Fetal and adult -globin gene expression is tightly regulated during human development. Fetal globin genes are transcriptionally silenced during embryogenesis through the process of hemoglobin switching. Efforts to understand the transcriptional mechanism(s) behind fetal globin silencing have led to novel strategies to derepress fetal globin expression in the adult, which could alleviate symptoms in hereditary b-globin disorders including sickle cell disease (SCD) and -thalassemia. We identified a novel zinc finger protein, pogo transposable element with zinc finger domain (Pogz), expressed in mouse and human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which represses embryonic b-like globin gene expression in mice. Ablation of Pogz expression in adult hematopoietic cells in vivo results in persistence of embryonic b-like globin expression without significantly affecting erythroid development or mouse survival. Elevated embryonic -like globin expression correlates with reduced expression of Bcl11a, a known repressor of embryonic -like globin expression, in Pogz-/- fetal liver cells. Pogz binds to the Bcl11a promoter, and, to erythroid specific intragenic regulatory regions. Importantly, Pogz+/- mice develop normally, but show elevated embryonic b-like globin expression in peripheral blood cells, demonstrating that reducing Pogz levels results in persistence of embryonic b-like globin expression. Finally, knockdown of POGZ in primary human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell derived erythroblasts, reduces BCL11A expression and increases fetal hemoglobin expression. These findings are significant since new therapeutic targets and strategies are needed to treat the increasing global burden of b-globin disorders.
POGZ Is Required for Silencing Mouse Embryonic β-like Hemoglobin and Human Fetal Hemoglobin Expression.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe goal of this study was to identify genes that are differentially expressed after genetic deletion of both alleles of the Cyp26a1 gene in murine embryonic stem cells. Cyp26a1 codes for the CYP26A1 enzyme which metabolizes RA to polar RA metabolites, such as 4-oxo-RA and 4-OH-RA. CYP26A1-/- ES cells do not metabolize RA within 48 hours of RA treatment while in Wt ES cells, polar RA metabolites are already detectable by 8 hr. In addition, the absence of CYP26A1 enzyme increases intracellular RA levels. By gene microarray analysis, we wanted to identify genes that would be affected by the lack of the Cyp26a1 gene.
CYP26A1 knockout embryonic stem cells exhibit reduced differentiation and growth arrest in response to retinoic acid.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis study was undertaken in order to characterize the functions of Rex-1 and identify potential Rex-1 target genes.Both alleles of the Rex-1 gene were disrupted in J1 mouse embryonic stem cells. Gene expression levels in one of the resulting Rex-1 knockout cell lines was compared to that of J1 wild type cells.
Analysis of Rex1 (zfp42) function in embryonic stem cell differentiation.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe recently found that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response (ERSR) is activated in surviving cardiac myocytes in a mouse model of in vivo myocardial infarction. ATF6 is an ER stress-activated transcription factor that induces ERSR genes, some of which encode proteins that may protect against ischemic damage. However, few ERSR genes have been identified in the heart, and there have been no gene expression profiling studies of ATF6-inducible genes, in vivo. We previously generated transgenic (TG) mice that express tamoxifen-activated ATF6, ATF6-MER, in the heart; ATF6-MER conferred tamoxifen-dependent ATF6 activation and protection from ischemic damage. To understand of the mechanism of ATF6-mediated cardioprotection, gene expression profiling of ATF6-MER TG mouse hearts was performed. Activated ATF6 changed expression levels of 1,162 genes in the heart; of the 775 ATF6-inducible genes, only 23 are known ERSR genes. One of the genes not expected to be induced by ATF6 is modulatory calcinuerin-interacting protein-1 (MCIP1). MCIP1 is induced in a calcineurin/NFAT-dependent manner during myocardial hypertrophy and it can feedback inhibit cardiomyocyte growth. We found that MCIP1 expression in cultured cardiomyocytes was increased by the prototypical ER stresser, tunicamycin (TM), or by simulated ischemia. Moreover, infecting cardiomyocytes with adenovirus encoding activated ATF6 induced MCIP1 expression and inhibited myocyte growth in response to the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine. These results suggest that MCIP1 can be induced in the heart by ER stresses, such as ischemia. Moreover, b integrating hypertrophy and ER stress, MCIP-modulated myocyte growth may help rejuvenate nascent ER protein folding, which could contribute to protection from ischemic damage.
Coordination of growth and endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling by regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), a novel ATF6-inducible gene.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesDevelopment of a suitable mouse model would facilitate the investigation of pathomechanisms underlying human psoriasis and would also assist in development of therapeutic treatments. However, while many psoriasis mouse models have been proposed, no single model recapitulates all features of the human disease, and standardized validation criteria for psoriasis mouse models have not been widely applied. In this study, whole-genome transcriptional profiling is used to compare gene expression patterns manifested by human psoriatic skin lesions with those that occur in five psoriasis mouse models (K5-Tie2, imiquimod, K14-AREG, K5-Stat3C and K5-TGFbeta1). While the cutaneous gene expression profiles associated with each mouse phenotype exhibited statistically significant similarity to the expression profile of psoriasis in humans, each model displayed distinctive sets of similarities and differences in comparison to human psoriasis. For all five models, correspondence to the human disease was strong with respect to genes involved in epidermal development and keratinization. Immune and inflammation-associated gene expression, in contrast, was more variable between models as compared to the human disease. These findings support the value of all five models as research tools, each with identifiable areas of convergence to and divergence from the human disease. Additionally, the approach used in this paper provides an objective and quantitative method for evaluation of proposed mouse models of psoriasis, which can be strategically applied in future studies to score strengths of mouse phenotypes relative to specific aspects of human psoriasis.
Genome-wide expression profiling of five mouse models identifies similarities and differences with human psoriasis.
Specimen part
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