Single-cell gene expression profiles define self-renewing, pluripotent, and lineage primed States of human pluripotent stem cells

Hough, S. R., Thornton, M., Mason, E., Mar, J. C., Wells, C. A. and Pera, M. F. (2014) Single-cell gene expression profiles define self-renewing, pluripotent, and lineage primed States of human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports, 2(6), pp. 881-895. (doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.04.014)

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells display significant heterogeneity in gene expression, but whether this diversity is an inherent feature of the pluripotent state remains unknown. Single-cell gene expression analysis in cell subsets defined by surface antigen expression revealed that human embryonic stem cell cultures exist as a continuum of cell states, even under defined conditions that drive self-renewal. The majority of the population expressed canonical pluripotency transcription factors and could differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers. A minority subpopulation of cells displayed high self-renewal capacity, consistently high transcripts for all pluripotency-related genes studied, and no lineage priming. This subpopulation was characterized by its expression of a particular set of intercellular signaling molecules whose genes shared common regulatory features. Our data support a model of an inherently metastable self-renewing population that gives rise to a continuum of intermediate pluripotent states, which ultimately become primed for lineage specification.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wells, Dr Christine
• Authors: Hough, S. R., Thornton, M., Mason, E., Mar, J. C., Wells, C. A., and Pera, M. F.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Research Group: Wells laboratory
• Journal Name: Stem Cell Reports
• Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
• ISSN: 2213-6711
• ISSN (Online): 2213-6711
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Stem Cell Reports 2(6):881-895
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License