title: Conversion of fibroblasts to neural cells by p53 depletion.
abstract: Conversion from fibroblasts to neurons has recently been successfully induced. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we find that depletion of p53 alone converts fibroblasts into all three major neural lineages. The induced neuronal cells express multiple neuron-specific proteins and generate action potentials and transmitter-receptor-mediated currents. Surprisingly, depletion does not affect the well-known tumorigenic p53 target, p21. Instead, knockdown of p53 upregulates neurogenic transcription factors, which in turn boosts fibroblast-neuron conversion. p53 binds the promoter of the neurogenic transcription factor Neurod2 and regulates its expression during fibroblast-neuron conversion. Furthermore, our method provides a high efficiency of conversion in late-passage fibroblasts. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis shows that the p53-deficiency-induced neurons exhibit an expression profile different from parental fibroblasts and similar to control-induced neurons. The results may help to understand and improve neural conversion mechanisms to develop robust neuron-replacement therapy strategies.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Synaptic Transmission Section, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Synaptic Transmission Section, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Chong-Kui
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Research Biotechnology Business Unit, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA.
authors.forename: Ke-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Synaptic Transmission Section, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: wul@ninds.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Ling-Gang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA. Electronic address: qyang@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C490925:NEUROD2 protein, human