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Role of Smarca5 (Snf2h) chromation remodeling ATPase in hematopoitic development and erythropoiesis
Kokavec, Juraj ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Divoký, Vladimír (referee) ; Kořínek, Vladimír (referee)
The Imitation Switch (ISWI) nuclear ATPase Smarca5 (Snf2h) is one of the most conserved chromatin remodeling factors. It exists in a variety of oligosubunit complexes that move DNA with respect to the histone octamer to generate regularly spaced nucleosomal arrays. Smarca5 interacts with different accessory proteins and represents a molecular motor for DNA replication, repair and transcription. We deleted Smarca5 at the onset of definitive hematopoiesis (Vav1-iCre) and observed that animals die during late fetal development due to anemia. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) accumulated but their maturation towards erythroid and myeloid lineages was inhibited. Proerythroblasts were dysplastic while basophilic erythroblasts were blocked in G2/M and depleted. Smarca5 deficiency led to increased p53 levels, its activation at two residues, one associated with DNA damage (S-18) second with CBP/p300 (K376Ac), and finally activation of the p53 targets. We also deleted Smarca5 in committed erythroid cells (Epor-iCre) and observed that animals were anemic postnatally. Furthermore, 4- OHT-mediated deletion of Smarca5 in the ex vivo cultures confirmed its requirement for erythroid cell proliferation. Thus, Smarca5 plays indispensable roles during early hematopoiesis and erythropoiesis.
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Differentiation plasticity of hematopoietic cells
Polgárová, Kamila ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Otáhal, Pavel (referee) ; Šálek, Cyril (referee)
Hematopoiesis has been for many years seen as a straightforward process based on sequential restriction of cell fate potential leading to production of mature blood cells. In the last decade, however, several works documented an unexpected plasticity of hematopoietic cells with expanded potential of myeloid development from lymphoid progenitors and vice versa. Under physiologic conditions hematopoiesis is tightly controlled and the definite cell fate is denominated by multiple factors that all lead to changes in regulatory networks that include transcription factors, epigenetic changes and post-transcriptional modulations. Any disruption of this strict regulation, caused by mutations or other events, affects the proliferation and lineage fidelity of hematopoietic precursors. This may lead to clonal growth of variable significance or leukemogenesis and may possibly affect the treatment sensitivity of the hematological malignancies. For better understanding of hematopoietic regulation we described gene expression changes during physiological development of lymphoid and myeloid lineages and in leukemic specimens using our own simplified real-time PCR based platform. We investigated expression of 95 genes connected with lymphoid and myeloid differentiation or with leukemogenesis in sorted hematopoietic...
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Analysis of cell signaling mediated by the adapter protein Daxx
Švadlenka, Jan ; Anděra, Ladislav (advisor) ; Forstová, Jitka (referee) ; Stopka, Tomáš (referee)
2 Abstract Multifunctional adapter protein and histone chaperone Daxx has been described in nu- merous cellular processes, including the regulation of apoptotic and stress signalling, antiviral response and processes connected to chromatin (e. g. transcription). Its influ- ence on chromatin-related processes is mainly carried out by several associated en- zymes, such as DNA-methyltransferase-1, histone deacetylases and chromatin- remodelling ATPase ATRX. In the complex with ATRX Daxx functions as a chaperone of histone-3.3, maintaining the constitutive heterochromatin e. g. at centromeric and telomeric regions. The main aim of this Thesis was a better understanding of the Daxx cellular functions through identification and functional characterization of its novel interacting proteins. Using the yeast two-hybrid screen, several such new Daxx-interacting proteins were identified. These proteins were mainly nuclear, connected to the regulation of chroma- tin-related processes. More detailed analysis focused on the interaction of Daxx with chromatin-remodelling ATPase Brg1. This interaction was confirmed both in vitro and in the cells, where Daxx and Brg1 associated mainly in high molecular weight pro- tein complexes. These likely chromatin-remodelling complexes contain, in addition to Brg1, several...
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Study of the regulatory properties of oncogenic microRNAs under normal and pathologically altered conditions in order to detect new tumors.
Dusílková, Nina Borisovna ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Machová Poláková, Kateřina (referee) ; Rohoň, Peter (referee)
Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that inhibit post-translational regulatory mechanisms at the epigenetic level. miRNAs are often deregulated in malignancies and due to their stability are detectable in non-cellular fractions of peripheral blood. In our laboratory, we have performed several studies that have investigated and utilized miRNAs as biomarkers for various hematological tumors (e.g., chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin`s lymphoma) and solid tumors (e.g., breast cancer). The aim of these studies was to find the association of miRNAs with pathophysiological and clinical aspects of each disease. Here, we confirmed the importance of particular miRNA or its complex during disease monitoring. Combining clinical, molecular biological and statistical analyses, we were able to find miRNA sets that fulfilled not only a diagnostic role but also a prognostic role beyond expectations. The main focus of this thesis is on the investigation of microRNAs in the diagnosis of a hematological malignancy - primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Tumor specificity of some miRNAs has been demonstrated. Their aberrant expression in tissue samples of CTCL patients obtained from skin biopsies, correctly distinguished malignant disease from control samples of benign skin lesions. Here, we...
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Small noncoding RNAs and their prognostic value in myelodysplastic syndromes
Hruštincová, Andrea ; Dostálová Merkerová, Michaela (advisor) ; Stopka, Tomáš (referee) ; Vymetálková, Veronika (referee)
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of bone marrow (BM) disorders characterized by ineffective haematopoiesis, BM dysplasia, and peripheral blood cytopenia. In recent years, substantial progress has been made towards understanding the molecular pathogenesis of MDS that has brought new possibilities in MDS diagnostics, prognostics, and treatment. Small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs), are in the field of scientific interest in terms of their expression, function, role in disease development, and potential utilization as disease biomarkers. Special attention has been focused on extracellular sncRNAs present in blood circulation, so called 'circulating' sncRNAs, which may become easily accessible biomarkers of disease state or risk of progression. We have conducted several studies on intracellular and extracellular sncRNA profiles of CD34+ BM cells and blood plasma, respectively, from MDS patients using microarrays or next generation sequencing (NGS). We aimed to identify specific sncRNA profiles associated with MDS and search for sncRNA biomarkers predictive of the patient prognosis and response to treatment with azacitidine (AZA). Another goal was to characterize and compare circulating sncRNA profiles of two different extracellular materials, total...
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The functional in vitro analysis of the BRCA1alternative splicing variants
Ševčík, Jan ; Kleibl, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Stopka, Tomáš (referee) ; Macůrek, Libor (referee)
BACKGROUND: The inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 is a predisposing factor for a breast/ovarian cancer development. Formation of cancer-specific alternative splicing variants with aberrant biological properties can represent additional mechanism decreasing the overall BRCA1 activity in DNA double strand break (DDSB) repair. In this study, we analyzed BRCA1 alternative splicing variants BRCA114-15 and 17-19 ascertained previously during the screening of high-risk breast cancer individuals. METHODS: We established a stable MCF-7 cell line-based model system for an in vitro analysis of BRCA1 variants. Using this system, we analyzed the impact of BRCA114-15 and 17-19 variants on DNA repair kinetics using comet assay and confocal immunomicroscopy. The capacity of DNA repair was assessed directly by an in vitro NHEJ assay and indirectly by a mitomycin C sensitivity test. The proliferation activities were determined by a clonogenic assay and growth curves. RESULTS: Overexpression of BRCA114-15 and 17-19 increases the endogenous level of DNA damage, slows down the DDSB repair, and decelerates the initial phase of radiation-induced foci formation and prolongs their persistence. Moreover, BRCA114-15 and 17-19 differentially influence the activity of HR and NHEJ and sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to ionizing...
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Role of the oncogenic microRNAs miR-17-92 and miR-155 in the regulation of hematopoietic differentiation and leukemogenesis
Pospíšil, Vít ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Pospíšek, Martin (referee) ; Machová Poláková, Kateřina (referee)
(English version): Hematopoietic differentiation is highly ordered multistep process, where generation of terminal blood cells is dependent upon coordinated regulation of gene expression by key regulators: transcription factors and mikroRNAs. PU.1 (Sfpi1) is a versatile hematopoetic transcription factor required for the proper generation of both myeloid and lymphoid lineages. MikroRNAs represent a novel class of ~22 nucleotide long non-coding posttranscriptional regulators that inhibit expression of genes by blocking protein translation or by mRNA degradation. In this PhD thesis I present research data documenting novel mechanisms of regulation and function of two oncogenic mikroRNAs, miR-17-92 cluster and miR-155 and myeloid transcriptional factors PU.1 upon macrophage differentiation of myeloid progenitors. The miR-17-92 cluster (Oncomir1) encodes seven related mikroRNAs that regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis and development and is overexpressed in number of malignancies including myeloid leukemia. Presented PhD thesis documents novel macrophage specific regulatory mechanisms involving the oncogenic cluster miR-17-92. Using transgenic PU.1-/- myeloid progenitors we show that upon macrophage differentiation, the transcription factor PU.1 induces the secondary determinant, the transcription...
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Transcription factor PU.1 is a target of 5-azacitidine during differentiation therapy of myelodysplastic syndrome
Čuřík, Nikola ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Kleibl, Zdeněk (referee) ; Trka, Jan (referee)
PU.1 is a key hematopoietic transcription factor. Knock-out of PU.1 in mouse is embryonic lethal due to complete depletion or several disruption of differentiation of multiple blood cell lineages. Low level of PU.1 and the disruption of its regulation are associated in vivo with acute myeloid leukemia and other hematologic malignancies. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is hematopoietic stem cell disorder with extremely heterogeneous features and outcome. It is characterized by improper differentiation of blood cells resulting in loss of function, dysplasia and blasts accumulation in bone marrow. About one third of MDS cases transforms into AML. MDS is also characterized by silencing of gene expression caused by aberrant DNA hypermethylation. Using DNA Methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) such as 5-azacitidine (AZA) has good clinical results for the MDS patients with higher risk of disease. Indeed, AZA became standard therapy of high risk MDS in recent years. Nonetheless, our understanding of molecular mechanisms of AZA remains incomplete. This PhD thesis reports about the role of transcription factor PU.1 in MDS. We found that significant subset of high risk MDS patients express low level of PU.1 due to DNA hypermethylation of PU.1 upstream regulatory element (URE). We also found significant...
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The role of transcription factors PU.1 a GATA-1 during leukemia differentiation.
Burda, Pavel ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Kořínek, Vladimír (referee) ; Machová Poláková, Kateřina (referee)
Hematopoiesis is coordinated by a complex regulatory network of transcription factors among them PU.1 (Spi1, Sfpi1) and GATA-1 represent key molecules. GATA-1 and PU.1 bind each other on DNA to block each others transcriptional programs to prevent development of undesired lineage during hematopoietic commitment. Murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells, transformed erythroid precursors that are blocked from completing the late stages of erythroid differentiation, co-express GATA-1 and PU.1 and as my and others data document, are able to respond to molecular removal (down-regulation) of PU.1 or addition (up-regulation) of GATA-1 by inducing terminal erythroid differentiation. We provide novel evidence that downregulation of GATA-1 or upregulation of PU.1 induces incompletely differentiation into cell cycle arrested monocytic-like cells. Furthermore, PU.1- dependent transcriptome is negatively regulated by GATA-1 in MEL cells, including CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (Cebpa) and Core-binding factor, beta subunit (Cbfb) that encode additional key hematopoietic transcription factors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays identified PU.1 motif sequences near Cebpa and Cbfb that are co-occupied by PU.1 and GATA-1 in the leukemic blasts. Furthermore, transcriptional regulation of these loci by...
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Pathophysiologic aspects of myelodysplastics syndromes in relation to the effect of targeted imunomodulation and demetylation therapy
Jonášová, Anna ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Maisnar, Vladimír (referee) ; Faber, Edgar (referee)
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a group of clonal stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, peripheral cytopenia, morphological dysplasia and the risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS belongs to one of the most common hematological diseases in patients over 60 years old. MDS incidence is still increasing. Appropriate therapy of MDS remains challenging. There is no curative approach besides peripheral stem cells transplantation, which is regretfully appropriate only for a small group of patients due to a higher median age of the MDS population. This is why the search for therapeutic alternatives remains paramount. MDS treatment was rather frustrating until the recent introduction of two new therapeutic approaches: immunomodulation therapy with lenalidomide and epigenetic or demethylating therapy with 5-azacytidine. Both new drugs have significantly higher effect than standard therapy. However, the precise mechanism of this effect remains unknown. As a result, we decided to initiate several research projects while introducing this promising treatment to our patients. Our aim is to investigate the mechanism of both agents in relation to disease pathogenesis by examining changes of certain occurrences and factors prior to and during the course of...
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