Establishment and Characterization of a Cell Line (S-RMS1) Derived from an Infantile Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma with Fusion Transcript.

: Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma (S-RMS) is a rare tumor that was previously considered as an uncommon variant of embryonal RMS (ERMS) and recently reclassified as a distinct RMS subtype with NCOA2, NCOA1, and VGLL2 fusion genes. In this study, we established a cell line (S-RMS1) derived from a four-month-old boy with infantile spindle cell RMS harboring gene fusion. : Morphological and molecular characteristics of S-RMS1 were analyzed and compared with two RMS cell lines, RH30 and RD18.

Alzheimer's brains show inter-related changes in RNA and lipid metabolism.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves changes in both lipid and RNA metabolism, but it remained unknown if these differences associate with AD's cognition and/or post-mortem neuropathology indices. Here, we report RNA-sequencing evidence of inter-related associations between lipid processing, cognition level, and AD neuropathology. In two unrelated cohorts, we identified pathway-enriched facilitation of lipid processing and alternative splicing genes, including the neuronal-enriched NOVA1 and hnRNPA1.

A sketch of known and novel MYCN-associated miRNA networks in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) originates from neural crest-derived precursors and represents the most common childhood extracranial solid tumour. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs that participate in a wide variety of biological processes by regulating gene expression, appear to play an essential role within the NB context. High-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) was applied to study the miRNA transcriptome in a cohort of NB tumours with and without MYCN-amplification (MNA and MNnA, respectively) and in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), as a control.

A Review of Research-Grade Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Qualification and Biobanking Processes.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) biobanks are invaluable resources for basic and clinical research, since they provide a sustainable supply of accessible cell lines that meet high quality and safety standards. hiPSCs are particularly useful for understanding disease mechanisms, creating cell models for drug development, and generating novel clinical therapies. For clinical applications and drug discovery, it is fundamental that the acquired pluripotent cell lines never touch animal-derived products nor xenogeneic reagents (Good Manufacturing Practice-grade); whereas for research grade, it is sufficient to operate under Good Laboratory Practice conditions.

BITS 2015: the annual meeting of the Italian Society of Bioinformatics.

This preface introduces the content of the BioMed Central journal Supplements related to the BITS 2015 meeting, held in Milan, Italy, from the 3 to the 5 of June, 2015.

Histone Modifications in a Mouse Model of Early Adversities and Panic Disorder: Role for Asic1 and Neurodevelopmental Genes.

Hyperventilation following transient, CO2-induced acidosis is ubiquitous in mammals and heritable. In humans, respiratory and emotional hypersensitivity to CO2 marks separation anxiety and panic disorders, and is enhanced by early-life adversities. Mice exposed to the repeated cross-fostering paradigm (RCF) of interference with maternal environment show heightened separation anxiety and hyperventilation to 6% CO2-enriched air.

In-depth characterization of breast cancer tumor-promoting cell transcriptome by RNA sequencing and microarrays.

Numerous studies have reported the existence of tumor-promoting cells (TPC) with self-renewal potential and a relevant role in drug resistance. However, pathways and modifications involved in the maintenance of such tumor subpopulations are still only partially understood. Sequencing-based approaches offer the opportunity for a detailed study of TPC including their transcriptome modulation.

Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing data from blood leukocytes derived from Parkinson's disease patients prior to and following deep brain stimulation treatment.

Recent evidence demonstrates the power of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) for identifying valuable and urgently needed blood biomarkers and advancing both early and accurate detection of neurological diseases, and in particular Parkinson's disease (PD). RNA sequencing technology enables non-biased, high throughput, probe-independent inspection of expression data and high coverage and both quantification of global transcript levels as well as the detection of expressed exons and junctions given a sufficient sequencing depth (coverage). However, the analysis of sequencing data frequently presents a bottleneck.

Preface: BITS2014, the annual meeting of the Italian Society of Bioinformatics.

This Preface introduces the content of the BioMed Central journal Supplements related to BITS2014 meeting, held in Rome, Italy, from the 26th to the 28th of February, 2014.

Deep Sequencing the microRNA profile in rhabdomyosarcoma reveals down-regulation of miR-378 family members.

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly malignant tumour accounting for nearly half of soft tissue sarcomas in children. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of short, non-coding, regulatory RNAs which play a critical role in different cellular processes. Altered miRNA levels have been reported in human cancers, including RMS.

Emerging bioinformatics approaches for analysis of NGS-derived coding and non-coding RNAs in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases in general and specifically late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) involve a genetically complex and largely obscure ensemble of causative and risk factors accompanied by complex feedback responses. The advent of "high-throughput" transcriptome investigation technologies such as microarray and deep sequencing is increasingly being combined with sophisticated statistical and bioinformatics analysis methods complemented by knowledge-based approaches such as Bayesian Networks or network and graph analyses. Together, such "integrative" studies are beginning to identify co-regulated gene networks linked with biological pathways and potentially modulating disease predisposition, outcome, and progression.

Long non-coding RNA and alternative splicing modulations in Parkinson's leukocytes identified by RNA sequencing.

The continuously prolonged human lifespan is accompanied by increase in neurodegenerative diseases incidence, calling for the development of inexpensive blood-based diagnostics. Analyzing blood cell transcripts by RNA-Seq is a robust means to identify novel biomarkers that rapidly becomes a commonplace. However, there is lack of tools to discover novel exons, junctions and splicing events and to precisely and sensitively assess differential splicing through RNA-Seq data analysis and across RNA-Seq platforms.

Impact of different ChIP-Seq protocols on DNA integrity and quality of bioinformatics analysis results.

Different ChIP-Seq protocols may have a significant impact on the final outcome in terms of quality, number and distribution of called peaks. Sample DNA undergoes a long procedure before the final sequencing step, and damaged DNA can result in excessive mismatches in the alignment with reference genome. In this letter, we present the effect of well-defined modifications (timing of formaldehyde crosslink reversal, brand of the sonicator) of standard ChIP-Seq protocol on parallel samples derived from the same cell line correlating the initial DNA quality control metrics to the final bioinformatics analysis results.

Mutations in the FOG2/ZFPM2 gene are associated with anomalies of human testis determination.

In recent years, considerable advances have been made in our understanding of genetics of mammalian gonad development; however, the underlying genetic aetiology in the majority of patients with 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) still remains unknown. Based on mouse models, it has been hypothesized that haploinsufficiency of the Friend of GATA 2 (FOG2) gene could lead to 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis on specific inbred genetic backgrounds. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified independent missense mutations in FOG2 in two patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis.

Small noncoding RNAs in cells transformed by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1: a role for a tRNA fragment as a primer for reverse transcriptase.

Unlabelled: The present study employed mass sequencing of small RNA libraries to identify the repertoire of small noncoding RNAs expressed in normal CD4(+) T cells compared to cells transformed with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). The results revealed distinct patterns of microRNA expression in HTLV-1-infected CD4(+) T-cell lines with respect to their normal counterparts. In addition, a search for virus-encoded microRNAs yielded 2 sequences that originated from the plus strand of the HTLV-1 genome.

Genome-wide analysis of histone marks identifying an epigenetic signature of promoters and enhancers underlying cardiac hypertrophy.

Cardiac hypertrophy, initially an adaptive response of the myocardium to stress, can progress to heart failure. The epigenetic signature underlying this phenomenon is poorly understood. Here, we report on the genome-wide distribution of seven histone modifications in adult mouse cardiomyocytes subjected to a prohypertrophy stimulus in vivo.

Transient exposure to low levels of insecticide affects metabolic networks of honeybee larvae.

The survival of a species depends on its capacity to adjust to changing environmental conditions, and new stressors. Such new, anthropogenic stressors include the neonicotinoid class of crop-protecting agents, which have been implicated in the population declines of pollinating insects, including honeybees (Apis mellifera). The low-dose effects of these compounds on larval development and physiological responses have remained largely unknown.

Estrogen-dependent dynamic profile of eNOS-DNA associations in prostate cancer.

In previous work we have documented the nuclear translocation of endothelial NOS (eNOS) and its participation in combinatorial complexes with Estrogen Receptor Beta (ERβ) and Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIFs) that determine localized chromatin remodeling in response to estrogen (E2) and hypoxia stimuli, resulting in transcriptional regulation of genes associated with adverse prognosis in prostate cancer (PCa). To explore the role of nuclear eNOS in the acquisition of aggressive phenotype in PCa, we performed ChIP-Sequencing on chromatin-associated eNOS from cells from a primary tumor with poor outcome and from metastatic LNCaP cells. We found that: 1.

Deep-sequencing of endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia reveals the complexity of known and novel microRNAs.

In order to understand the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in vascular physiopathology, we took advantage of deep-sequencing techniques to accurately and comprehensively profile the entire miRNA population expressed by endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia. SOLiD sequencing of small RNAs derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to 1% O₂ or normoxia for 24 h yielded more than 22 million reads per library. A customized bioinformatic pipeline identified more than 400 annotated microRNA/microRNA* species with a broad abundance range: miR-21 and miR-126 totaled almost 40% of all miRNAs.

Modulation of microRNA expression in human T-cell development: targeting of NOTCH3 by miR-150.

Ontogenesis of T cells in the thymus is a complex process whose molecular control is poorly understood. The present study investigated microRNAs involved in human thymocyte differentiation by comparing the microRNA expression profiles of thymocytes at the double-positive, single-positive CD4(+) and single-positive CD8(+) maturation stages. Microarray analysis showed that each thymocyte population displays a distinct microRNA expression profile that reflects their developmental relationships.

High-definition mapping of retroviral integration sites identifies active regulatory elements in human multipotent hematopoietic progenitors.

Integration of retroviral vectors in the human genome follows nonrandom patterns that favor insertional deregulation of gene expression and increase the risk of their use in clinical gene therapy. The molecular basis of retroviral target site selection is still poorly understood. We used deep sequencing technology to build genomewide, high-definition maps of > 60 000 integration sites of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV)- and HIV-based retroviral vectors in the genome of human CD34(+) multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and used gene expression profiling, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and bioinformatics to associate integration to genetic and epigenetic features of the HPC genome.

RSSsite: a reference database and prediction tool for the identification of cryptic Recombination Signal Sequences in human and murine genomes.

Recombination signal sequences (RSSs) flanking V, D and J gene segments are recognized and cut by the VDJ recombinase during development of B and T lymphocytes. All RSSs are composed of seven conserved nucleotides, followed by a spacer (containing either 12 +/- 1 or 23 +/- 1 poorly conserved nucleotides) and a conserved nonamer. Errors in V(D)J recombination, including cleavage of cryptic RSS outside the immunoglobulin and T cell receptor loci, are associated with oncogenic translocations observed in some lymphoid malignancies.

An Ariadne's thread to the identification and annotation of noncoding RNAs in eukaryotes.

Non-protein coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as a vast and heterogeneous portion of eukaryotic transcriptomes. Several ncRNA families, either short (<200 nucleotides, nt) or long (>200 nt), have been described and implicated in a variety of biological processes, from translation to gene expression regulation and nuclear trafficking. Most probably, other families are still to be discovered.

A transcriptional sketch of a primary human breast cancer by 454 deep sequencing.

Background: The cancer transcriptome is difficult to explore due to the heterogeneity of quantitative and qualitative changes in gene expression linked to the disease status. An increasing number of "unconventional" transcripts, such as novel isoforms, non-coding RNAs, somatic gene fusions and deletions have been associated with the tumoral state. Massively parallel sequencing techniques provide a framework for exploring the transcriptional complexity inherent to cancer with a limited laboratory and financial effort.