Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zhimin Gu, Yuxuan Liu, Yuannyu Zhang, Hui Cao, Junhua Lyu, Xun Wang, Annika Wylie, Simon J. Newkirk, Amanda E. Jones, Michael Lee, Giovanni A. Botten, Mi Deng, Kathryn E. Dickerson, Cheng Cheng Zhang, Wenfeng An, John M. Abrams, Jian Xu
Summary: MPHOSPH8 loss inhibits the development of acute myeloid leukemia by reactivating LINE-1 retrotransposons, which induces DNA damage response and cell cycle exit in AML cells. The study also shows that AML oncogenic mutations promote L1 suppression, and enhanced L1 silencing is associated with poor prognosis in human AML.
Article
Biology
Marta Perera, Silas Boye Nissen, Martin Proks, Sara Pozzi, Rita S. Monteiro, Ala Trusina, Joshua M. Brickman
Summary: The regulation of the cell cycle is closely related to cell fate choice during the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Differential regulation of the cell cycle can tip the balance between different subfractions of cells, promoting expansion of specific lineages. Furthermore, the FGF/ERK signaling pathway not only affects the heterogeneity of embryonic stem cells, but also determines the similarity in cell cycles between sister and cousin cells.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Souvik Ghosh, Anastasiya Boersch, Shreemoyee Ghosh, Mihaela Zavolan
Summary: Our study explores the effects of Collagen I and Matrigel on the transcriptional profile of cells in a cell culture system. The results indicate a robust transcriptional response to Collagen I in Huh-7 cells, distinct from that induced by Matrigel, potentially aiding in defining appropriate culture and transcription pathways for hepatoma cell lines. This study could help in circumventing bottlenecks of limited availability of primary hepatocytes for preclinical studies of drug targets as systems mimicking the in vivo structure and function of liver cells are still being developed.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mezmur D. Belew, Emilie Chien, W. Matthew Michael
Summary: The three genome silencing systems (TOP-2/condensin II, H3K9me, and PIE-1) are all involved in transcriptional repression in oocytes, with TOP-2/condensin II and H3K9me promoting H3K9me3 marks on chromatin, and PIE-1 localizing to the nucleolus prior to silencing. The dissolution of nucleolus during silencing is dependent on TOP-2/condensin II. These findings identify the molecular components and trigger for genome silencing in oocytes, and establish a link between PIE-1 nucleolar residency and transcriptional repression.
Article
Cell Biology
Pierre Balmer, William V. J. Hariton, Beyza S. Sayar, Vidhya Jagannathan, Arnaud Galichet, Tosso Leeb, Petra Roosje, Eliane J. Muller
Summary: This study investigates the functional role of SUV39H2 in maintaining the pool of stem and progenitor cells by restricting gene expression through inhibitory H3K9me3 marks on gene promoters. Loss of SUV39H2 function leads to premature exit of progenitor cells from the cell cycle due to enhanced Wnt activity, compromising epidermal differentiation and genome stability. SUV39H2 is identified as a major gatekeeper in regulating progenitor fate conversion through H3K9me3 rate-limiting road blocks in basal layer keratinocytes.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Swati Mishra, Jasin Taelman, Yolanda W. Chang, Annekatrien Boel, Petra De Sutter, Bjorn Heindryckx, Susana M. Chuva De Sousa Lopes
Summary: The study found that a combination of TNAP and PDPN was effective in isolating populations of early FGCs and hPGCLCs in both sexes, with female hPGCLCs retaining stronger colony-forming ability in culture medium.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masaru Mizukoshi, Masaru Kaku, Lay Thant, Kohei Kitami, Moe Arai, Isao Saito, Katsumi Uoshima
Summary: The study revealed that periodontal ligament (PDL) cells exhibit dynamic proliferative characteristics during orthodontic tooth movement-induced tissue remodeling, with proliferative cells likely undergoing further division and contributing to tissue remodeling. Additionally, proliferating cells expressed various molecular markers, indicating the lineage plasticity of PDL cells in vivo.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naoko Yoshizawa-Sugata, Satoshi Yamazaki, Kaoru Mita-Yoshida, Tomio Ono, Yasumasa Nishito, Hisao Masai
Summary: Rif1 depletion alters the enhancer structure of Zscan4, leading to upregulation of 2C transcripts and potentially inhibiting endogenous Rif1 protein localization at the nuclear periphery through hetero-oligomer formation. In murine 2C embryos, most Rif1-derived polypeptides are expressed as truncated forms, likely nonfunctional, with gradual increase of the full-length form thereafter.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Allison Warren, Andrew Jones, Tsukasa Shibue, William C. Hahn, Jesse S. Boehm, Francisca Vazquez, Aviad Tsherniak, James M. McFarland
Summary: Cell lines are key tools for preclinical cancer research, and a new unsupervised alignment method called Celligner has been developed to integrate cell line and tumor RNA-Seq datasets. This method reveals large differences in tumor similarity across cell lines and identifies cell lines that more closely resemble patient tumors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hendrika A. Segeren, Elsbeth A. van Liere, Frank M. Riemers, Alain de Bruin, Bart Westendorp
Summary: Cancer cells are often sensitive to drugs inducing DNA replication stress or blocking the intra S-phase checkpoint. However, drug resistance and lack of predictive biomarkers hinder their efficient use. The study reveals that transcriptional control of P53 target genes is the prime determinant in the response to ATR/CHK1 inhibitors, and hyperactivation of the MAPK pathway could impede this response.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Anger, Lenka Radonova, Adela Horakova, Diana Sekach, Marketa Charousova
Summary: The onset of early development in mammals involves significant changes in cell morphology and behavior, including fertilization, genome merging, chromatin modifications, and gene expression initiation. Global transcriptional silencing during this period affects cellular activities controlled by translation and may impact chromosome segregation, potentially compromising further development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sjoerd J. D. Tjalsma, Mayako Hori, Yuko Sato, Aurelie Bousard, Akito Ohi, Ana Claudia Raposo, Julia Roensch, Agnes Le Saux, Jumpei Nogami, Kazumitsu Maehara, Tomoya Kujirai, Tetsuya Handa, Sandra Bages-Arnal, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, Simao Teixeira da Rocha, Jan J. Zylicz, Hiroshi Kimura, Edith Heard
Summary: This study revealed the simultaneous accumulation of H3K27me3 and H4K20me1 during XCI, with distinct genomic distributions, using a genetically encoded intracellular antibody specific to H3K27me3. Additionally, the use of a Xist repeat mutant showed that H4K20me1 is dispensable for initiating gene silencing, providing insights into the dynamics of XCI and chromatin modifications during this process.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Moises N. Segunda, Carlos Diaz, Cristian G. Torres, Victor H. Parraguez, Monica de los Reyes, Oscar A. Peralta
Summary: The study compared the potential of peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSC) and spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) in producing germ cells (GC) in a three-dimensional co-culture system with Sertoli cells (SC). The results showed that SSC exhibited a more robust GC differentiation profile compared to PB-MSC in the 3D co-culture with SC.
Article
Biology
Leonard Herault, Mathilde Poplineau, Adrien Mazuel, Nadine Platet, Elisabeth Remy, Estelle Duprez
Summary: By analyzing 15,000 young and aged HSC transcriptomes, the study identified 15 groups of HSCs showing rare and new specific abilities that change with age. This established a new reference map of HSC differentiation and revealed a potential mechanism that delays differentiation in aged HSCs, potentially contributing to age-related hematologic diseases.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Marc Fouet, Jasper Rine
Summary: Mating-type switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae relies on the Sir protein complex for silencing. The recent discovery of rare escapes from silencing raised questions about the extent of this phenomenon. Our study found that transient silencing failures at HML were more frequent for the alpha 2 gene, suggesting a gene-specific rather than locus-wide effect.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maitreyi Upadhyay, Yesenia Martino Cortez, SiuWah Wong-Deyrup, Leticia Tavares, Sean Schowalter, Pooja Flora, Corinne Hill, Mohamad Ali Nasrallah, Sridar Chittur, Prashanth Rangan
Article
Cell Biology
Pooja Flora, Siu Wah Wong-Deyrup, Elliot Todd Martin, Ryan J. Palumbo, Mohamad Nasrallah, Andrew Oligney, Patrick Blatt, Dhruv Patel, Gabriele Fuchs, Prashanth Rangan
Review
Developmental Biology
Pooja Flora, Elena Ezhkova
Article
Cell Biology
Meng-Yen Li, Pooja Flora, Hong Pu, Carmit Bar, Jose Silva, Idan Cohen, Phillip M. Galbo, Hequn Liu, Xufen Yu, Jian Jin, Haruhiko Koseki, John A. D'Orazio, Deyou Zheng, Elena Ezhkova
Summary: UV radiation reduces the function of the Polycomb complex in epidermal stem cells, leading to an increase in melanocytes and subsequent pigmentation in the epidermis. Polycomb regulates the expression of UV-responsive genes and identifies COL2A1 as a critical regulator of melanogenesis and epidermal pigmentation.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Pooja Flora, Meng-Yen Li, Phillip M. Galbo, Maider Astorkia, Deyou Zheng, Elena Ezhkova
Summary: Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) are multipotent cells that continuously produce hair follicles through cycling between quiescence and activation. Prior studies suggested the dynamic nature of the chromatin mark H3K27me3 between quiescent and activated HFSCs, but functional in vivo studies on PRC2 in adult HFSCs were lacking. Surprisingly, loss of PRC2 in adult HFSCs did not significantly impact transcriptional programs or cell identity, indicating the presence of other chromatin regulatory mechanisms safeguarding HFSC function and identity.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Pooja Flora, Gil Dalal, Idan Cohen, Elena Ezhkova
Summary: Resident stem cells in adult tissues play a crucial role in maintaining, repairing, and regenerating tissues throughout organisms' lifetimes. The process of stem cell renewal and differentiation is tightly regulated, with epigenetic regulators such as polycomb group proteins playing a key role in maintaining homeostasis and regenerative balance in adult tissues.
Article
Dermatology
Madison Weber, Minh Binh Nguyen, Meng Yen Li, Pooja Flora, Masahiro Shuda, Elena Ezhkova
Summary: The regeneration of Merkel cells in adult skin and their origin from progenitor cells have been debated topics. Understanding Merkel cell regeneration is crucial for the study of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare skin cancer, and its association with Merkel cell progenitors and polyomavirus. This study identified SOX9+ cells as postnatal Merkel cell progenitors and showed that they can be reprogrammed to express neuroendocrine markers by Merkel cell polyomavirus T antigens.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Developmental Biology
Cheng Shi, Pengfei Jiao, Zhiyi Chen, Lan Ma, Siyue Yao
Summary: This review discusses the molecular etiology of congenital craniofacial abnormalities, with a focus on the role and mechanism of noncoding RNAs in regulating craniofacial development. Aberrant expression of noncoding RNAs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of craniofacial abnormalities, providing potential therapeutic targets.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hideru Togashi, Steven Ray Davis, Makoto Sato
Summary: Tile patterns, regulated by cell adhesion molecules, are regular arrangements of cells that play important functional roles in multicellular organisms. The physical constraints and cell adhesion regulate both cell shape and tissue morphogenesis.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Armen Khanbabei, Lina Segura, Cynthia Petrossian, Aaron Lemus, Ithan Cano, Courtney Frazier, Armen Halajyan, Donnie Ca, Mariano Loza-Coll
Summary: This article investigates the genetic regulatory mechanisms of Drosophila intestinal stem cells. The study found that most target genes co-regulated by Esg and STAT show a consistent gene expression pattern. However, manipulating these validated targets in vivo rarely replicated the effects of manipulating Esg and STAT, suggesting the presence of complex genetic interactions among the downstream targets of these two master regulator genes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Bayley J. Waters, Zoe R. Birman, Matthew R. Wagner, Julia Lemanski, Barak Blum
Summary: Researchers found that conditional deletion of Robo2 in adult mice led to a significant loss of islet architecture without affecting beta cell identity or function, suggesting that Robo2 plays a role in actively maintaining adult islet architecture. Understanding the factors required for islet architecture maintenance is crucial for developing future diabetes therapies.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Rhiannon Clements, Tyler Smith, Luke Cowart, Jennifer Zhumi, Alan Sherrod, Aidan Cahill, Ginger L. Hunter
Summary: Cell protrusions play a crucial role in regulating cell activities during development. By studying the regulation mechanism in fruit fly sensory bristle patterning, it was found that Myosin XV is essential for the dynamics of signaling filopodia and promotes long-range Notch signaling.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Margaret Keating, Ryan Hagle, Daniel Osorio-Mendez, Anjelica Rodriguez-Parks, Sarah I. Almutawa, Junsu Kang
Summary: Knock-in reporter (KI) animals are essential for studying gene expression in biomedical research. This study developed a new strategy using minicircle technology and a minimal promoter to enhance knock-in events and establish stable KI transgenic reporter lines. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting the proper KI line due to potential inappropriate influence of genome editing on reporter gene expression.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Christian Altbuerger, Meta Rath, Daniel Armbruster, Wolfgang Driever
Summary: This study reveals that Neurog1 and Olig2 transcription factors have differential requirements for the development of dopaminergic neurons, and they integrate local patterning signals and Notch neurogenic selection signaling to specify the progenitor population and initiate neurogenesis and differentiation.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
