技术资料

Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is an important epigenetic reader implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of different cancers and other diseases. Brd4-null mouse embryos die shortly after implantation and are compromised in their ability to maintain the inner cell mass,which gives rise to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Here we report that BRD4 regulates expression of the pluripotency factor Nanog in mouse ESCs and preimplantation embryos,as well as in human ESCs and embryonic cancer stem cells. Inhibition of BRD4 function using a chemical inhibitor,small interfering RNAs,or a dominant-negative approach suppresses Nanog expression,and abolishes the self-renewal ability of ESCs. We also find that BRD4 associates with BRG1 (brahma-related gene 1,aka Smarca4 (SWI/SNF-related,matrix-associated,actin-dependent regulator of chromatin,subfamily a,member 4)),a key regulator of ESC self-renewal and pluripotency,in the Nanog regulatory regions to regulate Nanog expression. Our study identifies Nanog as a novel BRD4 target gene,providing new insights for the biological function of BRD4 in stem cells and mouse embryos. Knowledge gained from these non-cancerous systems will facilitate future investigations of how Brd4 dysfunction leads to cancers.Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication,22 August 2014; doi:10.1038/cdd.2014.124. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are proving to be a valuable source of endothelial cells (ECs),pericytes,and vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). Although an increasing number of phenotypic markers are becoming available to determine the phenotypes of these cells in vitro,the ability to integrate and form functional vessels in the host organism,typically mouse,remains critical for the assessment of EC functional competence. However,current mouse models require relatively large numbers of cells that might be difficult to derive simultaneously from multiple hPSCs lines. Therefore,there is an urgent need for new functional assays that are robust and can be performed with small numbers of cells. Here we describe a novel zebrafish xenograft model to test functionality of hPSC-derived ECs. The assay can be performed in 10 days and requires only ˜100-400 human cells per embryo. Thus,the zebrafish xenograft model can be useful for the accurate and rapid assessment of functionality of hPSC-derived ECs in a lower vertebrate model that is widely viewed by regulatory authorities as a more acceptable alternative to adult mice. View Publication

BackgroundX-chromosome inactivation silences one X chromosome in females to achieve dosage compensation with the single X chromosome in males. While most genes are silenced on the inactive X chromosome,the gene for the long non-coding RNA XIST is silenced on the active X chromosome and expressed from the inactive X chromosome with which the XIST RNA associates,triggering silencing of the chromosome. In mouse,an alternative Xist promoter,P2 is also the site of YY1 binding,which has been shown to serve as a tether between the Xist RNA and the DNA of the chromosome. In humans there are many differences from the initial events of mouse Xist activation,including absence of a functional antisense regulator Tsix,and absence of strictly paternal inactivation in extraembryonic tissues,prompting us to examine regulatory regions for the human XIST gene.ResultsWe demonstrate that the female-specific DNase hypersensitivity site within XIST is specific to the inactive X chromosome and correlates with transcription from an internal P2 promoter. P2 is located within a CpG island that is differentially methylated between males and females and overlaps conserved YY1 binding sites that are only bound on the inactive X chromosome where the sites are unmethylated. However,YY1 binding is insufficient to drive P2 expression or establish the DHS,which may require a development-specific factor. Furthermore,reduction of YY1 reduces XIST transcription in addition to causing delocalization of XIST.ConclusionsThe differentially methylated DNase hypersensitive site within XIST marks the location of an alternative promoter,P2,that generates a transcript of unknown function as it lacks the A repeats that are critical for silencing. In addition,this region binds YY1 on the unmethylated inactive X chromosome,and depletion of YY1 untethers the XIST RNA as well as decreasing transcription of XIST. View Publication

Incurable neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD),Huntington's disease (HD),and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are very common and can be life-threatening because of their progressive disease symptoms with limited treatment options. To provide an alternative renewable cell source for cell-based transplantation and as study models for neurological diseases,we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and then differentiated them into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and mature neurons by dual SMAD signaling inhibitors. Reprogramming efficiency was improved by supplementing the histone deacethylase inhibitor,valproic acid (VPA),and inhibitor of p160-Rho associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK),Y-27632,after retroviral transduction. We obtained a number of iPS colonies that shared similar characteristics with human embryonic stem cells in terms of their morphology,cell surface antigens,pluripotency-associated gene and protein expressions as well as their in vitro and in vivo differentiation potentials. After treatment with Noggin and SB431542,inhibitors of the SMAD signaling pathway,HDF-iPSCs demonstrated rapid and efficient differentiation into neural lineages. Six days after neural induction,neuroepithelial cells (NEPCs) were observed in the adherent monolayer culture,which had the ability to differentiate further into NPCs and neurons,as characterized by their morphology and the expression of neuron-specific transcripts and proteins. We propose that our study may be applied to generate neurological disease patient-specific iPSCs allowing better understanding of disease pathogenesis and drug sensitivity assays. View Publication

Directed neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) enables researchers to generate diverse neuronal populations for human neural development study and cell replacement therapy. To realize this potential,it is critical to precisely understand the role of various endogenous and exogenous factors involved in neural differentiation. Cell density,one of the endogenous factors,is involved in the differentiation of human ESCs. Seeding cell density can result in variable terminal cell densities or localized cell densities (LCDs),giving rise to various outcomes of differentiation. Thus,understanding how LCD determines the differentiation potential of human ESCs is important. The aim of this study is to highlight the role of LCD in the differentiation of H9 human ESCs into neuroectoderm (NE),the primordium of the nervous system. We found the initially seeded cells form derived cells with variable LCDs and subsequently affect the NE differentiation. Using a newly established method for the quantitative examination of LCD,we demonstrated that in the presence of induction medium supplemented with or without SMAD signaling blockers,high LCD promotes the differentiation of NE. Moreover,SMAD signaling blockade promotes the differentiation of NE but not non-NE germ layers,which is dependent on high LCDs. Taken together,this study highlights the need to develop innovative strategies or techniques based on LCDs for generating neural progenies from human ESCs. View Publication

We here report that doxycycline,an antibacterial agent,exerts dramatic effects on human embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem cells (hESC/iPSCs) survival and self-renewal. The survival-promoting effect was also manifest in cultures of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from hESC/iPSCs. These doxycycline effects are not associated with its antibacterial action,but mediated by direct activation of a PI3K-AKT intracellular signal. These findings indicate doxycycline as a useful supplement for stem cell cultures,facilitating their growth and maintenance. View Publication

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular cell therapy represents a promising field,with several approaches currently being tested. The advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) for the ongoing METHOD clinical study (Bone marrow derived cell therapy in the stable phase of chronic ischemic heart disease") consists of fresh mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from autologous bone marrow (BM) through density gradient centrifugation on standard Ficoll-Paque. Cells are tested for safety (sterility� View Publication

Neural crest is a population of multipotent progenitor cells that form at the border of neural and non-neural ectoderm in vertebrate embryos,and undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration. According to the traditional view,the neural crest is specified in early embryos by signaling molecules including BMP,FGF,and Wnt proteins. Here,we identify a novel signaling pathway leading to neural crest specification,which involves Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and its downstream target nonmuscle Myosin II. We show that ROCK inhibitors promote differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into neural crest-like progenitors (NCPs) that are characterized by specific molecular markers and ability to differentiate into multiple cell types,including neurons,chondrocytes,osteocytes,and smooth muscle cells. Moreover,inhibition of Myosin II was sufficient for generating NCPs at high efficiency. Whereas Myosin II has been previously implicated in the self-renewal and survival of hESCs,we demonstrate its role in neural crest development during ESC differentiation. Inhibition of this pathway in Xenopus embryos expanded neural crest in vivo,further indicating that neural crest specification is controlled by ROCK-dependent Myosin II activity. We propose that changes in cell morphology in response to ROCK and Myosin II inhibition initiate mechanical signaling leading to neural crest fates. View Publication

There is no consensus in the stem cell field as to what constitutes the mature cardiac myocyte. Thus,helping formalize a molecular signature for cardiac myocyte maturation would advance the field. In the mammalian heart,inactivation of the fetal" TNNI gene� View Publication

Without effective therapy,chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) evolves into an acute leukemia (blast crisis [BC]) that displays either myeloid or B-lymphoid characteristics. This transition is often preceded by a clinically recognized,but biologically poorly characterized,accelerated phase (AP). Here,we report that IKAROS protein is absent or reduced in bone marrow blasts from most CML patients with advanced myeloid disease (AP or BC). This contrasts with primitive CP-CML cells and BCR-ABL1-negative acute myeloid leukemia blasts,which express readily detectable IKAROS. To investigate whether loss of IKAROS contributes to myeloid disease progression in CP-CML,we examined the effects of forced expression of a dominant-negative isoform of IKAROS (IK6) in CP-CML patients' CD34(+) cells. We confirmed that IK6 disrupts IKAROS activity in transduced CP-CML cells and showed that it confers on them features of AP-CML,including a prolonged increased output in vitro and in xenografted mice of primitive cells with an enhanced ability to differentiate into basophils. Expression of IK6 in CD34(+) CP-CML cells also led to activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and transcriptional repression of its negative regulators. These findings implicate loss of IKAROS as a frequent step and potential diagnostic harbinger of progressive myeloid disease in CML patients. View Publication

Mammalian synthetic biology may provide novel therapeutic strategies,help decipher new paths for drug discovery and facilitate synthesis of valuable molecules. Yet,our capacity to genetically program cells is currently hampered by the lack of efficient approaches to streamline the design,construction and screening of synthetic gene networks. To address this problem,here we present a framework for modular and combinatorial assembly of functional (multi)gene expression vectors and their efficient and specific targeted integration into a well-defined chromosomal context in mammalian cells. We demonstrate the potential of this framework by assembling and integrating different functional mammalian regulatory networks including the largest gene circuit built and chromosomally integrated to date (6 transcription units,27kb) encoding an inducible memory device. Using a library of 18 different circuits as a proof of concept,we also demonstrate that our method enables one-pot/single-flask chromosomal integration and screening of circuit libraries. This rapid and powerful prototyping platform is well suited for comparative studies of genetic regulatory elements,genes and multi-gene circuits as well as facile development of libraries of isogenic engineered cell lines. View Publication

High aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is a marker commonly used to isolate stem cells,particularly breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here,we determined that ALDH1A1 activity is inhibited by acetylation of lysine 353 (K353) and that acetyltransferase P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) and deacetylase sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) are responsible for regulating the acetylation state of ALDH1A1 K353. Evaluation of breast carcinoma tissues from patients revealed that cells with high ALDH1 activity have low ALDH1A1 acetylation and are capable of self-renewal. Acetylation of ALDH1A1 inhibited both the stem cell population and self-renewal properties in breast cancer. Moreover,NOTCH signaling activated ALDH1A1 through the induction of SIRT2,leading to ALDH1A1 deacetylation and enzymatic activation to promote breast CSCs. In breast cancer xenograft models,replacement of endogenous ALDH1A1 with an acetylation mimetic mutant inhibited tumorigenesis and tumor growth. Together,the results from our study reveal a function and mechanism of ALDH1A1 acetylation in regulating breast CSCs. View Publication