Digital Commons Network^™

Irisin-Mediated Muscle-Renal Crosstalk As A Protective Mechanism Against Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Via Cgas-Sting Signalling Inhibition, Long Peng, Suhua Li, Qiang Huang, Yuxiang Sun, Juan Sun, Ting Luo, Yanlin Wang, Zhaoyong Hu, Weiyan Lai, Hui Peng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) continues to pose a pressing clinical challenge during invasive cardiovascular procedures due to the limited availability of preventative strategies. We aimed to demonstrate that irisin, a myokine induced by exercise, protects against CI-AKI by inhibiting the cGAS-STING inflammatory pathway.

Methods and results: We explored the relationship between serum irisin levels and CI-AKI incidence in patients administered the contrast media iohexol. Notably, lower serum irisin levels were strongly associated with an increased incidence of CI-AKI following contrast media administration. To establish a causal link between serum irisin levels and CI-AKI, we utilised a mouse model …

Genetically Engineered Brain Organoids Recapitulate Spatial And Developmental States Of Glioblastoma Progression, Matthew Ishahak, Rowland H Han, Devi Annamalai, Timothy Woodiwiss, Colin Mccornack, Ryan T Cleary, Patrick A Desouza, Xuan Qu, Sonika Dahiya, Albert H Kim, Jeffrey R Millman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive form of brain cancer that is highly resistant to therapy due to significant intra-tumoral heterogeneity. The lack of robust in vitro models to study early tumor progression has hindered the development of effective therapies. Here, this study develops engineered GBM organoids (eGBOs) harboring GBM subtype-specific oncogenic mutations to investigate the underlying transcriptional regulation of tumor progression. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses revealed that these mutations disrupt normal neurodevelopment gene regulatory networks resulting in changes in cellular composition and spatial organization. Upon xenotransplantation into immunodeficient mice, eGBOs form tumors that recapitulate the transcriptional and spatial landscape …

Integrative Analysis Of The 3d Genome And Epigenome In Mouse Embryonic Tissues, Miao Yu, Yang E Li, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

While a rich set of putative cis-regulatory sequences involved in mouse fetal development have been annotated recently on the basis of chromatin accessibility and histone modification patterns, delineating their role in developmentally regulated gene expression continues to be challenging. To fill this gap, here we mapped chromatin contacts between gene promoters and distal sequences across the genome in seven mouse fetal tissues and across six developmental stages of the forebrain. We identified 248,620 long-range chromatin interactions centered at 14,138 protein-coding genes and characterized their tissue-to-tissue variations and developmental dynamics. Integrative analysis of the interactome with previous epigenome and transcriptome datasets …

Altered Thermal Preference By Preoptic Estrogen Receptor Alpha Neurons In Postpartum Females, Nan Zhang, Meng Yu, Qianru Zhao, Bing Feng, Yue Deng, Jonathan C Bean, Qingzhuo Liu, Benjamin P Eappen, Yang He, Kristine M Conde, Hailan Liu, Yongjie Yang, Longlong Tu, Mengjie Wang, Yongxiang Li, Na Yin, Hesong Liu, Junying Han, Darah Ave Threat, Nathan Xu, Taylor Smiley, Pingwen Xu, Lulu Chen, Tianshu Zeng, Yanlin He, Chunmei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate how reproductive experience (RE) alters thermal preference and thermoregulation in female mice, with a focus on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-expressing neurons in the preoptic area (POA).

METHODS: Thermal preference and body temperature were measured in female mice with and without RE, and virgin female mice with selective deletion of ERα from the POA (ERα

RESULTS: We showed that female mice prefer a cooler environment starting from late pregnancy and persisting long term postpartum. Female mice with RE (>4 weeks post-weaning) displayed lower body temperature and a lower thermal preferred temperature, and lost preference …

Fructose Induces Inflammatory Activation In Macrophages And Microglia Through The Nutrient-Sensing Ghrelin Receptor, Zheng Shen, Zeyu Liu, Hongying Wang, Danilo Landrock, Ji Yeon Noh, Qun Sophia Zang, Chih-Hao Lee, Yuhua Z Farnell, Zheng Chen, Yuxiang Sun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a commonly used sweetener in soft drinks and processed foods, and HFCS exacerbates inflammation when consumed in excess. Fructose, a primary component of HFCS; however, it is unclear whether fructose directly activates inflammatory signaling. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is a receptor of the nutrient‐sensing hormone ghrelin. We previously reported that GHSR ablation mitigates HFCS‐induced inflammation in adipose tissue and liver, shifting macrophages toward an anti‐inflammatory spectrum. Since inflammation is primarily governed by innate immune cells, such as macrophages in the peripheral tissues and microglia in the brain, this study aims to investigate whether …

Chemogenetic Activation Of Microglial Gi Signaling Decreases Microglial Surveillance And Impairs Neuronal Synchronization, Shunyi Zhao, Lingxiao Wang, Dimitrios Kleidonas, Fangfang Qi, Yue Liang, Jiaying Zheng, Anthony D Umpierre, Long-Jun Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microglia actively survey the brain and dynamically interact with neurons to maintain brain homeostasis. Microglial Gi protein-coupled receptors (Gi-GPCRs) play a critical role in microglia-neuron communications. However, the impact of temporally activating microglial Gi signaling on microglial dynamics and neuronal activity in the homeostatic brain remains largely unknown. In this study, we used Gi-based designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (Gi-DREADD) to selectively and temporally modulate microglial Gi signaling pathway. By integrating this chemogenetic approach with in vivo two-photon imaging, we observed that exogenous activation of microglial Gi signaling transiently inhibited microglial process dynamics, reduced neuronal activity, and impaired …

Muscle-Specific Errγ Activation Mitigates Muscle Atrophy After Acl Injury, Aiping Lu, Katie J Sikes, Ping Guo, Matthieu Huard, Shelbi Green, Kelly Santangelo, Jacob Singer, Ashley Groesbeck, Scott Tashman, Vihang A Narkar, Johnny Huard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury adversely affects skeletal muscle, leading to muscle atrophy and weakness, significantly impacting clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine if estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) overexpression in skeletal muscle could mitigate muscle atrophy after ACL injury. An animal model with selective overexpression of ERRγ in skeletal muscle (ERR-gamma transgenic mice, TG) and WT control mice were used for this study. All the mice received a mechanical ACL rupture and were euthanized at 4- and 8-week post-injury. Muscle histology, atrophy, and function were evaluated and compared between the TG and WT mice. Muscle-specific ERRγ activation in TG …

Androgen Receptor Ubiquitination Links Kctd13 To Genitourinary Tract Defects, Ahmed Chahdi, Carolina Jorgez, Jill A Rosenfeld, Neetu Neetu, Abhishek Seth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 13 (KCTD13) protein is a substrate-specific adapter for cullin3-based E3 ubiquitin ligase. Patients with copy number variants at this locus exhibit genitourinary tract anomalies. In this study, we show that decreased androgen receptor (AR) protein level correlated with increased AR ubiquitination in the testis of Kctd13-deficient mice, suggesting that KCTD13 inhibits AR ubiquitination. KCTD13 increased CUL3-dependent AR ubiquitination but had no effect on CUL3 binding to AR, confirming the role of KCTD13 as an adaptor of CUL3 ligase. Recombinant KCTD13 directly binds to recombinant AR, and the BTB domain of KCTD13 is critical for …

Norovirus Co-Opts Ninj1 For Selective Protein Secretion, Jaewon Song, Wandy L Beatty, Anthony Orvedahl, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Plasma membrane rupture by Ninjurin-1 (NINJ1) executes programmed cell death, releasing large cellular damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). However, the regulation and selectivity of NINJ1-mediated DAMP release remain unexplored. Here, we uncover that murine norovirus (MNoV) strategically co-opts NINJ1 to selectively release the intracellular viral protein NS1, while NINJ1-mediated plasma membrane rupture simultaneously bulk-releases various cellular DAMPs. Host caspase-3 cleaves the precursor NS1/2, leading to NS1 secretion via an unconventional pathway. An unbiased CRISPR screen identifies NINJ1 as an essential factor for NS1 secretion. During infection, NINJ1 is recruited to the viral replication site, where it oligomerizes and forms speckled bodies, …

Inhibition Of Il-6 Trans-Signaling Promotes Post-Stroke Functional Recovery In A Sex And Dose-Dependent Manner, Cassandra Hall, Dustin T Nguyen, Kate Mendoza, Chunfeng Tan, Anjali Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Elevated circulating IL-6 levels are associated with poorer outcomes after stroke, and increased serum IL-6 levels are linked to a higher risk of stroke. IL-6 binds to soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R) and subsequently to ubiquitously expressed gp130, initiating proinflammatory trans-signaling. This study tested the hypothesis that inhibiting IL-6 trans-signaling by administering soluble (s) gp130 improves long-term functional outcomes in young mice after stroke.

Methods: Recombinant mouse gp130Fc chimera (sgp130) was administered one hour after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by twice-weekly administration for 2 weeks in mice (8-15 weeks old). Behavioral assessments were done on days 7 and …

Mapping Snorna-Target Rna Interactions In An Rna-Binding Protein-Dependent Manner With Chimeric Eclip, Zhuoyi Song, Bongmin Bae, Simon Schnabl, Fei Yuan, Thareendra De Zoysa, Maureen V Akinyi, Charlotte A Le Roux, Karine Choquet, Amanda J Whipple, Eric L Van Nostrand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that function in ribosome and spliceosome biogenesis, primarily by guiding modifying enzymes to specific sites on ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and spliceosomal RNA (snRNA). However, many orphan snoRNAs remain uncharacterized, with unidentified or unvalidated targets, and studies on additional snoRNA-associated proteins are limited.

Results: We adapted an enhanced chimeric eCLIP approach to comprehensively profile snoRNA-target RNA interactions using both core and accessory snoRNA-binding proteins as baits. Using core snoRNA-binding proteins, we confirmed most annotated snoRNA-rRNA and snoRNA-snRNA interactions in mouse and human cell lines and called novel, high-confidence interactions for orphan snoRNAs. While …

Atp-Sensitive Potassium Channels Alter Glycolytic Flux To Modulate Cortical Activity And Sleep, Nicholas J Constantino, Caitlin M Carroll, Holden C Williams, Hemendra J Vekaria, Carla M Yuede, Kai Saito, Patrick W Sheehan, J Andy Snipes, Marcus E Raichle, Erik S Musiek, Patrick G Sullivan, Josh M Morganti, Lance A Johnson, Shannon L Macauley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Metabolism plays a key role in the maintenance of sleep/wake states. Brain lactate fluctuations are a biomarker of sleep/wake transitions, where increased interstitial fluid (ISF) lactate levels are associated with wakefulness and decreased ISF lactate is required for sleep. ATP-sensitive potassium (K

Tifab Modulates Metabolic Pathways In Kmt2a::Mllt3-Induced Aml Through Hnf4a, Yang Wang, Yan Xiu, Qianze Dong, Jinming Zhao, Kelao Neumbo, Masaru Miyagi, Nicholas Borcherding, Lin Fu, Havana De Celis, Nicolas Pintozzi, Daniel T Starczynowski, Chen Zhao

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-interacting protein with forkhead-associated domain B (TIFAB), an inhibitor of NF-κB signaling, plays critical roles in hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic neoplasms, and leukemia. We previously demonstrated that Tifab enhances KMT2A::MLLT3-driven acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by either upregulating Hoxa9 or through ubiquitin-specific peptidase 15-mediated downregulation of p53 signaling. In this study, we show that Tifab deletion in KMT2A::MLLT3-induced AML impairs leukemia stem/progenitor cell (LSPC) engraftment, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial function. Gene set enrichment analysis reveals that Tifab deletion downregulates MYC, HOXA9/MEIS1, mTORC1 signaling, and genes involved in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. By comparing genes upregulated in TIFAB-overexpressing …

Regulating Chemoresistance And Cancer Stemness: The Cdh17-Yap Pathway In Distinct Cellular States Of Lung Cancer Ctc Clusters, Zujun Que, Dan Qi, Yun Yang, Wang Yao, Jiajun Liu, Yan Li, Yuanyuan Yu, Luyao Wang, Fangfei Li, Ge Zhang, Erxi Wu, Jianhui Tian

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Drug resistance in metastatic lung cancer significantly contributes to patient mortality. This study explores the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the precursors to metastasis, in driving this resistance. We aim to delineate the unique biological traits of CTC clusters in lung cancer and elucidate the mechanisms underlying their resistance to chemotherapy.

Methods: We used an ultralow adsorption plate to establish a CTC suspension culture system. Comparisons between adherent and suspension cultures of CTC-TJH-01 cells were made via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), western blot, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry assays to evaluate cell proliferation, drug resistance, and cancer stemness. The …

Aberrant Choroid Plexus Formation Drives The Development Of Treatment-Related Brain Toxicity, Tamara Bender, Esther Schickel, Celine Schielke, Jürgen Debus, David R Grosshans, Marco Durante, Insa S Schroeder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain tumors are commonly treated with radiotherapy, but the efficacy of the treatment is limited by its toxicity to the normal tissue including post-irradiation contrast enhanced lesions often linked to necrosis. The poorly understood mechanisms behind such brain lesions were studied using cerebral organoids. Here we show that irradiation of such organoids leads to dose-dependent growth retardation and formation of liquid-filled cavities but is not correlated with necrosis. Instead, the radiation-induced changes comprise of an enhancement of cortical hem markers, altered neuroepithelial stem cell differentiation, and an increase of ZO1+/AQP1+/CLDN3+-choroid plexus (CP)-like structures accompanied by an upregulation of IGF2 mRNA, …

The Mutational Landscape And Functional Effects Of Noncoding Ultraconserved Elements In Human Cancers, Recep Bayraktar, Yitao Tang, Mihnea P Dragomir, Cristina Ivan, Xinxin Peng, Linda Fabris, Jianhua Zhang, Alessandro Carugo, Serena Aneli, Jintan Liu, Mei-Ju M Chen, Sanjana Srinivasan, Iman Sahnoune, Emine Bayraktar, Kadir C Akdemir, Meng Chen, Pranav Narayanan, Wilson Huang, Leonie Florence Ott, Agda Karina Eterovic, Oscar Eduardo Villarreal, Mohammad Moustaf Mohammad, Michael D Peoples, Danielle M Walsh, Jon Andrew Hernandez, Margaret B Morgan, Kenna R Shaw, Jennifer S Davis, David Menter, Constantine S Tam, Paul Yeh, Sarah-Jane Dawson, Laura Z Rassenti, Thomas J Kipps, Tanja Kunej, Zeev Estrov, Simon A Joosse, Luca Pagani, Catherine Alix-Panabières, Klaus Pantel, Alessandra Ferajoli, Andrew Futreal, Ignacio I Wistuba, Milan Radovich, Scott Kopetz, Michael J Keating, Giulio F Draetta, John S Mattick, Han Liang, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The mutational landscape of phylogenetically ultraconserved elements (UCEs), especially those in noncoding DNAs (ncUCEs), and their functional relevance in cancers remain poorly characterized. Here, we perform a systematic analysis of whole-genome and in-house targeted UCE sequencing datasets from more than 3000 patients with cancer of 13,736 UCEs and demonstrate that ncUCE somatic alterations are common. Using a multiplexed CRISPR knockout screen in colorectal cancer cells, we show that the loss of several altered ncUCEs significantly affects cell proliferation. In-depth functional studies in vitro and in vivo further reveal that specific ncUCEs can be enhancers of tumor suppressors (such as ARID1B) …

Membrane Lipids Augment Cell Envelope Stress Signaling Via The Madrs System To Defend Against Antimicrobial Peptides And Antibiotics In Enterococcus Faecalis, William R Miller, April Nguyen, Kavindra V Singh, Samie Rizvi, Ayesha Khan, Sam G Erickson, Stephanie L Egge, Melissa Cruz, An Q Dinh, Lorena Diaz, Philip C Thornton, Rutan Zhang, Libin Xu, Danielle A Garsin, Yousif Shamoo, Cesar A Arias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Enterococci have evolved resistance mechanisms to protect their cell envelopes against bacteriocins and host cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) produced in the gastrointestinal environment. Activation of the membrane stress response has also been tied to resistance to the lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin. However, the actual effectors mediating resistance have not been elucidated. Here, we show that the MadRS (formerly YxdJK) membrane antimicrobial peptide defense system controls a network of genes, including a previously uncharacterized 3-gene operon (madEFG) that protects the Enterococcus faecalis cell envelope from antimicrobial peptides. Constitutive activation of the system confers protection against CAMPs and daptomycin in the absence of …

Benefits Of Equilibrium Between Microbiota- And Host-Derived Ligands Of The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor After Stroke In Aged Male Mice, Pedram Peesh, Maria P Blasco-Conesa, Ahmad El Hamamy, Romeesa Khan, Gary U Guzman, Parisa Honarpisheh, Eric C Mohan, Grant W Goodman, Justin N Nguyen, Anik Banerjee, Bryce E West, Kyung Ae Ko, Janelle M Korf, Chunfeng Tan, Huihui Fan, Gabriela D Colpo, Hilda Ahnstedt, Lucy Couture, Solji Roh, Julia K Kofler, Jose F Moruno-Manchon, Michael E Maniskas, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Rodney M Ritzel, Juneyoung Lee, Jun Li, Robert M Bryan, Anjali Chauhan, Venugopal Reddy Venna, Louise D Mccullough, Bhanu Priya Ganesh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of microglia (MG) and their interactions with the gut microbiome in post-stroke neuroinflammation. The activation of immunoregulatory pathways, including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway, is influenced by a dynamic balance of ligands derived from both the host and microbiota. This study aimed to investigate the association between stroke-induced dysbiosis and the resultant imbalance in AHR ligand sources (loss of microbiota-derived [indole-based] and increase of host-derived [kynurenine-based]) after stroke. Microbiota-derived AHR ligands decreased in human plasma and remained low for days following an ischemic stroke highlighting the translational significance. Transient-middle-cerebral-artery-occlusion was performed in …

Chromosomal And Gonadal Sex Have Differing Effects On Social Motivation In Mice, Sneha M Chaturvedi, Simona Sarafinovska, Din Selmanovic, Katherine B Mccullough, Raylynn G Swift, Susan E Maloney, Joseph D Dougherty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in brain development are thought to lead to sex variation in social behavior. Sex differences are fundamentally driven by both gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes, yet little is known about the independent effects of each on social behavior. Further, mouse models of the genetic liability for the neurodevelopmental disorder MYT1L Syndrome have shown sex-specific deficits in social motivation. In this study, we aimed to determine if gonadal hormones or sex chromosomes primarily mediate the sex differences seen in mouse social behavior, both at baseline and in the context of Myt1l haploinsufficiency.

METHODS: Four-core genotypes (FCG) mice, which …

Targeting Fatty Acid Synthase Reduces Aortic Atherosclerosis And Inflammation, Rodrigo Meade, Dina Ibrahim, Connor Engel, Larisa Belaygorod, Batool Arif, Fong-Fu Hsu, Sangeeta Adak, Ryan Catlett, Mingzhou Zhou, Ma Xenia G Ilagan, Clay F Semenkovich, Mohamed A Zayed

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is predominantly expressed in the liver and adipose tissue. It plays vital roles in de novo synthesis of saturated fatty acids and regulates insulin sensitivity. We previously demonstrated that serum circulating FAS (cFAS) is a clinical biomarker for advanced atherosclerosis, and that it is conjugated to low-density lipoproteins (LDL). However, it remains unknown whether cFAS can directly impact atheroprogression. To investigate this, we evaluate whether cFAS impacts macrophage foam cell formation - an important cellular process leading to atheroprogression. Macrophages exposed to human serum containing high levels of cFAS show increased foam cell formation as compared …

Single-Cell Analysis Of Neoplastic Plasma Cells Identifies Myeloma Pathobiology Mediators And Potential Targets, Luz Yurany Moreno Rueda, Hua Wang, Keiko Akagi, Minghao Dang, Amishi Vora, Li Qin, Hans C Lee, Krina K Patel, Pei Lin, David E Mery, Fenghuang Zhan, John D Shaughnessy, Qing Yi, Yang Song, Bo Jiang, Maura L Gillison, Sheeba K Thomas, Donna M Weber, Lixia Diao, Jing Wang, Isere Kuiatse, Elisabet E Manasanch, David E Symer, Robert Z Orlowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma is a clonal plasma cell (PC) dyscrasia that arises from precursors and has been studied utilizing approaches focused on CD138+ cells. By combining single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with scB-cell receptor sequencing (scBCR-seq), we differentiate monoclonal/neoplastic from polyclonal/normal PCs and find more dysregulated genes, especially in precursor patients, than we would have by analyzing bulk PCs. To determine whether this approach can identify oncogenes that contribute to disease pathobiology, mitotic arrest deficient-2 like-1 (MAD2L1) and S-adenosylmethionine synthase isoform type-2 (MAT2A) are validated as targets with drug-like molecules that suppress myeloma growth in preclinical models. Moreover, functional studies show a …

Mitochondrial Defects And Metabolic Vulnerabilities In Lynch Syndrome-Associated Msh2-Deficient Endometrial Cancer, Mikayla Borthwick Bowen, Brenda Melendez, Qian Zhang, Diana Moreno, Leah Peralta, Wai Kin Chan, Collene Jeter, Lin Tan, M Anna Zal, Philip L Lorenzi, Kenneth Dunner, Richard K Yang, Russell R Broaddus, Joseph Celestino, Nisha Gokul, Elizabeth Whitley, Deena M Scoville, Tae Hoon Kim, Jae-Wook Jeong, Rosemarie Schmandt, Karen Lu, Hyun-Eui Kim, Melinda S Yates

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lynch syndrome (LS), caused by inherited mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes, including MSH2, carries a 60% lifetime risk of developing endometrial cancer (EC). Beyond hypermutability, mechanisms driving LS-associated EC (LS-EC) remain unclear. We investigated MSH2 loss in EC pathogenesis using a mouse model (PR-Cre Msh2LoxP/LoxP, abbreviated Msh2KO), primary cell lines, human tissues, and human EC cells with isogenic MSH2 knockdown. By 8 months, 58% of Msh2KO mice developed endometrial atypical hyperplasia (AH), a precancerous lesion. At 12-16 months, 50% of Msh2KO mice exhibited either AH or ECs with histologic similarities to human LS-ECs. Transcriptomic profiling of EC from Msh2KO …

Single-Cell Analysis Identifies Ifi27l2a As A Gene Regulator Of Microglial Inflammation In The Context Of Aging And Stroke In Mice, Gab Seok Kim, Elisabeth Harmon, Manuel C Gutierrez, Sodam Kim, Lauren Vance, Haven Burrous, Jessica M Stephenson, Anjali Chauhan, Anik Banerjee, Zachary Wise, Andrea Doan, John Ahn, Ting Wu, Jesus Bautista-Garrido, Juneyoung Lee, Chunfeng Tan, Joo Eun Jung, Louise D Mccullough, Joshua D Wythe, Sean P Marrelli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inflammation is a significant driver of ischemic stroke pathology in the brain. To identify potential regulators of inflammation, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of young and aged mouse brains following stroke and found that interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 like 2 A (Ifi27l2a) was significantly up-regulated, particularly in microglia of aged brain. Ifi27l2a is induced by interferons for viral host defense and has been linked with pro-inflammatory cellular mechanisms. However, its potential role in neurodegeneration is unknown. Using a combination of cell culture, experimental stroke models in mice, and human autopsy brain samples, we demonstrated that induction of Ifi27l2a occurs …

Mage-A4 Induces Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer And Tumor-Promoting Plasma Cell Accumulation, Dominique Armstrong, Cheng-Yen Chang, Monica J Hong, Linda Green, Yichao Shen, William Hudson, Kelsey E Mauk, Li-Zhen Song, Sheetal Jammi, Benjamin Casal, Brianna Burns, Chad J Creighton, Alexandre Carisey, Xiang H-F Zhang, Neil J Mckenna, Sung Wook Kang, Hyun-Sung Lee, William Decker, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adaptive immunity is critical in eliminating tumors, but cancer-intrinsic factors can subvert this function. Melanoma antigen-A4 (MAGE-A4), a cancer-testis antigen, is expressed in solid tumors and correlates with poor survival, but its role in tumorigenesis and antitumor immunity remains unclear. We found that expression of MAGE-A4 was highly associated with the loss of PTEN, a tumor suppressor, in human non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Here, we show that constitutive expression of human MAGE-A4 with Pten loss in mouse airway epithelia results in metastatic adenocarcinoma. Tumors showed distinct enrichment in IgA+ CD138+ CXCR4+ plasma cells (PCs) and increased expression of …

Identification Of Distinct Stool Metabolites In Women With Endometriosis For Non-Invasive Diagnosis And Potential For Microbiota-Based Therapies, Chandni Talwar, Goutham Venkata Naga Davuluri, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Cristian Coarfa, Sang Jun Han, Surabi Veeraragavan, Krishna Parsawar, Nagireddy Putluri, Kristi Hoffman, Patricia Jimenez, Scott Biest, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Endometriosis, a poorly studied gynecological condition, is characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrial lesions resulting in pelvic pain, inflammation, and infertility. These associated symptoms contribute to a significant burden, often exacerbated by delayed diagnosis. Current diagnostic methods involve invasive procedures, and existing treatments provide no cure.

Methods: Microbiome-metabolome signatures in stool samples from individuals with and without endometriosis were determined using unbiased metabolomics and 16S bacteria sequencing. Functional studies for selected microbiota-derived metabolites were conducted in vitro using patient-derived cells and in vivo by employing murine and human xenograft pre-clinical disease models.

Findings: We discovered a unique bacteria-derived …

Aberrant Homeodomain-Dna Cooperative Dimerization Underlies Distinct Developmental Defects In Two Dominant Crx Retinopathy Models, Yiqiao Zheng, Gary D Stormo, Shiming Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Paired-class homeodomain (HD) transcription factors (TFs) play essential roles in vertebrate development, and their mutations are linked to human diseases. One unique feature of a paired-class HD is cooperative dimerization on specific palindrome DNA sequences. Yet, the functional significance of HD cooperative dimerization in animal development and its dysregulation in diseases remains elusive. Using the retinal TF cone-rod homeobox (CRX) as a model, we have studied how blindness-causing mutations in the paired HD, p.E80A and p.K88N, alter CRX's cooperative dimerization, leading to gene misexpression and photoreceptor developmental deficits in dominant manners. CRX

Inhibition Of Histone Methyltransferase Ezh2 For Immune Interception Of Colorectal Cancer In Lynch Syndrome, Charles M Bowen, Fahriye Duzagac, Abel Martel-Martel, Laura Reyes-Uribe, Mahira Zaheer, Jacklyn Thompson, Nan Deng, Ria Sinha, Soham Mazumdar, Melissa W Taggart, Abhinav K Jain, Elena Tosti, Winfried Edelmann, Krishna M Sinha, Eduardo Vilar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Colorectal precancers in Lynch syndrome (LS) exhibit a distinct immune profile, presenting unique opportunities for developing immune-interception strategies to prevent carcinogenesis. Epigenetic modulation by EZH2 of immune-related genes is implicated in the carcinogenesis of different cancer types, including colorectal cancer. This study utilizes a mouse model of LS and ex vivo colonic organoids to assess the effects of the EZH2 inhibitor GSK503 on immune regulatory pathways, tumorigenesis, and epigenetic reprogramming. Our findings revealed that GSK503 significantly increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in both splenocytes and colonic mucosa of treated mice compared with controls. Additionally, a preventive dose of GSK503 …

The Mir-290 And Mir-302 Clusters Are Essential For Reprogramming Of Fibroblasts To Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Julia Ye, Ryan M Boileau, Ronald J Parchem, Robert L Judson-Torres, Robert Blelloch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The miR-290 and miR-302 clusters of microRNAs are highly expressed in naïve and primed pluripotent stem cells, respectively. Ectopic expression of the embryonic stem cell (ESC)-specific cell cycle regulating family of microRNAs arising from these two clusters dramatically enhances the reprogramming of both mouse and human somatic cells to induced pluripotency. Here, we used genetic knockouts to dissect the requirement for the miR-290 and miR-302 clusters during the reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with retrovirally introduced Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4. Knockout of either cluster alone did not negatively impact the efficiency of reprogramming. Resulting cells …

Phgdh Inhibition And Foxo3 Modulation Drives Puma-Dependent Apoptosis In Osteosarcoma, Toshinao Oyama, Caitlyn B Brashears, Richa Rathore, Heather Benect-Hamilton, Katharine E Caldwell, Naomi Dirckx, William G Hawkins, Brian A Van Tine

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that has been found to be metabolically dependent on the conversion of glucose to serine through the rate-limiting enzyme 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH). The upregulation of PHGDH has been correlated with poor patient survival, and the inhibition of the serine synthesis pathway using targeted small-molecule inhibition of PHGDH induces a rapid metabolic adaptation that prevents cell death due to pro-survival signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Here, PHGDH inhibition in combination with mTORC1 signaling modulation for the treatment of osteosarcoma was evaluated. When combined with PHGDH inhibition, several non-rapalog inhibitors of …

Nprl2 Gene Therapy Induces Effective Antitumor Immunity In Kras/Stk11 Mutant Anti-Pd1 Resistant Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc) In A Humanized Mouse Model, Ismail M Meraz, Mourad Majidi, Renduo Song, Feng Meng, Lihui Gao, Qi Wang, Jing Wang, Elizabeth J Shpall, Jack A Roth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Expression of NPRL2/TUSC4, a tumor-suppressor gene, is reduced in many cancers including NSCLC. Restoration of NPRL2 induces DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest. We investigated NPRL2 antitumor immune responses in aPD1R/KRAS/STK11^mt NSCLC in humanized-mice. Humanized-mice were generated by transplanting fresh human cord blood-derived CD34 stem cells into sub-lethally irradiated NSG mice. Lung-metastases were developed from KRAS/STK11^mt/aPD1R A549 cells and treated with NPRL2 w/wo pembrolizumab. NPRL2-treatment reduced lung metastases significantly, whereas pembrolizumab was ineffective. Antitumor effect was greater in humanized than non-humanized-mice. NPRL2 + pembrolizumab was not synergistic in KRAS/STK11^mt/aPD1R tumors but was …