Derivation of rat induced pluripotent stem cells that share similarities with embryonic stem cells using a transposon system

Here, we employed the PiggyBac (PB) transposon carrying four 2A peptide-linked reprogramming factors for generating rat IPS cells. These stable rat IPS cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells in morphology, proliferation, teratoma formation, expression characteristic pluripotency markers, developmental potential, and germline transmission. Transcriptional profiling of the IPS cells revealed both pathways in common with ES cells from rat and unique signaling pathway to our cells, including Wnt, TGF and Notch. The cell lines and information obtained in this study will accelerate our understanding of the molecular regulation underlying germline pluripotency and pave the way for exploration of cell-based therapies using the rat.