Short Telomeres in ESCs Lead to Unstable Differentiation Researchers found that mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with critically short telomeres initiated normal differentiation after leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) withdrawal but, unlike control ESCs, failed to maintain stable differentiation when LIF was reintroduced to the growth medium. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract Bimodal Quantitative Relationships between Histone Modifications for X-Linked and Autosomal Loci The authors analyzed quantitative relationships between colocalized histone marks during embryonic stem cell differentiation and found that, for autosomal genes, these densities follow bimodal patterns. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract Neural Progenitors Organize in Small-World Networks to Promote Cell Proliferation Coherent network activity among assemblies of interconnected cells is essential for diverse functions in the adult brain. However, cellular networks before formations of chemical synapses are poorly understood. Embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors were found to form networks exhibiting synchronous calcium ion activity that stimulated cell proliferation. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article Inhibition of PTEN Tumor Suppressor Promotes the Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Researchers showed that activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway by the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (Pten) inhibitor, dipotassium bisperoxo(5-hydroxypyridine-2-carboxyl)oxovanadate, improves the efficiency of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derivation from mouse somatic cells. This simple method provides a new approach for efficient generation of iPSCs. [Mol Ther] Abstract Zebularine Regulates Early Stages of mESC Differentiation: Effect on Cardiac Commitment Scientists examined the effects of zebularine (1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2-dihydropyrimidin-2-1), a stable and non-toxic DNA cytosine methylation inhibitor, on mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) differentiation. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Normal Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Were Derived from Microsurgical Enucleated Tripronuclear Zygotes Results indicated that depronucleared tripronuclear (3PN) zygotes can improve the blastocysts formation rate, and normal human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines can be derived from those corrected 2PN embryos. Based on their multi-directional differentiation potential in vitro, the established hESC lines could be applied to the developmental risk assessment for in vitro fertilization babies born from restored zygotes. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract Generation of Neural Cells from DM1 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as Cellular Model for the Study of Central Nervous System Neuropathogenesis Dystrophia myotonica type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder. The pathogenesis of central nervous system involvement is poorly understood. Disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines would provide an alternative model. Researchers generated two DM1 lines and a normal iPSC line from dermal fibroblasts by retroviral transduction of Yamanaka's four factors (hOct4, hSox2, hKlf4, and hc-Myc). [Cell Reprogram] Abstract The Interactomes of POU5F1 and SOX2 Enhancers in Human Embryonic Stem Cells The genes POU5F1 and SOX2 are critical for pluripotency and reprogramming, yet the chromosomal organization around these genes remains poorly understood. Researchers assayed long-range chromosomal interactions on putative enhancers of POU5F1 and SOX2 genes in human embryonic stem cells using 4C-Seq technique. [Sci Rep] Full Article |