Productive rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus triggers a major developmental checkpoint that promotes limited clonal expansion of pre-B cells, culminating in cell cycle arrest and rearrangement of the kappa () or lambda () light-chain loci. B lineage cells lacking the related transcription factors IRF-4 and IRF-8 undergo a developmental arrest at the cycling pre-B cell stage and are blocked for light-chain recombination. Using Irf-4,8-/- pre-B cells we demonstrate that two pathways converge to synergistically drive light-chain rearrangement, a process that is not simply activated by cell cycle exit. One pathway is directly dependent on IRF-4, whose expression is elevated by pre-BCR signaling. IRF-4 targets the 3 and enhancers to increase locus accessibility and positions a kappa allele away from pericentromeric heterochromatin. The other pathway is triggered by attenuation of IL-7 signaling and results in activation of the intronic enhancer via binding of the transcription factor, E2A. Intriguingly, IRF-4 regulates the expression of CXCR4 and promotes the migration of pre-B cells in response to the chemokine CXCL12. We propose that IRF-4 coordinates the two pathways regulating light-chain recombination by positioning pre-B cells away from IL-7 expressing stromal cells.
Regulation of immunoglobulin light-chain recombination by the transcription factor IRF-4 and the attenuation of interleukin-7 signaling.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesA surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland triggers ovulation, oocyte maturation, and luteinization for successful reproduction in mammals. Since the signaling molecules RAS and ERK1/2 are activated by a LH surge in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles, we disrupted Erk1/2 in mouse granulosa cells and provide in vivo evidence that these kinases are necessary for LH-induced oocyte resumption of meiosis, ovulation, and luteinization. In addition, biochemical analyses and selected disruption of the Cebpb gene in granulosa cells demonstrate that C/EBP is a critical downstream mediator of ERK1/2 activation. These mouse models provide in vivo systems in which to define the context specific and molecular mechanisms by which granulosa cells respond to LH and these mechanisms are relevant to the regulation of human fertility and infertility.
MAPK3/1 (ERK1/2) in ovarian granulosa cells are essential for female fertility.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesCD4 T cell help is critical for both the generation and maintenance of germinal centers, and T follicular helper (TFH) cells are the CD4 T cell subset required for this process. SAP (SH2D1A) expression in CD4 T cells is essential for germinal center development. However, SAP-deficient mice have only a moderate defect in TFH differentiation as defined by common TFH surface markers. CXCR5+ TFH cells are found within the germinal center as well as along the boundary regions of T/B cell zones. Here we show that germinal center associated T cells (GC TFH) can be identified by their co-expression of CXCR5 and the GL7 epitope, allowing for phenotypic and functional analysis of TFH and GC TFH populations. Here we show GC TFH are a functionally discrete subset of further polarized TFH cells, with enhanced B cell help capacity and a specialized ability to produce IL-4 in a TH2-independent manner. Strikingly, SAP-deficient mice have an absence of the GC TFH subset and SAP- TFH are defective in IL-4 and IL-21 production. We further demonstrate that SLAM (Slamf1, CD150), a surface receptor that utilizes SAP signaling, is specifically required for IL-4 production by GC TFH. GC TFH cells require IL-4 and IL-21 production for optimal help to B cells. These data illustrate complexities of SAP-dependent SLAM family receptor signaling, revealing a prominent role for SLAM receptor ligation in IL-4 production by germinal center CD4 T cells but not in TFH and GC TFH differentiation.
Germinal center T follicular helper cell IL-4 production is dependent on signaling lymphocytic activation molecule receptor (CD150).
Specimen part
View SamplesCD4 T cell help is critical for both the generation and maintenance of germinal centers, and T follicular helper (TFH) cells are the CD4 T cell subset required for this process. SAP (SH2D1A) expression in CD4 T cells is essential for germinal center development. However, SAP-deficient mice have only a moderate defect in TFH differentiation as defined by common TFH surface markers. CXCR5+ TFH cells are found within the germinal center as well as along the boundary regions of T/B cell zones. Here we show that germinal center associated T cells (GC TFH) can be identified by their co-expression of CXCR5 and the GL7 epitope, allowing for phenotypic and functional analysis of TFH and GC TFH populations. Here we show GC TFH are a functionally discrete subset of further polarized TFH cells, with enhanced B cell help capacity and a specialized ability to produce IL-4 in a TH2-independent manner. Strikingly, SAP-deficient mice have an absence of the GC TFH subset and SAP- TFH are defective in IL-4 and IL-21 production. We further demonstrate that SLAM (Slamf1, CD150), a surface receptor that utilizes SAP signaling, is specifically required for IL-4 production by GC TFH. GC TFH cells require IL-4 and IL-21 production for optimal help to B cells. These data illustrate complexities of SAP-dependent SLAM family receptor signaling, revealing a prominent role for SLAM receptor ligation in IL-4 production by germinal center CD4 T cells but not in TFH and GC TFH differentiation.
Germinal center T follicular helper cell IL-4 production is dependent on signaling lymphocytic activation molecule receptor (CD150).
Specimen part
View SamplesBMP4 is down-regulated in metastatic human and murine mammary tumours. Here we determined the effect of ectopic mouse Bmp4 re-expression on global gene expression patterns in orthotopic primary mammary tumours in syngeneic Balb/c mice.
BMP4 inhibits breast cancer metastasis by blocking myeloid-derived suppressor cell activity.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesC/EBPb is an auto-repressed protein that becomes posttranslationally activated by Ras-MEK-ERK signalling. C/EBPb is required for oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) of primary fibroblasts, but also displays pro-oncogenic functions in many tumour cells. Here, we show that C/EBPb activation by H-RasV12 is suppressed in immortalized/transformed cells, but not in primary cells, by its 30 untranslated region (30UTR). 30UTR sequences inhibited Ras-induced cytostatic activity of C/EBPb, DNA binding, transactivation, phosphorylation, and homodimerization, without significantly affecting protein expression. The 30UTR suppressed induction of senescence-associated C/EBPb target genes, while promoting expression of genes linked to cancers and TGFb signalling. An AU-rich element (ARE) and its cognate RNA-binding protein, HuR, were required for 30UTR inhibition. These components also excluded the Cebpb mRNA from a perinuclear cytoplasmic region that contains activated ERK1/2, indicating that the site of C/EBPb translation controls de-repression by Ras signalling. Notably, 30UTR inhibition and Cebpb mRNA compartmentalization were absent in primary fibroblasts, allowing Ras-induced C/EBPb activation and OIS to proceed. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism whereby non-coding mRNA sequences selectively regulate C/EBPb activity and suppress its anti-oncogenic functions.
3'UTR elements inhibit Ras-induced C/EBPβ post-translational activation and senescence in tumour cells.
Cell line
View SamplesAnalysis of in vivo antigen-specific (LCMV-specific, SMARTA TCR transgenic) follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5high),versus non-follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5low), eight days after viral infection. A paper including data analysis of these experiments has been accepted for publication (Robert J. Johnston et al. Bcl6 and Blimp-1 are reciprocal and antagonistic regulators of follicular helper CD4 T cell differentiation).
Bcl6 and Blimp-1 are reciprocal and antagonistic regulators of T follicular helper cell differentiation.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe function of ID4 in CLL development was studied in vivo using TCL1 transgenic mouse model that develop leukemia similar to human CLL. TCL1 mice with ID4 single knockout gene have accelerated CLL progression.
Silencing of the inhibitor of DNA binding protein 4 (ID4) contributes to the pathogenesis of mouse and human CLL.
Specimen part
View SamplesIntestinal polyposis, a precancerous neoplasia, results primarily from an abnormal increase in the number of crypts. Crypts contain intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Thus intestinal polyposis provides an ideal condition for studying stem cell involvement in polyp/tumor formation. Using a conditional knock-out mouse model, we found that the tumor suppressor Phosphatase of Tension homolog (PTEN) governs the proliferation rate and number of ISCs and loss of PTEN results in an excess of ISCs. In PTEN mutants, excess ISCs initiate de-novo crypt formation and crypt fission, recapitulating crypt production in fetal/neonatal intestine. Microarray studies were used to profile the changes in gene expression that occurred when PTEN was knocked out in the intestine.
PTEN-deficient intestinal stem cells initiate intestinal polyposis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAs a critical cellular stress sensor, p53 mediates a variety of defensive processes including cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence to prevent propagation of hyperproliferative cells or cells with a damaged genome, hence the formation of neoplasia. Transactivation of downstream genes plays an important while sometimes controversial role in regulating these cellular processes. To evaluate the dependence on transcriptional activation in p53s activities, we generated genetically-modified mouse lines carrying mutations in the transactivation domains (TADs) of p53. These transactivatio-deficient mutants serve as unique reagents to probe the dependence on robust transactivation in p53-mediated cellular functions, as well as the underneath mechanisms. To identify genes differentially regulated by these p53 mutants, we performed gene expression profiling analysis on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs) from these mice in the context of oncogenic Ras-induced premature cellular senescence.
Distinct p53 transcriptional programs dictate acute DNA-damage responses and tumor suppression.
Specimen part
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