The direct lineage reprogramming of one specialized cell type into another using defined factors has fundamentally re-shaped traditional concepts regarding the epigenetic stability of differentiated ...cells. With the rapid increase in cell types generated through direct conversion in recent years, this strategy has become a promising approach for producing functional cells. Here, we review recent advances in lineage reprogramming, including the identification of novel reprogramming factors, underlying molecular mechanisms, strategies for generating functionally mature cells, and assays for characterizing induced cells. We also discuss progress toward the application of lineage reprogramming and the major future challenges for this strategy.
Deng and colleague review the latest advances in direct lineage reprogramming, including the identification of novel reprogramming factors, the underlying molecular mechanisms, strategies for generating functionally mature cells, and assays for characterizing induced cells.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A young man with HIV infection and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, both in remission, underwent bone marrow transplantation with donor stem cells, a minority of which had undergone disruption of the
...CCR5
gene. The manipulated cells engrafted. Only a small percentage of the CD4+ cells carried the disrupted gene, but such cells survived at least 19 months.
The maintenance of terminally differentiated cells, especially hepatocytes, in vitro has proven challenging. Here we demonstrated the long-term in vitro maintenance of primary human hepatocytes ...(PHHs) by modulating cell signaling pathways with a combination of five chemicals (5C). 5C-cultured PHHs showed global gene expression profiles and hepatocyte-specific functions resembling those of freshly isolated counterparts. Furthermore, these cells efficiently recapitulated the entire course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection over 4 weeks with the production of infectious viral particles and formation of HBV covalently closed circular DNA. Our study demonstrates that, with a chemical approach, functional maintenance of PHHs supports long-term HBV infection in vitro, providing an efficient platform for investigating HBV cell biology and antiviral drug screening.
Cellular senescence, a persistent state of cell cycle arrest, accumulates in aged organisms, contributes to tissue dysfunction, and drives age-related phenotypes. The clearance of senescent cells is ...expected to decrease chronic, low-grade inflammation and improve tissue repair capacity, thus attenuating the decline of physical function in aged organisms. However, selective and effective clearance of senescent cells of different cell types has proven challenging. Herein, we developed a prodrug strategy to design a new compound based on the increased activity of lysosomal β-galactosidase (β-gal), a primary characteristic of senescent cells. Our prodrug SSK1 is specifically activated by β-gal and eliminates mouse and human senescent cells independently of senescence inducers and cell types. In aged mice, our compound effectively cleared senescent cells in different tissues, decreased the senescence- and age-associated gene signatures, attenuated low-grade local and systemic inflammation, and restored physical function. Our results demonstrate that lysosomal β-gal can be effectively leveraged to selectively eliminate senescent cells, providing a novel strategy to develop anti-aging interventions.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Pluripotent stem cells can be induced from somatic cells, providing an unlimited cell resource, with potential for studying disease and use in regenerative medicine. However, genetic manipulation and ...technically challenging strategies such as nuclear transfer used in reprogramming limit their clinical applications. Here, we show that pluripotent stem cells can be generated from mouse somatic cells at a frequency up to 0.2% using a combination of seven small-molecule compounds. The chemically induced pluripotent stem cells resemble embryonic stem cells in terms of their gene expression profiles, epigenetic status, and potential for differentiation and germline transmission. By using small molecules, exogenous "master genes" are dispensable for cell fate reprogramming. This chemical reprogramming strategy has potential use in generating functional desirable cell types for clinical applications.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
As a genome guardian, p53 maintains genome stability by arresting cells for damage repair or inducing cell apoptosis to eliminate the damaged cells in stress response. Several nucleolar proteins ...stabilize p53 by interfering Mdm2–p53 interaction upon cellular stress, while other mechanisms by which nucleolar proteins activate p53 remain to be determined. Here, we identify NAT10 as a novel regulator for p53 activation. NAT10 acetylates p53 at K120 and stabilizes p53 by counteracting Mdm2 action. In addition, NAT10 promotes Mdm2 degradation with its intrinsic E3 ligase activity. After DNA damage, NAT10 translocates to nucleoplasm and activates p53‐mediated cell cycle control and apoptosis. Finally, NAT10 inhibits cell proliferation and expression of NAT10 decreases in human colorectal carcinomas. Thus, our data demonstrate that NAT10 plays a critical role in p53 activation via acetylating p53 and counteracting Mdm2 action, providing a novel pathway by which nucleolar protein activates p53 as a cellular stress sensor.
Synopsis
NAT10 acts as an E3 ligase for Mdm2 to promote Mdm2 degradation and stabilizes p53 under normal conditions. While under DNA damage conditions, NAT10 prevents Mdm2–p53 interaction by binding to p53 and acetylates p53, thus regulating p53‐mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
NAT10 promotes Mdm2 ubiquitination and degradation with its E3 ligase activity under normal conditions.
NAT10 acetylates p53 at K120.
NAT10 translocates to nucleoplasm to bind and acetylate p53 at K120 upon cellular stress, thus contributing to p53 activation.
NAT10 acts as an E3 ligase for Mdm2 to promote Mdm2 degradation and stabilizes p53 under normal conditions. While under DNA damage conditions, NAT10 prevents Mdm2–p53 interaction by binding to p53 and acetylates p53, thus regulating p53‐mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Chemical reprogramming provides a powerful platform for exploring the molecular dynamics that lead to pluripotency. Although previous studies have uncovered an intermediate extraembryonic endoderm ...(XEN)-like state during this process, the molecular underpinnings of pluripotency acquisition remain largely undefined. Here, we profile 36,199 single-cell transcriptomes at multiple time points throughout a highly efficient chemical reprogramming system using RNA-sequencing and reconstruct their progression trajectories. Through identifying sequential molecular events, we reveal that the dynamic early embryonic-like programs are key aspects of successful reprogramming from XEN-like state to pluripotency, including the concomitant transcriptomic signatures of two-cell (2C) embryonic-like and early pluripotency programs and the epigenetic signature of notable genome-wide DNA demethylation. Moreover, via enhancing the 2C-like program by fine-tuning chemical treatment, the reprogramming process is remarkably accelerated. Collectively, our findings offer a high-resolution dissection of cell fate dynamics during chemical reprogramming and shed light on mechanistic insights into the nature of induced pluripotency.
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•Highly efficient chemical reprogramming enables single-cell transcriptomic analysis•scRNA-seq reconstructs reprogramming trajectories and major molecular events•An early embryonic-like gene network and epigenetic status drive CiPSC generation•Chemical reprogramming is accelerated by enhancing the 2C-like program
Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of chemical reprogramming depicts its trajectory and highlights dynamic intermediate cellular programs resembling early embryonic signatures. Zhao et al. apply these insights to develop a faster reprogramming system.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, and can proliferate intensively and differentiate into a variety of cell types. However, the hepatic ...differentiation of human iPS cells has not yet been reported. In this report, human iPS cells were induced to differentiate into hepatic cells by a stepwise protocol. The expression of liver cell markers and liver-related functions of the human iPS cell-derived cells were monitored and compared with that of differentiated human ES cells and primary human hepatocytes. Approximately 60% of the differentiated human iPS cells at day 7 expressed hepatic markers alpha fetoprotein and Alb. The differentiated cells at day 21 exhibited liver cell functions including albumin Asecretion, glycogen synthesis, urea production and inducible cytochrome P450 activity. The expression of hepatic markers and fiver-related functions of the iPS cellderived hepatic ceils were comparable to that of the human ES cell-derived hepatic cells. These results show that human iPS cells, which are similar to human ES cells, can be efficiently induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) by using pure chemicals, providing a different paradigm to study somatic reprogramming. However, the cell fate dynamics and ...molecular events that occur during the chemical reprogramming process remain unclear. We now show that the chemical reprogramming process requires the early formation of extra-embryonic endoderm (XEN)-like cells and a late transition from XEN-like cells to chemically-induced (Ci)PSCs, a unique route that fundamentally differs from the pathway of transcription factor-induced reprogramming. Moreover, precise manipulation of the cell fate transition in a step-wise manner through the XEN-like state allows us to identify small-molecule boosters and establish a robust chemical reprogramming system with a yield up to 1,000-fold greater than that of the previously reported protocol. These findings demonstrate that chemical reprogramming is a promising approach to manipulate cell fates.
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•An extraembryonic endoderm (XEN)-like state mediates the process of CiPSC generation•XEN-like cells are transcriptionally and functionally similar to in vivo counterpart•XEN cells are primed to express Oct4 and establish pluripotency•CiPSC induction is greatly enhanced by manipulating precisely with small molecules
In the process of chemical reprogramming from somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells, an intermediate extraembryonic endoderm (XEN)-like state is uncovered, allowing the development of a robust chemical reprogramming system by manipulating small molecules more precisely through this unique route.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP