Generation of urine-derived induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient with phenylketonuria.

The aim of the study was to establish an induced pluripotent stem cell line from urine-derived cells (UiPSCs) from a patient with phenylketonuria (PKU) in order to provide a useful research tool with which to examine the pathology of this rare genetic metabolic disease. Urine-derived epithelial cells (UCs) from a 15-year-old male patient with PKU were isolated and reprogrammed with integration-free episomal vectors carrying an OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and miR-302-367 cluster. PKU-UiPSCs were verified as correct using alkaline phosphatase staining. Pluripotency markers were detected with real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Promoter methylation in two pluripotent genes, and , was analyzed using bisulphite sequencing. An embryoid body (EB) formation assay was also performed. An induced pluripotent stem cell line (iPSC) was generated from epithelial cells in urine from a patient with PKU. This cell line had increased expression of stem cell biomarkers, it efficiently formed EBs, it stained positive for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and it had a marked decrease in promoter methylation in the and genes. The PKU-UiPSCs created here had typical characteristics and are suitable for further differentiation.