RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses of multilineage differentiating stress enduring cells: Comparison with dermal fibroblasts

The aim of this study is to characterize the molecular properties of multilineage differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells compared with dermal fibroblasts (FBs) and to characterize differences in their transcriptomes and open chromatin regions that are involved in cellular plasticity. Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses was then performed on FBs and Muse cells. Subsequently, cell type-selective gene regulatory regions were identified by coalition analysis. Expression patterns of transcription factors (TFs) and signaling pathways intermediates were verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses. RNA-seq identified 2355 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that regulate the transcriptome, including 1222 upregulated and 1133 downregulated DEGs. The general panorama of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses confirmed the differences in TFs and open chromatin regions between FBs and Muse cells. ATAC-seq analysis showed that Muse cells had more reproducible and meaningful peaks than FBs, and the peak signals were concentrated near promoter-transcription start site areas. In genomic regions that can be preferentially accessed in FBs and Muse cells, more than 200 TFs had binding motif sequences. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and coalition analyses identified differences in factors involved in the cell cycle and the protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway of FBs and Muse cells. The results of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses clarified the genetic basis of the different biological properties of Muse cells and FBs. These results suggest that the cell cycle transition and the AKT signaling pathway may affect the morphology and biological characteristics of Muse cells.