Project description:During development, nephron progenitor forming one million nephrons, a functional unit in the kidney. However, nephron progenitor ceases before birth in human when they terminally differentiated to the nephron. Our lab established the method for induction of nephron progenitors from mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) cells and/or human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) (Taguchi et al., Cell Stem Cell. 2014, 2017). For application of induced nephron progenitors to regenerative medicine, a large number of cells are required such as disease modeling and drug screening. To selectively propagate human iPS-derived nephron progenitors in vitro in an undifferentiated state, we developed SIX2-GFP iPS line and optimized culture condition of induced nephron progenitors by modifying our previously developed condition (Tanigawa et al., Cell Rep. 2016). To understand how whole gene expression profiles of human iPS-derived nephron progenitor cells are changed during culture, we isolated nephron progenitor cells by FACS and cultured in our defined culture condition. Purified RNAs from cultured cells at day 7 or un-cultured nephron progenitor cells were analyzed by RNA-seq.
Project description:Early human kidney development is poorly documented due to tissue inaccessibility and a lack of genetic tractability. Here we combine reprogramming, CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing and organoid technologies to study the nephron lineage in a human context. We confirm the presence of a SIX2+ population in early kidney organoids with a transcriptional profile akin to human fetal nephron progenitors. Using lineage-tracing analyses, we show that SIX2-expressing cells contribute to nephron formation but not to the putative collecting duct epithelium. Labeling of SIX2+ cells at various time-points during organoid differentiation revealed a markedly reduced capacity for these cells to contribute to nephron formation over time. This suggests human kidney organoids lack a true nephron progenitor niche, as the developing kidney does in vivo, capable of both self-renewal and ongoing nephrogeneis. Nonetheless, human iPSC-derived kidney tissue maintains previously identified lineage relationships, which supports the utility of in vitro organoid models for interrogating the molecular and cellular basis of early human development.
Project description:Analysis of induced nephron progenitor cells from female/male urine cells (iNPC-F/INPC-M) by defined transcription factors vs. ESC derived nephron progenitor cell (ESC-NPC_H9/ESC-NPC_BG01) and female/male urine cells (UC-F/UC-M). Results provide insight into molecular similarities between induced nephron progenitor cells and human ESC derived nephron progenitor cell
Project description:We performed a microarray experiment to analyze the transcriptional profile of CHARGE patient iPSC-derived neural stem/progenitor cells to identify CHD7 target genes.
Project description:p53 limits the self-renewing ability of a variety of stem cells. Here, contrary to its classical role in restraining cell proliferation, we demonstrate a divergent function of p53 in maintenance of self-renewal of the nephron progenitor population in the embryonic mouse kidney. p53-null nephron progenitor cells (NPC) exhibit progressive loss of the self-renewing progenitor niche in the cap mesenchyme, identified by Cited1 and Six2 expression, and loss of cap integrity. Nephron endowment is regulated by NPC availability and their differentiation to nephrons. Quantitatively, the Six2p53-/- cap has 30% fewer Six2GFP+ cells. While the apoptotic index is unchanged the proliferation index is significantly lower, in accordance with cell cycle analysis data showing less mutant Six2p53-/-;GFP+ cells in S and G2/M phases in comparison to Six2p53+/+;GFP+ cells. The mutant kidneys also show nephron deficit and decreased Fgf8 expression. To investigate the underlying changes in gene expression in the cap mesenchyme that contribute to the Six2p53-/- phenotype, we utilized RNA-Seq for transcriptome comparison. Top biological processes affected by p53 loss are development and morphogenesis, cell adhesion/migration, cell survival and metabolism. Cells from the mutant CM showed increased cellular ROS levels as well as deregulated expression of energy metabolism and mitochondrial genes suggesting metabolic dysfunction. Adhesion defects are visualized by decreased immunostaining of adhesion marker NCAM, and may possibly contribute to the differentiation defect as well. Altogether our data suggest a novel role for p53 in enabling self-renewal of the NPC and preservation of the progenitor niche, and thus regulating nephron endowment. mRNA profiles of wild-type (WT) and conditional p53 knockout (KO) of Six2+ mouse nephron progenitor cells (NPC) at embryonic day 15.5
Project description:To delineate the epigenomic profile of the Six2+ mouse nephron progenitor cells, we mapped open chromatin using ATAC-Seq in Six2+ cells from E16.5 mouse kidneys.
Project description:H3K27ac Mint-ChIP-seq on human H9 derived nephron progenitor cell For data usage terms and conditions, please refer to http://www.genome.gov/27528022 and http://www.genome.gov/Pages/Research/ENCODE/ENCODE_Data_Use_Policy_for_External_Users_03-07-14.pdf