The transcription factor OCT6 promotes the dissolution of the naïve pluripotent state by repressing Nanog and activating a formative state gene regulatory network.

In the mouse embryo, the transition from the preimplantation to the postimplantation epiblast is governed by changes in the gene regulatory network (GRN) that lead to transcriptional, epigenetic, and functional changes. This transition can be faithfully recapitulated in vitro by the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs), that reside in naïve and formative states of pluripotency, respectively. However, the GRN that drives this conversion is not fully elucidated. Here we demonstrate that the transcription factor OCT6 is a key driver of this process. Firstly, we show that Oct6 is not expressed in mESCs but is rapidly induced as cells exit the naïve pluripotent state. By deleting Oct6 in mESCs, we find that knockout cells fail to acquire the typical morphological changes associated with the formative state when induced to differentiate. Additionally, the key naïve pluripotency TFs Nanog, Klf2, Nr5a2, Prdm14, and Esrrb were expressed at higher levels than in wild-type cells, indicating an incomplete dismantling of the naïve pluripotency GRN. Conversely, premature expression of Oct6 in naïve cells triggered a rapid morphological transformation mirroring differentiation, that was accompanied by the upregulation of the endogenous Oct6 as well as the formative genes Sox3, Zic2/3, Foxp1, Dnmt3A and FGF5. Strikingly, we found that OCT6 represses Nanog in a bistable manner and that this regulation is at the transcriptional level. Moreover, our findings also reveal that Oct6 is repressed by NANOG. Collectively, our results establish OCT6 as a key TF in the dissolution of the naïve pluripotent state and support a model where Oct6 and Nanog form a double negative feedback loop which could act as an important toggle mediating the transition to the formative state.

Droplets for Gene Editing Using CRISPR-Cas9 and Clonal Selection Improvement Using Hydrogels.

Gene editing tools have triggered a revolutionary transformation in the realms of cellular and molecular physiology, serving as a fundamental cornerstone for the evolution of disease models and assays in cell culture reactions, marked by various enhancements. Concurrently, microfluidics has emerged over recent decades as a versatile technology capable of elevating performance and reducing costs in daily experiments across diverse scientific disciplines, with a pronounced impact on cell biology. The amalgamation of these groundbreaking techniques holds the potential to amplify the generation of stable cell lines and the production of extracellular matrix hydrogels. These hydrogels, assuming a pivotal role in isolating cells at the single-cell level, facilitate a myriad of analyses. This study presents a novel method that seamlessly integrates CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing techniques with single-cell isolation methods in induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines, utilizing the combined power of droplets and hydrogels. This innovative approach is designed to optimize clonal selection, thereby concurrently reducing costs and the time required for generating a stable genetically modified cell line. By bridging the advancements in gene editing and microfluidic technologies, our approach not only holds significant promise for the development of disease models and assays but also addresses the crucial need for efficient single-cell isolation. This integration contributes to streamlining processes, making it a transformative method with implications for enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of stable cell line generation. As we navigate the intersection of gene editing and microfluidics, our study marks a significant stride toward innovative methodologies in the dynamic landscape of cellular and molecular physiology research.

Therapeutic Potential in Wound Healing of Allogeneic Use of Equine Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Wound healing after skin injury is a complex process, particularly in equines where leg wounds are prevalent and their repair is complicated due to the anatomical characteristics. Conventional treatments are not effective enough. The umbilical cord offers an unlimited source of adult mesenchymal stem cells (ucMSCs) from Wharton's jelly tissue. The present study aims to demonstrate the safety and therapeutic potential of the allogeneic use of equine ucMSCs (e-ucMSCs) in the healing of severe equine leg wounds. The methods employed were the isolation, culture and expansion of e-ucMSCs. Flow cytometry and a PCR assay were used for cell characterization. This study included an immunomodulation assay, a murine pre-clinical trial and the first phase of an equine clinical trial. Our results showed that e-ucMSCs express a functional HLA-G homolog, EQMHCB2. In the immunomodulation assay, the e-ucMSCs inhibited the proliferation of activated equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (e-PBMCs). In the murine pre-clinical trial, e-ucMSCs reduced healing time by 50%. In the equine clinical trial, the injection of e-ucMSCs into severe leg lesions improved the closure time and quality of the tissues involved, regenerating them without fibrous tissue scar formation. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that e-ucMSCs can be used allogeneically for wound healing by creating a tolerogenic environment.

Derivation of two human induced pluripotent stem cell lines carrying a missense mutation in FHL1 (c.377G > A, p.C126Y) linked to familial muscular dystrophy.

FHL1 gene locates in the Xq26 region and encodes for four and half LIM domain protein 1. It plays a crucial role in muscle cells and mutations in FHL1 are related to muscular dystrophy (MD). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 2 family patients with MD that carry a pathogenic missense mutation in FHL1 (c.377G > A, p.C126Y). Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated by PBMCs reprogramming using the lentiviral-hSTEMCCA-loxP vector, obtaining FHL1-T and FHL1-V iPSCs lines from patients. FHL1 genotype was maintained, and stemness and pluripotency were confirmed in both iPSCs lines.

Pituitary stem cells: past, present and future perspectives.

Pituitary cells that express the transcription factor SOX2 are stem cells because they can self-renew and differentiate into multiple pituitary hormone-producing cell types as organoids. Wounding and physiological challenges can activate pituitary stem cells, but cell numbers are not fully restored, and the ability to mobilize stem cells decreases with increasing age. The basis of these limitations is still unknown. The regulation of stem cell quiescence and activation involves many different signalling pathways, including those mediated by WNT, Hippo and several cytokines; more research is needed to understand the interactions between these pathways. Pituitary organoids can be formed from human or mouse embryonic stem cells, or from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Human pituitary organoid transplantation is sufficient to induce corticosterone release in hypophysectomized mice, raising the possibility of therapeutic applications. Today, pituitary organoids have the potential to assess the role of individual genes and genetic variants on hormone production ex vivo, providing an important tool for the advancement of exciting frontiers in pituitary stem cell biology and pituitary organogenesis. In this article, we provide an overview of notable discoveries in pituitary stem cell function and highlight important areas for future research.

Generation of two edited iPSCs lines by CRISPR/Cas9 with point mutations in PKP2 gene for arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in vitro modeling.

The arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited heart muscle disease characterized by the progressive replacement of contractile myocardium by fibro-fatty adipose tissue, that generates ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in patients. The ACM has a genetic origin with alterations in desmosomal genes with the most commonly mutated being the PKP2 gene. We generated two CRISPR/Cas9 edited iPSCs lines, one iPSC line with a point mutation in PKP2 reported in patients with ACM and another iPSC line with a premature stop codon to knock-out the same gene.

Chromatographic Scalable Method to Isolate Engineered Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis in Mice.

New therapeutic options for liver cirrhosis are needed. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising tool for delivering therapeutic factors in regenerative medicine. Our aim is to establish a new therapeutic tool that employs EVs derived from MSCs to deliver therapeutic factors for liver fibrosis. EVs were isolated from supernatants of adipose tissue MSCs, induced-pluripotent-stem-cell-derived MSCs, and umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVC-EVs) by ion exchange chromatography (IEC). To produce engineered EVs, HUCPVCs were transduced with adenoviruses that code for insulin-like growth factor 1 (AdhIGF-I-HUCPVC-EVs) or green fluorescent protein. EVs were characterized by electron microscopy, flow cytometry, ELISA, and proteomic analysis. We evaluated EVs' antifibrotic effect in thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in mice and on hepatic stellate cells in vitro. We found that IEC-isolated HUCPVC-EVs have an analogous phenotype and antifibrotic activity to those isolated by ultracentrifugation. EVs derived from the three MSCs sources showed a similar phenotype and antifibrotic potential. EVs derived from AdhIGF-I-HUCPVC carried IGF-1 and showed a higher therapeutic effect in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, proteomic analysis revealed that HUCPVC-EVs carry key proteins involved in their antifibrotic process. This scalable MSC-derived EV manufacturing strategy is a promising therapeutic tool for liver fibrosis.

EFFECTS OF BACTERIAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE AND SHIGA TOXIN ON INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS.

ABSTRACT: Background : Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be activated by different bacterial toxins. Lipopolysaccharides and Shiga Toxin (Stx) are the main toxins necessary for hemolytic uremic syndrome development. The main etiological event in this disease is endothelial damage that causes glomerular destruction. Considering the repairing properties of MSC, we aimed to study the response of MSC derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-MSC) to LPS and/or Stx and its effect on the restoration of injured endothelial cells. Methods : iPSC-MSC were treated with LPS and or/Stx for 24 h and secretion of cytokines, adhesion, and migration were measured in response to these toxins. In addition, conditioned media from treated iPSC-MSC were collected and used for proteomics analysis and evaluation of endothelial cell healing and tubulogenesis using human microvascular endothelial cells 1 as a source of endothelial cells. Results : The results obtained showed that LPS induced a proinflammatory profile on iPSC-MSC, whereas Stx effects were less evident, even though cells expressed the Gb 3 receptor. Moreover, LPS induced on iPSC-MSC an increment in migration and adhesion to a gelatin substrate. Addition of conditioned media of iPSC-MSC treated with LPS + Stx, decreased the capacity of human microvascular endothelial cells 1 to close a wound, and did not favor tubulogenesis. Proteomic analysis of iPSC-MSC treated with LPS and/or Stx revealed specific protein secretion patterns that support the functional results described. Conclusions : iPSC-MSC activated by LPS acquired a proinflammatory profile that induces migration and adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins but the addition of Stx did not activate any repair program to ameliorate endothelial damage, indicating that the use of iPSC-MSC to regenerate endothelial injury caused by LPS and/or Stx in hemolytic uremic syndrome could not be the best option to consider to regenerate a tissue injury.

Simple Microcontact Printing Technique to Obtain Cell Patterns by Lithography Using Grayscale, Photopolymer Flexographic Mold, and PDMS.

Microcontact printing using PDMS embossing tools and its variations have aroused the interest of a wide spectrum of research fields, hence the feasibility of defining micro and nanoscale patterns. In this work, we have proposed and demonstrated a novel lithography method based on grayscale patterns printed in a flexographic photopolymer mold and transferred to epoxy resin and a single PDMS stamp to obtain different microprint pattern structures. The geometry of the patterns can be modified by adjusting the layout and grayscale of the stamp patterns. The functionality of this contact printing methodology was validated by generating human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) patterns. These specific micropatterns can be very useful for achieving complex differentiation in cell lines such as hiPSC. Microfabrication through the new technique provides a promising alternative to conventional lithography for constructing complex aligned surfaces; these structures could be used as components of biological patterns or microfluidic devices.

GEMA-An Automatic Segmentation Method for Real-Time Analysis of Mammalian Cell Growth in Microfluidic Devices.

Nowadays, image analysis has a relevant role in most scientific and research areas. This process is used to extract and understand information from images to obtain a model, knowledge, and rules in the decision process. In the case of biological areas, images are acquired to describe the behavior of a biological agent in time such as cells using a mathematical and computational approach to generate a system with automatic control. In this paper, MCF7 cells are used to model their growth and death when they have been injected with a drug. These mammalian cells allow understanding of behavior, gene expression, and drug resistance to breast cancer. For this, an automatic segmentation method called GEMA is presented to analyze the apoptosis and confluence stages of culture by measuring the increase or decrease of the image area occupied by cells in microfluidic devices. In vitro, the biological experiments can be analyzed through a sequence of images taken at specific intervals of time. To automate the image segmentation, the proposed algorithm is based on a Gabor filter, a coefficient of variation (CV), and linear regression. This allows the processing of images in real time during the evolution of biological experiments. Moreover, GEMA has been compared with another three representative methods such as gold standard (manual segmentation), morphological gradient, and a semi-automatic algorithm using FIJI. The experiments show promising results, due to the proposed algorithm achieving an accuracy above 90% and a lower computation time because it requires on average 1 s to process each image. This makes it suitable for image-based real-time automatization of biological lab-on-a-chip experiments.

Single cell transfection of human-induced pluripotent stem cells using a droplet-based microfluidic system.

Microfluidic tools have recently made possible many advances in biological and biomedical research. Research in fields such as physics, engineering, chemistry and biology have combined to produce innovation in microfluidics which has positively impacted diverse areas such as nucleotide sequencing, functional genomics, single-cell studies, single molecules assays and biomedical diagnostics. Among these areas, regenerative medicine and stem cells have benefited from microfluidics since these tools have had a profound impact on their applications. In this study, we present a high-performance droplet-based system for transfecting individual human-induced pluripotent stem cells. We will demonstrate that this system has great efficiency in single cells and captured droplets, like other microfluidic methods but with lower cost. Moreover, this microfluidic approach can be associated with the PiggyBac transposase-based system to increase its transfection efficiency. Our results provide a starting point for subsequent applications in more complex transfection systems, single-cell differentiation interactions, cell subpopulations and cell therapy, among other potential applications.

HLA-G gene editing in tumor cell lines as a novel alternative in cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapies based mainly on the blockade of immune-checkpoint (IC) molecules by anti-IC antibodies offer new alternatives for treatment in oncological diseases. However, a considerable proportion of patients remain unresponsive to them. Hence, the development of novel clinical immunotherapeutic approaches and/or targets are crucial.W In this context, targeting the immune-checkpoint HLA-G/ILT2/ILT4 has caused great interest since it is abnormally expressed in several malignancies generating a tolerogenic microenvironment. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to block the HLA-G expression in two tumor cell lines expressing HLA-G, including a renal cell carcinoma (RCC7) and a choriocarcinoma (JEG-3). Different sgRNA/Cas9 plasmids targeting HLA-G exon 1 and 2 were transfected in both cell lines. Downregulation of HLA-G was reached to different degrees, including complete silencing. Most importantly, HLA-G - cells triggered a higher in vitro response of immune cells with respect to HLA-G + wild type cells. Altogether, we demonstrated for the first time the HLA-G downregulation through gene editing. We propose this approach as a first step to develop novel clinical immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer.

SUMO conjugation susceptibility of Akt/protein kinase B affects the expression of the pluripotency transcription factor Nanog in embryonic stem cells.

Akt/PKB is a kinase involved in the regulation of a wide variety of cell processes. Its activity is modulated by diverse post-translational modifications (PTMs). Particularly, conjugation of the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) to this kinase impacts on multiple cellular functions, such as proliferation and splicing. In embryonic stem (ES) cells, this kinase is key for pluripotency maintenance. Among other functions, Akt is known to promote the expression of Nanog, a central pluripotency transcription factor (TF). However, the relevance of this specific PTM of Akt has not been previously analyzed in this context. In this work, we study the effect of Akt1 variants with differential SUMOylation susceptibility on the expression of Nanog. Our results demonstrate that both, the Akt1 capability of being modified by SUMO conjugation and a functional SUMO conjugase activity are required to induce Nanog gene expression. Likewise, we found that the common oncogenic E17K Akt1 mutant affected Nanog expression in ES cells also in a SUMOylatability dependent manner. Interestingly, this outcome takes places in ES cells but not in a non-pluripotent heterologous system, suggesting the presence of a crucial factor for this induction in ES cells. Remarkably, the two major candidate factors to mediate this induction, GSK3-ß and Tbx3, are non-essential players of this effect, suggesting a complex mechanism probably involving non-canonical pathways. Furthermore, we found that Akt1 subcellular distribution does not depend on its SUMOylatability, indicating that Akt localization has no influence on the effect on Nanog, and that besides the membrane localization of E17K Akt mutant, SUMOylation is also required for its hyperactivity. Our results highlight the impact of SUMO conjugation in the function of a kinase relevant for a plethora of cellular processes, including the control of a key pluripotency TF.

celldeath: A tool for detection of cell death in transmitted light microscopy images by deep learning-based visual recognition.

Cell death experiments are routinely done in many labs around the world, these experiments are the backbone of many assays for drug development. Cell death detection is usually performed in many ways, and requires time and reagents. However, cell death is preceded by slight morphological changes in cell shape and texture. In this paper, we trained a neural network to classify cells undergoing cell death. We found that the network was able to highly predict cell death after one hour of exposure to camptothecin. Moreover, this prediction largely outperforms human ability. Finally, we provide a simple python tool that can broadly be used to detect cell death.

Wound Healing by Allogeneic Transplantation of Specific Subpopulation From Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

In normal physiological conditions, restoration of a functional epidermal barrier is highly efficient; nevertheless, when it fails, one of the main consequences is a chronic ulcerative skin defect, one of the most frequently recognized complications of diabetes. Most of these chronic venous ulcers do not heal with conventional treatment, leading to the appearance of infections and complications in the patient. Treatments based on the use of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been successful; however, its implementation entails complications. The umbilical cord offers an unlimited source of adult MSC (ucMSC) from the Wharton's jelly tissue with the same relevant features for clinical applicability and avoiding difficulties. It has recently been characterized by one specific subpopulation derived from ucMSC, the differentiated mesenchymal cells (DMCs). This subpopulation expresses the human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) molecule, a strong immunosuppressive checkpoint, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the most potent angiogenic factor. Considering the importance of developing a more effective therapy for wound treatment, especially ulcerative skin lesions, we analyzed DMC safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential. By immunohistochemistry, umbilical cords HLA-G and VEGF positive were selected. Flow cytometry revealed that 90% of the DMC subpopulation are HLA-G+, CD44+, CD73+, CD29+, CD105+, CD90+, and HLA-DR-. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed the expression of HLA-G in all of DMC subpopulations. Upon co-culture with the DMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation was inhibited by 50%. In a xenograft transplantation assay, DMC improved wound healing with no signs of rejection of the transplanted cells in immunocompetent mice. This study confirms that HLA-G allows allogeneic cell transplantation, and VEGF is fundamental for the restoration of the failure in blood supply. DMC population has positive effects on wound healing by promoting local angiogenesis in skin lesions. DMC could play a very important role in regenerative medicine and could be a novel allogeneic cell-therapeutic tool for wound healing.

Generation of myostatin edited horse embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and somatic cell nuclear transfer.

The application of new technologies for gene editing in horses may allow the generation of improved sportive individuals. Here, we aimed to knock out the myostatin gene (MSTN), a negative regulator of muscle mass development, using CRISPR/Cas9 and to generate edited embryos for the first time in horses. We nucleofected horse fetal fibroblasts with 1, 2 or 5 µg of 2 different gRNA/Cas9 plasmids targeting the first exon of MSTN. We observed that increasing plasmid concentrations improved mutation efficiency. The average efficiency was 63.6% for gRNA1 (14/22 edited clonal cell lines) and 96.2% for gRNA2 (25/26 edited clonal cell lines). Three clonal cell lines were chosen for embryo generation by somatic cell nuclear transfer: one with a monoallelic edition, one with biallelic heterozygous editions and one with a biallelic homozygous edition, which rendered edited blastocysts in each case. Both MSTN editions and off-targets were analyzed in the embryos. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas9 proved an efficient method to edit the horse genome in a dose dependent manner with high specificity. Adapting this technology sport advantageous alleles could be generated, and a precision breeding program could be developed.

The immune-checkpoint HLA-G/ILT4 is involved in the regulation of VEGF expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most aggressive renal cancer, is characterized by early lymph node metastases and bad prognosis. Most therapies targeting advanced or metastatic ccRCC are based, as first-line treatment, on the administration of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) neutralizing antibody termed Bevacizumab. Despite proven benefits, the expected results were not obtained for the majority of patients. The possibility that an intricate interplay between angiogenesis and immune-checkpoints might exist lead us to evaluate tumor angiogenesis, by means of VEGF expression together with the immune checkpoint HLA-G/ILT4. METHODS: Tumor specimens were obtained from patients from two separate cohorts: One from "Evita Pueblo" Hospital from Berazategui, (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and the second includes patients surgically operated at the Urology Department of Saint-Louis Hospital (Paris, France) with a confirmed ccRCC diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry was performed with specific antibodies directed against HLA-G, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, D240, CD34, ILT4 and Ca-IX. In addition, gene expression levels were measured in a cell line derived from a ccRCC patient by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Our results show that the highly vascularized tumors of ccRCC patients express high levels of VEGF and the immune-checkpoint HLA-G. In addition, ILT4, one of the HLA-G receptors, was detected on macrophages surrounding tumor cells, suggesting the generation of an immune-tolerant microenvironment that might favor tumorigenesis. Notably, RT-qPCR analysis provided the first evidence on the transcriptional relationship between HLA-G/ILT4 and the VEGF family. Namely, in the presence of HLA-G or ILT4, the levels of VEGF-A are diminished whereas those of VEGF-C are increased. CONCLUSIONS: In an effort to find new therapeutic molecules and fight against metastasis dissemination associated with the poor survival rates of ccRCC patients, these findings provide the rationale for co-targeting angiogenesis and the immune checkpoint HLA-G.

PIWI-interacting RNAs are differentially expressed during cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells.

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs initially thought to be restricted exclusively to germline cells. In recent years, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that piRNAs are actually expressed in pluripotent, neural, cardiac and even cancer cells. However, controversy remains around the existence and function of somatic piRNAs. Using small RNA-seq samples from H9 pluripotent cells differentiated to mesoderm progenitors and cardiomyocytes we identified the expression of 447 piRNA transcripts, of which 241 were detected in pluripotency, 218 in mesoderm and 171 in cardiac cells. The majority of them originated from the sense strand of protein coding and lncRNAs genes in all stages of differentiation, though no evidences of amplification loop (ping-pong) were found. Genes hosting piRNA transcripts in cardiac samples were related to critical biological processes in the heart, like contraction and cardiac muscle development. Our results indicate that these piRNAs might have a role in fine-tuning the expression of genes involved in differentiation of pluripotent cells to cardiomyocytes.

R534C mutation in hERG causes a trafficking defect in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from patients with type 2 long QT syndrome.

Patient-specific cardiomyocytes obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (CM-iPSC) offer unprecedented mechanistic insights in the study of inherited cardiac diseases. The objective of this work was to study a type 2 long QT syndrome (LQTS2)-associated mutation (c.1600C > T in KCNH2, p.R534C in hERG) in CM-iPSC. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from two patients with the R534C mutation and iPSCs were generated. In addition, the same mutation was inserted in a control iPSC line by genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9. Cells expressed pluripotency markers and showed spontaneous differentiation into the three embryonic germ layers. Electrophysiology demonstrated that action potential duration (APD) of LQTS2 CM-iPSC was significantly longer than that of the control line, as well as the triangulation of the action potentials (AP), implying a longer duration of phase 3. Treatment with the IKr inhibitor E4031 only caused APD prolongation in the control line. Patch clamp showed a reduction of IKr on LQTS2 CM-iPSC compared to control, but channel activation was not significantly affected. Immunofluorescence for hERG demonstrated perinuclear staining in LQTS2 CM-iPSC. In conclusion, CM-iPSC recapitulated the LQTS2 phenotype and our findings suggest that the R534C mutation in KCNH2 leads to a channel trafficking defect to the plasma membrane.

Integrin alpha-5 subunit is critical for the early stages of human pluripotent stem cell cardiac differentiation.

The stem cell niche has a strong influence in the differentiation potential of human pluripotent stem cells with integrins playing a major role in communicating cells with the extracellular environment. However, it is not well understood how interactions between integrins and the extracellular matrix are involved in cardiac stem cell differentiation. To evaluate this, we performed a profile of integrins expression in two stages of cardiac differentiation: mesodermal progenitors and cardiomyocytes. We found an active regulation of the expression of different integrins during cardiac differentiation. In particular, integrin α5 subunit showed an increased expression in mesodermal progenitors, and a significant downregulation in cardiomyocytes. To analyze the effect of α5 subunit, we modified its expression by using a CRISPRi technique. After its downregulation, a significant impairment in the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition was seen. Early mesoderm development was significantly affected due to a downregulation of key genes such as T Brachyury and TBX6. Furthermore, we observed that repression of integrin α5 during early stages led to a reduction in cardiomyocyte differentiation and impaired contractility. In summary, our results showed the link between changes in cell identity with the regulation of integrin α5 expression through the alteration of early stages of mesoderm commitment.