Welcome to the Mast Cell Integrative Omics Database (MCIOD), a comprehensive resource for researchers studying mast cell biology, inflammation, and steroid biosynthesis.
Mast cells are crucial immune sentinels involved in various physiological functions, including vascular homeostasis and venom detoxification. However, their dysregulation can lead to inflammatory and anaphylactic pathologies. This database provides unprecedented insights into mast cell biology, focusing on their unique ability to degranulate and subsequently regranulate, a process critical for understanding inflammatory responses and tissue homeostasis.
The MCIOD offers a rich collection of transcriptomic, proteomic, and steroidomic data from diverse experimental conditions, including:
- Bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) vs. peritoneal mast cells (PMC)
- Male vs. female mast cells
- Mature mast cells vs. regranulating mast cells (8 hours post-degranulation)
- Cyp11a1 sufficient (control) vs. Cyp11a1 knockout (deficient in steroidogenesis) mast cells
Two key highlights of this database are: 1) the novel discovery of mast cell-mediated steroidogenesis, specifically the synthesis of pregnenolone, which opens new avenues for understanding mast cell development, survival, and functional regulation; and 2) the revelation that transcription and translation are uncoupled in mast cells, indicating that transcriptomic differences do not necessarily reflect immediate changes in protein expression. This uncoupling suggests a complex regulatory mechanism in mast cell biology, emphasizing the importance of integrating both transcriptomic and proteomic data for a comprehensive understanding of mast cell function.
Researchers can explore:
1. Gene expression profiles
2. Protein expression data
3. Steroid levels across experimental conditions
This integrative approach provides a unique opportunity to uncover gender-specific differences, mature state and regranulation phase-associated changes, and the global impact of mast cell steroidogenesis on cellular biology.
The MCIOD is an invaluable resource for immunologists, cell biologists, and researchers interested in mast cells, inflammation & allergic responses, and steroid signalling. By offering easy access to this comprehensive dataset, we aim to accelerate discoveries in mast cell biology and related fields.
For detailed information on the experimental procedures and findings, please refer to our associated research paper (Pramanik and Zhao et al., 2025, For citation: DOI: ). We encourage users to explore this database to generate new hypotheses, validate findings, and advance our understanding of mast cell biology and its implications in health and disease.
Visual experimental design
Figure: Schematic of the experimental design.
Mature mast cells (Cyp11a1 sufficient or Cyp11a1 deficient) were generated, in vitro, from bone marrow and peritoneal lavage of Vav1Cre (ctrl) and Vav1Cre;Cyp11a1fl/fl (KO) mice. Cell pellet used for transcriptomics and peoteomics. Cell supernatant used for steroid profiling. Mature mast cell supernatants were from 5 days of culture, and regranulating mast cell culture supernatants were collected after 8 hours.
Proteomics:
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RNA-Seq:
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Steroidomics:
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