Generation of Naive Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Rhesus Monkey Fibroblasts

• DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.09.004
• Publication Date: 2014-10-02T16:18:56Z
• Authors: Riguo Fang; Kang Liu; Yang Zhao; Haibo Li; Dicong Zhu; Yuanyuan Du; Chengang Xiang; Xiang Li; Haisong Liu; Zhenchuan Miao; Xing Zhang; Yan Shi; Weifeng Yang; Jun Xu; Hongkui Deng
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; Chimera; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Molecular Sequence Data; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Biology; Fibroblasts; Macaca mulatta; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Genetics; Molecular Medicine; Animals; Humans

Conventional embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from primates resemble mouse epiblast stem cells, raising an intriguing question regarding whether the naive pluripotent state resembling mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) exists in primates and how to capture it in vitro. Here we identified several specific signaling modulators that are sufficient to generate rhesus monkey fibroblast-derived iPSCs with the features of naive pluripotency in terms of growth properties, gene expression profiles, self-renewal signaling, X-reactivation, and the potential to generate cross-species chimeric embryos. Interestingly, together with recent reports of naive human pluripotent stem cells, our findings suggest several conserved signaling pathways shared with rodents and specific to primates, providing significant insights for acquiring naive pluripotency from other species. In addition, the derivation of rhesus monkey naive iPSCs also provides a valuable cell source for use in preclinical research and disease modeling.