Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

NSD3 protein methylation and stabilization transforms human ES cells into variant state.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

March 1, 2025

Journal

Life science alliance

Volume/Issue

8/3

ISSN

2575-1077

Cultured human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can develop genetic anomalies that increase their susceptibility to transformation. In this study, we characterized a variant hESC (vhESC) line and investigated the molecular mechanisms leading to the drift towards a transformed state. Our findings revealed that vhESCs up-regulate EMT-specific markers, accelerate wound healing, exhibit compromised lineage differentiation, and retain pluripotency gene expression in teratomas. Furthermore, we discovered an altered epigenomic landscape and overexpression of the lysine methyltransferases EHMT1, EHMT2, and NSD group of proteins in vhESCs. Remarkably, depleting NSD3 oncogene reversed the molecular and phenotypic changes in vhESCs. We identified a detailed mechanism where EHMT2 interacts and methylates NSD3 at lysine 477, stabilizing its protein levels in vhESCs. In addition, we showed that NSD3 levels are regulated by protein degradation in hESCs, and its stabilization leads to the emergence of the variant state. Overall, our study identify that misregulation of NSD3 in pluripotent stem cells, through methylation-mediated abrogation of its protein degradation, drives hESCs towards oncogenic transformation.

Alternate Journal

Life Sci Alliance

PubMed ID

39741006

PubMed Central ID

PMC11707394

Authors

Vignesh K Krishnamoorthy
Fariha Hamdani
Pooja Shukla
Radhika Arasala Rao
Shaikh Anaitullah
Kriti Kestur Biligiri
Rajashekar Varma Kadumuri
Purushotham Reddy Pothula
Sreenivas Chavali
Shravanti Rampalli

Keywords

Methylation
Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
Pluripotent Stem Cells
Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Protein Stability
Cell Differentiation
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Repressor Proteins
Humans
Epigenesis, Genetic
Cell Line
Nuclear Proteins
Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase