Project description:Embryonic stem cells are maintained in a self-renewing and pluripotent state by multiple regulatory pathways. Pluripotent-specific transcriptional networks are sequentially reactivated as somatic cells reprogram to achieve pluripotency. How epigenetic regulators modulate this process and contribute to somatic cell reprogramming is not clear. Here we perform a functional RNAi screen to identify the earliest epigenetic regulators required for reprogramming. We identify components of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex, in particular Gcn5, as critical regulators of reprogramming initiation. Furthermore, we show in mouse pluripotent stem cells that Gcn5 strongly associates with Myc and that upon initiation of somatic reprogramming, Gcn5 and Myc form a positive feed forward loop that activates a distinct alternative splicing network and the early acquisition of pluripotency-associated splicing events. These studies expose a Myc-SAGA pathway that drives expression of an essential alternative splicing regulatory network during somatic cell reprogramming. Examination of Myc-chromatin interactions in reprogramming cells
Project description:Defining how human pluripotent cell identity is controlled and in particular how naïve pluripotency is acquired during cell reprogramming is crucial for the future applications of pluripotent stem cells. However, the regulatory pathways of naïve cell reprogramming remain incompletely understood. Here, we used genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening to identify novel regulators of primed to naïve pluripotent stem cell reprogramming, including genes that are essential for reprogramming and genes that normally impede reprogramming and whose targeted deletion led to enhanced reprogramming. Integrated analysis defined specific chromatin complexes and signalling pathways as critical regulators of naïve reprogramming, and were largely distinct from regulators of somatic cell reprogramming. Mechanistically, PRC1.3 and PRDM14 are jointly required to transcriptionally repress developmental and gene regulatory factors to ensure naïve cell reprogramming. Additionally, small molecule inhibitors of reprogramming impediments increased the efficiency of naïve cell reprogramming, and are of practical benefit that can improve on current reprogramming methods. Taken together, we have identified novel regulators controlling the establishment of naïve pluripotency in human cells, which will open up new ways to exploit the full potential of pluripotent stem cells. These results also provide new insights into mechanisms that destabilise and reconfigure cell identity during cell state transitions.
Project description:Embryonic stem cells are maintained in a self-renewing and pluripotent state by multiple regulatory pathways. Pluripotent-specific transcriptional networks are sequentially reactivated as somatic cells reprogram to achieve pluripotency. How epigenetic regulators modulate this process and contribute to somatic cell reprogramming is not clear. Here we perform a functional RNAi screen to identify the earliest epigenetic regulators required for reprogramming. We identify components of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex, in particular Gcn5, as critical regulators of reprogramming initiation. Furthermore, we show in mouse pluripotent stem cells that Gcn5 strongly associates with Myc and that upon initiation of somatic reprogramming, Gcn5 and Myc form a positive feed forward loop that activates a distinct alternative splicing network and the early acquisition of pluripotency-associated splicing events. These studies expose a Myc-SAGA pathway that drives expression of an essential alternative splicing regulatory network during somatic cell reprogramming. Examination of 2 Gcn5-chromatin interactions in mouse embryonic stem cells
Project description:Embryonic stem cells are maintained in a self-renewing and pluripotent state by multiple regulatory pathways. Pluripotent-specific transcriptional networks are sequentially reactivated as somatic cells reprogram to achieve pluripotency. How epigenetic regulators modulate this process and contribute to somatic cell reprogramming is not clear. Here we perform a functional RNAi screen to identify the earliest epigenetic regulators required for reprogramming. We identify components of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex, in particular Gcn5, as critical regulators of reprogramming initiation. Furthermore, we show in mouse pluripotent stem cells that Gcn5 strongly associates with Myc and that upon initiation of somatic reprogramming, Gcn5 and Myc form a positive feed forward loop that activates a distinct alternative splicing network and the early acquisition of pluripotency-associated splicing events. These studies expose a Myc-SAGA pathway that drives expression of an essential alternative splicing regulatory network during somatic cell reprogramming. Examination of expression level changes at D0 and D2 MEFs
Project description:The TLX1 and TLX3 transcription factor oncogenes play an important role in the pathogenesis of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)1,2. Here we used reverse engineering of global transcriptional networks to decipher the oncogenic regulatory circuit controlled by TLX1 and TLX3. This Systems Biology analysis defined TLX1 and TLX3 as master regulators of an oncogenic transcriptional circuit governing T-ALL. Notably, network structure analysis of this hierarchical network identified RUNX1 as an important mediator of TLX1 and TLX3 induced T-ALL, and predicted a tumor suppressor role for RUNX1 in T-cell transformation. Consistent with these results, we identified recurrent somatic loss of function mutations in RUNX1 in human T-ALL. Overall, these results place TLX1 and TLX3 atop of an oncogenic transcriptional network controlling leukemia development, demonstrate power of network analysis to identify key elements in the regulatory circuits governing human cancer and identify RUNX1 as a tumor suppressor gene in T-ALL. This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE33539: Expression data obtained from ALLSIL cell line GSE33540: Expression data obtained from HPBALL cell line GSE33549: Expression data from mouse T-cell lymphomas
Project description:Embryonic stem cells are maintained in a self-renewing and pluripotent state by multiple regulatory pathways. Pluripotent-specific transcriptional networks are sequentially reactivated as somatic cells reprogram to achieve pluripotency. How epigenetic regulators modulate this process and contribute to somatic cell reprogramming is not clear. Here we perform a functional RNAi screen to identify the earliest epigenetic regulators required for reprogramming. We identify components of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex, in particular Gcn5, as critical regulators of reprogramming initiation. Furthermore, we show in mouse pluripotent stem cells that Gcn5 strongly associates with Myc and that upon initiation of somatic reprogramming, Gcn5 and Myc form a positive feed forward loop that activates a distinct alternative splicing network and the early acquisition of pluripotency-associated splicing events. These studies expose a Myc-SAGA pathway that drives expression of an essential alternative splicing regulatory network during somatic cell reprogramming.
Project description:Embryonic stem cells are maintained in a self-renewing and pluripotent state by multiple regulatory pathways. Pluripotent-specific transcriptional networks are sequentially reactivated as somatic cells reprogram to achieve pluripotency. How epigenetic regulators modulate this process and contribute to somatic cell reprogramming is not clear. Here we perform a functional RNAi screen to identify the earliest epigenetic regulators required for reprogramming. We identify components of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex, in particular Gcn5, as critical regulators of reprogramming initiation. Furthermore, we show in mouse pluripotent stem cells that Gcn5 strongly associates with Myc and that upon initiation of somatic reprogramming, Gcn5 and Myc form a positive feed forward loop that activates a distinct alternative splicing network and the early acquisition of pluripotency-associated splicing events. These studies expose a Myc-SAGA pathway that drives expression of an essential alternative splicing regulatory network during somatic cell reprogramming.