Understanding the transcriptional regulation of pluripotent cells is of fundamental interest and will greatly inform efforts aimed at directing differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells or reprogramming somatic cells. We first analyzed the transcriptional profiles of mouse ES cells and primordial germ cell (PGCs) and identified genes up-regulated in pluripotent cells both in vitro and in vivo. These genes are enriched for roles in transcription, chromatin remodeling, cell cycle and DNA repair. We developed a novel computational algorithm, CompMoby, which combines analyses of sequences both aligned and non-aligned between different genomes with a probabilistic segmentation model to systematically predict short DNA motifs that regulate gene expression. CompMoby was used to identify conserved over-represented motifs in genes up-regulated in pluripotent cells. We show that the motifs are preferentially active in undifferentiated mouse ES and Embryonic Germ cells in a sequence-specific manner, and that they can act as enhancers in the context of an endogenous promoter. Importantly, the activity of the motifs is conserved in human ES cells. We further show that the transcription factor NF-Y specifically binds to one of the motifs, is differentially expressed during ES cell differentiation and is required for ES cell proliferation. This study provides novel insights into the transcriptional regulatory networks of pluripotent cells. Our results suggest that this systematic approach can be broadly applied to understanding transcriptional networks in mammalian species.
Systematic identification of cis-regulatory sequences active in mouse and human embryonic stem cells.
Age, Specimen part, Time
View SamplesHuman induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from somatic cells of patients hold great promise for modelling human diseases. Dermal fibroblasts are frequently used for reprogramming, but require an invasive skin biopsy and a prolonged period of expansion in cell culture prior to use. Here, we report the derivation of iPS cells from multiple human blood sources including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) harvested by routine venipuncture. Peripheral blood-derived human iPS lines are comparable to human embryonic stem (ES) cells with respect to morphology, expression of surface antigens, activation of endogenous pluripotency genes, DNA methylation and differentiation potential. Analysis of Immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangement revealed that some of the PBMC iPS cells were derived from T-cells, documenting derivation of iPS cells from terminally differentiated cell types. Importantly, peripheral blood cells can be isolated with minimal risk to the donor and can be obtained in sufficient numbers to enable reprogramming without the need for prolonged expansion in culture. Reprogramming from blood cells thus represents a fast, safe and efficient way of generating patient-specific iPS cells.
Reprogramming of T cells from human peripheral blood.
Specimen part, Cell line
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