http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/51489/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34767/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Introduction: A challenge of cancer therapy is to optimize therapeutical options to individual patients. Cancers with similar histology may show dramatically different responses to therapy, indicating that a refined approach needs to be developed to classify tumors by intrinsic characteristics that may predict response to chemotherapy. Global expression profile-based classification has the potential to identify such tumor-intrinsic subclasses. Pemetrexed effectiveness has been related to the expression of its target thymidylate synthase. The relatively frequent resistance of squamous cell carcinoma to Pemetrexed is correlated with high levels of thymidylate synthase expression. Methods: A global expression profile-based molecular classification of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was performed. Gene expression was used to predict Pemetrexed responsiveness. The distinct molecular attributes of NSCLCs predicted likely to be resistant to Pemetrexed were bioinformatically characterized. We tested if routine immunohistochemical markers can be used to distinguish putative Pemetrexed responders, predicted by gene signatures, from nonresponders. Results: Ninety NSCLCs were divided into six subclasses by gene expression signatures. The relevance of this novel phenotyping was linked to other tumor characteristics. Two of the subclasses correlated to putative Pemetrexed resistance. In addition, the identified signature genes characterizing putative Pemetrexed responsiveness predicted therapeutic benefit in a subset of squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions: Gene expression signatures can be used to identify NSCLC subgroups and have potential to predict resistance to Pemetrexed therapy. We suggest that a combination of classical pathological markers can be used to identify molecular tumor subclasses associated with predicted Pemetrexed response. Copyright http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/33840/ 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z Background: In erythroblasts, the CoREST repressor complex is recruited to target promoters by the transcription factor Gfi1b, leading to repression of genes mainly involved in erythroid differentiation. Hmg20b is a subunit of CoREST, but its role in erythropoiesis has not yet been established. Design and Methods: To study the role of Hmg20b in erythropoiesis, we performed knockdown experiments in a differentiation-competent mouse fetal liver cell line, and in primary mouse fetal liver cells. The effects on globin gene expression were determined. We used microarrays to investigate global gene expression changes induced by Hmg20b knockdown. Functional analysis was carried out on Hrasls3, an Hmg20b target gene. Results: We show that Hmg20b depletion induces spontaneous differentiation. To identify the target genes of Hmg20b, microarray analysis was performed on Hmg20b knockdown cells and controls. In line with its association to the CoREST complex, we found that 85% (527 out of 620) of the deregulated genes are up-regulated when Hmg20b levels are reduced. Among the few down-regulated genes was Gfi1b, a known repressor of erythroid differentiation. Among the consistently up-regulated targets were embryonic β-like globins and the phospholipase HRASlike suppressor 3 (Hrasls3). We show that Hrasls3 expression is induced during erythroid differentiation and that knockdown of Hrasls3 inhibits terminal differentiation of proerythroblasts. Conclusions: We conclude that Hmg20b acts as an inhibitor of erythroid differentiation, through the downregulation of genes involved in differentiation such as Hrasls3, and activation of repressors of differentiation such as Gfi1b. In addition, Hmg20b suppresses embryonic β-like globins. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34200/ 2011-06-01T00:00:00Z The HMG-box transcription factor Sox2 plays a role throughout neurogenesis and also acts at other stages of development, as illustrated by the multiple organs affected in the anophthalmia syndrome caused by SOX2 mutations. Here we combined proteomic and genomic approaches to characterize gene regulation by Sox2 in neural stem cells. Chd7, a chromatin remodeling ATPase associated with CHARGE syndrome, was identified as a Sox2 transcriptional cofactor. Sox2 and Chd7 physically interact, have overlapping genome-wide binding sites and regulate a set of common target genes including Jag1, Gli3 and Mycn, genes mutated in Alagille, Pallister-Hall and Feingold syndromes, which show malformations also associated with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome or CHARGE syndrome. Regulation of disease-associated genes by a Sox2-Chd7 complex provides a plausible explanation for several malformations associated with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome or CHARGE syndrome. Indeed, we found that Chd7-haploinsufficient embryos showed severely reduced expression of Jag1 in the developing inner ear.