Search results for " Gene-Expression"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Cross-species transcriptomic analysis elucidates constitutive aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity
2014
Background Research on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has largely focused on variations in toxic outcomes resulting from its activation by halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. But the AHR also plays key roles in regulating pathways critical for development, and after decades of research the mechanisms underlying physiological regulation by the AHR remain poorly characterized. Previous studies identified several core genes that respond to xenobiotic AHR ligands across a broad range of species and tissues. However, only limited inferences have been made regarding its role in regulating constitutive gene activity, i.e. in the absence of exogenous ligands. To address this, we profiled transc…
Transcriptome-wide identification of transient RNA G-quadruplexes in human cells
2018
Guanine-rich RNA sequences can fold into four-stranded structures, termed G-quadruplexes (G4-RNAs), whose biological roles are poorly understood, and in vivo existence is debated. To profile biologically relevant G4-RNA in the human transcriptome, we report here on G4RP-seq, which combines G4-RNA-specific precipitation (G4RP) with sequencing. This protocol comprises a chemical crosslinking step, followed by affinity capture with the G4-specific small-molecule ligand/probe BioTASQ, and target identification by sequencing, allowing for capturing global snapshots of transiently folded G4-RNAs. We detect widespread G4-RNA targets within the transcriptome, indicative of transient G4 formation in…
Genome-wide association analysis identifies six new loci associated with forced vital capacity
2014
Forced vital capacity (FVC), a spirometric measure of pulmonary function, reflects lung volume and is used to diagnose and monitor lung diseases. We performed genome-wide association study meta-analysis of FVC in 52,253 individuals from 26 studies and followed up the top associations in 32,917 additional individuals of European ancestry. We found six new regions associated at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8) with FVC in or near EFEMP1, BMP6, MIR129-2–HSD17B12, PRDM11, WWOX and KCNJ2. Two loci previously associated with spirometric measures (GSTCD and PTCH1) were related to FVC. Newly implicated regions were followed up in samples from African-American, Korean, Chinese and Hispanic in…
Effects of PPARγ agonists on the expression of leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor in breast cancer cells.
2013
The obesity hormone leptin has been implicated in breast cancer development. Breast cancer cells express the leptin receptor and are able to synthesize leptin in response to obesity-related stimuli. Furthermore, leptin is a positive regulator of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and high levels of both proteins are associated with worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands are therapeutic agents used in patient with Type 2 diabetes and obesity which have recently been studied for their potential anti-tumor effect. Here, we studied if these compounds, ciglitazone and GW1929, can affect the expression of leptin and VEGF in b…
Molecular Responses to Small Regulating Molecules against Huanglongbing Disease
2016
Huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening) is the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. No cure is yet available for this disease and infected trees generally decline after several months. Disease management depends on early detection of symptoms and chemical control of insect vectors. In this work, different combinations of organic compounds were tested for the ability to modulate citrus molecular responses to HLB disease beneficially. Three small-molecule regulating compounds were tested: 1) L-arginine, 2) 6-benzyl-adenine combined with gibberellins, and 3) sucrose combined with atrazine. Each treatment contained K-phite mineral solution and was tested at two different concentrations. T…
Direct and indirect measurements of enhanced phenolic bioavailability from litchi pericarp procyanidins by Lactobacillus casei-01
2017
Litchi pericarp procyanidins (LPP) are dietary supplements with high antioxidant activity, but poor oral bioavailability and efficacy. Lactobacillus casei (L. casei-01) can transform flavan-3-ols from litchi pericarp and increase their antioxidant ability; thus, L. casei-01 with LPP was administered to rats for four and eight weeks to study the effect of such a combination on metabolic parameters and on phase II metabolism and detoxification pathways in the liver as an indirect measure for phenolic bioavailability. Our data indicated that the T-AOC of the plasma, the liver GSH-Px and GSH-ST activity, and the expression of UGT and SULT isoforms in the liver of the rats were all enhanced afte…