Project description:Multipotent spermatogonial stem cells (mSSCs) derived from SSCs are a potential new source of individualized pluripotent cells in regenerate medicine such as ESCs. We hypothesized that the culture-induced reprogramming of SSCs was mediated by a mechanism different from that of iPS, and was due to up-regulation of specific pluripotency-related genes during cultivation. Through a comparative analysis of expression profile data, we try to find cell reprogramming candidate factors from mouse spermatogonial stem cells. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression profiles of culture-induced reprogramming converting unipotent spermatogonial stem cells to pluripotent spermatogonial stem cells. Three types of spermatogonial stem cells were mechanically collected according to morphological criteria for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Multipotent spermatogonial stem cells (mSSCs) derived from SSCs are a potential new source of individualized pluripotent cells in regenerate medicine such as ESCs. We hypothesized that the culture-induced reprogramming of SSCs was mediated by a mechanism different from that of iPS, and was due to up-regulation of specific pluripotency-related genes during cultivation. Through a comparative analysis of expression profile data, we try to find cell reprogramming candidate factors from mouse spermatogonial stem cells. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression profiles of culture-induced reprogramming converting unipotent spermatogonial stem cells to pluripotent spermatogonial stem cells.
Project description:Pluripotent stem cells can be obtained from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) through spontaneous reprogramming without transgenic introduction, but this process is inefficient and lacks mechanism exploration. Here, we reconstructed the progression trajectory of mouse SSC reprogramming by single-cell RNA sequencing and identified a bona fide pluripotent route as the successful reprogramming branch. Notably, we developed five-chemicals combination which could boost the reprogramming efficiency nearly 1000 times than previous study. More importantly, chemical induced germline-derived pluripotent stem cells (5C-gPSCs) with embryonic stem cell-like imprinting status were characterized as fully pluripotent via tetraploid complementation assay. Mechanistically, not only the expression of canonical markers, but also the global DNA demethylation and re-methylation features from epiblast to primordial germ cells and subsequent spermatogonia were remarkably observed during SSC reprogramming; meanwhile, biallelic methylation of most imprinting control regions (ICRs) in SSCs had been switched to monoallelic methylation in gPSCs through such stepwise reprogramming process. Compared to the extremely hypomethylated ICRs in developmental deficient chemical induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSCs), we demonstrated the highly correlation between proper methylation of ICRs and fully pluripotency. Therefore, our work sheds light on the unique genetic- and epigenetic regulatory network of SSC reprogramming, providing novel insights to understand generic mechanisms for cell fate determination and the epigenetic related developmental disorders in regenerative medicine.
Project description:Glioblastoma-derived neural stem (GNS) cells were reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by transgenic expression of OCT4 and KLF4. Genome-wide DNA methylation status was profiled at 485,000 loci to assess epigenetic erasure and restoration due to reprogramming and redifferentiation to the neural stem (NS) cell state.
Project description:Glioblastoma-derived neural stem (GNS) cells were reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by transgenic expression of OCT4 and KLF4. Genome-wide DNA methylation status was profiled at 485,000 loci to assess epigenetic erasure and restoration due to reprogramming and redifferentiation to the neural stem (NS) cell state.
Project description:Glioblastoma-derived neural stem (GNS) cells were reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by transgenic expression of OCT4 and KLF4. Genome-wide DNA methylation status was profiled at 27,578 CpG sites to assess epigenetic erasure and restoration due to reprogramming and redifferentiation to the neural stem (NS) cell state.
Project description:Germ cells are unique in engendering totipotency, yet the mechanisms underlying this capacity remain elusive. Here, we perform comprehensive and in-depth nucleome analysis of mouse germ-cell development in vitro, encompassing pluripotent precursors, primordial germ cells (PGCs) before and after epigenetic reprogramming, and spermatogonia/spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Although epigenetic reprogramming, including genome-wide DNA de-methylation, creates broadly open chromatin with abundant enhancer-like signatures, the augmented chromatin insulation safeguards transcriptional fidelity. These insulatory constraints are then erased en masse for spermatogonial development. Notably, despite distinguishing epigenetic programming, including global DNA re-methylation, the PGCs-to-spermatogonia/SSCs development entails further euchromatization. This accompanies substantial erasure of lamina-associated domains, generating spermatogonia/SSCs with a minimal peripheral attachment of chromatin except for pericentromeres—an architecture conserved in primates. Accordingly, faulty nucleome maturation, including persistent insulation and improper euchromatization, leads to impaired spermatogenic potential. Given that PGCs after epigenetic reprogramming serve as oogenic progenitors as well, our findings elucidate a principle for the nucleome programming that creates gametogenic progenitors in both sexes, defining a basis for nuclear totipotency.
Project description:Germ cells are unique in engendering totipotency, yet the mechanisms underlying this capacity remain elusive. Here, we perform comprehensive and in-depth nucleome analysis of mouse germ-cell development in vitro, encompassing pluripotent precursors, primordial germ cells (PGCs) before and after epigenetic reprogramming, and spermatogonia/spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Although epigenetic reprogramming, including genome-wide DNA de-methylation, creates broadly open chromatin with abundant enhancer-like signatures, the augmented chromatin insulation safeguards transcriptional fidelity. These insulatory constraints are then erased en masse for spermatogonial development. Notably, despite distinguishing epigenetic programming, including global DNA re-methylation, the PGCs-to-spermatogonia/SSCs development entails further euchromatization. This accompanies substantial erasure of lamina-associated domains, generating spermatogonia/SSCs with a minimal peripheral attachment of chromatin except for pericentromeres—an architecture conserved in primates. Accordingly, faulty nucleome maturation, including persistent insulation and improper euchromatization, leads to impaired spermatogenic potential. Given that PGCs after epigenetic reprogramming serve as oogenic progenitors as well, our findings elucidate a principle for the nucleome programming that creates gametogenic progenitors in both sexes, defining a basis for nuclear totipotency.
Project description:Germ cells are unique in engendering totipotency, yet the mechanisms underlying this capacity remain elusive. Here, we perform comprehensive and in-depth nucleome analysis of mouse germ-cell development in vitro, encompassing pluripotent precursors, primordial germ cells (PGCs) before and after epigenetic reprogramming, and spermatogonia/spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Although epigenetic reprogramming, including genome-wide DNA de-methylation, creates broadly open chromatin with abundant enhancer-like signatures, the augmented chromatin insulation safeguards transcriptional fidelity. These insulatory constraints are then erased en masse for spermatogonial development. Notably, despite distinguishing epigenetic programming, including global DNA re-methylation, the PGCs-to-spermatogonia/SSCs development entails further euchromatization. This accompanies substantial erasure of lamina-associated domains, generating spermatogonia/SSCs with a minimal peripheral attachment of chromatin except for pericentromeres—an architecture conserved in primates. Accordingly, faulty nucleome maturation, including persistent insulation and improper euchromatization, leads to impaired spermatogenic potential. Given that PGCs after epigenetic reprogramming serve as oogenic progenitors as well, our findings elucidate a principle for the nucleome programming that creates gametogenic progenitors in both sexes, defining a basis for nuclear totipotency.
Project description:Germ cells are unique in engendering totipotency, yet the mechanisms underlying this capacity remain elusive. Here, we perform comprehensive and in-depth nucleome analysis of mouse germ-cell development in vitro, encompassing pluripotent precursors, primordial germ cells (PGCs) before and after epigenetic reprogramming, and spermatogonia/spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Although epigenetic reprogramming, including genome-wide DNA de-methylation, creates broadly open chromatin with abundant enhancer-like signatures, the augmented chromatin insulation safeguards transcriptional fidelity. These insulatory constraints are then erased en masse for spermatogonial development. Notably, despite distinguishing epigenetic programming, including global DNA re-methylation, the PGCs-to-spermatogonia/SSCs development entails further euchromatization. This accompanies substantial erasure of lamina-associated domains, generating spermatogonia/SSCs with a minimal peripheral attachment of chromatin except for pericentromeres—an architecture conserved in primates. Accordingly, faulty nucleome maturation, including persistent insulation and improper euchromatization, leads to impaired spermatogenic potential. Given that PGCs after epigenetic reprogramming serve as oogenic progenitors as well, our findings elucidate a principle for the nucleome programming that creates gametogenic progenitors in both sexes, defining a basis for nuclear totipotency.