Imprinted genes that regulate early mammalian growth are coexpressed in somatic stem cells

PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26410. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026410. Epub 2011 Oct 19.

Abstract

Lifelong, many somatic tissues are replenished by specialized adult stem cells. These stem cells are generally rare, infrequently dividing, occupy a unique niche, and can rapidly respond to injury to maintain a steady tissue size. Despite these commonalities, few shared regulatory mechanisms have been identified. Here, we scrutinized data comparing genes expressed in murine long-term hematopoietic stem cells with their differentiated counterparts and observed that a disproportionate number were members of the developmentally-important, monoallelically expressed imprinted genes. Studying a subset, which are members of a purported imprinted gene network (IGN), we found their expression in HSCs rapidly altered upon hematopoietic perturbations. These imprinted genes were also predominantly expressed in stem/progenitor cells of the adult epidermis and skeletal muscle in mice, relative to their differentiated counterparts. The parallel down-regulation of these genes postnatally in response to proliferation and differentiation suggests that the IGN could play a mechanistic role in both cell growth and tissue homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Genomic Imprinting*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction