The thymus is extremely sensitive to damage but also has a remarkable ability to repair itself. However, the mechanisms underlying this endogenous regeneration remain poorly understood and this capacity diminishes considerably with age. To identify alternate regeneration pathways in the thymus, we performed an unbiased transcriptome analysis of the non-hematopoietic (CD45-) stromal cell compartment of the thymus, which is less sensitive to thymic damage compared to the CD45+ hematopoietic compartment.
Production of BMP4 by endothelial cells is crucial for endogenous thymic regeneration.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThe Polycomb group (PcG) gene products mediate heritable silencing of developmental regulators in metazoans, participating in one of two distinct multimeric protein complexes, the Polycomb repressive complexes-1 (PRC1) and -2 (PRC2)1-5. PRC2 catalyses trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27) which in turn is thought to provide a recruitment site for PRC13-7. Recent studies demonstrate that mono-ubiquitylation of histone H2A at lysine 119 is important in PcG mediated silencing with the core PRC1 component Ring1A/B functioning as the E3 ligase8. PRC2 has been shown to share target genes with the core transcription network to maintain embryonic stem (ES) cells including Oct4 and Nanog9. Here we identify an essential role for PRC1 in repressing developmental regulators in ES cells, and thereby in maintaining ES cell pluripotency. A significant proportion of the PRC1 target genes are also repressed by Oct4. We demonstrate that engagement of PRC1 and PRC2 at target genes is Oct4-dependent and moreover that Ring1B interacts with Oct4. Collectively these results show that PcG complexes are instrumental in Oct4-dependent repression required to maintain pluripotency of ES cells. This study provides a first functional link between a core ES cell regulator and global epigenetic regulation of the genome.
Polycomb group proteins Ring1A/B are functionally linked to the core transcriptional regulatory circuitry to maintain ES cell identity.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTranscriptome analysis comparing naive, protective and non-protective spleen memory CD8 T lymphocytes were conducted to identify key functions associated with memory CD8-mediated immune protection. Memory CD8 T cells generated in response to influenza or vaccinia infection (Flu-memory and VV-memory) were compared to inflammatory memory cells (TIM) that were generated by peptide in inflammatory context. Gene expression analysis was performed on quiescent and re-stimulated CD8 T cells.
Immune signatures of protective spleen memory CD8 T cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesAnalysis of hematopoietic LSK(Lin-Sca1+c-Kit+) cells lacking the Serum response factor (SRF) gene. Results provide insight into the role of SRF in regulating genetic programs important for hematopoietic stem cell development
The transcription factor Srf regulates hematopoietic stem cell adhesion.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Foxl2 functions in sex determination and histogenesis throughout mouse ovary development.
Sex, Subject
View SamplesComparison of Foxl2-null ovaries to wildtype ovaries, ovaries lacking Wnt4 or Kit, or testes, throughout mouse development.
Foxl2 functions in sex determination and histogenesis throughout mouse ovary development.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Low-grade and high-grade mammary carcinomas in WAP-T transgenic mice are independent entities distinguished by Met expression.
Specimen part, Disease stage, Time
View SamplesTransgenic expression in mice of two synergistically acting SV40 early region encoded proteins, large (LT) and small (sT) tumor antigens, in the mammary epithelium recapitulates loss of p53 and Rb function and deregulation of PP2A-controlled mitogenic pathways in human breast cancer. In primiparous mice, WAP-promoter driven expression of SV40 proteins induces well and poorly differentiated mammary adenocarcinomas. We performed a correlative aCGH and gene expression analysis of 25 monofocal tumors, representing four histopathological grades, to explore the molecular traits of SV40-induced mammary tumors and to emphasize the relevance of this tumor model for human breast tumorigenesis.
Low-grade and high-grade mammary carcinomas in WAP-T transgenic mice are independent entities distinguished by Met expression.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesThe cytosolic protein Sharpin is as a component of the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), which regulates NF-B signaling in response to specific ligands. Its inactivating mutation in Cpdm (chronic proliferative dermatitis mutation) mice causes multi-organ inflammation, yet this phenotype is not transferable into wildtype mice by hematopoietic stem cell transfer. Recent evidence demonstrated that Cpdm mice additionally display low bone mass, but the cellular and molecular causes of this phenotype remained to be established. Here we have applied non-decalcified histology together with cellular and dynamic histomorphometry to perform a thorough skeletal phenotyping of Cpdm mice. We show that Cpdm mice display trabecular and cortical osteopenia, solely explained by impaired bone formation, whereas osteoclastogenesis is unaffected. We additionally found that Cpdm mice display a severe disturbance of articular cartilage integrity in the absence of joint inflammation, supporting the concept that Sharpin-deficiency affects mesenchymal cell differentiation. Consistently, Cpdm mesenchymal cells displayed reduced osteogenic capacitiy ex vivo, yet this defect was not associated with impaired NF-B signaling. A molecular comparison of wildtype and Cpdm bone marrow cell populations further revealed that Cpdm mesenchymal cells produce higher levels of Cxcl5 and lower levels of IL1ra. Collectively, our data demonstrate that skeletal defects of Cpdm mice are not caused by chronic inflammation, but that Sharpin is as a critical regulator of mesenchymal cell differentiation and gene expression. They additionally provide an alternative molecular explanation for the inflammatory phenotype of Cpdm mice and the absence of disease transfer by hematopoetic stem cell transplantation.
Sharpin Controls Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Cells.
Specimen part
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