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Cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer immense value in studying cardiovascular regenerative medicine. However,intrinsic biases and differential responsiveness of hPSCs towards cardiac differentiation pose significant technical and logistic hurdles that hamper human cardiomyocyte studies. Tandem modulation of canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways may play a crucial role in cardiac development that can efficiently generate cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells. Our Wnt signaling expression profiles revealed that phasic modulation of canonical/non-canonical axis enabled orderly recapitulation of cardiac developmental ontogeny. Moreover,evaluation of 8 hPSC lines showed marked commitment towards cardiac-mesoderm during the early phase of differentiation,with elevated levels of canonical Wnts (Wnt3 and 3a) and Mesp1. Whereas continued activation of canonical Wnts was counterproductive,its discrete inhibition during the later phase of cardiac differentiation was accompanied by significant up-regulation of non-canonical Wnt expression (Wnt5a and 11) and enhanced Nkx2.5(+) (up to 98%) populations. These Nkx2.5(+) populations transited to contracting cardiac troponin T-positive CMs with up to 80% efficiency. Our results suggest that timely modulation of Wnt pathways would transcend intrinsic differentiation biases of hPSCs to consistently generate functional CMs that could facilitate their scalable production for meaningful clinical translation towards personalized regenerative medicine. View Publication

The chromatin landscape and cellular metabolism both contribute to cell fate determination,but their interplay remains poorly understood. Using genome-wide siRNA screening,we have identified prohibitin (PHB) as an essential factor in self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Mechanistically,PHB forms protein complexes with HIRA,a histone H3.3 chaperone,and stabilizes the protein levels of HIRA complex components. Like PHB,HIRA is required for hESC self-renewal. PHB and HIRA act together to control global deposition of histone H3.3 and gene expression in hESCs. Of particular note,PHB and HIRA regulate the chromatin architecture at the promoters of isocitrate dehydrogenase genes to promote transcription and,thus,production of α-ketoglutarate,a key metabolite in the regulation of ESC fate. Our study shows that PHB has an unexpected nuclear role in hESCs that is required for self-renewal and that it acts with HIRA in chromatin organization to link epigenetic organization to a metabolic circuit. View Publication

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signalling regulates a wide variety of cellular functions including proliferation and differentiation. Disruption of class I(A) PI3K isoforms has implicated PI3K-mediated signalling in development of the early embryo and lymphohaemopoietic system. We have used embryonic stem (ES) cells as an in vitro model to study the involvement of PI3K-dependent signalling during early development and haemopoiesis. Both pharmacological inhibition and genetic manipulation of PI3K-dependent signalling demonstrate that PI3K-mediated signals,most likely via 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1),are required for proliferation of cells within developing embryoid bodies (EBs). Surprisingly,the haemopoietic potential of EB-derived cells was not blocked upon PI3K inhibition but rather enhanced,correlating with modest increases in expression of haemopoietic marker genes. By contrast,PDK1-deficient EB-derived progeny failed to generate terminally differentiated haemopoietic lineages. This deficiency appeared to be due to a requirement for PI3K signalling during the proliferative phase of blast-colony-forming cell (BL-CFC) expansion,rather than as a result of effects on differentiation per se. We also demonstrate that PI3K-dependent signalling is required for optimal generation of erythroid and myeloid progenitors and their differentiation into mature haemopoietic colony types. These data demonstrate that PI3K-dependent signals play important roles at different stages of haemopoietic development. View Publication

BACKGROUND Human (h) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) serve as a potential unlimited ex vivo source of cardiomyocytes (CMs). However,a well-accepted roadblock has been their immature phenotype. hESC/iPSC-derived ventricular (v) CMs and their engineered cardiac microtissues (hvCMTs) similarly displayed positive chronotropic but null inotropic responses to $\$-adrenergic stimulation. Given that phospholamban (PLB) is robustly present in adult but poorly expressed in hESC/iPSC-vCMs and its defined biological role in $\$-adrenergic signaling,we investigated the functional consequences of PLB expression in hESC/iPSC-vCMs and hvCMTs. METHODS AND RESULTS First,we confirmed that PLB protein was differentially expressed in hESC (HES2,H9)- and iPSC-derived and adult vCMs. We then transduced hES2-vCMs with the recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) Ad-PLB or Ad-S16E-PLB to overexpress wild-type PLB or the pseudophosphorylated point-mutated variant,respectively. As anticipated from the inhibitory effect of unphosphorylated PLB on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase,Ad-PLB transduction significantly attenuated electrically evoked Ca2+ transient amplitude and prolonged the 50% decay time. Importantly,Ad-PLB-transduced hES2-vCMs uniquely responded to isoproterenol. Ad-S16E-PLB-transduced hES2-vCMs displayed an intermediate phenotype. The same trends were observed with H9- and iPSC-vCMs. Directionally,similar results were also seen with Ad-PLB-transduced and Ad-S16E-transduced hvCMTs. However,Ad-PLB altered neither the global transcriptome nor ICa,L,implicating a PLB-specific effect. CONCLUSIONS Engineered upregulation of PLB expression in hESC/iPSC-vCMs restores a positive inotropic response to $\$-adrenergic stimulation. These results not only provide a better mechanistic understanding of the immaturity of hESC/iPSC-vCMs but will also lead to improved disease models and transplantable prototypes with adult-like physiological responses. View Publication

Monitoring pluripotent stem cell behaviors (self-renewal and differentiation to specific lineages/phenotypes) is critical for a fundamental understanding of stem cell biology and their translational applications. In this study,a multi-modal stem cell monitoring system was developed to quantitatively characterize physico-electrochemical changes of the cells in real time,in relation to cellular activities during self-renewal or lineage-specific differentiation,in a non-destructive,label-free manner. The system was validated by measuring physical (mass) and electrochemical (impedance) changes in human induced pluripotent stem cells undergoing self-renewal,or subjected to mesendodermal or ectodermal differentiation,and correlating them to morphological (size,shape) and biochemical changes (gene/protein expression). An equivalent circuit model was used to further dissect the electrochemical (resistive and capacitive) contributions of distinctive cellular features. Overall,the combination of the physico-electrochemical measurements and electrical circuit modeling collectively offers a means to longitudinally quantify the states of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. View Publication

BACKGROUND: A few reports suggested that low levels of Wnt signaling might drive cell reprogramming,but these studies could not establish a clear relationship between Wnt signaling and self-renewal networks. There are ongoing debates as to whether and how the Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in the control of pluripotency gene networks. Additionally,whether physiological β-catenin signaling generates stem-like cells through interactions with other pathways is as yet unclear. The nasopharyngeal carcinoma HONE1 cells have low expression of β-catenin and wild-type expression of p53,which provided a possibility to study regulatory mechanism of stemness networks induced by physiological levels of Wnt signaling in these cells.backslashnbackslashnRESULTS: Introduction of increased β-catenin signaling,haploid expression of β-catenin under control by its natural regulators in transferred chromosome 3,resulted in activation of Wnt/β-catenin networks and dedifferentiation in HONE1 hybrid cell lines,but not in esophageal carcinoma SLMT1 hybrid cells that had high levels of endogenous β-catenin expression. HONE1 hybrid cells displayed stem cell-like properties,including enhancement of CD24(+) and CD44(+) populations and generation of spheres that were not observed in parental HONE1 cells. Signaling cascades were detected in HONE1 hybrid cells,including activation of p53- and RB1-mediated tumor suppressor pathways,up-regulation of Nanog-,Oct4-,Sox2-,and Klf4-mediated pluripotency networks,and altered E-cadherin expression in both in vitro and in vivo assays. qPCR array analyses further revealed interactions of physiological Wnt/β-catenin signaling with other pathways such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition,TGF-β,Activin,BMPR,FGFR2,and LIFR- and IL6ST-mediated cell self-renewal networks. Using β-catenin shRNA inhibitory assays,a dominant role for β-catenin in these cellular network activities was observed. The expression of cell surface markers such as CD9,CD24,CD44,CD90,and CD133 in generated spheres was progressively up-regulated compared to HONE1 hybrid cells. Thirty-four up-regulated components of the Wnt pathway were identified in these spheres.backslashnbackslashnCONCLUSIONS: Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates self-renewal networks and plays a central role in the control of pluripotency genes,tumor suppressive pathways and expression of cancer stem cell markers. This current study provides a novel platform to investigate the interaction of physiological Wnt/β-catenin signaling with stemness transition networks. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer the potential to study otherwise inaccessible cell types. Critical to this is the directed differentiation of hiPSCs into functional cell lineages. This is of particular relevance to research into neurological disease,such as Parkinson's disease (PD),in which midbrain dopaminergic neurons degenerate during disease progression but are unobtainable until post-mortem. Here we report a detailed study into the physiological maturation over time of human dopaminergic neurons in vitro. We first generated and differentiated hiPSC lines into midbrain dopaminergic neurons and performed a comprehensive characterisation to confirm dopaminergic functionality by demonstrating dopamine synthesis,release,and re-uptake. The neuronal cultures include cells positive for both tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and G protein-activated inward rectifier potassium channel 2 (Kir3.2,henceforth referred to as GIRK2),representative of the A9 population of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) neurons vulnerable in PD. We observed for the first time the maturation of the slow autonomous pace-making (textless10 Hz) and spontaneous synaptic activity typical of mature SNc dopaminergic neurons using a combination of calcium imaging and electrophysiology. hiPSC-derived neurons exhibited inositol tri-phosphate (IP3) receptor-dependent release of intracellular calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum in neuronal processes as calcium waves propagating from apical and distal dendrites,and in the soma. Finally,neurons were susceptible to the dopamine neuron-specific toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) which reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and altered mitochondrial morphology. Mature hiPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons provide a neurophysiologically-defined model of previously inaccessible vulnerable SNc dopaminergic neurons to bridge the gap between clinical PD and animal models. View Publication

Human sensory neurons are inaccessible for functional examination,and thus little is known about the mechanisms mediating touch sensation in humans. Here we demonstrate that the mechanosensitivity of human embryonic stem (hES) cell-derived touch receptors depends on PIEZO2. To recapitulate sensory neuron development in vitro,we established a multistep differentiation protocol and generated sensory neurons via the intermediate production of neural crest cells derived from hES cells or human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells. The generated neurons express a distinct set of touch receptor-specific genes and convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals,their most salient characteristic in vivo. Strikingly,mechanosensitivity is lost after CRISPR/Cas9-mediated PIEZO2 gene deletion. Our work establishes a model system that resembles human touch receptors,which may facilitate mechanistic analysis of other sensory subtypes and provide insight into developmental programs underlying sensory neuron diversity. View Publication

For diseases of the brain,the pig (Sus scrofa) is increasingly being used as a model organism that shares many anatomical and biological similarities with humans. We report that pig induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can recapitulate events in early mammalian neural development. Pig iPSC line (POU5F1(high)/SSEA4(low)) had a higher potential to form neural rosettes (NR) containing neuroepithelial cells than either POU5F1(low)/SSEA4(low) or POU5F1(low)/SSEA4(high) lines. Thus,POU5F1 and SSEA4 pluripotency marker profiles in starting porcine iPSC populations can predict their propensity to form more robust NR populations in culture. The NR were isolated and expanded in vitro,retaining their NR morphology and neuroepithelial molecular properties. These cells expressed anterior central nervous system fate markers OTX2 and GBX2 through at least seven passages,and responded to retinoic acid,promoting a more posterior fate (HOXB4+,OTX2-,and GBX2-). These findings offer insight into pig iPSC development,which parallels the human iPSC in both anterior and posterior neural cell fates. These in vitro similarities in early neural differentiation processes support the use of pig iPSC and differentiated neural cells as a cell therapy in allogeneic porcine neural injury and degeneration models,providing relevant translational data for eventual human neural cell therapies. View Publication

The pig is the large animal model of choice for study of nerve regeneration and wound repair. Availability of porcine sensory neural cells would conceptually allow for analogous cell-based peripheral nerve regeneration in porcine injuries of similar severity and size to those found in humans. After recently reporting that porcine (or pig) induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) differentiate into neural rosette (NR) structures similar to human NRs,here we demonstrate that pig NR cells could differentiate into neural crest cells and other peripheral nervous system-relevant cell types. Treatment with either bone morphogenetic protein 4 or fetal bovine serum led to differentiation into BRN3A-positive sensory cells and increased expression of sensory neuron TRK receptor gene family: TRKA,TRKB,and TRKC. Porcine sensory neural cells would allow determination of parallels between human and porcine cells in response to noxious stimuli,analgesics,and reparative mechanisms. In vitro differentiation of pig sensory neurons provides a novel model system for neural cell subtype specification and would provide a novel platform for the study of regenerative therapeutics by elucidating the requirements for innervation following injury and axonal survival. View Publication

Transgenic expression of just four defined transcription factors (c-Myc,Klf4,Oct4 and Sox2) is sufficient to reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state. The resulting induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells resemble embryonic stem cells in their properties and potential to differentiate into a spectrum of adult cell types. Current reprogramming strategies involve retroviral,lentiviral,adenoviral and plasmid transfection to deliver reprogramming factor transgenes. Although the latter two methods are transient and minimize the potential for insertion mutagenesis,they are currently limited by diminished reprogramming efficiencies. piggyBac (PB) transposition is host-factor independent,and has recently been demonstrated to be functional in various human and mouse cell lines. The PB transposon/transposase system requires only the inverted terminal repeats flanking a transgene and transient expression of the transposase enzyme to catalyse insertion or excision events. Here we demonstrate successful and efficient reprogramming of murine and human embryonic fibroblasts using doxycycline-inducible transcription factors delivered by PB transposition. Stable iPS cells thus generated express characteristic pluripotency markers and succeed in a series of rigorous differentiation assays. By taking advantage of the natural propensity of the PB system for seamless excision,we show that the individual PB insertions can be removed from established iPS cell lines,providing an invaluable tool for discovery. In addition,we have demonstrated the traceless removal of reprogramming factors joined with viral 2A sequences delivered by a single transposon from murine iPS lines. We anticipate that the unique properties of this virus-independent simplification of iPS cell production will accelerate this field further towards full exploration of the reprogramming process and future cell-based therapies. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be maintained as undifferentiated cells in vitro and induced to differentiate into a variety of somatic cell types. Thus,hESCs provide a source of differentiated cell types that could be used to replace diseased cells of a tissue. The efficient cryopreservation of hESCs is important for establishing effective stem cell banks,however,conventional slow freezing methods usually lead to low rates of recovery after thawing cells and their replating in culture. We have established a method for recovering cryopreserved hESCs using pinacidil and compared it to a method that employs the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632. We show that pinacidil is similar to Y-27632 in promoting survival of hESCs after cryopreservation. The cells exhibited normal hESC morphology,retained a normal karyotype,and expressed characteristic hESC markers (OCT4,SSEA3,SSEA4 and TRA-1-60). Moreover,the cells retained the capacity to differentiate into derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers as demonstrated by differentiation through embryoid body formation. Pinacidil has been used for many years as a vasodilator drug to treat hypertension and its manufacture and traceability are well defined. It is also considerably cheaper than Y-27632. Thus,the use of pinacidil offers an efficient method for recovery of cryopreserved dissociated human ES cells. View Publication