Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:13

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

21.8K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore...
21.8K
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

2.2K
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...
2.2K
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

1.8K
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...
1.8K
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells01:32

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells

1.6K
Chromatin modification alters gene expression; therefore, scientists can add histone-modifying enzymes, histone variants, and chromatin remodeling complexes to somatic cells to aid reprogramming into pluripotent stem (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...
1.6K
Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

2.2K
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
2.2K
iPS Cell Differentiation01:22

iPS Cell Differentiation

2.6K
The ability of induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs to differentiate into most body cell types has stimulated repair and regenerative medicine research over the past few decades. iPSC-derived blood cells, hepatocytes, beta islet cells, cardiomyocytes, neurons, and other cell types can repair injuries or regenerate damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
2.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Systematic investigation reveals extensive Epstein-Barr virus transcriptional regulation of the human genome.

Cell genomics·2026
Same author

Enhanced EBNA2-dependent activity in EBV-transformed B cells from patients with multiple sclerosis.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Systematic discovery of pathogen effector functions across human pathogens and pathways.

Cell·2026
Same author

Mesoscale maladaptation in disease organoids.

Disease models & mechanisms·2026
Same author

BPabZIP, a new bZIP protein motif that promotes binding near, and displacement of, nucleosomes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Gene regulatory networks define human airway epithelial cell types and their distinct responses to type I interferon.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2025

RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
11:38

RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: November 26, 2018

10.4K

Intercellular mRNA transfer alters the human pluripotent stem cell state.

Yosuke Yoneyama1,2, Ran-Ran Zhang3,4,5, Mari Maezawa1

  • 1Human Biology Research Unit, Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|January 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Interspecies messenger RNA (mRNA) transfer reprograms human stem cells. Mouse-derived mRNA facilitates adaptation and a naïve-like state in human cells through direct contact.

Keywords:
cell–cell communicationmRNA transferpluripotencyreprogramming

More Related Videos

Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
10:24

Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: October 5, 2011

21.4K
In vivo Reprogramming of Adult Somatic Cells to Pluripotency by Overexpression of Yamanaka Factors
12:12

In vivo Reprogramming of Adult Somatic Cells to Pluripotency by Overexpression of Yamanaka Factors

Published on: December 17, 2013

12.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 31, 2025

RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
11:38

RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: November 26, 2018

10.4K
Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
10:24

Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: October 5, 2011

21.4K
In vivo Reprogramming of Adult Somatic Cells to Pluripotency by Overexpression of Yamanaka Factors
12:12

In vivo Reprogramming of Adult Somatic Cells to Pluripotency by Overexpression of Yamanaka Factors

Published on: December 17, 2013

12.6K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Intercellular messenger RNA (mRNA) transfer is a known phenomenon in mammalian cells.
  • Human primed pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are typically cultured under specific conditions.
  • Understanding cell-cell communication mechanisms is crucial for stem cell research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate intercellular mRNA transfer between mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and human primed pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs).
  • To determine if this transfer can induce reprogramming and adaptation in hPSCs.
  • To identify the specific mouse-derived mRNAs involved in this reprogramming process.

Main Methods:

  • Coculture of hPSCs with mESCs under conditions unsuitable for hPSCs alone.
  • Analysis of mouse-derived mRNA content within hPSCs using transfer-specific mRNA analysis.
  • Surface marker analysis and global gene profiling to assess hPSC state.
  • Knockdown experiments targeting specific mouse-derived transcription factor mRNAs.

Main Results:

  • Direct cell contact-mediated coculture enabled mouse mRNA transfer into hPSCs.
  • Transferred mRNAs were enriched in pathways related to transcription, translation, and stress response.
  • hPSCs acquired a naïve-like state after coculture, confirmed by gene expression and surface markers.
  • Knockdown of mouse Tfcp2l1, Tfap2c, and Klf4 prevented the naïve-like conversion.

Conclusions:

  • Interspecies mRNA transfer can trigger cellular reprogramming in mammalian cells.
  • Episodic mRNA transfer plays a role in intra- and interspecies cellular communication.
  • This finding offers a new perspective on the mobility and function of mRNA in cellular adaptation.