Deep Sequencing of MYC DNA-Binding Sites in Burkitt Lymphoma

BACKGROUND: MYC is a key transcription factor involved in central cellular processes such as regulation of the cell cycle, histone acetylation and ribosomal biogenesis. It is overexpressed in the majority of human tumors including aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Especially Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highlight example for MYC overexpression due to a chromosomal translocation involving the c-MYC gene. However, no genome-wide analysis of MYC-binding sites by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) has been conducted in BL so far. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: ChIP-Seq was performed on 5 BL cell lines with a MYC-specific antibody giving rise to 7,054 MYC-binding sites after bioinformatics analysis of a total of approx. 19 million sequence reads. In line with previous findings, binding sites accumulate in gene sets known to be involved in the cell cycle, ribosomal biogenesis, histone acetyltransferase and methyltransferase complexes demonstrating a regulatory role of MYC in these processes. Unexpectedly, MYC-binding sites also accumulate in many B-cell relevant genes. To assess the functional consequences of MYC binding, the ChIP-Seq data were supplemented with siRNA- mediated knock-downs of MYC in BL cell lines followed by gene expression profiling. Interestingly, amongst others, genes involved in the B-cell function were up-regulated in response to MYC silencing. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The 7,054 MYC-binding sites identified by our ChIP-Seq approach greatly extend the knowledge regarding MYC binding in BL and shed further light on the enormous complexity of the MYC regulatory network. Especially our observations that (i) many B-cell relevant genes are targeted by MYC and (ii) that MYC down-regulation leads to an up-regulation of B-cell genes highlight an interesting aspect of BL biology

Radar-Based High Precision Thickness Measurement for Rolling Mills

Nowadays, hot and cold rolling of steel strips is mainly monitored by optical or radiometric measurement systems. In some production stages, however, conventional systems still face challenges due to harsh environmental conditions or other influencing factors. To meet some of these challenges, a prototype system consisting of eight radar sensors for thickness measurement of steel strips in hot and cold rolling mills is being developed. It provides an accuracy in the micrometre range and is being optimized for the conditions in the mill. After finishing the laboratory tests, the radar sensors will be implemented in an industrial measurement gauge and tested in the field. In the following, the system setup and results of laboratory measurements are presented

Material characteristics of concretes during the dehydration process in furnaces

Improvements in safety, quality and costs in industrial processes depend significantly on measuring the characteristics of products during their production process. Insensitivity to steam, dust and spray water, temperature independent measurements and the penetration of non-electric materials are technological advantages of radar radiation for industrial applications. As a high temperature environment, the water content of concretes in furnaces is an important parameter to analyse before heating up the furnace after a refractory lining. A radar based moisture measurement system for concretes in furnaces is presented in this paper