Epigenetic Predisposition to Reprogramming Fates in Somatic Cells By tracing cell lineages from several divisions before factor induction through to pluripotent colony formation, researchers found that pre-induction sister cells acquire similar outcomes. Namely, if one daughter cell contributes to a lineage that generates induced pluripotent stem cells, its paired sibling will as well. [EMBO Rep] Abstract Comparative Computational Analysis of Pluripotency in Human and Mouse Stem Cells There are substantial differences in the regulation of pluripotency between human and mouse, and in humans only stem cells that resemble the primed state in mouse are readily available. Scientists developed a pipeline to reanalyze transcriptomics data sets that describe both states, naïve and primed pluripotency, in human and mouse. [Sci Rep] Full Article No DNA Damage Response and Negligible Genome-Wide Transcriptional Changes in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Exposed to Terahertz Radiation Investigators studied DNA damage and transcriptome responses in human embryonic stem cells exposed to narrow-band terahertz radiation under strict temperature control. [Sci Rep] Full Article Differentiation of Primordial Germ Cells from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Scientists compared the differentiation ability of germ cells and the gene expression level of germ cell-related genes in the X chromosome deletion region of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines derived from primary ovarian insufficiency patients with an iPSC line derived from normal fibroblasts. [Hum Reprod] Abstract Mitochondrial and Metabolic Remodeling during Reprogramming and Differentiation of the Reprogrammed Cells The authors investigated the cytoplasmic remodeling and changes in metabolism that occur during reprogramming and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Specifically, they examined the cellular organelles of three pluripotent stem cells, embryonic, induced pluripotent, and epiblast stem cells, by electron microscopy. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Human Embryonic Stem Cells Form Functional Thyroid Follicles The authors have shown that overexpression of the regulatory transcription factors Pax8 and Nkx2-1 directs murine embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into thyroid follicular cells by initiating a transcriptional regulatory network. Here, they studied human ES cells with the aim of recapitulating this scenario and producing functional human thyroid cell lines. [Thyroid] Abstract Defined Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Xeno-Free Derivation of Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cells on a Novel, Synthetic Substrate Scientists investigated the maintenance of human embryonic stem cells and their differentiation into retinal pigmented epithelium using Synthemax II-SC, which is a novel, synthetic animal-derived component-free, RGD peptide-containing copolymer compliant with good manufacturing practices designed for xeno-free stem cell culture. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease (TALEN)-Mediated CLYBL Targeting Enables Enhanced Transgene Expression and One-Step Generation of Dual Reporter Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) and Neural Stem Cell (NSC) Lines Investigators constructed TALENs targeting the safe-harbor like gene CLYBL to mediate reporter gene integration at 38%-58% efficiency, and used both AAVS1-TALENs and CLYBL-TALENs to simultaneously knock-in multiple reporter genes at dual safe-harbor loci in human iPSCs and NSCs. [PLoS One] Full Article |