Generation and transcriptome profiling of bonobo induced pluripotent stem cells using stealth RNA vectors: a tripartite comparative study with humans and chimpanzees

Bonobos (Pan paniscus), which share a close evolutionary lineage with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans, offer vital insights into the genetic and developmental propensities underlying human evolution. In this study, we established nine integration-free bonobo induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells using Sendai virus-derived RNA vectors. These iPSCs exhibited key pluripotency gene expression, normal karyotypes, and the capacity for differentiation into neural, mesodermal, and endodermal lineages, including the first successful induction of limb bud mesoderm cells from great ape iPSCs. Comprehensive transcriptome comparisons among bonobo, chimpanzee, and human iPSCs uncovered significant gene expression and retrotransposon divergence between Homo and Pan species, while highlighting minimal differences between bonobos and chimpanzees. Nevertheless, variation in the expression of mitochondrial metabolism-related genes was observed between the Pan species, suggesting potential interspecies differences in metabolic activity. This work provides a valuable platform for investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying species-specific developmental traits in closely related hominids and sheds light on the evolutionary origins of human characteristics.