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Post-transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms Controlling Stem Cells Differentiation
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Post-transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms Controlling Stem Cells Differentiation

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 November 2024 | Viewed by 1697

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sorina Dinescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: non-coding RNAs; transcriptomics; chromatin conformation; extracellular vesicles; exosomes; human adipose-derived stem cells; stem cell differentiation; neurogenesis; adipogenesis; osteogenesis; tissue engineering; biocompatibility; biomaterials; magnetic nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Numerous studies indicated the significance of epigenetic processes in normal gene expression and stem cell differentiation. Stem cells are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and differentiating into various cell lineages, depending on the signals received from the surrounding environment. This transition from a less committed state to a differentiated cell type involves a cascade of alterations regarding cell morphology, metabolic activity and changes in gene expression. Several molecules can be involved in the regulation of gene expression such as micro-RNAs, which represent small, non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) molecules that play a crucial role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Other molecules such as histones and DNA-binding proteins can also determine the epigenetic alteration of stem cells by undergoing modifications such as methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that are the basis of these epigenetic mechanisms help us to understand the epigenetic processes that can influence stem cells’ proliferation and differentiation into various cellular lineages by either enhancing or controlling their overall cellular activity. In this context, innovative and effective stem cell-based approaches for therapy can be also developed.

This Special Issue will provide researchers with insights into the latest discoveries and advances in the domain of post-transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms controlling stem cell differentiation, focusing on the regulatory roles of ncRNAs at different stages of differentiation. This Special Issue welcomes publications in the form of original research articles, reviews and reports. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sorina Dinescu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • stem cell differentiation
  • adipogenesis
  • neurogenesis
  • epigenetics
  • post-transcriptional modification
  • ncRNAs

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4508 KiB  
Article
Limited Adipogenic Differentiation Potential of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Compared to Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells
by Isaac Maximiliano Bugueno, Giuseppe Alastra, Anamaria Balic, Bernd Stadlinger and Thimios A. Mitsiadis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(20), 11105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252011105 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 649
Abstract
Bone marrow and teeth contain mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that could be used for cell-based regenerative therapies. MSCs from these two tissues represent heterogeneous cell populations with varying degrees of lineage commitment. Although human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) and human dental pulp [...] Read more.
Bone marrow and teeth contain mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that could be used for cell-based regenerative therapies. MSCs from these two tissues represent heterogeneous cell populations with varying degrees of lineage commitment. Although human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) and human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) have been extensively studied, it is not yet fully defined if their adipogenic potential differs. Therefore, in this study, we compared the in vitro adipogenic differentiation potential of hDPSCs and hBMSCs. Both cell populations were cultured in adipogenic differentiation media, followed by specific lipid droplet staining to visualise cytodifferentiation. The in vitro differentiation assays were complemented with the expression of specific genes for adipogenesis and osteogenesis–dentinogenesis, as well as for genes involved in the Wnt and Notch signalling pathways. Our findings showed that hBMSCs formed adipocytes containing numerous and large lipid vesicles. In contrast to hBMSCs, hDPSCs did not acquire the typical adipocyte morphology and formed fewer lipid droplets of small size. Regarding the gene expression, cultured hBMSCs upregulated the expression of adipogenic-specific genes (e.g., PPARγ2, LPL, ADIPONECTIN). Furthermore, in these cells most Wnt pathway genes were downregulated, while the expression of NOTCH pathway genes (e.g., NOTCH1, NOTCH3, JAGGED1, HES5, HEY2) was upregulated. hDPSCs retained their osteogenic/dentinogenic molecular profile (e.g., RUNX2, ALP, COLIA1) and upregulated the WNT-specific genes but not the NOTCH pathway genes. Taken together, our in vitro findings demonstrate that hDPSCs are not entirely committed to the adipogenic fate, in contrast to the hBMSCs, which are more effective to fully differentiate into adipocytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms Controlling Stem Cells Differentiation)
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Review

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26 pages, 3367 KiB  
Review
A Compendium of G-Flipon Biological Functions That Have Experimental Validation
by Alan Herbert
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910299 - 25 Sep 2024
Viewed by 859
Abstract
As with all new fields of discovery, work on the biological role of G-quadruplexes (GQs) has produced a number of results that at first glance are quite baffling, sometimes because they do not fit well together, but mostly because they are different from [...] Read more.
As with all new fields of discovery, work on the biological role of G-quadruplexes (GQs) has produced a number of results that at first glance are quite baffling, sometimes because they do not fit well together, but mostly because they are different from commonly held expectations. Like other classes of flipons, those that form G-quadruplexes have a repeat sequence motif that enables the fold. The canonical DNA motif (G3N1–7)3G3, where N is any nucleotide and G is guanine, is a feature that is under active selection in avian and mammalian genomes. The involvement of G-flipons in genome maintenance traces back to the invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans and to ancient DNA repair pathways. The role of GQs in transcription is supported by the observation that yeast Rap1 protein binds both B-DNA, in a sequence-specific manner, and GQs, in a structure-specific manner, through the same helix. Other sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) also engage both conformations to actuate cellular transactions. Noncoding RNAs can also modulate GQ formation in a sequence-specific manner and engage the same cellular machinery as localized by TFs, linking the ancient RNA world with the modern protein world. The coevolution of noncoding RNAs and sequence-specific proteins is supported by studies of early embryonic development, where the transient formation of G-quadruplexes coordinates the epigenetic specification of cell fate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms Controlling Stem Cells Differentiation)
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