Nanog-independent reprogramming to iPSCs with canonical factors.

Stem Cell Reports
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

It has been suggested that the transcription factor Nanog is essential for the establishment of pluripotency during the derivation of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, successful reprogramming to pluripotency with a growing list of divergent transcription factors, at ever-increasing efficiencies, suggests that there may be many distinct routes to a pluripotent state. Here, we have investigated whether Nanog is necessary for reprogramming murine fibroblasts under highly efficient conditions using the canonical-reprogramming factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc. In agreement with prior results, the efficiency of reprogramming Nanog (-/-) fibroblasts was significantly lower than that of control fibroblasts. However, in contrast to previous findings, we were able to reproducibly generate iPSCs from Nanog (-/-) fibroblasts that effectively contributed to the germline of chimeric mice. Thus, whereas Nanog may be an important mediator of reprogramming, it is not required for establishing pluripotency in the mouse, even under standard conditions.

Year of Publication
2014
Journal
Stem Cell Reports
Volume
2
Issue
2
Pages
119-26
Date Published
2014 Feb 11
ISSN
2213-6711
DOI
10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.12.010
PubMed ID
24527385
PubMed Central ID
PMC3923195
Links
Grant list
R00 NS077435 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States