GSE108300
Direct Conversion of Mouse Fibroblasts into Neural Stem Cells by Chemical Cocktail Requires Stepwise Activation of Growth Factors and Nup210
Neural stem cells (NSCs) are valuable for both basic research and clinical application. We previously reported a chemical cocktail that could reprogram somatic cells into neural progenitor cells. However, the process of chemical induction is complex and the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. Here, we identified a new culture condition that greatly promotes the efficiency of NSC generation directly from mouse fibroblasts based on our reported chemical cocktail. Transcriptome and epigenome analyses during the reprogramming process demonstrated that growth factors including IL6, FGF5 and LIF were dynamically activated and contributed to the chemical cocktail induced cell fate changes. Interestingly, fibroblast-to-NSC conversion requires the synergistic action of these growth factors. Moreover, the reprogramming capacity of both chemical cocktail and growth factors require nucleoporin Nup210 to activate endogenous neural transcription factors SoxB1 family to initiate NSC fate. Our study not only provides a novel protocol to generate NSC directly from mouse fibroblasts, but also reveals an important role of growth factors in chemical-induced cellular reprogramming. Overall design: mRNA profile and epigenetic analysis of fibroblasts treated chemical cocktail at different timepoints