Data describing the experimental design and quality control of RNA-Seq of human adipose-derived stem cells undergoing early adipogenesis and osteogenesis.

An important tool to study the regulation of gene expression is the sequencing and the analysis of different RNA fractions: total, ribosome-free, monosomal and polysomal. By comparing these different populations, it is possible to identity which genes are differentially expressed and to get information on how transcriptional and translational regulation modulates cellular function. Therefore, we used this strategy to analyze the regulation of gene expression of human adipose-derived stem cells during the triggering of the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Here, we have focused on analyzing the differential expression of mRNAs during early adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation, and presented the detailed data concerning the experimental design, the RNA-Seq quality data, the raw data obtained and the RT-qPCR validation data. This information is important to confirm the accuracy of the data considering a future reuse of the data provided. Moreover, this study may be used as groundwork for future characterization of the transcriptome and the translatome regulation of different cell types.

Gene expression analysis of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells during the initial steps of in vitro osteogenesis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely studied with regard to their potential use in cell therapy protocols and regenerative medicine. However, a better comprehension about the factors and molecular mechanisms driving cell differentiation is now mandatory to improve our chance to manipulate MSC behavior and to benefit future applications. In this work, we aimed to study gene regulatory networks at an early step of osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, we analyzed both the total mRNA and the mRNA fraction associated with polysomes on human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) at 24 h of osteogenesis induction. The RNA-seq results evidenced that hASC fate is not compromised with osteogenesis at this time and that 21 days of continuous cell culture stimuli are necessary for full osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Furthermore, early stages of osteogenesis induction involved gene regulation that was linked to the management of cell behavior in culture, such as the control of cell adhesion and proliferation. In conclusion, although discrete initial gene regulation related to osteogenesis occur, the first 24 h of induction is not sufficient to trigger and drive in vitro osteogenic differentiation of hASCs.