http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/14165/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34991/ 2012-01-15T00:00:00Z http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34359/ 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z Pluripotent stem cells exist in naive and primed states, epitomized by mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the developmentally more advanced epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs; ref.). In the naive state of ESCs, the genome has an unusual open conformation and possesses a minimum of repressive epigenetic marks. In contrast, EpiSCs have activated the epigenetic machinery that supports differentiation towards the embryonic cell types. The transition from naive to primed pluripotency therefore represents a pivotal event in cellular differentiation. But the signals that control this fundamental differentiation step remain unclear. We show here that paracrine and autocrine Wnt signals are essential self-renewal factors for ESCs, and are required to inhibit their differentiation into EpiSCs. Moreover, we find that Wnt proteins in combination with the cytokine LIF are sufficient to support ESC self-renewal in the absence of any undefined factors, and support the derivation of new ESC lines, including ones from non-permissive mouse strains. Our results not only demonstrate that Wnt signals regulate the naive-to-primed pluripotency transition, but also identify Wnt as an essential and limiting ESC self-renewal factor. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/33387/ 2011-07-01T00:00:00Z Narrow-band ultraviolet-B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is an effective treatment for psoriasis. The molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy are incompletely understood. To identify NB-UVB-induced molecular pathways that may account for its anti-inflammatory efficacy, gene expression profiling was performed using epidermal RNA from lesional and nonlesional skin from patients with psoriasis undergoing NB-UVB therapy. Downregulation of Th17 signaling pathway was observed during NB-UVB therapy in psoriatic epidermis. Strong inhibition of the Th17 pathway by UVB was confirmed in an ex vivo organ culture system by demonstrating reduced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation and Β-defensin-2 production. These results were further substantiated by demonstrating that NB-UVB inhibited the Th17-dependent psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice. Other pathways affected by NB-UVB therapy include the IFN signaling pathway, epidermal differentiation, and other well-known therapeutic targets in psoriasis, such as the glucocorticoid, vitamin D, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, and IL-4 signaling pathways. In conclusion, clinical improvement of psoriasis by NB-UVB is linked to suppression of Th17 and type I and type II IFN signaling pathways, which are critical in the pathogenesis of the disease. Our results show that clinically effective NB-UVB therapy is based on suppression of a broad range of important molecular pathways in psoriatic skin. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/26372/ 2011-05-23T00:00:00Z Psoriasis is characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and by infiltration of activated Th1 and Th17 cells in the (epi)dermis. By expression microarray, we previously found the GATA3 transcription factor significantly downregulated in lesional psoriatic skin. Since GATA3 serves as a key switch in both epidermal and T helper cell differentiation, we investigated its function in psoriasis. Because psoriatic skin inflammation shares many characteristics of epidermal regeneration during wound healing, we also studied GATA3 expression under such conditions. Psoriatic lesional skin showed decreased GATA3 mRNA and protein expression compared to non-lesional skin. GATA3 expression was also markedly decreased in inflamed skin of mice with a psoriasiform dermatitis induced with imiquimod. Tape-stripping of non-lesional skin of patients with psoriasis, a standardized psoriasis-triggering and skin regeneration-inducing technique, reduced the expression of GATA3. In wounded skin of mice, low GATA3 mRNA and protein expression was detected. Taken together, GATA3 expression is downregulated under regenerative and inflammatory hyperproliferative skin conditions. GATA3 expression could be re-induced by successful narrow-band UVB treatment of both human psoriasis and imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis in mice. The prototypic Th2 cytokine IL-4 was the only cytokine capable of inducing GATA3 in skin explants from healthy donors. Based on these findings we argue that GATA3 serves as a key regulator in psoriatic inflammation, keratinocyte hyperproliferation and skin barrier dysfunction. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/27878/ 2010-08-11T00:00:00Z The transcription factor Gata3 is essential for the development of sympathetic neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells. As Gata3 expression is maintained up to the adult stage, we addressed its function in differentiated sympathoadrenal cells at embryonic and adult stages by conditional Gata3 elimination. Inactivation of Gata3 in embryonic DBH-expressing neurons elicits a strong reduction in neuron numbers due to apoptotic cell death and reduced proliferation. No selective effect on noradrenergic gene expression (TH and DBH) was observed. Interestingly, Gata3 elimination in DBH-expressing neurons of adult animals also results in a virtually complete loss of sympathetic neurons. In the Gata3-deficient population, the expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and NFκB) is diminished, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bik, Bok, and Bmf) was increased. The expression of noradrenergic genes (TH and DBH) is not affected. These results demonstrate that Gata3 is continuously required for maintaining survival but not differentiation in the sympathetic neuron lineage up to mature neurons of adult animals. Copyright http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/11127/ 2008-02-06T00:00:00Z Almost all cells in the living organism have identical genetic information, but each cell type expresses a limited number of genes. This phenomenon is regulated by specific proteins: transcription factors. These factors have the ability to recognize target sequences located at specific regulatory fragments located in or surrounding the gene (promoter, enhancer or LCR) and activate or repress gene transcription. Like many genes, the expression of transcription factors can also be restricted to particular cell types. This thesis is focused on the transcription factor GATA3, which is expressed in tissue specific manner during development. This chapter will introduce this factor and describes its sites of expression with the main focus on skin. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/35490/ 2007-04-01T00:00:00Z The transcription factor GATA3 is essential at multiple stages of T cell development, including the earliest double-negative stages, β-selection and CD4 single-positive thymocytes. Here, we show that in CD2-GATA3 transgenic mice, with enforced GATA3 expression driven by the CD2 promoter, thymocytes have reduced levels of CD5, which is a negative regulator of TCR signaling participating in TCR repertoire fine-tuning. Reduction of CD5 expression was most prominent in CD4+CD8+double-positive (DP) cells and was associated with increased levels of the transcription factor E2A. Conversely, GATA3-deficient DP thymocytes showed consistently higher CD5 levels and defective TCR up-regulation during their development towards the CD4loCD8losubpopulation. CD2-GATA3 transgenic mice carrying the MHC class II-restricted TCR D011.10 also manifested decreased CD5 levels. As in these TCR-transgenic mice reduced CD5 expression cannot result from an effect of GATA3 on repertoire selection, we conclude that enforced GATA3 interferes with the developmentally regulated increase of CD5 levels. Enforced GATA3 expression in D011.10 transgenic mice was also accompanied by enhanced TCR expression during CD4 positive selection. Because GATA3 is induced by TCR signaling in DP thymocytes, our findings indicate that GATA3 establishes a positive feedback loop that increases TCR surface expression in developing CD4 lineage cells. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21006/ 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z Abstract The transcription factor Gata3 is crucially involved in epidermis and hair follicle differentiation. Yet, little is known about how Gata3 co-ordinates stem cell lineage determination in skin, what pathways are involved and how Gata3 differentially regulates distinct cell populations within the hair follicle. Here, we describe a conditional Gata3-/- mouse (K14-Gata3-/-) in which Gata3 is specifically deleted in epidermis and hair follicles. K14-Gata3-/- mice show aberrant postnatal growth and development, delayed hair growth and maintenance, abnormal hair follicle organization and irregular pigmentation. After the first hair cycle, the germinative layer surrounding the dermal papilla was not restored; instead, proliferation was pronounced in basal epidermal cells. Transcriptome analysis of laser-dissected K14-Gata3-/- hair follicles revealed mitosis, epithelial differentiation and the Notch, Wnt and BMP signaling pathways to be significantly overrepresented. Elucidation of these pathways at the RNA and protein levels and physiologic endpoints suggests that Gata3 integrates diverse signaling networks to regulate the balance between hair follicle and epidermal cell fates.