title: Effects of Akt signaling on nuclear reprogramming.
abstract: Reprogramming of the epigenetic state from differentiated to pluripotent cells can be attained by cell fusion of differentiated somatic cells with embryonic stem (ES) cells or transfer of the nucleus of a differentiated cell into an enucleated oocyte. Activation of Akt signaling is sufficient to maintain pluripotency of ES cells and promotes derivation of embryonic germ (EG) cells from primordial germ cells (PGCs). Here we analyzed the effects of Akt signaling on somatic cell nuclear reprogramming after cell fusion and nuclear transfer. We found that forced activation of Akt signaling stimulated reprogramming after cell fusion of ES cells with thymocytes or mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These hybrid cells showed ES cell characteristics, including in vitro and in vivo differentiation capacity. In contrast, Akt signaling significantly reduced the efficiency of reprogramming with nuclear transfer. Our results demonstrate that Akt signaling plays important roles on the nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kimiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Narumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogonuki
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D051379:Mice; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt