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Since the establishment of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) in the 1980s, a number of important notions on the self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells in vitro have been found. In serum containing conventional culture, an exogenous cytokine, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), is absolutely essential for the maintenance of pluripotency. In contrast, in serum-free culture with simultaneous inhibition of Map-kinase and Gsk3 (so called 2i-culture), LIF is no longer required. However, recent findings also suggest that LIF may have a role not covered by the 2i for the maintenance of naïve pluripotency. These suggest that LIF functions for the maintenance of naïve pluripotency in a context dependent manner. We summarize how LIF-signal pathway is converged to maintain the naïve state of pluripotency.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) signaling regulates transcription factors to maintain the self-renewability and pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Recently, we have proposed a network model that consists of transcription factors such as, Klf4, Sox2, Tbx3, Nanog, and Oct3/4, which form a parallel pathway downstream from LIF signaling (Nature, 460, 2009, Niwa et al.). In this parallel pathway, the transcription factors maintain the pluripotency of ES cells through mutual balance with some degree of redundancy and compensation. While self-renewability and pluripotency are maintained well under such seemingly stringent regulation, studies of single cells revealed heterogeneity among individual ES cells. This heterogeneity may underlie the mechanism that allows ES cells to exit self-renewal and enter into differentiation to exert pluripotency. Here we focus on recent studies on the heterogeneity of ES cells and discuss their inherent metastability.

The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene encodes merlin, a membrane/cytoskeleton protein necessary for maintenance of contact inhibition of growth in cells. Biallelic inactivation of NF2 is known to cause multiple cancers in both humans and mice. However, the mechanism through which merlin exerts its tumor suppressive function remains obscure. In this report we reveal that NF2 knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lost contact inhibition of cell proliferation and contained significantly increased canonical Wnt signaling. Inhibition of Rac1, whose activity is inversely regulated by NF2, through the use of a dominant negative mutant, small hairpin RNA, or a small molecule inhibitor in the NF2-deficient cells, was able to suppress the elevated Wnt signals as shown by reduced activity of the T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) transcription factor. Dominant negative TCF4 or Rac1 mutant, as well as a small molecule inhibition of Wnt, were able to curb the NF2 deficiency-elicited cell proliferation at the confluent state. Thus, Rac1-mediated canonical Wnt signaling is essential for the loss of contact inhibition in NF2-deficient cells.

Growth factors induce massive actin cytoskeletal remodeling in cells. These reorganization events underlie various cellular responses such as cell migration and morphological changes. One major form of actin reorganization is the formation and disassembly of dorsal ruffles (also named waves, dorsal rings, or circular ruffles). Dorsal ruffles are involved in physiological functions including cell migration, invasion, macropinocytosis, plasma membrane recycling, and others. Growth factors initiate rapid formation (within 5 min) of circular membrane ruffles, and these ruffles move along the dorsal side of the cells, constrict, close, and eventually disassemble ( approximately 20 min). Considerable attention has been devoted to the mechanism by which growth factors induce the formation of dorsal ruffles. However, little is known of the mechanism by which these ruffles are disassembled. Here we have shown that G proteins G(12) and G(13) control the rate of disassembly of dorsal ruffles. In Galpha(12)(-/-)Galpha(13)(-/-) fibroblast cells, dorsal ruffles induced by growth factor treatment remain visible substantially longer ( approximately 60 min) than in wild-type cells, whereas the rate of formation of these ruffles was the same with or without Galpha(12) and Galpha(13). Thus, Galpha(12)/Galpha(13) critically regulate dorsal ruffle turnover.

Schwann cell–axon interaction is the hallmark feature of peripheral nerves, yet the intracellular signals underlying this interaction are unknown. Schwann cells extend processes and migrate on developing axons before differentiation, requiring coordinated regulation of the Schwann cell cytoskeleton. Small GTPases of the Rho family, including Rho, Rac, and cell division cycle 42, regulate the actin cytoskeleton. The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene is commonly mutated in schwannomas, Schwann cell tumors that contain cells lacking axon interaction. NF2 is involved in suppression of Rac signaling, and cultured schwannoma cells contain elevated, GTP-bound, active Rac. Despite these previous studies, a causal relationship between Rac activation and the abnormal cellular morphology of schwannoma is unknown. We used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to follow Rac activity in normal human Schwann cells and schwannoma cells during interaction with neurons. Normal Schwann cells elongated processes along neurites under low Rac activity. Schwannoma cells showed high Rac activity at distal regions of the cells and failed to align processes with neurites. Application of a Rac-specific inhibitor, the chemical compoundNSC23766, to schwannoma cells restored neuronal interaction. The data support the significance of regulated Rac signaling in mediating Schwann cell–axon interaction and suggest that controlling Rac activity as a possible therapy for schwannomas.

We have investigated the relationship between the developmental expression of sphingomyelin, a major component of myelin, and oligodendrocyte lineage. Using lysenin as a cytochemical probe for membrane sphingomyelin, we have now determined the distribution pattern of sphingomyelin on the plasma membrane of rat cultured oligodendrocytes. Although lysenin does not bind to A2B5(+)/NG2(+) bipolar oligodendrocyte progenitors, lysenin recognizes sphingomyelin on the cell bodies of multipolar A2B5(+) cells, but not on their processes. O4(+) and O1(+) immature and MBP(+) mature oligodendrocytes are strongly labeled by lysenin from cell bodies to the tips of processes. The content of sphingomyelin in immature and mature oligodendrocytes is approximately 2-fold higher than that in oligodendrocyte progenitors. These findings show that sphingomyelin increases during differentiation of cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage. In multipolar oligodendrocyte progenitors exposed to Triton X-100 at 4 degrees C, lysenin labels cell processes in addition to cell bodies. In contrast, Triton X-100 extraction does not alter the distribution of lysenin binding on O4(+), O1(+) and MBP(+) cells, although the immunocytochemical intensities of the lysenin bindings increase. Our data suggest that the alteration in sphingomyelin content and distribution in the oligodendrocyte lineage cells could have important consequences for cell recognition and downstream signaling events through sphingomyelin-rich domains.

At the premyelinating stage, the Schwann cells of peripheral nerves are able to recognize the axon, to arrange themselves along it in a nonoverlapping manner, and finally to establish a one-to-one cell-axon relationship. The mechanism that regulates these processes is not known in detail. We found the existence of a significant Schwann cell apoptosis in vivo of rat postnatal sciatic nerve, peaking around postnatal day 3. More than 50% of the neonatal Schwann cells cultured in axon-free medium undergo a rapid apoptosis. The apoptosis can be suppressed by addition of survival factors such as Neu differentiation factors or by increasing the adhesion of Schwann cells to substratum. We suggest that in neonatal nerves in vivo, Schwann cells are highly susceptible to apoptosis, but they are saved from death by contact with axons. The dramatic increase in number of Schwann cells between postnatal day 0 and 3 overcomes the number of axons available for them. Consequently the Schwann cells that fail to contact an axon undergo apoptosis. In conclusion, the number of Schwann cells in the developing nerves is regulated by the apoptosis and clearly depends on the survival signals from axons.

Summary ZSCAN4 is a DNA-binding protein that functions for telomere elongation and genomic stability. In vivo, it is specifically expressed at the two-cell stage during mouse development. In vitro, it is transiently expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), only in 5% of the population at one time. Here we attempted to elucidate when, under what circumstances, Zscan4 is activated in ESCs. Using live cell imaging, we monitored the activity of Zscan4 together with the pluripotency marker Rex1. The lengths of the cell cycles in ESCs were diverse. Longer cell cycles were accompanied by shorter telomeres and higher activation of Zscan4. Since activation of Zscan4 is involved in telomere elongation, we speculate that the extended cell cycles accompanied by Zscan4 activation reflect the time for telomere recovery. Rex1 and Zscan4 did not show any correlation. Taken together, we propose that Zscan4 is activated to recover shortened telomeres during extended cell cycles, irrespective of the pluripotent status., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • At longer cell cycles, telomeres are shorter • Zscan4 is activated when the cell cycles become long • After the activation of Zscan4, the next cell cycle becomes short • We propose Zscan4 is activated for telomere maintenance irrespective of pluripotency, Zscan4 is a rejuvenation factor that is transiently expressed in ESCs. By retrospective analyses of live imaging data, Nakai-Futatsugi and Niwa show that Zscan4 is activated when cell cycles become long, presumably sensing shortened telomeres irrespective of the pluripotent status. The results suggest that Zscan4 is activated for genomic maintenance, which is not necessarily related to the two-cell-stage-like status of ESCs.