技术资料

A new method of spatially controlled gene regulation in 3D-cultured human embryonic stem cells is developed using hollow gold nanoshells (HGNs) and near-infrared (NIR) light. Targeted cell(s) are discriminated from neighboring cell(s) by focusing NIR light emitted from a two-photon microscope. Irradiation of cells that have internalized HGNs releases surface attached siRNAs and leads to concomitant gene downregulation. View Publication

Recent evidence suggests human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines have differences in their epigenetic marks and transcriptomes,yet the impact of these differences on subsequent terminally differentiated cells is less well understood. Comparison of purified,homogeneous populations of somatic cells derived from multiple independent human iPS and ES lines will be required to address this critical question. Here,we report a differentiation protocol based on embryonic development that consistently yields large numbers of endothelial cells (ECs) derived from multiple hESCs or iPS cells. Mesoderm differentiation of embryoid bodies was maximized,and defined growth factors were used to generate KDR+ EC progenitors. Magnetic purification of a KDR+ progenitor subpopulation resulted in an expanding,homogeneous pool of ECs that expressed EC markers and had functional properties of ECs. Comparison of the transcriptomes revealed limited gene expression variability between multiple lines of human iPS-derived ECs or between lines of ES- and iPS-derived ECs. These results demonstrate a method to generate large numbers of pure human EC progenitors and differentiated ECs from pluripotent stem cells and suggest individual lineages derived from human iPS cells may have significantly less variance than their pluripotent founders. STEM Cells2013;31:92–103 View Publication

LIN28 is a conserved RNA-binding protein implicated in pluripotency,reprogramming,and oncogenesis. It was previously shown to act primarily by blocking let-7 microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis,but here we elucidate distinct roles of LIN28 regulation via its direct messenger RNA (mRNA) targets. Through crosslinking and immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (CLIP-seq) in human embryonic stem cells and somatic cells expressing exogenous LIN28,we have defined discrete LIN28-binding sites in a quarter of human transcripts. These sites revealed that LIN28 binds to GGAGA sequences enriched within loop structures in mRNAs,reminiscent of its interaction with let-7 miRNA precursors. Among LIN28 mRNA targets,we found evidence for LIN28 autoregulation and also direct but differing effects on the protein abundance of splicing regulators in somatic and pluripotent stem cells. Splicing-sensitive microarrays demonstrated that exogenous LIN28 expression causes widespread downstream alternative splicing changes. These findings identify important regulatory functions of LIN28 via direct mRNA interactions. ?? 2012 Elsevier Inc. View Publication

Hematopoiesis is tightly controlled by transcription regulatory networks,but how and when specific transcription factors control lineage commitment are still largely unknown. Within the hematopoietic stem cell (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)) compartment these lineage-specific transcription factors are expressed at low levels but are up-regulated with the process of lineage specification. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) represents one of these factors and is involved in myeloid development and indispensable for formation of granulocytes. To track the cellular fate of stem and progenitor cells,which express C/EBPα,we developed a mouse model expressing Cre recombinase from the Cebpa promoter and a conditional EYFP allele. We show that Cebpa/EYFP(+) cells represent a significant subset of multipotent hematopoietic progenitors,which predominantly give rise to myeloid cells in steady-state hematopoiesis. C/EBPα induced a strong myeloid gene expression signature and down-regulated E2A-induced regulators of early lymphoid development. In addition,Cebpa/EYFP(+) cells compose a fraction of early thymic progenitors with robust myeloid potential. However,Cebpa/EYFP(+) multipotent hematopoietic progenitors and early thymic progenitors retained the ability to develop into erythroid and T-lymphoid lineages,respectively. These findings support an instructive but argue against a lineage-restrictive role of C/EBPα in multipotent hematopoietic and thymic progenitors. View Publication

We have previously identified multipotent neuroepithelial (NEP) stem cells and lineage-restricted,self-renewing precursor cells termed NRPs (neuron-restricted precursors) and GRPs (glial-restricted precursors) present in the developing rat spinal cord (A. Kalyani,K. Hobson,and M. S. Rao,1997,Dev. Biol. 186,202-223; M. S. Rao and M. Mayer-Proschel,1997,Dev. Biol. 188,48-63; M. Mayer-Proschel,A. J. Kalyani,T. Mujtaba,and M. S. Rao,1997,Neuron 19,773-785). We now show that cells identical to rat NEPs,NRPs,and GRPs are present in mouse neural tubes and that immunoselection against cell surface markers E-NCAM and A2B5 can be used to isolate NRPs and GRPs,respectively. Restricted precursors similar to NRPs and GRPs can also be isolated from mouse embryonic stem cells (ES cells). ES cell-derived NRPs are E-NCAM immunoreactive,undergo self-renewal in defined medium,and differentiate into multiple neuronal phenotypes in mass culture. ES cells also generate A2B5-immunoreactive cells that are similar to E9 NEP-cell-derived GRPs and can differentiate into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Thus,lineage restricted precursors can be generated in vitro from cultured ES cells and these restricted precursors resemble those derived from mouse neural tubes. These results demonstrate the utility of using ES cells as a source of late embryonic precursor cells. View Publication

Methylation of cytosine is a DNA modification associated with gene repression. Recently,a novel cytosine modification,5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) has been discovered. Here we examine 5-hmC distribution during mammalian development and in cellular systems,and show that the developmental dynamics of 5-hmC are different from those of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC); in particular 5-hmC is enriched in embryonic contexts compared to adult tissues. A detectable 5-hmC signal appears in pre-implantation development starting at the zygote stage,where the paternal genome is subjected to a genome-wide hydroxylation of 5-mC,which precisely coincides with the loss of the 5-mC signal in the paternal pronucleus. Levels of 5-hmC are high in cells of the inner cell mass in blastocysts,and the modification colocalises with nestin-expressing cell populations in mouse post-implantation embryos. Compared to other adult mammalian organs,5-hmC is strongly enriched in bone marrow and brain,wherein high 5-hmC content is a feature of both neuronal progenitors and post-mitotic neurons. We show that high levels of 5-hmC are not only present in mouse and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and lost during differentiation,as has been reported previously,but also reappear during the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells; thus 5-hmC enrichment correlates with a pluripotent cell state. Our findings suggest that apart from the cells of neuronal lineages,high levels of genomic 5-hmC are an epigenetic feature of embryonic cell populations and cellular pluri- and multi-lineage potency. To our knowledge,5-hmC represents the first epigenetic modification of DNA discovered whose enrichment is so cell-type specific. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have an abbreviated G1 phase of the cell cycle that allows rapid proliferation and maintenance of pluripotency. Lengthening of G1 corresponds to loss of pluripotency during differentiation. However,precise mechanisms that link alterations in the cell cycle and early differentiation remain to be defined. We investigated initial stages of mesendodermal lineage commitment in hESCs,and observed a cell cycle pause. Transcriptome profiling identified several genes with known roles in regulation of the G2/M transition that were differentially expressed early during lineage commitment. WEE1 kinase,which blocks entry into mitosis by phosphorylating CDK1 at Y15,was the most highly expressed of these genes. Inhibition of CDK1 phosphorylation by a specific inhibitor of WEE1 restored cell cycle progression by preventing the G2 pause. Directed differentiation of hESCs revealed that cells paused during commitment to the endo- and mesodermal,but not ectodermal,lineages. Functionally,WEE1 inhibition during meso- and endodermal differentiation selectively decreased expression of definitive endodermal markers SOX17 and FOXA2. Our findings identify a novel G2 cell cycle pause that is required for endodermal differentiation and provide important new mechanistic insights into early events of lineage commitment. Stem Cells 2016;34:1765-1775. View Publication

Lipid droplets,also called lipid bodies (LB) in inflammatory cells,are important cytoplasmic organelles. However,little is known about the molecular characteristics and functions of LBs in human mast cells (MC). Here,we have analyzed the genesis and components of LBs during differentiation of human peripheral blood-derived CD34(+) progenitors into connective tissue-type MCs. In our serum-free culture system,the maturing MCs,derived from 18 different donors,invariably developed triacylglycerol (TG)-rich LBs. Not known heretofore,the MCs transcribe the genes for perilipins (PLIN)1-4,but not PLIN5,and PLIN2 and PLIN3 display different degrees of LB association. Upon MC activation and ensuing degranulation,the LBs were not cosecreted with the cytoplasmic secretory granules. Exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) enhanced LB genesis in Triacsin C-sensitive fashion,and it was found to be preferentially incorporated into the TGs of LBs. The large TG-associated pool of AA in LBs likely is a major precursor for eicosanoid production by MCs. In summary,we demonstrate that cultured human MCs derived from CD34(+) progenitors in peripheral blood provide a new tool to study regulatory mechanisms involving LB functions,with particular emphasis on AA metabolism,eicosanoid biosynthesis,and subsequent release of proinflammatory lipid mediators from these cells. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide new possibilities for regenerative therapies. In order for this potential to be achieved,it is critical to efficiently monitor the differentiation of these hiPSCs into specific lineages. Here,we describe a lentiviral reporter vector sensitive to specific microRNAs (miRNA) to show that a single vector bearing multiple miRNA target sequences conjugated to different reporters can be used to monitor hiPSC formation and subsequent differentiation from human fetal fibroblasts (HFFs). The reporter vector encodes EGFP conjugated to the targets of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) specific miRNAs (miR-302a and miR-302d) and mCherry conjugated to the targets of differentiated cells specific miRNAs (miR-142-3p,miR-155,and miR-223). The vector was used to track reprogramming of HFF to iPSC. HFFs co-transduced with this reporter vector and vectors encoding 4 reprogramming factors (OCT4,SOX2,KLF4 and cMYC) were mostly positive for EGFP (67%) at an early stage of hiPSC formation. EGFP expression gradually disappeared and mCherry expression increased indicating less miRNAs specific to differentiated cells and expression of miRNAs specific to hESCs. Upon differentiation of the hiPSC into embryoid bodies,a large fraction of these hiPSCs regained EGFP expression and some of those cells became single positive for EGFP. Further differentiation into neural lineages showed distinct structures demarcated by either EGFP or mCherry expression. These findings demonstrate that a miRNA dependent reporter vector can be a useful tool to monitor living cells during reprogramming of hiPSC and subsequent differentiation to lineage specific cells. View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are defined as non-hematopoietic,plastic-adherent,self-renewing cells that are capable of tri-lineage differentiation into bone,cartilage or fat in vitro. Thus,MSCs are promising candidates for cell-based medicine. However,classifications of MSCs have been defined retrospectively; moreover,this conventional criterion may be inaccurate due to contamination with other hematopoietic lineage cells. Human MSCs can be enriched by selection for LNGFR and THY-1,and this population may be analogous to murine PDGFR??+Sca-1+ cells,which are developmentally derived from neural crest cells (NCCs). Murine NCCs were labeled by fluorescence,which provided definitive proof of neural crest lineage,however,technical considerations prevent the use of a similar approach to determine the origin of human LNGFR+THY-1+ MSCs. To further clarify the origin of human MSCs,human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were used in this study. Under culture conditions required for the induction of neural crest cells,human ESCs and iPSCs-derived cells highly expressed LNGFR and THY-1. These LNGFR+THY-1+ neural crest-like cells,designated as LT-NCLCs,showed a strong potential to differentiate into both mesenchymal and neural crest lineages. LT-NCLCs proliferated to form colonies and actively migrated in response to serum concentration. Furthermore,we transplanted LT-NCLCs into chick embryos,and traced their potential for survival,migration and differentiation in the host environment. These results suggest that LNGFR+THY-1+ cells identified following NCLC induction from ESCs/iPSCs shared similar potentials with multipotent MSCs. View Publication

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known players in the regulatory circuitry of the self-renewal in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). However,most hESC-specific lncRNAs remain uncharacterized. Here we demonstrate that growth-arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5),a known tumour suppressor and growth arrest-related lncRNA,is highly expressed and directly regulated by pluripotency factors OCT4 and SOX2 in hESCs. Phenotypic analysis shows that GAS5 knockdown significantly impairs hESC self-renewal,but its overexpression significantly promotes hESC self-renewal. Using RNA sequencing and functional analysis,we demonstrate that GAS5 maintains NODAL signalling by protecting NODAL expression from miRNA-mediated degradation. Therefore,we propose that the above pluripotency factors,GAS5 and NODAL form a feed-forward signalling loop that maintains hESC self-renewal. As this regulatory function of GAS5 is stem cell specific,our findings also indicate that the functions of lncRNAs may vary in different cell types due to competing endogenous mechanisms. View Publication

In this study,we focused on two biological products as ideal tools for toxicological assessment: long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). lncRNAs are an important class of pervasive non-protein-coding transcripts involved in the molecular mechanisms associated with responses to cellular stresses. hiPSCs possess the capabilities of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell types,and they are free of the ethical issues associated with human embryonic stem cells. Here,we identified six novel lncRNAs (CDKN2B-AS1,MIR22HG,GABPB1-AS1,FLJ33630,LINC00152,and LINC0541471v2) that respond to model chemical stresses (cycloheximide,hydrogen peroxide,cadmium,or arsenic) in hiPSCs. Our results indicated that the lncRNAs responded to general and specific chemical stresses. Compared with typical mRNAs such as p53-related mRNAs,the lncRNAs highly and rapidly responded to chemical stresses. We propose that these lncRNAs have the potential to be surrogate indicators of chemical stress responses in hiPSCs. View Publication