PHLDA3 impedes somatic cell reprogramming by activating Akt-GSK3β pathway

Reprogramming of adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells holds great promise in clinical therapy. Increasing evidences have shown that p53 and its target genes play important roles in somatic cell reprogramming. In this study, we report that PHLDA3, a p53 target gene, functions as a blockage of iPSCs generation by activating the Akt-GSK3β pathway. Furthermore, PHLDA3 is found to be transcriptionally regulated by Oct4. These findings reveal that PHLDA3 acts as a new member of the regulatory network of somatic cell reprogramming.