Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Expression divergence”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources

Overexpression of ErbB2 enhances ethanol-stimulated intracellular signaling and invasion of human mammary epithelial and breast cancer cells in vitro.

Both epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that ethanol is a tumor promoter and may promote metastasis of breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ethanol-mediated tumor promotion remain unknown. Overexpression of ErbB proteins in breast cancer patients is generally associated with poor prognosis. The ErbB proteins are a family of receptor kinases that include four closely related members: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1), ErbB2/neu, ErbB3, and ErbB4. Particularly, ErbB2 plays a pivotal role in ErbB-mediated activities. Here we demonstrated that amplification of ErbB2 expression sensitized a specific cellular response to ethanol. Human breast cancer cells or mammary epithelial cells with a high expression of ErbB2 exhibited an enhanced response to ethanol-stimulated cell invasion in vitro. Ethanol also stimulated cell proliferation; however, this stimulation was independent of ErbB2 levels. Ethanol triggered divergent intracellular signaling among cells expressing different ErbB2 levels. In the cells overexpressing ErbB2, ethanol was more effective in the activation of c-Jun NH2 terminal protein kinases (JNKs) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) as well as the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than the cells with normal ErbB2 expression. Blockage of either JNKs or p38 MAPK activation eliminated ethanol-mediated cell invasion. In contrast, the reduction of hydrogen peroxide concentration by catalase exposure had little effect on ethanol-induced cell invasion. These results indicated that ethanol-induced cell invasion was primarily mediated by JNKs and p38 MAPK, whereas the involvement of ROS formation might be minimal. Our study suggests that overexpression of ErbB2 may augment ethanol-elicited signaling and promote ethanol-stimulated tumor metastasis.

Breast↗

Regulation of LH subunit mRNA levels by gonadal hormones in female rats.

To determine the physiological role of the ovaries in regulation of LH subunit gene expression, levels of cytoplasmic mRNA were measured in a cDNA-RNA dot-blot hybridization assay. An increase (twofold) in alpha mRNA was first detected 8 days after ovariectomy and then remained stable for 4 weeks. In contrast, LH-beta mRNA increased by 60-79% within 12 h of removing the ovaries and then rose progressively to six times the intact values at 3 and 4 weeks. Increases in LH-beta mRNA were always greater than those of alpha mRNA. Oestradiol, and oestradiol plus progesterone, but not progesterone alone, prevented the rise in alpha and LH-beta mRNA 10 days after ovariectomy. Three days after ovariectomy, alpha mRNA, but not LH-beta mRNA, was suppressed to below intact control values by oestradiol and oestradiol plus progesterone, indicating greater sensitivity of alpha mRNA to oestradiol inhibition at this stage. A single injection of oestradiol (1 microgram s.c.) to rats ovariectomized 14 days previously transiently suppressed alpha and LH-beta mRNA levels and serum LH concentrations in parallel for 1-8 h, after which high preinjection values were restored. However, pituitary LH content remained suppressed after LH mRNA levels had returned to the control values of ovariectomized rats. In most instances there was a qualitative positive correlation between changes in alpha and LH-beta mRNA, pituitary LH content and serum LH concentrations. LH content reflected LH-beta mRNA changes more closely than those of alpha mRNA. However, in oestradiol-treated rats ovariectomized 10 days previously, LH content remained increased despite normalization of the LH-beta and alpha mRNA levels, suggesting differential sensitivity to oestradiol of the gene expression and translational processes. Thus divergence of pre- and post-translational regulation of LH biosynthesis was demonstrated. These results imply an important physiological role for female sex hormones in the control of LH gene expression and LH biosynthesis. Prolactin mRNA fell by 30-50% for the first 2 weeks after ovariectomy, but by 3 and 4 weeks values were similar to those of intact controls. Serum and pituitary prolactin levels were reduced by 50% or more at all time-points, despite normalization of mRNA. Treatment of ovariectomized rats for 10 days with oestradiol and progesterone, either alone or combined, reversed the fall in prolactin mRNA and serum and pituitary prolactin levels. These changes in prolactin gene expression and synthesis were opposite to those of LH subunits in response to the same in-vivo hormone manipulations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Evolutionary Process Underlying Receptor Gene Expansion and Cellular Divergence of Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Honeybees.

Olfaction is crucial for animals' survival and adaptation. Unlike the strict singular expression of odorant receptor (OR) genes in vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), insects exhibit complex OR gene expression patterns. In honeybees (Apis mellifera), a significant expansion of OR genes implies a selection preference for the olfactory demands of social insects. However, the mechanisms underlying receptor expression specificity and their contribution to OSN divergence remain unclear. In this study, we used single-nucleus multiomics profiling to investigate the transcriptional regulation of OR genes and the cellular identity of OSNs in A. mellifera. We identified three distinct OR expression patterns, singular OR expression, co-expression of multiple OR genes with a single active promoter, and co-expression of multiple OR genes with multiple active promoters. Notably, ∼50% of OSNs co-expressed multiple OR genes, driven by polycistronic transcription of tandemly duplicated OR genes via a single active promoter. In these OSNs, their identity was determined by the first transcribed receptor. The divergent activation of the promoter for duplicated OR genes ensures the coordinated increased divergence of OSN population. By integrating multiomics data with genomic architecture, we illustrate how fundamental genetic mechanisms drive OR gene expansion and influence flanking regulatory elements, ultimately contributing to the cellular divergence of OSNs. Our findings highlight the interplay between gene duplication and regulatory evolution in shaping OSN diversity, providing new insights into the evolution and adaptation of olfaction in social insects. This study also sheds light on how genetic innovations contribute to the evolution of complex traits.

Animals↗

Distinct enhancer elements control Hex expression during gastrulation and early organogenesis.

In the mouse, embryological and genetic studies have indicated that two spatially distinct signalling centres, the anterior visceral endoderm and the node and its derivatives, are required for the correct patterning of the anterior neural ectoderm. The divergent homeobox gene Hex is expressed in the anterior visceral endoderm, in the node (transiently), and in the anterior definitive endoderm. Other sites of Hex expression include the liver and thyroid primordia and the endothelial cell precursors. We have used transgenic analysis to map the cis-acting regulatory elements controlling Hex expression during early mouse development. A 4.2-kb upstream region is important for Hex expression in the endothelial cell precursors, liver, and thyroid, and a 633-bp intronic fragment is both necessary and sufficient for Hex expression in the anterior visceral endoderm and the anterior definitive endoderm. These same regions drive expression in homologous structures in Xenopus laevis, indicating conservation of these regulatory regions in vertebrates. Analysis of the anterior visceral endoderm/anterior definitive endoderm enhancer identifies a repressor region that is required to downregulate Hex expression in the node once the anterior definitive endoderm has formed. This analysis also reveals that the initiation of Hex expression in the anterior visceral endoderm and axial mesendoderm requires common elements, but maintenance of expression is regulated independently in these tissues.

Animals↗

The effect of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha on the NADPH oxidase system of human colostrum macrophages, blood monocytes, and THP-1 cells.

The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on NADPH oxidase activity and gp91-phox gene expression in human colostrum macrophages (CM), peripheral blood monocytes (PBM), and myelomonocytic THP-1 cells. We also investigated the effect of IFN-gamma on the release of TNF-alpha by these cells. Our results show that under basal culture conditions, CM release more superoxide than PBM and THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). The addition of IFN-gamma, alone or in combination with TNF-alpha, increased spontaneous superoxide release by PBM and THP-1 cells (p < 0.05) and increased phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated superoxide release by CM, PBM, and THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). The NADPH oxidase activity of THP-1 cells consistently remained lower than that of CM or PBM, despite a dramatic response to IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. Under basal conditions, gp91-phox gene expression was significantly higher in CM and PBM compared with THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). The addition of IFN-gamma alone or in combination with TNF-alpha caused a dramatic increase in gp91-phox gene expression in THP-1 cells (p < 0.05) but not in CM or PBM. Under basal conditions or in the presence of IFN-gamma, CM released more TNF-alpha than PBM or THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). In addition, PBM released more TNF-gamma than THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). IFN-gamma did not significantly augment the release of TNF-alpha by these cells (p > 0.05). Thus, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha induced equivalent gp91-phox gene expression in THP-1 cells compared with CM or PBM but did not bring about equivalent NADPH oxidase activity. TNF-alpha release was higher in more mature cells. This partial divergence of gp91- phox gene expression, NADPH oxidase activity, and TNF-alpha release is probably a consequence of different events of myeloid cell biology and relates at least in part to cell differentiation state.

Cell Line↗

Using text analysis to identify functionally coherent gene groups.

The analysis of large-scale genomic information (such as sequence data or expression patterns) frequently involves grouping genes on the basis of common experimental features. Often, as with gene expression clustering, there are too many groups to easily identify the functionally relevant ones. One valuable source of information about gene function is the published literature. We present a method, neighbor divergence, for assessing whether the genes within a group share a common biological function based on their associated scientific literature. The method uses statistical natural language processing techniques to interpret biological text. It requires only a corpus of documents relevant to the genes being studied (e.g., all genes in an organism) and an index connecting the documents to appropriate genes. Given a group of genes, neighbor divergence assigns a numerical score indicating how "functionally coherent" the gene group is from the perspective of the published literature. We evaluate our method by testing its ability to distinguish 19 known functional gene groups from 1900 randomly assembled groups. Neighbor divergence achieves 79% sensitivity at 100% specificity, comparing favorably to other tested methods. We also apply neighbor divergence to previously published gene expression clusters to assess its ability to recognize gene groups that had been manually identified as representative of a common function.

Algorithms↗

Expression of Hex homeobox gene during skin development: Increase in epidermal cell proliferation by transfecting the Hex to the dermis.

A number of homeobox genes have been found to be expressed in skin and its appendages, such as scale and feather, and appear to be candidates for the regulation of the development of these tissues. We report that the proline-rich divergent homeobox gene Hex is expressed during development of chick embryonic skin and its appendages (scale and feather). In situ hybridization analysis revealed that, during development of the skin, a transient expression of the Hex gene was observed. While the expression of Hex in the dermis was closely correlated with proliferation activity of epidermal basal cells, that in the epidermis was related to a suppression of epidermal differentiation. When dermal fibroblasts were transfected with Hex, stimulation of both DNA synthesis and proliferation of the epidermal cells followed by two-fold scale ridge elongation and increase in epidermal area was observed during culture of the skin, whereas epidemal keratinization was not affected. This is the first study to demonstrate that Hex is expressed during development of the skin and its appendages and that its expression in the dermal cells regulates epidermal cell proliferation through epithelial mesenchymal interaction.

Animals↗

Measuring genetic distances between breeds: use of some distances in various short term evolution models.

Many works demonstrate the benefits of using highly polymorphic markers such as microsatellites in order to measure the genetic diversity between closely related breeds. But it is sometimes difficult to decide which genetic distance should be used. In this paper we review the behaviour of the main distances encountered in the literature in various divergence models. In the first part, we consider that breeds are populations in which the assumption of equilibrium between drift and mutation is verified. In this case some interesting distances can be expressed as a function of divergence time, t, and therefore can be used to construct phylogenies. Distances based on allele size distribution (such as (deltamu)(2)and derived distances), taking a mutation model of microsatellites, the Stepwise Mutation Model, specifically into account, exhibit large variance and therefore should not be used to accurately infer phylogeny of closely related breeds. In the last section, we will consider that breeds are small populations and that the divergence times between them are too small to consider that the observed diversity is due to mutations: divergence is mainly due to genetic drift. Expectation and variance of distances were calculated as a function of the Wright-Malécot inbreeding coefficient, F. Computer simulations performed under this divergence model show that the Reynolds distance [57]is the best method for very closely related breeds.

Breeding↗

c-Cbl localizes to actin lamellae and regulates lamellipodia formation and cell morphology.

Adhesive and locomotive properties of cells have key roles in normal physiology and disease. Cell motility and adhesion require the assembly and organization of actin microfilaments into stress fibers, lamellipodia and filopodia, and the formation of these structures is mediated by signalling through Rho; GTPases. Here we identify c-Cbl (a multi-adaptor proto-oncogene product involved in protein tyrosine kinase signalling) as an important regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. By immunofluorescence microscopy we have determined that c-Cbl co-localizes with the adaptor protein Crk to submembranous actin lamellae in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and that c-Cbl's actin localization requires specific SH3-binding sequences. Further, we have found that truncation of this SH3-binding domain in c-Cbl profoundly alters the morphology of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts by inhibiting the formation of actin lamellae, lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. The induction of lamellipodia and membrane ruffles are also inhibited during cell spreading and migration, conditions when these structures are normally most prominent. The inhibitory effect of truncated c-Cbl expression on lamellipodia formation can be reversed by mutational inactivation of its divergent SH2 domain, by the co-expression of constitutively active Rac or by the overexpression of c-Cbl. This study therefore identifies a cytoskeletal role for c-Cbl which may involve the regulation of Crk and Rac, and which is dependent on targeting of c-Cbl to actin lamellae and the ability to recruit signalling protein(s) associated with its divergent SH2 domain.

3T3 Cells↗

Brn-3.2: a Brn-3-related transcription factor with distinctive central nervous system expression and regulation by retinoic acid.

The identification and molecular characterization of Brn-3.2 has revealed a family of Brn-3-related mammalian POU proteins that share homology with the C. elegans developmental regulator Unc-86 and extended similarity with the Drosophila neurodevelopmental gene I-POU, which defines a novel POU-IV box. Brn-3.2 exhibits DNA binding properties similar to those of Brn-3.0, but its expression is uniquely regulated by retinoic acid in teratocarcinoma and neuroblastoma cells. In the developing PNS and retina, the expression pattern of Brn-3.2 is similar to that of Brn-3.0. In the caudal CNS (spinal cord, hindbrain, and midbrain) Brn-3.2 and Brn-3.0 are initially coexpressed, but diverge later in development. Rostral to the midbrain, Brn-3.2 and Brn-3.0 exhibit nonoverlapping patterns of expression, suggesting divergence of gene function in more recently evolved structures. Our analysis suggests that in the CNS Brn-3.2 is selectively expressed in postmitotic neurons, implying a role in specifying terminally differentiated neuronal phenotypes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Quantitative analysis reveals differential expression of mucin (MUC2) and intestinal trefoil factor mRNAs along the longitudinal axis of rat intestine.

MUC2 and intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) are considered to have important roles in intestinal mucosal protection and epithelial repair. In order to investigate whether these genes are co-ordinately expressed, we have used competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays to measure MUC2 and ITF mRNA levels in human intestinal cell lines and along the longitudinal axis of rat intestine. ITF mRNA was expressed in several intestinal cell lines. However, MUC2 mRNA was detected only in LS174T cells where it was present at approx. 25-fold lower levels than the ITF transcript. In contrast, in rat intestinal tissues, MUC2 mRNA levels were generally higher than ITF mRNA levels. The levels of both transcripts increased markedly during postnatal development. In adult rats, the expression patterns of MUC2 and ITF mRNAs along the longitudinal axis of the small intestine were similar, with lowest levels in the proximal duodenum and relatively constant levels in the other regions assayed. In contrast, the expression patterns of MUC2 and ITF in different regions of the large intestine showed a marked divergence. Our results strongly suggest that expression of the MUC2 and ITF genes is not coordinately regulated in intestinal cells.

Animals↗

The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 and osteocalcin in mouse osteoblasts is related to osteoblastic differentiation and is modulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and thyroid hormones.

Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), is a key protein of bone matrix degradation, and is highly expressed by osteoblasts. We used the osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cell line and compared the stimulatory effects of the bone resorptive agents 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)) 3,3',5-triido-L-thyronine (T3) on the expression of MMP-13 mRNA. We showed that the stimulatory effects were time and dose dependent, and were also transduced to the protein level, with 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)being more potent.MMP-13 expression in different mouse cells and its localization within developing bone from the onset of osteogenesis were also investigated. 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)- and T3-regulated osteocalcin (Osc) expression in mouse osteoblasts was compared to hormonal effects on MMP-13 expression and activity. Here we show divergent and common roles of 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)and T3 action on the expression of these marker proteins, depending on the stage of cell differentiation. In addition, we propose a role for MMP-13 in the bone collar of developing long bones. The results could help to more precisely characterize hormonal regulation in the developmental sequence of osteoblasts.

Animals↗

The 5' flanking region of the rat beta 3-adrenergic receptor gene: divergence with the human gene and implications for species-specific gene expression.

beta 3-adrenergic receptor mRNAs exhibit species-specific expression (human vs. rodent) in distinct anatomical regions and appear to be expressed abundantly within rodent adipose tissue, but only at low levels within corresponding human tissues. In order to determine the genetic basis of the differential expression of the rat and human beta 3-adrenergic receptor genes, we cloned and sequence the rat gene and compared the 5' flanking regions of the two genes to identify potential discriminators in transcriptional regulation. We have found that the rat and human beta 3-adrenergic receptor 5' flanking regions are only 67% similar, unlike the close sequence similarity observed between the coding blocks (> 90%) and also observed between species for the 5' flanking regions of other beta-adrenergic receptor subtype genes (> 90%). In addition, the rat beta 3-adrenergic receptor gene lacks the four potential cAMP responsive elements identified within the 5' flanking region of the human receptor gene. The striking divergence in regulatory sequences between the rat and human beta 3-adrenergic receptor genes may potentially explain the differences in species-specific expression and tissue localization of the rat and human receptor mRNAs.

Animals↗

Expression of alpha4-integrin defines the earliest precursor of hematopoietic cell lineage diverged from endothelial cells.

Embryonic stem cells can differentiate in vitro into hematopoietic cells through two intermediate stages; the first being FLK1(+) E-cadherin- proximal lateral mesoderm and the second being CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ endothelial cells. To further dissect the CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ cells, we have examined distribution of alpha4-integrin on this cell population, because alpha4-integrin is the molecule expressed on hematopoietic stem cells. During culture of FLK1(+) E-cadherin- cells, CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ alpha4-integrin- cells differentiate first, followed by alpha4-integrin+ cells appearing in both CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ and CD45(-) VE-cadherin- cell populations. In the CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ cell population, alpha4-integrin+ subset but not alpha4-integrin- subset had the potential to differentiate to hematopoietic lineage cells, whereas endothelial cell progenitors were present in both subsets. The CD45(-) VE-cadherin- alpha4-integrin+ cells also showed hematopoietic potential. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that differential expression of the Gata2 and Myb genes correlated with the potential of the alpha4-integrin+ cells to give rise to hematopoietic cell differentiation. Hematopoietic CD45(-) VE-cadherin+ alpha4-integrin+ cells were also present in the yolk sac and embryonic body proper of 9.5 day postcoitum mouse embryos. Our results suggest that the expression of alpha4-integrin is a marker of the earliest precursor of hematopoietic cell lineage that was diverged from endothelial progenitors.

Animals↗

Divergent evolution of T cell repertoires: extensive diversity and developmentally regulated expression of the sheep gamma delta T cell receptor.

Sheep gamma delta T cells express an unprecedented repertoire of antigen receptors contributed by increased diversity in both variable and constant region gene segments. Variable region diversity results mainly from the utilization of a large family of duplicated V delta genes that have retained two distinct hypervariable segments comparable with the complementarity determining regions present in other antigen receptor V genes. This implies that sheep V delta chains have been intensely selected during evolution, probably at sites involved in ligand recognition. The sheep gamma delta heterodimer occurs in at least five isotypic variants formed by the association of a single C delta segment with one of five functional C gamma segments, each with distinctive hinge regions. Our analysis also shows that the establishment of a normal peripheral repertoire is both developmentally regulated and dependent on the continual presence of a functional thymus during ontogeny. The existence of an expanded V gene repertoire and multiple receptor isotypes together with the prominence of gamma delta T cells in the sheep immune system argues that this lineage of T cells has a more elaborate functional role in this evolutionary pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Divergent effects of hyperosmolality on stress-response (heat shock) protein expression in cultured human tumor cells: an immunocytochemical study.

Exposing cells to adverse conditions usually elicits expression of stress-response (heat shock) proteins (srp). Here we show that hyperosmolar growth conditions do not uniformly affect srp expression in MCF-7 and HeLa S3 cells, derived from carcinoma of the breast and cervix, respectively. Thus, whereas srp 27 expression was increased in MCF-7, but not in HeLa S3, the opposite was the case with srp 72. On the other hand, hyperosmolality did not induce alpha B-crystallin or ubiquitin in either cell line. These findings show that srp expression by the human tumor cells studied is non-coordinate, suggesting that each srp is independently modulated.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Molecular divergence of the sia locus in different serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis expressing polysialic acid capsules.

The serogroups B, C, W135 and Y of Neisseria meningitidis express chemically and immunologically distinct capsular polysaccharides containing sialic acid. In the case of serogroup B meningococci sialic acid is synthesized by the gene products of a locus termed sia and forms the homopolymers of the capsule. The organization of the genes required for sialic acid synthesis in serogroups B, C, W135 and Y was elucidated by PCR technology. Cloning, sequencing and the functional expression of the polysialyltransferase (PST) genes of serogroups B and C demonstrated that the difference in capsule composition derives from the presence of related, but distinct siaD genes coding for PSTs. Analysis of meningococci of serogroups W135 and Y expressing sialic acid heteropolymers revealed that the DNA sequences of the corresponding genetic loci in these serogroups were highly homologous, but differed completely from the siaD genes of serogroups B and C. This finding suggests that enzymes unrelated to those of serogroups B and C are required for the formation of sialic acid heteropolymers characteristic of the capsules of serogroups W135 and Y.

Biological Evolution↗