Cardiac differentiation is modulated by anti-apoptotic signals in murine embryonic stem cells

BACKGROUND Embryonic stem cells(ESCs)serve as a crucial ex vivo model,representing epiblast cells derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst-stage embryos.ESCs exhibit a unique combination of self-renewal potency,unlimited proliferation,and pluripotency.The latter is evident by the ability of the isolated cells to differ-entiate spontaneously into multiple cell lineages,representing the three primary embryonic germ layers.Multiple regulatory networks guide ESCs,directing their self-renewal and lineage-specific differentiation.Apoptosis,or programmed cell death,emerges as a key event involved in sculpting and forming various organs and structures ensuring proper embryonic development.How-ever,the molecular mechanisms underlying the dynamic interplay between diffe-rentiation and apoptosis remain poorly understood.AIM To investigate the regulatory impact of apoptosis on the early differentiation of ESCs into cardiac cells,using mouse ESC(mESC)models-mESC-B-cell lym-phoma 2(BCL-2),mESC-PIM-2,and mESC-metallothionein-1(MET-1)-which overexpress the anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2,Pim-2,and Met-1,respectively.METHODS mESC-T2(wild-type),mESC-BCL-2,mESC-PIM-2,and mESC-MET-1 have been used to assess the effect of potentiated apoptotic signals on cardiac differentiation.The hanging drop method was adopted to generate embryoid bodies(EBs)and induce terminal differentiation of mESCs.The size of the generated EBs was measured in each condition compared to the wild type.At the functional level,the percentage of cardiac differentiation was measured by calculating the number of beating cardiomyocytes in the manipulated mESCs compared to the control.At the molecular level,quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the mRNA expression of three cardiac markers:Troponin T,GATA4,and NKX2.5.Additionally,troponin T protein expression was evaluated through immunofluorescence and western blot assays.RESULTS Our findings showed that the upregulation of Bcl-2,Pim-2,and Met-1 genes led to a reduction in the size of the EBs derived from the manipulated mESCs,in comparison with their wild-type counterpart.Additionally,a decrease in the count of beating cardiomyocytes among differentiated cells was observed.Furthermore,the mRNA expression of three cardiac markers-troponin T,GATA4,and NKX2.5-was diminished in mESCs overexpressing the three anti-apoptotic genes compared to the control cell line.Moreover,the overexpression of the anti-apoptotic genes resulted in a reduction in troponin T protein expression.CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that the upregulation of Bcl-2,Pim-2,and Met-1 genes altered cardiac differentiation,providing insight into the intricate interplay between apoptosis and ESC fate determination.

Xeno-free culture of human spermatogonial stem cells supported by human embryonic stem cell-derived fibroblast-like cells

Spermatogonial stem cells （SSCs） divide continuously to support spermatogenesis throughout postnatal life and transmit genetic information to the next generation. Here, we report the successful establishment of the method for the isolation and identification of human SSCs from testicular tissue, and to determine the culture conditions required to expand SSCs on human embryonic stem cell-derived fibroblast-like cells （hdFs）. Large-scale cultures of SSCs were maintained on hdF feeder layers and expanded in the presence of a combination of cytokines and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor for at least 2 months. Cell surface marker analysis showed that SSCs retained high levels of alkaline phosphatase activity and stained strongly for anti-stage-specific embryonic antigen （SSEA）-1, OCT4 and CD49f. They also expressed the genes OCT4, SOX3 and STRA8 as detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） analysis. These data clearly illustrate a novel approach for the growth of human SSCs using hdFs as feeder cells, potentially eliminating xenogeneic contaminants. This system provides a new opportunity for the study of the regulatory mechanism of the ‘niche＇ that governs SSC self-renewal, and will be a valuable source of SSCs for potential clinical applications.

Isolation and differentiation of embryonic stem cells from BALB/c mouse

Objective To invest the efficient method which can culture and induce embryonic stem cells to neuroeyte in vitro. Methods Isolate the blastula o f 3.5 d from BALB/c species mouse. Culture the cells from inner cell mass （inner cell mass, ICM） which were isolated by mechanical method on the mouse embryonic fibroblaste cell （MEF） feeder layer or 0.1% gelatin coated dishes. The stem ceils were identified by characterized morphology, alkaline phosphatase stain, differential potency in vivo and immunoehemistry stain. The isolated cells were differentiated by serial induction method that mimicking the intrinsic developmental process of the neural system. Results The isolated cells were positive for alkaline phosphatatse and SSEA-1 （ stage specific embryonic antigen 1 ）. Moreover they were identified pluripotent by differentiation in vivo. Therefore the isolated ceils presented the characters of ESCs. Then the isolated cells were able to differentiate into neuroeytes in vitro. Conclusion Mouse embryonic stem ceils isolation, culture and differentiation system has been established.

Developments in cell culture systems for human pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells(hPSCs)are important resources for cell-based therapies and pharmaceutical applications.In order to realize the potential of hPSCs,it is critical to develop suitable technologies required for specific applications.Most hPSC technologies depend on cell culture,and are critically influenced by culture medium composition,extracellular matrices,handling methods,and culture platforms.This review summarizes the major technological advances in hPSC culture,and highlights the opportunities and challenges in future therapeutic applications.

Development of neural precursor cells from mouse embryonic stem cells

Objective:To exploretheserum-freecultureconditionsfordifferentiatingmouseembryonicstemcells(ES cells)intoneuralprecursorcells(NPC)andcomparetheeffectsof humanembryonicfibroblasts(HEF)as thefeederlayer of ES withthatof mouseembryonicfibroblasts(MEF)in vitro.Methods:MouseES cellswereculturedin or notin feederlayer cellsmediumcontainingor notleukemiainhibitoryfactorto suppresstheirdifferentiation.Immunocytochemicalmethod was usedto identifyNPCby detectingnestinantigenandalkalinephosphatase.Results: TheES cellsculturedin HEF werepositiveto alkalinephosphatase.Serum-freemediumallowedthedifferentiationof ES cellsintoNPC.Conclusion:HEFcouldreplaceMEFandkeeptheundifferentiatedconditionof ES cellswithmorebenefits.NPCof highpuritycould be culturedfromEScellsby serum-freeculturemethod.

STUDY ON DIFFERENTIATION OF RATS EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS CULTURED IN BRL-CM INTO NEURAL PRECURSOR CELLS

Objective To investigate whether buffalo rat liver cell conditioned medium (BRL CM) can be used as the culture medium of embryonic stem (ES) cells, and to get relatively pure neural precursor cells (NPCs) for treatment aim. Methods Mouse ES cells were cultured in BRL CM and medium contain leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), respectively. NPCs were selectively cultured in serum free medium. Alkaline phosphatase activity was visualized with NBT/BCIP and nestin antigen was detected with immunocytochemical methods. Results BRL CM could be used as an efficiency culture condition instead of LIF in ES cells culture. About 86% of cells derived from ES cells in the serum free culture were NPCs. Conclusion BRL CM can replace LIF to use in ES cell culture. High purity of NPC can be induced from ES cells with serum free culture method.

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation enhances embryonic neural stem cell apoptosis in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Alterations in embryonic neural stem cells play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We hypothesized that embryonic neural stem cells from SOD1G93A individuals might be more susceptible to oxidative injury, resulting in a propensity for neurodegeneration at later stages. In this study, embryonic neural stem cells obtained from human superoxide dis- mutase 1 mutant （SOD1G93A） and wild-type （SOD1wv） mouse models were exposed to H202. We assayed cell viability with mitochondrial succinic dehydrogenase colorimetric reagent, and measured cell apoptosis by flow cytometry. Moreover, we evaluated the expression of the adenos- ine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） ct-subunit, paired box 3 （Pax3） protein, and p53 in western blot analyses. Compared with SOD1wr cells, SOD1~93A embryonic neural stem cells were more likely to undergo H202-induced apoptosis. Phosphorylation of AMPKct in SOD1G93A cells was higher than that in SOD1wr cells. Pax3 expression was inversely correlated with the phosphorylation levels of AMPKct. p53 protein levels were also correlated with AMPKct phosphorylation levels. Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPKa, attenuated the effects of H20~. These results suggest that embryonic neural stem cells from SOD1C93A mice are more susceptible to apoptosis in the presence of oxidative stress compared with those from wild-type controls, and the effects are mainly mediated by Pax3 and p53 in the AMPKa pathway.

Shaping the eye from embryonic stem cells: Biological and medical implications

Organogenesis is regulated by a complex network of intrinsic cues, diffusible signals and cell/cell or cell/matrix interactions that drive the cells of a prospective organ to differentiate and collectively organize in three dimensions. Generating organs in vitro from embryonic stem (ES) cells may provide a simplified system to decipher how these processes are orchestrated in time and space within particular and between neighboring tissues. Recently, this field of stem cell research has also gained considerable interest for its potential applications in regenerative medicine. Among human pathologies for which stem cell-based therapy is foreseen as a promising therapeutic strategy are many retinal degenerative diseases, like retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Over the last decade, progress has been made in producing ES-derived retinal cells in vitro, but engineering entire synthetic retinas was considered beyond reach. Recently however, major breakthroughs have been achieved with pioneer works describing the extraordinary self-organization of murine and human ES cells into a three dimensional structure highly resembling a retina. ES-derived retinal cells indeed assemble to form a cohesive neuroepithelial sheet that is endowed with the intrinsic capacity to recapitulate, outside an embryonic environment, the main steps of retinal morphogenesis as observed in vivo. This represents a tremendous advance that should help resolving fundamental questions related to retinogenesis. Here, we will discuss these studies, and the potential applications of such stem cell-based systems for regenerative medicine.

Gene targeting and Calcium handling efficiencies in mouse embryonic stem cell lines

AIM:To compare gene targeting efficiencies,expression profiles,and Ca2+ handling potentials in two widely used mouse embryonic stem cell lines.METHODS:The two widely used mouse embryonic stem cell lines,R1 and HM-1,were cultured and maintained on Mitomycin C treated mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder cell layers,following standard culture procedures.Cells were incubated with primary and secondary antibodies before fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis to compare known pluripotency markers.Moreover,cells were harvested by trypsinization and transfected with a kinase-inactive murine Tyk2 targeting construct,following the BioRad and Amaxa transfection procedures.Subsequently,the cells were cultured and neomycin-resistant cells were picked after 13 d of selection.Surviving clones were screened twice by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and finally confirmed by Southern blot analysis before comparison.Global gene expression profiles of more than 20 400 probes were also compared and significantly regulated genes were conf irmed by real time PCR analysis.Calcium handling potentials of these cell lines were also compared using various agonists.RESULTS:We found signif icant differences in transfection eff iciencies of the two cell lines(91% ± 6.1% vs 75% ± 4.2%,P = 0.01).Differences in the targeting efficiencies were also significant whether the Amaxa or BioRad platforms were used for comparison.We did not observe signif icant differences in the levels of many known pluripotency markers.However,our genomewide expression analysis using more than 20 400 spotted cDNA arrays identified 55 differentially regulated transcripts(P < 0.05) implicated in various important biological processes,including binding molecular functions(particularly Ca2+ binding roles).Subsequently,we measured Ca2+ signals in these cell lines in response to various calcium agonists,both in high and low Ca2+ solutions,and found signif icant differences(P < 0.05) in the regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis between the investigated cell lines.Then we further compared the detection and expression of various membrane and in-tracellular Ca2+ receptors and similarly found signif icant(P < 0.05) variations in a number of calcium receptors between these cell lines.CONCLUSION:Results of this study emphasize the importance of considering intrinsic cellular variations,during selection of cell lines for experiments and interpretations of experimental results.

Generation of genetically modified mice using CRISPR/Cas9 and haploid embryonic stem cell systems

With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology in the post-genomic era, researchers have concentrated their efforts on elucidating the relationships between genes and their corresponding functions. Recently, important progress has been achieved in the generation of genetically modified mice based on CRISPR/Cas9 and haploid embryonic stem cell （haESC） approaches, which provide new platforms for gene function analysis, human disease modeling, and gene therapy. Here, we review the CRISPR/Cas9 and haESC technology for the generation of genetically modified mice and discuss the key challenges in the application of these approaches.

MiR-301a promotes embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiomyocytes

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.Tissue repair after pathological injury in the heart remains a major challenge due to the limited regenerative ability of cardiomyocytes in adults.Stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes provide a promising source for the cell transplantation-based treatment of injured hearts.AIM To explore the function and mechanisms of miR-301a in regulating cardiomyocyte differentiation of mouse embryonic stem(mES)cells,and provide experimental evidence for applying miR-301a to the cardiomyocyte differentiation induction from stem cells.METHODS mES cells with or without overexpression of miR-301a were applied for all functional assays.The hanging drop technique was applied to form embryoid bodies from mES cells.Cardiac markers including GATA-4,TBX5,MEF2C,andα-actinin were used to determine cardiomyocyte differentiation from mES cells.RESULTS High expression of miR-301a was detected in the heart from late embryonic to neonatal mice.Overexpression of miR-301a in mES cells significantly induced the expression of cardiac transcription factors,thereby promoting cardiomyocyte differentiation and beating cardiomyocyte clone formation.PTEN is a target gene of miR-301a in cardiomyocytes.PTEN-regulated PI3K-AKT-mTOR-Stat3 signaling showed involvement in regulating miR-301a-promoted cardiomyocyte differentiation from mES cells.CONCLUSION MiR-301a is capable of promoting embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiomyocytes.

TGF-β receptors in mouse ES-5 cells and their differentiated derivatives

By radioreceptor binding studies with iodinated TGF-β1, it has been shown that an undifferentiated ES-5 cell expresses approximately 3270 receptors with a dissociation constant Kd=130pM, but after the induction of differenti-ation by retinoic acid and dBcAMP, the receptor number of a differentiated RA-ES-5 cell was increased about 80% and the Kd was also increased to 370 pM. Furthermore,more direct evidence supporting the expression of TGF-βtype Ⅰand type Ⅱ receptors in both ES-5 and RA-ES-5 cells has come from dot blot hybridization of cellular mRNA with cDNA probes for type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ recep-tors. Meanwhile, mRNA expression level of types Ⅰ and Ⅱreceptors in RA-ES-5 cells were higher than that in ES-5 cells. Down regulation of TGF-β receptors with a signifi-cant decrease in the rate of cell proliferation in both cells, was found by employing a pretreatment with neutralizing antibody to TGF-β1. The possible role of receptors for TGF-β in cen differentiation is discussed here.

Low level of activin A secreted by fibroblast feeder cells accelerates early stage differentiation of retinal pigment epithelial cells from human pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) differentiated to retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) provide a promising tool for cell replacement therapies of retinal degenerative diseases. The in vitro differentiation of hPSC-RPE is still poorly understood and current differentiation protocols rely on spontaneous differentiation on fibroblast feeder cells or as floating cell aggregates in suspension. The fibroblast feeder cells may have an inductive effect on the hPSC-RPE differentiation, providing variable signals mimicking the extraocular mesenchyme that directs the differentiation in vivo. The effect of the commonly used fibroblast feeder cells on the hPSCRPE differentiation was studied by comparing suspension differentiation in standard RPEbasic (no bFGF) medium to RPEbasic medium conditioned with mouse embryonic (mEF-CM) and human foreskin (hFF-CM) fibroblast feeder cells. The fibroblast secreted factors were found to enhance early hPSC-RPE differentiation. The onset of pigmentation was faster in the conditioned media (CM) compared to RPEbasic for both human embryonic (hESC) and induced pluripotent (iPSC) stem cells, with the first pigments appearing around two weeks of differentiation. After four weeks of differentiation, CM conditions consistently contained higher number of pigmented cell aggregates. The ratio of PAX6 and MITF positive cells was quantified to be clearly higher in the CM conditions, with mEFCM containing most positive cells. The mEF cells were found to secrete low levels of activin A growth factor that is known to regulate eye field differentiation. As RPEbasic was supplemented with corresponding, low level (10 ng/ml) of recombinant human activin A, a clear increase in the hPSC-RPE differentiation was achieved. Thus, inductive effect provided by feeder cells was at least partially driven by activin A and could be substituted with a low level of recombinant growth factor in contrasts to previously reported much higher concentrations.

Nanog reporter system in mouse embryonic stem cells based on highly efficient BAC homologous recombination

Nanog is a novel transcription factor specifically expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells (mES cells). It has been reported that Nanog plays an essential role in maintaining multi-potency of ES cells. The expression of Nanog is very sensitive to ES cells differentiation, making Nanog one of the best markers to indicate the status of ES cells. In this study, we developed an efficient method to construct Nanog promoter driven EGFP reporter system based on the BAC homologous recombination. We further generated a Nanog-EGFP reporter mES cell line. This reporter mES cell line exhibited features similar to those of normal mES cells, and the EGFP reporter efficiently reflected the expression of Nanog, indi- cating the differentiation status of mES cells. We achieved a reliable experimental reporter system to research self-renewal and differentiation of mES cells. The system could facilitate research on culture system of mES cells and researches on the expression and regulation of Nanog and other related fac- tors in mES cells.

成年小鼠触液神经元体外分离培养及自我更新能力的鉴定

背景:课题组前期成功在体外分离培养乳鼠触液神经元,尚无研究报道有效分离培养高纯度成年小鼠触液神经元的方法,且触液神经元的自我更新能力是否随着年龄发生变化尚无研究。目的:建立一种高纯度成年小鼠触液神经元体外分离培养的方法,并鉴定成年小鼠触液神经元与乳鼠触液神经元在体外的自我更新能力。方法:从成年3月龄小鼠颈髓分离含有触液神经元的原代细胞贴壁培养并利用融合多模态成像基因的慢病毒转染细胞,通过嘌呤霉素筛选得到高纯度成年小鼠触液神经元细胞,在完全培养基中悬浮培养。通过免疫荧光检测成年小鼠触液神经元表达神经干细胞标记物巢蛋白(Nestin)及SOX2情况,观察成年小鼠触液神经元体外成球与传代能力;将同等数量(5×10^(3))的第3代成年小鼠及乳鼠触液神经元在同等条件下分为2组,分别接种在含有完全培养基的超低黏附培养板中,在体积分数5%CO_(2),37℃恒温箱悬浮培养,通过体外成球、CCK8实验、qPCR和Western blot鉴定成年小鼠及乳鼠触液神经元的自我更新能力。结果与结论:①实验成功在成年小鼠体内分离出高纯度触液神经元,在体外表达Nestin及SOX2,能形成神经球并连续传代。②成年小鼠触液神经元体外自我更新能力较乳鼠相比明显减弱,细胞培养到第4天时乳鼠触液神经元已经形成直径约为150μm的神经球,而成年小鼠触液神经元所形成的神经球直径仅为40μm(P<0.0001)。③CCK8增殖实验结果表明,成年小鼠触液神经元的增殖活性在培养后各时间点显著弱于乳鼠(P<0.0001)。④qPCR和Western blot检测发现成年小鼠触液神经元Nestin及SOX2的mRNA(P<0.0001)和蛋白表达量(P<0.01)较乳鼠显著下降。⑤上述结果证实,成年小鼠触液神经元的体外自我更新能力显著弱于乳鼠。

Establishment of a humanized mouse model using steady-state peripheral blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells facilitates screening of cancer-targeted T-cell repertoires

Background:Cancer-targeted T-cell receptor T(TCR-T)cells hold promise in treating cancers such as hematological malignancies and breast cancers.However,approaches to obtain cancer-reactive TCR-T cells have been unsuccessful.Methods:Here,we developed a novel strategy to screen for cancer-targeted TCR-T cells using a special humanized mouse model with person-specific immune fingerprints.Rare steady-state circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were expanded via three-dimensional culture of steady-state peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and then the expanded cells were applied to establish humanized mice.The human immune system was evaluated according to the kinetics of dendritic cells,monocytes,T-cell subsets,and cytokines.To fully stimulate the immune response and to obtain B-cell precursor NAML-6-and triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231-targeted TCR-T cells,we used the inactivated cells above to treat humanized mice twice a day every 7 days.Then,human T cells were processed for TCRβ-chain(TRB)sequencing analysis.After the repertoires had been constructed,features such as the fraction,diversity,and immune signature were investigated.Results:The results demonstrated an increase in diversity and clonality of T cells after treatment.The preferential usage and features of TRBV,TRBJ,and the V–J combination were also changed.The stress also induced highly clonal Science and Technology,Grant/Award Number:2021C03010;Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:LTGY24H080003,LY21H080004 expansion.Tumor burden and survival analysis demonstrated that stress induction could significantly inhibit the growth of subsequently transfused live tumor cells and prolong the survival of the humanized mice.Conclusions:We constructed a personalized humanized mouse model to screen cancer-targeted TCR-T pools.Our platform provides an effective source of cancer-targeted TCR-T cells and allows for the design of patient-specific engineered T cells.It therefore has the potential to greatly benefit cancer treatment.

Interrogating a cell signalling network sensitively monitors cell fate transition during early differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells

The different cell types in an animal are often considered to be specified by combinations of transcription factors,and defined by marker gene expression.This paradigm is challenged,however,in stem cell research and application.Using a mouse embryonic stem cell(mESC) culture system,here we show that the expression level of many key stem cell marker genes/transcription factors such as Oct4,Sox2 and Nanog failed to monitor cell status transition during mESC differentiation.On the other hand,the response patterns of cell signalling network to external stimuli,as monitored by the dynamics of protein phosphorylation,changed dramatically.Our results also suggest that an irreversible alternation in the cell signalling network precedes the adjustment of transcription factor levels.This is consistent with the notion that signal transduction events regulate cell fate specification.We propose that interrogating a cell signalling network can assess the cell property more precisely,and provide a sensitive measurement for the early events in cell fate transition.We wish to bring attention to the potential problem of cell identification using a few marker genes,and suggest a novel methodology to address this issue.

TRPC3 is required for the survival, pluripotency and neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells(mESCs)

Transient receptor potential canonical subfamily member 3(TRPC3) is known to be important for neural development and the formation of neuronal networks. Here, we investigated the role of TRPC3 in undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells(mESCs) and during the differentiation of mESCs into neurons. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout(KO) of TRPC3 induced apoptosis and the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential both in undifferentiated mESCs and in those undergoing neural differentiation. In addition, TRPC3 KO impaired the pluripotency of mESCs. TRPC3 KO also dramatically repressed the neural differentiation of mESCs by inhibiting the expression of markers for neural progenitors, neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.Taken together, our new data demonstrate an important function of TRPC3 with regards to the survival, pluripotency and neural differentiation of mESCs.

Chondrogenic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells promoted by mature chondrocytes

In order to direct embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into chondrocytes, a chondrogenic envi-ronment provided by mature chondrocytes was investigated. Flk-1 positive cells sorted from pre-differentiated mouse ES cells were mixed with adult porcine articular chondrocytes, seeded on biodegradable scaffolds, and then implanted subcutaneously into nude mice. The cell-scaffold com-plexes formed cartilage tissues after 4 weeks, which was demonstrated by histology and anti-type II collagen antibody staining. Positive staining of mouse Major Histocompatibility Complex class I molecules confirmed that part of the chondrocytes were derived from mouse ES cells. The current study established a new approach for directing ES cell differentiation.

Incorporation of a histone mutant with H3K56 site substitution perturbs the replication machinery in mouse embryonic stem cells

Sense mutations in several conserved modifiable sites of histone H3 have been found to be strongly correlated with multiple tissuespecific clinical cancers.These clinical site mutants acquire a distinctively new epigenetic role and mediate cancer evolution.In this study,we mimicked histone H3 at the 56th lysine(H3K56)mutant incorporation in mouse embryonic stem cells(mESCs)by lentivirus-mediated ectopic expression and analyzed the effects on replication and epigenetic regulation.The data show that two types of H3K56 mutants,namely H3 lysine 56-to-methionine(H3K56M)and H3 lysine 56-to-alanine(H3K56A),promote replication by recruiting more minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 and checkpoint kinase 1 onto chromatin compared with wild-type histone H3 and other site substitution mutants.Under this condition,the frequency of genomic copy number gain in H3K56M and H3K56A cells globally increases,especially in the Mycl1 region,a known molecular marker frequently occurring in multiple malignant cancers.Additionally,we found the disruption of H3K56 acetylation distribution in the copy-gain regions,which indicates a probable epigenetic mechanism of H3K56M and H3K56A.We then identified that H3K56M and H3K56A can trigger a potential adaptation to transcription;genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway are partially upregulated,whereas genes associated with intrinsic apoptotic function show obvious downregulation.The final outcome of ectopic H3K56M and H3K56A incorporation in mESCs is an enhanced ability to form carcinomas.This work indicates that H3K56 site conservation and proper modification play important roles in harmonizing the function of the replication machinery in mESCs.