A liaison between intrinsic and extrinsic regulators of pluripotency

The progress of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from pigs: a mini review of recent advances

Pigs (Sus scrofa) are widely acknowledged as an important large mammalian animal model due to their similarity to human physiology, genetics, and immunology. Leveraging the full potential of this model presents significant opportunities for major advancements in the fields of comparative biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. Thus, the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from this species can offer new tools for disease modeling and serve as a stepping stone to test future autologous or allogeneic cell-based therapies. Over the past few decades, great progress has been made in establishing porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (pESCs) derived from pre- and peri-implantation embryos, and porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) using a variety of cellular reprogramming strategies. However, the stabilization of pPSCs was not as straightforward as directly applying the culture conditions developed and optimized for murine or primate PSCs. Therefore, it has historically been challenging to establish stable pPSC lines that could pass stringent pluripotency tests. Here, we review recent advances in the establishment of stable porcine PSCs. We focus on the evolving derivation methods that eventually led to the establishment of pESCs and transgene-free piPSCs, as well as current challenges and opportunities in this rapidly advancing field.

Esrrb is a cell-cycle-dependent associated factor balancing pluripotency and XEN differentiation

Cell cycle and differentiation decisions are linked; however, the underlying principles that drive these decisions are unclear. Here, we combined cell-cycle reporter system and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) profiling to study the transcriptomes of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in the context of cell-cycle states and differentiation. By applying retinoic acid, to G1 and G2/M ESCs, we show that, while both populations can differentiate toward epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), only G2/M ESCs could differentiate into extraembryonic endoderm cells. We identified Esrrb, a pluripotency factor that is upregulated during G2/M, as a driver of extraembryonic endoderm stem cell (XEN) differentiation. Furthermore, enhancer chromatin states based on wild-type (WT) and ESRRB knockout (KO) ESCs show association of ESRRB with XEN poised enhancers. G1 cells overexpressing Esrrb allow ESCs to produce XENs, while ESRRB-KO ESCs lost their potential to differentiate into XEN. Overall, this study reveals a vital link between Esrrb and cell-cycle states during the exit from pluripotency.

The nature of embryonic stem cells

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells perpetuate in vitro the broad developmental potential of naïve founder cells in the preimplantation embryo. ES cells self-renew relentlessly in culture but can reenter embryonic development seamlessly, differentiating on schedule to form all elements of the fetus. Here we review the properties of these remarkable cells. Arising from the stability, homogeneity, and equipotency of ES cells, we consider the concept of a pluripotent ground state. We evaluate the authenticity of ES cells in relation to cells in the embryo and examine their utility for dissecting mechanisms that confer pluripotency and that execute fate choice. We summarize current knowledge of the transcription factor circuitry that governs the ES cell state and discuss the opportunity to expose molecular logic further through iterative computational modeling and experimentation. Finally, we present a perspective on unresolved questions, including the challenge of deriving ground state pluripotent stem cells from non-rodent species.

Stochastic NANOG fluctuations allow mouse embryonic stem cells to explore pluripotency

Heterogeneous expression of the transcription factor NANOG has been linked to the existence of various functional states in pluripotent stem cells. This heterogeneity seems to arise from fluctuations of Nanog expression in individual cells, but a thorough characterization of these fluctuations and their impact on the pluripotent state is still lacking. Here, we have used a novel fluorescent reporter to investigate the temporal dynamics of NANOG expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), and to dissect the lineage potential of mESCs at different NANOG states. Our results show that stochastic NANOG fluctuations are widespread in mESCs, with essentially all expressing cells showing fluctuations in NANOG levels, even when cultured in ground-state conditions (2i media). We further show that fluctuations have similar kinetics when mESCs are cultured in standard conditions (serum plus leukemia inhibitory factor) or ground-state conditions, implying that NANOG fluctuations are inherent to the pluripotent state. We have then compared the developmental potential of low-NANOG and high-NANOG mESCs, grown in different conditions, and confirm that mESCs are more susceptible to enter differentiation at the low-NANOG state. Further analysis by gene expression profiling reveals that low-NANOG cells have marked expression of lineage-affiliated genes, with variable profiles according to the signalling environment. By contrast, high-NANOG cells show a more stable expression profile in different environments, with minimal expression of lineage markers. Altogether, our data support a model in which stochastic NANOG fluctuations provide opportunities for mESCs to explore multiple lineage options, modulating their probability to change functional state.