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Hypoxia-inducible factors have distinct and stage-specific roles during reprogramming of human cells to pluripotency

  • Julie Mathieu
  • , Wenyu Zhou
  • , Yalan Xing
  • , Henrik Sperber
  • , Amy Ferreccio
  • , Zsuzsa Agoston
  • , Kavitha T. Kuppusamy
  • , Randall T. Moon
  • , Hannele Ruohola-Baker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

196 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells have distinct metabolic requirements, and reprogramming cells to pluripotency requires a shift from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism. Here, we show that this shift occurs early during reprogramming of human cells and requires hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in a stage-specific manner. HIF1α and HIF2α are both necessary to initiate this metabolic switch and for the acquisition of pluripotency, and the stabilization of either protein during early phases of reprogramming is sufficient to induce the switch to glycolytic metabolism. In contrast, stabilization of HIF2α during later stages represses reprogramming, partly because of the upregulation of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). TRAIL inhibits induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation by repressing apoptotic caspase 3 activity specifically in cells undergoing reprogramming but not human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and inhibiting TRAIL activity enhances human iPSC generation. These results shed light on the mechanisms underlying the metabolic shifts associated with the acquisition of a pluripotent identity during reprogramming.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)592-605
Number of pages14
JournalCell Stem Cell
Volume14
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2014
Externally publishedYes

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