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Joo JS, Lee D, Hong JY. Multi-Layered Mechanisms of Immunological Tolerance at the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Immune Netw 2024; 24:e30. [PMID: 39246621 PMCID: PMC11377946 DOI: 10.4110/in.2024.24.e30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy represents an immunological paradox where the maternal immune system must tolerate the semi-allogeneic fetus expressing paternally-derived Ags. Accumulating evidence over decades has revealed that successful pregnancy requires the active development of robust immune tolerance mechanisms. This review outlines the multi-layered processes that establish fetomaternal tolerance, including the physical barrier of the placenta, restricted chemokine-mediated leukocyte trafficking, lack of sufficient alloantigen presentation, the presence of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells and tolerogenic decidual natural killer cells, expression of immune checkpoint molecules, specific glycosylation patterns conferring immune evasion, and unique metabolic/hormonal modulations. Interestingly, many of the strategies that enable fetal tolerance parallel those employed by cancer cells to promote angiogenesis, invasion, and immune escape. As such, further elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings of fetal-maternal tolerance may reciprocally provide insights into developing novel cancer immunotherapies as well as understanding the pathogenesis of gestational complications linked to dysregulated tolerance processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Soo Joo
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Dongeun Lee
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Jun Young Hong
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
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2
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Gu B, Le GH, Herrera S, Blair SJ, Meissner TB, Strominger JL. HLA-C expression in extravillous trophoblasts is determined by an ELF3-NLRP2/NLRP7 regulatory axis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404229121. [PMID: 39052836 PMCID: PMC11295039 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404229121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The distinct human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression pattern of human extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) endows them with unique tolerogenic properties that enable successful pregnancy. Nevertheless, how this process is elaborately regulated remains elusive. Previously, E74 like ETS transcription factor 3 (ELF3) was identified to govern high-level HLA-C expression in EVT. In the present study, ELF3 is found to bind to the enhancer region of two adjacent NOD-like receptor (NLR) genes, NLR family pyrin domain-containing 2 and 7 (NLRP2, NLRP7). Notably, our analysis of ELF3-deficient JEG-3 cells, a human choriocarcinoma cell line widely used to study EVT biology, suggests that ELF3 transactivates NLRP7 while suppressing the expression of NLRP2. Moreover, we find that NLRP2 and NLRP7 have opposing effects on HLA-C expression, thus implicating them in immune evasion at the maternal-fetal interface. We confirmed that NLRP2 suppresses HLA-C levels and described a unique role for NLRP7 in promoting HLA-C expression in JEG-3. These results suggest that these two NLR genes, which arose via gene duplication in primates, are fine-tuned by ELF3 yet have acquired divergent functions to enable proper expression levels of HLA-C in EVT, presumably through modulating the degradation kinetics of IkBα. Targeting the ELF3-NLRP2/NLRP7-HLA-C axis may hold therapeutic potential for managing pregnancy-related disorders, such as recurrent hydatidiform moles and fetal growth restriction, and thus improve placental development and pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Gu
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Gia-Han Le
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Sebastian Herrera
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Steven J. Blair
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Torsten B. Meissner
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jack L. Strominger
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
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Lee BK, Salamah J, Cheeran E, Adu-Gyamfi EA. Dynamic and distinct histone modifications facilitate human trophoblast lineage differentiation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4505. [PMID: 38402275 PMCID: PMC10894295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The placenta serves as an essential organ for fetal growth throughout pregnancy. Histone modification is a crucial regulatory mechanism involved in numerous biological processes and development. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap in our understanding regarding the epigenetic regulations that influence trophoblast lineage differentiation, a fundamental aspect of placental development. Here, through comprehensive mapping of H3K4me3, H3K27me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27ac loci during the differentiation of trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) into syncytiotrophoblasts (STs) and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), we reveal dynamic reconfiguration in H3K4me3 and H3K27ac patterns that establish an epigenetic landscape conducive to proper trophoblast lineage differentiation. We observe that broad H3K4me3 domains are associated with trophoblast lineage-specific gene expression. Unlike embryonic stem cells, TSCs lack robust bivalent domains. Notably, the repression of ST- and EVT-active genes in TSCs is primarily attributed to the weak H3K4me3 signal rather than bivalent domains. We also unveil the inactivation of TSC enhancers precedes the activation of ST enhancers during ST formation. Our results provide a comprehensive global map of diverse histone modifications, elucidating the dynamic histone modifications during trophoblast lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bum-Kyu Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA.
| | - Joudi Salamah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA
| | - Elisha Cheeran
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA
| | - Enoch Appiah Adu-Gyamfi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA
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4
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Park JY, Lim H, Qin J, Lee LP. Creating mini-pregnancy models in vitro with clinical perspectives. EBioMedicine 2023; 95:104780. [PMID: 37657136 PMCID: PMC10480532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During the last decade, organs-on-chips or organoids microphysiological analysis platforms (MAP) have garnered attention in the practical applications of disease models, drug discovery, and developmental biology. Research on pregnant women has firm limitations due to ethical issues; thus, remodelling human pregnancy in vitro is highly beneficial for treatment modality development via disease remodelling or drug monitoring. This review highlights current efforts in bioengineering devices to reproduce human pregnancy and emphasises the significant convergence of biology, engineering, and maternal-foetal medicine. First, we review recent achievements in culturing cells from tissues involved in pregnancy; specifically, trophoblasts from the placenta. Second, we highlight developments in the reconstitution of pregnancy-related female reproductive organs across several structural and functional interpretations. Last, we examine research on the fundamental comprehension of pregnancy-associated diseases to find bioengineering solutions. Recreating human pregnancy through an engineered model is naturally complex; nevertheless, challenges are inevitable to progress precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Yoon Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University, Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Hosub Lim
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jianhua Qin
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luke P Lee
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
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Velastegui E, Vera E, Vanden Berghe W, Muñoz MS, Orellana-Manzano A. "HLA-C: evolution, epigenetics, and pathological implications in the major histocompatibility complex". Front Genet 2023; 14:1206034. [PMID: 37465164 PMCID: PMC10350511 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1206034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
HLA-C, a gene located within the major histocompatibility complex, has emerged as a prominent target in biomedical research due to its involvement in various diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders; even though its recent addition to the MHC, the interaction between HLA-C and KIR is crucial for immune responses, particularly in viral infections. This review provides an overview of the structure, origin, function, and pathological implications of HLA-C in the major histocompatibility complex. In the last decade, we systematically reviewed original publications from Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Our findings reveal that genetic variations in HLA-C can determine susceptibility or resistance to certain diseases. However, the first four exons of HLA-C are particularly susceptible to epigenetic modifications, which can lead to gene silencing and alterations in immune function. These alterations can manifest in diseases such as alopecia areata and psoriasis and can also impact susceptibility to cancer and the effectiveness of cancer treatments. By comprehending the intricate interplay between genetic and epigenetic factors that regulate HLA-C expression, researchers may develop novel strategies for preventing and treating diseases associated with HLA-C dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Velastegui
- Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería Química y Agroindustria, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Edwin Vera
- Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería Química y Agroindustria, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Wim Vanden Berghe
- Epigenetic Signaling Lab, Faculty Biomedical Sciences, PPES, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mindy S. Muñoz
- Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrea Orellana-Manzano
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Laboratorio para investigaciones biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida (FCV), Guayaquil, Ecuador
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, Manjunatha P, Goyal S, Kasiviswanathan VA, Mahesh Y, Ramu S, McMullen I, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. The ELF3 transcription factor is associated with an epithelial phenotype and represses epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:17. [PMID: 36864480 PMCID: PMC9983220 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involves bidirectional transitions between epithelial, mesenchymal and multiple intermediary hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. While the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its associated transcription factors are well-characterised, the transcription factors that promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and stabilise hybrid E/M phenotypes are less well understood. RESULTS Here, we analyse multiple publicly-available transcriptomic datasets at bulk and single-cell level and pinpoint ELF3 as a factor that is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype and is inhibited during EMT. Using mechanism-based mathematical modelling, we also show that ELF3 inhibits the progression of EMT. This behaviour was also observed in the presence of an EMT inducing factor WT1. Our model predicts that the MET induction capacity of ELF3 is stronger than that of KLF4, but weaker than that of GRHL2. Finally, we show that ELF3 levels correlates with worse patient survival in a subset of solid tumour types. CONCLUSION ELF3 is shown to be inhibited during EMT progression and is also found to inhibit the progression of complete EMT suggesting that ELF3 may be able to counteract EMT induction, including in the presence of EMT-inducing factors, such as WT1. The analysis of patient survival data indicates that the prognostic capacity of ELF3 is specific to cell-of-origin or lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Prakruthi Manjunatha
- grid.444321.40000 0004 0501 2828Department of Medical Electronics, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, 560054 Bangalore, India
| | - Shaurya Goyal
- grid.429017.90000 0001 0153 2859Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, 721302 Kharagpur, India
| | - Vignesh A Kasiviswanathan
- grid.512757.30000 0004 1761 9897Department of Biotechnology, JSS Science and Technology University, 570006 Mysore, India
| | - Yeshwanth Mahesh
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- grid.419655.a0000 0001 0008 3668Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, 506004 Warangal, India
| | - Isabelle McMullen
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA ,grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012, Bangalore, India.
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Loss of YB-1 alleviates liver fibrosis by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatic progenitor cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166510. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Eikmans M, van der Keur C, Anholts JDH, Drabbels JJM, van Beelen E, de Sousa Lopes SMC, van der Hoorn ML. Primary Trophoblast Cultures: Characterization of HLA Profiles and Immune Cell Interactions. Front Immunol 2022; 13:814019. [PMID: 35634345 PMCID: PMC9136060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.814019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Trophoblasts are essential in fetal-maternal interaction during pregnancy. The goal was to study HLA profiles of primary trophoblasts derived from placentas, and to investigate their usefulness in studying interaction with immune cells. Methods After enzymatic digestion of first-trimester placental tissue from seven donors (6-9 weeks gestation) and trophoblast enrichment we cultured cytotrophoblasts (CTB) in stem cell medium. CTB were differentiated into EVT in a Matrigel-containing medium. A subset of CTB/EVT was profiled for microRNA levels. Expression of classical HLA molecules and of HLA-G was studied by flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA. Secondary trophoblast cell lines JAR and JEG-3 were studied as controls. Lymphocytes were investigated during co-culturing with EVT. Results The trophoblasts could be easily maintained for several passages, upregulated classical trophoblast markers (GATA3, TFAP2C, chromosome-19 microRNAs), and upon differentiation to EVT they were selective in expressing HLA-C. EVT showed increasing expression of total HLA-G, an increasing proportion of HLA-G1 over G2- and G3 isoforms, and elevated excretion of soluble HLA-G. These features were distinct from those of the secondary trophoblast cell lines. TNF-α and IL-8 represented the most abundantly secreted cytokines by CTB, but their levels were minimal in EVT cultures. As proof of principle, we showed that EVT affect lymphocytes in three-day co-cultures (n=4) by decreasing activation marker HLA-DR. Conclusion We verified the possibility culturing trophoblasts from first-term placentas, and their capability of differentiating to HLA-G expressing EVT. This culture model better represents the in-vivo situation than previously studied secondary trophoblast cell lines and enables mechanistic studies of fetal-maternal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Michael Eikmans,
| | - Carin van der Keur
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Jos J. M. Drabbels
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Els van Beelen
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Sheridan MA, Zhao X, Fernando RC, Gardner L, Perez-Garcia V, Li Q, Marsh SGE, Hamilton R, Moffett A, Turco MY. Characterization of primary models of human trophoblast. Development 2021; 148:272500. [PMID: 34651188 PMCID: PMC8602945 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Two recently developed models, trophoblast organoids and trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), are useful tools to further the understanding of human placental development. Both differentiate from villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) to either extravillous trophoblast (EVT) or syncytiotrophoblast (SCT). Here, we compare the transcriptomes and miRNA profiles of these models to identify which trophoblast they resemble in vivo. Our findings indicate that TSCs do not readily undergo SCT differentiation and closely resemble cells at the base of the cell columns from where EVT derives. In contrast, organoids are similar to VCT and undergo spontaneous SCT differentiation. A defining feature of human trophoblast is that VCT and SCT are human leukocyte antigen (HLA) null, whereas EVT expresses HLA-C, -G and -E molecules. We find that trophoblast organoids retain these in vivo characteristics. In contrast, TSCs express classical HLA-A and HLA-B molecules, and maintain their expression after EVT differentiation, with upregulation of HLA-G. Furthermore, HLA expression in TSCs differs when grown in 3D rather than in 2D, suggesting that mechanical cues are important. Our results can be used to select the most suitable model for the study of trophoblast development, function and pathology. Summary: Characterization of trophoblast organoids and trophoblast stem cells as exciting models of human placentation enables the selection of the most suitable system to address specific research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Sheridan
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Xiaohui Zhao
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.,Department of Physiology, Neuroscience and Development, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Ridma C Fernando
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Lucy Gardner
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Vicente Perez-Garcia
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.,Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Eduardo Primo Yúfera, Valencia 46012, Spain
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Steven G E Marsh
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK.,UCL Cancer Institute, Royal Free Campus, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Russell Hamilton
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.,Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Ashley Moffett
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Margherita Y Turco
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
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Peng L, Li BY, Wang W, Gao XS, Zeng X, Luo DY. Identification of key genes in human urothelial cells corresponding to interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome in a lipopolysaccharide-induced cystitis model. Neurourol Urodyn 2021; 40:1720-1729. [PMID: 34245600 DOI: 10.1002/nau.24743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The cellular functions of bladder urothelial cells in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) have not been well revealed and understood. Thus, the study aims to identify key genes and significant pathways in urothelium corresponding to IC/BPS in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cystitis model and provide novel clues related to diagnosis and treatment of IC/BPS. METHODS Human urothelial cells (HUCs) were incubated with LPS (50 μg/ml for 24 h). Microarray was applied to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HUCs under LPS treatment and the control group. DEGs in the two groups were identified and then used for enrichment analysis. Subsequently, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network based on DEGs was constructed. Lastly, the top five key genes were identified through the Cytoscape (version 3.7.2) using the "Clustering Coefficient" algorithm. RESULTS One hundred and seventy-one DEGs (96 upregulated genes and 75 downregulated genes) were identified between the LPS treatment and control group. The established PPI network was composed of 169 nodes and 678 edges. Moreover, C19orf33, TRIM31, MUC21, ELF3, and IFI27 were identified as hub genes in the PPI network. Subsequently, a statistically increased expression level of TRIM31 and ELF3 was validated by real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in bladder tissues from 20 patients with IC/BPS. CONCLUSIONS TRIM31 and ELF3 may be the two hub genes in urothelium corresponding to IC/BPS. More studies are warranted to further validate the findings. The identified marker genes may be useful targets for further studies to develop diagnostic tools and more effective therapies for a broader group of women with IC/PBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liao Peng
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bo-Ya Li
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Shuai Gao
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao Zeng
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - De-Yi Luo
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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