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Stachon T, Latta L, Fries FN, Seitz B, Szentmáry N. Secondary Data Analysis of Inflammation-Related mRNAs in Conjunctival Impression Cytology Samples of Aniridia Patients. Cornea 2024; 43:627-634. [PMID: 38147570 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000003454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Aniridia is a rare corneal disease that is often associated with aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK). In AAK, the conjunctival tissue crosses the limbal border, forming a corneal pannus that extends into the corneal center. With increasing AAK severity, corneal pannus formation, vascularization, and ocular surface inflammation increase. The purpose of this study was to investigate inflammation-related mRNA expression in conjunctival epithelial cells in AAK and its relationship with AAK severity. METHODS Using impression cytology, bulbar conjunctival cells were sampled from 20 subjects with congenital aniridia and 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy control subjects. RNA was extracted, and mRNA analyses were performed using microarray, which was evaluated for inflammatory markers. RESULTS In the analyzed aniridia subjects, 70 deregulated mRNAs encoding proinflammatory or antiinflammatory cytokines or factors associated with chronic inflammation, including increased IL-1, IL-8, and MIP3A/CCL20 mRNA. The most downregulated mRNA was TIMP3, and the most upregulated mRNA was Protein c-Fos.Of the 70 mRNAs, 14 inflammation-related genes were altered only in the mild AAK forms, whereas only 2 mRNAs were altered only in the severe AAK forms (TLR4 and PPARG). CONCLUSIONS The expression of numerous proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines is deregulated at the ocular surface of aniridia subjects with mild AAK. Thus, early antiinflammatory treatment may prevent or slow down corneal scarring and pannus formation in aniridia subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Stachon
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Homburg, Saarland, Germany; and
| | - Lorenz Latta
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Homburg, Saarland, Germany; and
| | - Fabian N Fries
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
| | - Berthold Seitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
| | - Nóra Szentmáry
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Homburg, Saarland, Germany; and
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Oortveld MAW, van Vlijmen-Willems IMJJ, Kersten FFJ, Cheng T, Verdoes M, van Erp PEJ, Verbeek S, Reinheckel T, Hendriks WJAJ, Schalkwijk J, Zeeuwen PLJM. Cathepsin B as a potential cystatin M/E target in the mouse hair follicle. FASEB J 2017; 31:4286-4294. [PMID: 28596234 PMCID: PMC5602906 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700267r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Deficiency of the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin M/E (Cst6) in mice leads to disturbed epidermal cornification, impaired barrier function, and neonatal lethality. We report the rescue of the lethal skin phenotype of ichq (Cst6-deficient; Cst6−/−) mice by transgenic, epidermis-specific, reexpression of Cst6 under control of the human involucrin (INV) promoter. Rescued Tg(INV-Cst6)Cst6ichq/ichq mice survive the neonatal phase, but display severe eye pathology and alopecia after 4 mo. We observed keratitis and squamous metaplasia of the corneal epithelium, comparable to Cst6−/−Ctsl+/− mice, as we have reported in other studies. We found the INV promoter to be active in the hair follicle infundibulum; however, we did not observe Cst6 protein expression in the lower regions of the hair follicle in Tg(INV-Cst6)Cst6ichq/ichq mice. This result suggests that unrestricted activity of proteases is involved in disturbance of hair follicle biology, eventually leading to baldness. Using quenched activity-based probes, we identified mouse cathepsin B (CtsB), which is expressed in the lower regions of the hair follicle, as an additional target of mouse Cst6. These data suggest that Cst6 is necessary to control CtsB activity in hair follicle morphogenesis and highlight Cst6-controlled proteolytic pathways as targets for preventing hair loss.—Oortveld, M. A. W., van Vlijmen-Willems, I. M. J. J., Kersten, F. F. J., Cheng, T., Verdoes, M., van Erp, P. E. J., Verbeek, S., Reinheckel, T., Hendriks, W. J. A. J., Schalkwijk, J., Zeeuwen, P. L. J. M. Cathepsin B as a potential cystatin M/E target in the mouse hair follicle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel A W Oortveld
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ivonne M J J van Vlijmen-Willems
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ferry F J Kersten
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tsing Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Verdoes
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Piet E J van Erp
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sjef Verbeek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Reinheckel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wiljan J A J Hendriks
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Schalkwijk
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Patrick L J M Zeeuwen
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
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Yan J, Diaz J, Jiao J, Wang R, You J. Perturbation of BRD4 protein function by BRD4-NUT protein abrogates cellular differentiation in NUT midline carcinoma. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:27663-75. [PMID: 21652721 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.246975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) belongs to a class of highly lethal and poorly differentiated epithelial cancers arising mainly in human midline organs. NMC is caused by the chromosome translocation-mediated fusion of the NUT (nuclear protein in testis) gene on chromosome 15 to a few other genes, most frequently the BRD4 gene on chromosome 19. The mechanism by which the BRD4-NUT fusion product blocks NMC cellular differentiation and contributes to oncogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we show that BRD4-NUT and BRD4 colocalize in discrete nuclear foci that are hyperacetylated but transcriptionally inactive. BRD4-NUT recruits histone acetyltransferases to induce histone hyperacetylation in these chromatin foci, which provide docking sites for accumulation of additional BRD4 and associated P-TEFB (positive transcription elongation factor b) complexes in the transcriptionally inactive BRD4-NUT foci. These molecular events lead to repression of a BRD4·P-TEFB downstream target gene c-fos, a component of activator protein 1 (AP-1), that directly regulates epithelial differentiation. Knockdown of BRD4-NUT in NMC cells disperses the transcriptionally inactive chromatin foci and releases the transcriptional activators to stimulate c-fos expression, leading to restoration of cellular differentiation. Our study provides a novel mechanism by which the BRD4-NUT oncogene perturbs BRD4 functions to block cellular differentiation and to contribute to the oncogenic progression in the highly aggressive NMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Yan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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