Beadle Erik P, Straub Joseph A, Bunnell Bruce A, Newman Jamie J
School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA.
Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Mol Biol Rep. 2018 Oct;45(5):1545-1550. doi: 10.1007/s11033-018-4241-5. Epub 2018 Jul 13.
Regulation of gene expression is critical for the maintenance of cell state and homeostasis. Aberrant regulation of genes can lead to unwanted cell proliferation or misdirected differentiation. Here we investigate the role of MED31, a highly conserved subunit of the Mediator complex, to determine the role this subunit plays in the maintenance of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) state. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown of MED31 we demonstrate a decrease in self-renewal based on cell assays and monitoring of gene expression. In addition, in the absence of MED31, hMSCs also displayed a reduction in adipogenesis as evidenced by diminished lipid vesicle formation and expression of specific adipogenic markers. These data present evidence for a significant role for MED31 in maintaining adult stem cell homeostasis, thereby introducing potential novel targets for future investigation and use in better understanding stem cell behavior and adipogenesis.
基因表达调控对于维持细胞状态和体内平衡至关重要。基因的异常调控会导致不必要的细胞增殖或分化方向错误。在此，我们研究中介体复合物的一个高度保守亚基MED31的作用，以确定该亚基在维持人间充质干细胞（hMSC）状态中所起的作用。通过小干扰RNA（siRNA）介导敲低MED31，我们基于细胞检测和基因表达监测证明了自我更新能力下降。此外，在缺乏MED31的情况下，hMSC的脂肪生成也减少，脂质小泡形成减少以及特定脂肪生成标志物的表达降低证明了这一点。这些数据表明MED31在维持成体干细胞体内平衡中具有重要作用，从而为未来的研究引入了潜在的新靶点，有助于更好地理解干细胞行为和脂肪生成。
