Pluripotency Genes Overexpressed in Primate Embryonic Stem Cells Are Localized on Homologues of Human 16, 17, 19 and X

While human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are predisposed towards chromosomal aneploidities on 12, 17, 20 and X, rendering them susceptible to transformation, the specific genes expressed are not yet known. Here, by identifying the genes over expressed in pluripotent rhesus ESCs (nhpESCs) and comparing them to both their genetically-identical differentiated progeny (teratoma fibroblasts) as well as genetically-related differentiated parental cells (parental skin fibroblasts from whom gametes were used for ESC derivation), we find that some of those over expressed genes in nhpESCs cluster preferentially on rhesus chromosomes 16, 19, 20 and X, homologues of human chromosomes 17, 19, 16 and X respectively. Differentiated parental skin fibroblasts display gene expression profiles closer to nhpESC profiles than to teratoma cells, which are genetically identical to the pluripotent nhpESCs. Twenty over and under expressed pluripotency modulators, some implicated in neurogenesis, have been identified. The over expression of some of these genes discovered using pedigreed nhpESCs derived from prime embryos generated by fertile primates, which is impossible to perform with the anonymously donated clinically-discarded embryos from which hESCs are derived, independently confirms the importance of chromosome 17 and X regions in pluripotency and suggests specific candidates for targeting differentiation and transformation decisions.

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Ben-Yehudah A, Navara CS, Redinger CJ, Mich-Basso JD, Castro CA, Oliver S, Chensny LJ, Richards TJ, Kaminski N, Schatten G