Calcineurin-NFAT Signaling Controls Somatic Cell Reprogramming in a Stage-Dependent Manner

Calcineurin-NFAT signaling is critical for early lineage specification of mouse embryonic stem cells and early embryos. However, its roles in somatic cell reprogramming remain unknown. Here, we report that calcineurin-NFAT signaling has a dynamic activity and plays diverse roles at different stages of reprogramming. At the early stage, calcineurin-NFAT signaling is transiently activated and its activation is required for successful reprogramming. However, at the late stage of reprogramming, activation of calcineurin-NFAT signaling becomes a barrier for reprogramming and its inactivation is critical for successful induction of pluripotency. Mechanistically, calcineurin-NFAT signaling contributes to the reprogramming through regulating multiple early events during reprogramming, including mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET), cell adhesion and emergence of SSEA1(+) intermediate cells. Collectively, this study reveals for the first time the important roles of calcineurin-NFAT signaling during somatic cell reprogramming and provides new insights into the molecular regulation of reprogramming.