带有穿膜结构域的转录因子蛋白Oct4和Sox2的融合表达

目的:克隆、表达及纯化带有穿膜结构域的转录因子蛋白Oct4和Sox2。方法:根据GenBank中的Oct4和Sox2基因序列,在其3’端引入穿膜结构域11R,并在其两端引入NdeⅠ和XhoⅠ酶切位点,进行全基因合成;将目的基因克隆至pET41a载体,进行酶切鉴定及测序;将所获阳性重组质粒转化感受态大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),经IPTG诱导表达后,对表达产物进行Western印迹鉴定;最后用Ni-NTA亲和层析柱对所获目的蛋白进行纯化。结果:质粒酶切鉴定结果表明带有目的基因的重组质粒构建成功;SDS-PAGE结果显示有相对分子质量约42×103和38×103的特异性蛋白表达条带,经Western印迹证实为目的蛋白;用Ni-NTA亲和层析柱纯化后,得到均一的Oct4和Sox2目的蛋白。结论:得到带有穿膜结构域的转录因子融合蛋白Oct4和Sox2,为今后安全开展诱导性多能干细胞研究奠定了基础。     

共表达外源OCT4/SOX2能够激活人胚肾细胞中内源NANOG的转录

自2006年诱导多能干细胞（iPS）技术诞生以来,采用病毒等载体进行的诱导方法已取得了成功,但是其致瘤性的影响限制了病毒载体的推广与应用,而采用非病毒载体诱导iPS细胞成为研究的热点. 本研究通过两个启动子的独立启动,构建了带有绿色荧光标记的OCT4/SOX2共表达诱导载体(pOct4/Sox2-EGFP). 将该载体转染HEK 293FT 细胞后,阳性克隆明显表达绿色荧光,并通过RT-PCR,免疫荧光等方法证明其中的转录因子OCT4和SOX2能在转染细胞中高效表达,同时诱导受体细胞中内源NANOG的转录表达. 本研究说明OCT4/SOX2共表达载体能激活NANOG基因的内源表达,暗示着非病毒不整合载体pOct4/Sox2-EGFP本身或与其它转录因子和小分子结合可用于诱导成体细胞的重编程. 因此,本研究为下一步应用质粒载体诱导体细胞重编程为iPS细胞的研究奠定了工作基础.     

分化细胞经特定因子诱导重编程为多能干细胞

胚胎干细胞在再生医学领域有着十分诱人的应用前景。但是现有胚胎干细胞建系技术不能避开对卵细胞的操作, 成为ES细胞临床应用的障碍。通过反转录病毒载体系统, 在小鼠和人类高度分化细胞中表达干细胞因子Oct4, Sox2, Klf4和/或c-Myc等基因, 再经过干细胞标志因子Nanog或Oct4筛选, 可以获得与ES细胞特性十分近似的诱导多能干细胞系。这种不依赖于卵细胞的多能干细胞建系方法无疑是干细胞实验技术的重大进展, 也是对现有重编程理论假设的突破。综述了诱导多能干细胞系建系实验结果, 并对诱导重编程的机制和诱导多能干细胞系的临床应用前景进行了讨论。     

Over-expression of Oct4 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The Octamer 4 gene (Oct4) is a master pluripotency controller that has been detected in several types of tumors. Here, we examine the expression of Oct4 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We found that punctate Oct4 protein was expressed in most (93.7%) ESCC samples but it was not observed in esophageal mucosa. Some ESCC cells had the capacity to form tumorospheres; those with an Oct4⁺-rich cell phenotype had increased proliferation and Oct4 mRNA levels compared to those of differentiated cells in culture or xenograft tumors. The over-expression of Oct4 in ESCCs suggests that it is a potential target for ESCC therapy. Oct4 could be a useful tumor marker in an immunohistochemical panel designed to differentiate between ESCC and esophageal mucosa. Expression of Oct4 in tumorospheres might indicate the presence of a population of ECSCs and its expression in xenograft tumors suggests that Oct4 is also associated with tumor metastasis.     

疾病特异诱导多能干细胞研究进展

通过病毒或非病毒转导体系,在小鼠和人的体细胞中人为表达几个与细胞多能性相关的转录因子,从而使细胞达到类似于胚胎干细胞（embryonic stem cells,ESCs）状态,是近年来新发展起来的体细胞重编程技术。这些被重编程的细胞称为诱导多能干细胞（induced pluripotent stem cells,iPS细胞）。这项技术为获得患者和疾病特异的多能干细胞提供了新的途径。患者和疾病特异的iPS细胞的获得,不仅在避免免疫排斥的宿主特异的细胞移植治疗上有广泛前景,并对了解疾病发生机理、药物筛选和毒性研究有着重要的意义。该文综述从iPS细胞技术的发明入手,着重讨论疾病iPS细胞的研究进展及其在应用于治疗时亟需解决的问题。     

Selecting and Isolating Colonies of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reprogrammed from Adult Fibroblasts

Herein we present a protocol of reprogramming human adult fibroblasts into human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) using retroviral vectors encoding Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-myc (OSKM) in the presence of sodium butyrate ^1-3. We used this method to reprogram late passage (>p10) human adult fibroblasts derived from Friedreich''s ataxia patient (GM03665, Coriell Repository). The reprogramming approach includes highly efficient transduction protocol using repetitive centrifugation of fibroblasts in the presence of virus-containing media. The reprogrammed hiPSC colonies were identified using live immunostaining for Tra-1-81, a surface marker of pluripotent cells, separated from non-reprogrammed fibroblasts and manually passaged ^4,5. These hiPSC were then transferred to Matrigel plates and grown in feeder-free conditions, directly from the reprogramming plate. Starting from the first passage, hiPSC colonies demonstrate characteristic hES-like morphology. Using this protocol more than 70% of selected colonies can be successfully expanded and established into cell lines. The established hiPSC lines displayed characteristic pluripotency markers including surface markers TRA-1-60 and SSEA-4, as well as nuclear markers Oct3/4, Sox2 and Nanog. The protocol presented here has been established and tested using adult fibroblasts obtained from Friedreich''s ataxia patients and control individuals ⁶, human newborn fibroblasts, as well as human keratinocytes.     

表观“阅读器”BET蛋白家族对哺乳动物发育和iPSC重编程的调控

溴结构域和超末端结构域(bromodomain and extra-terminal, BET)蛋白家族作为表观“阅读器”,在哺乳动物发育过程中起着至关重要的作用。其家族内的各成员通过识别各种表观修饰并募集相应的功能复合物,对相关基因进行精密调控,促使早期胚胎向特定方向分化和发育。另外,随着诱导性多潜能干细胞(induced pluripotent stem cell, iPSC)重编程技术发展,越来越多的研究发现BET蛋白家族在体细胞重编程中可能也占据着核心地位。本文总结了BET蛋白家族在哺乳动物发育和iPSC重编程中的作用,并对BET家族调控重编程的新机制进行了展望。     

Regulation of c-Myc Expression by Ahnak Promotes Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generation

We have previously reported that Ahnak-mediated TGFβ signaling leads to down-regulation of c-Myc expression. Here, we show that inhibition of Ahnak can promote generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) via up-regulation of endogenous c-Myc. Consistent with the c-Myc inhibitory role of Ahnak, mouse embryonic fibroblasts from Ahnak-deficient mouse (Ahnak^−/− MEF) show an increased level of c-Myc expression compared with wild type MEF. Generation of iPSC with just three of the four Yamanaka factors, Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 (hereafter 3F), was significantly enhanced in Ahnak^−/− MEF. Similar results were obtained when Ahnak-specific shRNA was applied to wild type MEF. Of note, expressionof Ahnak was significantly induced during the formation of embryoid bodies from embryonic stem cells, suggesting that Ahnak-mediated c-Myc inhibition is involved in embryoid body formation and the initial differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. The iPSC from 3F-infected Ahnak^−/− MEF cells (Ahnak^−/−-iPSC-3F) showed expression of all stem cell markers examined and the capability to form three primary germ layers. Moreover, injection of Ahnak^−/−-iPSC-3F into athymic nude mice led to development of teratoma containing tissues from all three primary germ layers, indicating that iPSC from Ahnak^−/− MEF are bona fide pluripotent stem cells. Taken together, these data provide evidence for a new role for Ahnak in cell fate determination during development and suggest that manipulation of Ahnak and the associated signaling pathway may provide a means to regulate iPSC generation.     

调控胚胎干细胞自我更新的关键转录因子研究进展

胚胎干细胞（embryonic stem cells,ES细胞）具有自我更新和发育多能性的特点,在再生医学研究中有着广泛的应用前景。ES细胞多能性和自我更新的维持受到复杂的调控,涉及到转录调控、信号转导以及表观遗传调控等多个方面。转录因子Oct4、Sox2、Nanog在其中扮演着非常重要的角色,对干细胞特性的维持必不可少。本文着重讨论了这些关键转录因子的研究进展。这些研究促进了对ES细胞自我更新机制的深入理解,并为进一步的临床研究提供了理论基础。