Person:

Eggan, Kevin

Reprogramming somatic cells from one cell fate to another can generate specific neurons suitable for disease modeling. To maximize the utility of patient-derived neurons, they must model not only disease-relevant cell classes but also the diversity of neuronal subtypes found in vivo and the pathophysiological changes that underlie specific clinical diseases. Here, we identify five transcription factors that reprogram mouse and human fibroblasts into noxious stimulus-detecting (nociceptor) neurons that recapitulate the expression of quintessential nociceptor-specific functional receptors and channels found in adult mouse nociceptor neurons as well as native subtype diversity. Moreover, the derived nociceptor neurons exhibit TrpV1 sensitization to the inflammatory mediator prostaglandin E2 and the chemotherapeutic drug oxaliplatin, modeling the inherent mechanisms underlying inflammatory pain hypersensitivity and painful chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. Using fibroblasts from patients with familial dysautonomia (hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III), we show that the technique can reveal novel aspects of human disease phenotypes in vitro.

The RNA-binding protein FUS/TLS, mutation in which is causative of the fatal motor neuron disease ALS, is demonstrated to directly bind to the U1-snRNP and SMN complexes. ALS-causative mutations in FUS/TLS are shown to abnormally enhance their interaction with SMN and dysregulate its function, including loss of Gems and altered levels of small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). The same mutants are found to have reduced association with U1-snRNP. Correspondingly, global RNA analysis reveals a mutant-dependent loss of splicing activity, with ALS-linked mutants failing to reverse changes caused by loss of wild-type FUS/TLS. Furthermore, a common FUS/TLS mutant-associated RNA splicing signature is identified in ALS patient fibroblasts. Taken together, these studies establish potentially converging disease mechanisms in ALS and spinal muscular atrophy, with ALS-causative mutants acquiring properties representing both gain (dysregulation of SMN) and loss (reduced RNA processing mediated by U1-snRNP) of function.

Unfertilized oocytes of many mammalian species can reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state. Human oocytes might therefore be useful for producing patient-derived pluripotent stem cells. Because they would carry the patient's genotype, these stem cells may be useful for the production of autologous transplants. Such cells could also be used to determine whether the epigenetic (Lister et al., 2011) and genetic (Gore et al., 2011) changes detected in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are universally found in reprogrammed cell lines or instead are unique to iPSCs.

Maintaining a single active X-chromosome by repressing Xist is crucial for embryonic development in mice. Although the Xist activator RNF12/RLIM is present as a maternal factor, maternal Xist (Xm-Xist) is repressed during preimplantation phases to establish imprinted X-chromosome inactivation (XCI). Here we show, using a highly reproducible chromatin immunoprecipitation method that facilitates chromatin analysis of preimplantation embryos, that H3K9me3 is enriched at the Xist promoter region, preventing Xm-Xist activation by RNF12. The high levels of H3K9me3 at the Xist promoter region are lost in embryonic stem (ES) cells, and ES-cloned embryos show RNF12-dependent Xist expression. Moreover, lack of Xm-XCI in the trophectoderm, rather than loss of paternally expressed imprinted genes, is the primary cause of embryonic lethality in 70–80% of parthenogenotes immediately after implantation. This study reveals that H3K9me3 is involved in the imprinting that silences Xm-Xist. Our findings highlight the role of maternal-specific H3K9me3 modification in embryo development.

Mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS have been shown to cause the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigate whether mutant FUS protein in ALS patient–derived fibroblasts affects normal FUS functions in the nucleus. We investigated fibroblasts from two ALS patients possessing different FUS mutations and a normal control. Fibroblasts from these patients have their nuclear FUS protein trapped in SDS-resistant aggregates. Genome-wide analysis reveals an inappropriate accumulation of Ser-2 phosphorylation on RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) near the transcription start sites of 625 genes for ALS patient cells and after small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of FUS in normal fibroblasts. Furthermore, both the presence of mutant FUS protein and siRNA knockdown of wild-type FUS correlate with altered distribution of RNA Pol II within fibroblast nuclei. A loss of FUS function in orchestrating Ser-2 phosphorylation of the CTD of RNA Pol II is detectable in ALS patient–derived fibroblasts expressing mutant FUS protein, even when the FUS protein remains largely nuclear. A likely explanation for this loss of function is the aggregation of FUS protein in nuclei. Thus our results suggest a specific mechanism by which mutant FUS can have biological consequences other than by the formation of cytoplasmic aggregates.

In mammals, cytosine methylation is predominantly restricted to CpG dinucleotides and stably distributed across the genome, with local, cell type-specific regulation directed by DNA binding factors1-3. This comparatively static landscape dramatically contrasts the events of fertilization, where the paternal genome is globally reprogrammed. Paternal genome demethylation includes the majority of CpGs, though methylation is maintained at several notable features4-7. While these dynamics have been extensively characterized in the mouse, only limited observations are available in other mammals, and direct measurements are required to understand the extent to which early embryonic landscapes are conserved8-10. We present genome-scale DNA methylation maps of human preimplantation development and embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivation, confirming a transient state of global hypomethylation that includes most CpGs, while sites of persistent maintenance are primarily restricted to gene bodies. While most features share similar dynamics to mouse, maternally contributed methylation is divergently targeted to species-specific sets of CpG island (CGI) promoters that extend beyond known Imprint Control Regions (ICRs). Retrotransposon regulation is also highly diverse and transitions from maternally to embryonically expressed, species-specific elements. Together, our data confirm that paternal genome demethylation is a general attribute of early mammalian development that is characterized by distinct modes of epigenetic regulation.

Although distinct human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines can display considerable epigenetic variation, it has been unclear whether such variability impacts their utility for disease modeling. Here, we show that although low-passage female hiPSCs retain the inactive X chromosome of the somatic cell they are derived from, over time in culture they undergo an “erosion” of X chromosome inactivation (XCI). This erosion of XCI is characterized by loss of XIST expression and foci of H3-K27-trimethylation, as well as transcriptional derepression of genes on the inactive X that cannot be reversed by either differentiation or further reprogramming. We specifically demonstrate that erosion of XCI has a significant impact on the use of female hiPSCs for modeling Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. However, our finding that most genes subject to XCI are derepressed by this erosion of XCI suggests that it should be a significant consideration when selecting hiPSC lines for modeling any disease.

In embryonic stem (ES) cells, a well-characterized transcriptional network promotes pluripotency and represses gene expression required for differentiation. In comparison, the transcriptional networks that promote differentiation of ES cells and the blastocyst inner cell mass are poorly understood. Here, we show that Sox17 is a transcriptional regulator of differentiation in these pluripotent cells. ES cells deficient in Sox17 fail to differentiate into extraembryonic cell types and maintain expression of pluripotency-associated transcription factors, including Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. In contrast, forced expression of Sox17 down-regulates ES cell-associated gene expression and directly activates genes functioning in differentiation toward an extraembryonic endoderm cell fate. We show these effects of Sox17 on ES cell gene expression are mediated at least in part through a competition between Sox17 and Nanog for common DNA-binding sites. By elaborating the function of Sox17, our results provide insight into how the transcriptional network promoting ES cell self-renewal is interrupted, allowing cellular differentiation.

Fertilized mouse zygotes can reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state. Human zygotes might therefore be useful for producing patient-derived pluripotent stem cells. However, logistical, legal and social considerations have limited the availability of human eggs for research. Here we show that a significant number of normal fertilized eggs (zygotes) can be obtained for reprogramming studies. Using these zygotes, we found that when the zygotic genome was replaced with that of a somatic cell, development progressed normally throughout the cleavage stages, but then arrested before the morula stage. This arrest was associated with a failure to activate transcription in the transferred somatic genome. In contrast to human zygotes, mouse zygotes reprogrammed the somatic cell genome to a pluripotent state within hours after transfer. Our results suggest that there may be a previously unappreciated barrier to successful human nuclear transfer, and that future studies could focus on the requirements for genome activation.