AUTHOR=Li Huajin , Xu Wenting , Xiang Sijia , Tao Leiting , Fu Wen , Liu Jinhui , Liu Wenbin , Xiao Yamei , Peng Liangyue 

TITLE=Defining the Pluripotent Marker Genes for Identification of Teleost Fish Cell Pluripotency During Reprogramming

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.819682

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2022.819682

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Pluripotency is a transient state in early embryos, which is regulated by an interconnected network of pluripotency-related genes. The pluripotent state itself seems to be highly dynamic, which leads to significant differences in the description of induced pluripotent stem cells from different species at the molecular level. With the application of cell reprogramming technology in fish, the establishment of a set of molecular standards for defining pluripotency will be important for the research and potential application of induced pluripotent stem cells in fish. In this study, by BLAST search and expression pattern analysis, we screen out four pluripotent genes (<italic>Oct4</italic>, <italic>Nanog, Tdgf1,</italic> and <italic>Gdf3</italic>) in zebrafish (<italic>Danio rerio</italic>) and crucian carp (<italic>Carassius</italic>). These genes were highly expressed in the short period of early embryonic development, but significantly down-regulated after differentiation. Moreover, three genes (<italic>Oct4</italic>, <italic>Nanog</italic> and <italic>Tdgf1</italic>) have been verified that are suitable for identifying the pluripotency of induced pluripotent stem cells in zebrafish and crucian carp. Our study expands the understanding of the pluripotent markers of induced pluripotent stem cells in fish.</p>