Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be generated by a single gene Oct4 and chemical compounds, in which exogenous expression of Oct4 was indispensable for reprogramming. Recent advances in chemical-mediated cellular reprogramming suggest that small molecules alone (i.e. without Yamanaka factors) can successfully establish iPSCs from mouse somatic cells.

The process of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) during reprogramming to produce human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), as well as during the extensive programming that occurs in human preimplantation development, is not well-understood. Indeed, studies of XCI during reprogramming to iPSCs report cells with two active X chromosomes and/or cells with one inactive X chromosome. Here, we exam...

Objectives We intended to determine whether the ovarian varicose which is one of the common etiologies of the pelvic congestion syndrome, has the ability to interfere with the DNA methylation reprogramming in the oocyte and thereby affect the oocyte quality or not. Materials and Methods Varicose model was induced according to the Turner's method in the rats. Briefly, a 20-gauge needle was pla...

Receptor-mediated endocytosis of yolk precursors via clathrin-coated structures is the key mechanism underlying rapid chicken oocyte growth. In defining oocyte-specific components of clathrin-mediated events, we have to date identified oocyte-specific yolk transport receptors, but little is known about the oocytes' supporting endocytic machinery. Important proteins implicated in clathrin-mediat...

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed to form embryonic stem cell-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), but the process suffers from low efficiency and the underlying molecular mechanisms that control reprogramming remain poorly understood. Here we perform an inhibitor screen to identify kinases that enhance, or present a barrier to, reprogramming. In particular, inhibitors of p38, inositol ...

Unlike mammals, zebrafish can regenerate a damaged retina. This remarkable regenerative response is mediated by Müller glia (MG) that undergo a reprogramming event that drives their proliferation and the generation of multipotent progenitors for retinal repair. The mechanisms that drive MG reprogramming are poorly understood. Here, we report that Leptin and Gp130-coupled receptors, acting via a...

Forced expression of transcription factors epigenetically reprograms somatic cells harvested from routine skin biopsies into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSCs are key resources for drug discovery, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Here we developed a materials approach to explore how culture substrates could impact factor-mediated reprogramming of human fibroblasts...