Perturbation-expression analysis identifies RUNX1 as a regulator of human mammary stem cell differentiation.

PLoS Comput Biol

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United S

Published: April 2015


Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

The search for genes that regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation has been hindered by a paucity of markers that uniquely label stem cells and early progenitors. To circumvent this difficulty we have developed a method that identifies cell-state regulators without requiring any markers of differentiation, termed Perturbation-Expression Analysis of Cell States (PEACS). We have applied this marker-free approach to screen for transcription factors that regulate mammary stem cell differentiation in a 3D model of tissue morphogenesis and identified RUNX1 as a stem cell regulator. Inhibition of RUNX1 expanded bipotent stem cells and blocked their differentiation into ductal and lobular tissue rudiments. Reactivation of RUNX1 allowed exit from the bipotent state and subsequent differentiation and mammary morphogenesis. Collectively, our findings show that RUNX1 is required for mammary stem cells to exit a bipotent state, and provide a new method for discovering cell-state regulators when markers are not available.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404314PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004161DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

stem cell
16
mammary stem
12
stem cells
12
perturbation-expression analysis
8
cell differentiation
8
cell-state regulators
8
exit bipotent
8
bipotent state
8
stem
7
differentiation
6

Similar Publications

Background: Active vitamin D metabolites, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D), have potent immunomodulatory effects that attenuate acute kidney injury (AKI) in animal models.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, multiple-dose, 3-arm clinical trial comparing oral calcifediol (25D), calcitriol (1,25D), and placebo among 150 critically ill adult patients at high-risk of moderate-to-severe AKI. The primary endpoint was a hierarchical composite of death, kidney replacement therapy (KRT), and kidney injury (baseline-adjusted mean change in serum creatinine), each assessed within 7 days following enrollment using a rank-based procedure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recessive TMEM167A variants cause neonatal diabetes, microcephaly and epilepsy syndrome.

J Clin Invest

September 2025

Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.

Understanding the genetic causes of diseases affecting pancreatic β cells and neurons can give insights into pathways essential for both cell types. Microcephaly, epilepsy and diabetes syndrome (MEDS) is a congenital disorder with two known aetiological genes, IER3IP1 and YIPF5. Both genes encode proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi trafficking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent stem cells with self-renewal capacity, able to differentiate into all neural lineages of the central nervous system, including neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes; thus, their proliferation and differentiation are essential for embryonic neurodevelopment and adult brain homoeostasis. Dysregulation in these processes is implicated in neurological disorders, highlighting the need to elucidate how NSCs proliferate and differentiate to clarify the mechanisms of neurogenesis and uncover potential therapeutic targets. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression involved in many aspects of nervous system development and function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Engineering functional exosomes represents a cutting-edge approach in biomedicine, holding the promise to transform targeted therapy. However, challenges such as achieving consistent modification and scalability have limited their wider adoption. Herein, we introduce a universal and effective strategy for engineering multifunctional exosomes through cell fusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are highly compartmentalized neurons whose long axons serve as the sole connection between the eye and the brain. In both injury and disease, RGC degeneration occurs in a similarly compartmentalized manner, with distinct molecular and cellular responses in the axonal and somatodendritic regions. The goal of this study was to establish a microfluidic-based platform to investigate RGC compartmentalization in both health and disease states.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF