Mouse meningiocytes express Sox2 and yield high efficiency of chimeras after nuclear reprogramming with exogenous factors.
Induced pluripotent stem cell technology, also termed iPS, is an emerging approach to reprogram cells into an embryonic stem cell-like state by viral transduction with defined combinations of factors. iPS cells share most characteristics of embryonic stem cells, counting pluripotency and self-renewal, and have so far been obtained from mouse and humans, including patients with genetic diseases. Remarkably, autologous transplantation of cell lineages derived from iPS cells will eliminate the possibility of immunological rejection, as well as current ethical issues surrounding human embryonic stem cell research. However, before iPS can be used for clinical purposes, technical problems must be overcome. Among other considerations, full and homogeneous iPS reprogramming is an important prerequisite. However, despite the fact that cells from several mouse tissues can be successfully induced to iPS, the overall efficiency of chimera formation of these clones remains low even if selection for Oct4 or Nanog expression is applied. In this report, we demonstrate that cells from the mouse meningeal membranes express elevated levels of the embryonic master regulator Sox2 and are highly amenable to iPS. Meningeal iPS clones, generated without selection, are fully and homogeneously reprogrammed based on DNA methylation analysis and 100% chimera competent. Our results define a population of somatic cells that are ready to undergo iPS, thus highlighting a very attractive cell type for iPS research and application.
Qin
Dajiang
D
Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Group, Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510663.
Gan
Yi
Y
Shao
Kaifeng
K
Wang
Hao
H
Li
Wen
W
Wang
Tao
T
He
Wenzhi
W
Xu
Jianyong
J
Zhang
Yu
Y
Kou
Zhaohui
Z
Zeng
Lingwen
L
Sheng
Guoqing
G
Esteban
Miguel A
MA
Gao
Shaorong
S
Pei
Duanqing
D
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D054337:Cell Dedifferentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002678:Chimera / Q000196:embryology*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008578:Meninges / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527783:Sox2 protein, mouse