Transcription factors (TFs) are ubiquitous gene expression regulators and play essential roles in almost all biological processes. This Ph.D. project is primarily focused on the functional characterisation of MYB112 - a member of the R2R3-MYB TF family from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This gene was selected due to its increased expression during senescence based on previous qRT-PCR expression profiling experiments of 1880 TFs in Arabidopsis leaves at three developmental stages (15 mm leaf, 30 mm leaf and 20% yellowing leaf). MYB112 promoter GUS fusion lines were generated to further investigate the expression pattern of MYB112. Employing transgenic approaches in combination with metabolomics and transcriptomics we demonstrate that MYB112 exerts a major role in regulation of plant flavonoid metabolism. We report enhanced and impaired anthocyanin accumulation in MYB112 overexpressors and MYB112-deficient mutants, respectively. Expression profiling reveals that MYB112 acts as a positive regulator of the transcription factor PAP1 leading to increased anthocyanin biosynthesis, and as a negative regulator of MYB12 and MYB111, which both control flavonol biosynthesis. We also identify MYB112 early responsive genes using a combination of several approaches. These include gene expression profiling (Affymetrix ATH1 micro-arrays and qRT-PCR) and transactivation assays in leaf mesophyll cell protoplasts. We show that MYB112 binds to an 8-bp DNA fragment containing the core sequence (A/T/G)(A/C)CC(A/T)(A/G/T)(A/C)(T/C). By electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to qPCR (ChIP-qPCR) we demonstrate that MYB112 binds in vitro and in vivo to MYB7 and MYB32 promoters revealing them as direct downstream target genes. MYB TFs were previously reported to play an important role in controlling flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. Many factors acting upstream of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway show enhanced expression levels during nitrogen limitation, or elevated sucrose content. In addition to the mentioned conditions, other environmental parameters including salinity or high light stress may trigger anthocyanin accumulation. In contrast to several other MYB TFs affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway genes, MYB112 expression is not controlled by nitrogen limitation, or carbon excess, but rather is stimulated by salinity and high light stress. Thus, MYB112 constitutes a previously uncharacterised regulatory factor that modifies anthocyanin accumulation under conditions of abiotic stress. / Transkriptionsfaktoren (TFs) sind ubiquitäre Regulatoren der Genexpression und spielen eine essentielle Rolle in nahezu allen biologischen Prozessen. Diese Doktorarbeit hat vor allem die funktionelle Charakterisierung von MYB112 zum Thema, einem Mitglied der R2R3-MYB-TF-Familie aus der Modellpflanze Arabidopsis thaliana. Ausgesucht wurde das Gen aufgrund seiner erhöhten Expression in seneszenten Blättern, basierend auf vorangegangenen qRT-PCR Expressions-Profiling Experimenten für 1880 TFs in Arabidopsis Blättern aus drei Entwicklungsstadien (15 mm Blatt, 30 mm Blatt und 20 % vergilbtes Blatt). MYB112-Promotor-GUS-Fusionslinien wurden generiert um das Expressionsmuster von MYB112 detailliert zu untersuchen. Unter Zuhilfenahme transgener Ansätze in Kombination mit Metabolomics und Transcriptomics können wir zeigen, dass MYB112 eine wichtige Rolle in der Regulation des pflanzlichen Flavonoid-Metabolismus spielt. In MYB112 Überexpressoren und MYB112-defizienten Mutanten kommt es zu erhöhter bzw. verminderter Anthocyanin-Akkumulation. Expressions-Profiling zeigt, dass MYB112 einerseits als ein positiver Regulator des Transkriptionsfaktors PAP1 fungiert, was zu einer erhöhten Anthocyanin-Biosynthese führt, andererseits als negativer Regulator von MYB12 und MYB111 auftritt, welche beide die Flavonol-Biosynthese kontrollieren. Wir haben früh auf MYB112 reagierende Gene durch eine Kombination verschiedener Ansätze identifiziert. Diese umfassen Genexpressions-Profiling (Affymetrix ATH1 Microarrays und qRT-PCR) und Transaktivierungs-Experimente in Mesophyll-Protoplasten aus Blättern. Wir zeigen, dass MYB112 an eine 8-bp DNA-Fragment, welches die Kernsequenz (A/T/G)(A/C)CC(A/T)(A/G/T)(A/C)(T/C) aufweist. Mit Hilfe von Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) und Chromatin-Immunopräzipitation gekoppelt mit qPCR (ChIP-qPCR) zeigen wir, dass MYB112 in vitro und in vivo an die Promotoren von MYB7 und MYB32 bindet was sie damit als direkte Zielgene von MYB112 identifiziert. Es wurde bereits gezeigt, dass MYB TFs eine wichtige Rolle bei der Kontrolle der Flavonoid-Biosynthese in Pflanzen haben. Viele Faktoren, die oberhalb des Anthocyanin-Biosyntheseweges agieren, werden bei Stickstofflimitierung oder erhöhter Saccharose-Konzentration auch verstärkt exprimiert. Außer den erwähnten Bedingungen können auch andere Umweltparameter, wie z. B. erhöhter Salzgehalt und Starklicht zu erhöhter Expression führen. Im Gegensatz jedoch zu einigen anderen MYB TFs, die einen Einfluss auf Gene des Anthocyanin-Biosyntheseweges ausüben, ist die Expression von MYB112 nicht durch Stickstoff-Limitierung oder Kohlenstoffüberfluss kontrolliert, sondern wird durch erhöhten Salzgehalt sowie Starklicht stimuliert. Somit ist MYB112 ein neuer Regulator, der eine Anthocyanin-Akkumulation unter abiotischen Stressbedingungen kontrolliert.

Mit der Entdeckung des Selens als essentielles Spurenelement und der Glutathionperoxidase als Selenoenzym sowie der Tatsache, daû Selenmangel relativ weit verbreitet ist, wurde erstmals ein Zusammenhang zu einigen schweren Erkrankungen hergestellt (Keshan-Krankheit, Kaschin-Beck-Syndrom). Interessant ist dabei, daû sich trotz dieser und anderer bekannter Selenmangelerkrankungen eine Therapie in der Humanmedizin nur langsam zu etablieren beginnt, waÈ hrend die Selensupplementation in der VeterinaÈ rmedizin bereits Standard ist. Die Autoren beschaÈ ftigen sich seit 1990 mit der Rolle des Spurenelements Selen bei septischen Krankheitsbildern in der Intensivmedizin, beim ReperfusionsphaÈnomen nach gefaÈûchirurgischen Eingriffen und in der Onkologie. Sie konnten zeigen, daû die adjuvante Therapie der akuten Pankreatitis und der Sepsis mit Natriumselenit einen positiven Effekt auf das Outcome der Patienten zu haben scheint (eine multizentrische, doppelblinde, randomisierte Sepsisstudie zur Validierung dieser Ergebnisse ist in Vorbereitung). Neue Erkenntnisse zur Beeinflussung von Transkriptionsfaktoren durch Selen bei systemischem Inflammationssyndrom und Sepsis erlauben eine wissenschaftlich fundierte Interpretation der klinischen Ergebnisse. Weitere molekularbiologische Untersuchungen werden das Spurenelement Selen zu einem der interessantesten Forschungsprojekte der naÈ chsten 10 Jahre in Intensivmedizin und Onkologie machen. / Since selenium was discovered as an essential trace element being widely distributed, and since glutathione peroxidase is known as a selenoenzyme, associations with several severe diseases were established (Keshan disease, Kaschin-Beck syndrome). Despite these known selenium deficiency diseases a related human therapy is still not established so far. In veterinary medicine, however, substitution of selenium is already a standard therapy. Our laboratory investigates the role of selenium since 1990. This includes investigations about the effects of selenium in acute inflammatory diseases in intensive care, in the reperfusion phenomenon following vascular surgery, and in oncology. In acute pancreatitis and sepsis, adjuvant therapy using sodium selenite seems to have positive effects on the overall outcome of patients (a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial on sepsis is being prepared). New findings concerning the influence of selenium on transcription factors in inflammatory processes will permit a scientifically sound interpretation of clinical results. With further investigations in molecular biology the trace element selenium will become, in the next decade, one of the most interesting topics in intensive care and oncology. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Photoreceptors are sensory neurons in our eyes’ retinas that convert light into electrochemical signals thus allowing us to see the world around us. Human retinas have two types of photoreceptors: rods important for night vision and cones important for high-acuity daylight vision. In some retinal diseases, photoreceptors degenerate leaving patients visually impaired or even blind. One of the promising therapeutic approaches is cell therapy, which acts by supporting surviving or by substituting lost photoreceptors by transplanting donor photoreceptors produced in vitro. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent a favorable donor cell source for transplantation, as they are patient-specific and have the ability to self-renew. While photoreceptors isolated from human retinal organoids represent bona fide cells for cell therapy, long time needed for their production, which coincides with developmental time, hampers their clinical application. Another approach for hiPSC differentiation is by overexpressing different transcription factors (TFs), the so-called forward programming. Although proved fast and efficient in producing multiple neuronal cell types, efficient forward programming protocols for engineering photoreceptors were so far not established. Therefore, aim of my thesis was to find TFs that drive in vitro photoreceptor differentiation from hiPSCs and to establish a fast forward programming protocol for producing photoreceptors in high yields. To find TFs that drive photoreceptor differentiation, I performed a TF-library-on-library screening in a reporter hiPSC line. The reporter hiPSCs expressed fluorescent markers only if synthetic photoreceptor-specific promoters were activated, i.e. in case of photoreceptor differentiation. The specificity of the reporter was confirmed in human retinal organoids. For the screening, I transduced the reporter cell line with two lentiviral libraries: a biased one consisting of 16 TFs known from in vivo photoreceptor development and an unbiased one consisting of 1756 TFs. After overexpressing TFs, cells that activated photoreceptor promoters were fluorescently sorted and analyzed. As 80 % of the sorted cells were positive for photoreceptor-specific genes, the screening was highly specific. Furthermore, the screening identified TFs that I validated in the reporter cell line as single, double and triple combinations to find the most efficient one in driving photoreceptor differentiation. The double combination of OTX2 and NEUROD1, known players in photoreceptor development, activated the cone reporter in 10 % of the cells, while additional overexpression of GON4L increased the activation to 25 %. GON4L was never before associated with photoreceptor development showing that in vitro differentiation might be uncoupled from its in vivo counterpart. The cone differentiation efficiency was increased to 50% by treating the cells with AraC, a cell cycle inhibitor that removes all proliferating cells from the cultures. Whether the cell will activate the cone reporter depended on expression levels of individual TFs. Higher and unequal levels, with NEUROD1 having the highest expression, were favorable for obtaining cells with activated cone reporter. Thus, by producing monoclonal cell lines, I identified competent clones with differentiation efficiencies higher than that of a polyclonal cell line and going up to 58%. Except activating the cone reporter, the cone precursor-like cells differentiated from hiPSCs by overexpressing the three TFs OTX2, NEUROD1 and GON4L acquired neuronal morphology and expressed photoreceptor precursor markers. As precursors are the optimal developmental time point for transplantation studies, the engineered cells were transplanted into mouse model of cone degeneration to assess their possible therapeutic potential. Some of the transplanted cells survived in vivo in the subretinal space but did not show any maturation or integration into the remaining retinal circuitry. Thus, further maturation of the cells in vitro is needed before the transplantation. So far, cone precursor-like cells showed ability to mature in vitro when co-cultured with retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from hPSCs and when cultured in presence of additional previously published growth factors. Therefore, changing culturing conditions from stem cell to photoreceptor-specific showed beneficial for further in vitro maturation and paved the way for further research. In conclusion, this study advanced TF-mediated cone photoreceptor engineering. It showed that overexpressing the three TFs OTX2, NEUROD1 and GON4L is enough to push differentiation of more than 50% of hiPSCs into cone precursor-like cells in only 10 days. Additional research to improve maturity and homogeneity of engineered cells – overexpressing additional TFs and changing culturing conditions is ongoing. Fast and efficient protocol established in this study is beneficial for bringing in vitro differentiated cone photoreceptors closer to their commercial application. Such engineered cones could be used as biomedical testbeds for drug discovery and research and represent a promising donor material for cell transplantation to treat blindness.

For self-renewal, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) require the expression of specific transcription factors accompanied by a particular chromosome organization to maintain a balance between pluripotency and the capacity for rapid differentiation. However, how transcriptional regulation is linked to chromosome organization in ESCs is not well understood. Here we show that the cohesin component RAD21 exhibits a functional role in maintaining ESC identity through association with the pluripotency transcriptional network. ChIP-seq analyses of RAD21 reveal an ESC specific cohesin binding pattern that is characterized by CTCF independent co-localization of cohesin with pluripotency related transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Esrrb and Klf4. Upon ESC differentiation, most of these binding sites disappear and instead new CTCF independent RAD21 binding sites emerge, which are enriched for binding sites of transcription factors implicated in early differentiation. Furthermore, knock-down of RAD21 causes expression changes that are similar to expression changes after Nanog depletion, demonstrating the functional relevance of the RAD21 - pluripotency transcriptional network association. Finally, we show that Nanog physically interacts with the cohesin or cohesin interacting proteins STAG1 and WAPL further substantiating this association. Based on these findings we propose that a dynamic placement of cohesin by pluripotency transcription factors contributes to a chromosome organization supporting the ESC expression program.

No description available.

Derzeit wird die Anwendung von Erythropoietin (Epo) zur Neuroprotektion in präklinischen und klinischen Studien intensiv untersucht. Für die Neuroprotektion ist die Regulation des Erythropoietin-Rezeptors (EpoR) in neuronalen Zellen von hoher Relevanz. In dieser Arbeit wurden die transkriptionellen Mechanismen der EpoR-Regulation in humanen Neuroblastom-Zellen SH-SY5Y mit neuronalem Phänotyp untersucht. Da der hämatopoietische Transkriptionsfaktor GATA-1 die EpoR-Transkription in erythroiden Vorläuferzellen in Kooperation mit Sp1 stimuliert, wurde die Rolle der in neuronalen Vorläuferzellen exprimierten GATA-Transkriptionsfaktoren bei der EpoR-Expression untersucht. Es wurde eine in vitro Bindung von GATA-2, -3 und -4 an zwei Motive in der EpoR 5’-flankierenden Region (-274/-271; -47/-44) nachgewiesen. In Reportergen-Assays zeigten diese Genabschnitte eine bis zu 4,8-fache Aktivitätssteigerung bei Überexpression von GATA-2, -3 oder -4. Die endogene EpoR mRNA-Expression wurde dadurch aber nicht erhöht. Hypoxie (2% O2, 3 d) erhöhte die EpoR-Expression signifikant (1,8-fach, p < 0,01), wobei überexprimierte GATA-Transkriptionsfaktoren diesen Effekt nicht weiter steigerten. Die Gabe von Epo (5 U/ml, 3 d) hatte weder unter Normoxie noch unter Hypoxie einen Einfluss auf die EpoR-Expression. Die Promotoraktivität der Reporterkonstrukte wurde durch Mutation der GATA-Bindungsstellen nicht verändert, jedoch bei mutierter Sp1-Bindungsstelle inhibiert. Ein Fragment der 5’-flankierenden Region (-449/-285), das ein Cluster von Bindungsstellen für unterschiedliche Transkriptionsfaktoren enthält, zeigte die stärkste Promotoraktivität und rekrutierte offenbar die RNA-Polymerase II. In unserem Modell spielen die GATA-Faktoren keine direkte Rolle für die EpoR-Genregulation in neuronalen Vorläuferzellen. Die EpoR mRNA-Expression wird eher durch einen Komplex aus verschiedenen Transkriptionsfaktoren reguliert, der an eine 5’ des minimalen Promotors liegende DNA-Region zu binden scheint. / Since the use of erythropoietin (Epo) as neuroprotective agent is currently intensively studied in preclinical and clinical trials, regulatory mechanisms of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) in neuronal cells are of particular interest. In this study, the transcriptional mechanisms of EpoR regulation were analyzed in human neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y cells, which exhibit a neuronal phenotype. Considering that the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA-1 stimulates EpoR transcription in cooperation with Sp1 in erythroid progenitors, the role of other GATA family members expressed in neuronal precursor cells were studied. In vitro, GATA-2, -3 and -4 were found to bind to two consensus motifs within the EpoR 5’-flanking region (-274/-271 and -47/-44). In reporter gene assays, these regions showed an up to 4.8-fold induction if GATA-2, -3 or -4 were overexpressed. However, forced expression of GATA-2, -3 and -4 did not enhance endogenous EpoR mRNA expression. Under hypoxia (2% O2, 3 d), EpoR expression was significantly upregulated in SH-SY5Y cells (1.8-fold, p < 0.01), but not further increased by the additional overexpression of the GATA factors. Incubation of the SH-SY5Y cells with recombinant Epo (5 U/ml, 3 d) had no effect on the EpoR expression under normoxia or hypoxia. The promoter activities of the reporter constructs were not changed by mutations in the GATA sites, but abolished by mutations of Sp1 binding sites. A fragment (-449/-285) of the 5’-flanking region that contains a cluster of binding sites for various transcription factors showed strongest promoter activity and was obviously directing the recruitment of RNA polymerase II. We conclude that GATA factors do not play a major role in regulating EpoR expression in our model for neuronal precursor cells. EpoR mRNA expression is rather regulated by a complex of various transcription factors, which may bind to a region upstream of the minimal promoter.

Das Neuroblastom, ein embryonaler Tumor des sympathischen Nervensystems, stellt durch seine außerordentliche Heterogenität klinisch eine große Herausforderung dar. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Expression der GATA-Transkriptionsfaktoren GATA-2, -3, -4 und des Kofaktors friend-of-GATA (FOG)-2 im Neuroblastom und im sich entwickelnden sympathischen Nervensystem zu vergleichen. Davon ausgehend wurde die Rolle der Proteine im Neuroblastom näher untersucht. Es wurde gezeigt, dass alle vier Proteine in humanem Neuroblastom-Gewebe sowie in einer humanen Neuroblastom-Zelllinie (SH-SY5Y) exprimiert werden und nukleär lokalisiert sind. Lediglich Gata-4 wurde jedoch im sich entwickelnden sympathischen Nervensystem der Maus nicht exprimiert. Die Einzigartigkeit von GATA-4 bestätigte sich auch durch Microarray-Analysen von 251 Neuroblastom-Proben. Während GATA-2, -3 und FOG-2 signifikant mit Markern für eine günstige Prognose assoziiert wurden, korrelierte die GATA-4 Expression mit MYCN-Amplifikation. Interessanterweise führte die lentivirale Überexpression von GATA-4 zu einer Proliferationsinhibition humaner Neuroblastomzellen (SH-SY5Y und SH-EP) sowie zu der verstärkten Expression von DPYSL3 und Bcl-2. Zudem konnte durch das Differenzierungsagens Retinsäure die GATA-4 Expression induziert werden. So wurde in dieser Arbeit bestätigt, dass normale Entwicklungsprozesse in prognostisch günstigen Neuroblastomen intakt sind. Umgekehrt sind in Tumoren mit schlechterer Prognose diese Prozesse gestört. Die in vitro verlangsamte Proliferation sowie die Induktion von Bcl-2 nach Überexpression von GATA-4 könnten in vivo bei der schlechteren Therapierbarkeit der prognostisch ungünstigen Neuroblastome eine Rolle spielen. Es ist bekannt, dass die Behandlung mit Retinsäure u. a. durch Bcl-2 zu einer Chemoresistenz führen kann. Da die Expression von GATA-4 durch Retinsäure induziert werden und GATA-4 die Expression von Bcl-2 verstärken kann, könnte GATA-4 an der Chemoresistenz beteiligt sein. / Neuroblastoma, an embryonal tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, remains clinically challenging due to its extreme heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to compare the expression of GATA transcription factors GATA-2, -3, -4 and the cofactor friend-of-GATA (FOG)-2 in neuroblastoma and in the developing sympathetic nervous system. The functional role of these proteins in neuroblastoma was subsequently investigated based on the results of the GATA expression studies. The analysis showed that all four proteins are expressed in human neuroblastoma tissue as well as in a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) and are localized in the cell nuclei. Only Gata-4, however, was not expressed in the developing murine sympathetic nervous system. Its uniqueness was also confirmed by microarray analyses of 251 neuroblastoma specimens. While GATA-2, -3 and FOG-2 were significantly associated with favorable prognostic markers, GATA-4 expression correlated with MYCN-amplification. Interestingly, lentiviral GATA-4 overexpression led to inhibited proliferation of human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y and SH-EP) as well as to increased expression of DPYSL3 and Bcl-2. In addition, GATA-4 expression could be induced by the differentiation agent retinoic acid. In conclusion, it was confirmed that normal developmental molecular pathways are intact in prognostically favorable neuroblastoma. In contrast, these developmental processes seem to be defective in tumors with unfavorable prognosis. The slowed proliferation, as observed in vitro, as well as the induction of Bcl-2 brought about by GATA-4 overexpression may contribute in vivo to the difficult treatability of prognostically unfavorable neuroblastoma. It is known that treatment of neuroblastoma with retinoic acid can lead to chemoresistance, mediated by Bcl-2 amongst others. Since retinoic acid can induce the expression of GATA-4 and GATA-4 itself can enhance the expression of Bcl-2, GATA-4 could be involved in chemoresistance.

No description available.

No description available.

For self-renewal, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) require the expression of specific transcription factors accompanied by a particular chromosome organization to maintain a balance between pluripotency and the capacity for rapid differentiation. However, how transcriptional regulation is linked to chromosome organization in ESCs is not well understood. Here we show that the cohesin component RAD21 exhibits a functional role in maintaining ESC identity through association with the pluripotency transcriptional network. ChIP-seq analyses of RAD21 reveal an ESC specific cohesin binding pattern that is characterized by CTCF independent co-localization of cohesin with pluripotency related transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Esrrb and Klf4. Upon ESC differentiation, most of these binding sites disappear and instead new CTCF independent RAD21 binding sites emerge, which are enriched for binding sites of transcription factors implicated in early differentiation. Furthermore, knock-down of RAD21 causes expression changes that are similar to expression changes after Nanog depletion, demonstrating the functional relevance of the RAD21 - pluripotency transcriptional network association. Finally, we show that Nanog physically interacts with the cohesin or cohesin interacting proteins STAG1 and WAPL further substantiating this association. Based on these findings we propose that a dynamic placement of cohesin by pluripotency transcription factors contributes to a chromosome organization supporting the ESC expression program.