title: Zscan4 Is Activated after Telomere Shortening in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.
abstract: ZSCAN4 is a DNA-binding protein that functions for telomere elongation and genomic stability. In vivo, it is specifically expressed at the two-cell stage during mouse development. In vitro, it is transiently expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), only in 5% of the population at one time. Here we attempted to elucidate when, under what circumstances, Zscan4 is activated in ESCs. Using live cell imaging, we monitored the activity of Zscan4 together with the pluripotency marker Rex1. The lengths of the cell cycles in ESCs were diverse. Longer cell cycles were accompanied by shorter telomeres and higher activation of Zscan4. Since activation of Zscan4 is involved in telomere elongation, we speculate that the extended cell cycles accompanied by Zscan4 activation reflect the time for telomere recovery. Rex1 and Zscan4 did not show any correlation. Taken together, we propose that Zscan4 is activated to recover shortened telomeres during extended cell cycles, irrespective of the pluripotent status.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. Electronic address: y.futatsugi@cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai-Futatsugi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan. Electronic address: niwa@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niwa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D000066450:Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging / Q000379:methods; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C513672:Zfp42 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; C000588925:Zscan4c protein, mouse; C534888:Zscan4d protein, mouse; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008156:Luciferases