Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Hemogenic Reprogramming of Human Fibroblasts by Enforced Expression of Transcription Factors
Published on: November 4, 2019
The H2B ubiquitin-protein ligase RNF40 is required for somatic cell reprogramming
Wanhua Xie1,2,3, Michaela Miehe4, Sandra Laufer4
1The Precise Medicine Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China. wanhuaxie@icloud.com.
Abstract:
Direct reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) requires a resetting of the epigenome in order to facilitate a cell fate transition. Previous studies have shown that epigenetic modifying enzymes play a central role in controlling induced pluripotency and the generation of iPSC. Here we show that RNF40, a histone H2B lysine 120 E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, is specifically required for early reprogramming during induced pluripotency. Loss of RNF40-mediated H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub1) impaired early gene activation in reprogramming. We further show that RNF40 contributes to tissue-specific gene suppression via indirect effects by controlling the expression of the polycomb repressive complex-2 histone methyltransferase component EZH2, as well as through more direct effects by promoting the resolution of H3K4me3/H3K27me3 bivalency on H2Bub1-occupied pluripotency genes. Thus, we identify RNF40 as a central epigenetic mediator of cell state transition with distinct functions in resetting somatic cell state to pluripotency.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
Crossing Over

