技术资料

The development of patient-derived cardiac disease models has advanced rapidly due to the progress of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technologies. Many protocols detail individual parts of the entire workflow,from handling hiPSCs and differentiating them into cardiomyocytes to live contraction imaging via widefield/phase-contrast and fluorescence microscopy. Here,we propose a streamlined protocol that guides users through hiPSC culture,differentiation,expansion,and functional imaging of hiPSC cardiomyocytes. First,hiPSC maintenance and handling procedures are outlined. Differentiation occurs over a two-week period,followed by selective expansion to increase the yield of hiPSC cardiomyocytes. Comprehensive characterization and quantification enable detailed contraction profiling of these cells. Designed to be low-cost,this protocol is suited for applications in drug discovery,screening,and clinical testing of patient-specific phenotypes. The addition of cardiomyocyte expansion and automated analysis distinguishes our protocol from current approaches. View Publication

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance use disorder worldwide. Acamprosate and naltrexone are anti-craving drugs used in AUD pharmacotherapy. However,molecular mechanisms underlying their anti-craving effect remain unclear. This study utilized a patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based model system and anti-craving drugs that are used to treat AUD as “molecular probes” to identify possible mechanisms associated with alcohol craving. We examined the pathophysiology of craving and anti-craving drugs by performing functional genomics studies using iPSC-derived astrocytes and next-generation sequencing. Specifically,RNA sequencing performed using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from AUD patients with extreme values for alcohol craving intensity prior to treatment showed that inflammation-related pathways were highly associated with alcohol cravings. We then performed a genome-wide assessment of chromatin accessibility and gene expression profiles of induced iPSC-derived astrocytes in response to ethanol or anti-craving drugs. Those experiments identified drug-dependent epigenomic signatures,with IRF3 as the most significantly enriched motif in chromatin accessible regions. Furthermore,the activation of IRF3 was associated with ethanol-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress which could be attenuated by anti-craving drugs,suggesting that ER stress attenuation might be a target for anti-craving agents. In conclusion,we found that craving intensity was associated with alcohol consumption and treatment outcomes. Our functional genomic studies suggest possible relationships among craving,ER stress,IRF3 and the actions of anti-craving drugs. View Publication

Enzymatic dissociation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into single cells during routine passage leads to massive cell death. Although the Rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor,Y-27632 can enhance hPSC survival and proliferation at high seeding density,dissociated single cells undergo apoptosis at clonal density. This presents a major hurdle when deriving genetically modified hPSC lines since transfection and genome editing efficiencies are not satisfactory. As a result,colonies tend to contain heterogeneous mixtures of both modified and unmodified cells,making it difficult to isolate the desired clone buried within the colony. In this study,we report improved clonal expansion of hPSCs using a retinoic acid analogue,TTNPB. When combined with Y-27632,TTNPB synergistically increased hPSC cloning efficiency by more than 2 orders of magnitude (0.2% to 20%),whereas TTNPB itself increased more than double cell number expansion compared to Y-27632. Furthermore,TTNPB-treated cells showed two times higher aggregate formation and cell proliferation compared to Y-27632 in suspension culture. TTNPB-treated cells displayed a normal karyotype,pluripotency and were able to stochastically differentiate into all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. TTNBP acts,in part,by promoting cellular adhesion and self-renewal through the upregulation of Claudin 2 and HoxA1. By promoting clonal expansion,TTNPB provides a new approach for isolating and expanding pure hPSCs for future cell therapy applications. A retinoic acid analogue,TTNPB,improves clonal expansion in adherent and suspension culture of hPSCs by promoting cellular adhesion and self-renewal through the upregulation of Claudin 2 and HoxA1. View Publication

It has been reported that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) treated with BMP4 and inhibitors of TGF? signaling (A83-01) and FGF signaling (PD173074),called BAP,can efficiently differentiate to extraembryonic (ExE) cells in vitro. Due to restricted access to human embryos,it is ethically impossible to test the developmental potential of ExE cells in vivo. Here,we demonstrate that most ExE cells expressed molecular markers for both trophoblasts (TBs) and amniotic cells (ACs). Following intra-uterine transplantation,ExE cells contributed to the mouse placenta. More interestingly,ExE cells could chimerize with the mouse blastocyst as,after injection into the blastocyst,they penetrated its trophectoderm. After implantation of the injected blastocysts into surrogate mice,human cells were found at E14 in placental labyrinth,junction zones,and even near the uterine decidua,expressed placental markers,and secreted human chorionic gonadotropin. Surprisingly,ExE cells also contributed to cartilages of the chimeric embryo with some expressing the chondrogenic marker SOX9,consistent with the mesodermal potential of TBs and ACs in the placenta. Deleting MSX2,a mesodermal determinant,restricted the contribution of ExE cells to the placenta. Thus,we conclude that hESC-derived ExE cells can chimerize with the mouse blastocyst and contribute to both the placenta and cartilages of the chimera consistent with their heteogenious nature. Intra-uterus and intra-blastocyst injections are novel and sensitive methods to study the developmental potential of ExE cells. View Publication

Human GWAS have shown that obesogenic FTO polymorphisms correlate with lean mass,but the mechanisms have remained unclear. It is counterintuitive because lean mass is inversely correlated with obesity and metabolic diseases. Here,we use CRISPR to knock-in FTOrs9939609-A into hESC-derived tissue models,to elucidate potentially hidden roles of FTO during development. We find that among human tissues,FTOrs9939609-A most robustly affect human muscle progenitors’ proliferation,differentiation,senescence,thereby accelerating muscle developmental and metabolic aging. An edited FTOrs9939609-A allele over-stimulates insulin/IGF signaling via increased muscle-specific enhancer H3K27ac,FTO expression and m6A demethylation of H19 lncRNA and IGF2 mRNA,with excessive insulin/IGF signaling leading to insulin resistance upon replicative aging or exposure to high fat diet. This FTO-m6A-H19/IGF2 circuit may explain paradoxical GWAS findings linking FTOrs9939609-A to both leanness and obesity. Our results provide a proof-of-principle that CRISPR-hESC-tissue platforms can be harnessed to resolve puzzles in human metabolism. Human GWAS paradoxically linked FTO SNPs to both lean mass and sarcopenia/obesity. Here,Guang et al used CRISPR-edited stem cells to reveal that an obesogenic FTO SNP accelerates both muscle development and aging,by increasing RNA m6A demethylation. View Publication

Mutation in CUL4B gene is one of the most common causes for X-linked intellectual disability (XLID). CUL4B is the scaffold protein in CUL4B-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL4B) complex. While the roles of CUL4B in cancer progression and some developmental processes like adipogenesis,osteogenesis,and spermatogenesis have been studied,the mechanisms underlying the neurological disorders in patients with CUL4B mutations are poorly understood. Here,using 2D neuronal culture and cerebral organoids generated from the patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and their isogenic controls,we demonstrate that CUL4B is required to prevent premature cell cycle exit and precocious neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells. Moreover,loss-of-function mutations of CUL4B lead to increased synapse formation and enhanced neuronal excitability. Mechanistically,CRL4B complex represses transcription of PPP2R2B and PPP2R2C genes,which encode two isoforms of the regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2 A (PP2A) complex,through catalyzing monoubiquitination of H2AK119 in their promoter regions. CUL4B mutations result in upregulated PP2A activity,which causes inhibition of AKT and ERK,leading to premature cell cycle exit. Activation of AKT and ERK or inhibition of PP2A activity in CUL4B mutant organoids rescues the neurogenesis defect. Our work unveils an essential role of CUL4B in human cortical development. View Publication

The significant advances in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem (hPS) cells into pancreatic endocrine cells,including functional ?-cells,have been based on a detailed understanding of the underlying developmental mechanisms. However,the final differentiation steps,leading from endocrine progenitors to mono-hormonal and mature pancreatic endocrine cells,remain to be fully understood and this is reflected in the remaining shortcomings of the hPS cell-derived islet cells (SC-islet cells),which include a lack of ?-cell maturation and variability among different cell lines. Additional signals and modifications of the final differentiation steps will have to be assessed in a combinatorial manner to address the remaining issues and appropriate reporter lines would be useful in this undertaking. Here we report the generation and functional validation of hPS cell reporter lines that can monitor the generation of INS+ and GCG+ cells and their resolution into mono-hormonal cells (INSeGFP,INSeGFP/GCGmCHERRY) as well as ?-cell maturation (INSeGFP/MAFAmCHERRY) and function (INSGCaMP6). The reporter hPS cell lines maintained strong and widespread expression of pluripotency markers and differentiated efficiently into definitive endoderm and pancreatic progenitor (PP) cells. PP cells from all lines differentiated efficiently into islet cell clusters that robustly expressed the corresponding reporters and contained glucose-responsive,insulin-producing cells. To demonstrate the applicability of these hPS cell reporter lines in a high-content live imaging approach for the identification of optimal differentiation conditions,we adapted our differentiation procedure to generate SC-islet clusters in microwells. This allowed the live confocal imaging of multiple SC-islets for a single condition and,using this approach,we found that the use of the N21 supplement in the last stage of the differentiation increased the number of monohormonal ?-cells without affecting the number of ?-cells in the SC-islets. The hPS cell reporter lines and the high-content live imaging approach described here will enable the efficient assessment of multiple conditions for the optimal differentiation and maturation of SC-islets. View Publication

SummaryGene-switch techniques hold promising applications in contemporary genetics research,particularly in disease treatment and genetic engineering. Here,we developed a compact drug-induced splicing system that maintains low background using a human ubiquitin C (hUBC) promoter and optimized drug (LMI070) binding sequences based on the Xon switch system. To ensure precise subcellular localization of the protein of interest (POI),we inserted a 2A self-cleaving peptide between the extra N-terminal peptide and POI. This streamlined and optimized switch system,named miniXon2G,effectively regulated POIs in different subcellular localizations both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore,miniXon2G could be integrated into endogenous gene loci,resulting in precise,reversible regulation of target genes by both endogenous regulators and drugs. Overall,these findings highlight the performance of miniXon2G in controlling protein expression with great potential for general applicability to diverse biological scenarios requiring precise and delicate regulation. Graphical abstract Highlights•miniXon2G is a compact and versatile version of the Xon gene-switch system•A P2A peptide eliminates residual peptides from functional proteins•We demonstrate applications on multiple proteins of interest•miniXon2G is a precise and reversible switch system with minimal background expression MotivationThe Xon drug-inducible splice-switch system is a simple and highly adaptable tool for regulated protein expression. We sought to further engineer this system to expand its applications in contemporary genetics research. In particular,we focused on reducing the size of the switch elements,maintaining minimal background expression,introducing a feature to remove extraneous peptide fragments,and demonstrating genomic integration and validation on a range of targets. Chi et al. develop a compact and versatile miniXon2G drug-inducible splice-switch system based on the Xon system. It features a reduced size,minimal background,and the removal of extraneous peptide fragments,enabling application to various biological scenarios that require precise expression control. View Publication

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently co-occur,yet the underlying molecular mechanisms of this comorbidity remain unknown. Given that children with CHD are identified as newborns,understanding which CHD variants are associated with autism could help select individuals for early intervention. Autism gene perturbations commonly dysregulate neural progenitor cell (NPC) biology,so we hypothesized that CHD genes disrupting neurogenesis are more likely to increase ASD risk. Therefore,we performed an in vitro pooled CRISPR interference screen to identify CHD genes disrupting NPC biology and identified 45 CHD genes. A cluster of ASD and CHD genes are enriched for ciliary biology,and perturbing any one of seven such genes (CEP290,CHD4,KMT2E,NSD1,OFD1,RFX3 and TAOK1) impairs primary cilia formation in vitro. In vivo investigation of TAOK1 in Xenopus tropicalis reveals a role in motile cilia formation and heart development,supporting its prediction as a CHD gene. Together,our findings highlight a set of CHD genes that may carry risk for ASD and underscore the role of cilia in shared ASD and CHD biology. View Publication

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by mutations in melty-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2). MeCP2 is a non-cell type-specific DNA binding protein,and its mutation influences not only neural cells but also non-neural cells in the brain,including vasculature associated with endothelial cells. Vascular integrity is crucial for maintaining brain homeostasis,and its alteration may be linked to the pathology of neurodegenerative disease,but a non-neurogenic effect,especially the relationship between vascular alternation and Rett syndrome pathogenesis,has not been shown. Here,we recapitulate a microvascular network using Rett syndrome patient-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that carry MeCP2[R306C] mutation to investigate early developmental vascular impact. To expedite endothelial cell differentiation,doxycycline (DOX)-inducible ETV2 expression vectors were inserted into the AAVS1 locus of Rett syndrome patient-derived iPS cells and its isogenic control by CRISPR/Cas9. With these endothelial cells,we established a disease microvascular network (Rett-dMVNs) and observed higher permeability in the Rett-dMVNs compared to isogenic controls,indicating altered barrier function by MeCP2 mutation. Furthermore,we unveiled that hyperpermeability is involved in the upregulation of miR126–3p in Rett syndrome patient-derived endothelial cells by microRNA profiling and RNAseq,and rescue of miR126–3p level can recover their phenotype. We discover miR126–3p-mediated vascular impairment in Rett syndrome patients and suggest the potential application of these findings for translational medicine. View Publication

AbstractAimsDoxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anthracycline anticancer agent; however,its irreversible effects on the heart can result in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DICT) after cancer treatment. Unfortunately,the pathophysiology of DICT has not yet been fully elucidated,and there are no effective strategies for its prevention or treatment. In this investigation,the novel role of transducin beta-like protein 1 (TBL1) in developing and regulating DICT was explored.Methods and resultsWe observed a reduction in TBL1 protein expression levels as well as cleavage events in the transplanted cardiac tissues of patients diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and DICT. It was revealed that DOX selectively induces TBL1 cleavage at caspase-3 preferred sites—D125,D136,and D215. Interestingly,overexpression of the uncleaved TBL1 mutant (TBL1uclv) variant reduced apoptosis,effectively preventing DOX-induced cell death. We confirmed that cleaved TBL1 cannot form a complex with ?-catenin. As a result,Wnt reporter activity and Wnt target gene expression collectively indicate a decrease in Wnt/?-catenin signalling,leading to DICT progression. Furthermore,the cleaved TBL1 triggered DOX-induced abnormal electrophysiological features and disrupted calcium homeostasis. However,these effects were improved in TBL1uclv-overexpressing human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Finally,in a DICT mouse model,TBL1uclv overexpression inhibited the DICT-induced reduction of cardiac contractility and collagen accumulation,ultimately protecting cardiomyocytes from cell death.ConclusionOur findings reveal that the inhibition of TBL1 cleavage not only mitigates apoptosis but also enhances cardiomyocyte function,even in the context of DOX administration. Consequently,this study's results suggest that inhibiting TBL1 cleavage may be a novel strategy to ameliorate DICT. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract View Publication

PurposeOxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is a chronic,debilitating late effect following oxaliplatin treatment. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a structural protein found in nerve axons that was investigated upon oxaliplatin exposure in vitro and in vivo correlated to symptoms of OIPN in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin.MethodsHuman sensory neurons,derived from induced pluripotent stem cells,were exposed to clinically relevant concentrations of oxaliplatin in vitro,with NfL concentrations measured in the cell medium. The prospective clinical study included patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy therapy with or without oxaliplatin. Possible OIPN was defined as bilateral presence of numbness and/or presence of pricking sensations in the feet documented in an interview at the time of blood sampling prior to,3,and 6 months after initiating treatment.ResultsOxaliplatin exposure led to a dose-dependent NfL increase in vitro. In the clinical cohort of 30 patients (18 in the oxaliplatin group),NfL levels rose at 3 and 6 months compared to controls. NfL level changes correlated to OIPN symptoms at the 6-month timepoint (rho 0.81,p? View Publication