Human induced pluripotent stem cells display a similar mutation burden as embryonic pluripotent cells in vivo.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine, but genetic instability is a major concern. Embryonic pluripotent cells also accumulate mutations during early development, but how this relates to the mutation burden in iPSCs remains unknown. Here, we directly compared the mutation burden of cultured iPSCs with their isogenic embryonic cells during human embryogenesis. We generated developmental lineage trees of human fetuses by phylogenetic inference from somatic mutations in the genomes of multiple stem cells, which were derived from different germ layers. Using this approach, we characterized the mutations acquired pre-gastrulation and found a rate of 1.65 mutations per cell division. When cultured in hypoxic conditions, iPSCs generated from fetal stem cells of the assessed fetuses displayed a similar mutation rate and spectrum. Our results show that iPSCs maintain a genomic integrity during culture at a similar degree as their pluripotent counterparts do in vivo.

Of stem cells and gametes: similarities and differences.

Fusion of a mammalian sperm cell with an oocyte will lead to the formation of a new organism. As this new organism develops, the cells that construct the organism gradually lose developmental competence and become differentiated, a process which is in part mediated via epigenetic modifications. These mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone tail modifications and association with Polycomb and Trithorax proteins. Several cells within the organism must however maintain or regain developmental competence while they are highly specialized. These are the primordial germ cells that form the gametes; the oocytes and sperm cells. In this review different epigenetic modifying mechanisms will be discussed as they occur in developing embryos. In addition, aspects of nuclear reprogramming that are likely to occur via removal of epigenetic modifications are important, and several epigenetic removal mechanisms are indeed also active in developing germ cells. In vivo, a pluripotent cell has the capacity to form gametes, but in vitro terminal gametogenesis has proven to be difficult. Although development of pluripotent cells to cells with the characteristics of early germ cells has been unequivocally demonstrated, creating the correct culture milieu that enables further maturation of these cells has as yet been futile.

Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase mu expression as a marker for endothelial cell heterogeneity; analysis of RPTPmu gene expression using LacZ knock-in mice.

The receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase mu (RPTPmu) belongs to the subfamily of meprin, A5, RPTPmu (MAM) domain-containing RPTPs, which are thought to play an important role in cell-cell adhesion mediated processes. The current study was designed to examine the expression pattern of RPTPmu in mice. We have generated RPTPmu-LacZ knock-in mice that express the beta-galactosidase (LacZ) reporter gene under the control of the RPTPmu promoter. LacZ expression patterns were analysed in embryos and adult mice by whole mount LacZ staining. Analysis of beta-galactosidase activity of heterozygous embryos and adult tissues revealed RPTPmu expression in endothelial cells of arteries and capillaries. In contrast, expression was virtually absent in endothelial cells of veins and in fenestrated endothelial cells in the adult liver and spleen. Moreover, RPTPmu expression was found in endothelial cells from the endocardium and the aorta in embryos, but not in adult mice. In addition to heterogeneous expression in endothelial cells, RPTPmu expression was found in cardiac muscle cells but not in skeletal muscle cells or smooth muscle cells. Expression was also found in Type II pneumonocytes in the lung alveoli and in Purkinje cells and other neurons in the brain. The specific expression of RPTPmu in arterial endothelial cells and in cardiac myocytes suggests that RPTPmu may play a role in the regulation of cardiovascular functions.

Analysis of co-expression of OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 in pluripotent cells of the porcine embryo, in vivo and in vitro.

To derive porcine embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, the time window during which porcine embryos contain pluripotent cells that are predisposed to undifferentiated self-renewal in vitro must be identified. Therefore we first studied the spatial and temporal expression pattern of key factors in pluripotency and lineage segregation of blastocyst-stage porcine embryos between embryonic days (E) 6.5 and E10.5 using whole mount in situ hybridization, quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and whole mount immunofluorescence. Expression of NANOG and SOX2 was detected in both the ICM and epiblast, while OCT4 expression became restricted to the epiblast at E9.5. Surprisingly ICM and epiblast cells also expressed CK18. Consequently, growth factors which sustain the undifferentiated growth of human ES cells and mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) were tested for their ability to sustain undifferentiated self-renewal of porcine ICM and epiblast cells in vitro. Cultures of ICM cells resulted in a higher percentage of primary colonies with an ES-like morphology compared to primary cultures derived from epiblast cells. These undifferentiated colonies sustained expression of OCT4, NANOG, SOX2 and CK18. The expression of CK18 suggests that these cells are more similar to human ES cells and mouse EpiSCs than to mouse ES cells. Although undifferentiated cultures were maintained for limited passages, ICM and epiblast cultures rapidly differentiated into cell types of mesodermal, ectodermal, and endodermal origin, as characterized by RT-PCR. These results demonstrate that porcine ICM and epiblast cells can not be cultured in vitro with currently used human ES cell culture conditions. Importantly however, the trio of OCT4, NANOG and SOX2, which are known to form an autoregulatory network for pluripotency in other systems, are co-expressed also by porcine epiblasts, and by undifferentiated primary colonies in culture.

A distinct expression pattern in mammalian testes indicates a conserved role for NANOG in spermatogenesis.

BACKGROUND: NANOG is a key player in pluripotency and its expression is restricted to pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass, the epiblast and to primordial germ cells. Spermatogenesis is closely associated with pluripotency, because through this process highly specialized sperm cells are produced that contribute to the formation of totipotent zygotes. Nevertheless, it is unknown if NANOG plays a role in this process. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the current study, NANOG expression was examined in testes of various mammals, including mouse and human. Nanog mRNA and NANOG protein were detected by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. Furthermore, eGFP expression was detected in the testis of a transgenic Nanog eGFP-reporter mouse. Surprisingly, although NANOG expression has previously been associated with undifferentiated cells with stem cell potential, expression in the testis was observed in pachytene spermatocytes and in the first steps of haploid germ cell maturation (spermiogenesis). Weak expression in type A spermatogonia was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study strongly suggest a conserved role for NANOG in meiotic and post-meiotic stages of male germ cell development.