Members of the NODE (Nanog and Oct4-associated deacetylase) complex and SOX-2 promote the initiation of a natural cellular reprogramming event in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Differentiated cells can be forced to change identity, either to directly adopt another differentiated identity or to revert to a pluripotent state. Direct reprogramming events can also occur naturally. We recently characterized such an event in Caenorhabditis elegans, in which a rectal cell switches to a neuronal cell. Here we have used this single-cell paradigm to investigate the molecular requirements of direct cell-type conversion, with a focus on the early steps. Our genetic analyses revealed the requirement of sem-4/Sall, egl-27/Mta, and ceh-6/Oct, members of the NODE complex recently identified in embryonic stem (ES) cells, and of the OCT4 partner sox-2, for the initiation of this natural direct reprogramming event. These four factors have been shown to individually impact on ES cel

SUBMITTER: Kagias K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3340080 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature