title: Breathing-in epigenetic change with vitamin C.
abstract: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that maintains the activity of iron and α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases. Despite these enzymes being implicated in a wide range of biological pathways, vitamin C is rarely included in common cell culture media. Recent studies show that reprogramming of pluripotent stem cells is enhanced when vitamin C is present, thereby illustrating previous limitations in reprogramming cultures. Here, we summarize understanding of dioxygenase function in reprogramming and epigenetic regulation. The available data suggest a link between dioxygenase function and stem cell differentiation, which is exposed to environmental influence and is relevant for human disease.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.
authors.forename: Asun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monfort
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wutz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000502:physiology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000502:physiology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D056466:Histone Demethylases / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D049308:Dioxygenases; C541081:TET2 protein, human; D056466:Histone Demethylases; D001205:Ascorbic Acid