OVOL2 Maintains the Transcriptional Program of Human Corneal Epithelium by Suppressing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Cell Rep. 2016 May 10;15(6):1359-68. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.04.020. Epub 2016 Apr 28.

Abstract

In development, embryonic ectoderm differentiates into neuroectoderm and surface ectoderm using poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the transcription factor OVOL2 maintains the transcriptional program of human corneal epithelium cells (CECs), a derivative of the surface ectoderm, and that OVOL2 may regulate the differential transcriptional programs of the two lineages. A functional screen identified OVOL2 as a repressor of mesenchymal genes to maintain CECs. Transduction of OVOL2 with several other transcription factors induced the transcriptional program of CECs in fibroblasts. Moreover, neuroectoderm derivatives were found to express mesenchymal genes, and OVOL2 alone could induce the transcriptional program of CECs in neural progenitors by repressing these genes while activating epithelial genes. Our data suggest that the difference between the transcriptional programs of some neuroectoderm- and surface ectoderm-derivative cells may be regulated in part by a reciprocally repressive mechanism between epithelial and mesenchymal genes, as seen in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics*
  • Epithelium, Corneal / cytology
  • Epithelium, Corneal / growth & development
  • Epithelium, Corneal / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mesoderm / metabolism
  • Neural Stem Cells / cytology
  • Neural Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • Ovol2 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors