Project description:The integration of cell metabolism with signalling pathways, transcription factor networks and epigenetic mediators is critical in coordinating molecular and cellular events during embryogenesis. Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) are an established model for embryogenesis, germ layer specification and cell lineage differentiation, advancing the study of human embryonic development and the translation of innovations in drug discovery, disease modelling and cell-based therapies. The metabolic regulation of IPSC pluripotency is mediated by balancing glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, but there is a paucity of data regarding the influence of individual metabolite changes during cell lineage differentiation. We used <sup>1</sup>H NMR metabolite fingerprinting and footprinting to monitor metabolite levels as IPSCs are directed in a three-stage protocol through primitive streak/mesendoderm, mesoderm and chondrogenic populations. Metabolite changes were associated with central metabolism, with aerobic glycolysis predominant in IPSC, elevated oxidative phosphorylation during differentiation and fatty acid oxidation and ketone body use in chondrogenic cells. Metabolites were also implicated in the epigenetic regulation of pluripotency, cell signalling and biosynthetic pathways. Our results show that <sup>1</sup>H NMR metabolomics is an effective tool for monitoring metabolite changes during the differentiation of pluripotent cells with implications on optimising media and environmental parameters for the study of embryogenesis and translational applications.
Project description:Porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) could serve as a great model system for human stem cell pre-clinical research. However, the pluripotency gene network of piPSCs, especially the function for the core transcription factor ESRRB, was poorly understood. Here, we constructed ESRRB-overexpressing piPSCs (ESRRB-piPSCs). Compared with the control piPSCs (CON-piPSCs), the ESRRB-piPSCs showed flat, monolayered colony morphology. Moreover, the ESRRB-piPSCs showed greater chimeric capacity into trophectoderm than CON-piPSCs. We found that ESRRB could directly regulate the expressions of trophoblast stem cell (TSC)-specific markers, including KRT8, KRT18 and CDX2, through binding to their promoter regions. Mutational analysis proved that the N-terminus zinc finger domain is indispensable for ESRRB to regulate the TSC markers. Furthermore, this regulation needs the participation of OCT4. Accordingly, the cooperation between ESRRB and OCT4 facilitates the conversion from pluripotent state to the trophoblast-like state.
Project description:TrxG and PcG complexes play key roles in the epigenetic regulation of development through H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modification at specific sites throughout the human genome, but how these sites are selected is poorly understood. We find that in pluripotent cells, clustered CpG islands at genes predict occupancy of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, and these "bivalent" chromatin domains precisely span the boundaries of CpG island clusters. Examination of two histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K27me3) in human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) M23F cells.
Project description:Pluripotency is highly dynamic and progresses through a continuum of pluripotent stem-cell states. The two states that bookend the pluripotency continuum, naïve and primed, are well characterized, but our understanding of the intermediate states and transitions between them remain incomplete. Here, we dissect the dynamics of pluripotent state transitions underlying pre- to post-implantation epiblast differentiation. Through comprehensive mapping of the proteome, phosphoproteome, transcriptome, and epigenome of embryonic stem cells transitioning from naïve to primed pluripotency, we find that rapid, acute, and widespread changes to the phosphoproteome precede ordered changes to the epigenome, transcriptome, and proteome. Reconstruction of kinase-substrate networks reveals signaling cascades, dynamics, and crosstalk. Distinct waves of global proteomic changes mark discrete phases of pluripotency, with cell state-specific surface markers tracking pluripotent state transitions. Our data provide new insights into the multi-layered control of the phased progression of pluripotency and a foundation for modeling mechanisms regulating pluripotent state transitions (www.stemcellatlasorg).
Project description:Here, human induced pluripotent stem cells (control-hiPSCs, CMT1A-hiPSCs, and PMP22-hiPSCs) were induced to differentiate to Schwann cells (control-SCs, CMT1A-SCs, and PMP22-SCs) through neural crest stage (control-NCSCs, CMT1A-NCSCs, and PMP22-NCSCs). We sequenced mRNA samples from Schwann cell differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells at 3 different stage to generate the gene expression profiles of these cells.
Project description:Leptin receptors (Lepr) are expressed by various types of stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Leptin/lepr signaling is also a central regulator of metabolism. However, the role of Lepr in pluripotency, metabolic disease progression and growth development is still controversial and poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the Lepr function in disease progression, pluripotency and metabolism using day 14.5 mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and their reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as model system. We successfully reprogrammed mouse embryonic fibroblasts into iPSCs from control and db/db (Lepr deficient) mice. Using a global quantitative proteomic approach, we identified key pathways regulating pluripotency, metabolic homeostasis and protein synthesis during fetal growth and development. The Lepr MEFs show abnormal metabolic abnormalities and mitochondrial dysfunction as compared to control MEFs, while Lepr iPSCs show upregulated elongated factor 4 e (eIF4e) protein synthesis pathway and altered Oct4 and Stat3 pathways which are involved in normal fetal growth development. Furthermore, chip analysis revealed that higher Stat3 binding on the promoter of eIF4e in Lepr iPSCs leads to higher protein synthesis in these cell types as compared to control iPSCs. Finally, point mutation corrected Lepr iPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method showed recovered pluripotency, metabolic and protein synthesis pathways. In conclusion, we have shown that Lepr signaling is involved in the regulation of the metabolic properties and key developmental pathways in MEFs and stemness of pluripotent stem cells. Disruption of Lepr signaling has been shown to involve in the pathophysiology of various diseases including obesity and diabetes. The generated MEFs and iPSCs in this present study provide valuable tools to explore the role of Lepr in the progression of obesity, diabetes and metabolic abnormalities, and to find the putative targets of Lepr signaling during the development of these diseases.
Project description:There are a total of four samples each for this analysis. Each sample consists of the cells grown on three 10 cm culture plates. Each plate should have 2x106 cells for a total of 6x106 cells per sample when all three plates are combined. The first sample is undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells, the second sample is human glutamatergic neurons derived from those human embryonic stem cells, the third sample is undifferentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells and the fourth sample is human glutamatergic neurons derived from those human induced pluripotent stem cells.