Molecular Biology and Genetics / Moleküler Biyoloji ve Genetik
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/9
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Article Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 5A Microrna-Regulated Transcriptional State Defines Intratumoral Cd8+t Cells That Respond To Immunotherapy(Cell Press, 2025) Tang, William W.; Battistone, Ben; Bauer, Kaylyn M.; Weis, Allison M.; Barba, Cindy; Fadlullah, Muhammad Zaki Hidayatullah; O'Connell, Ryan M.The rising incidence of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) and poor survival outcomes necessitate new and effective therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), specifically anti-PD-1 therapy, show promise, yet clinical determinants of a positive response are suboptimal. Here, we identify microRNA-155 (miR-155) as necessary for CD8+ T cell-infiltrated tumors through an unbiased in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 screen identifying functional tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cell-expressed microRNAs. T cell miR-155 is required for anti-PD-1 responses and for a vital intratumor CD8+ T cell differentiation cascade by repressing Ship-1, inhibiting Tcf-1 and stemness, and subsequently enhancing Cxcr6 expression, anti-tumor immunity, and effector functions. Based on an underlying miR-155-dependent CD8+ T cell transcriptional profile, we identify a gene signature that predicts ICI responses across 12 diverse cancers. Together, our findings support a model whereby miR155 serves as a central regulator of CD8+ T cell-dependent cancer immunity and ICI responses that may be leveraged for future therapeutics.Letter Citation - WoS: 1Citation - Scopus: 1Evaluating Ethanol Concentrations Against Staphylococcus Spp: a Proposal for Improving Nosocomial Bacteria Control(Elsevier, 2024) Soyer, Ferda; Özdemir, Özgün Öykü; Polat, Bengi; Ekenel, Nil HazalDear Editor, Nosocomial infections originating from commonly encountered pathogenic bacteria, notably Staphylococcus species, persist as a prominent global public health issue. This phenomenon exerts consequential impacts on both the well-being of patients and the healthcare personnel within hospital environments. Hospital-acquired infections from common bacteria like Staphylococcus remain a global public health concern. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports prevalence rates of 4.5% in the USA and 7.1% in Europe [1]. An estimated 8.9 million healthcare-associated infections occur annually in European hospitals and long-term care facilities [1]. According to the World Health Organization, although 10% of patients get healthcare-associated infections, at least a 30% reduction can be achieved through adequate infection prevention and control [2]. The efficacy of disinfection methodologies employed in healthcare institutions assumes critical significance in mitigating this threat.Article Blank Frame and Intensity Variation Distortion Detection and Restoration Pipeline for Phase-Contrast Microscopy Time-Lapse Images(Aves, 2024) Ucar, Mahmut; Iheme, Leonardo O.; Onal, Sevgi; Pesen-Okvur, Devrim; Yalcin-Ozuysal, Ozden; Toreyin, Behcet U.; Unay, DevrimIn this study, we propose a preprocessing pipeline for the detection and correction of distorted frames in time-lapse images obtained from phase-contrast microscopy. The proposed pipeline employs the average intensities of frames as a foundational element for the analysis. In order to evaluate the degree of correction required for intensity variance, a normalization technique is applied to the difference between the average intensity of a specific frame and the median average intensity of all frames within the study. Our restoration method increases the histogram similarity between the distorted and non-distorted frames, preserves trans-passing pixels in regions of interest, and mitigates the development of additional distortions. The efficacy of the proposed method was evaluated using 15 395 time-lapse image frames from 27 experiments using our own dataset and 830 time-lapse images from four different experiments obtained from the cell tracking challenge. The results of the validation demonstrate a high degree of numerical and visual accuracy of the proposed pipeline.Article Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 8Canonical Wnt and Tgf-β/Bmp Signaling Enhance Melanocyte Regeneration but Suppress Invasiveness, Migration, and Proliferation of Melanoma Cells(Frontiers Media S.A., 2023) Katkat, Esra; Demirci, Yeliz; Heger, Guillaume; Karagülle, Doğa; Papatheodorou, Irene; Brazma, Alvis; Özhan, GüneşMelanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and develops from the melanocytes that are responsible for the pigmentation of the skin. The skin is also a highly regenerative organ, harboring a pool of undifferentiated melanocyte stem cells that proliferate and differentiate into mature melanocytes during regenerative processes in the adult. Melanoma and melanocyte regeneration share remarkable cellular features, including activation of cell proliferation and migration. Yet, melanoma considerably differs from the regenerating melanocytes with respect to abnormal proliferation, invasive growth, and metastasis. Thus, it is likely that at the cellular level, melanoma resembles early stages of melanocyte regeneration with increased proliferation but separates from the later melanocyte regeneration stages due to reduced proliferation and enhanced differentiation. Here, by exploiting the zebrafish melanocytes that can efficiently regenerate and be induced to undergo malignant melanoma, we unravel the transcriptome profiles of the regenerating melanocytes during early and late regeneration and the melanocytic nevi and malignant melanoma. Our global comparison of the gene expression profiles of melanocyte regeneration and nevi/melanoma uncovers the opposite regulation of a substantial number of genes related to Wnt signaling and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta)/(bone morphogenetic protein) BMP signaling pathways between regeneration and cancer. Functional activation of canonical Wnt or TGF-beta/BMP pathways during melanocyte regeneration promoted melanocyte regeneration but potently suppressed the invasiveness, migration, and proliferation of human melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the opposite regulation of signaling mechanisms between melanocyte regeneration and melanoma can be exploited to stop tumor growth and develop new anti-cancer therapies.Article Citation - WoS: 7Citation - Scopus: 6Addition of Exogenous Diacylglycerol Enhances Wnt/Β-catenin Signaling Through Stimulation of Macropinocytosis(Elsevier, 2023) Azbazdar, Yağmur; Tejeda-Munoz, Nydia; Monka, Julia C.; Dayrit, Alex; Binder, Grace; De Robertis, Edward M.; Özhan, GüneşActivation of Wnt signaling triggers macropinocytosis and drives many tumors. We now report that the exogenous addition of the second messenger lipid sn-1,2 DAG to the culture medium rapidly induces macropinocytosis. This is accompanied by potentiation of the effects of added Wnt3a recombinant protein or the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor lithium chloride (LiCl, which mimics Wnt signaling) in luciferase transcriptional reporter assays. In a colorectal carcinoma cell line in which mutation of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) causes constitutive Wnt signaling, DAG addition increased levels of nuclear β-catenin, and this increase was partially inhibited by an inhibitor of macropinocytosis. DAG also expanded multivesicular bodies marked by the tetraspan protein CD63. In an in vivo situation, microinjection of DAG induced Wnt-like twinned body axes when co-injected with small amounts of LiCl into Xenopus embryos. These results suggest that the DAG second messenger plays a role in Wnt-driven cancer progression. © 2023 The Author(s)Article Citation - Scopus: 11Μdacs Platform: a Hybrid Microfluidic Platform Using Magnetic Levitation Technique and Integrating Magnetic, Gravitational, and Drag Forces for Density-Based Rare Cancer Cell Sorting(Elsevier, 2023) Keçili, Seren; Yılmaz, Esra; Özçelik, Özge Solmaz; Anıl İnevi, Müge; Günyüz, Zehra Elif; Yalçın Özuysal, Özden; Özçivici, Engin; Tekin, Hüseyin CumhurCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial indicators of cancer metastasis. However, their rarity in the bloodstream and the heterogeneity of their surface biomarkers present challenges for their isolation. Here, we developed a hybrid microfluidic platform (microfluidic-based density-associated cell sorting (µDACS) platform) that utilizes density as a biophysical marker to sort cancer cells from the population of white blood cells (WBCs). The platform utilizes the magnetic levitation technique on a microfluidic chip to sort cells based on their specific density ranges, operating under a continuous flow condition. By harnessing magnetic, gravitational, and drag forces, the platform efficiently separates cells. This approach involves a microfluidic chip equipped with a microseparator, which directs cells into top and bottom outlets depending on their levitation heights, which are inversely proportional to their densities. Hence, low-density cancer cells are collected from the top outlet, while high-density WBCs are collected from the bottom outlet. We optimized the sorting efficiency by varying the flow rates, and concentrations of the sorting medium's paramagnetic properties using standard densities of polymeric microspheres. To demonstrate the platform's applicability, we performed hybrid microfluidic sorting on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and U-937 human monocytes. The results showed efficient sorting of rare cancer cells (≥100 cells/mL) from serum samples, achieving a sorting efficiency of ∼70% at a fast-processing speed of 1 mL h−1. This label-free approach holds promise for rapid and cost-effective CTC sorting, facilitating in-vitro diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. © 2023 The Author(s)Article Citation - WoS: 14Citation - Scopus: 14Comparative Membrane Lipidomics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Reveals Diacylglycerol and Ceramide as Key Regulators of Wnt/Β-catenin Signaling and Tumor Growth(Wiley, 2023) Heger, Guillaume; Azbazdar, Yağmur; Demirci, Yeliz; İpekgil, Doğaç; Karabiçici, Mustafa; Özhan, GüneşHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is largely associated with aberrant activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Nevertheless, how membrane lipid composition is altered in HCC cells with abnormal Wnt signaling remains elusive. Here, by exploiting comprehensive lipidome profiling, we unravel the membrane lipid composition of six different HCC cell lines with mutations in components of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, leading to differences in their endogenous signaling activity. Among the differentially regulated lipids are diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramide, which were downregulated at the membrane of HCC cells after Wnt3a treatment. DAG and ceramide enhanced Wnt/b-catenin signaling by inducing caveolin-mediated endocytosis of the canonical Wnt-receptor complex, while their depletion suppressed the signaling activity along with a reduction of caveolin-mediated endocytosis in SNU475 and HepG2 cells. Moreover, depletion of DAG and ceramide significantly impeded the proliferation, tumor growth, and in vivo migration capacity of SNU475 and HepG2 cells. This study, by pioneering plasma membrane lipidome profiling in HCC cells, exhibits the remarkable potential of lipids to correct dysregulated signaling pathways in cancer and stop abnormal tumor growth.Letter Citation - WoS: 1Citation - Scopus: 2C-Met Activation Promotes Extravasation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Into 3d-Cultured Hepatocyte Cells in Lab-On Device(Elsevier, 2023) Solmaz, Gülhas; Bağcı, Gülsün; Çömez, Dehan; Topel, Hande; Yılmaz, Yeliz; Bağırsakçı, Ezgi; Güneş, Aysim; Batı Ayaz, Gizem; Tahmaz, İsmail; Bilgen, Müge; Pesen Okvur, DevrimActivation of c-Met signaling is associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its contribution to organ preference in metastasis remains unclear. In this study, using a Lab on a Chip device, we defined the role of aberrant c-Met activation in regulating the extravasation and homing capacity of HCC cells. Our studies showed that (i) c-Met overexpression and activation direct HCC cells preferentially towards the hepatocytes-enriched microenvironment, and (ii) blockage of c-Met phosphorylation by a small molecule inhibitor attenuated extravasation and homing capacity of HCC cells. These results, thus, demonstrate the role of c-Met signaling in regulating the colonization of HCC cells preferentially in the liver. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Gas Phase Fragmentation Behavior of Proline in Macrocyclic B7 Ions(American Chemical Society, 2023) Taşoğlu, Çağdaş; Arslanoğlu, Alper; Yalçın, TalatThefragmentation characteristics of b (7) ionsproduced from proline-containing heptapeptides have been studiedin detail. The study has utilized the following C-terminally amidatedmodel peptides: PA(6), APA(5), A(2)PA(4), A(3)PA(3), A(4)PA(2), A(5)PA, A(6)P, PYAGFLV, PAGFLVY, PGFLVYA, PFLVYAG,PLVYAGF, PVYAGFL, YPAGFLV, YAPGFLV, YAGPFLV, YAGFPLV, YAGFLPV, YAGFLVP,PYAFLVG, PVLFYAG, A(2)PXA(3), and A(2)XPA(3) (where X = C, D, F, G, L, V, and Y, respectively). The resultshave shown that b (7) ions undergo head-to-tailcyclization and form a macrocyclic structure. Under the collision-induceddissociation (CID) condition, it generates nondirect sequence ionsregardless of the position of the proline and the neighboring aminoacid residues. This study highlights the unusual and unique fragmentationbehavior of proline-containing heptapeptides. Following the head-to-tailcyclization, the ring opens up and places the proline residue in theN-terminal position while forming a regular oxazolone form of b (2) ions for all peptide series. Then, the fragmentationreaction pathway is followed by the elimination of proline with itsC-terminal neighbor residue as an oxazolone (e.g., PXoxa) for all proline-containing peptide series.Article Citation - WoS: 21Citation - Scopus: 22High-Dose Exposure To Polymer-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Elicits Autophagy-Dependent Ferroptosis in Susceptible Cancer Cells(MDPI, 2023) Lomphithak, Thanpisit; Helvacıoğlu, Selin; Armenia, Ilaria; Keshavan, Sandeep; Ovejero, Jesus G.; Baldi, Giovanni; Ravagli, Costanza; Grazú, Valeria; Fadeel, BengtFerroptosis, a form of iron-dependent, lipid peroxidation-driven cell death, has been extensively investigated in recent years, and several studies have suggested that the ferroptosis-inducing properties of iron-containing nanomaterials could be harnessed for cancer treatment. Here we evaluated the potential cytotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles, with and without cobalt functionalization (Fe2O3 and Fe2O3@Co-PEG), using an established, ferroptosis-sensitive fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080) and a normal fibroblast cell line (BJ). In addition, we evaluated poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-PEG-PLGA). Our results showed that all the nanoparticles tested were essentially non-cytotoxic at concentrations up to 100 mu g/mL. However, when the cells were exposed to higher concentrations (200-400 mu g/mL), cell death with features of ferroptosis was observed, and this was more pronounced for the Co-functionalized nanoparticles. Furthermore, evidence was provided that the cell death triggered by the nanoparticles was autophagy-dependent. Taken together, the exposure to high concentrations of polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles triggers ferroptosis in susceptible human cancer cells.