技术资料

The identification of the trans-acting factors and cis-regulatory modules that are involved in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) maintenance and differentiation is necessary to dissect the operating regulatory networks in these processes and thereby identify nodes where signal input will direct desired cell fate decisions in vitro or in vivo. To deconvolute these networks,we established a method to influence the differentiation state of hPSCs with a CRISPR-associated catalytically inactive dCas9 fused to an effector domain. In human embryonic stem cells,we find that the dCas9 effectors can exert positive or negative regulation on the expression of developmentally relevant genes,which can influence cell differentiation status when impinging on a key node in the regulatory network that governs the cell state. This system provides a platform for the interrogation of the underlying regulators governing specific differentiation decisions,which can then be employed to direct cellular differentiation down desired pathways. View Publication

High telomerase activity is a characteristic of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs),however,the regulation and maintenance of correct telomere length in hESCs is unclear. In this study we investigated telomere elongation in hESCs in vitro and found that telomeres lengthened from their derivation in blastocysts through early expansion,but stabilized at later passages. We report that the core unit of telomerase,hTERT,was highly expressed in hESCs in blastocysts and throughout long-term culture; furthermore,this was regulated in a Wnt-β-catenin-signaling-dependent manner. Our observations that the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway was suppressed in hESCs and that hTERT knockdown partially inhibited telomere elongation,demonstrated that high telomerase activity was required for telomere elongation. We observed that chromatin modification through trimethylation of H3K9 and H4K20 at telomeric regions decreased during early culture. This was concurrent with telomere elongation,suggesting that epigenetic regulation of telomeric chromatin may influence telomerase function. By measuring telomere length in 96 hESC lines,we were able to establish that telomere length remained relatively stable at 12.02±1.01 kb during later passages (15-95). In contrast,telomere length varied in hESCs with genomic instability and hESC-derived teratomas. In summary,we propose that correct,stable telomere length may serve as a potential biomarker for genetically stable hESCs. View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modulate cardiac healing after myocardial injury through the release of paracrine factors,but the exact mechanisms are still unknown. One possible mechanism is through mobilization of endogenous cardiac stem cells (CSCs). This study aimed to test the pro-migratory effect of MSC conditioned medium (MSC-CM) on endogenous CSCs from human cardiac tissue. By using a three-dimensional collagen assay,we found that MSC-CM improved migration of cells from human cardiac tissue. Cell counts,perimeter and area measurements were utilized to quantify migration effects. To examine whether resident stem cells were among the migrating cells,specific stem cell properties were investigated. The migrating cells displayed strong similarities with resident Cardiac Atrial appendage Stem Cells (CASCs),including a clonogenic potential of ˜21.5% and expression of pluripotency associated genes like Oct-4,Nanog,c-Myc and Klf-4. Similar to CASCs,migrating cells demonstrated high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and were able to differentiate towards cardiomyocytes. Receptor tyrosine kinase analysis and collagen assays performed with recombinant platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA and Imatinib Mesylate,a PDGF receptor inhibitor,suggested a role for the PDGF-AA/PDGF receptor $$ axis in enhancing the migration process of CASCs. In conclusion,our findings demonstrate that factors present in MSC-CM improve migration of resident stem cells from human cardiac tissue. These data open doors towards future therapies in which MSC secreted factors,like PDGF-AA,can be utilized to enhance the recruitment of CASCs towards the site of myocardial injury. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the ability to form cells derived from all three germ layers,and as such have received significant attention as a possible source for insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cells for diabetes treatment. While considerable advances have been made in generating hESC-derived insulin-producing cells,to date in vitro-derived glucose-responsive beta-cells have remained an elusive goal. With the objective of increasing the in vitro formation of pancreatic endocrine cells,we examined the effect of varying initial cell seeding density from 1.3 x 104 cells/cm2 to 5.3 x 104 cells/cm2 followed by a 21-day pancreatic endocrine differentiation protocol. Low density-seeded cells were found to be biased toward the G2/M phases of the cell cycle and failed to efficiently differentiate into SOX17-CXCR4 co-positive definitive endoderm cells leaving increased numbers of OCT4 positive cells in day 4 cultures. Moderate density cultures effectively formed definitive endoderm and progressed to express PDX1 in approximately 20% of the culture. High density cultures contained approximately double the numbers of PDX1 positive pancreatic progenitor cells and also showed increased expression of MNX1,PTF1a,NGN3,ARX,and PAX4 compared to cultures seeded at moderate density. The cultures seeded at high density displayed increased formation of polyhormonal pancreatic endocrine cell populations co-expressing insulin,glucagon and somatostatin. The maturation process giving rise to these endocrine cell populations followed the expected cascade of pancreatic progenitor marker (PDX1 and MNX1) expression,followed by pancreatic endocrine specification marker expression (BRN4,PAX4,ARX,NEUROD1,NKX6.1 and NKX2.2) and then pancreatic hormone expression (insulin,glucagon and somatostatin). Taken together these data suggest that initial cell seeding density plays an important role in both germ layer specification and pancreatic progenitor commitment,which precedes pancreatic endocrine cell formation. This work highlights the need to examine standard culture variables such as seeding density when optimizing hESC differentiation protocols. View Publication

Many solid cancers display cellular hierarchies with self-renewing,tumorigenic stemlike cells,or cancer-initiating cells (CICs) at the apex. Whereas CICs often exhibit relative resistance to conventional cancer therapies,they also receive critical maintenance cues from supportive stromal elements that also respond to cytotoxic therapies. To interrogate the interplay between chemotherapy and CICs,we investigated cellular heterogeneity in human colorectal cancers. Colorectal CICs were resistant to conventional chemotherapy in cell-autonomous assays,but CIC chemoresistance was also increased by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Comparative analysis of matched colorectal cancer specimens from patients before and after cytotoxic treatment revealed a significant increase in CAFs. Chemotherapy-treated human CAFs promoted CIC self-renewal and in vivo tumor growth associated with increased secretion of specific cytokines and chemokines,including interleukin-17A (IL-17A). Exogenous IL-17A increased CIC self-renewal and invasion,and targeting IL-17A signaling impaired CIC growth. Notably,IL-17A was overexpressed by colorectal CAFs in response to chemotherapy with expression validated directly in patient-derived specimens without culture. These data suggest that chemotherapy induces remodeling of the tumor microenvironment to support the tumor cellular hierarchy through secreted factors. Incorporating simultaneous disruption of CIC mechanisms and interplay with the tumor microenvironment could optimize therapeutic targeting of cancer. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Abnormal activation of endochondral bone formation in soft tissues causes significant medical diseases associated with disability and pain. Hyperactive mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type 1 receptor ACVR1 lead to fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP),a rare genetic disorder characterized by progressive ossification in soft tissues. However,the specific cellular mechanisms are unclear. In addition,the difficulty obtaining tissue samples from FOP patients and the limitations in mouse models of FOP hamper our ability to dissect the pathogenesis of FOP.backslashnbackslashnMETHODS: To address these challenges and develop a disease model in a dish"� View Publication

Summary Direct reprogramming of adult somatic cells into alternative cell types has been shown for several lineages. We previously showed that GATA4,MEF2C,and TBX5 (GMT) directly reprogrammed nonmyocyte mouse heart cells into induced cardiomyocyte-like cells (iCMs) in vitro and in vivo. However,GMT alone appears insufficient in human fibroblasts,at least in vitro. Here,we show that GMT plus ESRRG and MESP1 induced global cardiac gene-expression and phenotypic shifts in human fibroblasts derived from embryonic stem cells,fetal heart,and neonatal skin. Adding Myocardin and ZFPM2 enhanced reprogramming,including sarcomere formation,calcium transients,and action potentials,although the efficiency remained low. Human iCM reprogramming was epigenetically stable. Furthermore,we found that transforming growth factor β signaling was important for,and improved the efficiency of,human iCM reprogramming. These findings demonstrate that human fibroblasts can be directly reprogrammed toward the cardiac lineage,and lay the foundation for future refinements in vitro and in vivo. textcopyright 2013 The Authors. View Publication

It has been recently reported that the regulatory circuitry formed by OCT4,miR-302,and NR2F2 controls both pluripotency and neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We show here that JMJD1C,a histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) demethylase expressed in hESCs,directly interacts with this circuitry. hESCs with stable knockdown of JMJD1C remain pluripotent while having reduced miR-302 expression,decreased BMP signaling,and enhanced TGF$\$ JMJD1C binds to the miR-302 promoter and reduces H3K9 methylation. Withdrawal of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from the culture induces neural differentiation of the knockdown,but not the control,cells within 3 days,accompanied by elevated NR2F2 expression. This can be attenuated with miR-302 mimics or an H3K9 methytransferase inhibitor. Together,our findings suggest that JMJD1C represses neural differentiation of hESCs at least partially by epigenetically sustaining miR-302 expression and that JMJD1C knockdown is sufficient to trigger neural differentiation upon withdrawal of exogenous bFGF. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst. Despite sharing the common property of pluripotency,hESCs are notably distinct from epiblast cells of the preimplantation blastocyst. Here we use a combination of three small-molecule inhibitors to sustain hESCs in a LIF signaling-dependent hESC state (3iL hESCs) with elevated expression of NANOG and epiblast-enriched genes such as KLF4,DPPA3,and TBX3. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis confirms that the expression signature of 3iL hESCs shares similarities with native preimplantation epiblast cells. We also show that 3iL hESCs have a distinct epigenetic landscape,characterized by derepression of preimplantation epiblast genes. Using genome-wide binding profiles of NANOG and OCT4,we identify enhancers that contribute to rewiring of the regulatory circuitry. In summary,our study identifies a distinct hESC state with defined regulatory circuitry that will facilitate future analysis of human preimplantation embryogenesis and pluripotency. View Publication

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) are typically derived separately,with low efficiencies,from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). The concurrent generation of these cell types might lead to potential applications in regenerative medicine to model,elucidate,and eventually treat vascular diseases. Here we report a robust two-step protocol that can be used to simultaneously generate large numbers of functional SMCs and ECs from a common proliferative vascular progenitor population via a two-dimensional culture system. We show here that coculturing hPSCs with OP9 cells in media supplemented with vascular endothelial growth factor,basic fibroblast growth factor,and bone morphogenetic protein 4 yields a higher percentage of CD31(+)CD34(+) cells on day 8 of differentiation. Upon exposure to endothelial differentiation media and SM differentiation media,these vascular progenitors were able to differentiate and mature into functional endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells,respectively. Furthermore,we were able to expand the intermediate population more than a billion fold to generate sufficient numbers of ECs and SMCs in parallel for potential therapeutic transplantations. View Publication

In recent years,studies of cancer development and recurrence have been influenced by the cancer stem cells (CSCs)/cancer-initiating cells (CICs) hypothesis. According to this,cancer is sustained by highly positioned,chemoresistant cells with extensive capacity of self renewal,which are responsible for disease relapse after chemotherapy. Growth of cancer cells as three-dimensional non-adherent spheroids is regarded as a useful methodology to enrich for cells endowed with CSC-like features. We have recently reported that cell cultures derived from malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) of patients affected by adenocarcinoma of the lung are able to efficiently form spheroids in non-adherent conditions supplemented with growth factors. By expression profiling,we were able to identify a set of genes whose expression is significantly upregulated in lung tumor spheroids versus adherent cultures. One of the most strongly upregulated gene was stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1),the main enzyme responsible for the conversion of saturated into monounsaturated fatty acids. In the present study,we show both by RNA interference and through the use of a small molecule inhibitor that SCD1 is required for lung cancer spheroids propagation both in stable cell lines and in MPE-derived primary tumor cultures. Morphological examination and image analysis of the tumor spheroids formed in the presence of SCD1 inhibitors showed a different pattern of growth characterized by irregular cell aggregates. Electron microscopy revealed that the treated spheroids displayed several features of cellular damage and immunofluorescence analysis on optical serial sections showed apoptotic cells positive for the M30 marker,most of them positive also for the stemness marker ALDH1A1,thus suggesting that the SCD1 inhibitor is selectively killing cells with stem-like properties. Furthermore,SCD1-inhibited lung cancer cells were strongly impaired in their in vivo tumorigenicity and ALDH1A1 expression. These results suggest that SCD1 is a critical target in lung cancer tumor-initiating cells. View Publication

A systematic evaluation of three different methods for generating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells was performed using the same set of parental cells in our quest to develop a feeder independent and xeno-free method for somatic cell reprogramming that could be transferred into a GMP environment. When using the BJ fibroblast cell line,the highest reprogramming efficiency (1.89% of starting cells) was observed with the mRNA based method which was almost 20 fold higher than that observed with the retrovirus (0.2%) and episomal plasmid (0.10%) methods. Standard characterisation tests did not reveal any differences in an array of pluripotency markers between the iPS lines derived using the various methods. However,when the same methods were used to reprogram three different primary fibroblasts lines,two derived from patients with rapid onset parkinsonism dystonia and one from an elderly healthy volunteer,we consistently observed higher reprogramming efficiencies with the episomal plasmid method,which was 4 fold higher when compared to the retroviral method and over 50 fold higher than the mRNA method. Additionally,with the plasmid reprogramming protocol,recombinant vitronectin and synthemax® could be used together with commercially available,fully defined,xeno-free essential 8 medium without significantly impacting the reprogramming efficiency. To demonstrate the robustness of this protocol,we reprogrammed a further 2 primary patient cell lines,one with retinosa pigmentosa and the other with Parkinsons disease. We believe that we have optimised a simple and reproducible method which could be used as a starting point for developing GMP protocols,a prerequisite for generating clinically relevant patient specific iPS cells. View Publication