Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Gene Expression Is Induced by Nanog and Oct4, Essential Pluripotent Stem Cells' Transcription Factors

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 7;10(12):e0144336. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144336. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells possess complex systems that protect them from oxidative stress and ensure genomic stability, vital for their role in development. Even though it has been reported that antioxidant activity diminishes along stem cell differentiation, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the involved genes. The reported modulation of some of these genes led us to hypothesize that some of them could be regulated by the transcription factors critical for self-renewal and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In this work, we studied the expression profile of multiple genes involved in antioxidant defense systems in both ESCs and iPSCs. We found that Manganese superoxide dismutase gene (Mn-Sod/Sod2) was repressed during diverse differentiation protocols showing an expression pattern similar to Nanog gene. Moreover, Sod2 promoter activity was induced by Oct4 and Nanog when we performed a transactivation assay using two different reporter constructions. Finally, we studied Sod2 gene regulation by modulating the expression of Oct4 and Nanog in ESCs by shRNAs and found that downregulation of any of them reduced Sod2 expression. Our results indicate that pluripotency transcription factors positively modulate Sod2 gene transcription.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Nanog Homeobox Protein
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / genetics
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Superoxide Dismutase / genetics*
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Nanog Homeobox Protein
  • Nanog protein, mouse
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3
  • Pou5f1 protein, mouse
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • superoxide dismutase 2

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants (to AG) from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET, PIP 112-200801-03003 and PIP112-201101-00243), National Agency for Science and Technology Promotion (ANPCyT, PICT 2011-2713). CS, MSC, AW and CL are fellows from CONICET. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.