Figure 2.

Pluripotency-associated genes in disease-specific cell lines show expressions similar to the levels of hESCs. Quantitative real-time PCR showed the total expression levels of reprogramming factors, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC as well as the pluripotency-related factors NANOG and hTERT in hESCs (H9), the indicated parent fibroblasts (hFib), and iPSC lines. Distinct expressions similar to those of hESCs, but different from those of the parent fibroblasts were observed in most of the genes. However, expression levels of KLF4 were high even in most of the fibroblasts when compared to those of hESCs. H9 is a human ES cell line used as a positive control. PCR reactions were normalized against internal controls (β-actin) and plotted relative to expression levels in the hESC control. HDFn, normal neonatal human dermal fibroblasts.