Comparative Gene Expression Analysis Research Articles

Indirect Down-regulation of Tumor-suppressive let-7 Family MicroRNAs by LMO1 in Neuroblastoma.

Overall survival for the high-risk group of neuroblastoma (NB) patients still remains at 40-50%, necessitating the establishment of a curable treatment. LIM domain only 1 (LMO1) gene encoding a transcriptional regulator is an NB-susceptibility gene with a tumor-promoting activity. Previously we conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNA sequencing analyses on NB cell lines and identified 3 protein-coding genes regulated by LMO1. In this study, we extended our analyses to capture microRNA genes directly or indirectly regulated by LMO1. Using microarrays, we conducted a comparative gene expression analysis on an NB cell line SK-N-SH; between the cells with and without LMO1 suppression. Overall, 18 microRNAs were identified to be indirectly down-regulated by LMO1 including 7 microRNAs of the let-7 family, whose cell proliferation inhibitory activity was observed. Target genes of the LMO1-regulated microRNAs and their relevant pathways may be a potential therapeutic target.

Transcriptional Immunoprofiling at the Tick-Virus-Host Interface during Early Stages of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Transmission

Emerging and re-emerging diseases transmitted by blood feeding arthropods are significant global public health problems. Ticks transmit the greatest variety of pathogenic microorganisms of any blood feeding arthropod. Infectious agents transmitted by ticks are delivered to the vertebrate host together with saliva at the bite site. Tick salivary glands produce complex cocktails of bioactive molecules that facilitate blood feeding and pathogen transmission by modulating host hemostasis, pain/itch responses, wound healing, and both innate and adaptive immunity. In this study, we utilized Illumina Next Generation Sequencing to characterize the transcriptional immunoprofile of cutaneous immune responses to Ixodes ricinus transmitted tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). A comparative immune gene expression analysis of TBEV-infected and uninfected tick feeding sites was performed. Our analysis reveals that ticks create an inflammatory environment at the bite site during the first 3 h of feeding, and significant differences in host responses were observed between TBEV-infected and uninfected tick feeding. Gene-expression analysis reveals modulation of inflammatory genes after 1 and 3 h of TBEV-infected tick feeding. Transcriptional levels of genes specific to chemokines and cytokines indicated a neutrophil-dominated immune response. Immunohistochemistry of the tick feeding site revealed that mononuclear phagocytes and fibroblasts are the primary target cells for TBEV infection and did not detect TBEV antigens in neutrophils. Together, the transcriptional and immunohistochemistry results suggest that early cutaneous host responses to TBEV-infected tick feeding are more inflammatory than expected and highlight the importance of inflammatory chemokine and cytokine pathways in tick-borne flavivirus transmission.

Comparative Analysis of Antimicrobial Peptides Gene Expression in Susceptible / Resistant Mice Macrophages to Leishmania Major Infection

Comparative Analysis of Antimicrobial Peptides Gene Expression in Susceptible / Resistant Mice Macrophages to Leishmania Major Infection

De novo transcriptome sequencing of Isaria cateniannulata and comparative analysis of gene expression in response to heat and cold stresses.

Isaria cateniannulata is a very important and virulent entomopathogenic fungus that infects many insect pest species. Although I. cateniannulata is commonly exposed to extreme environmental temperature conditions, little is known about its molecular response mechanism to temperature stress. Here, we sequenced and de novo assembled the transcriptome of I. cateniannulata in response to high and low temperature stresses using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. Our assembly encompassed 17,514 unigenes (mean length = 1,197 bp), in which 11,445 unigenes (65.34%) showed significant similarities to known sequences in NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr) database. Using digital gene expression analysis, 4,483 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after heat treatment, including 2,905 up-regulated genes and 1,578 down-regulated genes. Under cold stress, 1,927 DEGs were identified, including 1,245 up-regulated genes and 682 down-regulated genes. The expression patterns of 18 randomly selected candidate DEGs resulting from quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were consistent with their transcriptome analysis results. Although DEGs were involved in many pathways, we focused on the genes that were involved in endocytosis: In heat stress, the pathway of clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE) was active; however at low temperature stresses, the pathway of clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE) was active. Besides, four categories of DEGs acting as temperature sensors were observed, including cell-wall-major-components-metabolism-related (CWMCMR) genes, heat shock protein (Hsp) genes, intracellular-compatible-solutes-metabolism-related (ICSMR) genes and glutathione S-transferase (GST). These results enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of I. cateniannulata in response to temperature stresses and provide a valuable resource for the future investigations.

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis within Mouse Macrophage for Identifying Critical Pathways in Macrophage and Brucella suis Interaction

Background: Brucella spp. are Gram-negative bacteria that cause a zoonotic disease called brucellosis in humans as well as many animals. Brucella suis (B.suis) is one of the greatest threats to the human health and food safety. Studying macrophage and B. suis interaction is critical for understanding the chronic infection mechanism. However, the interaction mechanisms, especially for molecular events triggered by B. suis infected macrophage, such as biological pathways, are still obscure. Objectives: We will use gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to microarray in an attempt to find critical pathways in the interaction of macrophage and B. suis. Methods: We applied a standardized microarray preprocessing and GSEA to 2 independent macrophage and B. suis interaction studies including smooth virulent B. suis strain 1330 (S1330) data sets and rough attenuated B. suis strain VTRS1 (VTRS1) data sets. Integrative analysis was used to find critical pathways for 2 independent macrophage and B. suis interaction data sets. Results: The results demonstrated that for S1330 data sets, 8 and 13 common up- and down- regulated pathways were found in 4 interaction stages including 4h, 8h, 24h, and 48h post macrophage infected S1330 B. suis, and for VTRS1 data sets, we found 30 and 19 common up- and down- regulated pathways. Comparing the results of S1330 and VTRS1 data sets, 6 and 8 common up- and down- regulated pathways were identified. Conclusions: The study of macrophage and B. suis interaction through pathway analysis highlighted genes weakly connected to the phenotype, and discovered common critical pathways in the process of macrophages and different phenotypes of B. suis interaction. The identified pathways will shed light on the understanding of the functional events within macrophage post infected B. suis.

Generation and characterization of transgenic mouse mesenchymal stem cell lines expressing hIGF-1 or hG-CSF.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are promising tools in the fields of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. In addition to their differentiation potential, MSC have the ability to secrete bioactive molecules that stimulate tissue regeneration. Thus, the overexpression of cytokines and growth factors may enhance the therapeutic effects of MSC. Here we generated and characterized mouse bone marrow MSC lines overexpressing hG-CSF or hIGF-1. MSC lines overexpressing hG-CSF or hIGF-1 were generated through lentiviral vector mediated gene transfer. The expression of hG-CSF or hIGF-1 genes in the clones produced was quantified by qRT-PCR, and the proteins were detected in the cell supernatants by ELISA. The cell lines displayed cell surface markers and differentiation potential into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes similar to the control MSC cell lines, indicating the conservation of their phenotype even after genetic modification. IGF-1 and G-CSF transgenic cells maintained immunosuppressive activity. Finally, we performed a comparative gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR array in the cell lines expressing hIGF-1 and hG-CSF when compared to the control cells. Our results demonstrate that the cell lines generated may be useful tools for cell therapy and are suitable for testing in disease models.

Alpha-synuclein induces the unfolded protein response in Parkinson's disease SNCA triplication iPSC-derived neurons.

The recent generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) resulting from triplication of the α-synuclein (SNCA) gene locus allows unprecedented opportunities to explore its contribution to the molecular pathogenesis of PD. We used the double-nicking CRISPR/Cas9 system to conduct site-specific mutagenesis of SNCA in these cells, generating an isogenic iPSC line with normalized SNCA gene dosage. Comparative gene expression analysis of neuronal derivatives from these iPSCs revealed an ER stress phenotype, marked by induction of the IRE1α/XBP1 axis of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and culminating in terminal UPR activation. Neuropathological analysis of post-mortem brain tissue demonstrated that pIRE1α is expressed in PD brains within neurons containing elevated levels of α-synuclein or Lewy bodies. Having used this pair of isogenic iPSCs to define this phenotype, these cells can be further applied in UPR-targeted drug discovery towards the development of disease-modifying therapeutics.

Comparative Gene Expression Analyses Reveal Distinct Molecular Signatures between Differentially Reprogrammed Cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) or directly reprogrammed from non-myocytes (induced cardiomyocytes [iCMs]) are promising sources for heart regeneration or disease modeling. However, the similarities and differences between iPSC-CMs and iCMs are still unknown. Here, we performed transcriptome analyses of beating iPSC-CMs and iCMs generated from cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) of the same origin. Although both iPSC-CMs and iCMs establish CM-like molecular features globally, iPSC-CMs exhibit a relatively hyperdynamicepigenetic status, whereas iCMs exhibit a maturation status that more closely resembles that of adult CMs. Based on gene expression of metabolic enzymes, iPSC-CMs primarily employ glycolysis, whereas iCMs utilize fatty acid oxidation as the main pathway. Importantly, iPSC-CMs and iCMs exhibit different cell-cycle status, alteration of which influenced their maturation. Therefore, our study provides a foundation for understanding the pros and cons of different reprogramming approaches.

Signs of innate immune activation and premature immunosenescence in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects skin and is associated with systemic inflammation and many serious comorbidities ranging from metabolic syndrome to cancer. Important discoveries about psoriasis pathogenesis have enabled the development of effective biological treatments blocking the T helper 17 pathway. However, it has not been settled whether psoriasis is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease or an autoinflammatory disorder that is driven by exaggerated innate immune signalling. Our comparative gene expression and hierarchical cluster analysis reveal important gene circuits involving innate receptors. Innate immune activation is indicated by increased absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome gene expression and active caspase 1 staining in psoriatic lesional skin. Increased eomesodermin (EOMES) expression in lesional and non-lesional skin is suggestive of innate-like virtual memory CD8+ T cell infiltration. We found that signs of systemic inflammation were present in most of the patients, correlated with the severity of the disease, and pointed to IL-6 involvement in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis. Among the circulating T cell subpopulations, we identified a higher proportion of terminally differentiated or senescent CD8+ T cells, especially in patients with long disease duration, suggesting premature immunosenescence and its possible implications for psoriasis co-morbidities.

Identification of reference genes for qRT-PCR in granulosa cells of healthy women and polycystic ovarian syndrome patients

Comparative gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR is commonly used to detect differentially expressed genes in studies of PCOS pathology. Impaired GC function is strongly associated with PCOS pathogenesis, and a growing body of studies has been dedicated to identifying differentially expressed genes in GCs in PCOS patients and healthy women by qRT-PCR. It is necessary to validate the expression stability of the selected reference genes across the tested samples for target gene expression normalization. We examined the variability and stability of expression of the 15 commonly used reference genes in GCs from 44 PCOS patients and 45 healthy women using the GeNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder statistical algorithms. We combined the rankings of the three programs to produce a final ranking based on the geometric means of their stability scores. We found that HPRT1, RPLP0, and HMBS out of 15 examined commonly used reference genes are stably expressed in GCs in both controls and PCOS patients and can be used for normalization in gene expression profiling by qRT-PCR. Future gene-expression studies should consider using these reference genes in GCs in PCOS patients for more accurate quantitation of target gene expression and data interpretation.

Silencing the Transcription Factor FOSL1 in Hyperproliferative HaCaT Cells Makes Them Susceptible to IFN-γ

Background: The immortalized human epidermal keratinocytes HaCaT often serve as an experimental model of psoriasis. Previously, we reported that Th1 cytokines TNF, IFN-γ and IL17 suppressed proliferation in cultured HaCaT cells. Our results also suggested that at certain conditions, HaCaT cells could become susceptible to the named cytokines. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the consequences of FOSL1 silencing in HaCaT cells and explore the role of the transcription factor FOSL1 in the above mentioned antiproliferative effect. Methods: Lentiviral transduction was used to knock FOSL1 down in HaCaT cells. Changes in cell proliferation were assessed by analyzing the growth of transduced cells. Changes in gene expression were examined by qPCR. Results: We found that the treatment of FOSL1-deficient HaCaT cells with a combination of TNF, IFN-γ and IL17 led to growth arrest and apoptosis. In turn, exposure of these cells to the individual cytokines suggested that the presence of IFN-γ in the culture medium was the primary cause of cell death. FOSL1-deficient cells exposed to IFN-γ exhibited a dramatic shape change and intensive blebbing. Moreover, TNF and IL17 accelerated IFN-γ- induced apoptosis. A comparative analysis of gene expression in control and FOSL1- deficient HaCaT cells discovered that only TNF induced ten FOSL1 target genes previously implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, namely CCL2, FOSL1, HMOX1, IL8, IL6, IVL, MGP, MMP1, MMP9, and PLAUR. In contrast, neither IFN-γ nor IL17 produced similar changes in the expression profiles of the mentioned genes. Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that the transcription factor FOSL1 protects HaCaT cells from apoptosis triggered by IFN-γ. This study also reveals distinct roles of Th1 cytokines in the regulation of FOSL1 target genes. Keywords: Apoptosis, FOSL1, HaCaT, IFN-γ, IL17, psoriasis, TNF.

Abstract 3030: Mutant p53-driven metastasis explored utilizing a traceable, conditional osteosarcoma model

Abstract TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in cancer and missense mutations in particular account for the majority of mutations. Mutant p53 proteins exert oncogenic Gain-of-Function (GOF) properties that contribute to increased migration and invasion in culture and metastasis in vivo. To elucidate how mutant p53 drives metastasis, we developed a traceable somatic osteosarcoma model that initiates with a single p53 mutation (p53R172H or p53R245W), or p53 loss specifically in osteoblasts using Osx-cre. To mark tumor cells, we utilized the mTmG allele which expresses membrane-targeted Tomato (mT) prior to Cre-mediated excision and membrane-targeted green fluorescent protein (mG) after excision so the tumor cells become GFP+ and the stromal cells remain RFP+. In this high penetrant, short latency mouse model, tumor micro-metastasis can be detected by GFP expression in the context of a normal stroma and immune system. The cohort has developed osteosarcoma with complete penetrance and an average survival of 304± 65 day. We observed metastasis in 55% of p53 mutant osteosarcomas which was significantly higher than 26% metastasis observed in p53 null tumors (p<0.01). In p53 mutant osteosarcomas, the metastasis rate was found significantly associated with low p53 copy number. Spectral karyotyping (SKY) on early passage cells derived from somatic p53 mutant tumors exhibited marked aneuploidy with modal chromosome numbers near tetraploid. To characterize the transcriptional profile associated with mutant p53 GOF, we analyzed and compared the RNA-Seq transcriptomes of eight tumors derived from p53R172H mutant mice with eight p53 null tumors. Comparative analysis of gene expression identified a signature of snRNA genes to be strongly associated with mutant p53 gain of function. Functional annotation of upregulated genes in mutant tumors was also highly enriched for chromatin modifying enzymes. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of mutant p53 GOF in metastasis. Our long term goal is to study how tumor-stromal interactions affect tumor development and metastasis. This understanding will have broad translational significance in diagnosis and treatment of tumors with mutant p53. Citation Format: Rasoul Pourebrahimabadi, Yun Zhang, Mark J. McArthur, Guillermina Lozano. Mutant p53-driven metastasis explored utilizing a traceable, conditional osteosarcoma model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3030. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3030

Sex-dependent aortic valve pathology in patients with rheumatic heart disease.

BackgroundRheumatic heart disease is an autoimmune disease caused by group A streptococci infection and frequently affects the aortic valve. Sex differences are common in the disease progression, treatment, and outcome. However, little is known about the sex differences in the pathology of aortic valves in rheumatic heart disease.DesignWe studied the end-stage calcific aortic valves from male versus female patients to reveal the sex-dependent pathology differences and molecular changes associated with requiring valve replacement.MethodsAortic valves from 39 patients with rheumatic heart disease (19 males and 20 females) were collected at the time of aortic valve replacement for comparative pathology, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression analyses. Clinical characteristics were also analyzed and compared between the two groups.ResultsAortic valves from female patients exhibited increased expression of collagens, infiltration of monocytes/macrophages and neovascularization. Aortic valves from female patients also had increased expression of inflammatory genes involved in the NFKB pathway (phosphorylated NFKB p65 subunit, IL8, and NOS3) and Th1 cytokine genes (IFNA and IL12B). The severe valve pathology in female patients was correlated with a higher serum level of anti-streptolysin O antibodies.ConclusionInflammation is more prominent in aortic valves of female patients with rheumatic heart disease. This sex difference may contribute to the severe valve pathology and worse outcome of female patients.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis identifies evolutionarily conserved gene products in the vertebrate renal distal convoluted tubule.

Understanding the molecular basis of the complex regulatory networks controlling renal ion transports is of major physiological and clinical importance. In this study, we aimed to identify evolutionarily conserved critical players in the function of the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT) by a comparative transcriptomic approach. We generated a transgenic zebrafish line with expression of the red fluorescent mCherry protein under the control of the zebrafish DCT-specific promoter of the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC). The mCherry expression was then used to isolate from the zebrafish mesonephric kidneys the distal late (DL) segments, the equivalent of the mammalian DCT, for subsequent RNA-seq analysis. We next compared this zebrafish DL transcriptome to the previously established mouse DCT transcriptome and identified a subset of gene products significantly enriched in both the teleost DL and the mammalian DCT, including SLCs and nuclear transcription factors. Surprisingly, several of the previously described regulators of NCC (e.g., SPAK, KLHL3, ppp1r1a) in the mouse were not found enriched in the zebrafish DL. Nevertheless, the zebrafish DL expressed enriched levels of related homologues. Functional knockdown of one of these genes, ppp1r1b, reduced the phosphorylation of NCC in the zebrafish pronephros, similar to what was seen previously in knockout mice for its homologue, Ppp1r1a. The present work is the first report on global gene expression profiling in a specific nephron portion of the zebrafish kidney, an increasingly used model system for kidney research. Our study suggests that comparative analysis of gene expression between phylogenetically distant species may be an effective approach to identify novel regulators of renal function.

Shared hemocyte- and intestine-dominant expression profiles of intelectin genes in ascidian Ciona intestinalis: insight into the evolution of the innate immune system in chordates.

Intelectin is a soluble lectin known as a pattern-recognition receptor for the innate immune system or as an intestinal lactoferrin receptor. Intelectin genes have been identified in a wide range of chordates and the shared expression pattern in their absorptive intestinal regions has been widely recognized. The chordate intelectins have a shared domain structure with a fibrinogen-related domain and an intelectin domain and an additional sequence has been reported only in ascidian Ciona intestinalis intelectins. However, little is known about the molecular features of the ascidian intelectins, including the distribution of the additional sequence in ascidians. Therefore, we focus on the ascidian species that are available for genome DNA sequence searches and survey intelectin genes with special reference to the additional sequence. We also assess the distribution of Ciona intelectin gene transcripts in transparent juveniles and adult specimens by means of in situ hybridization and reveal hemocyte-dominant expressions as well as stomach-exclusive expression. Comparative gene expression analysis with secretory digestive enzymes and absorption-related proteins in Ciona revealed that intelectin and secretory digestive enzymes were expressed in the same region of the stomach epithelium. Since the domain structure of intelectins and the hemocyte-dominant gene expression of intelectins seem relevant to ficolin, intelectin genes may have evolved from a ficolin-like ancestral gene with hemocytic expression in early chordate evolution.

Comparative analysis of fruit volatiles and related gene expression between the wild strawberry Fragaria pentaphylla and cultivated Fragaria × ananassa

Fragaria pentaphylla, one of several wild strawberry species, produces white or red fruits. The white fruits have a stronger aroma than the red. In this study, solid-phase microextraction was used in combination with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to compare volatiles during fruit development and maturation from the two fruit types of F. pentaphylla and the cultivated F. × ananassa. A total of 38 volatile compounds were identified in F. × ananassa, while 61 and 53 volatile compounds were identified in the white and red fruits of F. pentaphylla, respectively. The predominant volatiles in white ripe fruits of F. pentaphylla were 3(2H)-furanone 4-methoxy-2,5 methyl (24.71%), butanoic acid, 2-methyl, methyl ester (10.43%), trans-2-hexenal (9.23%). The main volatiles in red ripe fruits of F. pentaphylla were 2-hexenal (21.23%), 1-hexanol (13.29%) and 2-hexen-1-ol acetate (13.00%). While the main volatiles in ripe fruits of F. × ananassa were butanoic acid, ethyl ester (25.80%), 2-hexenal (23.47%) and butanoic acid, 2-methyl (10.09%). In addition, cyclopropane propyl was first found in the white fruits of wild F. pentaphylla at high levels (4.83%). As the intense aroma of the white fruits of F. pentaphylla is characteristic of high 3(2H)-furanone 4-methoxy-2,5 methyl production. RNA-seq was used for quantitative analysis of volatiles-related gene expression. Integrative analysis of GC–MS data and RNA-seq data from fruits of F. pentaphylla indicated that reduction of sugar in red fruits of F. pentaphylla might lead to a relatively lower DMF and higher aldehydes and alcohols compared with that in white fruits.

Molecular Analysis of Acquired Tamoxifen Resistance in Breast Cancer Cell Line

Background: Tamoxifen is an FDA approved drug for the prevention and the treatment of breast cancer, but its therapeutic benefit is limited by the development of drug resistance. Many Studies suggest that a basic biological difference exists between tumors with acquired tamoxifen resistance and those with intrinsic resistance to the drug. However the reasons why human mammary tumors become resistant to tamoxifen therapy are mainly unknown. Changes in gene expression may occur as cells acquire resistance to tamoxifen. A better understanding of gene expression alterations associated with tamoxifen resistance will facilitate circumventing this problem.Methods: We undertook a comparative gene expression analysis of tamoxifen-sensitive (MCF7 and T47D) and acquired tamoxifen-resistant human breast cancer cell lines (T47D tamoxifen resistant) in vitro models using Real-time PCR, to analyze differential gene expression. These genes were functionally linked to 4 major groups named as ER signaling/cell cycling, EGFR signaling, cancer stem cell (CSCs) and apoptosis.Results: Our results have been widely demonstrated that the altered expression of some genes involved in apoptosis, EGFR signaling, CSCs and Cell cycle-independent expression of estrogen receptor such as ESR1, TP53, CDKN1B, Casp3, CD44, CD24, BAX, Bcl2, Her2, and PTEN in T47D tamoxifen resistant cell line can be resulted in drug resistance in long-term treatment.Conclusions: Our findings correspond with the results of many earlier studies indicated tamoxifen resistance can be a result from combination of molecular mechanisms including Her2 activation, cell cycle progression out of ESR1 control, increased ratio of CSCs and inhibition of mitochondrial apoptosis.

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis of Lymphocytes Treated with Exosomes Derived from Ovarian Cancer and Ovarian Cysts.

Cancer cells employ many strategies to evade immune defense and to facilitate tumor growth and angiogenesis. As a novel mode of intercellular communication, cancer-derived exosomes contribute to the recruitment and mediation of lymphocytes within the tumor environment. However, the mechanisms and key molecules mediating the effect of exosomes on lymphocytes are unclear. We treated healthy peripheral blood lymphocytes with exosomes from ovarian cancer and ovarian cysts and screened for differentially expressed genes using the RT2 Profiler Cancer Inflammation and Immunity Crosstalk PCR Array. A total of 26 upregulated genes (mainly pro-inflammatory genes and immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive factor) and two downregulated genes (antigen presentation HLA-A/B) were identified. Western blotting using lymphocytes from malignant ascites and peritoneal washings of benign ovarian cysts suggested that the interferon and NF-κB signaling pathway were involved in the immune regulation of malignant exosomes. Out of 28 differentially expressed genes detected using the array, 11 were validated by real-time PCR using lymphocytes within ovarian cancer (n = 27) and ovarian cyst (n = 9) environments. In conclusion, our findings indicate that malignant cells secrete exosomes in the tumor microenvironment to recruit lymphocytes in order to suppress antitumor immunity (IL10, Foxp3, and HLA-A/B) and enhance tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and dissemination of proinflammatory cytokines (such as IL6 and VEGFA) via the interferon and NF-κB signaling pathways. These results clarify lymphocyte-cancer cell cross talk via exosomes and may facilitate the development of effective immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer.

The two-component system VicRK regulates functions associated with Streptococcus mutans resistance to complement immunity.

Streptococcus mutans, a dental caries pathogen, can promote systemic infections upon reaching the bloodstream. The two-component system (TCS) VicRKSm of S.mutans regulates the synthesis of and interaction with sucrose-derived exopolysaccharides (EPS), processes associated with oral and systemic virulence. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which VicRKSm affects S.mutans susceptibility to blood-mediated immunity. Compared with parent strain UA159, the vicKSm isogenic mutant (UAvic) showed reduced susceptibility to deposition of C3b of complement, low binding to serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), and low frequency of C3b/IgG-mediated opsonophagocytosis by polymorphonuclear cells in a sucrose-independent way (P<.05). Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis comparing gene expression in UA159 and UAvic revealed that genes encoding putative peptidases of the complement (pepO and smu.399) were upregulated in UAvic in the presence of serum, although genes encoding murein hydrolases (SmaA and Smu.2146c) or metabolic/surface proteins involved in bacterial interactions with host components (enolase, GAPDH) were mostly affected in a serum-independent way. Among vicKSm -downstream genes (smaA, smu.2146c, lysM, atlA, pepO, smu.399), only pepO and smu.399 were associated with UAvic phenotypes; deletion of both genes in UA159 significantly enhanced levels of C3b deposition and opsonophagocytosis (P<.05). Moreover, consistent with the fibronectin-binding function of PepO orthologues, UAvic showed increased binding to fibronectin. Reduced susceptibility to opsonophagocytosis was insufficient to enhance ex vivo persistence of UAvic in blood, which was associated with growth defects of this mutant under limited nutrient conditions. Our findings revealed that S.mutans employs mechanisms of complement evasion through peptidases, which are controlled by VicRKSm.

Gestational Diabetes Alters Functions in Offspring's Umbilical Cord Cells With Implications for Cardiovascular Health.

Because noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus have their roots in prenatal development and conditions such as maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), we aimed to test this hypothesis in primary cells derived from the offspring of mothers with GDM compared with control subjects. We have assessed primary umbilical cord-derived cells such as human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells from the offspring of mothers with and without GDM. We have compared the primary isolates in cell-based assays measuring proliferation, mitochondrial oxygen consumption, and the ability to support blood vessel growth. We conducted gene expression microarray studies with subsequent pathway analysis and candidate gene validation. We observed striking differences between the two groups, such as lower metabolic rates and impairment of endothelial tube formation in cells with GDM background. HUVECs from subjects with maternal GDM have lower expression of the antiapoptotic protein BCL-xL, suggesting compromised angiogenic capabilities. Comparative gene expression analysis revealed blood vessel formation as a major pathway enriched in the GDM-derived HUVECs with the surface marker CD44 as a gene underexpressed in the GDM group. Functional validation of CD44 revealed that it regulates tube formation in HUVECs, thereby providing insights into a pathway imprinted in primary umbilical cord-derived cells from GDM offspring. Our data demonstrate that primary cells isolated from the umbilical cord of offspring born to mothers with GDM maintain metabolic and molecular imprints of maternal hyperglycemia, reflecting an increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.