Scientific Resources

The naïve pluripotent state has been shown in mice to lead to broad and more robust developmental potential relative to primed mouse epiblast cells. The human naïve ES cell state has eluded derivation without the use of transgenes,and forced expression of OCT4,KLF4,and KLF2 allows maintenance of human cells in a naïve state [Hanna J,et al. (2010) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107(20):9222-9227]. We describe two routes to generate nontransgenic naïve human ES cells (hESCs). The first is by reverse toggling of preexisting primed hESC lines by preculture in the histone deacetylase inhibitors butyrate and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid,followed by culture in MEK/ERK and GSK3 inhibitors (2i) with FGF2. The second route is by direct derivation from a human embryo in 2i with FGF2. We show that human naïve cells meet mouse criteria for the naïve state by growth characteristics,antibody labeling profile,gene expression,X-inactivation profile,mitochondrial morphology,microRNA profile and development in the context of teratomas. hESCs can exist in a naïve state without the need for transgenes. Direct derivation is an elusive,but attainable,process,leading to cells at the earliest stage of in vitro pluripotency described for humans. Reverse toggling of primed cells to naïve is efficient and reproducible. View Publication

Approximately 70% of KRAS-positive colorectal cancers (CRCs) have a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) characterized by aberrant DNA hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing of many genes. The factors involved in,and the mechanistic basis of,CIMP is not understood. Among the CIMP genes are the tumor suppressors p14(ARF),p15(INK4B),and p16(INK4A),encoded by the INK4-ARF locus. In this study,we perform an RNA interference screen and identify ZNF304,a zinc-finger DNA-binding protein,as the pivotal factor required for INK4-ARF silencing and CIMP in CRCs containing activated KRAS. In KRAS-positive human CRC cell lines and tumors,ZNF304 is bound at the promoters of INK4-ARF and other CIMP genes. Promoter-bound ZNF304 recruits a corepressor complex that includes the DNA methyltransferase DNMT1,resulting in DNA hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing. KRAS promotes silencing through upregulation of ZNF304,which drives DNA binding. Finally,we show that ZNF304 also directs transcriptional silencing of INK4-ARF in human embryonic stem cells. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02313.001. View Publication

Cardiomyocytes (CM) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are used for cardio-toxicity evaluation and tested in many preclinical trials for their potential use in regenerative therapeutics. As more efficient CM differentiation protocols are developed,reliable automated platforms for characterization and detection are needed. An automated time-resolved video analysis and management system (TVAMS) has been developed for the evaluation of hESC differentiation to CM. The system was used for monitoring the kinetics of embryoid bodies (EB) generation (numbers and size) and differentiation into beating EBs (percentage beating area and beating EB count) in two differentiation protocols. We show that the percentage beating areas of EBs (from total area of the EBs) is a more sensitive and better predictor of CM differentiation efficiency than percentage of beating EBs (from total EBs) as the percentage beating areas of EBs correlates with cardiac troponin-T and myosin heavy chain expression levels. TVAMS can also be used to evaluate the effect of drugs and inhibitors (e.g. isoproterenol and ZD7288) on CM beating frequency. TVAMS can reliably replace the commonly practiced,time consuming,manual counting of total and beating EBs during CM differentiation. TVAMS is a high-throughput non-invasive video imaging platform that can be applied for the development of new CM differentiation protocols,as well as a tool to conduct CM toxicology assays. View Publication

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling cascade is aberrantly activated in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but not in normal lung epithelial cells,suggesting that blocking BMP signaling may be an effective therapeutic approach for lung cancer. Previous studies demonstrated that some BMP antagonists,which bind to extracellular BMP ligands and prevent their association with BMP receptors,dramatically reduced lung tumor growth. However,clinical application of protein-based BMP antagonists is limited by short half-lives,poor intra-tumor delivery as well as resistance caused by potential gain-of-function mutations in the downstream of the BMP pathway. Small molecule BMP inhibitors which target the intracellular BMP cascades would be ideal for anticancer drug development. In a zebrafish embryo-based structure and activity study,we previously identified a group of highly selective small molecule inhibitors specifically antagonizing the intracellular kinase domain of BMP type I receptors. In the present study,we demonstrated that DMH1,one of such inhibitors,potently reduced lung cell proliferation,promoted cell death,and decreased cell migration and invasion in NSCLC cells by blocking BMP signaling,as indicated by suppression of Smad 1/5/8 phosphorylation and gene expression of Id1,Id2 and Id3. Additionally,DMH1 treatment significantly reduced the tumor growth in human lung cancer xenograft model. In conclusion,our study indicates that small molecule inhibitors of BMP type I receptors may offer a promising novel strategy for lung cancer treatment. View Publication

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase forms two multiprotein complexes,mTORC1 and mTORC2,which regulate cell growth,survival,and autophagy. Allosteric inhibitors of mTORC1,such as rapamycin,have been extensively used to study tumor cell growth,proliferation,and autophagy but have shown only limited clinical utility. Here,we describe AZD8055,a novel ATP-competitive inhibitor of mTOR kinase activity,against all class I phosphatidylinositol3-kinase (PI3K) and other members of the PI3K-like kinase family. The study was to determine the effect of AZD8055 on proliferation and apoptosis on Hep-2,a human laryngeal cancer cell line and to investigate the underlying mechanism(s) of action. Hep-2 cells were treated with AZD8055 for 24,48 or 72 h. MTT was used to determine cell proliferation. Rhodamine 123 and TUNEL staining were used to determine mitochondrial membrane potential and cell apoptosis analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Protein expressions were examined by western blotting. Treatment with AZD8055 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in Hep-2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. During the prolonged treatment with AZD8055,AZD8055 inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR. Further experiments showed which signaling cascade p-4EBP1 and substrate EIF4E as well as downstream proteins were down regulated. Furthermore,our study showed that the expression profiles of various BH3-only proteins including Bid,Bad,and Bim,apoptosis regulatory protein cleaved caspase3 was up regulated in a time-dependent manner in Hep-2 cells treated with AZD8055. Thus,in vitro,AZD8055 potently inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. View Publication

Human Nanog1 is a 305-amino acid (aa) homeodomain-containing transcription factor critical for the pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) and embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. Somatic cancer cells predominantly express a retrogene homolog of Nanog1 called NanogP8,which is ˜99% similar to Nanog at the aa level. Although the predicted M.W of Nanog1/NanogP8 is ∼35 kD,both have been reported to migrate,on Western blotting (WB),at apparent molecular masses of 29-80 kD. Whether all these reported protein bands represent authentic Nanog proteins is unclear. Furthermore,detailed biochemical studies on Nanog1/NanogpP8 have been lacking. By combining WB using 8 anti-Nanog1 antibodies,immunoprecipitation,mass spectrometry,and studies using recombinant proteins,here we provide direct evidence that the Nanog1 protein in NTERA-2 EC cells exists as multiple M.W species from ˜22 kD to 100 kD with a major 42 kD band detectable on WB. We then demonstrate that recombinant NanogP8 (rNanogP8) proteins made in bacteria using cDNAs from multiple cancer cells also migrate,on denaturing SDS-PAGE,at ˜28 kD to 180 kD. Interestingly,different anti-Nanog1 antibodies exhibit differential reactivity towards rNanogP8 proteins,which can spontaneously form high M.W protein species. Finally,we show that most long-term cultured cancer cell lines seem to express very low levels of or different endogenous NanogP8 protein that cannot be readily detected by immunoprecipitation. Altogether,the current study reveals unique biochemical properties of Nanog1 in EC cells and NanogP8 in somatic cancer cells. View Publication

Schizophrenia has been considered a devastating clinical syndrome rather than a single disease. Nevertheless,the mechanisms behind the onset of schizophrenia have been only partially elucidated. Several studies propose that levels of trace elements are abnormal in schizophrenia; however,conflicting data generated from different biological sources prevent conclusions being drawn. In this work,we used synchrotron radiation X-ray microfluorescence spectroscopy to compare trace element levels in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from two clones of induced pluripotent stem cell lines of a clozapine-resistant schizophrenic patient and two controls. Our data reveal the presence of elevated levels of potassium and zinc in schizophrenic NPCs. Neural cells treated with valproate,an adjunctive medication for schizophrenia,brought potassium and zinc content back to control levels. These results expand the understanding of atomic element imbalance related to schizophrenia and may provide novel insights for the screening of drugs to treat mental disorders. ?? 2014 Elsevier B.V. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a key cytokine during differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). High phosphate induces a phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) into osteogenic-like cells. This study was aimed to evaluate signaling pathways involved during VSMC differentiation of MSC in presence or not of high phosphate. RESULTS: Our results showed that TGF-β induced nuclear translocation of Smad3 as well as the expression of vascular smooth muscle markers,such as smooth muscle alpha actin,SM22α,myocardin,and smooth muscle-myosin heavy chain. The addition of high phosphate to MSC promoted nuclear translocation of Smad1/5/8 and the activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin in addition to an increase in BMP-2 expression,calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity. The administration of TGF-β to MSC treated with high phosphate abolished all these effects by inhibiting canonical Wnt,BMP and TGF-β pathways. A similar outcome was observed in high phosphate-treated cells after the inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling with Dkk-1. Conversely,addition of both Wnt/β-catenin activators CHIR98014 and lithium chloride enhanced the effect of high phosphate on BMP-2,calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Full VSMC differentiation induced by TGF-β may not be achieved when extracellular phosphate levels are high. Moreover,TGF-β prevents high phosphate-induced osteogenesis by decreasing the nuclear translocation of Smad 1/5/8 and avoiding the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. 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

A 4-kilobase and a 2-kilobase cDNA clone encoding a murine macrophage colony-stimulating factor have been isolated. Except for 2 amino acid residue differences,these two clones encode the same 520 amino acid residue protein,which is preceded by a 32-amino acid residue signal peptide. The two clones,whose molecular masses correspond to the two transcripts observed in murine L929 fibroblasts,contain 3' untranslated regions that are markedly different in sequence and length. Both clones can be expressed in COS cells and the recombinant protein is active in a mouse bone marrow colony assay. View Publication

Identification of agents that target human leukemia stem cells is an important consideration for the development of new therapies. The present study demonstrates that rocaglamide and silvestrol,closely related natural products from the flavagline class of compounds,are able to preferentially kill functionally defined leukemia stem cells,while sparing normal stem and progenitor cells. In addition to efficacy as single agents,flavaglines sensitize leukemia cells to several anticancer compounds,including front-line chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat leukemia patients. Mechanistic studies indicate that flavaglines strongly inhibit protein synthesis,leading to the reduction of short-lived antiapoptotic proteins. Notably though,treatment with flavaglines,alone or in combination with other drugs,yields a much stronger cytotoxic activity toward leukemia cells than the translational inhibitor temsirolimus. These results indicate that the underlying cell death mechanism of flavaglines is more complex than simply inhibiting general protein translation. Global gene expression profiling and cell biological assays identified Myc inhibition and the disruption of mitochondrial integrity to be features of flavaglines,which we propose contribute to their efficacy in targeting leukemia cells. Taken together,these findings indicate that rocaglamide and silvestrol are distinct from clinically available translational inhibitors and represent promising candidates for the treatment of leukemia. View Publication

It is widely accepted that canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling is required for the differentiation of osteoprogenitors into osteoblasts. Furthermore,tumor-derived secretion of the cWnt-antagonist Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) is known to cause bone destruction,inhibition of repair and metastasis in many bone malignancies,but its role in osteosarcoma (OS) is still under debate. In this study,we examined the role of Dkk-1in OS by engineering its overexpression in the osteochondral sarcoma line MOS-J. Consistent with the known role of Dkk-1 in osteoblast differentiation,Dkk-1 inhibited osteogenesis by the MOSJ cells themselves and also in surrounding tissue when implanted in vivo. Surprisingly,Dkk-1 also had unexpected effects on MOSJ cells in that it increased proliferation and resistance to metabolic stress in vitro and caused the formation of larger and more destructive tumors than controls upon orthotopic implantation. These effects were attributed in part to upregulation of the stress response enzyme and cancer stem cell marker aldehyde-dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1). Direct inhibition of ALDH1 reduced viability under stressful culture conditions,whereas pharmacological inhibition of cWnt or overexpression of ALDH1 had a protective effect. Furthermore,we observed that ALDH1 was transcriptionally activated in a c-Jun-dependent manner through a pathway consisting of RhoA,MAP-kinase-kinase-4 and Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK),indicating that noncanonical planar cell polarity-like Wnt signaling was the mechanism responsible. Together,our results therefore demonstrate that Dkk-1 enhances resistance of OS cells to stress by tipping the balance of Wnt signaling in favor of the non-canonical Jun-mediated Wnt pathways. In turn,this results in transcriptional activation of ALDH1 through Jun-responsive promoter elements. This is the first report linking Dkk-1 to tumor stress resistance,further supporting the targeting of Dkk-1 not only to prevent and treat osteolytic bone lesions but also to reduce numbers of stress-resistant tumor cells. View Publication