1. The nuclear receptor THRB facilitates differentiation of human PSCs into more mature hepatocytes.
- Author
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Ma H, de Zwaan E, Guo YE, Cejas P, Thiru P, van de Bunt M, Jeppesen JF, Syamala S, Dall'Agnese A, Abraham BJ, Fu D, Garrett-Engele C, Lee TI, Long HW, Griffith LG, Young RA, and Jaenisch R
- Subjects
- Animals, Cell Differentiation, Humans, Mice, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear metabolism, Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Chromatin metabolism, Hepatocytes metabolism
- Abstract
To understand the mechanisms regulating the in vitro maturation of hPSC-derived hepatocytes, we developed a 3D differentiation system and compared gene regulatory elements in human primary hepatocytes with those in hPSC-hepatocytes that were differentiated in 2D or 3D conditions by RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and H3K27Ac ChIP-seq. Regulome comparisons showed a reduced enrichment of thyroid receptor THRB motifs in accessible chromatin and active enhancers without a reduced transcription of THRB. The addition of thyroid hormone T3 increased the binding of THRB to the CYP3A4 proximal enhancer, restored the super-enhancer status and gene expression of NFIC, and reduced the expression of AFP. The resultant hPSC-hepatocytes showed gene expression, epigenetic status, and super-enhancer landscape closer to primary hepatocytes and activated regulatory regions including non-coding SNPs associated with liver-related diseases. Transplanting the hPSC-hepatocytes resulted in the engraftment of human hepatocytes into the mouse liver without disrupting normal liver histology. This work implicates the environmental factor-nuclear receptor axis in regulating the maturation of hPSC-hepatocytes., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests R.J. is a cofounder of Fate, Fulcrum, and Omega Therapeutics and an adviser to Dewpoint and Camp4 Therapeutics. R.A.Y. is a founder and shareholder of Syros Pharmaceuticals, Camp4 Therapeutics, Omega Therapeutics, and Dewpoint Therapeutics. J.F.J. and M.B. are employees of Novo Nordisk A/S. T.L. is a shareholder of Syros Pharmaceuticals and a consultant to Camp4 Therapeutics. A.D. is a consultant for Dewpoint Therapeutics. The remaining authors have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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