RESUMO
Cell fate is likely regulated by a common machinery, while components of this machine remain to be identified. Here we report the design and testing of engineered cell fate controller NanogBiD, fusing BiD or BRG1 interacting domain of SS18 with Nanog. NanogBiD promotes mouse somatic cell reprogramming efficiently in contrast to the ineffective native protein under multiple testing conditions. Mechanistic studies further reveal that it facilitates cell fate transition by recruiting the intended Brg/Brahma-associated factor (BAF) complex to modulate chromatin accessibility and reorganize cell state specific enhancers known to be occupied by canonical Nanog, resulting in precocious activation of multiple genes including Sall4, miR-302, Dppa5a and Sox15 towards pluripotency. Although we have yet to test our approach in other species, our findings suggest that engineered chromatin regulators may provide much needed tools to engineer cell fate in the cells as drugs era.
Assuntos
Proteína Homeobox Nanog , Fatores de Transcrição , Animais , Camundongos , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteína Homeobox Nanog/metabolismo , Proteína Homeobox Nanog/genética , Reprogramação Celular/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Cromatina/genética , DNA Helicases/metabolismo , DNA Helicases/genética , Diferenciação Celular , Engenharia Celular/métodos , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/genéticaRESUMO
Cell fate decisions remain poorly understood at the molecular level. Embryogenesis provides a unique opportunity to analyze molecular details associated with cell fate decisions. Works based on model organisms have provided a conceptual framework of genes that specify cell fate control, for example, transcription factors (TFs) controlling processes from pluripotency to immunity1. How TFs specify cell fate remains poorly understood. Here we report that SALL4 relies on NuRD (nucleosome-remodeling and deacetylase complex) to interpret BMP4 signal and decide cell fate in a well-controlled in vitro system. While NuRD complex cooperates with SALL4 to convert mouse embryonic fibroblasts or MEFs to pluripotency, BMP4 diverts the same process to an alternative fate, PrE (primitive endoderm). Mechanistically, BMP4 signals the dissociation of SALL4 from NuRD physically to establish a gene regulatory network for PrE. Our results provide a conceptual framework to explore the rich landscapes of cell fate choices intrinsic to development in higher organisms involving morphogen-TF-chromatin modifier pathways.
Assuntos
Proteína Morfogenética Óssea 4 , Diferenciação Celular , Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase , Fatores de Transcrição , Animais , Camundongos , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteína Morfogenética Óssea 4/metabolismo , Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase/metabolismo , Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Endoderma/metabolismo , Endoderma/citologia , Transdução de Sinais , Linhagem da Célula , Proteínas de Ligação a DNARESUMO
BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that somite development is a necessary stage of myogenesis chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. Our previous study has established a stable presomitic mesoderm progenitor cell line (UiPSM) in vitro. Naturally, we wanted to explore whether UiPSM cell can develop bone and myogenic differentiation. RESULTS: Selective culture conditions yielded PAX3 and PAX7 positive skeletal muscle precursors from UiPSM cells. The skeletal muscle precursors undergo in vitro maturation resulting in myotube formation. MYOD effectively promoted the maturity of the skeletal myocytes in a short time. We found that UiPSM and MYOD mediated UiPSM cell-derived skeletal myocytes were viable after transplantation into the tibialis anterior muscle of MITRG mice, as assessed by bioluminescence imaging and scRNA-seq. Lack of teratoma formation and evidence of long-term myocytes engraftment suggests considerable potential for future therapeutic applications. Moreover, UiPSM cells can differentiate into osteoblast and chondroblast cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: UiPSM differentiation has potential as a developmental model for musculoskeletal development research and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
RESUMO
Nuclear condensates have been shown to regulate cell fate control, but its role in oncogenic transformation remains largely unknown. Here we show acquisition of oncogenic potential by nuclear condensate remodeling. The proto-oncogene SS18 and its oncogenic fusion SS18-SSX1 can both form condensates, but with drastically different properties and impact on 3D genome architecture. The oncogenic condensates, not wild type ones, readily exclude HDAC1 and 2 complexes, thus, allowing aberrant accumulation of H3K27ac on chromatin loci, leading to oncogenic expression of key target genes. These results provide the first case for condensate remodeling as a transforming event to generate oncogene and such condensates can be targeted for therapy. One sentence summary: Expulsion of HDACs complexes leads to oncogenic transformation.
Assuntos
Histona Desacetilase 1 , Histona Desacetilase 2 , Proto-Oncogene Mas , Humanos , Histona Desacetilase 1/metabolismo , Histona Desacetilase 1/genética , Histona Desacetilase 2/metabolismo , Histona Desacetilase 2/genética , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Cromatina/metabolismo , Cromatina/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , AnimaisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: c-Jun is a proto-oncogene functioning as a transcription factor to activate gene expression under many physiological and pathological conditions, particularly in somatic cells. However, its role in early embryonic development remains unknown. RESULTS: Here, we show that c-Jun acts as a one-way valve to preserve the primed state and impair reversion to the naïve state. c-Jun is induced during the naive to primed transition, and it works to stabilize the chromatin structure and inhibit the reverse transition. Loss of c-Jun has surprisingly little effect on the naïve to primed transition, and no phenotypic effect on primed cells, however, in primed cells the loss of c-Jun leads to a failure to correctly close naïve-specific enhancers. When the primed cells are induced to reprogram to a naïve state, these enhancers are more rapidly activated when c-Jun is lost or impaired, and the conversion is more efficient. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that c-Jun can function as a chromatin stabilizer in primed EpiSCs, to maintain the epigenetic cell type state and act as a one-way valve for cell fate conversions.
RESUMO
Loss of c-JUN leads to early mouse embryonic death, possibly because of a failure to develop a normal cardiac system. How c-JUN regulates human cardiomyocyte cell fate remains unknown. Here, we used the in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes to study the role of c-JUN. Surprisingly, the knockout of c-JUN improved cardiomyocyte generation, as determined by the number of TNNT2+ cells. ATAC-seq data showed that the c-JUN defect led to increased chromatin accessibility on critical regulatory elements related to cardiomyocyte development. ChIP-seq data showed that the knockout c-JUN increased RBBP5 and SETD1B expression, leading to improved H3K4me3 deposition on key genes that regulate cardiogenesis. The c-JUN KO phenotype could be copied using the histone demethylase inhibitor CPI-455, which also up-regulated H3K4me3 levels and increased cardiomyocyte generation. Single-cell RNA-seq data defined three cell branches, and knockout c-JUN activated more regulons that are related to cardiogenesis. In summary, our data demonstrated that c-JUN could regulate cardiomyocyte cell fate by modulating H3K4me3 modification and chromatin accessibility and shed light on how c-JUN regulates heart development in humans.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Embrionárias Humanas , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-jun , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Diferenciação Celular , Cromatina/genética , Genes jun , Miócitos Cardíacos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-jun/metabolismoRESUMO
Cell fate decision involves rewiring of the genome, but remains poorly understood at the chromatin level. Here, we report that chromatin remodeling complex NuRD participates in closing open chromatin in the early phase of somatic reprogramming. Sall4, Jdp2, Glis1 and Esrrb can reprogram MEFs to iPSCs efficiently, but only Sall4 is indispensable capable of recruiting endogenous components of NuRD. Yet knocking down NuRD components only reduces reprogramming modestly, in contrast to disrupting the known Sall4-NuRD interaction by mutating or deleting the NuRD interacting motif at its N-terminus that renders Sall4 inept to reprogram. Remarkably, these defects can be partially rescured by grafting NuRD interacting motif onto Jdp2. Further analysis of chromatin accessibility dynamics demonstrates that the Sall4-NuRD axis plays a critical role in closing the open chromatin in the early phase of reprogramming. Among the chromatin loci closed by Sall4-NuRD encode genes resistant to reprogramming. These results identify a previously unrecognized role of NuRD in reprogramming, and may further illuminate chromatin closing as a critical step in cell fate control.
Assuntos
Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase , Fatores de Transcrição , Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Histona Desacetilases/genética , Cromatina , Reprogramação Celular/genéticaRESUMO
The neuroendocrine system consists of a heterogeneous collection of neuropeptidergic neurons in the brain, among which hypothalamic KNDy neurons represent an indispensable cell subtype controlling puberty onset. Although neural progenitors and neuronal precursors along the cell lineage hierarchy adopt a cascade diversification strategy to generate hypothalamic neuronal heterogeneity, the cellular logic operating within the lineage to specify a subtype of neuroendocrine neurons remains unclear. As human genetic studies have recently established a link between TBX3 mutations and delayed puberty onset, we systematically studied Tbx3-derived neuronal lineage and Tbx3-dependent neuronal specification and found that Tbx3 hierarchically established and maintained the identity of KNDy neurons for triggering puberty. Apart from the well-established lineage-dependent fate determination, we uncovered rules of interlineage interaction and intralineage retention operating through neuronal differentiation in the absence of Tbx3. Moreover, we revealed that human TBX3 mutations disturbed the phase separation of encoded proteins and impaired transcriptional regulation of key neuropeptides, providing a pathological mechanism underlying TBX3-associated puberty disorders.
Assuntos
Neurônios , Neuropeptídeos , Puberdade , Proteínas com Domínio T , Humanos , Linhagem da Célula , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Puberdade/genética , Proteínas com Domínio T/genética , Proteínas com Domínio T/metabolismo , Animais , CamundongosRESUMO
Each vertebrate species appears to have a unique timing mechanism for forming somites along the vertebral column, and the process in human remains poorly understood at the molecular level due to technical and ethical limitations. Here, we report the reconstitution of human segmentation clock by direct reprogramming. We first reprogrammed human urine epithelial cells to a presomitic mesoderm (PSM) state capable of long-term self-renewal and formation of somitoids with an anterior-to-posterior axis. By inserting the RNA reporter Pepper into HES7 and MESP2 loci of these iPSM cells, we show that both transcripts oscillate in the resulting somitoids at ~5 h/cycle. GFP-tagged endogenous HES7 protein moves along the anterior-to-posterior axis during somitoid formation. The geo-sequencing analysis further confirmed anterior-to-posterior polarity and revealed the localized expression of WNT, BMP, FGF, and RA signaling molecules and HOXA-D family members. Our study demonstrates the direct reconstitution of human segmentation clock from somatic cells, which may allow future dissection of the mechanism and components of such a clock and aid regenerative medicine.
Assuntos
Mesoderma , Somitos , Humanos , Somitos/metabolismo , Mesoderma/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Padronização Corporal/genética , Fatores de Transcrição Hélice-Alça-Hélice Básicos/genética , Fatores de Transcrição Hélice-Alça-Hélice Básicos/metabolismoRESUMO
Traditional pharmaceuticals in the forms of small chemical compounds or macromolecules such as proteins or RNAs have provided lifesaving solutions to many acute and chronic conditions to date. However, there are still many unmet medical needs, especially those of degenerative nature. The advent of cell-based therapy holds the promise to meet these challenges. In this review, we highlight a relatively new paradigm for generating or regenerating functional cells for replacement therapy against conditions such as type I diabetes, myocardial infarction, neurodegenerative diseases and liver fibrosis. We focus on the latest progresses in cellular reprogramming for generating diverse functional cell types. We will also discuss the mechanisms involved and conclude with likely general principles underlying reprogramming.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The exit from pluripotency or pluripotent-somatic transition (PST) landmarks an event of early mammalian embryonic development, representing a model for cell fate transition. RESULTS: In this study, using a robust JUN-induced PST within 8 h as a model, we investigate the chromatin accessibility dynamics (CAD) as well as the behaviors of corresponding chromatin remodeling complex SS18/BAFs, to probe the key events at the early stage of PST. Here, we report that, JUN triggers the open of 34661 chromatin sites within 4 h, accomplished with the activation of somatic genes, such as Anxa1, Fosl1. ChIP-seq data reveal a rapid relocation of SS18/BAFs from pluripotent loci to AP-1 associated ones. Consistently, the knockdown of Brg1, core component of BAF complexes, leads to failure in chromatin opening but not closing, resulting in delay for JUN induced PST. Notably, the direct interaction between SS18/BAFs and JUN-centric protein complexes is undetectable by IP-MS. Instead, we show that H3K27ac deposited by cJUN dependent process regulates SS18/BAFs complex to AP1-containing loci and facilitate chromatin opening and gene activation. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal a rapid transfer of chromatin remodeling complexes BAF from pluripotent to somatic loci during PST, revealing a simple mechanistic aspect of cell fate control.
RESUMO
The transition from pluripotent to somatic states marks a critical event in mammalian development, but remains largely unresolved. Here we report the identification of SS18 as a regulator for pluripotent to somatic transition or PST by CRISPR-based whole genome screens. Mechanistically, SS18 forms microscopic condensates in nuclei through a C-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) rich in tyrosine, which, once mutated, no longer form condensates nor rescue SS18-/- defect in PST. Yet, the IDR alone is not sufficient to rescue the defect even though it can form condensates indistinguishable from the wild type protein. We further show that its N-terminal 70aa is required for PST by interacting with the Brg/Brahma-associated factor (BAF) complex, and remains functional even swapped onto unrelated IDRs or even an artificial 24 tyrosine polypeptide. Finally, we show that SS18 mediates BAF assembly through phase separation to regulate PST. These studies suggest that SS18 plays a role in the pluripotent to somatic interface and undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation through a unique tyrosine-based mechanism.
Assuntos
Transição de Fase , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Animais , Núcleo Celular , Repetições Palindrômicas Curtas Agrupadas e Regularmente Espaçadas , Feminino , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Proteínas Intrinsicamente Desordenadas/genética , Proteínas Intrinsicamente Desordenadas/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/genética , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , TirosinaRESUMO
Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells with a minimal set of defined factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, also known as OKSM, although this reprogramming is somewhat inefficient. Recent work has identified other nuclear factors, including SALL4, that can synergize with the OSK factors to improve reprogramming dynamics, but the specific role of each of these factors remains poorly understood. In this study, we sought to learn more about the role of SALL4. We observed that SALL4 was the most significant factor in promoting OKS-induced reprogramming. To look for molecules downstream of SALL4, we screened a set of putative targets to determine whether they could promote OKS-induced reprogramming. We identified CECR2, a multidomain nuclear factor and histone acetyl-lysine reader, as a SALL4 effector. Mechanistically, we determined that SALL4 activates Cecr2 expression by directly binding to its promotor region. CECR2 in turn promotes reprogramming by forming a chromatin remodeling complex; this complex contained the SWI/SNF family member SMARCA1 and was dependent on CECR2's DTT domain. In combination, our findings suggest that CECR2 is a novel reprogramming factor and works through a protein network to overcome epigenetic barriers during reprogramming.
Assuntos
Reprogramação Celular , Cromatina/metabolismo , Epigênese Genética , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/biossíntese , Animais , Cromatina/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Fator 4 Semelhante a Kruppel , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
BMP4 regulates a plethora of developmental processes, including the dorsal-ventral axis and neural patterning. Here, we report that BMP4 reconfigures the nuclear architecture during the primed-to-naive transition (PNT). We first established a BMP4-driven PNT and show that BMP4 orchestrates the chromatin accessibility dynamics during PNT. Among the loci opened early by BMP4, we identified Zbtb7a and Zbtb7b (Zbtb7a/b) as targets that drive PNT. ZBTB7A/B in turn facilitate the opening of naive pluripotent chromatin loci and the activation of nearby genes. Mechanistically, ZBTB7A not only binds to chromatin loci near to the genes that are activated, but also strategically occupies those that are silenced, consistent with a role of BMP4 in both activating and suppressing gene expression during PNT at the chromatin level. Our results reveal a previously unknown function of BMP4 in regulating nuclear architecture and link its targets ZBTB7A/B to chromatin remodelling and pluripotent fate control.
Assuntos
Proteína Morfogenética Óssea 4/metabolismo , Cromatina/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/citologia , Camadas Germinativas/citologia , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/citologia , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Animais , Blastocisto/citologia , Blastocisto/metabolismo , Proteína Morfogenética Óssea 4/genética , Diferenciação Celular , Células Cultivadas , Cromatina/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/metabolismo , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Camadas Germinativas/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Endogâmicos CBA , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
Two of the main problems of stem cell and regenerative medicine are the exit of pluripotency and differentiation to functional cells or tissues. The answer to these two problems holds great value in the clinical translation of stem cell as well as regenerative medicine research. Although piling researches have revealed the truth about pluripotency maintenance, the mechanisms underlying pluripotent cell self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation into specific cell lineages or tissues are yet to be defined. To this end, we took full advantage of a novel technology, namely, the genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (GeCKO). As an effective way of introducing targeted loss-of-function mutations at specific sites in the genome, GeCKO is able to screen in an unbiased manner for key genes that promote exit from pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) for the first time. In this study, we successfully established a model based on GeCKO to screen the key genes in pluripotency withdrawal. Our strategies included lentiviral package and infection technology, lenti-Cas9 gene knockout technology, shRNA gene knockdown technology, next-generation sequencing, model-based analysis of genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (MAGeCK analysis), GO analysis, and other methods. Our findings provide a novel approach for large-scale screening of genes involved in pluripotency exit and offer an entry point for cell fate regulation research.
RESUMO
Known as a histone H3K9 methyltransferase, SETDB1 is essential for embryonic development and pluripotent inner cell mass (ICM) establishment. However, its function in pluripotency regulation remains elusive. In this study, we find that under the "ground state" of pluripotency with two inhibitors (2i) of the MEK and GSK3 pathways, Setdb1-knockout fails to induce trophectoderm (TE) differentiation as in serum/LIF (SL), indicating that TE fate restriction is not the direct target of SETDB1. In both conditions, Setdb1-knockout activates a group of genes targeted by SETDB1-mediated H3K9 methylation, including Dux. Notably, Dux is indispensable for the reactivation of 2C-like state genes upon Setdb1 deficiency, delineating the mechanistic role of SETDB1 in totipotency restriction. Furthermore, Setdb1-null ESCs maintain pluripotent marker (e.g., Nanog) expression in the 2i condition. This "ground state" Setdb1-null population undergoes rapid cell death by activating Ripk3 and, subsequently, RIPK1/RIPK3-dependent necroptosis. These results reveal the essential role of Setdb1 between totipotency and pluripotency transition.
Assuntos
Linhagem da Célula , Histona-Lisina N-Metiltransferase/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Trofoblastos/metabolismo , Animais , Diferenciação Celular , Células Cultivadas , Ectoderma/metabolismo , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/citologia , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/metabolismo , Proteína Homeobox Nanog/metabolismo , Necroptose , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/citologia , Proteína Serina-Treonina Quinases de Interação com Receptores/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Totipotentes/metabolismoRESUMO
Reprogramming somatic cells to pluripotency by Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc represent a paradigm for cell fate determination. Here, we report a combination of Jdp2, Jhdm1b, Mkk6, Glis1, Nanog, Essrb, and Sall4 (7F) that reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts or MEFs to chimera competent induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) efficiently. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and ATAC-seq reveal distinct mechanisms for 7F induction of pluripotency. Dropout experiments further reveal a highly cooperative process among 7F to dynamically close and open chromatin loci that encode a network of transcription factors to mediate reprogramming. These results establish an alternative paradigm for reprogramming that may be useful for analyzing cell fate control.
Assuntos
Reprogramação Celular/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Proteínas F-Box/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/citologia , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/metabolismo , MAP Quinase Quinase 6/metabolismo , Proteína Homeobox Nanog/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Animais , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Células Cultivadas , Quimera/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/citologia , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/metabolismo , Eucromatina/genética , Eucromatina/metabolismo , Proteínas F-Box/genética , Fibroblastos/citologia , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Heterocromatina/genética , Heterocromatina/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/metabolismo , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/genética , Fator 4 Semelhante a Kruppel , MAP Quinase Quinase 6/genética , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína Homeobox Nanog/genética , RNA-Seq , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which is a highly heterogeneous process. Here we report the cell fate continuum during somatic cell reprogramming at single-cell resolution. We first develop SOT to analyze cell fate continuum from Oct4/Sox2/Klf4- or OSK-mediated reprogramming and show that cells bifurcate into two categories, reprogramming potential (RP) or non-reprogramming (NR). We further show that Klf4 contributes to Cd34+/Fxyd5+/Psca+ keratinocyte-like NR fate and that IFN-γ impedes the final transition to chimera-competent pluripotency along the RP cells. We analyze more than 150,000 single cells from both OSK and chemical reprograming and identify additional NR/RP bifurcation points. Our work reveals a generic bifurcation model for cell fate decisions during somatic cell reprogramming that may be applicable to other systems and inspire further improvements for reprogramming.
Assuntos
Diferenciação Celular/genética , Linhagem da Célula/genética , Técnicas de Reprogramação Celular , Reprogramação Celular/genética , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/fisiologia , Análise de Sequência de RNA , Análise de Célula Única , Animais , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/metabolismo , Interferon gama/genética , Interferon gama/metabolismo , Fator 4 Semelhante a Kruppel , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos da Linhagem 129 , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Endogâmicos CBA , Camundongos Transgênicos , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Transdução de Sinais , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Safety issues associated with transcription factors or viruses may be avoided with the use of chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSCs), thus promoting their clinical application. Previously, we had successfully developed and standardized an induction method using small-molecule compound, with simple operation, uniform induction conditions, and clear constituents. In order to verify that the CiPSCs were indeed reprogrammed from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and further explore the underlying mechanisms, FSP-tdTomato mice were used to construct a fluorescent protein-tracking system of MEFs, for revealing the process of CiPSC reprogramming. CiPSCs were identified by morphological analysis, mRNA, and protein expression of pluripotency genes, as well as teratoma formation experiments. Results showed that after 40-day treatment of tdTomato-MEFs with small-molecule compounds, the cells were presented with prominent nucleoli, high core-to-cytoplasmic ratio, round shape, group and mass arrangement, and high expression of pluripotency gene. These cells could differentiate into three germ layer tissues in vivo. As indicated by the above results, tdTomato-MEFs could be reprogrammed into CiPSCs, a lineage that possesses pluripotency similar to mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), with the use of small-molecule compounds. The establishment of CiPSC lineage, tracked by fluorescent protein, would benefit further studies exploring its underlying mechanisms. With continuous expression of fluorescent proteins during cellular differentiation, this cell lineage could be used for tracking CiPSC transplantation and differentiation into functional cells.