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Neira JA, Conrad JV, Rusteika M, Chu LF. The progress of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from pigs: a mini review of recent advances. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1371240. [PMID: 38979033 PMCID: PMC11228285 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1371240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pigs (Sus scrofa) are widely acknowledged as an important large mammalian animal model due to their similarity to human physiology, genetics, and immunology. Leveraging the full potential of this model presents significant opportunities for major advancements in the fields of comparative biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. Thus, the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from this species can offer new tools for disease modeling and serve as a stepping stone to test future autologous or allogeneic cell-based therapies. Over the past few decades, great progress has been made in establishing porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (pESCs) derived from pre- and peri-implantation embryos, and porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) using a variety of cellular reprogramming strategies. However, the stabilization of pPSCs was not as straightforward as directly applying the culture conditions developed and optimized for murine or primate PSCs. Therefore, it has historically been challenging to establish stable pPSC lines that could pass stringent pluripotency tests. Here, we review recent advances in the establishment of stable porcine PSCs. We focus on the evolving derivation methods that eventually led to the establishment of pESCs and transgene-free piPSCs, as well as current challenges and opportunities in this rapidly advancing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Neira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Reproductive Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - J Vanessa Conrad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Reproductive Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Margaret Rusteika
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Reproductive Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Li-Fang Chu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Reproductive Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Species-Specific Enhancer Activity of OCT4 in Porcine Pluripotency: The Porcine OCT4 Reporter System Could Monitor Pluripotency in Porcine Embryo Development and Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells Int 2022; 2022:6337532. [PMID: 35846983 PMCID: PMC9277468 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6337532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the activity and function of the pig OCT4 enhancer in the porcine early embryonic development stage and porcine authentic embryonic stem cells. OCT4 is known as a pluripotent regulator, and its upstream regulatory region-based dual-fluorescence protein reporter system controlled by distal and proximal enhancers is broadly used in studies examining the states and mechanism of pluripotency. We analyzed how this reporter system functions during early embryo development and in stem cells using a previously established porcine-specific reporter system. We demonstrated that the porcine OCT4 distal enhancer and proximal enhancer were activated with different expression patterns simultaneously as the expression of pluripotent marker genes changed during the development of in vitro pathenotes and the establishment of porcine embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This work demonstrates the applicability of the porcine OCT4 upstream region-derived dual-fluorescence reporter system, which may be applied to investigations of species-specific pluripotency in porcine-origin cells. These reporter systems may be useful tools for studies of porcine-specific pluripotency, early embryo development, and embryonic stem cells.
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Martínez-Falguera D, Iborra-Egea O, Gálvez-Montón C. iPSC Therapy for Myocardial Infarction in Large Animal Models: Land of Hope and Dreams. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1836. [PMID: 34944652 PMCID: PMC8698445 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction is the main driver of heart failure due to ischemia and subsequent cell death, and cell-based strategies have emerged as promising therapeutic methods to replace dead tissue in cardiovascular diseases. Research in this field has been dramatically advanced by the development of laboratory-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that harbor the capability to become any cell type. Like other experimental strategies, stem cell therapy must meet multiple requirements before reaching the clinical trial phase, and in vivo models are indispensable for ensuring the safety of such novel therapies. Specifically, translational studies in large animal models are necessary to fully evaluate the therapeutic potential of this approach; to empirically determine the optimal combination of cell types, supplementary factors, and delivery methods to maximize efficacy; and to stringently assess safety. In the present review, we summarize the main strategies employed to generate iPSCs and differentiate them into cardiomyocytes in large animal species; the most critical differences between using small versus large animal models for cardiovascular studies; and the strategies that have been pursued regarding implanted cells' stage of differentiation, origin, and technical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daina Martínez-Falguera
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona (UB), 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Oriol Iborra-Egea
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Carolina Gálvez-Montón
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERCV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
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Kim SH, Choi KH, Lee M, Lee DK, Lee CK. Porcine OCT4 Reporter System Can Monitor Species-Specific Pluripotency During Somatic Cell Reprogramming. Cell Reprogram 2021; 23:168-179. [PMID: 34037424 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2021.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the activity and function of pig OCT4 enhancer in porcine reprogramming cells. Dual fluorescent protein reporter systems controlled by the upstream regulatory region of OCT4, which is one of the master regulators for pluripotency, are widely used in studies of the mechanism of pluripotency. We analyzed how this reporter system functions in fibroblast growth factor (FGF)- or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-dependent reprogrammed porcine pluripotent stem cells using the previously established porcine-specific reporter system. Porcine embryonic fibroblasts were coinfected with the pOCT4-ΔPE-eGFP (distal enhancer [DE]-green fluorescent protein [GFP]) and pOCT4-ΔDE-DsRed2 (proximal enhancer [PE]-red fluorescent protein [RFP]) vectors, and GFP and RFP expression were verified during a DOX-dependent reprogramming process. We demonstrated that the porcine OCT4 DE and PE were activated in different expression patterns simultaneously as changes in the expression of pluripotent marker genes during the establishment of porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Porcine OCT4 upstream region-derived dual fluorescent protein reporter systems confirmed that porcine iPSCs are in primed state after reprogramming in FGF2- or LIF-containing media. This work demonstrates the applicability of porcine OCT4 upstream region-derived dual fluorescence reporter system, which may be applied to investigations of species-specific pluripotency in porcine-origin cells. These reporter systems may be useful tools for studies of porcine-specific pluripotency, early embryo development, and embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Hun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kwang-Hwan Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Mingyun Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong-Kyung Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Designed Animal & Transplantation Research Institute, Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Gangwon-do, Korea
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Habekost M, Qvist P, Denham M, Holm IE, Jørgensen AL. Directly Reprogrammed Neurons Express MAPT and APP Splice Variants Pertinent to Ageing and Neurodegeneration. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:2075-2087. [PMID: 33415685 PMCID: PMC8018937 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02258-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurons produced by reprogramming of other cell types are used to study cellular mechanisms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. To model Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, it is essential that alternative splicing of the MAPT transcript in these neurons produces the relevant tau isoforms. Human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, however, express tau isoform compositions characteristic of foetal neurons rather than of adult neurons unless cultured in vitro for extended time periods. In this study, we characterised the dynamics of the MAPT and APP alternative splicing during a developmental time-course of porcine and murine cerebral cortices. We found age-dependent and species-specific isoform composition of MAPT, including 3R and 4R isoforms in the porcine adult brain similar to that of the adult human brain. We converted adult and embryonic fibroblasts directly into induced neurons and found similar developmental patterns of isoform composition, notably, the 3R and 4R isoforms relevant to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Also, we observed cell-type-specific isoform expression of APP transcripts during the conversion. The approach was further used to generate induced neurons from transgenic pigs carrying Alzheimer's disease-causing mutations. We show that such neurons authentically model the first crucial steps in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Habekost
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Per Qvist
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
- iPSYCH, Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mark Denham
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ida E Holm
- Department of Pathology, Randers Hospital, 8930, Randers, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000C, Aarhus, Denmark
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Gill KP, Denham M. Optimized Transgene Delivery Using Third-Generation Lentiviruses. CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 133:e125. [PMID: 32986282 PMCID: PMC7583475 DOI: 10.1002/cpmb.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The lentivirus system enables efficient genetic modification of both dividing and non-dividing cells and therefore is a useful tool for elucidating developmental processes and disease pathogenesis. The development of third-generation lentiviruses has resulted in improved biosafety, low immunogenicity, and substantial packaging capabilities. However, because third-generation lentiviruses require successful co-transfection with four plasmids, this typically means that lower titers are attained. This is problematic, as it is often desirable to produce purified lentiviruses with high titers (>1 × 108 TU/ml), especially for in vivo applications. The manufacturing process for lentiviruses involves several critical experimental factors that can influence titer, purity, and transduction efficiency. Here, we describe a straightforward, stepwise protocol for the reproducible manufacture of high-titer third-generation lentiviruses (1 × 108 to 1 × 109 TU/ml). This optimized protocol enhances transgene expression by use of Lipofectamine transfection and optimized serum replacement medium, a single ultracentrifugation step, use of a sucrose cushion, and addition of a histone deacetylation inhibitor. Furthermore, we provide alternate methods for titration analyses, including functional and genomic integration analyses, using common laboratory techniques such as FACS as well as genomic DNA extraction and qPCR. These optimized methods will be beneficial for investigating developmental processes and disease pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo. © 2020 The Authors. Basic Protocol 1: Lentivirus production Support Protocol: Lentivirus concentration Basic Protocol 2: Lentivirus titration Alternate Protocol 1: Determination of viral titration by FACS analysis Alternate Protocol 2: Determination of viral titration by genome integration analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine P. Gill
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular MedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of BiomedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Mark Denham
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular MedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of BiomedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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Habekost M, Jørgensen AL, Qvist P, Denham M. MicroRNAs and Ascl1 facilitate direct conversion of porcine fibroblasts into induced neurons. Stem Cell Res 2020; 48:101984. [PMID: 32971463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct neuronal conversion describes the process of generating induced neurons from somatic cells such as fibroblasts by overexpressing cell type-specific transcription factors, microRNAs or by culturing in the presence of small molecules. This was first achieved by expressing Brn2, Ascl1 and Myt1L in mouse fibroblasts, and was later achieved in human cells by the inclusion of additional factors such as NeuroD1. Here, we present the first protocol for directly converting porcine fibroblasts into induced neurons. We used lentivirus-mediated delivery of previously identified neuron-specifying transcription factors and microRNAs and evaluated morphology and neuron marker expression after ten days of conversion. We found that Ascl1 and microRNAs, miR-9/9* and miR-124 together generated more neuronal cells than other conditions tested. The porcine induced neurons expressed common mature markers such as MAP2 and Synaptophysin after four weeks of conversion. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that fibroblast-specific signatures were silenced early in the conversion process, while the neuron-specific genes became more abundant during conversion. We generated a heterogeneous population of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Habekost
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Per Qvist
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark; Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark; Centre for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, CGPM, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mark Denham
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000C Aarhus, Denmark.
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