Interaction of hematopoietic progenitors with the thymic stromal microenvironment induces them to proliferate, adopt the T cell fate, and asymmetrically diverge into multiple T lineages. Progenitors at various developmental stages are stratified among different regions of the thymus, implying that the corresponding microenvironments differ from one another, and provide unique sets of signals to progenitors migrating between them. The nature of these differences remains undefined. Here we use novel physical and computational approaches to characterize these stromal subregions, distinguishing gene expression in microdissected tissues from that of their lymphoid constituents. Using this approach, we comprehensively map gene expression in functionally distinct stromal microenvironments, and identify clusters of genes that define each region. Quite unexpectedly, we find that the central cortex lacks distinctive features of its own, and instead appears to function by sequestering unique microenvironments found at the cortical extremities, and modulating the relative proximity of progenitors moving between them.
Spatial mapping of thymic stromal microenvironments reveals unique features influencing T lymphoid differentiation.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Functional Roles of Acetylated Histone Marks at Mouse Meiotic Recombination Hot Spots.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesNuocytes are a recently described cell that responds to both IL-25 and IL-33 and produce high levels of IL-13 and IL-5
Nuocytes represent a new innate effector leukocyte that mediates type-2 immunity.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesAutophagy selectively degrades aggregation-prone misfolded proteins caused by defective cellular proteostasis. However, the complexity of autophagy may prevent the full appreciation of how its modulation could be used as a therapeutic strategy in disease management. Here we define a molecular pathway through which recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra, anakinra) affects cellular proteostasis independently from the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R1). Anakinra promoted H2O2-driven autophagy through a xenobiotic sensing pathway involving the aryl hydrocarbon receptor that, activated through the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1-kynurenine pathway, transcriptionally activates NADPH Oxidase 4 independent of the IL-1R1. By coupling the mitochondrial redox balance to autophagy, anakinra improved the dysregulated proteostasis network in murine and human cystic fibrosis. We anticipate that anakinra may represent a therapeutic option in addition to its IL-1R1 dependent anti-inflammatory properties by acting at the intersection of mitochondrial oxidative stress and autophagy with the capacity to restore conditions in which defective proteostasis leads to human disease. Overall design: mRNA profiles of alveolar macrophages purified from C57BL/6 and Il1r1-/- mice treated or not with Anakinra
Anakinra restores cellular proteostasis by coupling mitochondrial redox balance to autophagy.
Specimen part, Genotype, Subject
View SamplesMicroarray expression profiling has become a valuable tool in the evaluation of the genetic consequences of metabolic disease. Although 3-biased gene expression microarray platforms were the first generation to have widespread availability, newer platforms are gradually emerging that have more up-to-date content and/or higher cost efficiency. Deciphering the relative strengths and weaknesses of these various platforms for metabolic pathway level analyses can be daunting. We sought to determine the practical strengths and weaknesses of four leading commercially-available expression array platforms relative to biologic investigations, as well as assess the feasibility of cross-platform data integration for purposes of biochemical pathway analyses. METHODS: Liver RNA from B6.Alb/cre,Pdss2loxP/loxP mice having primary Coenzyme Q deficiency was extracted either at baseline or following treatment with an antioxidant/antihyperlipidemic agent, probucol. Target RNA samples were prepared and hybridized to Affymetrix 430 2.0, Affymetrix Gene 1.0 ST, Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST, and Illumina Mouse WG-6 expression arrays. Probes on all platforms were re-mapped to coding sequences in the current version of the mouse genome. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed by R/Bioconductor functions, and pathway analyses were carried out by KEGG Atlas and GSEA. RESULTS: Expression measurements were generally consistent across platforms. However, intensive probe-level comparison suggested that differences in probe locations were a major source of inter-platform variance. In addition, genes expressed at low or intermediate levels had lower inter-platform reproducibility than highly expressed genes. All platforms showed similar patterns of differential expression between sample groups, with steroid biosynthesis consistently identified as the most down-regulated metabolic pathway by probucol treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This work offers a timely guide for metabolic disease investigators to enable informed end-user decisions regarding choice of expression microarray platform best-suited to specific research project goals. Successful cross-platform integration of biochemical pathway expression data is also demonstrated, especially for well-annotated and highly-expressed genes. However, integration of gene-level expression data is limited by individual platform probe design and the expression level of target genes. Cross-platform analyses of biochemical pathway data will require additional data processing and novel computational bioinformatics tools to address unique statistical challenges.
Cross-platform expression microarray performance in a mouse model of mitochondrial disease therapy.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesDifferentially expressed genes of CD11b+Gr-1+ immature myeloid cells (IMCs) in the bone marrow and colonic tumor setting of histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-KO mice were examined by microarray (Affymetrix Mouse 430.2 array). Myeloid differentiation-related candidate genes were sought to be isolated and functionally studied.
Histamine deficiency promotes inflammation-associated carcinogenesis through reduced myeloid maturation and accumulation of CD11b+Ly6G+ immature myeloid cells.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesTumor growth is associated with a profound alteration of myelopoiesis, leading to recruitment of immunosuppressive cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Analyzing the cytokines affecting myelo-monocytic differentiation produced by various experimental tumors, we found that GM-CSF, G-CSF, and IL-6 allowed a rapid generation of MDSCs from precursors present in mouse and human bone marrow (BM). BM-MDSCs induced by GM-CSF+IL-6 possessed the highest tolerogenic activity, as revealed by the ability to impair the priming of IFN- -producing CD8+ T cells upon in vivo adoptive transfer. Moreover, adoptive transfer of syngeneic, GM-CSF+IL-6-conditioned MDSCs to diabetic mice transplanted with allogeneic pancreatic islets resulted in long term acceptance of the allograft and correction of the diabetic status. Cytokines inducing MDSCs acted on a common molecular pathway. Immunoregulatory activity of both tumor-induced and BM-derived MDSCs was entirely dependent on C/EBP transcription factor, a key component of the emergency myelopoiesis triggered by stress and inflammation. Adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes resulted in therapy of established tumors only in mice lacking C/EBP in myeloid compartment. These data unveil another link between inflammation and cancer and identify a novel molecular target to control tumor-induced immune suppression.
Tumor-induced tolerance and immune suppression depend on the C/EBPbeta transcription factor.
Specimen part
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