Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID) is required for somatic hypermutation and immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination in germinal center B lymphocytes. Occasionally, AID targets non-Ig genes, thereby contributing to B cell lymphomagenesis. We recently reported aberrant expression of AID in BCR-ABL1-driven acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To elucidate the biological significance of aberrant AID expression, we studied loss of AID function in a murine model of BCR-ABL1 ALL. Mice transplanted with BCR-ABL1-transduced AID-/- bone marrow had prolonged survival as compared to mice transplanted with leukemia cells generated from AID+/+ bone marrow. Consistent with a causative role of AID in genetic instability, AID-/- leukemia had a decreased frequency of amplifications, deletions and a lower frequency of mutations in non-Ig genes including Pax5 and Rhoh as compared to AID+/+ leukemias. AID-/- and AID+/+ ALL cells showed a markedly distinct gene expression pattern as determined by principle component analysis, with 2,365 genes differentially expressed. In contrast to AID+/+ leukemia, AID-/- ALL cells failed to downregulate a number of tumor suppressor genes such as Rhoh, Cdkn1a (p21), and Blnk (SLP65). We conclude that AID accelerates clonal evolution in BCR-ABL1 ALL by enhancing genetic instability, aberrant somatic hypermutation, and by transcriptional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes.
No associated publication
Specimen part
View SamplesBone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is essential for lung development. To define its intracellular signaling mechanisms by which BMP4 regulates lung development, BMP-specific Smad1 or Smad5 was selectively knocked out in fetal mouse lung epithelial cells. Abrogation of lung epithelial-specific Smad1, but not Smad5, resulted in retardation of lung branching morphogenesis and reduced sacculation, accompanied by altered distal lung epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, and consequently severe neonatal respiratory failure. By combining cDNA microarray with ChIP-chip analyses, Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (Wif1) was identified as a novel target gene of Smad1 in the developing mouse lung epithelial cells. Loss of Smad1 transcriptional activation of Wif1 expression was associated with reduced Wif1 expression and increased Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activity in lung epithelia, resulting in specific fetal lung abnormalities. Therefore, a novel regulatory loop of BMP4-Smad1-Wif1-Wnt/beta-catenin in coordinating BMP and Wnt pathways to control fetal lung development is suggested.
No associated publication
Specimen part
View SamplesPTEN loss or PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation correlates with human prostate cancer progression and metastasis. However, in preclinical murine models, deletion of Pten alone fails to mimic the significant metastatic burden that frequently accompanies the end stage of human disease. To identify additional pathway alterations that cooperate with PTEN loss in prostate cancer progression, we surveyed human prostate cancer tissue microarrays and found that the RAS/MAPK pathway is significantly elevated both in primary and metastatic lesions. In an attempt to model this event, we crossed conditional activatable K-rasG12D/WT mice with the prostate conditional Pten deletion model we previously generated. Although RAS activation alone cannot initiate prostate cancer development, it significantly accelerated progression caused by PTEN loss, accompanied by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and macrometastasis with 100% penitence. A novel stem/progenitor subpopulation with mesenchymal characteristics was isolated from the compound mutant prostates, which was highly metastatic upon orthotopic transplantation. Importantly, inhibition of RAS/MAPK signaling by PD325901, a MEK inhibitor, significantly reduced the metastatic progression initiated from transplanted stem/progenitor cells. Collectively, these data indicate that activation of RAS/MAPK signaling serves as a potentiating second hit to alteration of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis and co-targeting both pathways is highly effective in preventing the development of metastatic prostate cancers.
Pten loss and RAS/MAPK activation cooperate to promote EMT and metastasis initiated from prostate cancer stem/progenitor cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesSymptomatic glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) is associated with episodic metabolic and central nervous system deterioration. We report here the first application of Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to investigate a knockout (KO) murine model of a human genetic disease. WGCNA identified networks and key hub transcripts from liver mRNA of glycerol kinase (Gyk) KO and wild type (WT) mice. Day of life 1 (dol1) samples from KO mice contained a network module enriched for organic acid metabolism before Gyk KO mice develop organic acidemia and die on dol3-4 and the module containing Gyk was enriched with apoptotic genes. Roles for the highly connected Acot, Psat and Plk3 transcripts were confirmed in cell cultures and subsequently validated by causality testing. We provide evidence that GK may have an apoptotic moonlighting role that is lost in GKD. This systems biology strategy has improved our understanding of GKD pathogenesis and suggests possible treatments.
Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identifies biomarkers in glycerol kinase deficient mice.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesWe used the Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Arrays to compare the gene expression profiles of wildtype and miR-146a-deficient 2D2 transgenic T cells.
miR-146a modulates autoreactive Th17 cell differentiation and regulates organ-specific autoimmunity.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
ETV1 directs androgen metabolism and confers aggressive prostate cancer in targeted mice and patients.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesChromosomal rearrangements involving ETS factors, ERG and ETV1, occur frequently in prostate cancer. We here examine mouse prostate cells from WT mice with s with T-ETV1 mice, which contains express the truncated human ETV1 under the endogenous Tmprss2 promoter. ETV1 expression can be tracked by GFP expression.
ETV1 directs androgen metabolism and confers aggressive prostate cancer in targeted mice and patients.
Specimen part
View SamplesPofut1 is an essential gene that glycosylates proteins containing EGF-like repeats, including Notch Receptors (NotchRs). Work in mice and in Drosophila has shown that O-fucosylation by Pofut1 is required for NotchR ligands to bind to and activate NotchRs. As such, Pofut1 deletion in skeletal myofibers allows for an analysis of potential functions and molecular changes of Pofut1 in skeletal muscle that derive from its expression in skeletal myofibers. In this study we compared gene expression profiles between quadriceps muscles in mice where Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1) was deleted specifically in skeletal myofibers via use of a human skeletal alpha actin Cre transgene (Scre) and a loxP flanked Pofut1 gene (SCreFF) and mice which bore the only the Scre transgene but did not have floxed Pofut1 alleles (SCre++).
Deletion of <i>Pofut1</i> in Mouse Skeletal Myofibers Induces Muscle Aging-Related Phenotypes in <i>cis</i> and in <i>trans</i>.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesReduced NotchR signaling has been implicated in the reduced division and differentiation of stem cells in a number of tissues. The Protein-O-fucosyltransferase 1 gene (Pofut1) encodes a glycosyltransferase that O-fucosylates EGF-repeat-containing proteins, including Notch Receptors (NotchRs), and absence of Pofut1 glycosylation on NotchRs inhibits ligand-induced NotchR signaling.
No associated publication
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesUbiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) are directed to targets by cascades of E1, E2, and E3 enzymes. The largest ubiquitin E3 subclass consists of cullin-RING ligases (CRLs), which contain one each of several cullins (CUL1, -2, -3, -4, or -5) and RING proteins (RBX1 or -2). CRLs are activated by ligation of the UBL NEDD8 to a conserved cullin lysine. How is cullin NEDD8ylation specificity established? Here we report that, like UBE2M (also known as UBC12), the previously uncharacterized E2 UBE2F is a NEDD8-conjugating enzyme in vitro and in vivo. Biochemical and structural analyses indicate how plasticity of hydrophobic E1-E2 interactions and E1 conformational flexibility allow one E1 to charge multiple E2s. The E2s have distinct functions, with UBE2M/RBX1 and UBE2F/RBX2 displaying different target cullin specificities. Together, these studies reveal the molecular basis for and functional importance of hierarchical expansion of the NEDD8 conjugation system in establishing selective CRL activation.
E2-RING expansion of the NEDD8 cascade confers specificity to cullin modification.
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