STAT3-dependent long non-coding RNA Lncenc1 contributes to ES cells pluripotency

The self-renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) relies on a complex interplay of pluripotency transcription factors and their targets. LIF-activated STAT3 is a key player in regulating stemness by a number of mechanisms, including the transcriptional induction of pluripotency factors and the maintenance of a stern–like epigenetic landscape. However, not much is known about how STAT3 may be involved in the regulation of stem-cell specific non coding RNAs, an important player in the balance between pluripotency and differentiation. Here we identify in mouse ESCs a STAT3-dependent long non coding RNA, Lncenc1, which is required for pluripotency maintenance and mostly localizes to the cytoplasm. Lncenc1 acts as a positive feedback regulator of the LIF-STAT3 axis by competing for the binding of microRNA-128 to the 3'UTR of the core pluripotency factor Klf4 mRNA, enhancing its expression. Our results unveil a novel mechanism for LIF-STAT3-mediated pluripotency. Overall design: gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for mES-E14 cells and its KD derivatives (AsoLncecn1_1,AsoLncecn1_2,shLncenc1_1,shLncenc1_2)