Somatic nuclei can be reprogrammed into a pluripotent state by nuclear transfer, cell fusion and expression of transcription factors. However, these reprogramming processes are very inefficient, which has greatly hind...Somatic nuclei can be reprogrammed into a pluripotent state by nuclear transfer, cell fusion and expression of transcription factors. However, these reprogramming processes are very inefficient, which has greatly hindered efforts to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we report a new reprogramming strategy that combines the advantages of all three reprogramming methodologies into one process. We injected nuclei from cumulus cells into intact MII oocytes. Following activation, 80% of the reconstructed embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, and tetraploid （4N） embryonic stem （ES） cell lines were generated at a rate of 30% per reconstructed oocyte. We also generated triploid （3N） ES cells after injection of somatic nuclei into activated oocytes. 4N and 3N ES cells expressed pluripotent markers and differentiated into cell types of three embryonic germ layers in vivo. Moreover, all ES cells generated histocompatible, differentiated cells after being engrafted in immunocompetent B6D2F1 mice, showing that ES cells derived from this reprogramming strategy might serve as a source of genetically tailored tissues for transplantation. Thus, we have established a simple and highly efficient reprogramming procedure that provides a system for investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in somatic reprogramming.展开更多
The thyroid hormones L-thyroxine and triiodo-L-thyronine have profound effects on postembryonic development of most vertebrates. Analysis of their action in mammals is vitiated by the exposure of the developing foetus...The thyroid hormones L-thyroxine and triiodo-L-thyronine have profound effects on postembryonic development of most vertebrates. Analysis of their action in mammals is vitiated by the exposure of the developing foetus to a number of maternal factors which do not allow one to specifically define the role of thyroid hormone (TH)or that of other hormones and factors that modulate its action. Amphibian metamorphosis is obligatorily dependent on TH which can initiate all the diverse physiological manifestations of this postembryonic developmental process(morphogenesis, cell death, re-structuring, etc.) in free-living embryos and larvae of most anurans. This article will first describe the salient features of metamorphosis and its control by TH and other hormones. Emphasis will be laid on the key role played by TH receptor (TR), in particular the phenomenon of TR gene autoinduction, in initiating the developmental action of TH. Finally, it will be argued that the findings on the control of amphibian metamorphosis enhance our understanding of the regulation of postembryonic development by TH in other vertebrate species.展开更多
The role of Yamanaka factors as the core regulators in the induction of pluripotency during somatic cell reprogramming has been discovered recently. Our previous study found that Yamanaka factors regulate a developmen...The role of Yamanaka factors as the core regulators in the induction of pluripotency during somatic cell reprogramming has been discovered recently. Our previous study found that Yamanaka factors regulate a developmental signaling network in maintaining embryonic stem （ES） cell pluripotency. Here, we established completely reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem （iPS） cells and analyzed the global promoter occupancy of Yamanaka factors in these cells by ChiP-chip assays. We found that promoters of 565 genes were co-bound by four Yamanaka factors in iPS cells, a 10-fold increase when compared with their binding in ES cells. The promoters occupied by a single Yamanaka factor distributed equally in activated and repressed genes in iPS cells, while in ES cells Oct4, Sox2, or KIf4 distributed mostly in repressed genes and c-Myc in activated ones. Pathway analysis of the ChiP-chip data revealed that Yamanaka factors regulated 16 developmental signaling pathways in iPS cells, among which 12 were common and 4 were unique compared to pathways regulated in ES ChiP-chip dataset in iPS cells and observed similar results, cells. We further analyzed another recently published showing the power of ChiP-chip plus pathway analysis for revealing the nature of pluripotency maintenance and regeneration. Next, we experimentally tested one of the repressive signaling pathways and found that its inhibition indeed improved efficiency of cell reprogramming. Taken together, we proposed that there is a core developmental signaling network necessary for pluripotency, with TGF-β, Hedgehog, Wnt, p53 as repressive （Yin） regulators and Jak-STAT, cell cycle, focal adhesion, adherens junction as active （Yang） ones; and Yamanaka factors synergistically regulate them in a Yin-Yang balanced way to induce pluripotency.展开更多
文摘Somatic nuclei can be reprogrammed into a pluripotent state by nuclear transfer, cell fusion and expression of transcription factors. However, these reprogramming processes are very inefficient, which has greatly hindered efforts to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we report a new reprogramming strategy that combines the advantages of all three reprogramming methodologies into one process. We injected nuclei from cumulus cells into intact MII oocytes. Following activation, 80% of the reconstructed embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, and tetraploid （4N） embryonic stem （ES） cell lines were generated at a rate of 30% per reconstructed oocyte. We also generated triploid （3N） ES cells after injection of somatic nuclei into activated oocytes. 4N and 3N ES cells expressed pluripotent markers and differentiated into cell types of three embryonic germ layers in vivo. Moreover, all ES cells generated histocompatible, differentiated cells after being engrafted in immunocompetent B6D2F1 mice, showing that ES cells derived from this reprogramming strategy might serve as a source of genetically tailored tissues for transplantation. Thus, we have established a simple and highly efficient reprogramming procedure that provides a system for investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in somatic reprogramming.
文摘The thyroid hormones L-thyroxine and triiodo-L-thyronine have profound effects on postembryonic development of most vertebrates. Analysis of their action in mammals is vitiated by the exposure of the developing foetus to a number of maternal factors which do not allow one to specifically define the role of thyroid hormone (TH)or that of other hormones and factors that modulate its action. Amphibian metamorphosis is obligatorily dependent on TH which can initiate all the diverse physiological manifestations of this postembryonic developmental process(morphogenesis, cell death, re-structuring, etc.) in free-living embryos and larvae of most anurans. This article will first describe the salient features of metamorphosis and its control by TH and other hormones. Emphasis will be laid on the key role played by TH receptor (TR), in particular the phenomenon of TR gene autoinduction, in initiating the developmental action of TH. Finally, it will be argued that the findings on the control of amphibian metamorphosis enhance our understanding of the regulation of postembryonic development by TH in other vertebrate species.
文摘The role of Yamanaka factors as the core regulators in the induction of pluripotency during somatic cell reprogramming has been discovered recently. Our previous study found that Yamanaka factors regulate a developmental signaling network in maintaining embryonic stem （ES） cell pluripotency. Here, we established completely reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem （iPS） cells and analyzed the global promoter occupancy of Yamanaka factors in these cells by ChiP-chip assays. We found that promoters of 565 genes were co-bound by four Yamanaka factors in iPS cells, a 10-fold increase when compared with their binding in ES cells. The promoters occupied by a single Yamanaka factor distributed equally in activated and repressed genes in iPS cells, while in ES cells Oct4, Sox2, or KIf4 distributed mostly in repressed genes and c-Myc in activated ones. Pathway analysis of the ChiP-chip data revealed that Yamanaka factors regulated 16 developmental signaling pathways in iPS cells, among which 12 were common and 4 were unique compared to pathways regulated in ES ChiP-chip dataset in iPS cells and observed similar results, cells. We further analyzed another recently published showing the power of ChiP-chip plus pathway analysis for revealing the nature of pluripotency maintenance and regeneration. Next, we experimentally tested one of the repressive signaling pathways and found that its inhibition indeed improved efficiency of cell reprogramming. Taken together, we proposed that there is a core developmental signaling network necessary for pluripotency, with TGF-β, Hedgehog, Wnt, p53 as repressive （Yin） regulators and Jak-STAT, cell cycle, focal adhesion, adherens junction as active （Yang） ones; and Yamanaka factors synergistically regulate them in a Yin-Yang balanced way to induce pluripotency.
