Review
Cell Biology
Puja Agrawal, Sridhar Rao
Summary: Cell fate decisions rely on gene expression changes mediated by regulatory elements like enhancers and CTCF binding sites. These elements play crucial roles in early mammalian development and impact cell-type specific gene expression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Y. Martynova, Elena A. Parshina, Andrey G. Zaraisky
Summary: Zyxin, initially recognized as a minor actin cytoskeleton protein, not only regulates actin filaments assembly and repair but also plays a crucial role in gene expression and cell differentiation, particularly during embryogenesis process.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephanie Chrysanthou, Qin Tang, Joun Lee, Samuel J. Taylor, Yilin Zhao, Ulrich Steidl, Deyou Zheng, Meelad M. Dawlaty
Summary: Research has found that the critical functions of Tet1 in embryonic stem cells and early development are mediated through its non-catalytic roles in regulating H3K27 modifications, which are more important than its catalytic functions in DNA demethylation.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jingran Zhang, Guang Shi, Junjie Pang, Xing Zhu, Qingcai Feng, Jie Na, Wenbin Ma, Dan Liu, Songyang Zhou
Summary: Induced crotonylation in hESCs resulted in differentiation into the endodermal lineage. This induced modification led to transcriptomic changes and decreased glycolysis in hESCs.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Jingsheng Li, Chunhong Dai, Wenyan Xie, Heyao Zhang, Xin Huang, Constantinos Chronis, Ying Ye, Wensheng Zhang
Summary: This study developed a one-step strategy to efficiently target and suppress endogenous pluripotent genes in mouse ESCs and replace their expression with AID-fused transgenes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Gustavo Antonio Urrutia, Haribaskar Ramachandran, Pierre Cauchy, Kyungjin Boo, Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, Soeren Boller, Esen Dogan, Thomas Clapes, Eirini Trompouki, Maria -Elena Torres-Padilla, Jorma J. Palvimo, Andrea Pichler, Rudolf Grosschedl
Summary: The study shows that SUMOylation of SATB2 in ESCs may play a key role in regulating pluripotency and differentiation by impacting gene silencing and activation, as well as higher-order chromatin interactions.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bong Jong Seo, Seung Bin Na, Joonhyuk Choi, Byeongyong Ahn, Omer Habib, Chankyu Park, Kwonho Hong, Jeong Tae Do
Summary: Deletion of the mitochondrial fission-related gene Dnml1 affects the differentiation ability of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and inhibits their pluripotency. This inhibition may be achieved through metabolic shift, G2/M phase arrest, and modulation of gene expression.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yaguang Zhang, Xiaowen Wan, Lei Qiu, Lian Zhou, Qing Huang, Mingtian Wei, Xueqin Liu, Sicheng Liu, Bo Zhang, Junhong Han
Summary: This study investigates the citrullination of Trim28 in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and its role in pluripotency regulation. The results demonstrate that citrullination of Trim28 enhances its interaction with Smarcad1, preventing chromatin condensation. Additionally, citrullinated Trim28 promotes the transcription of pluripotency genes Nanog and Klf4, thus maintaining the pluripotency of ESCs.
SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Swati Mishra, Jasin Taelman, Mina Popovic, Laurentijn Tilleman, Evi Duthoo, Margot van der Jeught, Dieter Deforce, Filip van Nieuwerburgh, Bjoern Menten, Petra de Sutter, Annekatrien Boel, Susana M. Chuva De Sousa Lopes, Bjorn Heindryckx
Summary: This study found that continuous supplementation of ActA during differentiation of hESCs can promote differentiation into PGCLCs, and conversion to the 4i-state is beneficial for this process. The obtained PGCLCs may further differentiate into mature germ cells.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingjie Hang, Xiaoliang Ma, Chunxiao Liu, Siyuan Li, Sixuan Zhang, Ruyan Feng, Qianwen Shang, Qi Liu, Zhaozhao Ding, Xiaoyi Zhang, Liyin Yu, Qiang Lu, Changshun Shao, Hong Chen, Yufang Shi, Jiuyang He, David L. Kaplan
Summary: The development of anisotropic silk protein nanofiber-based hydrogels enables mouse embryonic stem cells to maintain stemness in vitro without the need for leukemia inhibitory factor and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, resulting in superior pluripotency and genetic stability. The hydrogels establish an improved dynamic niche that stimulates autocrine factor secretion and maintains pluripotency and propagation of ESCs, offering a simple and cost-effective option for expansion and utility of ESCs in research and therapy, while providing insights into early mammalian embryogenesis.
Review
Cell Biology
Yuanjie Ding, Yuanchun Yao, Xingmu Gong, Qi Zhuo, Jinhua Chen, Miao Tian, Maryam Farzaneh
Summary: JMJD3 is a key histone demethylase that regulates H3K27me3 and plays a crucial role in stem cell fate determination during the process of cell reprogramming.
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Ying Ye, Xi Chen, Wensheng Zhang
Summary: Embryonic stem cells have a unique ability to maintain and regulate the balance between self-renewal and multi-lineage cellular differentiation, largely dependent on gene expression regulations. Chromatin remodeling complexes play a crucial role in promoting chromatin structural changes that ultimately affect ESC fate choices.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mikhail L. Vorobev, Bashar A. Alhasan, Irina I. Suvorova
Summary: Autophagy plays a critical role in early embryonic development, particularly in blastocyst formation. The absence of p53 does not affect autophagy activation in pluripotent cells but hinders differentiation induced by retinoic acid. Despite p53 deletion, Ulk1-dependent autophagy is still activated in response to serum deprivation in mESCs, but impaired during differentiation induced by retinoic acid.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiayi Xu, Qian Feng, Xun Ma, Yingrui Deng, Kunyu Zhang, Hon Son Ooi, Boguang Yang, Zhi-Yong Zhang, Bo Feng, Liming Bian
Summary: In this study, a gelatin-based structurally dynamic hydrogel was developed to emulate the intrinsic properties of the extracellular matrix. The dynamic hydrogel significantly promoted the growth and pluripotency maintenance of embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Veronika V. Ermakova, Nikita P. Fokin, Nikolay D. Aksenov, Evgeny I. Bakhmet, Ekaterina V. Aleksandrova, Andrey A. Kuzmin, Alexey N. Tomilin
Summary: The transcription factor Oct4 plays a critical role in maintaining pluripotency and can reprogram somatic cells into a pluripotent state. Identifying the genetic elements that regulate the Oct4-encoding gene, Pou5f1, is important for understanding pluripotency regulation. This study shows that translocating a fragment of the Pou5f1 gene impairs the self-renewal and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, indicating the presence of critical regulatory elements outside the previously determined boundaries of Pou5f1.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Min-Wen Jason Chua, Ege Deniz Yildirim, Jun-Hao Elwin Tan, Yan-Jiang Benjamin Chua, Suet-Mei Crystal Low, Suet Lee Shirley Ding, Chun-wei Li, Zongmin Jiang, Bin Tean Teh, Kang Yu, Ng Shyh-Chang
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2019)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chang Xu, Wen Fong Ooi, Aditi Qamra, Jing Tan, Benjamin Yan-Jiang Chua, Shamaine Wei Ting Ho, Kakoli Das, Zul Fazreen Adam Isa, Zhimei Li, Xiaosai Yao, Tingdong Yan, Manjie Xing, Kie Kyon Huang, Joyce Suling Lin, Tannistha Nandi, Su Ting Tay, Ming Hui Lee, Angie Lay Keng Tan, Xuewen Ong, Hassan Ashktorab, Duane Smoot, Shang Li, Shyh-Chang Ng, Bin Tean Teh, Patrick Tan
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Tong Ming Liu, Ege Deniz Yildirim, Pin Li, Hai Tong Fang, Vinitha Denslin, Vibhor Kumar, Yuin Han Loh, Eng Hin Lee, Simon M. Cool, Bin Tean Teh, James H. Hui, Bing Lim, Ng Shyh-Chang
Review
Cell Biology
Ziyue Yao, Yu Chen, Wenhua Cao, Ng Shyh-Chang
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Chun-Wei Li, Kang Yu, Ng Shyh-Chang, Guo-Xun Li, Song-Lin Yu, Hui-Jun Liu, Bo Yang, Zi-Yao Li, Yong-Jie Zhao, Long-Yu Xu, Jing Xu, Ling-Juan Jiang, Rong-Ji Liu, Xin-Yuan Zhang, Shao-Fei Li, Xiao-Wei Zhang, Hai-Yan Xie, Kang Li, Yi-Xiang Zhan, Min Cui, Hang-Bo Tao, Yao Li, Gao-Shan Liu, Ke-Min Ni, Dong-Jing Li
Summary: The study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia, finding that age, lifestyle choices, and diet were significantly associated with the condition. A highly predictive index for sarcopenia was developed based on these findings, highlighting the complex influences of sterol metabolism and nutrition on male vs female participants.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaoxiao Wang, Yunlong Xiang, Yang Yu, Ran Wang, Yu Zhang, Qianhua Xu, Hao Sun, Zhen-Ao Zhao, Xiangxiang Jiang, Xiaoqing Wang, Xukun Lu, Dandan Qin, Yujun Quan, Jiaqi Zhang, Ng Shyh-Chang, Hongmei Wang, Naihe Jing, Wei Xie, Lei Li
Summary: This study reported the establishment of self-renewing formative pluripotent stem cells (fPSCs) that exhibit features of epiblast cells poised for gastrulation, and can be derived from different cell sources. fPSCs show distinct transcriptomic features of formative pluripotency compared to naive ESCs and primed EpiSCs, and have unique epigenetic states similar to E6.5 epiblast cells.
Editorial Material
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Ng Shyh-Chang, Lei Li
Summary: Two papers in this issue of Cell Stem Cell demonstrate that polarized epithelial and germcell-competent formative PSCs can be maintained under modified activin-dependent conditions. These findings challenge previous debates on stabilizing "formative" pluripotency in PSC lines.
Letter
Cell Biology
Shilin Ma, Ng Shyh-Chang
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Elaine G. Y. Chew, Tze Chiun Lim, Meng Fatt Leong, Xingliang Liu, Yee Yen Sia, See Ting Leong, Benjamin C. Yan-Jiang, Celine Stoecklin, Rosa Borhan, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Markus M. Nothen, Virgile Viasnoff, Ng Shyh-Chang, Andrew C. A. Wan, Michael P. Philpott, Axel M. Hillmer
Summary: Using a three-dimensional culture model, this study examined the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in males and found that balding DP cells exhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, and impaired metabolite uptake.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tingting Fan, Shuo Wang, Zongmin Jiang, Shen Ji, Wenhua Cao, Wenli Liu, Yun Ji, Yujing Li, Ng Shyh-Chang, Qi Gu
Summary: 3D printing is an effective method for recreating skeletal muscle tissue, but obtaining large volumes of highly aligned muscle cells remains a challenge. This study demonstrates a feasible strategy for engineering skeletal muscle tissue using sequential culture processes and investigates the role of physical factors in muscle fiber alignment and maturity.
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Chun-wei Li, Kang Yu, Ng Shyh-Chang, Zongmin Jiang, Taoyan Liu, Shilin Ma, Lanfang Luo, Lu Guang, Kun Liang, Wenwu Ma, Hefan Miao, Wenhua Cao, Ruirui Liu, Ling-juan Jiang, Song-lin Yu, Chao Li, Hui-jun Liu, Long-yu Xu, Rong-ji Liu, Xin-yuan Zhang, Gao-shan Liu
Summary: Age-associated obesity and muscle atrophy are closely linked and regulated by adipose tissue and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Adipose inflammation leads to fat redistribution and fatty infiltrations in muscles, causing decreased strength and functionality. Lipid accumulation induces mitochondrial dysfunction, increased production of reactive oxygen species, leading to lipotoxicity and insulin resistance. Muscle-secreted cytokines may exacerbate adipose tissue atrophy and chronic inflammation, establishing a vicious cycle of local hyperlipidaemia, insulin resistance, and inflammation, promoting the development of sarcopenic obesity.
JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Zunpeng Liu, Wei Li, Lingling Geng, Liang Sun, Qiaoran Wang, Yang Yu, Pengze Yan, Chuqian Liang, Jie Ren, Moshi Song, Qian Zhao, Jinghui Lei, Yusheng Cai, Jiaming Li, Kaowen Yan, Zeming Wu, Qun Chu, Jingyi Li, Si Wang, Chunyi Li, Jing-Dong J. Han, Reyna Hernandez-Benitez, Ng Shyh-Chang, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Weiqi Zhang, Jing Qu, Guang-Hui Liu
Summary: This study identified metabolic programs and metabolite effectors associated with regenerative capability, and suggested their potential application in metabolic interventions for tissue repair and regeneration.
Letter
Cell Biology
Dan Song, Ng Shyh-Chang
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2022)
Letter
Cell Biology
Jiani Cao, Glyn Stacey, Ng Shyh-Chang, Tongbiao Zhao
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lanfang Luo, Wenwu Ma, Kun Liang, Yuefan Wang, Jiali Su, Ruirui Liu, Taoyan Liu, Shyh-Chang Ng
Summary: In this study, we optimized the workflow of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to perform high-spatial resolution metabolomic profiling of skeletal muscle myofibers. By combining MSI and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we obtained reliable spatial metabolomics results and identified a new subtype of superfast type 2B myofibers enriched for fatty acid oxidative metabolism. Our approach has the potential to provide critical insights into metabolic heterogeneity and pathways underlying fundamental biological processes and disease states.
