技术资料

Helper-dependent adenoviral vectors mediate high efficiency gene editing in induced pluripotent stem cells without needing a designer nuclease thereby avoiding off-target cleavage. Because of their large cloning capacity of 37 kb,helper-dependent adenoviral vectors with long homology arms are used for gene editing. However,this makes vector construction and recombinant analysis difficult. Conversely,insufficient homology may compromise targeting efficiency. Thus,we investigated the effect of homology length on helper-dependent adenoviral vector targeting efficiency at the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator locus in induced pluripotent stem cells and found a positive correlation. With 23.8 and 21.4 kb of homology,the frequencies of targeted recombinants were 50-64.6% after positive selection for vector integration,and 97.4-100% after negative selection against random integrations. With 14.8 kb,the frequencies were 26.9-57.1% after positive selection and 87.5-100% after negative selection. With 9.6 kb,the frequencies were 21.4 and 75% after positive and negative selection,respectively. With only 5.6 kb,the frequencies were 5.6-16.7% after positive selection and 50% after negative selection,but these were more than high enough for efficient identification and isolation of targeted clones. Furthermore,we demonstrate helper-dependent adenoviral vector-mediated footprintless correction of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations through piggyBac excision of the selectable marker. However,low frequencies (≤ 1 × 10(-3)) necessitated negative selection for piggyBac-excision product isolation. View Publication

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer immense potential for regenerative medicine and studies of disease and development. Somatic cell reprogramming involves epigenomic reconfiguration,conferring iPSCs with characteristics similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells. However,it remains unknown how complete the reestablishment of ES-cell-like DNA methylation patterns is throughout the genome. Here we report the first whole-genome profiles of DNA methylation at single-base resolution in five human iPSC lines,along with methylomes of ES cells,somatic cells,and differentiated iPSCs and ES cells. iPSCs show significant reprogramming variability,including somatic memory and aberrant reprogramming of DNA methylation. iPSCs share megabase-scale differentially methylated regions proximal to centromeres and telomeres that display incomplete reprogramming of non-CG methylation,and differences in CG methylation and histone modifications. Lastly,differentiation of iPSCs into trophoblast cells revealed that errors in reprogramming CG methylation are transmitted at a high frequency,providing an iPSC reprogramming signature that is maintained after differentiation. View Publication

Injury induces the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) that contribute to the repair and regeneration process. The behavior of BMDCs in injured tissue has a profound effect on repair,but the regulation of BMDC behavior is poorly understood. Aberrant recruitment/retention of these cells in wounds of diabetic patients and animal models is associated with chronic inflammation and impaired healing. BMD Gr-1(+)CD11b(+) cells function as immune suppressor cells and contribute significantly to tumor-induced neovascularization. Here we report that Gr-1(+)CD11b(+) cells also contribute to injury-induced neovascularization,but show altered recruitment/retention kinetics in the diabetic environment. Moreover,diabetic-derived Gr-1(+)CD11b(+) cells fail to stimulate neovascularization in vivo and have aberrant proliferative,chemotaxis,adhesion,and differentiation potential. Previously we demonstrated that gene transfer of HOXA3 to wounds of diabetic mice is taken up by and expressed by recruited BMDCs. This is associated with a suppressed inflammatory response,enhanced neovascularization,and accelerated wound healing. Here we show that sustained expression of Hoxa3 in diabetic-derived BMD Gr-1(+)CD11b(+) cells reverses their diabetic phenotype. These findings demonstrate that manipulation of adult stem/progenitor cells ex vivo could be used as a potential therapy in patients with impaired wound healing. View Publication

HOXA9-mediated up-regulation of miR-155 was noted during an array-based analysis of microRNA expression in Hoxa9(-/-)bone marrow (BM) cells. HOXA9 induction of miR-155 was confirmed in these samples,as well as in wild-type versus Hoxa9-deficient marrow,using northern analysis and qRT-PCR. Infection of wild-type BM with HOXA9 expressing or GFP(+) control virus further confirmed HOXA9-mediated regulation of miR-155. miR-155 expression paralleled Hoxa9 mRNA expression in fractionated BM progenitors,being highest in the stem cell enriched pools. HOXA9 capacity to induce myeloid colony formation was blunted in miR-155-deficient BM cells,indicating that miR-155 is a downstream mediator of HOXA9 function in blood cells. Pu.1,an important regulator of myelopoiesis,was identified as a putative down stream target for miR-155. Although miR-155 was shown to down-regulate the Pu.1 protein,HOXA9 did not appear to modulate Pu.1 expression in murine BM cells. View Publication

Retrovirus-mediated transduction of Hoxb4 enhances hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) activity and enforced expression of Hoxb4 induces in vitro development of HSCs from differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells,but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We previously showed that the HSC activity was abrogated by accumulated Geminin,an inhibitor for the DNA replication licensing factor Cdt1 in mice deficient in Rae28 (also known as Phc1),which encodes a member of Polycomb-group complex 1. In this study we found that Hoxb4 transduction reduced accumulated Geminin in Rae28-deficient mice,despite increasing the mRNA,and restored the impaired HSC activity. Supertransduction of Geminin suppressed the HSC activity induced by Hoxb4 transduction,whereas knockdown of Geminin promoted the clonogenic and replating activities,indicating the importance of Geminin regulation in the molecular mechanism underlying Hoxb4 transduction-mediated enhancement of the HSC activity. This facilitated our investigation of how transduced Hoxb4 reduced Geminin. We showed in vitro and in vivo that Hoxb4 and the Roc1 (also known as Rbx1)-Ddb1-Cul4a ubiquitin ligase core component formed a complex designated as RDCOXB4,which acted as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for Geminin and down-regulated Geminin through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Down-regulated Geminin and the resultant E2F activation may provide cells with proliferation potential by increasing a DNA prereplicative complex loaded onto chromatin. Here we suggest that transduced Hoxb4 down-regulates Geminin protein probably by constituting the E3 ubiquitin ligase for Geminin to provide hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with proliferation potential. View Publication

Enforced expression of the HOXB4 transcription factor and downregulation of p21(Cip1/Waf) (p21) can each independently increase proliferation of murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We asked whether the increase in HSC self-renewal generated by overexpression of HOXB4 is enhanced in p21-deficient HSCs. HOXB4 was overexpressed in hematopoietic cells from wild-type (wt) and p21-/- mice. Bone marrow (BM) cells were transduced with a retroviral vector expressing HOXB4 together with GFP (MIGB4),or a control vector containing GFP alone (MIG) and maintained in liquid culture for up to 11 days. At day 11 of the expansion culture,the number of primary CFU-GM (colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage) colonies and the repopulating ability were significantly increased in MIGB4 p21-/- BM (p21B4) cells compared with MIGB4-transduced wt BM (wtB4) cells. To test proliferation of HSCs in vivo,we performed competitive repopulation experiments and obtained significantly higher long-term engraftment of expanded p21B4 cells compared with wtB4 cells. The 5-day expansion of p21B4 HSCs generated 100-fold higher numbers of competitive repopulating units compared with wtMIG and threefold higher numbers compared with wtB4. The findings demonstrate that increased expression of HOXB4,in combination with suppression of p21 expression,could be a useful strategy for effective and robust expansion of HSCs. View Publication

The HOX family of homeobox genes plays an important role in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Dysregulated HOX gene expression profoundly effects the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and committed progenitors,and aberrant activation of HOX genes is a common event in human myeloid leukemia. HOXB6 is frequently overexpressed in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To gain further insight into the role of HOXB6 in hematopoiesis,we overexpressed HOXB6 in murine bone marrow using retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. We also explored structure-function relationships using mutant HOXB6 proteins unable to bind to DNA or a key HOX-binding partner,pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor-1 (PBX1). Additionally,we investigated the potential cooperative interaction with myeloid ecotropic viral integration site 1 homolog (MEIS1). In vivo,HOXB6 expanded HSCs and myeloid precursors while inhibiting erythropoiesis and lymphopoiesis. Overexpression of HOXB6 resulted in AML with a median latency of 223 days. Coexpression of MEIS1 dramatically shortened the onset of AML. Cytogenetic analysis of a subset of HOXB6-induced AMLs revealed recurrent deletions of chromosome bands 2D-E4,a region frequently deleted in HOXA9-induced AMLs. In vitro,HOXB6 immortalized a factor-dependent myelomonocytic precursor capable of granulocytic and monocytic differentiation. These biologic effects of HOXB6 were largely dependent on DNA binding but independent of direct interaction with PBX1. View Publication

Imatinib mesylate has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of patients in the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. However,despite an overall significant hematological and cytogenetic response,imatinib therapy may favor the emergence of drug-resistant clones,ultimately leading to relapse. Some imatinib resistance mechanisms had not been fully elucidated yet. In this study we used sensitive and resistant sublines from a Bcr-Abl positive cell line to investigate the putative involvement of telomerase in the promotion of imatinib resistance. We showed that sensitivity to imatinib can be partly restored in imatinib-resistant cells by targeting telomerase expression,either by the introduction of a dominant-negative form of the catalytic protein subunit of the telomerase (hTERT) or by the treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid,a clinically used drug. Furthermore,we showed that hTERT overexpression favors the development of imatinib resistance through both its antiapoptotic and telomere maintenance functions. Therefore,combining antitelomerase strategies to imatinib treatment at the beginning of the treatment should be promoted to reduce the risk of imatinib resistance development and increase the probability of eradicating the disease. View Publication

Cellular reprogramming from adult somatic cells into an embryonic cell-like state,termed induced pluripotency,has been achieved in several cell types. However,the ability to reprogram human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs),an abundant cell source derived from discarded placental tissue,has only recently been investigated. Here we show that not only are hAECs easily reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (AE-iPSCs),but hAECs reprogram faster and more efficiently than adult and neonatal somatic dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore,AE-iPSCs express higher levels of NANOG and OCT4 compared to human foreskin fibroblast iPSCs (HFF1-iPSCs) and express decreased levels of genes associated with differentiation,including NEUROD1 and SOX17,markers of neuronal differentiation. To elucidate the mechanism behind the higher reprogramming efficiency of hAECs,we analyzed global DNA methylation,global histone acetylation,and the mitochondrial DNA A3243G point mutation. Whereas hAECs show no differences in global histone acetylation or mitochondrial point mutation accumulation compared to adult and neonatal dermal fibroblasts,hAECs demonstrate a decreased global DNA methylation compared to dermal fibroblasts. Likewise,quantitative gene expression analyses show that hAECs endogenously express OCT4,SOX2,KLF4,and c-MYC,all four factors used in cellular reprogramming. Thus,hAECs represent an ideal cell type for testing novel approaches for generating clinically viable iPSCs and offer significant advantages over postnatal cells that more likely may be contaminated by environmental exposures and infectious agents. View Publication

Although adipose tissue is an expandable and readily attainable source of proliferating,multipotent stem cells,its potential for use in regenerative medicine has not been extensively explored. Here we report that adult human and mouse adipose-derived stem cells can be reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells with substantially higher efficiencies than those reported for human and mouse fibroblasts. Unexpectedly,both human and mouse iPS cells can be obtained in feeder-free conditions. We discovered that adipose-derived stem cells intrinsically express high levels of pluripotency factors such as basic FGF,TGFbeta,fibronectin,and vitronectin and can serve as feeders for both autologous and heterologous pluripotent cells. These results demonstrate a great potential for adipose-derived cells in regenerative therapeutics and as a model for studying the molecular mechanisms of feeder-free iPS generation and maintenance. View Publication

Various combinations of antibodies directed to cell surface markers have been used to isolate human and rhesus macaque hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These protocols result in poor enrichment or require multiple complex steps. Recently,a simple phenotype for HSCs based on cell surface markers from the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family of receptors has been reported in the mouse. We examined the possibility of using the SLAM markers to facilitate the isolation of highly enriched populations of HSCs in humans and rhesus macaques. We isolated SLAM (CD150(+)CD48(-)) and non-SLAM (not CD150(+)CD48(-)) cells from human umbilical cord blood CD34(+) cells as well as from human and rhesus macaque mobilized peripheral blood CD34(+) cells and compared their ability to form colonies in vitro and reconstitute immune-deficient (nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency/interleukin-2 γc receptor(null),NSG) mice. We found that the CD34(+) SLAM population contributed equally or less to colony formation in vitro and to long-term reconstitution in NSG mice compared with the CD34(+) non-SLAM population. Thus,SLAM family markers do not permit the same degree of HSC enrichment in humans and rhesus macaques as in mice. View Publication

The t(16:16) and inv(16) are associated with FAB M4Eo myeloid leukemias and result in fusion of the CBFB gene to the MYH11 gene (encoding smooth muscle myosin heavy chain [SMMHC]). Knockout of CBFbeta causes embryonic lethality due to lack of definitive hematopoiesis. Although knock-in of CBFB-MYH11 is not sufficient to cause disease,expression increases the incidence of leukemia when combined with cooperating events. Although mouse models are valuable tools in the study of leukemogenesis,little is known about the contribution of CBFbeta-SMMHC to human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell self-renewal. We introduced the CBFbeta-MYH11 cDNA into human CD34+ cells via retroviral transduction. Transduced cells displayed an initial repression of progenitor activity but eventually dominated the culture,resulting in the proliferation of clonal populations for up to 7 months. Long-term cultures displayed a myelomonocytic morphology while retaining multilineage progenitor activity and engraftment in NOD/SCID-B2M-/- mice. Progenitor cells from long-term cultures showed altered expression of genes defining inv(16) identified in microarray studies of human patient samples. This system will be useful in examining the effects of CBFbeta-SMMHC on gene expression in the human preleukemic cell,in characterizing the effect of this oncogene on human stem cell biology,and in defining its contribution to the development of leukemia. View Publication