Abstract
From the cocktail of four factors that were able to induce pluripotent stem cells from differentiated cells, Oct-4, c-Myc, Sox-2 and Klf4, only Oct-4 was not expressed during regeneration in newts. To explore the possible action of this stemness factor we developed an assay where we introduced exogenous Oct-4 protein to an in vitro system for lens regeneration in newts. We found that exogenous Oct-4 inhibits differentiation of iris pigmented epithelial cells into lens cells and also regulates Sox-2 and Pax-6, both important players during lens development. Thus, presence of Oct-4 hinders transdifferentiation of iris cells.
Highlights
The ability to regenerate lost body parts in certain organisms is either due to resident stem cells or dedifferentiation of tissues at the site of injury
The regenerated lens is derived from pigmented epithelial cells of dorsal iris by the process of transdifferentiation [1]
Studies have found similarities between these two processes as observed in regeneration animal models such as newt, zebrafish and frogs [3,4,5]. These similarities are mainly related to common gene expression
Summary
The ability to regenerate lost body parts in certain organisms is either due to resident stem cells or dedifferentiation of tissues at the site of injury. The regenerated lens is derived from pigmented epithelial cells of dorsal iris by the process of transdifferentiation [1]. In newts, regulated expression of stem cell factors; Sox-2, c-Myc and Klf4 is observed during both lens and limb regeneration [4]. We describe our findings for the consequences of Oct-4 expression in newt IPE cells to understand cellular fate change during lens regeneration.
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