scholarly journals Alternative Splicing in Self-Renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Y. Cheong ◽  
Thomas Lufkin
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Genomic Sequence ◽  
Splice Variants ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Additional Layer

Much of embryonic stem cell biology has focused on transcriptional expression and regulation of genes that could mediate its unique potential in self-renewal or pluripotency. In alignment with our present understanding on the genetic, protein, and epigenetic factors that may direct cell fate, we present a short overview of the often overlooked contribution of alternative splice variants to regulatory diversity. Progressing beyond the limitations of a fixed genomic sequence, alternative splicing offers an additional layer of complexity to produce protein variants that may differ in function and localization that can direct embryonic stem cells to specific differentiation pathways. In light of the number of variants that can be produced at key ES cell genes alone, it is challenging to consider how much more multifaceted transcriptional regulation truly is, and if this can be captured more fully in future works.

Hematopoietic Development from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Hematology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mickie Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Immunodeficient Mice ◽  
Cell Based Therapy

Abstract The most common human cell-based therapy applied today is hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. HSCs can be defined by two essential properties: self-renewal and multilineage hematopoietic differentiation. These combined HSC properties allow them to differentiate into all blood cell types (multilineage) in a sustained manner for the lifetime of the animal, which requires their ability to make cellular copies of themselves (self-renewal). These features can be tested by transplantation from donor to recipient and provide a functional basis to define and identify HSCs. Currently, human bone marrow (BM), mobilized peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood (CB) represent the major sources of transplantable HSCs, but their availability for use is limited by both quantity and compatibility. Although increasing evidence suggests that somatic HSCs can be expanded to meet current needs, their in vivo potential is concomitantly compromised after ex vivo culture. Pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may provide an alternative. hESCs possess indefinite proliferative capacity in vitro, and have been shown to differentiate into the hematopoietic cell fate, giving rise to erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid lineages using a variety of differentiation procedures. In most cases, hESC-derived hematopoietic cells show similar clonogenic progenitor capacity and primitive phenotype to somatic sources of hematopoietic progenitors, but possess limited in vivo repopulating capacity when transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Although this suggests HSC function can be derived from hESCs, the efficiency and quality of these cells must be characterized using surrogate models for potential clinical applications.

scholarly journals O-GlcNAcylation of Sox2 at threonine 258 regulates the self-renewal and early cell fate of embryonic stem cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Keon Kim ◽  
Jang-Seok Lee ◽  
Eun Young Lee ◽  
Hansol Jang ◽  
Suji Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cartilage Tissue ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions

AbstractSox2 is a core transcription factor in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and O-GlcNAcylation is a type of post-translational modification of nuclear-cytoplasmic proteins. Although both factors play important roles in the maintenance and differentiation of ESCs and the serine 248 (S248) and threonine 258 (T258) residues of Sox2 are modified by O-GlcNAcylation, the function of Sox2 O-GlcNAcylation is unclear. Here, we show that O-GlcNAcylation of Sox2 at T258 regulates mouse ESC self-renewal and early cell fate. ESCs in which wild-type Sox2 was replaced with the Sox2 T258A mutant exhibited reduced self-renewal, whereas ESCs with the Sox2 S248A point mutation did not. ESCs with the Sox2 T258A mutation heterologously introduced using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, designated E14-Sox2TA/WT, also exhibited reduced self-renewal. RNA sequencing analysis under self-renewal conditions showed that upregulated expression of early differentiation genes, rather than a downregulated expression of self-renewal genes, was responsible for the reduced self-renewal of E14-Sox2TA/WT cells. There was a significant decrease in ectodermal tissue and a marked increase in cartilage tissue in E14-Sox2TA/WT-derived teratomas compared with normal E14 ESC-derived teratomas. RNA sequencing of teratomas revealed that genes related to brain development had generally downregulated expression in the E14-Sox2TA/WT-derived teratomas. Our findings using the Sox2 T258A mutant suggest that Sox2 T258 O-GlcNAc has a positive effect on ESC self-renewal and plays an important role in the proper development of ectodermal lineage cells. Overall, our study directly links O-GlcNAcylation and early cell fate decisions.

scholarly journals Distinct SoxB1 networks are required for naïve and primed pluripotency

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Corsinotti ◽  
Frederick C. K. Wong ◽  
Tülin Tatar ◽  
Iwona Szczerbinska ◽  
Florian Halbritter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Neural Differentiation ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Functional Redundancy ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Pluripotent State

AbstractDeletion of Sox2 from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) causes trophectodermal differentiation. While this can be prevented by enforced expression of the related SOXB1 proteins, SOX1 or SOX3, the roles of SOXB1 proteins in epiblast stem cell (EpiSC) pluripotency are unknown. Here we show that Sox2 can be deleted from EpiSCs with impunity. This is due to a shift in the balance of SoxB1 expression in EpiSCs, which have decreased Sox2 and increased Sox3 compared to ESCs. Consistent with functional redundancy, Sox3 can also be deleted from EpiSCs without eliminating self-renewal. However, deletion of both Sox2 and Sox3 prevents self-renewal. The overall SOXB1 levels in ESCs affect differentiation choices: neural differentiation of Sox2 heterozygous ESCs is compromised, while increased SOXB1 levels divert the ESC to EpiSC transition towards neural differentiation. Therefore, optimal SOXB1 levels are critical for each pluripotent state and for cell fate decisions during exit from naïve pluripotency.

scholarly journals Distinct SoxB1 networks are required for naïve and primed pluripotency

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Corsinotti ◽  
Frederick CK Wong ◽  
Tülin Tatar ◽  
Iwona Szczerbinska ◽  
Florian Halbritter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Neural Differentiation ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Pluripotent State

Deletion of Sox2 from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) causes trophectodermal differentiation. While this can be prevented by enforced expression of the related SOXB1 proteins, SOX1 or SOX3, the roles of SOXB1 proteins in epiblast stem cell (EpiSC) pluripotency are unknown. Here, we show that Sox2 can be deleted from EpiSCs with impunity. This is due to a shift in the balance of SoxB1 expression in EpiSCs, which have decreased Sox2 and increased Sox3 compared to ESCs. Consistent with functional redundancy, Sox3 can also be deleted from EpiSCs without eliminating self-renewal. However, deletion of both Sox2 and Sox3 prevents self-renewal. The overall SOXB1 levels in ESCs affect differentiation choices: neural differentiation of Sox2 heterozygous ESCs is compromised, while increased SOXB1 levels divert the ESC to EpiSC transition towards neural differentiation. Therefore, optimal SOXB1 levels are critical for each pluripotent state and for cell fate decisions during exit from naïve pluripotency.

scholarly journals Mammalian SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complexes in Embryonic Stem Cells: Regulating the Balance Between Pluripotency and Differentiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Ye ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Wensheng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Baf Complex ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling Complexes

The unique capability of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to maintain and adjust the equilibrium between self-renewal and multi-lineage cellular differentiation contributes indispensably to the integrity of all developmental processes, leading to the advent of an organism in its adult form. The ESC fate decision to favor self-renewal or differentiation into specific cellular lineages largely depends on transcriptome modulations through gene expression regulations. Chromatin remodeling complexes play instrumental roles to promote chromatin structural changes resulting in gene expression changes that are key to the ESC fate choices governing the equilibrium between pluripotency and differentiation. BAF (Brg/Brahma-associated factors) or mammalian SWI/SNF complexes employ energy generated by ATP hydrolysis to change chromatin states, thereby governing the accessibility of transcriptional regulators that ultimately affect transcriptome and cell fate. Interestingly, the requirement of BAF complex in self-renewal and differentiation of ESCs has been recently shown by genetic studies through gene expression modulations of various BAF components in ESCs, although the precise molecular mechanisms by which BAF complex influences ESC fate choice remain largely underexplored. This review surveys these recent progresses of BAF complex on ESC functions, with a focus on its role of conditioning the pluripotency and differentiation balance of ESCs. A discussion of the mechanistic bases underlying the genetic requirements for BAF in ESC biology as well as the outcomes of its interplays with key transcription factors or other chromatin remodelers in ESCs will be highlighted.

scholarly journals Yap1 safeguards mouse embryonic stem cells from excessive apoptosis during differentiation

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy LeBlanc ◽  
Bum-Kyu Lee ◽  
Andy C Yu ◽  
Mijeong Kim ◽  
Aparna V Kambhampati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Massive Cell Death ◽  
Apoptotic Genes ◽  
Massive Cell

Approximately, 30% of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) die after exiting self-renewal, but regulators of this process are not well known. Yap1 is a Hippo pathway transcriptional effector that plays numerous roles in development and cancer. However, its functions in ESC differentiation remain poorly characterized. We first reveal that ESCs lacking Yap1 experience massive cell death upon the exit from self-renewal. We subsequently show that Yap1 contextually protects differentiating, but not self-renewing, ESC from hyperactivation of the apoptotic cascade. Mechanistically, Yap1 strongly activates anti-apoptotic genes via cis-regulatory elements while mildly suppressing pro-apoptotic genes, which moderates the level of mitochondrial priming that occurs during differentiation. Individually modulating the expression of single apoptosis-related genes targeted by Yap1 is sufficient to augment or hinder survival during differentiation. Our demonstration of the context-dependent pro-survival functions of Yap1 during ESC differentiation contributes to our understanding of the balance between survival and death during cell fate changes.

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