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Biomedical subjects

Mina L Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Mina L Xu.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Integration of Imaging-based and Sequencing-based Spatial Omics Mapping on the Same Tissue Section via DBiTplus.

Spatially mapping the transcriptome and proteome in the same tissue section can significantly advance our understanding of heterogeneous cellular processes and connect cell type to function. Here, we present Deterministic Barcoding in Tissue sequencing plus (DBiTplus), an integrative multi-modality spatial omics approach that combines sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics and image-based spatial protein profiling on the same tissue section to enable both single-cell resolution cell typing and genome-scale interrogation of biological pathways. DBiTplus begins with in situ reverse transcription for cDNA synthesis, microfluidic delivery of DNA oligos for spatial barcoding, retrieval of barcoded cDNA using RNaseH, an enzyme that selectively degrades RNA in an RNA-DNA hybrid, preserving the intact tissue section for high-plex protein imaging with CODEX. We developed computational pipelines to register data from two distinct modalities. Performing both DBiT-seq and CODEX on the same tissue slide enables accurate cell typing in each spatial transcriptome spot and subsequently image-guided decomposition to generate single-cell resolved spatial transcriptome atlases. DBiTplus was applied to mouse embryos with limited protein markers but still demonstrated excellent integration for single-cell transcriptome decomposition, to normal human lymph nodes with high-plex protein profiling to yield a single-cell spatial transcriptome map, and to human lymphoma FFPE tissue to explore the mechanisms of lymphomagenesis and progression. DBiTplusCODEX is a unified workflow including integrative experimental procedure and computational innovation for spatially resolved single-cell atlasing and exploration of biological pathways cell-by-cell at genome-scale.

Journal Article↗

Integration of Imaging-based and Sequencing-based Spatial Omics Mapping on the Same Tissue Section via DBiTplus.

Spatially mapping the transcriptome and proteome in the same tissue section can significantly advance our understanding of heterogeneous cellular processes and connect cell type to function. Here, we present Deterministic Barcoding in Tissue sequencing plus (DBiTplus), an integrative multi-modality spatial omics approach that combines sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics and image-based spatial protein profiling on the same tissue section to enable both single-cell resolution cell typing and genome-scale interrogation of biological pathways. DBiTplus begins with in situ reverse transcription for cDNA synthesis, microfluidic delivery of DNA oligos for spatial barcoding, retrieval of barcoded cDNA using RNaseH, an enzyme that selectively degrades RNA in an RNA-DNA hybrid, preserving the intact tissue section for high-plex protein imaging with CODEX. We developed computational pipelines to register data from two distinct modalities. Performing both DBiT-seq and CODEX on the same tissue slide enables accurate cell typing in each spatial transcriptome spot and subsequently image-guided decomposition to generate single-cell resolved spatial transcriptome atlases. DBiTplus was applied to mouse embryos with limited protein markers but still demonstrated excellent integration for single-cell transcriptome decomposition, to normal human lymph nodes with high-plex protein profiling to yield a single-cell spatial transcriptome map, and to human lymphoma FFPE tissue to explore the mechanisms of lymphomagenesis and progression. DBiTplusCODEX is a unified workflow including integrative experimental procedure and computational innovation for spatially resolved single-cell atlasing and exploration of biological pathways cell-by-cell at genome-scale.

Journal Article↗

MRI abnormalities of the hippocampus and cavum septi pellucidi in females with schizotypal personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined MRI hippocampal volume and cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) in female subjects with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) and comparison subjects. METHOD: MRI was performed on 20 SPD and 29 comparison subjects with delineation of left and right hippocampi. Number of slices containing the CSP was counted. Subjects were given a working memory task, the Delayed Alternation task and other measures of working memory including the Wechsler Memory Test-Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test. Clinical measures were derived from the SCID-II. RESULTS: SPD females evinced bilaterally smaller hippocampal volumes compared with non-psychiatric female subjects (15.1% on left, 15.7% on right). Additionally, SPD subjects showed statistically significantly more slices containing CSP, and a trend level difference when large CSP was defined as four or more slices (20% vs. 6.9%). SPD subjects demonstrated more errors, more perseverations, and a trend toward more failure to maintain set on the Delayed Alternating task, which were associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes. There was no difference between groups in logical memory, verbal learning or semantic clustering nor a significant correlation between these measures and hippocampal volumes. Clinically, in SPD subjects, right hippocampal volumes correlated negatively with odd appearance/behavior and positively with suspiciousness/paranoia, and odd speech was positively correlated with the number of slices containing a CSP in exploratory analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Female SPD subjects showed bilaterally smaller hippocampal volumes and larger CSP than comparison subjects, similar to what has been shown in schizophrenia. Moreover, these abnormalities have clinically significant associations which may help to explain some of the manifestations of the disorder.

Adolescent↗

Leukemia-associated mutations within the NOTCH1 heterodimerization domain fall into at least two distinct mechanistic classes.

The NOTCH1 receptor is cleaved within its extracellular domain by furin during its maturation, yielding two subunits that are held together noncovalently by a juxtamembrane heterodimerization (HD) domain. Normal NOTCH1 signaling is initiated by the binding of ligand to the extracellular subunit, which renders the transmembrane subunit susceptible to two successive cleavages within and C terminal to the heterodimerization domain, catalyzed by metalloproteases and gamma-secretase, respectively. Because mutations in the heterodimerization domain of NOTCH1 occur frequently in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), we assessed the effect of 16 putative tumor-associated mutations on Notch1 signaling and HD domain stability. We show here that 15 of the 16 mutations activate canonical NOTCH1 signaling. Increases in signaling occur in a ligand-independent fashion, require gamma-secretase activity, and correlate with an increased susceptibility to cleavage by metalloproteases. The activating mutations cause soluble NOTCH1 heterodimers to dissociate more readily, either under native conditions (n = 3) or in the presence of urea (n = 11). One mutation, an insertion of 14 residues immediately N terminal to the metalloprotease cleavage site, increases metalloprotease sensitivity more than all others, despite a negligible effect on heterodimer stability by comparison, suggesting that the insertion may expose the S2 site by repositioning it relative to protective NOTCH1 ectodomain residues. Together, these studies show that leukemia-associated HD domain mutations render NOTCH1 sensitive to ligand-independent proteolytic activation through two distinct mechanisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a conserved negative regulatory sequence that influences the leukemogenic activity of NOTCH1.

NOTCH1 is a large type I transmembrane receptor that regulates normal T-cell development via a signaling pathway that relies on regulated proteolysis. Ligand binding induces proteolytic cleavages in NOTCH1 that release its intracellular domain (ICN1), which translocates to the nucleus and activates target genes by forming a short-lived nuclear complex with two other proteins, the DNA-binding factor CSL and a Mastermind-like (MAML) coactivator. Recent work has shown that human T-ALL is frequently associated with C-terminal NOTCH1 truncations, which uniformly remove sequences lying between residues 2524 and 2556. This region includes the highly conserved sequence WSSSSP (S4), which based on its amino acid content appeared to be a likely site for regulatory serine phosphorylation events. We show here that the mutation of the S4 sequence leads to hypophosphorylation of ICN1; increased NOTCH1 signaling; and the stabilization of complexes containing ICN1, CSL, and MAML1. Consistent with these in vitro studies, mutation of the WSSSSP sequence converts nonleukemogenic weak gain-of-function NOTCH1 alleles into alleles that cause aggressive T-ALLs in a murine bone marrow transplant model. These studies indicate that S4 is an important negative regulatory sequence and that the deletion of S4 likely contributes to the development of human T-ALL.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hippocampal atrophy in persons with age-associated memory impairment: volumetry within a common space.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to demonstrate the assessment of hippocampal atrophy within a standard brain atlas for persons with age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) compared with cognitively intact elderly. METHODS: High-resolution three-dimensional (3D) brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 20 nondemented persons: 10 had AAMI and 10 were normal elderly. Scans were aligned to a common atlas template to control for errors due to variable brain size and orientation as well as facilitating communication of results across centers. Manual outlining every 1 mm with volumes determined for both the hippocampal head and body was accomplished after coronal resampling perpendicular to the long axis of the hippocampus. RESULTS: Subject groups were similar in age, sex ratios, and educational achievement. The AAMI group had significantly lower volumes for the right hippocampus and hippocampal head (p =.02) compared with controls. CONCLUSION: A growing body of work suggests the right hippocampal head as an early site of atrophy in early memory impairment. Subtle atrophic changes are detectable within a common atlas template allowing imaging assessment across centers.

Aged↗