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Dai P, Ma C, Chen C, Liang M, Dong S, Chen H, Zhang X. Unlocking Genetic Mysteries during the Epic Sperm Journey toward Fertilization: Further Expanding Cre Mouse Lines. Biomolecules 2024; 14:529. [PMID: 38785936 PMCID: PMC11117649 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The spatiotemporal expression patterns of genes are crucial for maintaining normal physiological functions in animals. Conditional gene knockout using the cyclization recombination enzyme (Cre)/locus of crossover of P1 (Cre/LoxP) strategy has been extensively employed for functional assays at specific tissue or developmental stages. This approach aids in uncovering the associations between phenotypes and gene regulation while minimizing interference among distinct tissues. Various Cre-engineered mouse models have been utilized in the male reproductive system, including Dppa3-MERCre for primordial germ cells, Ddx4-Cre and Stra8-Cre for spermatogonia, Prm1-Cre and Acrv1-iCre for haploid spermatids, Cyp17a1-iCre for the Leydig cell, Sox9-Cre for the Sertoli cell, and Lcn5/8/9-Cre for differentiated segments of the epididymis. Notably, the specificity and functioning stage of Cre recombinases vary, and the efficiency of recombination driven by Cre depends on endogenous promoters with different sequences as well as the constructed Cre vectors, even when controlled by an identical promoter. Cre mouse models generated via traditional recombination or CRISPR/Cas9 also exhibit distinct knockout properties. This review focuses on Cre-engineered mouse models applied to the male reproductive system, including Cre-targeting strategies, mouse model screening, and practical challenges encountered, particularly with novel mouse strains over the past decade. It aims to provide valuable references for studies conducted on the male reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiaoning Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; (P.D.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (M.L.); (S.D.); (H.C.)
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Pars S, Achberger K, Kleger A, Liebau S, Pashkovskaia N. Generation of Functional Vascular Endothelial Cells and Pericytes from Keratinocyte Derived Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Cells 2021; 10:E74. [PMID: 33466396 PMCID: PMC7824831 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes provide a powerful tool for cardiovascular disease modelling, personalized drug testing, translational medicine, and tissue engineering. Here, we report a novel differentiation protocol that results in the fast and efficient production of ECs and pericytes from keratinocyte-derived hiPSCs. We found that the implementation of a 3D embryoid body (EB) stage significantly improves the differentiation efficiency. Compared with the monolayer-based technique, our protocol yields a distinct EC population with higher levels of EC marker expression such as CD31 and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin). Furthermore, the EB-based protocol allows the generation of functional EC and pericyte populations that can promote blood vessel-like structure formation upon co-culturing. Moreover, we demonstrate that the EB-based ECs and pericytes can be successfully used in a microfluidic chip model, forming a stable 3D microvascular network. Overall, the described protocol can be used to efficiently differentiate both ECs and pericytes with distinct and high marker expression from keratinocyte-derived hiPSCs, providing a potent source material for future cardiovascular disease studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Pars
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Österbergstrasse 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (S.P.); (K.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Kevin Achberger
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Österbergstrasse 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (S.P.); (K.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany;
| | - Stefan Liebau
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Österbergstrasse 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (S.P.); (K.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Natalia Pashkovskaia
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Österbergstrasse 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (S.P.); (K.A.); (S.L.)
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Klingenstein S, Klingenstein M, Kleger A, Liebau S. From Hair to iPSCs-A Guide on How to Reprogram Keratinocytes and Why. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 55:e121. [PMID: 32956569 DOI: 10.1002/cpsc.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Keratinocytes, as a primary somatic cell source, offer exceptional advantages compared to fibroblasts, which are commonly used for reprogramming. Keratinocytes can beat fibroblasts in reprogramming efficiency and reprogramming time and, in addition, can be easily and non-invasively harvested from human hair roots. However, there is still much to know about acquiring keratinocytes and maintaining them in cell culture. In this article, we want to offer readers the profound knowledge that we have gained since our initial use of keratinocytes for reprogramming more than 10 years ago. Here, all hints and tricks, from plucking the hair roots to growing and maintaining keratinocytes, are described in detail. Additionally, an overview of the currently used reprogramming methods, viral and non-viral, is included, with a special focus on their applicability to keratinocytes. This overview is intended to provide a brief but comprehensive insight into the field of keratinocytes and their use for reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). © 2020 The Authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Klingenstein
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology, Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Klingenstein
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology, Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Liebau
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology, Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Mayer D, Stadler MB, Rittirsch M, Hess D, Lukonin I, Winzi M, Smith A, Buchholz F, Betschinger J. Zfp281 orchestrates interconversion of pluripotent states by engaging Ehmt1 and Zic2. EMBO J 2020; 39:e102591. [PMID: 31782544 PMCID: PMC6960450 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental cell fate specification is a unidirectional process that can be reverted in response to injury or experimental reprogramming. Whether differentiation and de-differentiation trajectories intersect mechanistically is unclear. Here, we performed comparative screening in lineage-related mouse naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primed epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), and identified the constitutively expressed zinc finger transcription factor (TF) Zfp281 as a bidirectional regulator of cell state interconversion. We showed that subtle chromatin binding changes in differentiated cells translate into activation of the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase Ehmt1 and stabilization of the zinc finger TF Zic2 at enhancers and promoters. Genetic gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments confirmed a critical role of Ehmt1 and Zic2 downstream of Zfp281 both in driving exit from the ESC state and in restricting reprogramming of EpiSCs. Our study reveals that cell type-invariant chromatin association of Zfp281 provides an interaction platform for remodeling the cis-regulatory network underlying cellular plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mayer
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
- Faculty of SciencesUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Michael B Stadler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsBaselSwitzerland
| | - Melanie Rittirsch
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Daniel Hess
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Ilya Lukonin
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
- Faculty of SciencesUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Maria Winzi
- Medical Systems BiologyUCC, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav CarusTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Austin Smith
- Wellcome‐MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Frank Buchholz
- Medical Systems BiologyUCC, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav CarusTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Joerg Betschinger
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
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Young-Baird SK, Lourenço MB, Elder MK, Klann E, Liebau S, Dever TE. Suppression of MEHMO Syndrome Mutation in eIF2 by Small Molecule ISRIB. Mol Cell 2019; 77:875-886.e7. [PMID: 31836389 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of cellular protein synthesis is linked to a variety of diseases. Mutations in EIF2S3, encoding the γ subunit of the heterotrimeric eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2, cause MEHMO syndrome, an X-linked intellectual disability disorder. Here, using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we show that a mutation at the C terminus of eIF2γ impairs CDC123 promotion of eIF2 complex formation and decreases the level of eIF2-GTP-Met-tRNAiMet ternary complexes. This reduction in eIF2 activity results in dysregulation of global and gene-specific protein synthesis and enhances cell death upon stress induction. Addition of the drug ISRIB, an activator of the eIF2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, rescues the cell growth, translation, and neuronal differentiation defects associated with the EIF2S3 mutation, offering the possibility of therapeutic intervention for MEHMO syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Young-Baird
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Maíra Bertolessi Lourenço
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Megan K Elder
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Eric Klann
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Stefan Liebau
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas E Dever
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Achberger K, Probst C, Haderspeck J, Bolz S, Rogal J, Chuchuy J, Nikolova M, Cora V, Antkowiak L, Haq W, Shen N, Schenke-Layland K, Ueffing M, Liebau S, Loskill P. Merging organoid and organ-on-a-chip technology to generate complex multi-layer tissue models in a human retina-on-a-chip platform. eLife 2019; 8:46188. [PMID: 31451149 PMCID: PMC6777939 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The devastating effects and incurable nature of hereditary and sporadic retinal diseases such as Stargardt disease, age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa urgently require the development of new therapeutic strategies. Additionally, a high prevalence of retinal toxicities is becoming more and more an issue of novel targeted therapeutic agents. Ophthalmologic drug development, to date, largely relies on animal models, which often do not provide results that are translatable to human patients. Hence, the establishment of sophisticated human tissue-based in vitro models is of upmost importance. The discovery of self-forming retinal organoids (ROs) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is a promising approach to model the complex stratified retinal tissue. Yet, ROs lack vascularization and cannot recapitulate the important physiological interactions of matured photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In this study, we present the retina-on-a-chip (RoC), a novel microphysiological model of the human retina integrating more than seven different essential retinal cell types derived from hiPSCs. It provides vasculature-like perfusion and enables, for the first time, the recapitulation of the interaction of mature photoreceptor segments with RPE in vitro. We show that this interaction enhances the formation of outer segment-like structures and the establishment of in vivo-like physiological processes such as outer segment phagocytosis and calcium dynamics. In addition, we demonstrate the applicability of the RoC for drug testing, by reproducing the retinopathic side-effects of the anti-malaria drug chloroquine and the antibiotic gentamicin. The developed hiPSC-based RoC has the potential to promote drug development and provide new insights into the underlying pathology of retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Achberger
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christopher Probst
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jasmin Haderspeck
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sylvia Bolz
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Rogal
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany.,Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Johanna Chuchuy
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany.,Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marina Nikolova
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Virginia Cora
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lena Antkowiak
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wadood Haq
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nian Shen
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI), Reutlingen, Germany.,Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Liebau
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Loskill
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany.,Department of Women's Health, Research Institute for Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Apostolou E, Stadtfeld M. Cellular trajectories and molecular mechanisms of iPSC reprogramming. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2018; 52:77-85. [PMID: 29925040 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has solidified the concept of transcription factors as major players in controlling cell identity and provided a tractable tool to study how somatic cell identity can be dismantled and pluripotency established. A number of landmark studies have established hallmarks and roadmaps of iPSC formation by describing relative kinetics of transcriptional, protein and epigenetic changes, including alterations in DNA methylation and histone modifications. Recently, technological advancements such as single-cell analyses, high-resolution genome-wide chromatin assays and more efficient reprogramming systems have been used to challenge and refine our understanding of the reprogramming process. Here, we will outline novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying iPSC formation, focusing on how the core reprogramming factors OCT4, KLF4, SOX2 and MYC (OKSM) drive changes in gene expression, chromatin state and 3D genome topology. In addition, we will discuss unexpected consequences of reprogramming factor expression in in vitro and in vivo systems that may point towards new applications of iPSC technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Effie Apostolou
- Edward and Sandra Meyer Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Matthias Stadtfeld
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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