Hough SR, Thornton M, Mason E, Mar JC, Wells CA, Pera MF. Single-cell gene expression profiles define self-renewing, pluripotent, and lineage primed states of human pluripotent stem cells.
Stem Cell Reports 2014;
2:881-95. [PMID:
24936473 PMCID:
PMC4050352 DOI:
10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.04.014]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells display significant heterogeneity in gene expression, but whether this diversity is an inherent feature of the pluripotent state remains unknown. Single-cell gene expression analysis in cell subsets defined by surface antigen expression revealed that human embryonic stem cell cultures exist as a continuum of cell states, even under defined conditions that drive self-renewal. The majority of the population expressed canonical pluripotency transcription factors and could differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers. A minority subpopulation of cells displayed high self-renewal capacity, consistently high transcripts for all pluripotency-related genes studied, and no lineage priming. This subpopulation was characterized by its expression of a particular set of intercellular signaling molecules whose genes shared common regulatory features. Our data support a model of an inherently metastable self-renewing population that gives rise to a continuum of intermediate pluripotent states, which ultimately become primed for lineage specification.
Single-cell transcript profiles characteristic of distinct substates of pluripotency
Prospective isolation of substate with high self-renewal, no lineage priming
Self-renewing subpopulation marked by expression of specific ligands and receptors
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