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Cell Surface Marker Mediated Purification of iPS Cell Intermediates from a Reprogrammable Mouse Model
Published on: September 6, 2014
Single-gene transgenic mouse strains for reprogramming adult somatic cells
Bryce W Carey1, Styliani Markoulaki, Caroline Beard
1Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nature Methods
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed transgenic mice for efficient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation. This model uses a single drug-inducible transgene to express reprogramming factors, simplifying iPSC production from various somatic cells.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Genomics
- Stem Cell Biology
- Transgenic Technology
Background:
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold promise for regenerative medicine.
- Generating iPSCs typically requires complex multi-gene delivery systems.
- Efficient and simplified methods for iPSC generation are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a novel transgenic mouse model for simplified iPSC generation.
- To demonstrate the efficacy of a single drug-inducible transgene for reprogramming.
- To facilitate the transfer of reprogramming technology into diverse genetic backgrounds.
Main Methods:
- Development of transgenic mouse models with a single genomic locus for reprogramming factors.
- Utilizing a drug-inducible (doxycycline) transgene for controlled factor expression.
- Culture of various somatic cell types in the presence of doxycycline to induce reprogramming.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from multiple somatic cell types.
- Demonstrated efficient reprogramming using a single polycistronic reprogramming construct.
- Established that the transgenic system is easily maintained and transferable.
Conclusions:
- The developed transgenic mouse model offers a simplified and efficient method for generating iPSCs.
- This technology streamlines the process of somatic cell reprogramming.
- The system's adaptability allows for its application across different mouse genetic backgrounds.
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Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
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Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
In-vitro Mutagenesis
To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

