Critical regulation of miR-200/ZEB2 pathway in Oct4/Sox2-induced mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and induced pluripotent stem cell generation

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 19;110(8):2858-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1212769110. Epub 2013 Feb 5.

Abstract

Fibroblasts can be reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by application of transcription factors octamer-binding protein 4 (Oct4), SRY-box containing gene 2 (Sox2), Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4), and c-Myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) (OSKM), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that exogenous Oct4 and Sox2 can bind at the promoter regions of mir-141/200c and mir-200a/b/429 cluster, respectively, and induce the transcription activation of miR-200 family during the OSKM-induced reprogramming. Functional suppression of miR-200s with specific inhibitors significantly represses the OSKM-caused mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET, an early event in reprogramming of fibroblasts to iPSCs) and iPSC generation, whereas overexpression of miR-200s promotes the MET and iPSC generation. Mechanistic studies showed that miR-200s significantly repress the expression of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) through directly targeting its 3' UTR and direct inhibition of ZEB2 can mimic the effects of miR-200s on iPSC generation and MET process. Moreover, the effects of miR-200s during iPSC generation can be blocked by ZEB2 overexpression. Collectively, our findings not only reveal that members of the miR-200 family are unique mediators of the reprogramming factors Oct4/Sox2, but also demonstrate that the miR-200/ZEB2 pathway as one critical mechanism of Oct4/Sox2 to induce somatic cell reprogramming at the early stage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / metabolism*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Klf4 protein, mouse
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn200 microRNA, mouse
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3
  • Pou5f1 protein, mouse
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors
  • Sox2 protein, mouse
  • ZEB2 protein, mouse
  • Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2