How to Use Online Tools to Generate New Hypotheses for Mammary Gland Biology Research: A Case Study for Wnt7b

Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome mRNA and miRNA Profiles Reveals Self-Protective Mechanism of Bovine MECs Induced by LPS

Many studies have investigated the molecular crosstalk between mastitis-pathogens and cows by either miRNA or mRNA profiles. Here, we employed both miRNA and mRNA profiles to understand the mechanisms of the response of bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by RNA-Seq. The total expression level of miRNAs increased while mRNAs reduced after LPS treatment. About 41 differentially expressed mRNAs and 45 differentially expressed miRNAs involved in inflammation were screened out. We found the NFκB-dependent chemokine, CXCL1, CXCL3, CXCL6, IL8, and CX3CL1 to be strongly induced. The anti-apoptosis was active because BCL2A1 and BIRC3 significantly increased with a higher expression. The effects of anti-microbe and inflammation were weakly activated because TNF, IL1, CCL20, CFB, S100A, MMP9, and NOS2A significantly increased but with a low expression, IL6 and β-defensin decreased. These activities were supervised by the NFKBIA to avoid excessive damage to bMECs. The bta-let-7a-5p, bta-miR-30a-5p, bta-miR-125b, and bta-miR-100 were essential to regulate infection process in bMECs after LPS induction. Moreover, the lactation potential of bMECs was undermined due to significantly downregulated SOSTDC1, WNT7B, MSX1, and bta-miR-2425-5p. In summary, bMECs may not be good at going head-to-head with the pathogens; they seem to be mainly charged with sending out signals for help and anti-apoptosis for maintaining lives after LPS induction.

Unraveling the Breast: Advances in Mammary Biology and Cancer Methods

The field of mammary gland biology and breast cancer research encompasses a wide range of topics and scientific questions, which span domains of molecular, cell and developmental biology, cancer research, and veterinary and human medicine, with interdisciplinary overlaps to non-biological domains. Accordingly, mammary gland and breast cancer researchers employ a wide range of molecular biology methods, in vitro techniques, in vivo approaches as well as in silico analyses. The list of techniques is ever-expanding; together with the refinement of established, staple techniques in the field, new technologies keep emerging thanks to technological advances and scientific creativity. This issue of the Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia represents a compilation of original articles and reviews focused on methods used in mammary gland biology and breast cancer research.