Alkaline Phosphatase-Positive Immortal Mouse Embryo Fibroblasts Are Cells in a Transitional Reprogramming State Induced to Face Environmental Stresses.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we report that immortal mouse embryonic fibroblasts (I-MEFs) have a baseline level of cells positive for alkaline phosphatase (AP(+)) staining. Environmental stresses, including long-lasting growth in the absence of expansion and treatment with drugs, enhance the frequency of AP(+) I-MEFs. By adapting fast red AP staining to the sorting procedure, we separated AP(+) and AP(-) I-MEFs and demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes are consistent with a reprogrammed phenotype. In particular, we found that sestrin 1 is upregulated in AP(+) I-MEFs. We focused on this gene and demonstrated that increased sestrin 1 expression is accompanied by the growth of I-MEFs in the absence of expansion and occurs before the formation of AP(+) I-MEFs. Together with sestrin 1 upregula

SUBMITTER: Evangelista M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4694620 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature