Open AccessCBARA1 Plays a Role in Stemness and Proliferation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Author(s) -
Kevin Chen,
Lih-Tao Hsu,
ChengYi Wu,
ShauFeng Chang,
Hui-Ting Huang,
Wannhsin Chen
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0063653
Subject(s) - homeobox protein nanog , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , rex1 , gene knockdown , biology , stem cell , cell cycle , nanog homeobox protein , cellular differentiation , cell growth , small hairpin rna , cell cycle checkpoint , induced pluripotent stem cell , cell , apoptosis , genetics , gene
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are capable of unlimited self-renewal and can generate almost all of the cells in the body. Although some pluripotency factors have been identified, much remains unclear regarding the molecules and mechanisms that regulate hESC self-renewal and pluripotency. In this study, we identified a mitochondrial gene, CBARA1, that is expressed in undifferentiated hESCs and that is down-regulated rapidly after cellular differentiation. To study its role in hESCs, endogenous CBARA1 expression was knocked down using shRNA. CBARA1 knockdown in hESCs resulted in down-regulation of Oct4 and Nanog expression, attenuated cell growth, and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest; however, knockdown did not noticeably affect apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that CBARA1 is a marker for undifferentiated hESCs that plays a role in maintaining stemness, cell cycle progression, and proliferation.