Reconstruction of monocyte transcriptional regulatory network accompanies monocytic functions in human fibroblasts

PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33474. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033474. Epub 2012 Mar 13.

Abstract

Transcriptional regulatory networks (TRN) control the underlying mechanisms behind cellular functions and they are defined by a set of core transcription factors regulating cascades of peripheral genes. Here we report SPI1, CEBPA, MNDA and IRF8 as core transcription factors of monocyte TRN and demonstrate functional inductions of phagocytosis, inflammatory response and chemotaxis activities in human dermal fibroblasts. The Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses also revealed notable representation of genes involved in immune response and endocytosis in fibroblasts. Moreover, monocyte TRN-inducers triggered multiple monocyte-specific genes based on the transcription factor motif response analysis and suggest that complex cellular TRNs are uniquely amenable to elicit cell-specific functions in unrelated cell types.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chemotaxis / immunology
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Data Mining
  • Fibroblasts / cytology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks / immunology*
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Monocytes / cytology*
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Phagocytosis / immunology
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Skin / cytology
  • Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Transcription Factors