NIA researchers find gene to explain mouse embryonic stem cell immortality

Featured In: Cell Biology

By EurekAlert Wednesday, March 24, 2024

Loading...

Researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, have discovered a key to embryonic stem (ES) cell rejuvenation in a gene—Zscan4—as reported in the March 24, 2010, online issue of Nature. This breakthrough finding could have major implications for aging research, stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and cancer biology.

ES cells are unique because, along with the ability to develop into nearly any type of cell in the body, they can produce infinite generations of new, fully operational ES cells (daughter cells). ES cells are essentially immortal, meaning that they can divide indefinitely to produce additional generations of functional ES daughter cells. Other cells can only produce a certain number of generations of daughter cells before they no longer function properly. This is partially because the telomere, the protective end of the chromosome which carries the cell's genetic information, shortens each time a cell divides. When a telomere becomes too short, it can no longer protect the cell. At that time, the cell dies, turns itself off, known as cell senescence, or produces abnormal and possibly dysfunctional cells.

Until now, the mechanism for the ES cell's immortality had been a mystery. The prevailing theory was that ES cells practiced "self-renewal," meaning that when they divided, they produced daughter cells that were completely unaltered (including telomere length) from the parent. NIA researchers discovered that the process occurring in ES cells can be more appropriately described as "rejuvenation" than the "self-renewal." As in other cells, when ES cells replicate, the daughter cells are not identical to the parent and the telomeres are shorter. However, ES cells express a unique Zscan4 gene that, when activated (or turned on), rejuvenates the ES cell, restoring it to its original vigor. This rejuvenation includes telomere lengthening through recombination, when a shorter telomere combines with a longer telomere to elongate itself. Zscan4 then turns off. The gene is not turned on every time that the cell replicates—approximately 5 percent of the cells will have an activated gene at any one point. The process is a cycle of cell replication (with telomere shortening) and intermittent activation of Zscan4 (cell rejuvenation).

Researchers are currently investigating whether a similar mechanism also operates in human cells.

SOURCE

Join the Discussion
Rate Article: Average 0 out of 5
register or log in to comment on this article!

0 Comments

Add Comment

Text Only 2000 character limit

Page 1 of 1

Research Exchange

Multi-Parametric Cellular Analysis

Mar 23

Flow cytometers perform a variety of multi parametric applications and have been used for an expanding set of cell analysis applications over the past forty years.

Maintaining a Healthy Cell Culture Environment

Mar 23

Investing in best practices and products at the beginning of any experiment is the most time- and cost-effective way to approach cell culture.

Publishing Data That Conform to the MIQE Guidelines

Jan 22

Minimum information for publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines help researchers design qPCR experiments.

Calibration Free Analysis to Measure the Concentration of Active Proteins

Nov 23 2009

An SPR-based method, Calibration Free Concentration Analysis can be used to accurately determine the concentration of active protein in a sample, relating to the specific binding activity of the protein, and without the need for a standard.

Advantages of Monolithic Laser Combiner Technology in Confocal Microscopy Systems

Jan 6

Fluorescence microscopy techniques require a reliable light source at the desired wavelength or wavelengths, with minimal downtime for maintenance and alignment. Lasers are a popular light source, although the alignment and upkeep of laser combiners is a time-consuming prospect for many users.

Size-Exclusion Chromatography for Purification of Biomolecules

Dec 2 2009

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is a popular method to separate biomolecules based on their size. Primarily, it is applied to the separation of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids, i.e. water-soluble polymers.

Improving Separation During Electrophoresis

Dec 2 2009

SeparateIT gels represent a novel gel matrix for DNA electrophoresis. Gel polymers are arranged in a conceptually different way, in accordance with a new theoretical model of gel electrophoresis.

Improving Quality of ELISA

Dec 2 2009

Using ready-to-use ELISA kits from manufacturers is easy and convenient. Sometimes however, home-made ELISA is required because there is no kit available with the right antibodies or the characteristics of the available kits such as their limits of detection are not appropriate.

Using the Tecan Genesis Workstation to Automate a Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Immunoassay

Mar 11

The poster describe the process involved in automating a Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) immunoassay developed to measure relative concentrations of serum antibodies against Tetanus (TT), Sperm Whale Myoglobin (SWM) and Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) in KLH-immunized volunteers.

Ensuring Quality in Assays Performed with Automated Liquid Handlers

Feb 2

The focus of this presentation is to highlight the need of ensuring quality in important assays performed with automated liquid handlers. Nearly all assays performed within a laboratory are volume-dependent. In turn, all concentrations of biological and chemical components in these assays, as well as the associated dilution protocols, are volume-dependent. Because analyte concentration is volume-dependent, an assay’s results might be falsely interpreted if liquid handler variability and inaccuracies are unknown or if the system(s) go unchecked for a long period.

Inkjet System for Protein Crystallography

Feb 1

X-ray crystallography is used routinely by scientists to obtain the three dimensional structure of a biological molecule of interest.Such information can be used to determine how a pharmaceutical interacts with a protein target and what changes might improve functionality. However, the crystallization of macromolecules still remains a serious hindrance in structural determination despite impressive advances in screening methods and technologies.

Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity in a Drosophila Memory Mutant

Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity in a Drosophila Memory Mutant

Nov 9 2009

Action selection is modulated by external stimuli either directly or via memory retrieval. In a constantly changing environment, animals have evolved attention-like processes to effectively filter the incoming sensory stream. These attention-like processes, in turn, are modulated by memory. The neurobiological nature of how attention, action selection and memory are inter-connected is unknown. We describe here new phenotypes of the memory mutant radish in the fruit fly Drosophila.

Interparental conflict and academic achievement: an examination of mediating and moderating factors.

Mar 27

Using a risk and resiliency theoretical framework, the association between interparental conflict and academic achievement was examined. The sample consisted of 2,297 6th grade youth with a mean age of 11.92. Participants were mostly European American (81.8%) and 52% were...

New frontiers in gut nutrient sensor research: monosodium L-glutamate added to a high-energy, high-protein liquid diet promotes gastric emptying: a possible therapy for patien...

Mar 26

Functional dyspepsia is a clinical syndrome that features abdominal symptoms centered in the upper abdomen without an organic basis. Three possible mechanisms of gastric dysfunction could be related to functional dyspepsia: 1) delayed gastric emptying, 2) impaired gastric...

Prokariotic Cell Collection in Denmark

Nov 6 2009

I would like to know about a prokariotic cell collection in Denmark. Is there a cell bank in this country? I need a Lactobacillus strain for a fermentation assay and this information about the bank is very helpful for me.

Request for Entries

Oct 16 2009

Ask the Experts is your chance to get the answers to questions on applications, materials, methods, processes, and technologies. Email you question to bst_web@advantagemedia.com, and the editors of Bioscience Technology will find an appropriate expert to answer it. Watch this space in the future to see the questions your colleagues are posting.

STAY INFORMED: SUBSCRIBE TO

Magazine and E-mail Newsletters

Loading...
E-mail:   

MULTIMEDIA

Video:

Neuroscience Diseases of The Brain and How The Mind Emerges

Neuroscience Diseases of The Brain and How The Mind Emerges

Nov 8 2009

Dennis Choi, director of Emory Universitys Neuroscience Center, is renowned for his groundbreaking research on brain and spinal cord injury.

Podcasts:

Allen Institute for Brain Research

Allen Institute for Brain Research

Oct 14 2009

Discussed in this interview are both the mouse brain project and the human cortex project with an emphasis on the importance of these projects to neuroscience research.

Information: