{
  "abstract": "Induction of human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from somatic cells encounters significant barriers that remain poorly understood. Lipids are fundamental cellular molecules with many essential roles. However, the roles of lipids in reprogramming are unknown. Here, we show that BRD2 is a barrier to hiPSC reprogramming by suppressing lipid genes and maintaining the somatic transcriptional program, particularly the somatic matrisome program. Strikingly, the acetylation epigenetic reader BRD2 unorthodoxly suppresses the expression of lipid-related genes in the reprogramming cells. The two rate-limiting enzymes of lipid biosynthesis, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), and lipid supplements all enhance iPSC reprogramming. Interestingly, the extra terminal (ET) tail of BRD2 suppresses reprogramming and the lipid transcriptional program but positively regulates the matrisome program. In line with its transcriptional suppression of lipid genes, BRD2 binds to genes of lipid biosynthesis and negatively regulates their H3K27Ac status. These discoveries advance our molecular understanding of hiPSC reprogramming, as well as of the transcriptional regulation of matrisome and lipid programs.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.",
    "Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.",
    "Medicilon US Corp, Lexington, MA, USA.",
    "Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.",
    "Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. kejin.hu@unthealth.edu.",
    "Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA. kejin.hu@unthealth.edu."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ricardo Raul Cevallos"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ruowen Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Rajpal Sian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shu G Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Kejin Hu",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3111-4054"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dx7yk59nbyvch.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s42003-026-10691-1",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13639006",
  "id": "dx7yk59nbyvch",
  "issns": [
    "2399-3642"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834078",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Pluripotent Stem Cells Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204084490",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13639006?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13639006",
  "pmid": "42834078",
  "published": "2026-08-24",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dx7yk59nbyvch.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42834078",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834078"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Pluripotent Stem Cells Research",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "BRD2 impedes iPSC reprogramming by regulating lipid biosynthesis and the matrisome via its ET tail.",
  "title_text": "BRD2 impedes iPSC reprogramming by regulating lipid biosynthesis and the matrisome via its ET tail.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dx7yk59nbyvch",
  "venue": "Communications biology",
  "versions": []
}