Effects of Akt signaling on nuclear reprogramming

• Published in: Genes to cells : devoted to molecular & cellular mechanisms Vol. 13; no. 12; pp. 1269 - 1277
• Main Authors: Nakamura, Toshinobu, Inoue, Kimiko, Ogawa, Shoko, Umehara, Hiroki, Ogonuki, Narumi, Miki, Hiromi, Kimura, Tohru, Ogura, Atsuo, Nakano, Toru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Malden, USA : Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.12.2008; Blackwell Publishing Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Cellular Reprogramming; Enzyme Activation; Mice; Nuclear Transfer Techniques; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 1356-9597; 1365-2443
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2008.01243.x

Reprogramming of the epigenetic state from differentiated to pluripotent cells can be attained by cell fusion of differentiated somatic cells with embryonic stem (ES) cells or transfer of the nucleus of a differentiated cell into an enucleated oocyte. Activation of Akt signaling is sufficient to maintain pluripotency of ES cells and promotes derivation of embryonic germ (EG) cells from primordial germ cells (PGCs). Here we analyzed the effects of Akt signaling on somatic cell nuclear reprogramming after cell fusion and nuclear transfer. We found that forced activation of Akt signaling stimulated reprogramming after cell fusion of ES cells with thymocytes or mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These hybrid cells showed ES cell characteristics, including in vitro and in vivo differentiation capacity. In contrast, Akt signaling significantly reduced the efficiency of reprogramming with nuclear transfer. Our results demonstrate that Akt signaling plays important roles on the nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells.