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Application of RNAi and Heat-shock-induced Transcription Factor Expression to Reprogram Germ Cells to Neurons in C. elegans
Published on: January 1, 2018
Acquisition and extinction of gene expression programs are separable events in heterokaryon reprogramming
Rémi Terranova1, Carlos Filipe Pereira, Camille Du Roure
1Lymphocyte Development Group, MRC, Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Journal of Cell Science
|April 28, 2006
Summary
Cell reprogramming can convert lymphocytes to muscle cells by altering gene expression. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity is crucial for erasing the original cell identity during this multi-step process.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Differentiated cells typically maintain stable, cell-type-specific gene expression.
- Cell identity can be altered through transdifferentiation, cell fusion, or nuclear transfer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epigenetic modifications necessary for converting lymphocytes into muscle cells.
- To understand the temporal sequence of gene expression changes during lymphocyte-to-muscle reprogramming.
Main Methods:
- Generation of heterokaryons by fusing human B lymphocytes with mouse C2C12 myotubes.
- Analysis of nuclear architecture and gene expression patterns post-fusion.
- Assessment of the role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in reprogramming.
Main Results:
- Lymphocyte nuclei adopted muscle-like architecture and initiated muscle-specific gene expression within 2 days.
- Reprogramming involved coordinated shutdown of lymphocyte-associated genes.
- Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity was essential for silencing lymphocyte genes but not for activating muscle genes.
Conclusions:
- Cellular reprogramming is a multi-step process involving separable events of gene program acquisition and extinction.
- Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity plays a critical role in erasing cell identity during reprogramming.
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