A Lin28 homologue reprograms differentiated cells to stem cells in the moss Physcomitrella patens

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14242
• Publication Date: 2017-01-27T10:38:01Z
• Authors: Chen Li; Yusuke Sako; Akihiro Imai; Tomoaki Nishiyama; Kari Thompson; Minoru Kubo; Yuji Hiwatashi; Yukiko Kabeya; Dale Karlson; Shu-Hsing Wu; Masaki Ishikawa; Takashi Murata; Philip N. Benfey; Yoshikatsu Sato; Yosuke Tamada; Mitsuyasu Hasebe
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Science; Stem Cells; Q; Cell Differentiation; Cellular Reprogramming; Plants, Genetically Modified; Article; Bryopsida; Plant Leaves; 03 medical and health sciences; Protein Domains; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Cold Shock Proteins and Peptides; 3' Untranslated Regions; Plant Proteins

AbstractBoth land plants and metazoa have the capacity to reprogram differentiated cells to stem cells. Here we show that the moss Physcomitrella patens Cold-Shock Domain Protein 1 (PpCSP1) regulates reprogramming of differentiated leaf cells to chloronema apical stem cells and shares conserved domains with the induced pluripotent stem cell factor Lin28 in mammals. PpCSP1 accumulates in the reprogramming cells and is maintained throughout the reprogramming process and in the resultant stem cells. Expression of PpCSP1 is negatively regulated by its 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR). Removal of the 3′-UTR stabilizes PpCSP1 transcripts, results in accumulation of PpCSP1 protein and enhances reprogramming. A quadruple deletion mutant of PpCSP1 and three closely related PpCSP genes exhibits attenuated reprogramming indicating that the PpCSP genes function redundantly in cellular reprogramming. Taken together, these data demonstrate a positive role of PpCSP1 in reprogramming, which is similar to the function of mammalian Lin28.