Differential chondrogenic differentiation between iPSC derived from healthy and OA cartilage is associated with changes in epigenetic regulation and metabolic transcriptomic signatures

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Nazir M Khan, Emory University; Martha Diaz Hernandez, Emory University; Samir Chihab, Emory University; Priyanka Priyadarshani, University of Georgia Athens; Pallavi Bhattaram, Emory University; Luke J Mortensen, University of Georgia; Rosa M Guzzo, University of Connecticut Health Farmington; Hicham Drissi, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-01-30
• Publisher: eLIFE SCIENCES PUBL LTD
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose.
• License: Creative Commons Universal : Public Domain Dedication
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.83138
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ELIFE
• Volume: 12
• Keywords: Human; transcriptomics; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Mouse; DNA METHYLATION; ACTIVATION; Science & Technology; Biology; PLURIPOTENT STEM-CELLS; stem cells; chondrocytes; MEMORY; Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics; THERAPY

Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are potential cell sources for regenerative medi-cine. The iPSCs exhibit a preference for lineage differentiation to the donor cell type indicating the existence of memory of origin. Although the intrinsic effect of the donor cell type on differentiation of iPSCs is well recognized, whether disease-specific factors of donor cells influence the differentiation capacity of iPSC remains unknown. Using viral based reprogramming, we demonstrated the generation of iPSCs from chondrocytes isolated from healthy (AC-iPSCs) and osteoarthritis cartilage (OA-iPSCs). These reprogrammed cells acquired markers of pluripotency and differentiated into uncommitted mesenchymal-like progenitors. Interestingly, AC-iPSCs exhibited enhanced chondrogenic potential as compared OA-iPSCs and showed increased expression of chondrogenic genes. Pan-transcriptome analysis showed that chondrocytes derived from AC-iPSCs were enriched in molecular pathways related to energy metabolism and epigenetic regulation, together with distinct expression signature that distin-guishes them from OA-iPSCs. Our molecular tracing data demonstrated that dysregulation of epigenetic and metabolic factors seen in OA chondrocytes relative to healthy chondrocytes persisted following iPSC reprogramming and differentiation toward mesenchymal progenitors. Our results suggest that the epigenetic and metabolic memory of disease may predispose OA-iPSCs for their reduced chondrogenic differentiation and thus regulation at epigenetic and metabolic level may be an effective strategy for controlling the chondrogenic potential of iPSCs.