The pathways involved in exit from pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells are poorly understood. Here, the authors performed a CRISPR-based screen to identify genes that promote exit from naïve pluripotency and find a role for folliculin (FLCN) by regulating the mTOR and Wnt pathways

Artoni, F.

Battle, S.

Bottorff, T.

Cavanaugh, C.

Detraux, D.

Ferreccio, A.

Hawkins, R. D.

Kuppers, D.

Levy, S.

Mathieu, J.

McAlister, A.

Moon, R. T.

Paddison, P. J.

Robitaille, A. M.

Ruohola-Baker, H.

Sidhu, S.

Somasundaram, L.

Wang, Y.

Ware, C. B.

English

To reveal how cells exit human pluripotency, we designed a CRISPR-Cas9 screen exploiting the metabolic and epigenetic differences between naïve and primed pluripotent cells. We identify the tumor suppressor, Folliculin(FLCN) as a critical gene required for the exit from human pluripotency. Here we show that FLCN Knock-out (KO) hESCs maintain the naïve pluripotent state but cannot exit the state since the critical transcription factor TFE3 remains active in the nucleus. TFE3 targets up-regulated in FLCN KO exit assay are members of Wnt pathway and ESRRB. Treatment of FLCN KO hESC with a Wnt inhibitor, but not ESRRB/FLCN double mutant, rescues the cells, allowing the exit from the naïve state. Using co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis we identify unique FLCN binding partners. The interactions of FLCN with components of the mTOR pathway (mTORC1 and mTORC2) reveal a mechanism of FLCN function during exit from naïve pluripotency.</p

Repository of the University of Namur

Folliculin regulates mTORC1/2 and WNT pathways in early human pluripotency

https://doaj.org/article/9b74abe55db44bddb94212156f2e3849

Folliculin regulates mTORC1/2 and WNT pathways in early human pluripotency

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Repository of the University of Namur

Repository of the University of Namur