Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Article Title: Unfolding Immune Dysregulation in COPD: Identification of a Three-Gene Signature and Functional Validation of TCF7 in Human Lung Tissue and T Lymphocytes

doi: 10.3390/ijms27104231

Figure Lengend Snippet: TCF7 regulates pro−caspase−8 expression in T lymphocytes and is significantly reduced in COPD. ( A ) Immunofluorescence co−staining of control human lung tissue displaying separate channels for DAPI (blue), caspase−8 (green), TCF7 (red), and the merged image. Scale bar is 50 μm. ( B ) Immunofluorescence co−staining of COPD human lung tissue displaying separate channels for DAPI (blue), caspase−8 (green), TCF7 (red), and the merged image. Note the marked reduction in both TCF7 and caspase−8 signals compared to the control. Scale bar is 50 μm. ( C ) Representative Western blot images of TCF7 (50 kDa), pro−caspase−8 (55 kDa), and internal control β−tubulin (55 kDa) in wild type (WT) and TCF7 knockout (KO) Jurkat T cells. ( D ) Quantitative densitometric analysis of TCF7 protein levels comparing WT and KO groups. ( E ) Quantitative densitometric analysis of pro−caspase−8 protein levels comparing WT and KO groups. ( F ) Representative Western blot images of TCF7 and β−tubulin in primary T lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors (Control) and patients with COPD (Model). ( G ) Quantitative densitometric analysis of TCF7 protein levels in human primary T lymphocytes. ( H ) Representative Western blot images of TCF7 and β−tubulin protein levels in Jurkat T cells across four experimental conditions including Control, shRNA, shRNA plus TCF7 Rescue construct, and shRNA plus Empty Vector. ( I ) Quantitative densitometric analysis of TCF7 protein levels across the four experimental rescue groups. ( J ) Representative Western blot images of pro−caspase−8 and β−tubulin protein levels across the same four experimental conditions in Jurkat T cells. ( K ) Quantitative densitometric analysis of pro−caspase−8 protein levels across the four experimental rescue groups. Data in the bar charts are presented as mean ± SD ( n = 4 for primary human cells, n = 3 for cell line experiments). Statistical significance was assessed using Student’s t test with Welch’s correction where appropriate (* p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001, ns indicates not significant).

Article Snippet: Short hairpin RNA targeting human TCF7 (shRNA) and a scramble control shRNA were purchased from OriGene with Cat.No.TR30004.

Techniques: Expressing, Immunofluorescence, Staining, Control, Western Blot, Knock-Out, Isolation, shRNA, Construct, Plasmid Preparation