Heather K. Bone

Regulation of Nanog Expression by Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-dependent Signaling in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency is regulated by a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Previously we have demonstrated that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signaling is required for efficient self-renewal of murine ES cells. In the study presented here, we have investigated the downstream molecular mechanisms that contribute to the ability of PI3Ks to regulate pluripotency. We show that inhibition of PI3K activity with either pharmacological or genetic tools results in decreased expression of RNA for the homeodomain transcription factor Nanog and decreased Nanog protein levels. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) activity by PI3Ks plays a key role in regulation of Nanog expression, because blockade of GSK-3 activity effectively reversed the effects of PI3K inhibition on Nanog RNA, and protein expression and self-renewal under these circumstances were restored. Furthermore, GSK-3 mutants mimicked the effects of PI3K or GSK-3 inhibition on Nanog expression. Importantly, expression of an inducible form of Nanog prevented the loss of self-renewal observed upon inhibition of PI3Ks, supporting a functional relationship between PI3Ks and Nanog expression. In addition, expression of a number of putative Nanog target genes was sensitive to PI3K inhibition. Thus, the new evidence provided in this study shows that PI3K-dependent regulation of ES cell self-renewal is mediated, at least in part, by the ability of PI3K signaling to maintain Nanog expression. Regulation of GSK-3 activity by PI3Ks appears to play a key role in this process.

A novel chemically directed route for the generation of definitive endoderm from human embryonic stem cells based on inhibition of GSK-3.

The use of small molecules to ‘chemically direct’ differentiation represents a powerful approach to promote specification of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) towards particular functional cell types for use in regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical applications. Here, we demonstrate a novel route for chemically directed differentiation of human ESCs (hESCs) into definitive endoderm (DE) exploiting a selective small-molecule inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3). This GSK-3 inhibitor, termed 1m, when used as the only supplement to a chemically defined feeder-free culture system, effectively promoted differentiation of ESC lines towards primitive streak (PS), mesoderm and DE. This contrasts with the role of GSK-3 in murine ESCs, where GSK-3 inhibition promotes pluripotency. Interestingly, 1m-mediated induction of differentiation involved transient NODAL expression and Nodal signalling. Prolonged treatment of hESCs with 1m resulted in the generation of a population of cells displaying hepatoblast characteristics, that is expressing α-fetoprotein and HNF4α. Furthermore, 1m-induced DE had the capacity to mature and generate hepatocyte-like cells capable of producing albumin. These findings describe, for the first time, the utility of GSK-3 inhibition, in a chemically directed approach, to a method of DE generation that is robust, potentially scalable and applicable to different hESC lines.

Insulin Receptor Substrate-2 Is the Major 170-kDa Protein Phosphorylated on Tyrosine in Response to Cytokines in Murine Lymphohemopoietic Cells

Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), and its structural relative IRS-2, are both phosphorylated on tyrosine following treatment of cells with interleukin-4 (IL-4) and insulin. We have investigated whether both IRS-1 and IRS-2 are expressed in murine lymphohemopoietic cells. T and B lymphocytes and macrophages from primary cultures expressed only IRS-2, which became phosphorylated on tyrosine following stimulation with both IL-4 and insulin. Likewise, the murine myeloid cell line FD-5 expressed only IRS-2, which was tyrosine phosphorylated in response to IL-4 and insulin, as well as interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. Neither IRS-1 nor IRS-2 were expressed at detectable levels in primary bone marrow mast cells although these cells do respond to IL-4. Moreover, a factor-dependent lymphocyte cell line, CT.4S, which grows continuously in IL-4, did not express detectable levels of IRS-1 or IRS-2. IRS-2 from FD-5 cells stimulated with either IL-4 or insulin bound to glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of the p85 subunit of phosphoinositol 3′-kinase, Grb2, and Syp, paralleling reported associations of IRS-1 with these molecules and indicating phosphorylation of the corresponding residues on IRS-2.

Involvement of GSK-3 in Regulation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal Revealed by a Series of Bisindolylmaleimides

The ability to propagate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) while maintaining their pluripotency is critical if their potential use in regenerative medicine is to be realized. The mechanisms controlling ESC self-renewal are under intense investigation, and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) has been implicated in regulating both self-renewal and differentiation. To clarify its role in ESCs we have used chemical genetics. We synthesized a series of bisindolylmaleimides, a subset of which inhibit GSK-3 in murine ESCs and robustly enhance self-renewal in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and serum, but not in the absence of LIF. Importantly, these molecules appear selective for GSK-3 and do not perturb other signaling pathways regulating self-renewal. Our study clarifies the functional importance of GSK-3 in regulation of ESC self-renewal and provides tools for investigating its role further.

Three-Dimensional Culture Systems for the Expansion of Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells

Mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines, and more recently human ESC lines, have become valuable tools for studying early mammalian development. Increasing interest in ESCs and their differentiated progeny in drug discovery and as potential therapeutic agents has highlighted the fact that current two‐dimensional (2D) static culturing techniques are inadequate for large‐scale production. The culture of mammalian cells in three‐dimensional (3D) agitated systems has been shown to overcome many of the restrictions of 2D and is therefore likely to be effective for ESC proliferation. Using murine ESCs as our initial model, we investigated the effectiveness of different 3D culture environments for the expansion of pluripotent ESCs. Solohill Collagen, Solohill FACT, and Cultispher‐S microcarriers were employed and used in conjunction with stirred bioreactors. Initial seeding parameters, including cell number and agitation conditions, were found to be critical in promoting attachment to microcarriers and minimizing the size of aggregates formed. While all microcarriers supported the growth of undifferentiated mESCs, Cultispher‐S out‐performed the Solohill microcarriers. When cultured for successive passages on Cultispher‐S microcarriers, mESCs maintained their pluripotency, demonstrated by self‐renewal, expression of pluripotency markers and the ability to undergo multi‐lineage differentiation. When these optimized conditions were applied to unweaned human ESCs, Cultispher‐S microcarriers supported the growth of hESCs that retained expression of pluripotency markers including SSEA4, Tra‐1–60, NANOG, and OCT‐4. Our study highlights the importance of optimization of initial seeding parameters and provides proof‐of‐concept data demonstrating the utility of microcarriers and bioreactors for the expansion of hESCs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107:683–695.

SHP1 and SHP2 Protein-tyrosine Phosphatases Associate with βc after Interleukin-3-induced Receptor Tyrosine Phosphorylation IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BINDING SITES AND SUBSTRATES

The cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatases, SHP1 and SHP2, are implicated in the control of cellular proliferation and survival. Here we demonstrate that both SHP1 and SHP2 associate with the βc subunit of the human interleukin-3 (IL-3) receptor following IL-3 stimulation and that the src homology region 2 (SH2) domains of these phosphatases mediate this interaction. Sequential immunoprecipitation analyses suggest this interaction is direct. Competition studies, using phosphotyrosine-containing peptides based on sequences surrounding key tyrosine residues within βc, suggest that phosphorylation of tyrosine 612 is the key event mediating the association of βc with SHP1 and SHP2. However, inhibition of SHP2 binding to βc, did not prevent tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP2. Interestingly, this same phosphopeptide served as a substrate for the tyrosine phosphatase activity of both SHP1 and SHP2. Binding of these protein-tyrosine phosphatases to the IL-3 receptor may regulate IL-3 signal transduction pathways, both through their catalytic activity and through the recruitment of other molecules to the receptor complex.

Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Signalling Regulates Early Development and Developmental Haemopoiesis

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signalling regulates a wide variety of cellular functions including proliferation and differentiation. Disruption of class IA PI3K isoforms has implicated PI3K-mediated signalling in development of the early embryo and lymphohaemopoietic system. We have used embryonic stem (ES) cells as an in vitro model to study the involvement of PI3K-dependent signalling during early development and haemopoiesis. Both pharmacological inhibition and genetic manipulation of PI3K-dependent signalling demonstrate that PI3K-mediated signals, most likely via 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), are required for proliferation of cells within developing embryoid bodies (EBs). Surprisingly, the haemopoietic potential of EB-derived cells was not blocked upon PI3K inhibition but rather enhanced, correlating with modest increases in expression of haemopoietic marker genes. By contrast, PDK1-deficient EB-derived progeny failed to generate terminally differentiated haemopoietic lineages. This deficiency appeared to be due to a requirement for PI3K signalling during the proliferative phase of blast-colony-forming cell (BL-CFC) expansion, rather than as a result of effects on differentiation per se. We also demonstrate that PI3K-dependent signalling is required for optimal generation of erythroid and myeloid progenitors and their differentiation into mature haemopoietic colony types. These data demonstrate that PI3K-dependent signals play important roles at different stages of haemopoietic development.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases and regulation of embryonic stem cell fate.

ES (embryonic stem) cell lines are derived from the epiblast of pre-implantation embryos and like the inner cell mass cells from which they are derived exhibit the remarkable property of pluripotency, namely the ability to differentiate into all cell lineages comprising the adult organism. ES cells and their differentiated progeny offer tremendous potential to regenerative medicine, particularly as cellular therapies for the treatment of a wide variety of chronic disorders, such as Type 1 diabetes, Parkinsons disease and retinal degeneration. In order for this potential to be realized, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the fundamental properties of ES cells, i.e. pluripotency, proliferation and differentiation, is required. In the present paper, we review the evidence that PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-dependent signalling plays a role in regulation of both ES cell pluripotency and proliferation.

Differential Coupling of Self-Renewal Signaling Pathways in Murine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The ability to reprogram somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), exhibiting properties similar to those of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), has attracted much attention, with many studies focused on improving efficiency of derivation and unraveling the mechanisms of reprogramming. Despite this widespread interest, our knowledge of the molecular signaling pathways that are active in iPSCs and that play a role in controlling their fate have not been studied in detail. To address this shortfall, we have characterized the influence of different signals on the behavior of a model mouse iPSC line. We demonstrate significant responses of this iPSC line to the presence of serum, which leads to profoundly enhanced proliferation and, depending on the medium used, a reduction in the capacity of the iPSCs to self-renew. Surprisingly, this iPSC line was less sensitive to withdrawal of LIF compared to ESCs, exemplified by maintenance of expression of a Nanog-GFP reporter and enhanced self-renewal in the absence of LIF. While inhibition of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling decreased iPSC self-renewal, inhibition of Gsk-3 promoted it, even in the absence of LIF. High passages of this iPSC line displayed altered characteristics, including genetic instability and a reduced ability to self-renew. However, this second feature could be restored upon inhibition of Gsk-3. Collectively, our data suggest modulation of Gsk-3 activity plays a key role in the control of iPSC fate. We propose that more careful consideration should be given to characterization of the molecular pathways that control the fate of different iPSC lines, since perturbations from those observed in naïve pluripotent ESCs could render iPSCs and their derivatives susceptible to aberrant and potentially undesirable behaviors.

Zscan4 Is Regulated by PI3-Kinase and DNA-Damaging Agents and Directly Interacts with the Transcriptional Repressors LSD1 and CtBP2 in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The Zscan4 family of genes, encoding SCAN-domain and zinc finger-containing proteins, has been implicated in the control of early mammalian embryogenesis as well as the regulation of pluripotency and maintenance of genome integrity in mouse embryonic stem cells. However, many features of this enigmatic family of genes are poorly understood. Here we show that undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines simultaneously express multiple members of the Zscan4 gene family, with Zscan4c, Zscan4f and Zscan4-ps2 consistently being the most abundant. Despite this, between only 0.1 and 0.7% of undifferentiated mouse pluripotent stem cells express Zscan4 protein at a given time, consistent with a very restricted pattern of Zscan4 transcripts reported previously. Herein we demonstrate that Zscan4 expression is regulated by the p110α catalytic isoform of phosphoinositide 3-kinases and is induced following exposure to a sub-class of DNA-damage-inducing agents, including Zeocin and Cisplatin. Furthermore, we observe that Zscan4 protein expression peaks during the G2 phase of the cell cycle, suggesting that it may play a critical role at this checkpoint. Studies with GAL4-fusion proteins suggest a role for Zscan4 in transcriptional regulation, further supported by the fact that protein interaction analyses demonstrate that Zscan4 interacts with both LSD1 and CtBP2 in ESC nuclei. This study advances and extends our understanding of Zscan4 expression, regulation and mechanism of action. Based on our data we propose that Zscan4 may regulate gene transcription in mouse ES cells through interaction with LSD1 and CtBP2.