DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic modification involved in gene silencing, imprinting, and the suppression of retrotransposons1. Global DNA demethylation occurs in the early embryo and the germline2,3 and may be mediated by Tet (ten-eleven-translocation) enzymes4–6, which convert 5-methylcytosine (mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC)7. Tet enzymes have been extensively studied in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs)8–12, which are generally cultured in the absence of Vitamin C (VitC), a potential co-factor for Fe(II) 2-oxoglutarate dioxygenase enzymes like Tets. Here we report that addition of VitC to ESCs promotes Tet activity leading to a rapid and global increase in hmC. This is followed by DNA demethylation of numerous gene promoters and up-regulation of demethylated germline genes. Tet1 binding is enriched near the transcription start site (TSS) of genes affected by VitC treatment. Importantly, VitC, but not other antioxidants, enhances the activity of recombinant Tet1 in a biochemical assay and the VitC-induced changes in hmC and mC are entirely suppressed in Tet1/2 double knockout (Tet DKO) ESCs. VitC has the strongest effects on regions that gain methylation in cultured ESCs compared to blastocysts and in vivo are methylated only after implantation. In contrast, imprinted regions and intracisternal A-particle (IAP) retroelements, which are resistant to demethylation in the early embryo2,13, are resistant to VitC-induced DNA demethylation. Collectively, this study establishes VitC as a direct regulator of Tet activity and DNA methylation fidelity in ESCs.

Stem cells are highly conserved biological units of development and regeneration. Here we formally demonstrate that stem cell lineages are also legitimate units of natural selection. In a colonial ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri, vascular fusion between genetically distinct individuals results in cellular parasitism of somatic tissues, gametes, or both. We show that genetic hierarchies of somatic and gametic parasitism following fusion can be replicated by transplanting cells between colonies. We prospectively isolate a population of multipotent, self-renewing stem cells that retain their competitive phenotype upon transplantation. Their single-cell contribution to either somatic or germline fates, but not to both, is consistent with separate lineages of somatic and germline stem cells or pluripotent stem cells that differentiate according to the niche in which they land. Since fusion is restricted to individuals that share a fusion/histocompatibility allele, these data suggest that histocompatibility genes in Botryllus evolved to protect the body from parasitic stem cells usurping asexual or sexual inheritance.

Regulated movement of stem cells is critical for organogenesis during development and for homeostasis and repair in adulthood. Here we analyze the biological significance and molecular mechanisms underlying stem cell trafficking in the generation of the germline, and the generation and regeneration of blood and muscle. Comparison across organisms and lineages reveals remarkable conservation as well as specialization in homing and migration mechanisms used by mature leukocytes, adult and fetal stem cells, and cancer stem cells. In vivo trafficking underpins the successful therapeutic application of hematopoietic stem cells for bone-marrow transplant, and further elucidation of homing and migration pathways in other systems will enable broader application of stem cells for targeted cell therapy and drug delivery.