of the immune response and to demonstrate whether the immune cells are clonally expanded and have a phenotype that suggests that they have been triggered by viral antigen. By combining in situ hybridization, laser cutting microscopy, and single-cell real time RT-PCR, we demonstrated expression of the HSV-1 immediate early (IE) genes ICP0 and ICP4 in human trigeminal neurons. Using CDR3 spectratyping, we showed that the infiltrating T cells are clonally expanded, indicating an antigen-driven immune response. Moreover, the persisting CD8(+) T cells had prominent features of the memory effector phenotype. Chemokines CCL5 and CXCL10 were expressed by a subpopulation of infiltrating cells and the corresponding chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 were co-expressed on virtually all T cells bearing the CD8 phenotype. Thus, HSV-1 IE genes are expressed in human TG, and the infiltrating T cells bear several characteristics that suggest viral antigenic stimulation.

DNA to DNA transcription might exist in eukaryotic cells

OpenAIRE

Li, Gao-De

2016-01-01

Till now, in biological sciences, the term, transcription, mainly refers to DNA to RNA transcription. But our recently published experimental findings obtained from Plasmodium falciparum strongly suggest the existence of DNA to DNA transcription in the genome of eukaryotic cells, which could shed some light on the functions of certain noncoding DNA in the human and other eukaryotic genomes.

The TCP4 transcription factor of Arabidopsis blocks cell division in yeast at G1 → S transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, Pooja; Padmanabhan, Bhavna; Bhat, Abhay; Sarvepalli, Kavitha; Sadhale, Parag P.; Nath, Utpal

2011-01-01

Highlights: → TCP4 is a class II TCP transcription factor, that represses cell division in Arabidopsis. → TCP4 expression in yeast retards cell division by blocking G1 → S transition. → Genome-wide expression studies and Western analysis reveals stabilization of cell cycle inhibitor Sic1, as possible mechanism. -- Abstract: The TCP transcription factors control important aspects of plant development. Members of class I TCP proteins promote cell cycle by regulating genes directly involved in cell proliferation. In contrast, members of class II TCP proteins repress cell division. While it has been postulated that class II proteins induce differentiation signal, their exact role on cell cycle has not been studied. Here, we report that TCP4, a class II TCP protein from Arabidopsis that repress cell proliferation in developing leaves, inhibits cell division by blocking G1 → S transition in budding yeast. Cells expressing TCP4 protein with increased transcriptional activity fail to progress beyond G1 phase. By analyzing global transcriptional status of these cells, we show that expression of a number of cell cycle genes is altered. The possible mechanism of G1 → S arrest is discussed.

Single molecule transcription factor dynamics in the syncytial Drosophila embryo

Science.gov (United States)

Darzacq, Xavier

During early development in the Drosophila embryo, cell fates are determined over the course of just 2 hours with exquisite spatio-temoral precision. One of the key regulators of this process is the transcription factor Bicoid which forms a concentration gradient across the long axis of the embryo. Although Bicoids' primary role is activation at the anterior, where concentrations are highest, it is also known to play a role in the posterior where there are only 100s of molecules per nucleus. Understanding how Bicoid can find its target at such low concentrations has remained intractable, largely due to the inability to perform single molecule imaging in the context of the developing embryo. Here we use lattice light sheet microscopy to overcome the technical barriers of sample thickness and auto-fluorescence to characterize the single molecule dynamics of Bicoid. We find that off-rates do not vary across the embryo and that instead the on-rates are modulated through the formation of clusters that enrich local concentration. This data is contrary to the current concentration dependent model of Bicoid function since local concentration within the nucleus is now a regulated parameter and suggests a previously unknown mechanism for regulation at extremely low concentrations.

Single-cell measurement of red blood cell oxygen affinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Caprio, Giuseppe; Stokes, Chris; Higgins, John M; Schonbrun, Ethan

2015-08-11

Oxygen is transported throughout the body by hemoglobin (Hb) in red blood cells (RBCs). Although the oxygen affinity of blood is well-understood and routinely assessed in patients by pulse oximetry, variability at the single-cell level has not been previously measured. In contrast, single-cell measurements of RBC volume and Hb concentration are taken millions of times per day by clinical hematology analyzers, and they are important factors in determining the health of the hematologic system. To better understand the variability and determinants of oxygen affinity on a cellular level, we have developed a system that quantifies the oxygen saturation, cell volume, and Hb concentration for individual RBCs in high throughput. We find that the variability in single-cell saturation peaks at an oxygen partial pressure of 2.9%, which corresponds to the maximum slope of the oxygen-Hb dissociation curve. In addition, single-cell oxygen affinity is positively correlated with Hb concentration but independent of osmolarity, which suggests variation in the Hb to 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2-3 DPG) ratio on a cellular level. By quantifying the functional behavior of a cellular population, our system adds a dimension to blood cell analysis and other measurements of single-cell variability.

Transcriptional analysis of cell growth and morphogenesis in the unicellular green alga Micrasterias (Streptophyta, with emphasis on the role of expansin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leliaert Frederik

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Streptophyte green algae share several characteristics of cell growth and cell wall formation with their relatives, the embryophytic land plants. The multilobed cell wall of Micrasterias denticulata that rebuilds symmetrically after cell division and consists of pectin and cellulose, makes this unicellular streptophyte alga an interesting model system to study the molecular controls on cell shape and cell wall formation in green plants. Results Genome-wide transcript expression profiling of synchronously growing cells identified 107 genes of which the expression correlated with the growth phase. Four transcripts showed high similarity to expansins that had not been examined previously in green algae. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that these genes are most closely related to the plant EXPANSIN A family, although their domain organization is very divergent. A GFP-tagged version of the expansin-resembling protein MdEXP2 localized to the cell wall and in Golgi-derived vesicles. Overexpression phenotypes ranged from lobe elongation to loss of growth polarity and planarity. These results indicate that MdEXP2 can alter the cell wall structure and, thus, might have a function related to that of land plant expansins during cell morphogenesis. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the potential of M. denticulata as a unicellular model system, in which cell growth mechanisms have been discovered similar to those in land plants. Additionally, evidence is provided that the evolutionary origins of many cell wall components and regulatory genes in embryophytes precede the colonization of land.

Fluctuation localization imaging-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (fliFISH) for accurate detection and counting of RNA copies in single cells

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Cui, Yi; Hu, Dehong; Markillie, Lye Meng; Chrisler, William B.; Gaffrey, Matthew J.; Ansong, Charles; Sussel, Lori; Orr, Galya

2017-10-04

Quantitative gene expression analysis in intact single cells can be achieved using single molecule- based fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH). This approach relies on fluorescence intensity to distinguish between true signals, emitted from an RNA copy hybridized with multiple FISH sub-probes, and background noise. Thus, the precision in smFISH is often compromised by partial or nonspecific binding of sub-probes and tissue autofluorescence, limiting its accuracy. Here we provide an accurate approach for setting quantitative thresholds between true and false signals, which relies on blinking frequencies of photoswitchable dyes. This fluctuation localization imaging-based FISH (fliFISH) uses blinking frequency patterns, emitted from a transcript bound to multiple sub-probes, which are distinct from blinking patterns emitted from partial or nonspecifically bound sub-probes and autofluorescence. Using multicolor fliFISH, we identified radial gene expression patterns in mouse pancreatic islets for insulin, the transcription factor, NKX2-2, and their ratio (Nkx2-2/Ins2). These radial patterns, showing higher values in β cells at the islet core and lower values in peripheral cells, were lost in diabetic mouse islets. In summary, fliFISH provides an accurate, quantitative approach for detecting and counting true RNA copies and rejecting false signals by their distinct blinking frequency patterns, laying the foundation for reliable single-cell transcriptomics.

Single-molecule studies of DNA transcription using atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billingsley, Daniel J; Crampton, Neal; Thomson, Neil H; Bonass, William A; Kirkham, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can detect single biomacromolecules with a high signal-to-noise ratio on atomically flat biocompatible support surfaces, such as mica. Contrast arises from the innate forces and therefore AFM does not require imaging contrast agents, leading to sample preparation that is relatively straightforward. The ability of AFM to operate in hydrated environments, including humid air and aqueous buffers, allows structure and function of biological and biomolecular systems to be retained. These traits of the AFM are ensuring that it is being increasingly used to study deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structure and DNA–protein interactions down to the secondary structure level. This report focuses in particular on reviewing the applications of AFM to the study of DNA transcription in reductionist single-molecule bottom-up approaches. The technique has allowed new insights into the interactions between ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase to be gained and enabled quantification of some aspects of the transcription process, such as promoter location, DNA wrapping and elongation. More recently, the trend is towards studying the interactions of more than one enzyme operating on a single DNA template. These methods begin to reveal the mechanics of gene expression at the single-molecule level and will enable us to gain greater understanding of how the genome is transcribed and translated into the proteome. (topical review)

Reference genes for gene expression analysis by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of renal cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Henriette; Pedersen, Shona; Kristensen, Søren Risom; Marcussen, Niels

2011-12-01

Differentiation between malignant renal cell carcinoma and benign oncocytoma is of great importance to choose the optimal treatment. Accurate preoperative diagnosis of renal tumor is therefore crucial; however, existing imaging techniques and histologic examinations are incapable of providing an optimal differentiation profile. Analysis of gene expression of molecular markers is a new possibility but relies on appropriate standardization to compare different samples. The aim of this study was to identify stably expressed reference genes suitable for the normalization of results extracted from gene expression analysis of renal tumors. Expression levels of 8 potential reference genes (ATP5J, HMBS, HPRT1, PPIA, TBP, 18S, GAPDH, and POLR2A) were examined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in tumor and normal tissue from removed kidneys from 13 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 5 patients with oncocytoma. The expression levels of genes were compared by gene stability value M, average gene stability M, pairwise variation V, and coefficient of variation CV. More candidates were not suitable for the purpose, but a combination of HMBS, PPIA, ATP5J, and TBP was found to be the best combination with an average gene stability value M of 0.9 and a CV of 0.4 in the 18 tumors and normal tissues. A combination of 4 genes, HMBS, PPIA, ATP5J, and TBP, is a possible reference in renal tumor gene expression analysis by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A combination of four genes, HMBS, PPIA, ATP5J and TBP, being stably expressed in tissues from RCC is possible reference genes for gene expression analysis.

Droplet Microfluidics for Compartmentalized Cell Lysis and Extension of DNA from Single-Cells

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Zimny, Philip; Juncker, David; Reisner, Walter

Current single cell DNA analysis methods suffer from (i) bias introduced by the need for molecular amplification and (ii) limited ability to sequence repetitive elements, resulting in (iii) an inability to obtain information regarding long range genomic features. Recent efforts to circumvent these limitations rely on techniques for sensing single molecules of DNA extracted from single-cells. Here we demonstrate a droplet microfluidic approach for encapsulation and biochemical processing of single-cells inside alginate microparticles. In our approach, single-cells are first packaged inside the alginate microparticles followed by cell lysis, DNA purification, and labeling steps performed off-chip inside this microparticle system. The alginate microparticles are then introduced inside a micro/nanofluidic system where the alginate is broken down via a chelating buffer, releasing long DNA molecules which are then extended inside nanofluidic channels for analysis via standard mapping protocols.

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis unveils a prevalent epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid state during mouse organogenesis.

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Dong, Ji; Hu, Yuqiong; Fan, Xiaoying; Wu, Xinglong; Mao, Yunuo; Hu, Boqiang; Guo, Hongshan; Wen, Lu; Tang, Fuchou

2018-03-14

Organogenesis is crucial for proper organ formation during mammalian embryonic development. However, the similarities and shared features between different organs and the cellular heterogeneity during this process at single-cell resolution remain elusive. We perform single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of 1916 individual cells from eight organs and tissues of E9.5 to E11.5 mouse embryos, namely, the forebrain, hindbrain, skin, heart, somite, lung, liver, and intestine. Based on the regulatory activities rather than the expression patterns, all cells analyzed can be well classified into four major groups with epithelial, mesodermal, hematopoietic, and neuronal identities. For different organs within the same group, the similarities and differences of their features and developmental paths are revealed and reconstructed. We identify mutual interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells and detect epithelial cells with prevalent mesenchymal features during organogenesis, which are similar to the features of intermediate epithelial/mesenchymal cells during tumorigenesis. The comprehensive transcriptome at single-cell resolution profiled in our study paves the way for future mechanistic studies of the gene-regulatory networks governing mammalian organogenesis.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-06-01

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

A single-cell analysis platform for electrochemiluminescent detection of platelets adhesion to endothelial cells based on Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanoprobes.

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Long, Dongping; Shang, Yunfei; Qiu, Youyi; Zhou, Bin; Yang, Peihui

2018-04-15

A novel single-cell analysis platform (SCA) was developed for the investigation of platelets adhesion to single human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) via using the adhesion molecule (E-selectin) on the damaged HUVEC as the marker site, and integrating electrochemiluminescence (ECL) with the ultrasensitive Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanoprobes. The Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanocomposite, a kind of double layer zinc-coadsorbed carbon quantum dot (ZnCQDs) core-shell nanoprobe, was firstly constructed by using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the core to load with ZnCQDs and then the citrate-modified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as the bridge to link AuNPs-ZnCQDs with ZnCQDs to form the core-shell with double layer ZnCQDs (DL-ZnCQDs) nanoprobe, revealed a 10-fold signal amplification. The H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative damage HUVECs were utilized as the cellular model on which anti-E-selectin functionalized nanoprobes specially recognized E-selectin, the SCA showed that the ECL signals decreased with platelets adhesion to single HUVEC. The proposed SCA could effectively and dynamically monitor the adhesion between single HUVEC and platelets in the absence and presence of collagen activation, moreover, be able to quantitatively detect the number of platelets adhesion to single HUVEC, and show a good analytical performance with linear range from 1 to 15 platelets. In contrast, the HUVEC was down-regulated the expression of adhesion molecules by treating with quercetin inhibitor, and the SCA also exhibited the feasibility for analysis of platelets adhesion to single HUVEC. Therefore, the single-cell analysis platform provided a novel and promising protocol for analysis of the single intercellular adhesion, and it will be beneficial to elucidate the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional profiling of cork oak phellogenic cells isolated by laser microdissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Fortes, Ana Margarida; Bai, Hua; Pinheiro, Carla; Pereira, Helena

2018-02-01

The phenylpropanoid pathway impacts the cork quality development. In cork of bad quality, the flavonoid route is favored, whereas in good quality, cork lignin and suberin production prevails. Cork oaks develop a thick cork tissue as a protective shield that results of the continuous activity of a secondary meristem, the cork cambium, or phellogen. Most studies applied to developmental processes do not consider the cell types from which the samples were extracted. Here, laser microdissection (LM) coupled with transcript profiling using RNA sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) was applied to phellogen cells of trees producing low- and good quality cork. Functional annotation and functional enrichment analyses showed that stress-related genes are enriched in samples extracted from trees producing good quality cork (GQC). This process is under tight transcriptional (transcription factors, kinases) regulation and also hormonal control involving ABA, ethylene, and auxins. The phellogen cells collected from trees producing bad quality cork (BQC) show a consistent up-regulation of genes belonging to the flavonoid pathway as a response to stress. They also display a different modulation of cell wall genes resulting into a thinner cork layer, i.e., less meristematic activity. Based on the analysis of the phenylpropanoid pathway regulating genes, in GQC, the synthesis of lignin and suberin is promoted, whereas in BQC, the same pathway favors the biosynthesis of free phenolic compounds. This study provided new insights of how cell-specific gene expression can determine tissue and organ morphology and physiology and identified robust candidate genes that can be used in breeding programs aiming at improving cork quality.

Chemical Cocktails Enable Hepatic Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts with a Single Transcription Factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ren Guo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Liver or hepatocytes transplantation is limited by the availability of donor organs. Functional hepatocytes independent of the donor sources may have wide applications in regenerative medicine and the drug industry. Recent studies have demonstrated that chemical cocktails may induce reprogramming of fibroblasts into a range of functional somatic cells. Here, we show that mouse fibroblasts can be transdifferentiated into the hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps using only one transcription factor (TF (Foxa1, Foxa2, or Foxa3 plus a chemical cocktail. These iHeps show typical epithelial morphology, express multiple hepatocyte-specific genes, and acquire hepatocyte functions. Genetic lineage tracing confirms the fibroblast origin of these iHeps. More interestingly, these iHeps are expandable in vitro and can reconstitute the damaged hepatic tissues of the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase-deficient (Fah−/− mice. Our study provides a strategy to generate functional hepatocyte-like cells by using a single TF plus a chemical cocktail and is one step closer to generate the full-chemical iHeps.

Termination factor Rho: From the control of pervasive transcription to cell fate determination in Bacillus subtilis

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Nicolas, Pierre; Repoila, Francis; Bardowski, Jacek; Aymerich, Stéphane

2017-01-01

In eukaryotes, RNA species originating from pervasive transcription are regulators of various cellular processes, from the expression of individual genes to the control of cellular development and oncogenesis. In prokaryotes, the function of pervasive transcription and its output on cell physiology is still unknown. Most bacteria possess termination factor Rho, which represses pervasive, mostly antisense, transcription. Here, we investigate the biological significance of Rho-controlled transcription in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Rho inactivation strongly affected gene expression in B. subtilis, as assessed by transcriptome and proteome analysis of a rho–null mutant during exponential growth in rich medium. Subsequent physiological analyses demonstrated that a considerable part of Rho-controlled transcription is connected to balanced regulation of three mutually exclusive differentiation programs: cell motility, biofilm formation, and sporulation. In the absence of Rho, several up-regulated sense and antisense transcripts affect key structural and regulatory elements of these differentiation programs, thereby suppressing motility and biofilm formation and stimulating sporulation. We dissected how Rho is involved in the activity of the cell fate decision-making network, centered on the master regulator Spo0A. We also revealed a novel regulatory mechanism of Spo0A activation through Rho-dependent intragenic transcription termination of the protein kinase kinB gene. Altogether, our findings indicate that distinct Rho-controlled transcripts are functional and constitute a previously unknown built-in module for the control of cell differentiation in B. subtilis. In a broader context, our results highlight the recruitment of the termination factor Rho, for which the conserved biological role is probably to repress pervasive transcription, in highly integrated, bacterium-specific, regulatory networks. PMID:28723971

Hepatic transcriptional responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to gamma radiation and depleted uranium singly and in combination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, You, E-mail: yso@niva.no [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Centre for Environmental Radioactivity - CERAD, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås (Norway); Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo (Norway); Salbu, Brit; Teien, Hans-Christian [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Centre for Environmental Radioactivity - CERAD, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås (Norway); Evensen, Øystein [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo (Norway); Lind, Ole Christian [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Centre for Environmental Radioactivity - CERAD, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås (Norway); Rosseland, Bjørn Olav [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Centre for Environmental Radioactivity - CERAD, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås (Norway); Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management (INA), P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås (Norway); and others

2016-08-15

Radionuclides are a special group of substances posing both radiological and chemical hazards to organisms. As a preliminary approach to understand the combined effects of radionuclides, exposure studies were designed using gamma radiation (Gamma) and depleted uranium (DU) as stressors, representing a combination of radiological (radiation) and chemical (metal) exposure. Juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were exposed to 70 mGy external Gamma dose delivered over the first 5 h of a 48 h period (14 mGy/h), 0.25 mg/L DU were exposed continuously for 48 h and the combination of the two stressors (Combi). Water and tissue concentrations of U were determined to assess the exposure quality and DU bioaccumulation. Hepatic gene expression changes were determined using microarrays in combination with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Effects at the higher physiological levels were determined as plasma glucose (general stress) and hepatic histological changes. The results show that bioaccumulation of DU was observed after both single DU and the combined exposure. Global transcriptional analysis showed that 3122, 2303 and 3460 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly regulated by exposure to gamma, DU and Combi, respectively. Among these, 349 genes were commonly regulated by all treatments, while the majority was found to be treatment-specific. Functional analysis of DEGs revealed that the stressors displayed similar mode of action (MoA) across treatments such as induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage and disturbance of oxidative phosphorylation, but also stressor-specific mechanisms such as cellular stress and injury, metabolic disorder, programmed cell death, immune response. No changes in plasma glucose level as an indicator of general stress and hepatic histological changes were observed. Although no direct linkage was successfully established between molecular responses and adverse effects at the organism

Hepatic transcriptional responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to gamma radiation and depleted uranium singly and in combination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, You; Salbu, Brit; Teien, Hans-Christian; Evensen, Øystein; Lind, Ole Christian; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav

2016-01-01

Radionuclides are a special group of substances posing both radiological and chemical hazards to organisms. As a preliminary approach to understand the combined effects of radionuclides, exposure studies were designed using gamma radiation (Gamma) and depleted uranium (DU) as stressors, representing a combination of radiological (radiation) and chemical (metal) exposure. Juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were exposed to 70 mGy external Gamma dose delivered over the first 5 h of a 48 h period (14 mGy/h), 0.25 mg/L DU were exposed continuously for 48 h and the combination of the two stressors (Combi). Water and tissue concentrations of U were determined to assess the exposure quality and DU bioaccumulation. Hepatic gene expression changes were determined using microarrays in combination with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Effects at the higher physiological levels were determined as plasma glucose (general stress) and hepatic histological changes. The results show that bioaccumulation of DU was observed after both single DU and the combined exposure. Global transcriptional analysis showed that 3122, 2303 and 3460 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly regulated by exposure to gamma, DU and Combi, respectively. Among these, 349 genes were commonly regulated by all treatments, while the majority was found to be treatment-specific. Functional analysis of DEGs revealed that the stressors displayed similar mode of action (MoA) across treatments such as induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage and disturbance of oxidative phosphorylation, but also stressor-specific mechanisms such as cellular stress and injury, metabolic disorder, programmed cell death, immune response. No changes in plasma glucose level as an indicator of general stress and hepatic histological changes were observed. Although no direct linkage was successfully established between molecular responses and adverse effects at the organism

Controlling transcription in human pluripotent stem cells using CRISPR-effectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Genga, Ryan M; Kearns, Nicola A; Maehr, René

2016-05-15

The ability to manipulate transcription in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is fundamental for the discovery of key genes and mechanisms governing cellular state and differentiation. Recently developed CRISPR-effector systems provide a systematic approach to rapidly test gene function in mammalian cells, including hPSCs. In this review, we discuss recent advances in CRISPR-effector technologies that have been employed to control transcription through gene activation, gene repression, and epigenome engineering. We describe an application of CRISPR-effector mediated transcriptional regulation in hPSCs by targeting a synthetic promoter driving a GFP transgene, demonstrating the ease and effectiveness of CRISPR-effector mediated transcriptional regulation in hPSCs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of single-cell technology in cancer research.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Shao-Bo; Fu, Li-Wu

2017-07-01

In this review, we have outlined the application of single-cell technology in cancer research. Single-cell technology has made encouraging progress in recent years and now provides the means to detect rare cancer cells such as circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells. We reveal how this technology has advanced the analysis of intratumor heterogeneity and tumor epigenetics, and guided individualized treatment strategies. The future prospects now are to bring single-cell technology into the clinical arena. We believe that the clinical application of single-cell technology will be beneficial in cancer diagnostics and treatment, and ultimately improve survival in cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gene expression analysis of WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures during a parabolic flight

Science.gov (United States)

Babbick, Maren; Barjaktarović, Žarko; Hampp, Ruediger

Plants sense gravity by specialized cells (statocytes) and adjust growth and development accordingly. It has, however, also been shown that plant cells which are not part of specialized tissues are also able to sense gravitational forces. Therefore we used undifferentiated, homogeneous cell cultures of Arabidopsis thaliana (cv. Columbia) in order to identify early alterations in gene expression as a response to altered gravitational field strengths. In this contribution we report on cell cultures exposed to parabolic flights (approximately 20 sec of microgravity). For this short-term exposure study, we specifically checked for genes at the beginning of signal transduction chains, such as those coding for transcription factors (TFs). TFs are small proteins that regulate expression of their target genes by binding to specific promoter sequences. Our main focus were members of the so-called WRKY TF family. WRKY TFs are known to be involved in various physiological processes like senescence and pathogen defense. By quantifying transcriptional changes of these genes by real-time RT-PCR, we wanted to find out, how gene expression is affected by both hyperand microgravity conditions during a parabolic flight. For this purpose Arabidopsis thaliana callus cultures were metabolically quenched by the injection of RNAlater at the end of the microgravity-phase of each parabola. The data we present will show how fast changes in amounts of transcripts will occur, and to what degree the expression profiles are comparable with data obtained from exposures to hypergravity and simulated microgravity.

Single-cell and population NF-κB dynamic responses depend on lipopolysaccharide preparation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam V Gutschow

Full Text Available Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, found in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, elicits a strong response from the transcription factor family Nuclear factor (NF-κB via Toll-like receptor (TLR 4. The cellular response to lipopolysaccharide varies depending on the source and preparation of the ligand, however. Our goal was to compare single-cell NF-κB dynamics across multiple sources and concentrations of LPS.Using live-cell fluorescence microscopy, we determined the NF-κB activation dynamics of hundreds of single cells expressing a p65-dsRed fusion protein. We used computational image analysis to measure the nuclear localization of the fusion protein in the cells over time. The concentration range spanned up to nine orders of magnitude for three E. coli LPS preparations. We find that the LPS preparations induce markedly different responses, even accounting for potency differences. We also find that the ability of soluble TNF receptor to affect NF-κB dynamics varies strikingly across the three preparations.Our work strongly suggests that the cellular response to LPS is highly sensitive to the source and preparation of the ligand. We therefore caution that conclusions drawn from experiments using one preparation may not be applicable to LPS in general.

Inference of Transcriptional Network for Pluripotency in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aburatani, S

2015-01-01

In embryonic stem cells, various transcription factors (TFs) maintain pluripotency. To gain insights into the regulatory system controlling pluripotency, I inferred the regulatory relationships between the TFs expressed in ES cells. In this study, I applied a method based on structural equation modeling (SEM), combined with factor analysis, to 649 expression profiles of 19 TF genes measured in mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). The factor analysis identified 19 TF genes that were regulated by several unmeasured factors. Since the known cell reprogramming TF genes (Pou5f1, Sox2 and Nanog) are regulated by different factors, each estimated factor is considered to be an input for signal transduction to control pluripotency in mouse ESCs. In the inferred network model, TF proteins were also arranged as unmeasured factors that control other TFs. The interpretation of the inferred network model revealed the regulatory mechanism for controlling pluripotency in ES cells

Parallel single-cell analysis of active caspase-3/7 in apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ledvina, Vojtěch; Janečková, Eva; Matalová, Eva; Klepárník, Karel

2017-01-01

Roč. 409, č. 1 (2017), s. 269-274 ISSN 1618-2642 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-28254S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 ; RVO:67985904 Keywords : single-cell analysis * bioluminescence * apoptosis * caspase-3/7 Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry , Separation; EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology (UZFG-Y) OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry ; Developmental biology (UZFG-Y) Impact factor: 3.431, year: 2016

Parallel single-cell analysis of active caspase-3/7 in apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ledvina, Vojtěch; Janečková, Eva; Matalová, Eva; Klepárník, Karel

2017-01-01

Roč. 409, č. 1 (2017), s. 269-274 ISSN 1618-2642 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-28254S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 ; RVO:67985904 Keywords : single-cell analysis * bioluminescence * apoptosis * caspase-3/7 Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation; EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology (UZFG-Y) OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry; Developmental biology (UZFG-Y) Impact factor: 3.431, year: 2016

Recent behavioral history modifies coupling between cell activity and Arc gene transcription in hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzowski, John F; Miyashita, Teiko; Chawla, Monica K; Sanderson, Jennifer; Maes, Levi I; Houston, Frank P; Lipa, Peter; McNaughton, Bruce L; Worley, Paul F; Barnes, Carol A

2006-01-24

The ability of neurons to alter their transcriptional programs in response to synaptic input is of fundamental importance to the neuroplastic mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Because of technical limitations of conventional gene detection methods, the current view of activity-dependent neural transcription derives from experiments in which neurons are assumed quiescent until a signaling stimulus is given. The present study was designed to move beyond this static model by examining how earlier episodes of neural activity influence transcription of the immediate-early gene Arc. Using a sensitive FISH method that detects primary transcript at genomic alleles, the proportion of hippocampal CA1 neurons that activate transcription of Arc RNA was constant at approximately 40% in response to both a single novel exploration session and daily sessions repeated over 9 days. This proportion is similar to the percentage of active neurons defined electrophysiologically. However, this close correspondence was disrupted in rats exposed briefly, but repeatedly, to the same environment within a single day. Arc transcription in CA1 neurons declined dramatically after as few as four 5-min sessions, despite stable electrophysiological activity during all sessions. Additional experiments indicate that the decrement in Arc transcription occurred at the cellular, rather than synaptic level, and was not simply linked to habituation to novelty. Thus, the neural genomic response is governed by recent, but not remote, cell firing history in the behaving animal. This state-dependence of neuronal transcriptional coupling provides a mechanism of metaplasticity and may regulate capacity for synaptic modification in neural networks.

Full-length mRNA sequencing uncovers a widespread coupling between transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

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Anvar, Seyed Yahya; Allard, Guy; Tseng, Elizabeth; Sheynkman, Gloria M; de Klerk, Eleonora; Vermaat, Martijn; Yin, Raymund H; Johansson, Hans E; Ariyurek, Yavuz; den Dunnen, Johan T; Turner, Stephen W; 't Hoen, Peter A C

2018-03-29

The multifaceted control of gene expression requires tight coordination of regulatory mechanisms at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Here, we studied the interdependence of transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events on single mRNA molecules by full-length mRNA sequencing. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, we find 2700 genes with interdependent alternative transcription initiation, splicing and polyadenylation events, both in proximal and distant parts of mRNA molecules, including examples of coupling between transcription start sites and polyadenylation sites. The analysis of three human primary tissues (brain, heart and liver) reveals similar patterns of interdependency between transcription initiation and mRNA processing events. We predict thousands of novel open reading frames from full-length mRNA sequences and obtained evidence for their translation by shotgun proteomics. The mapping database rescues 358 previously unassigned peptides and improves the assignment of others. By recognizing sample-specific amino-acid changes and novel splicing patterns, full-length mRNA sequencing improves proteogenomics analysis of MCF-7 cells. Our findings demonstrate that our understanding of transcriptome complexity is far from complete and provides a basis to reveal largely unresolved mechanisms that coordinate transcription initiation and mRNA processing.

Susceptibility to bystander DNA damage is influenced by replication and transcriptional activity

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Dickey, Jennifer S.; Baird, Brandon J.; Redon, Christophe E.; Avdoshina, Valeriya; Palchik, Guillermo; Wu, Junfang; Kondratyev, Alexei; Bonner, William M.; Martin, Olga A.

2012-01-01

Direct cellular DNA damage may lead to genome destabilization in unexposed, bystander, cells sharing the same milieu with directly damaged cells by means of the bystander effect. One proposed mechanism involves double strand break (DSB) formation in S phase cells at sites of single strand lesions in the DNA of replication complexes, which has a more open structure compared with neighboring DNA. The DNA in transcription complexes also has a more open structure, and hence may be susceptible to bystander DSB formation from single strand lesions. To examine whether transcription predisposes non-replicating cells to bystander effect-induced DNA DSBs, we examined two types of primary cells that exhibit high levels of transcription in the absence of replication, rat neurons and human lymphocytes. We found that non-replicating bystander cells with high transcription rates exhibited substantial levels of DNA DSBs, as monitored by γ-H2AX foci formation. Additionally, as reported in proliferating cells, TGF-β and NO were found to mimic bystander effects in cell populations lacking DNA synthesis. These results indicate that cell vulnerability to bystander DSB damage may result from transcription as well as replication. The findings offer insights into which tissues may be vulnerable to bystander genomic destabilization in vivo. PMID:22941641

Single Cell Assay for Analyzing Single Cell Exosome and Endocrine Secretion and Cancer Markers

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Chiu, Yu-Jui

To understand the inhomogeneity of cells in biological systems, there is a growing demand for the capability to characterize the properties of individual single cells. Since single cell studies require continuous monitoring of the cell behaviors instead of a snapshot test at a single time point, an effective single-cell assay that can support time lapsed studies in a high throughput manner is desired. Most currently available single-cell technologies cannot provide proper environments to sustain cell growth and cannot provide, for appropriate cell types, proliferation of single cells and convenient, non-invasive tests of single cell behaviors from molecular markers. In this dissertation, I present a highly versatile single-cell assay that can accommodate different cellular types, enable easy and efficient single cell loading and culturing, and be suitable for the study of effects of in-vitro environmental factors in combination with drug screening. The salient features of the assay are the non-invasive collection and surveying of single cell secretions at different time points and massively parallel translocation of single cells by user defined criteria, producing very high compatibility to the downstream process such as single cell qPCR and sequencing. Above all, the acquired information is quantitative -- for example, one of the studies is measured by the number of exosomes each single cell secretes for a given time period. Therefore, our single-cell assay provides a convenient, low-cost, and enabling tool for quantitative, time lapsed studies of single cell properties.

N-Myc and GCN5 regulate significantly overlapping transcriptional programs in neural stem cells.

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Verónica Martínez-Cerdeño

Full Text Available Here we examine the functions of the Myc cofactor and histone acetyltransferase, GCN5/KAT2A, in neural stem and precursor cells (NSC using a conditional knockout approach driven by nestin-cre. Mice with GCN5-deficient NSC exhibit a 25% reduction in brain mass with a microcephaly phenotype similar to that observed in nestin-cre driven knockouts of c- or N-myc. In addition, the loss of GCN5 inhibits precursor cell proliferation and reduces their populations in vivo, as does loss of N-myc. Gene expression analysis indicates that about one-sixth of genes whose expression is affected by loss of GCN5 are also affected in the same manner by loss of N-myc. These findings strongly support the notion that GCN5 protein is a key N-Myc transcriptional cofactor in NSC, but are also consistent with recruitment of GCN5 by other transcription factors and the use by N-Myc of other histone acetyltransferases. Putative N-Myc/GCN5 coregulated transcriptional pathways include cell metabolism, cell cycle, chromatin, and neuron projection morphogenesis genes. GCN5 is also required for maintenance of histone acetylation both at its putative specific target genes and at Myc targets. Thus, we have defined an important role for GCN5 in NSC and provided evidence that GCN5 is an important Myc transcriptional cofactor in vivo.

VEGF-A isoform-specific regulation of calcium ion flux, transcriptional activation and endothelial cell migration.

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Fearnley, Gareth W; Bruns, Alexander F; Wheatcroft, Stephen B; Ponnambalam, Sreenivasan

2015-04-24

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) regulates many aspects of vascular physiology such as cell migration, proliferation, tubulogenesis and cell-cell interactions. Numerous isoforms of VEGF-A exist but their physiological significance is unclear. Here we evaluated two different VEGF-A isoforms and discovered differential regulation of cytosolic calcium ion flux, transcription factor localisation and endothelial cell response. Analysis of VEGF-A isoform-specific stimulation of VEGFR2-dependent signal transduction revealed differential capabilities for isoform activation of multiple signal transduction pathways. VEGF-A165 treatment promoted increased phospholipase Cγ1 phosphorylation, which was proportional to the subsequent rise in cytosolic calcium ions, in comparison to cells treated with VEGF-A121. A major consequence of this VEGF-A isoform-specific calcium ion flux in endothelial cells is differential dephosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFATc2. Using reverse genetics, we discovered that NFATc2 is functionally required for VEGF-A-stimulated endothelial cell migration but not tubulogenesis. This work presents a new mechanism for understanding how VEGF-A isoforms program complex cellular outputs by converting signal transduction pathways into transcription factor redistribution to the nucleus, as well as defining a novel role for NFATc2 in regulating the endothelial cell response. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

VEGF-A isoform-specific regulation of calcium ion flux, transcriptional activation and endothelial cell migration

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Gareth W. Fearnley

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A regulates many aspects of vascular physiology such as cell migration, proliferation, tubulogenesis and cell-cell interactions. Numerous isoforms of VEGF-A exist but their physiological significance is unclear. Here we evaluated two different VEGF-A isoforms and discovered differential regulation of cytosolic calcium ion flux, transcription factor localisation and endothelial cell response. Analysis of VEGF-A isoform-specific stimulation of VEGFR2-dependent signal transduction revealed differential capabilities for isoform activation of multiple signal transduction pathways. VEGF-A165 treatment promoted increased phospholipase Cγ1 phosphorylation, which was proportional to the subsequent rise in cytosolic calcium ions, in comparison to cells treated with VEGF-A121. A major consequence of this VEGF-A isoform-specific calcium ion flux in endothelial cells is differential dephosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFATc2. Using reverse genetics, we discovered that NFATc2 is functionally required for VEGF-A-stimulated endothelial cell migration but not tubulogenesis. This work presents a new mechanism for understanding how VEGF-A isoforms program complex cellular outputs by converting signal transduction pathways into transcription factor redistribution to the nucleus, as well as defining a novel role for NFATc2 in regulating the endothelial cell response.

Single cell analysis of caspase-3 in apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells during mouse limb development

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Adamová, Eva; Klepárník, Karel; Matalová, E.

2014-01-01

Roč. 3, - (2014), PP58 ISSN 2052-1219. [European Calcified Tissue Society Congress /41./. 17.05.2014-20.05.2014, Praha] R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP206/11/2377; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-28254S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : single cell analysis * caspase-3 * mouse limb development Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation

Microarray and cDNA sequence analysis of transcription during nerve-dependent limb regeneration

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Bryant Susan V

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray analysis and 454 cDNA sequencing were used to investigate a centuries-old problem in regenerative biology: the basis of nerve-dependent limb regeneration in salamanders. Innervated (NR and denervated (DL forelimbs of Mexican axolotls were amputated and transcripts were sampled after 0, 5, and 14 days of regeneration. Results Considerable similarity was observed between NR and DL transcriptional programs at 5 and 14 days post amputation (dpa. Genes with extracellular functions that are critical to wound healing were upregulated while muscle-specific genes were downregulated. Thus, many processes that are regulated during early limb regeneration do not depend upon nerve-derived factors. The majority of the transcriptional differences between NR and DL limbs were correlated with blastema formation; cell numbers increased in NR limbs after 5 dpa and this yielded distinct transcriptional signatures of cell proliferation in NR limbs at 14 dpa. These transcriptional signatures were not observed in DL limbs. Instead, gene expression changes within DL limbs suggest more diverse and protracted wound-healing responses. 454 cDNA sequencing complemented the microarray analysis by providing deeper sampling of transcriptional programs and associated biological processes. Assembly of new 454 cDNA sequences with existing expressed sequence tag (EST contigs from the Ambystoma EST database more than doubled (3935 to 9411 the number of non-redundant human-A. mexicanum orthologous sequences. Conclusion Many new candidate gene sequences were discovered for the first time and these will greatly enable future studies of wound healing, epigenetics, genome stability, and nerve-dependent blastema formation and outgrowth using the axolotl model.

Transcription factor Oct1 is a somatic and cancer stem cell determinant.

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Jessica Maddox

Full Text Available Defining master transcription factors governing somatic and cancer stem cell identity is an important goal. Here we show that the Oct4 paralog Oct1, a transcription factor implicated in stress responses, metabolic control, and poised transcription states, regulates normal and pathologic stem cell function. Oct1(HI cells in the colon and small intestine co-express known stem cell markers. In primary malignant tissue, high Oct1 protein but not mRNA levels strongly correlate with the frequency of CD24(LOCD44(HI cancer-initiating cells. Reducing Oct1 expression via RNAi reduces the proportion of ALDH(HI and dye efflux(HI cells, and increasing Oct1 increases the proportion of ALDH(HI cells. Normal ALDH(HI cells harbor elevated Oct1 protein but not mRNA levels. Functionally, we show that Oct1 promotes tumor engraftment frequency and promotes hematopoietic stem cell engraftment potential in competitive and serial transplants. In addition to previously described Oct1 transcriptional targets, we identify four Oct1 targets associated with the stem cell phenotype. Cumulatively, the data indicate that Oct1 regulates normal and cancer stem cell function.

Parameter Screening in Microfluidics Based Hydrodynamic Single-Cell Trapping

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B. Deng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic cell-based arraying technology is widely used in the field of single-cell analysis. However, among developed devices, there is a compromise between cellular loading efficiencies and trapped cell densities, which deserves further analysis and optimization. To address this issue, the cell trapping efficiency of a microfluidic device with two parallel micro channels interconnected with cellular trapping sites was studied in this paper. By regulating channel inlet and outlet status, the microfluidic trapping structure can mimic key functioning units of previously reported devices. Numerical simulations were used to model this cellular trapping structure, quantifying the effects of channel on/off status and trapping structure geometries on the cellular trapping efficiency. Furthermore, the microfluidic device was fabricated based on conventional microfabrication and the cellular trapping efficiency was quantified in experiments. Experimental results showed that, besides geometry parameters, cellular travelling velocities and sizes also affected the single-cell trapping efficiency. By fine tuning parameters, more than 95% of trapping sites were taken by individual cells. This study may lay foundation in further studies of single-cell positioning in microfluidics and push forward the study of single-cell analysis.

Identification of bovine leukemia virus tax function associated with host cell transcription, signaling, stress response and immune response pathway by microarray-based gene expression analysis

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Arainga Mariluz

2012-03-01

, respectively, after transfecting Tax proteins into bovine cells and human HeLa cells. Conclusion A comparative analysis of wild-type and mutant Tax proteins indicates that Tax protein exerts a significant impact on cellular functions as diverse as transcription, signal transduction, cell growth, stress response and immune response. Importantly, our study is the first report that shows the extent to which BLV Tax regulates the innate immune response.

ChIP-on-chip analysis identifies IL-22 as direct target gene of ectopically expressed FOXP3 transcription factor in human T cells

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Jeron Andreas

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The transcription factor (TF forkhead box P3 (FOXP3 is constitutively expressed at high levels in naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (nTregs. It is not only the most accepted marker for that cell population but is also considered lineage determinative. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP of TFs in combination with genomic tiling microarray analysis (ChIP-on-chip has been shown to be an appropriate tool for identifying FOXP3 transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs on a genome-wide scale. In combination with microarray expression analysis, the ChIP-on-chip technique allows identification of direct FOXP3 target genes. Results ChIP-on-chip analysis of the human FOXP3 expressed in resting and PMA/ionomycin–stimulated Jurkat T cells revealed several thousand putative FOXP3 binding sites and demonstrated the importance of intronic regions for FOXP3 binding. The analysis of expression data showed that the stimulation-dependent down-regulation of IL-22 was correlated with direct FOXP3 binding in the IL-22 promoter region. This association was confirmed by real-time PCR analysis of ChIP-DNA. The corresponding ChIP-region also contained a matching FOXP3 consensus sequence. Conclusions Knowledge of the general distribution patterns of FOXP3 TFBSs in the human genome under resting and activated conditions will contribute to a better understanding of this TF and its influence on direct target genes, as well as its importance for the phenotype and function of Tregs. Moreover, FOXP3-dependent repression of Th17-related IL-22 may be relevant to an understanding of the phenomenon of Treg/Th17 cell plasticity.

Addressable droplet microarrays for single cell protein analysis.

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Salehi-Reyhani, Ali; Burgin, Edward; Ces, Oscar; Willison, Keith R; Klug, David R

2014-11-07

Addressable droplet microarrays are potentially attractive as a way to achieve miniaturised, reduced volume, high sensitivity analyses without the need to fabricate microfluidic devices or small volume chambers. We report a practical method for producing oil-encapsulated addressable droplet microarrays which can be used for such analyses. To demonstrate their utility, we undertake a series of single cell analyses, to determine the variation in copy number of p53 proteins in cells of a human cancer cell line.

ASAP: a web-based platform for the analysis and interactive visualization of single-cell RNA-seq data.

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Gardeux, Vincent; David, Fabrice P A; Shajkofci, Adrian; Schwalie, Petra C; Deplancke, Bart

2017-10-01

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows whole transcriptome profiling of thousands of individual cells, enabling the molecular exploration of tissues at the cellular level. Such analytical capacity is of great interest to many research groups in the world, yet these groups often lack the expertise to handle complex scRNA-seq datasets. We developed a fully integrated, web-based platform aimed at the complete analysis of scRNA-seq data post genome alignment: from the parsing, filtering and normalization of the input count data files, to the visual representation of the data, identification of cell clusters, differentially expressed genes (including cluster-specific marker genes), and functional gene set enrichment. This Automated Single-cell Analysis Pipeline (ASAP) combines a wide range of commonly used algorithms with sophisticated visualization tools. Compared with existing scRNA-seq analysis platforms, researchers (including those lacking computational expertise) are able to interact with the data in a straightforward fashion and in real time. Furthermore, given the overlap between scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq analysis workflows, ASAP should conceptually be broadly applicable to any RNA-seq dataset. As a validation, we demonstrate how we can use ASAP to simply reproduce the results from a single-cell study of 91 mouse cells involving five distinct cell types. The tool is freely available at asap.epfl.ch and R/Python scripts are available at github.com/DeplanckeLab/ASAP. bart.deplancke@epfl.ch. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Analysis of the highly diverse gene borders in Ebola virus reveals a distinct mechanism of transcriptional regulation.

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Brauburger, Kristina; Boehmann, Yannik; Tsuda, Yoshimi; Hoenen, Thomas; Olejnik, Judith; Schümann, Michael; Ebihara, Hideki; Mühlberger, Elke

2014-11-01

Ebola virus (EBOV) belongs to the group of nonsegmented negative-sense RNA viruses. The seven EBOV genes are separated by variable gene borders, including short (4- or 5-nucleotide) intergenic regions (IRs), a single long (144-nucleotide) IR, and gene overlaps, where the neighboring gene end and start signals share five conserved nucleotides. The unique structure of the gene overlaps and the presence of a single long IR are conserved among all filoviruses. Here, we sought to determine the impact of the EBOV gene borders during viral transcription. We show that readthrough mRNA synthesis occurs in EBOV-infected cells irrespective of the structure of the gene border, indicating that the gene overlaps do not promote recognition of the gene end signal. However, two consecutive gene end signals at the VP24 gene might improve termination at the VP24-L gene border, ensuring efficient L gene expression. We further demonstrate that the long IR is not essential for but regulates transcription reinitiation in a length-dependent but sequence-independent manner. Mutational analysis of bicistronic minigenomes and recombinant EBOVs showed no direct correlation between IR length and reinitiation rates but demonstrated that specific IR lengths not found naturally in filoviruses profoundly inhibit downstream gene expression. Intriguingly, although truncation of the 144-nucleotide-long IR to 5 nucleotides did not substantially affect EBOV transcription, it led to a significant reduction of viral growth. Our current understanding of EBOV transcription regulation is limited due to the requirement for high-containment conditions to study this highly pathogenic virus. EBOV is thought to share many mechanistic features with well-analyzed prototype nonsegmented negative-sense RNA viruses. A single polymerase entry site at the 3' end of the genome determines that transcription of the genes is mainly controlled by gene order and cis-acting signals found at the gene borders. Here, we examined

Genome wide single cell analysis of chemotherapy resistant metastatic cells in a case of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjortland, Geir Olav; Fodstad, Oystein; Smeland, Sigbjorn; Hovig, Eivind; Meza-Zepeda, Leonardo A; Beiske, Klaus; Ree, Anne H; Tveito, Siri; Hoifodt, Hanne; Bohler, Per J; Hole, Knut H; Myklebost, Ola

2011-01-01

Metastatic progression due to development or enrichment of therapy-resistant tumor cells is eventually lethal. Molecular characterization of such chemotherapy resistant tumor cell clones may identify markers responsible for malignant progression and potential targets for new treatment. Here, in a case of stage IV adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, we report the successful genome wide analysis using array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) of DNA from only fourteen tumor cells using a bead-based single cell selection method from a bone metastasis progressing during chemotherapy. In a case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, the progression of bone metastasis was observed during a chemotherapy regimen of epirubicin, oxaliplatin and capecitabine, whereas lung-, liver and lymph node metastases as well as the primary tumor were regressing. A bone marrow aspirate sampled at the site of progressing metastasis in the right iliac bone was performed, and single cell molecular analysis using array-CGH of Epithelial Specific Antigen (ESA)-positive metastatic cells, and revealed two distinct regions of amplification, 12p12.1 and 17q12-q21.2 amplicons, containing the KRAS (12p) and ERBB2 (HER2/NEU) (17q) oncogenes. Further intrapatient tumor heterogeneity of these highlighted gene copy number changes was analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in all available primary and metastatic tumor biopsies, and ErbB2 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry. ERBB2 was heterogeneously amplified by FISH analysis in the primary tumor, as well as liver and bone metastasis, but homogenously amplified in biopsy specimens from a progressing bone metastasis after three initial cycles of chemotherapy, indicating a possible enrichment of erbB2 positive tumor cells in the progressing bone marrow metastasis during chemotherapy. A similar amplification profile was detected for wild-type KRAS, although more heterogeneously

An agar gel membrane-PDMS hybrid microfluidic device for long term single cell dynamic study.

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Wong, Ieong; Atsumi, Shota; Huang, Wei-Chih; Wu, Tung-Yun; Hanai, Taizo; Lam, Miu-Ling; Tang, Ping; Yang, Jian; Liao, James C; Ho, Chih-Ming

2010-10-21

Significance of single cell measurements stems from the substantial temporal fluctuations and cell-cell variability possessed by individual cells. A major difficulty in monitoring surface non-adherent cells such as bacteria and yeast is that these cells tend to aggregate into clumps during growth, obstructing the tracking or identification of single-cells over long time periods. Here, we developed a microfluidic platform for long term single-cell tracking and cultivation with continuous media refreshing and dynamic chemical perturbation capability. The design highlights a simple device-assembly process between PDMS microchannel and agar membrane through conformal contact, and can be easily adapted by microbiologists for their routine laboratory use. The device confines cell growth in monolayer between an agar membrane and a glass surface. Efficient nutrient diffusion through the membrane and reliable temperature maintenance provide optimal growth condition for the cells, which exhibited fast exponential growth and constant distribution of cell sizes. More than 24 h of single-cell tracking was demonstrated on a transcription-metabolism integrated synthetic biological model, the gene-metabolic oscillator. Single cell morphology study under alcohol toxicity allowed us to discover and characterize cell filamentation exhibited by different E. coli isobutanol tolerant strains. We believe this novel device will bring new capabilities to quantitative microbiology, providing a versatile platform for single cell dynamic studies.

The histone genes in HeLa cells are on individual transcriptional units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hackett, P.B.; Traub, P.; Gallwitz, D.

1978-01-01

The distances of the five major histone genes from their promotors have been investigated in order to determine whether in human cells these genes could be transcribed as a single polycistronic transcriptional unit. By measuring the decreases of both histone protein and histone mRNA synthesis as functions of the ultraviolet light dosage, it was possible to calculate the distances of the histone genes from their promotors. The inactivation kinetics for histone genes H1 and H3 are first-order, indicating a single type of transcriptional unit for each gene. The dose-response kinetics for genes H2A, H2B and H4 are first-order with two distinct rates; 10 to 15% of the genes for each of these histones appear to be much more sensitive to ultraviolet light inactivation than are the majority. It is concluded that the transcriptional units for 85 to 90% of the genes for H2A, H2B and H4 are similar. As determined by the inhibition of protein synthesis, the inactivation coefficients for the major component of each histone are: H1, 907 mm 2 /erg; H2A, 878 mm 2 /erg; H2B, 871 mm 2 /erg; H3, 965 mm 2 /erg; and H4, 792 mm 2 /erg. The sensitivities of histone mRNA synthesis to irradiation were measured by translation in vitro with similar results. The calculated target sizes for the genes (in base-pairs) are: H1, 1190; H2A, 1240; H2B, 1250; H3, 1130; and H4, 1380. This similarity in target sizes for all five of the histones genes indicates that they are primarily transcribed from individual transcriptional units. (author)

Single-cell time-lapse analysis of depletion of the universally conserved essential protein YgjD

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Ackermann Martin

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The essential Escherichia coli gene ygjD belongs to a universally conserved group of genes whose function has been the focus of a number of recent studies. Here, we put ygjD under control of an inducible promoter, and used time-lapse microscopy and single cell analysis to investigate the phenotypic consequences of the depletion of YgjD protein from growing cells. Results We show that loss of YgjD leads to a marked decrease in cell size and termination of cell division. The transition towards smaller size occurs in a controlled manner: cell elongation and cell division remain coupled, but cell size at division decreases. We also find evidence that depletion of YgjD leads to the synthesis of the intracellular signaling molecule (pppGpp, inducing a cellular reaction resembling the stringent response. Concomitant deletion of the relA and spoT genes - leading to a strain that is uncapable of synthesizing (pppGpp - abrogates the decrease in cell size, but does not prevent termination of cell division upon YgjD depletion. Conclusions Depletion of YgjD protein from growing cells leads to a decrease in cell size that is contingent on (pppGpp, and to a termination of cell division. The combination of single-cell timelapse microscopy and statistical analysis can give detailed insights into the phenotypic consequences of the loss of essential genes, and can thus serve as a new tool to study the function of essential genes.

Interrogation of inhibitor of nuclear factor κB α/nuclear factor κB (IκBα/NF-κB) negative feedback loop dynamics: from single cells to live animals in vivo.

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Moss, Britney L; Elhammali, Adnan; Fowlkes, Tiffanie; Gross, Shimon; Vinjamoori, Anant; Contag, Christopher H; Piwnica-Worms, David

2012-09-07

Full understanding of the biological significance of negative feedback processes requires interrogation at multiple scales as follows: in single cells, cell populations, and live animals in vivo. The transcriptionally coupled IκBα/NF-κB negative feedback loop, a pivotal regulatory node of innate immunity and inflammation, represents a model system for multiscalar reporters. Using a κB(5)→IκBα-FLuc bioluminescent reporter, we rigorously evaluated the dynamics of ΙκBα degradation and subsequent NF-κB transcriptional activity in response to diverse modes of TNFα stimulation. Modulating TNFα concentration or pulse duration yielded complex, reproducible, and differential ΙκBα dynamics in both cell populations and live single cells. Tremendous heterogeneity in the transcriptional amplitudes of individual responding cells was observed, which was greater than the heterogeneity in the transcriptional kinetics of responsive cells. Furthermore, administration of various TNFα doses in vivo generated ΙκBα dynamic profiles in the liver resembling those observed in single cells and populations of cells stimulated with TNFα pulses. This suggested that dose modulation of circulating TNFα was perceived by hepatocytes in vivo as pulses of increasing duration. Thus, a robust bioluminescent reporter strategy enabled rigorous quantitation of NF-κB/ΙκBα dynamics in both live single cells and cell populations and furthermore, revealed reproducible behaviors that informed interpretation of in vivo studies.

Advances of Single-Cell Sequencing Technique in Tumors

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Ji-feng FENG

2017-03-01

Full Text Available With the completion of human genome project (HGP and the international HapMap project as well as rapid development of high-throughput biochip technology, whole genomic sequencing-targeted analysis of genomic structures has been primarily finished. Application of single cell for the analysis of the whole genomics is not only economical in material collection, but more importantly, the cell will be more purified, and the laboratory results will be more accurate and reliable. Therefore, exploration and analysis of hereditary information of single tumor cells has become the dream of all researchers in the field of basic research of tumors. At present, single-cell sequencing (SCS on malignancies has been widely used in the studies of pathogeneses of multiple malignancies, such as glioma, renal cancer and hematologic neoplasms, and in the studies of the metastatic mechanism of breast cancer by some researchers. This study mainly reviewed the SCS, the mechanisms and the methods of SCS in isolating tumor cells, and application of SCS technique in tumor-related basic research and clinical treatment.

Nucleotide sequences of cDNAs for human papillomavirus type 18 transcripts in HeLa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, Yutaka; Tsunokawa, Youko; Takebe, Naoko; Terada, Masaaki; Sugimura, Takashi; Nawa, Hiroyuki; Nakanishi, Shigetada

1988-01-01

HeLa cells expressed 3.4- and 1.6-kilobase (kb) transcripts of the integrated human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 genome. Two types of cDNA clones representing each size of HPV type 18 transcript were isolated. Sequence analysis of these two types of cDNA clones revealed that the 3.4-kb transcript contained E6, E7, the 5' portion of E1, and human sequence and that the 1.6-kb transcript contained spliced and frameshifted E6 (E6 * ), E7, and human sequence. There was a common human sequence containing a poly(A) addition signal in the 3' end portions of both transcripts, indicating that they were transcribed from the HPV genome at the same integration site with different splicing. Furthermore, the 1.6-kb transcript contained both of the two viral TATA boxes upstream of E6, strongly indicating that a cellular promoter was used for its transcription

A Systematic Approach to Identify Candidate Transcription Factors that Control Cell Identity

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Ana C. D’Alessio

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Hundreds of transcription factors (TFs are expressed in each cell type, but cell identity can be induced through the activity of just a small number of core TFs. Systematic identification of these core TFs for a wide variety of cell types is currently lacking and would establish a foundation for understanding the transcriptional control of cell identity in development, disease, and cell-based therapy. Here, we describe a computational approach that generates an atlas of candidate core TFs for a broad spectrum of human cells. The potential impact of the atlas was demonstrated via cellular reprogramming efforts where candidate core TFs proved capable of converting human fibroblasts to retinal pigment epithelial-like cells. These results suggest that candidate core TFs from the atlas will prove a useful starting point for studying transcriptional control of cell identity and reprogramming in many human cell types.

Voltage controlled nano-injection system for single-cell surgery

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Seger, R. Adam; Actis, Paolo; Penfold, Catherine; Maalouf, Michelle; Vilozny, Boaz; Pourmand, Nader

2015-01-01

Manipulation and analysis of single cells is the next frontier in understanding processes that control the function and fate of cells. Herein we describe a single-cell injection platform based on nanopipettes. The system uses scanning microscopy techniques to detect cell surfaces, and voltage pulses to deliver molecules into individual cells. As a proof of concept, we injected adherent mammalian cells with fluorescent dyes. PMID:22899383

Changes in chromatin state reveal ARNT2 at a node of a tumorigenic transcription factor signature driving glioblastoma cell aggressiveness.

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Bogeas, Alexandra; Morvan-Dubois, Ghislaine; El-Habr, Elias A; Lejeune, François-Xavier; Defrance, Matthieu; Narayanan, Ashwin; Kuranda, Klaudia; Burel-Vandenbos, Fanny; Sayd, Salwa; Delaunay, Virgile; Dubois, Luiz G; Parrinello, Hugues; Rialle, Stéphanie; Fabrega, Sylvie; Idbaih, Ahmed; Haiech, Jacques; Bièche, Ivan; Virolle, Thierry; Goodhardt, Michele; Chneiweiss, Hervé; Junier, Marie-Pierre

2018-02-01

Although a growing body of evidence indicates that phenotypic plasticity exhibited by glioblastoma cells plays a central role in tumor development and post-therapy recurrence, the master drivers of their aggressiveness remain elusive. Here we mapped the changes in active (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) histone modifications accompanying the repression of glioblastoma stem-like cells tumorigenicity. Genes with changing histone marks delineated a network of transcription factors related to cancerous behavior, stem state, and neural development, highlighting a previously unsuspected association between repression of ARNT2 and loss of cell tumorigenicity. Immunohistochemistry confirmed ARNT2 expression in cell sub-populations within proliferative zones of patients' glioblastoma. Decreased ARNT2 expression was consistently observed in non-tumorigenic glioblastoma cells, compared to tumorigenic cells. Moreover, ARNT2 expression correlated with a tumorigenic molecular signature at both the tissue level within the tumor core and at the single cell level in the patients' tumors. We found that ARNT2 knockdown decreased the expression of SOX9, POU3F2 and OLIG2, transcription factors implicated in glioblastoma cell tumorigenicity, and repressed glioblastoma stem-like cell tumorigenic properties in vivo. Our results reveal ARNT2 as a pivotal component of the glioblastoma cell tumorigenic signature, located at a node of a transcription factor network controlling glioblastoma cell aggressiveness.

Computational local stiffness analysis of biological cell: High aspect ratio single wall carbon nanotube tip

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

TermehYousefi, Amin, E-mail: at.tyousefi@gmail.com [Department of Human Intelligence Systems, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) (Japan); Bagheri, Samira; Shahnazar, Sheida [Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), IPS Building, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Rahman, Md. Habibur [Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Asia Pacific, Green Road, Dhaka-1215 (Bangladesh); Kadri, Nahrizul Adib [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2016-02-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are potentially ideal tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) due to the robust mechanical properties, nanoscale diameter and also their ability to be functionalized by chemical and biological components at the tip ends. This contribution develops the idea of using CNTs as an AFM tip in computational analysis of the biological cells. The proposed software was ABAQUS 6.13 CAE/CEL provided by Dassault Systems, which is a powerful finite element (FE) tool to perform the numerical analysis and visualize the interactions between proposed tip and membrane of the cell. Finite element analysis employed for each section and displacement of the nodes located in the contact area was monitored by using an output database (ODB). Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model of the cell allows the simulation to obtain a new method for estimating the stiffness and spring constant of the cell. Stress and strain curve indicates the yield stress point which defines as a vertical stress and plan stress. Spring constant of the cell and the local stiffness was measured as well as the applied force of CNT-AFM tip on the contact area of the cell. This reliable integration of CNT-AFM tip process provides a new class of high performance nanoprobes for single biological cell analysis. - Graphical abstract: This contribution develops the idea of using CNTs as an AFM tip in computational analysis of the biological cells. The proposed software was ABAQUS 6.13 CAE/CEL provided by Dassault Systems. Finite element analysis employed for each section and displacement of the nodes located in the contact area was monitored by using an output database (ODB). Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model of the cell allows the simulation to obtain a new method for estimating the stiffness and spring constant of the cell. Stress and strain curve indicates the yield stress point which defines as a vertical stress and plan stress. Spring constant of the cell and the local stiffness was measured as well

Connectivity in the yeast cell cycle transcription network: inferences from neural networks.

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Christopher E Hart

2006-12-01

Full Text Available A current challenge is to develop computational approaches to infer gene network regulatory relationships based on multiple types of large-scale functional genomic data. We find that single-layer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN models can effectively discover gene network structure by integrating global in vivo protein:DNA interaction data (ChIP/Array with genome-wide microarray RNA data. We test this on the yeast cell cycle transcription network, which is composed of several hundred genes with phase-specific RNA outputs. These ANNs were robust to noise in data and to a variety of perturbations. They reliably identified and ranked 10 of 12 known major cell cycle factors at the top of a set of 204, based on a sum-of-squared weights metric. Comparative analysis of motif occurrences among multiple yeast species independently confirmed relationships inferred from ANN weights analysis. ANN models can capitalize on properties of biological gene networks that other kinds of models do not. ANNs naturally take advantage of patterns of absence, as well as presence, of factor binding associated with specific expression output; they are easily subjected to in silico "mutation" to uncover biological redundancies; and they can use the full range of factor binding values. A prominent feature of cell cycle ANNs suggested an analogous property might exist in the biological network. This postulated that "network-local discrimination" occurs when regulatory connections (here between MBF and target genes are explicitly disfavored in one network module (G2, relative to others and to the class of genes outside the mitotic network. If correct, this predicts that MBF motifs will be significantly depleted from the discriminated class and that the discrimination will persist through evolution. Analysis of distantly related Schizosaccharomyces pombe confirmed this, suggesting that network-local discrimination is real and complements well-known enrichment of

Identity and Diversity of Human Peripheral Th and T Regulatory Cells Defined by Single-Cell Mass Cytometry.

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Kunicki, Matthew A; Amaya Hernandez, Laura C; Davis, Kara L; Bacchetta, Rosa; Roncarolo, Maria-Grazia

2018-01-01

Human CD3 + CD4 + Th cells, FOXP3 + T regulatory (Treg) cells, and T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cells are essential for ensuring peripheral immune response and tolerance, but the diversity of Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell subsets has not been fully characterized. Independent functional characterization of human Th1, Th2, Th17, T follicular helper (Tfh), Treg, and Tr1 cells has helped to define unique surface molecules, transcription factors, and signaling profiles for each subset. However, the adequacy of these markers to recapitulate the whole CD3 + CD4 + T cell compartment remains questionable. In this study, we examined CD3 + CD4 + T cell populations by single-cell mass cytometry. We characterize the CD3 + CD4 + Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell populations simultaneously across 23 memory T cell-associated surface and intracellular molecules. High-dimensional analysis identified several new subsets, in addition to the already defined CD3 + CD4 + Th, Treg, and Tr1 cell populations, for a total of 11 Th cell, 4 Treg, and 1 Tr1 cell subsets. Some of these subsets share markers previously thought to be selective for Treg, Th1, Th2, Th17, and Tfh cells, including CD194 (CCR4) + FOXP3 + Treg and CD183 (CXCR3) + T-bet + Th17 cell subsets. Unsupervised clustering displayed a phenotypic organization of CD3 + CD4 + T cells that confirmed their diversity but showed interrelation between the different subsets, including similarity between Th1-Th2-Tfh cell populations and Th17 cells, as well as similarity of Th2 cells with Treg cells. In conclusion, the use of single-cell mass cytometry provides a systems-level characterization of CD3 + CD4 + T cells in healthy human blood, which represents an important baseline reference to investigate abnormalities of different subsets in immune-mediated pathologies. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

DNA Topoisomerases Maintain Promoters in a State Competent for Transcriptional Activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jakob Madsen; Fredsøe, Jacob Christian; Rødgaard, Morten Terpager

2012-01-01

To investigate the role of DNA topoisomerases in transcription, we have studied global gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells deficient for topoisomerases I and II and performed single-gene analyses to support our findings. The genome-wide studies show a general transcriptional down......-regulation upon lack of the enzymes, which correlates with gene activity but not gene length. Furthermore, our data reveal a distinct subclass of genes with a strong requirement for topoisomerases. These genes are characterized by high transcriptional plasticity, chromatin regulation, TATA box presence......-depth analysis of the inducible PHO5 gene reveals that topoisomerases are essential for binding of the Pho4p transcription factor to the PHO5 promoter, which is required for promoter nucleosome removal during activation. In contrast, topoisomerases are dispensable for constitutive transcription initiation...

Integrated Analysis of Contractile Kinetics, Force Generation, and Electrical Activity in Single Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

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Jan David Kijlstra

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The quantitative analysis of cardiomyocyte function is essential for stem cell-based approaches for the in vitro study of human cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. We present a method to comprehensively assess the function of single human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hPSC-CMs through simultaneous quantitative analysis of contraction kinetics, force generation, and electrical activity. We demonstrate that statistical analysis of movies of contracting hPSC-CMs can be used to quantify changes in cellular morphology over time and compute contractile kinetics. Using a biomechanical model that incorporates substrate stiffness, we calculate cardiomyocyte force generation at single-cell resolution and validate this approach with conventional traction force microscopy. The addition of fluorescent calcium indicators or membrane potential dyes allows the simultaneous analysis of contractility and calcium handling or action potential morphology. Accordingly, our approach has the potential for broad application in the study of cardiac disease, drug discovery, and cardiotoxicity screening.

On cycles in the transcription network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Berman Piotr

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We investigate the cycles in the transcription network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Unlike a similar network of Escherichia coli, it contains many cycles. We characterize properties of these cycles and their place in the regulatory mechanism of the cell. Results Almost all cycles in the transcription network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are contained in a single strongly connected component, which we call LSCC (L for "largest", except for a single cycle of two transcription factors. The fact that LSCC includes almost all cycles is well explained by the properties of a random graph with the same in- and out-degrees of the nodes. Among different physiological conditions, cell cycle has the most significant relationship with LSCC, as the set of 64 transcription interactions that are active in all phases of the cell cycle has overlap of 27 with the interactions of LSCC (of which there are 49. Conversely, if we remove the interactions that are active in all phases of the cell cycle (25% of interactions to transcription factors, the LSCC would have only three nodes and 5 edges, many fewer than expected. This subgraph of the transcription network consists mostly of interactions that are active only in the stress response subnetwork. We also characterize the role of LSCC in the topology of the network. We show that LSCC can be used to define a natural hierarchy in the network and that in every physiological subnetwork LSCC plays a pivotal role. Conclusion Apart from those well-defined conditions, the transcription network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is devoid of cycles. It was observed that two conditions that were studied and that have no cycles of their own are exogenous: diauxic shift and DNA repair, while cell cycle and sporulation are endogenous. We claim that in a certain sense (slow recovery stress response is endogenous as well.

The transcription factor Rap1p is required for tolerance to cell-wall perturbing agents and for cell-wall maintenance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Azad, Gajendra Kumar; Singh, Vikash; Baranwal, Shivani; Thakare, Mayur Jankiram; Tomar, Raghuvir S

2015-01-02

Yeast repressor activator protein (Rap1p) is involved in genomic stability and transcriptional regulation. We explored the function of Rap1p in yeast physiology using Rap1p truncation mutants. Our results revealed that the N-terminal truncation of Rap1p (Rap1ΔN) leads to hypersensitivity towards elevated temperature and cell-wall perturbing agents. Cell wall analysis showed an increase in the chitin and glucan content in Rap1ΔN cells as compared with wild type cells. Accordingly, mutant cells had a twofold thicker cell wall, as observed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, Rap1ΔN cells had increased levels of phosphorylated Slt2p, a MAP kinase of the cell wall integrity pathway. Mutant cells also had elevated levels of cell wall integrity response transcripts. Taken together, our findings suggest a connection between Rap1p and cell wall homeostasis. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of a transcription factor LYL1 induces T- and B-cell lymphoma in mice.

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Zhong, Y; Jiang, L; Hiai, H; Toyokuni, S; Yamada, Y

2007-10-18

LYL1, a member of the class II basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, is aberrantly expressed in a fraction of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Here, we generated transgenic mice ubiquitously overexpressing LYL1 using a construct expressing full-length cDNA driven by a human elongation factor 1alpha promoter. Four independent lines exhibiting high LYL1 expression were established. Of these transgenic mice, 96% displayed loss of hair with a short kinked tail. Furthermore, 30% of them developed malignant lymphoma, with an average latent period of 352 days. In these mice, histological examination revealed tumor cell infiltration in multiple organs and immunohistochemical analysis showed that the infiltrated tumor cells were either CD3 or CD45R/B220-positive; fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis indicated that each tumor consisted either of mainly CD4, CD8 double-positive T cells or mature B cells; the clonality of LYL1-induced lymphoma was confirmed by T-cell receptor rearrangement and immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangement analyses. Mammalian two-hybrid analysis and luciferase assay suggested that excess LYL1 blocked the dimerization of E2A and thus inhibited the regulatory activity of E2A on the CD4 promoter. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results showed that the expression of certain E2A/HEB target genes was downregulated. Taken together, our results provide direct evidence that aberrant expression of LYL1 plays a role in lymphomagenesis.

Heterogeneity of astrocytes: from development to injury - single cell gene expression.

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Vendula Rusnakova

Full Text Available Astrocytes perform control and regulatory functions in the central nervous system; heterogeneity among them is still a matter of debate due to limited knowledge of their gene expression profiles and functional diversity. To unravel astrocyte heterogeneity during postnatal development and after focal cerebral ischemia, we employed single-cell gene expression profiling in acutely isolated cortical GFAP/EGFP-positive cells. Using a microfluidic qPCR platform, we profiled 47 genes encoding glial markers and ion channels/transporters/receptors participating in maintaining K(+ and glutamate homeostasis per cell. Self-organizing maps and principal component analyses revealed three subpopulations within 10-50 days of postnatal development (P10-P50. The first subpopulation, mainly immature glia from P10, was characterized by high transcriptional activity of all studied genes, including polydendrocytic markers. The second subpopulation (mostly from P20 was characterized by low gene transcript levels, while the third subpopulation encompassed mature astrocytes (mainly from P30, P50. Within 14 days after ischemia (D3, D7, D14, additional astrocytic subpopulations were identified: resting glia (mostly from P50 and D3, transcriptionally active early reactive glia (mainly from D7 and permanent reactive glia (solely from D14. Following focal cerebral ischemia, reactive astrocytes underwent pronounced changes in the expression of aquaporins, nonspecific cationic and potassium channels, glutamate receptors and reactive astrocyte markers.

Chip based single cell analysis for nanotoxicity assessment.

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Shah, Pratikkumar; Kaushik, Ajeet; Zhu, Xuena; Zhang, Chengxiao; Li, Chen-Zhong

2014-05-07

Nanomaterials, because of their tunable properties and performances, have been utilized extensively in everyday life related consumable products and technology. On exposure, beyond the physiological range, nanomaterials cause health risks via affecting the function of organisms, genomic systems, and even the central nervous system. Thus, new analytical approaches for nanotoxicity assessment to verify the feasibility of nanomaterials for future use are in demand. The conventional analytical techniques, such as spectrophotometric assay-based techniques, usually require a lengthy and time-consuming process and often produce false positives, and often cannot be implemented at a single cell level measurement for studying cell behavior without interference from its surrounding environment. Hence, there is a demand for a precise, accurate, sensitive assessment for toxicity using single cells. Recently, due to the advantages of automation of fluids and minimization of human errors, the integration of a cell-on-a-chip (CoC) with a microfluidic system is in practice for nanotoxicity assessments. This review explains nanotoxicity and its assessment approaches with advantages/limitations and new approaches to overcome the confines of traditional techniques. Recent advances in nanotoxicity assessment using a CoC integrated with a microfluidic system are also discussed in this review, which may be of use for nanotoxicity assessment and diagnostics.

Hematopoietic transcriptional mechanisms: from locus-specific to genome-wide vantage points.

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DeVilbiss, Andrew W; Sanalkumar, Rajendran; Johnson, Kirby D; Keles, Sunduz; Bresnick, Emery H

2014-08-01

Hematopoiesis is an exquisitely regulated process in which stem cells in the developing embryo and the adult generate progenitor cells that give rise to all blood lineages. Master regulatory transcription factors control hematopoiesis by integrating signals from the microenvironment and dynamically establishing and maintaining genetic networks. One of the most rudimentary aspects of cell type-specific transcription factor function, how they occupy a highly restricted cohort of cis-elements in chromatin, remains poorly understood. Transformative technologic advances involving the coupling of next-generation DNA sequencing technology with the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP-seq) have enabled genome-wide mapping of factor occupancy patterns. However, formidable problems remain; notably, ChIP-seq analysis yields hundreds to thousands of chromatin sites occupied by a given transcription factor, and only a fraction of the sites appear to be endowed with critical, non-redundant function. It has become en vogue to map transcription factor occupancy patterns genome-wide, while using powerful statistical tools to establish correlations to inform biology and mechanisms. With the advent of revolutionary genome editing technologies, one can now reach beyond correlations to conduct definitive hypothesis testing. This review focuses on key discoveries that have emerged during the path from single loci to genome-wide analyses, specifically in the context of hematopoietic transcriptional mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 ISEH - International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulation of basophil and mast cell development by transcription factors

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Haruka Sasaki

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Basophils and mast cells play important roles in host defense against parasitic infections and allergic responses. Several progenitor populations, either shared or specific, for basophils and/or mast cells have been identified, thus elucidating the developmental pathways of these cells. Multiple transcription factors essential for their development and the relationships between them have been also revealed. For example, IRF8 induces GATA2 expression to promote the generation of both basophils and mast cells. The STAT5-GATA2 axis induces C/EBPα and MITF expression, facilitating the differentiation into basophils and mast cells, respectively. In addition, C/EBPα and MITF mutually suppress each other's expression. This review provides an overview of recent advances in our understanding of how transcription factors regulate the development of basophils and mast cells.

Single-cell analysis by ICP-MS/MS as a fast tool for cellular bioavailability studies of arsenite.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, S; López-Serrano, A; Mitze, H; Jakubowski, N; Schwerdtle, T

2018-01-24

Single-cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SC-ICP-MS) has become a powerful and fast tool to evaluate the elemental composition at a single-cell level. In this study, the cellular bioavailability of arsenite (incubation of 25 and 50 μM for 0-48 h) has been successfully assessed by SC-ICP-MS/MS for the first time directly after re-suspending the cells in water. This procedure avoids the normally arising cell membrane permeabilization caused by cell fixation methods (e.g. methanol fixation). The reliability and feasibility of this SC-ICP-MS/MS approach with a limit of detection of 0.35 fg per cell was validated by conventional bulk ICP-MS/MS analysis after cell digestion and parallel measurement of sulfur and phosphorus.

Single cell Hi-C reveals cell-to-cell variability in chromosome structure

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfelder, Stefan; Yaffe, Eitan; Dean, Wendy; Laue, Ernest D.; Tanay, Amos; Fraser, Peter

2013-01-01

Large-scale chromosome structure and spatial nuclear arrangement have been linked to control of gene expression and DNA replication and repair. Genomic techniques based on chromosome conformation capture assess contacts for millions of loci simultaneously, but do so by averaging chromosome conformations from millions of nuclei. Here we introduce single cell Hi-C, combined with genome-wide statistical analysis and structural modeling of single copy X chromosomes, to show that individual chromosomes maintain domain organisation at the megabase scale, but show variable cell-to-cell chromosome territory structures at larger scales. Despite this structural stochasticity, localisation of active gene domains to boundaries of territories is a hallmark of chromosomal conformation. Single cell Hi-C data bridge current gaps between genomics and microscopy studies of chromosomes, demonstrating how modular organisation underlies dynamic chromosome structure, and how this structure is probabilistically linked with genome activity patterns. PMID:24067610

The transcription factor KLF2 restrains CD4⁺ T follicular helper cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, June-Yong; Skon, Cara N; Lee, You Jeong; Oh, Soohwan; Taylor, Justin J; Malhotra, Deepali; Jenkins, Marc K; Rosenfeld, M Geoffrey; Hogquist, Kristin A; Jameson, Stephen C

2015-02-17

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are essential for efficient B cell responses, yet the factors that regulate differentiation of this CD4(+) T cell subset are incompletely understood. Here we found that the KLF2 transcription factor serves to restrain Tfh cell generation. Induced KLF2 deficiency in activated CD4(+) T cells led to increased Tfh cell generation and B cell priming, whereas KLF2 overexpression prevented Tfh cell production. KLF2 promotes expression of the trafficking receptor S1PR1, and S1PR1 downregulation is essential for efficient Tfh cell production. However, KLF2 also induced expression of the transcription factor Blimp-1, which repressed transcription factor Bcl-6 and thereby impaired Tfh cell differentiation. Furthermore, KLF2 induced expression of the transcription factors T-bet and GATA3 and enhanced Th1 differentiation. Hence, our data indicate KLF2 is pivotal for coordinating CD4(+) T cell differentiation through two distinct and complementary mechanisms: via control of T cell localization and by regulation of lineage-defining transcription factors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whi7 is an unstable cell-cycle repressor of the Start transcriptional program.

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Gomar-Alba, Mercè; Méndez, Ester; Quilis, Inma; Bañó, M Carmen; Igual, J Carlos

2017-08-24

Start is the main decision point in eukaryotic cell cycle in which cells commit to a new round of cell division. It involves the irreversible activation of a transcriptional program by G1 CDK-cyclin complexes through the inactivation of Start transcriptional repressors, Whi5 in yeast or Rb in mammals. Here we provide novel keys of how Whi7, a protein related at sequence level to Whi5, represses Start. Whi7 is an unstable protein, degraded by the SCF Grr1 ubiquitin-ligase, whose stability is cell cycle regulated by CDK1 phosphorylation. Importantly, Whi7 associates to G1/S gene promoters in late G1 acting as a repressor of SBF-dependent transcription. Our results demonstrate that Whi7 is a genuine paralog of Whi5. In fact, both proteins collaborate in Start repression bringing to light that yeast cells, as occurs in mammalian cells, rely on the combined action of multiple transcriptional repressors to block Start transition.The commitment of cells to a new cycle of division involves inactivation of the Start transcriptional repressor Whi5. Here the authors show that the sequence related protein Whi7 associates to G1/S gene promoters in late G1 and collaborates with Whi5 in Start repression.

Precision control of recombinant gene transcription for CHO cell synthetic biology.

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Brown, Adam J; James, David C

2016-01-01

The next generation of mammalian cell factories for biopharmaceutical production will be genetically engineered to possess both generic and product-specific manufacturing capabilities that may not exist naturally. Introduction of entirely new combinations of synthetic functions (e.g. novel metabolic or stress-response pathways), and retro-engineering of existing functional cell modules will drive disruptive change in cellular manufacturing performance. However, before we can apply the core concepts underpinning synthetic biology (design, build, test) to CHO cell engineering we must first develop practical and robust enabling technologies. Fundamentally, we will require the ability to precisely control the relative stoichiometry of numerous functional components we simultaneously introduce into the host cell factory. In this review we discuss how this can be achieved by design of engineered promoters that enable concerted control of recombinant gene transcription. We describe the specific mechanisms of transcriptional regulation that affect promoter function during bioproduction processes, and detail the highly-specific promoter design criteria that are required in the context of CHO cell engineering. The relative applicability of diverse promoter development strategies are discussed, including re-engineering of natural sequences, design of synthetic transcription factor-based systems, and construction of synthetic promoters. This review highlights the potential of promoter engineering to achieve precision transcriptional control for CHO cell synthetic biology. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Transcriptional mapping of rabies virus in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flamand, A.; Delagneau, J.F.

1978-01-01

Synthesis of the proteins of rabies virus was studied in hamster cell infected with uv-irradiated virus. The uv target size of genes L, N, M 1 , and M 2 was measured during primary transcription. Except for N, the target size of the remaining genes was considerably larger than that of their physical sizes. The data fit the hypothesis that four genes occupy a single transcriptional unit and that transcription of rabies virus proceeds in the order N, M 1 , M 2 , and L

Single-Cell Genomics: Approaches and Utility in Immunology.

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Neu, Karlynn E; Tang, Qingming; Wilson, Patrick C; Khan, Aly A

2017-02-01

Single-cell genomics offers powerful tools for studying immune cells, which make it possible to observe rare and intermediate cell states that cannot be resolved at the population level. Advances in computer science and single-cell sequencing technology have created a data-driven revolution in immunology. The challenge for immunologists is to harness computing and turn an avalanche of quantitative data into meaningful discovery of immunological principles, predictive models, and strategies for therapeutics. Here, we review the current literature on computational analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data and discuss underlying assumptions, methods, and applications in immunology, and highlight important directions for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of transcriptional heterogeneity of eight genes between batch Desulfovibrio vulgaris biofilm and planktonic culture at a single-cell level

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Zhenhua eQi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB biofilm formed on metal surfaces can change the physicochemical properties of metals and cause metal corrosion. To enhance understanding of differential gene expression in Desulfovibrio vulgaris under planktonic and biofilm growth modes, a single-cell based RT-qPCR approach was applied to determine gene expression levels of 8 selected target genes in four sets of the 31 individual cells isolated from each growth condition (i.e., biofilm formed on a stainless steel （SS） and planktonic cultures, exponential and stationary phases. The results showed obvious gene-expression heterogeneity for the target genes among D. vulgaris single cells of both biofilm and planktonic cultures. In addition, an increased gene-expression heterogeneity in the D. vulgaris biofilm when compared with the planktonic culture was also observed for seven out of eight selected genes, which may be contributing to the increased complexity in terms of structures and morphology in the biofilm. Moreover, the results showed up-regulation of DVU0281 gene encoding exopolysaccharide biosynthesis protein, and down-regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism (i.e., DVU0434 and DVU0588, stress responses (i.e., DVU2410 and response regulator (i.e., DVU3062 in the D. vulgaris biofilm cells. Finally, the gene (DVU2571 involved in iron transportation was found down-regulated, and two genes (DVU1340 and DVU1397 involved in ferric uptake repressor and iron storage were up-regulated in D. vulgaris biofilm, suggesting their possible roles in maintaining normal metabolism of the D. vulgaris biofilm under environments of high concentration of iron. This study showed that the single-cell based analysis could be a useful approach in deciphering metabolism of microbial biofilms.

Identification of transcription factors linked to cell cycle regulation in Arabidopsis

OpenAIRE

Dehghan Nayeri, Fatemeh

2014-01-01

Cell cycle is an essential process in growth and development of living organisms consists of the replication and mitotic phases separated by 2 gap phases; G1 and G2. It is tightly controlled at the molecular level and especially at the level of transcription. Precise regulation of the cell cycle is of central significance for plant growth and development and transcription factors are global regulators of gene expression playing essential roles in cell cycle regulation. This study has uncovere...

A single nucleotide polymorphism uncovers a novel function for the transcription factor Ace2 during Candida albicans hyphal development.

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Diana M Calderón-Noreña

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Candida albicans is a major invasive fungal pathogen in humans. An important virulence factor is its ability to switch between the yeast and hyphal forms, and these filamentous forms are important in tissue penetration and invasion. A common feature for filamentous growth is the ability to inhibit cell separation after cytokinesis, although it is poorly understood how this process is regulated developmentally. In C. albicans, the formation of filaments during hyphal growth requires changes in septin ring dynamics. In this work, we studied the functional relationship between septins and the transcription factor Ace2, which controls the expression of enzymes that catalyze septum degradation. We found that alternative translation initiation produces two Ace2 isoforms. While full-length Ace2, Ace2L, influences septin dynamics in a transcription-independent manner in hyphal cells but not in yeast cells, the use of methionine-55 as the initiation codon gives rise to Ace2S, which functions as the nuclear transcription factor required for the expression of cell separation genes. Genetic evidence indicates that Ace2L influences the incorporation of the Sep7 septin to hyphal septin rings in order to avoid inappropriate activation of cell separation during filamentous growth. Interestingly, a natural single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP present in the C. albicans WO-1 background and other C. albicans commensal and clinical isolates generates a stop codon in the ninth codon of Ace2L that mimics the phenotype of cells lacking Ace2L. Finally, we report that Ace2L and Ace2S interact with the NDR kinase Cbk1 and that impairing activity of this kinase results in a defect in septin dynamics similar to that of hyphal cells lacking Ace2L. Together, our findings identify Ace2L and the NDR kinase Cbk1 as new elements of the signaling system that modify septin ring dynamics in hyphae to allow cell-chain formation, a feature that appears to have evolved in specific C

Single Cell Genomics: Approaches and Utility in Immunology

Science.gov (United States)

Neu, Karlynn E; Tang, Qingming; Wilson, Patrick C; Khan, Aly A

2017-01-01

Single cell genomics offers powerful tools for studying lymphocytes, which make it possible to observe rare and intermediate cell states that cannot be resolved at the population-level. Advances in computer science and single cell sequencing technology have created a data-driven revolution in immunology. The challenge for immunologists is to harness computing and turn an avalanche of quantitative data into meaningful discovery of immunological principles, predictive models, and strategies for therapeutics. Here, we review the current literature on computational analysis of single cell RNA-seq data and discuss underlying assumptions, methods, and applications in immunology, and highlight important directions for future research. PMID:28094102

Comparative transcriptional profiling of human Merkel cells and Merkel cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouchet, Nicolas; Coquart, Nolwenn; Lebonvallet, Nicolas; Le Gall-Ianotto, Christelle; Mogha, Ariane; Fautrel, Alain; Boulais, Nicholas; Dréno, Brigitte; Martin, Ludovic; Hu, Weiguo; Galibert, Marie-Dominique; Misery, Laurent

2014-12-01

Merkel cell carcinoma is believed to be derived from Merkel cells after infection by Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and other poorly understood events. Transcriptional profiling using cDNA microarrays was performed on cells from MCPy-negative and MCPy-positive Merkel cell carcinomas and isolated normal Merkel cells. This microarray revealed numerous significantly upregulated genes and some downregulated genes. The extensive list of genes that were identified in these experiments provides a large body of potentially valuable information of Merkel cell carcinoma carcinogenesis and could represent a source of potential targets for cancer therapy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identification of innate lymphoid cells in single-cell RNA-Seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Suffiotti, Madeleine; Carmona, Santiago J; Jandus, Camilla; Gfeller, David

2017-07-01

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) consist of natural killer (NK) cells and non-cytotoxic ILCs that are broadly classified into ILC1, ILC2, and ILC3 subtypes. These cells recently emerged as important early effectors of innate immunity for their roles in tissue homeostasis and inflammation. Over the last few years, ILCs have been extensively studied in mouse and human at the functional and molecular level, including gene expression profiling. However, sorting ILCs with flow cytometry for gene expression analysis is a delicate and time-consuming process. Here we propose and validate a novel framework for studying ILCs at the transcriptomic level using single-cell RNA-Seq data. Our approach combines unsupervised clustering and a new cell type classifier trained on mouse ILC gene expression data. We show that this approach can accurately identify different ILCs, especially ILC2 cells, in human lymphocyte single-cell RNA-Seq data. Our new model relies only on genes conserved across vertebrates, thereby making it in principle applicable in any vertebrate species. Considering the rapid increase in throughput of single-cell RNA-Seq technology, our work provides a computational framework for studying ILC2 cells in single-cell transcriptomic data and may help exploring their conservation in distant vertebrate species.

Comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional profile of the Mediator complex across human cancer types.

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Syring, Isabella; Klümper, Niklas; Offermann, Anne; Braun, Martin; Deng, Mario; Boehm, Diana; Queisser, Angela; von Mässenhausen, Anne; Brägelmann, Johannes; Vogel, Wenzel; Schmidt, Doris; Majores, Michael; Schindler, Anne; Kristiansen, Glen; Müller, Stefan C; Ellinger, Jörg; Shaikhibrahim, Zaki; Perner, Sven

2016-04-26

The Mediator complex is a key regulator of gene transcription and several studies demonstrated altered expressions of particular subunits in diverse human diseases, especially cancer. However a systematic study deciphering the transcriptional expression of the Mediator across different cancer entities is still lacking.We therefore performed a comprehensive in silico cancer vs. benign analysis of the Mediator complex subunits (MEDs) for 20 tumor entities using Oncomine datasets. The transcriptional expression profiles across almost all cancer entities showed differentially expressed MEDs as compared to benign tissue. Differential expression of MED8 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and MED12 in lung cancer (LCa) were validated and further investigated by immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays containing large numbers of specimen. MED8 in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) associated with shorter survival and advanced TNM stage and showed higher expression in metastatic than primary tumors. In vitro, siRNA mediated MED8 knockdown significantly impaired proliferation and motility in ccRCC cell lines, hinting at a role for MED8 to serve as a novel therapeutic target in ccRCC. Taken together, our Mediator complex transcriptome proved to be a valid tool for identifying cancer-related shifts in Mediator complex composition, revealing that MEDs do exhibit cancer specific transcriptional expression profiles.

A single-repeat R3-MYB transcription factor MYBC1 negatively regulates freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Hong; Bai, Xi; Zhu, Yanming; Li, Yong; Cai, Hua; Ji, Wei; Ji, Zuojun; Liu, Xiaofei; Liu, Xin; Li, Jing

2010-01-01

We had previously identified the MYBC1 gene, which encodes a single-repeat R3-MYB protein, as a putative osmotic responding gene; however, no R3-MYB transcription factor has been reported to regulate osmotic stress tolerance. Thus, we sought to elucidate the function of MYBC1 in response to osmotic stresses. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that MYBC1 expression responded to cold, dehydration, salinity and exogenous ABA at the transcript level. mybc1 mutants exhibited an increased tolerance to freezing stress, whereas 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants exhibited decreased cold tolerance. Transcript levels of some cold-responsive genes, including CBF/DREB genes, KIN1, ADC1, ADC2 and ZAT12, though, were not altered in the mybc1 mutants or the 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants in response to cold stress, as compared to the wild type. Microarray analysis results that are publically available were investigated and found transcript level of MYBC1 was not altered by overexpression of CBF1, CBF2, and CBF3, suggesting that MYBC1 is not down regulated by these CBF family members. Together, these results suggested that MYBC1is capable of negatively regulating the freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis in the CBF-independent pathway. In transgenic Arabidopsis carrying an MYBC1 promoter driven β-glucuronidase (GUS) construct, GUS activity was observed in all tissues and was relatively stronger in the vascular tissues. Fused MYBC1 and GFP protein revealed that MYBC1 was localized exclusively in the nuclear compartment.

Dissecting stem cell differentiation using single cell expression profiling

OpenAIRE

Moignard, Victoria Rachel; Göttgens, Berthold

2016-01-01

Many assumptions about the way cells behave are based on analyses of populations. However, it is now widely recognized that even apparently pure populations can display a remarkable level of heterogeneity. This is particularly true in stem cell biology where it hinders our understanding of normal development and the development of strategies for regenerative medicine. Over the past decade technologies facilitating gene expression analysis at the single cell level have become widespread, provi...

Finite-size effects in transcript sequencing count distribution: its power-law correction necessarily precedes downstream normalization and comparative analysis.

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Wong, Wing-Cheong; Ng, Hong-Kiat; Tantoso, Erwin; Soong, Richie; Eisenhaber, Frank

2018-02-12

Though earlier works on modelling transcript abundance from vertebrates to lower eukaroytes have specifically singled out the Zip's law, the observed distributions often deviate from a single power-law slope. In hindsight, while power-laws of critical phenomena are derived asymptotically under the conditions of infinite observations, real world observations are finite where the finite-size effects will set in to force a power-law distribution into an exponential decay and consequently, manifests as a curvature (i.e., varying exponent values) in a log-log plot. If transcript abundance is truly power-law distributed, the varying exponent signifies changing mathematical moments (e.g., mean, variance) and creates heteroskedasticity which compromises statistical rigor in analysis. The impact of this deviation from the asymptotic power-law on sequencing count data has never truly been examined and quantified. The anecdotal description of transcript abundance being almost Zipf's law-like distributed can be conceptualized as the imperfect mathematical rendition of the Pareto power-law distribution when subjected to the finite-size effects in the real world; This is regardless of the advancement in sequencing technology since sampling is finite in practice. Our conceptualization agrees well with our empirical analysis of two modern day NGS (Next-generation sequencing) datasets: an in-house generated dilution miRNA study of two gastric cancer cell lines (NUGC3 and AGS) and a publicly available spike-in miRNA data; Firstly, the finite-size effects causes the deviations of sequencing count data from Zipf's law and issues of reproducibility in sequencing experiments. Secondly, it manifests as heteroskedasticity among experimental replicates to bring about statistical woes. Surprisingly, a straightforward power-law correction that restores the distribution distortion to a single exponent value can dramatically reduce data heteroskedasticity to invoke an instant increase in

Intersection of FOXO- and RUNX1-mediated gene expression programs in single breast epithelial cells during morphogenesis and tumor progression.

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Wang, Lixin; Brugge, Joan S; Janes, Kevin A

2011-10-04

Gene expression networks are complicated by the assortment of regulatory factors that bind DNA and modulate transcription combinatorially. Single-cell measurements can reveal biological mechanisms hidden by population averages, but their value has not been fully explored in the context of mRNA regulation. Here, we adapted a single-cell expression profiling technique to examine the gene expression program downstream of Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors during 3D breast epithelial acinar morphogenesis. By analyzing patterns of mRNA fluctuations among individual matrix-attached epithelial cells, we found that a subset of FOXO target genes was jointly regulated by the transcription factor Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1). Knockdown of RUNX1 causes hyperproliferation and abnormal morphogenesis, both of which require normal FOXO function. Down-regulating RUNX1 and FOXOs simultaneously causes widespread oxidative stress, which arrests proliferation and restores normal acinar morphology. In hormone-negative breast cancers lacking human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification, we find that RUNX1 down-regulation is strongly associated with up-regulation of FOXO1, which may be required to support growth of RUNX1-negative tumors. The coordinate function of these two tumor suppressors may provide a failsafe mechanism that inhibits cancer progression.

Transcription and splicing regulation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells under hypoxic stress conditions by exon array

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Wu Yonghong

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The balance between endothelial cell survival and apoptosis during stress is an important cellular process for vessel integrity and vascular homeostasis, and it is also pivotal in angiogenesis during the development of many vascular diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Although both transcription and alternative splicing are important in regulating gene expression in endothelial cells under stress, the regulatory mechanisms underlying this state and their interactions have not yet been studied on a genome-wide basis. Results Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs were treated with cobalt chloride (CoCl2 both to mimic hypoxia and to induce cell apoptosis and alternative splicing responses. Cell apoptosis rate analysis indicated that HUVECs exposed to 300 μM CoCl2 for 24 hrs were initially counterbalancing apoptosis with cell survival. We therefore used the Affymetrix exon array system to determine genome-wide transcript- and exon-level differential expression. Other than 1583 differentially expressed transcripts, 342 alternatively spliced exons were detected and classified by different splicing types. Sixteen alternatively spliced exons were validated by RT-PCR. Furthermore, direct evidence for the ongoing balance between HUVEC survival and apoptosis was provided by Gene Ontology (GO and protein function, as well as protein domain and pathway enrichment analyses of the differentially expressed transcripts. Importantly, a novel molecular module, in which the heat shock protein (HSP families play a significant role, was found to be activated under mimicked hypoxia conditions. In addition, 46% of the transcripts containing stress-modulated exons were differentially expressed, indicating the possibility of combinatorial regulation of transcription and splicing. Conclusion The exon array system effectively profiles gene expression and splicing on the genome-wide scale. Based on

Designed Transcriptional Regulation in Mammalian Cells Based on TALE- and CRISPR/dCas9.

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Lebar, Tina; Jerala, Roman

2018-01-01

Transcriptional regulation lies at the center of many cellular processes and is the result of cellular response to different external and internal signals. Control of transcription of selected genes enables an unprecedented access to shape the cellular response. While orthogonal transcription factors from bacteria, yeast, plants, or other cells have been used to introduce new cellular logic into mammalian cells, the discovery of designable modular DNA binding domains, such as Transcription Activator-Like Effectors (TALEs) and the CRISPR system, enable targeting of almost any selected DNA sequence. Fusion or conditional association of DNA targeting domain with transcriptional effector domains enables controlled regulation of almost any endogenous or ectopic gene. Moreover, the designed regulators can be linked into genetic circuits to implement complex responses, such as different types of Boolean functions and switches. In this chapter, we describe the protocols for achieving efficient transcriptional regulation with TALE- and CRISPR-based designed transcription factors in mammalian cells.

Potential Role of Activating Transcription Factor 5 during Osteogenesis

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Luisa Vicari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Human adipose-derived stem cells are an abundant population of stem cells readily isolated from human adipose tissue that can differentiate into connective tissue lineages including bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. Activating transcription factor 5 is a transcription factor of the ATF/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB family. It is transcribed in two types of mRNAs (activating transcription factor 5 isoform 1 and activating transcription factor 5 isoform 2, encoding the same single 30-kDa protein. Although it is well demonstrated that it regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, little is known about its potential role in osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of the two isoforms and protein during osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Our data indicate that activating transcription factor 5 is differentially expressed reaching a peak of expression at the stage of bone mineralization. These findings suggest that activating transcription factor 5 could play an interesting regulatory role during osteogenesis, which would provide a powerful tool to study bone physiology.