Project description:Recently, we reported that bacterial incorporation induces cellular transdifferentiation of human fibroblasts. However, the bacterium-intrinsic cellular- transdifferentiation factor remained unknown. Here, we found that cellular transdifferentiation is caused by ribosomes. Ribosomes, isolated from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, induce the formation of embryoid body-like cell clusters. Numerous ribosomes are incorporated into both the cytoplasm and nucleus through trypsin-activated endocytosis, which leads to cell-cluster formation. Although ribosome-induced cell clusters (RICs) express several stemness markers and differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers in heterogeneous cell populations, RICs fail to proliferate, alter the methylation states of pluripotent genes, or contribute to teratoma or chimera formation. However, RICs express markers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition without altering the cell cycle, despite their proliferation obstruction. These findings demonstrate that incorporation of ribosomes into host cells induces cell transdifferentiation and alters cellular plasticity.
Project description:Recently, we reported that bacterial incorporation induces cellular transdifferentiation of human fibroblasts. However, the bacterium-intrinsic cellular- transdifferentiation factor remained unknown. Here, we found that cellular transdifferentiation is caused by ribosomes. Ribosomes, isolated from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, induce the formation of embryoid body-like cell clusters. Numerous ribosomes are incorporated into both the cytoplasm and nucleus through trypsin-activated endocytosis, which leads to cell-cluster formation. Although ribosome-induced cell clusters (RICs) express several stemness markers and differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers in heterogeneous cell populations, RICs fail to proliferate, alter the methylation states of pluripotent genes, or contribute to teratoma or chimera formation. However, RICs express markers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition without altering the cell cycle, despite their proliferation obstruction. These findings demonstrate that incorporation of ribosomes into host cells induces cell transdifferentiation and alters cellular plasticity.
Project description:The mammary gland (MG) is composed of basal cells (BCs) and luminal cells (LCs). While it is generally believed that MG arises from embryonic multipotent progenitors (EMPs), it remains unclear when lineage restriction occurs and what are the mechanisms responsible for the switch from multipotency to unipotency during MG morphogenesis. Here, we performed multicolor lineage tracing and assessed the fate of single embryonic progenitors during mouse MG development. We demonstrated the existence of a developmental switch from multipotency to unipotency during embryonic MG development. Molecular profiling and single cell RNA-seq revealed the hybrid gene expression of EMPs, and the gene trajectory and lineage segregation occurring during MG development. In situ characterization showed that one of the earliest signs of lineage segregation consists in the restricted expression of p63 in the future BCs. Sustained p63 expression during MG development promotes unipotent BC fate in EMPs. Altogether, this study identifies the timing and the mechanisms mediating the switch from multipotency to unipotency during MG development. To understand the molecular mechanisms regulating multipotency during embryonic development, we isolated EMPs by FACS at E14, performed their transcriptional profiling by microarray and compared their transcriptome to adult BCs and LCs
Project description:The mammary gland (MG) is composed of basal cells (BCs) and luminal cells (LCs). While it is generally believed that MG arises from embryonic multipotent progenitors (EMPs), it remains unclear when lineage restriction occurs and what are the mechanisms responsible for the switch from multipotency to unipotency during MG morphogenesis. Here, we performed multicolor lineage tracing and assessed the fate of single embryonic progenitors during mouse MG development. We demonstrated the existence of a developmental switch from multipotency to unipotency during embryonic MG development. Molecular profiling and single cell RNA-seq revealed the hybrid gene expression of EMPs, and the gene trajectory and lineage segregation occurring during MG development. In situ characterization showed that one of the earliest signs of lineage segregation consists in the restricted expression of p63 in the future BCs. Sustained p63 expression during MG development promotes unipotent BC fate in EMPs. Altogether, this study identifies the timing and the mechanisms mediating the switch from multipotency to unipotency during MG development. To understand the molecular mechanisms regulating multipotency during embryonic development, we isolated EMPs by FACS at E14, performed their transcriptional profiling by microarray and compared their transcriptome to adult BCs and LCs
Project description:Simultaneous expression of Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and cMyc induces pluripotency in somatic cells (iPSCs). Replacing Oct4 with the neuro-specific factor Brn4 leads to the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into induced neural stem cells (iNSCs). However, Brn4 was recently found to induce a transient acquisition of pluripotency before establishing the neural fate. We employed genetic lineage tracing and found that induction of iNSCs with individual vectors leads to direct lineage conversion. In contrast, polycistronic expression produces a Brn4-Klf4 fusion protein that enables the induction of pluripotency. Our study demonstrates that a combination of pluripotency and tissue-specific factors allows for direct somatic cell transdifferentiation, bypassing the acquisition of a pluripotent state. This result has major implications for lineage conversion technologies, which hold potential for providing a safer alternative to iPSCs for clinical application both in vitro and in vivo.