Epigenetic Induction of Definitive and Pancreatic Endoderm Cell Fate in Human Fibroblasts

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Sambathkumar, Rangarajan;Kalo, Eric;Van Rossom, Rob;Faas, Marijke M.;de Vos, Paul;Verfaillie, Catherine M.
Abstract

Reprogramming can occur by the introduction of key transcription factors (TFs) as well as by epigenetic changes. We demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) Trichostatin A (TSA) combined with a chromatin remodeling medium (CRM) induced expression of a number of definitive endoderm and early and late pancreatic marker genes. When CRM was omitted, endoderm/pancreatic marker genes were not induced. Furthermore, treatment with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DNMTi) 5-azacytidine (5AZA) CRM did not affect gene expression changes, and when 5AZA was combined with TSA, no further increase in gene expression of endoderm, pancreatic endoderm, and endocrine markers was seen over levels induced with TSA alone. Interestingly, TSA-CRM did not affect expression of pluripotency and hepatocyte genes but induced some mesoderm transcripts. Upon removal of TSA-CRM, the endoderm/pancreatic gene expression profile returned to baseline. Our findings underscore the role epigenetic modification in transdifferentiation of one somatic cell into another. However, full reprogramming of fibroblasts to β-cells will require combination of this approach with TF overexpression and/or culture of the partially reprogrammed cells under β-cell specific conditions.

Journal

Stem Cells International

Publication Name

Stem Cells International

Volume

2016

ISBN/ISSN

1687-9678

Edition

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Pages Count

8

Location

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Publisher

Hindawi Publishing

Publisher Url

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Publisher Location

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Publish Date

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Url

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Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1155/2016/7654321