Reprogramming in inter-species embryonal carcinoma-somatic cell hybrids induces expression of pluripotency and differentiation markers

Somatic cell reprogramming holds great promise for the development of novel cellular therapeutics. A number of sources of reprogramming potential have been identified, including oocytes, embryonic germ (EG) cells and embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, each of these sources of reprogramming factors is problematic, since they are either not freely available or have special growth requirements. Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells are another source of pluripotent cells that, unlike ES and EG cells, do not usually require special growth conditions. Since they share many of the key characteristics of ES cells, such as pluripotency, EC cells may provide a readily amenable alternative source of reprogramming factors and could serve as a model for ES cells in this respect. Here we show that mouse EC cells can also function as donors of reprogramming factors. PEG-mediated fusion between murine EC cells (P19) and the cells of a human T-lymphoma cell line (CEM-GFP) resulted in inter-species hybrid colony formation. Colonies of hybrid cells displayed heterogeneity in cellular morphology as well as in their pattern of human gene expression. Expression of two human transcription factors characteristic of undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells, Oct-4 and Sox-2, was detected in the hybrid cells, demonstrating activation of endogenous human markers of pluripotency. Simultaneously, down-regulation of CD45, a marker present in lymphocytic cells, was observed in some hybrids. The detection of human specific markers of differentiation, such as nestin, lamininbeta1, and collagen IValpha1, indicates that fusion resulted in reprogramming of the human cells to reflect the differentiation potential of the murine EC partner.