title: Developmental study of fragile X syndrome using human embryonic stem cells derived from preimplantation genetically diagnosed embryos.
abstract: We report on the establishment of a human embryonic stem cell (HESC) line from a preimplantation fragile X-affected embryo and demonstrate its value as an appropriate model to study developmentally regulated events that are involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Fragile X syndrome results from FMR1 gene inactivation due to a CGG expansion at the 5'UTR region of the gene. Early events in FMR1 silencing have not been fully characterized due to the lack of appropriate animal or cellular models. Here we show that, despite the presence of a full mutation, affected undifferentiated HESCs express FMR1 and are DNA unmethylated. However, epigenetic silencing by DNA methylation and histone modification occurs upon differentiation. Our unique cell system allows the dissection of the sequence by which these epigenetic changes are acquired and illustrates the importance of HESCs in unraveling developmentally regulated mechanisms associated with human genetic disorders.
authors: Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Eiges
authors: Achia
authors: A
authors: Urbach
authors: Mira
authors: M
authors: Malcov
authors: Tsvia
authors: T
authors: Frumkin
authors: Tamar
authors: T
authors: Schwartz
authors: Ami
authors: A
authors: Amit
authors: Yuval
authors: Y
authors: Yaron
authors: Amir
authors: A
authors: Eden
authors: Ofra
authors: O
authors: Yanuka
authors: Nissim
authors: N
authors: Benvenisty
authors: Dalit
authors: D
authors: Ben-Yosef
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D019175:DNA Methylation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009154:Mutation; D019836:Preimplantation Diagnosis; D013724:Teratoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; D006657:Histones; C497683:FMR1 protein, human