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Niharika, Ureka L, Roy A, Patra SK. Dissecting SOX2 expression and function reveals an association with multiple signaling pathways during embryonic development and in cancer progression. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189136. [PMID: 38880162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
SRY (Sex Determining Region) box 2 (SOX2) is an essential transcription factor that plays crucial roles in activating genes involved in pre- and post-embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis, and lineage specifications. SOX2 maintains the self-renewal property of stem cells and is involved in the generation of induced pluripotency stem cells. SOX2 protein contains a particular high-mobility group domain that enables SOX2 to achieve the capacity to participate in a broad variety of functions. The information about the involvement of SOX2 with gene regulatory elements, signaling networks, and microRNA is gradually emerging, and the higher expression of SOX2 is functionally relevant to various cancer types. SOX2 facilitates the oncogenic phenotype via cellular proliferation and enhancement of invasive tumor properties. Evidence are accumulating in favor of three dimensional (higher order) folding of chromatin and epigenetic control of the SOX2 gene by chromatin modifications, which implies that the expression level of SOX2 can be modulated by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, specifically, via DNA methylation and histone H3 modification. In view of this, and to focus further insights into the roles SOX2 plays in physiological functions, involvement of SOX2 during development, precisely, the advances of our knowledge in pre- and post-embryonic development, and interactions of SOX2 in this scenario with various signaling pathways in tumor development and cancer progression, its potential as a therapeutic target against many cancers are summarized and discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lina Ureka
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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2
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MacCarthy CM, Wu G, Malik V, Menuchin-Lasowski Y, Velychko T, Keshet G, Fan R, Bedzhov I, Church GM, Jauch R, Cojocaru V, Schöler HR, Velychko S. Highly cooperative chimeric super-SOX induces naive pluripotency across species. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:127-147.e9. [PMID: 38141611 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of pluripotency remains limited: iPSC generation has only been established for a few model species, pluripotent stem cell lines exhibit inconsistent developmental potential, and germline transmission has only been demonstrated for mice and rats. By swapping structural elements between Sox2 and Sox17, we built a chimeric super-SOX factor, Sox2-17, that enhanced iPSC generation in five tested species: mouse, human, cynomolgus monkey, cow, and pig. A swap of alanine to valine at the interface between Sox2 and Oct4 delivered a gain of function by stabilizing Sox2/Oct4 dimerization on DNA, enabling generation of high-quality OSKM iPSCs capable of supporting the development of healthy all-iPSC mice. Sox2/Oct4 dimerization emerged as the core driver of naive pluripotency with its levels diminished upon priming. Transient overexpression of the SK cocktail (Sox+Klf4) restored the dimerization and boosted the developmental potential of pluripotent stem cells across species, providing a universal method for naive reset in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guangming Wu
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany; International Bio Island, Guangzhou, China; MingCeler Biotech, Guangzhou, China
| | - Vikas Malik
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Taras Velychko
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gal Keshet
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rui Fan
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ralf Jauch
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Vlad Cojocaru
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany; University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; STAR-UBB Institute, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.
| | - Sergiy Velychko
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Schock EN, York JR, LaBonne C. The developmental and evolutionary origins of cellular pluripotency in the vertebrate neural crest. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 138:36-44. [PMID: 35534333 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.008] [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: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neural crest cells are central to vertebrate development and evolution, endowing vertebrates with a "new head" that resulted in morphological, physiological, and behavioral features that allowed vertebrates to become active predators. One remarkable feature of neural crest cells is their multi-germ layer potential that allows for the formation of both ectodermal (pigmentation, peripheral glia, sensory neurons) and mesenchymal (connective tissue, cartilage/bone, dermis) cell types. Understanding the cellular and evolutionary origins of this broad cellular potential in the neural crest has been a long-standing focus for developmental biologists. Here, we review recent work that has demonstrated that neural crest cells share key features with pluripotent blastula stem cells, including expression of the Yamanaka stem cell factors (Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2, c-Myc). These shared features suggest that pluripotency is either retained in the neural crest from blastula stages or subsequently reactivated as the neural crest forms. We highlight the cellular and molecular parallels between blastula stem cells and neural crest cells and discuss the work that has led to current models for the cellular origins of broad potential in the crest. Finally, we explore how these themes can provide new insights into how and when neural crest cells and pluripotency evolved in vertebrates and the evolutionary relationship between these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carole LaBonne
- Dept. of Molecular Biosciences; NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States.
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4
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Furlan G, Huyghe A, Combémorel N, Lavial F. Molecular versatility during pluripotency progression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:68. [PMID: 36604434 PMCID: PMC9814743 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35775-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A challenge during development is to ensure lineage segregation while preserving plasticity. Using pluripotency progression as a paradigm, we review how developmental transitions are coordinated by redeployments, rather than global resettings, of cellular components. We highlight how changes in response to extrinsic cues (FGF, WNT, Activin/Nodal, Netrin-1), context- and stoichiometry-dependent action of transcription factors (Oct4, Nanog) and reconfigurations of epigenetic regulators (enhancers, promoters, TrxG, PRC) may confer robustness to naïve to primed pluripotency transition. We propose the notion of Molecular Versatility to regroup mechanisms by which molecules are repurposed to exert different, sometimes opposite, functions in close stem cell configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Furlan
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aurélia Huyghe
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noémie Combémorel
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Fabrice Lavial
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France.
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5
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Yang XC, Wu XL, Li WH, Wu XJ, Shen QY, Li YX, Peng S, Hua JL. OCT6 inhibits differentiation of porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells through MAPK and PI3K signaling regulation. Zool Res 2022; 43:911-922. [PMID: 36052561 PMCID: PMC9700490 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As a transcription factor of the Pit-Oct-Unc (POU) domain family, octamer-binding transcription factor 6 ( OCT6) participates in various aspects of stem cell development and differentiation. At present, however, its role in porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) remains unclear. Here, we explored the function of OCT6 in piPSCs. We found that piPSCs overexpressing OCT6 maintained colony morphology and pluripotency under differentiation conditions, with a similar gene expression pattern to that of non-differentiated piPSCs. Functional analysis revealed that OCT6 attenuated the adverse effects of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway inhibition on piPSC pluripotency by activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) signaling activity. Our research sheds new light on the mechanism by which OCT6 promotes PSC maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Chun Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiao-Long Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Hao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiao-Yan Shen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yun-Xiang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Sha Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jin-Lian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
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Bouchereau W, Jouneau L, Archilla C, Aksoy I, Moulin A, Daniel N, Peynot N, Calderari S, Joly T, Godet M, Jaszczyszyn Y, Pratlong M, Severac D, Savatier P, Duranthon V, Afanassieff M, Beaujean N. Major transcriptomic, epigenetic and metabolic changes underlie the pluripotency continuum in rabbit preimplantation embryos. Development 2022; 149:276385. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Despite the growing interest in the rabbit model for developmental and stem cell biology, the characterization of embryos at the molecular level is still poorly documented. We conducted a transcriptome analysis of rabbit preimplantation embryos from E2.7 (morula stage) to E6.6 (early primitive streak stage) using bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing. In parallel, we studied oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, and analysed active and repressive epigenetic modifications during blastocyst formation and expansion. We generated a transcriptomic, epigenetic and metabolic map of the pluripotency continuum in rabbit preimplantation embryos, and identified novel markers of naive pluripotency that might be instrumental for deriving naive pluripotent stem cell lines. Although the rabbit is evolutionarily closer to mice than to primates, we found that the transcriptome of rabbit epiblast cells shares common features with those of humans and non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilhelm Bouchereau
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Luc Jouneau
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Catherine Archilla
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Irène Aksoy
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Anais Moulin
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Nathalie Daniel
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Nathalie Peynot
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Sophie Calderari
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Thierry Joly
- ISARA-Lyon 4 , F-69007 Lyon , France
- VetAgroSup, UPSP ICE 5 , F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile , France
| | - Murielle Godet
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Yan Jaszczyszyn
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC) 6 , 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette , France
| | - Marine Pratlong
- MGX, Université Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM 7 , 34094 Montpellier , France
| | - Dany Severac
- MGX, Université Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM 7 , 34094 Montpellier , France
| | - Pierre Savatier
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Véronique Duranthon
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED 2 , 78350 Jouy-en-Josas , France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED 3 , 94700 Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Marielle Afanassieff
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
| | - Nathalie Beaujean
- Université Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, INRAE USC 1361 1 , F-69500 Bron , France
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7
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Blassberg R, Patel H, Watson T, Gouti M, Metzis V, Delás MJ, Briscoe J. Sox2 levels regulate the chromatin occupancy of WNT mediators in epiblast progenitors responsible for vertebrate body formation. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:633-644. [PMID: 35550614 PMCID: PMC9106585 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00910-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
WNT signalling has multiple roles. It maintains pluripotency of embryonic stem cells, assigns posterior identity in the epiblast and induces mesodermal tissue. Here we provide evidence that these distinct functions are conducted by the transcription factor SOX2, which adopts different modes of chromatin interaction and regulatory element selection depending on its level of expression. At high levels, SOX2 displaces nucleosomes from regulatory elements with high-affinity SOX2 binding sites, recruiting the WNT effector TCF/β-catenin and maintaining pluripotent gene expression. Reducing SOX2 levels destabilizes pluripotency and reconfigures SOX2/TCF/β-catenin occupancy to caudal epiblast expressed genes. These contain low-affinity SOX2 sites and are co-occupied by T/Bra and CDX. The loss of SOX2 allows WNT-induced mesodermal differentiation. These findings define a role for Sox2 levels in dictating the chromatin occupancy of TCF/β-catenin and reveal how context-specific responses to a signal are configured by the level of a transcription factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mina Gouti
- Stem Cell Modelling of Development & Disease Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vicki Metzis
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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8
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Carter T, Singh M, Dumbovic G, Chobirko JD, Rinn JL, Feschotte C. Mosaic cis-regulatory evolution drives transcriptional partitioning of HERVH endogenous retrovirus in the human embryo. eLife 2022; 11:76257. [PMID: 35179489 PMCID: PMC8912925 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The human endogenous retrovirus type-H (HERVH) family is expressed in the preimplantation embryo. A subset of these elements are specifically transcribed in pluripotent stem cells where they appear to exert regulatory activities promoting self-renewal and pluripotency. How HERVH elements achieve such transcriptional specificity remains poorly understood. To uncover the sequence features underlying HERVH transcriptional activity, we performed a phyloregulatory analysis of the long terminal repeats (LTR7) of the HERVH family, which harbor its promoter, using a wealth of regulatory genomics data. We found that the family includes at least eight previously unrecognized subfamilies that have been active at different timepoints in primate evolution and display distinct expression patterns during human embryonic development. Notably, nearly all HERVH elements transcribed in ESCs belong to one of the youngest subfamilies we dubbed LTR7up. LTR7 sequence evolution was driven by a mixture of mutational processes, including point mutations, duplications, and multiple recombination events between subfamilies, that led to transcription factor binding motif modules characteristic of each subfamily. Using a reporter assay, we show that one such motif, a predicted SOX2/3 binding site unique to LTR7up, is essential for robust promoter activity in induced pluripotent stem cells. Together these findings illuminate the mechanisms by which HERVH diversified its expression pattern during evolution to colonize distinct cellular niches within the human embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Carter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States [US]
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - Gabrijela Dumbovic
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, United States
| | - Jason D Chobirko
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - John L Rinn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, United States
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
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Pagin M, Pernebrink M, Pitasi M, Malighetti F, Ngan CY, Ottolenghi S, Pavesi G, Cantù C, Nicolis SK. FOS Rescues Neuronal Differentiation of Sox2-Deleted Neural Stem Cells by Genome-Wide Regulation of Common SOX2 and AP1(FOS-JUN) Target Genes. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071757. [PMID: 34359927 PMCID: PMC8303191 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor SOX2 is important for brain development and for neural stem cells (NSC) maintenance. Sox2-deleted (Sox2-del) NSC from neonatal mouse brain are lost after few passages in culture. Two highly expressed genes, Fos and Socs3, are strongly downregulated in Sox2-del NSC; we previously showed that Fos or Socs3 overexpression by lentiviral transduction fully rescues NSC's long-term maintenance in culture. Sox2-del NSC are severely defective in neuronal production when induced to differentiate. NSC rescued by Sox2 reintroduction correctly differentiate into neurons. Similarly, Fos transduction rescues normal or even increased numbers of immature neurons expressing beta-tubulinIII, but not more differentiated markers (MAP2). Additionally, many cells with both beta-tubulinIII and GFAP expression appear, indicating that FOS stimulates the initial differentiation of a "mixed" neuronal/glial progenitor. The unexpected rescue by FOS suggested that FOS, a SOX2 transcriptional target, might act on neuronal genes, together with SOX2. CUT&RUN analysis to detect genome-wide binding of SOX2, FOS, and JUN (the AP1 complex) revealed that a high proportion of genes expressed in NSC are bound by both SOX2 and AP1. Downregulated genes in Sox2-del NSC are highly enriched in genes that are also expressed in neurons, and a high proportion of the "neuronal" genes are bound by both SOX2 and AP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Pagin
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; (M.P.); (M.P.); (F.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Mattias Pernebrink
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mattia Pitasi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; (M.P.); (M.P.); (F.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Federica Malighetti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; (M.P.); (M.P.); (F.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Chew-Yee Ngan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA;
| | - Sergio Ottolenghi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; (M.P.); (M.P.); (F.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Giulio Pavesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20134 Milano, Italy;
| | - Claudio Cantù
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Correspondence: (C.C.); (S.K.N.)
| | - Silvia K. Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; (M.P.); (M.P.); (F.M.); (S.O.)
- Correspondence: (C.C.); (S.K.N.)
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10
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Sox2 modulation increases naïve pluripotency plasticity. iScience 2021; 24:102153. [PMID: 33665571 PMCID: PMC7903329 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotency provides a tool to explore mechanisms underlying establishment, maintenance, and differentiation of naive pluripotent stem cells (nPSCs). Here, we report that self-renewal of nPSCs requires minimal Sox2 expression (Sox2-low). Sox2-low nPSCs do not show impaired neuroectoderm specification and differentiate efficiently in vitro into all embryonic germ lineages. Strikingly, upon the removal of self-renewing cues Sox2-low nPSCs differentiate into both embryonic and extraembryonic cell fates in vitro and in vivo. This differs from previous studies which only identified conditions that allowed cells to differentiate to one fate or the other. At the single-cell level self-renewing Sox2-low nPSCs exhibit a naive molecular signature. However, they display a nearer trophoblast identity than controls and decreased ability of Oct4 to bind naïve-associated regulatory sequences. In sum, this work defines wild-type levels of Sox2 as a restrictor of developmental potential and suggests perturbation of naive network as a mechanism to increase cell plasticity. Low Sox2 expression is sufficient for naive pluripotent stem cell self-renewal Low Sox2 expression does not impair neurectoderm differentiation in vitro Low Sox2 expression impairs Oct4 genomic occupancy Low Sox2 increases naive pluripotent stem cell plasticity in vitro and in vivo
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11
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Friman ET, Deluz C, Meireles-Filho ACA, Govindan S, Gardeux V, Deplancke B, Suter DM. Dynamic regulation of chromatin accessibility by pluripotency transcription factors across the cell cycle. eLife 2019; 8:e50087. [PMID: 31794382 PMCID: PMC6890464 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneer activity of transcription factors allows for opening of inaccessible regulatory elements and has been extensively studied in the context of cellular differentiation and reprogramming. In contrast, the function of pioneer activity in self-renewing cell divisions and across the cell cycle is poorly understood. Here we assessed the interplay between OCT4 and SOX2 in controlling chromatin accessibility of mouse embryonic stem cells. We found that OCT4 and SOX2 operate in a largely independent manner even at co-occupied sites, and that their cooperative binding is mostly mediated indirectly through regulation of chromatin accessibility. Controlled protein degradation strategies revealed that the uninterrupted presence of OCT4 is required for post-mitotic re-establishment and interphase maintenance of chromatin accessibility, and that highly OCT4-bound enhancers are particularly vulnerable to transient loss of OCT4 expression. Our study sheds light on the constant pioneer activity required to maintain the dynamic pluripotency regulatory landscape in an accessible state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias T Friman
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Cédric Deluz
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Antonio CA Meireles-Filho
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Subashika Govindan
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Vincent Gardeux
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - David M Suter
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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12
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Edri S, Hayward P, Baillie-Johnson P, Steventon BJ, Martinez Arias A. An epiblast stem cell-derived multipotent progenitor population for axial extension. Development 2019; 146:dev.168187. [PMID: 31023877 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The caudal lateral epiblast of mammalian embryos harbours bipotent progenitors that contribute to the spinal cord and the paraxial mesoderm in concert with the body axis elongation. These progenitors, called neural mesodermal progenitors (NMPs), are identified as cells that co-express Sox2 and T/brachyury, a criterion used to derive NMP-like cells from embryonic stem cells in vitro However, unlike embryonic NMPs, these progenitors do not self-renew. Here, we find that the protocols that yield NMP-like cells in vitro initially produce a multipotent population that, in addition to NMPs, generates progenitors for the lateral plate and intermediate mesoderm. We show that epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) are an effective source of these multipotent progenitors, which are further differentiated by a balance between BMP and Nodal signalling. Importantly, we show that NMP-like cells derived from EpiSCs exhibit limited self-renewal in vitro and a gene expression signature like their embryonic counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Edri
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Penny Hayward
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Peter Baillie-Johnson
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Benjamin J Steventon
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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13
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Sybirna A, Wong FCK, Surani MA. Genetic basis for primordial germ cells specification in mouse and human: Conserved and divergent roles of PRDM and SOX transcription factors. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 135:35-89. [PMID: 31155363 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are embryonic precursors of sperm and egg that pass on genetic and epigenetic information from one generation to the next. In mammals, they are induced from a subset of cells in peri-implantation epiblast by BMP signaling from the surrounding tissues. PGCs then initiate a unique developmental program that involves comprehensive epigenetic resetting and repression of somatic genes. This is orchestrated by a set of signaling molecules and transcription factors that promote germ cell identity. Here we review significant findings on mammalian PGC biology, in particular, the genetic basis for PGC specification in mice and human, which has revealed an evolutionary divergence between the two species. We discuss the importance and potential basis for these differences and focus on several examples to illustrate the conserved and divergent roles of critical transcription factors in mouse and human germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Sybirna
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Frederick C K Wong
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - M Azim Surani
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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14
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Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are important for regulating cell identity genes and oncogenes, but correctly assigning target genes to SEs is difficult. Recently in Cell Reports, Lopes Novo et al. (2018) map interactions between SEs and promoters and observe a significant rewiring of complex SE-promoter networks between different pluripotent states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Poot
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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15
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Barakat TS, Halbritter F, Zhang M, Rendeiro AF, Perenthaler E, Bock C, Chambers I. Functional Dissection of the Enhancer Repertoire in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell 2018; 23:276-288.e8. [PMID: 30033119 PMCID: PMC6084406 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Enhancers are genetic elements that regulate spatiotemporal gene expression. Enhancer function requires transcription factor (TF) binding and correlates with histone modifications. However, the extent to which TF binding and histone modifications functionally define active enhancers remains unclear. Here, we combine chromatin immunoprecipitation with a massively parallel reporter assay (ChIP-STARR-seq) to identify functional enhancers in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) genome-wide in a quantitative unbiased manner. Although active enhancers associate with TFs, only a minority of regions marked by NANOG, OCT4, H3K27ac, and H3K4me1 function as enhancers, with activity markedly changing under naive versus primed culture conditions. We identify an enhancer set associated with functions extending to non-ESC-specific processes. Moreover, although transposable elements associate with putative enhancers, only some exhibit activity. Similarly, within super-enhancers, large tracts are non-functional, with activity restricted to small sub-domains. This catalog of validated enhancers provides a valuable resource for further functional dissection of the regulatory genome. Massively parallel reporter assay assessed over 350,000 genome regions ChIP-STARR-seq catalogs functional enhancers in primed and naive hESCs Identification of transcription factors and transposable elements linked to enhancers ChIP-STARR-seq dissects super-enhancers into small functional units
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahsin Stefan Barakat
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Florian Halbritter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Man Zhang
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - André F Rendeiro
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Perenthaler
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarland Informatics Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Ian Chambers
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.
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