The use of leukemia inhibitory factor immobilized on virus-derived polyhedra to support the proliferation of mouse embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells

Human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was immobilized into insect virus-derived microcrystals (polyhedra) to generate LIF polyhedra (LIF-PH) that can slowly release LIF into embryonic stem (ES) cell culture media and thus maintain ES cells in an undifferentiated state. Assays of the biological activities of LIF-PH indicated that a single addition of LIF-PH to the ES cell culture medium can support the proliferation of mouse ES and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells continuously for 14 days, and suggest that LIF-PH can be successfully used in the place of a periodic addition of recombinant LIF to the media every 2-3 days. The release of LIF protein from LIF-PH was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Maintenance of undifferentiated state of mouse ES and iPS cells cultured with LIF-PH was determined by the detection of pluripotency-related biomarkers Oct3/4 and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) through immunostaining and measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity. In this paper, we propose a closed culture system for mass production of ES and iPS cells that utilize a slow-releasing agent of LIF.     

LIF-immobilized nonwoven polyester fabrics for cultivation of murine embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have a great interest for tissue engineering because of their pluripotent nature and proliferative capacity. The objective of this study is to constitute a synthetic microenvironment to support the in vitro propagation of murine ES cells in an undifferentiated state. That is why we used a three-dimensional matrix, nonwoven polyester fabric (NWPF), which was formed from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers. NWPF discs were partially hydrolyzed, and then the carboxyl groups were coupled with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the presence of water-soluble carbodiimide. The effectiveness of immobilization process was checked with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, fluorimetry, and cell culture studies. ES cell colony morphology, alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) immunoreactivity, and SEM analysis following a 72 - 96-h culture period upon hydrolyzed and LIF-immobilized surfaces were assessed to determine the pluripotent status of ES cells. Results revealed that LIF was active in immobilized form; undifferentiated colonies had not only a significant AP and SSEA-1 immunoreactivity, but also a higher undifferentiated colony ratio on LIF-immobilized surfaces than that of hydrolyzed surfaces. The immobilized LIF protein might be a good model to provide a feeder-free system, but the physical properties of the scaffold is more convenient for differentiation studies.     

Murine embryonic stem cells secrete cytokines/growth modulators that enhance cell survival/anti-apoptosis and stimulate colony formation of murine hematopoietic progenitor cells

Stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1/CXCL12, released by murine embryonic stem (ES) cells, enhances survival, chemotaxis, and hematopoietic differentiation of murine ES cells. Conditioned medium (CM) from murine ES cells growing in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was generated while the ES cells were in an undifferentiated Oct-4 expressing state. ES cell-CM enhanced survival of normal murine bone marrow myeloid progenitors (CFU-GM) subjected to delayed growth factor addition in vitro and decreased apoptosis of murine bone marrow c-kit(+)lin- cells. ES CM contained interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-10, IL-11, macrophage-colony stimulating factor (CSF), oncostatin M, stem cell factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, as well as a number of chemokines and other proteins, some of which are known to enhance survival/anti-apoptosis of progenitors. Irradiation of ES cells enhanced release of some proteins and decreased release of others. IL-6, FGF-9, and TNF-alpha, not detected prior to irradiation was found after ES cells were irradiated. ES cell CM also stimulated CFU-GM colony formation. Thus, undifferentiated murine ES cells growing in the presence of LIF produce/release a number of biologically active interleukins, CSFs, chemokines, and other growth modulatory proteins, results which may be of physiological and/or practical significance.     

Self-renewal of embryonic stem cells through culture on nanopattern polydimethylsiloxane substrate

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can undergo continual proliferation and differentiation into cells of all somatic cell lineages in vitro; they are an unlimited cell source for regenerative medicine. However, techniques for maintaining undifferentiated ES cells are often inefficient and result in heterogeneous cell populations. Here, we determined effects of nanopattern polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a culture substrate in promoting the self-renewal of mouse ES (mES) cells, compared to commercial plastic culture dishes. After many passages, mES cells efficiently maintained their undifferentiated state on nanopattern PDMS, but randomly differentiated on commercial plastic culture dishes, as indicated by partially altered morphologies and decreases in alkaline phosphatase activity and stage-specific expression of embryonic antigen-1. Under nanopattern PDMS conditions, we found increased activities of STAT3 and Akt, important proteins involved in maintaining the self-renewal of mES cells. The substrate-cell interactions also enhanced leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-downstream signaling and inhibited spontaneous differentiation, concomitant with reduced focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling. This reduction in FAK signaling was shown to be important for promoting mES cell self-renewal. Thus, our data demonstrates that nanopattern PDMS contributes to maintaining the self-renewal of mES cells and may be applicable in the large-scale production of homogeneously undifferentiated mES cells.     

Self Renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells in the Absence of Feeder Cells and Exogenous Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor

Abstract

To evaluate the role of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) for maintaining pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells in culture, we established several exogenous LIF-independent ES cell lines by continuous passaging in culture. The newly established ES cells, Kli and CBli, sustained their growth and remained undifferentiated in LIF-deficient medium. Analysis of chimaeric animals, produced with the p-galactosidase transgenic Kli ES cells, revealed that LDF-independent ES cells can contribute to all embryonic germ layers. There was no detectable LIF protein in ES cell conditioned medium, and no upregulation of LIF mRNA was found. The addition of neutralising anti-LIF antibodies was not sufficient to abrogate the self renewal of the Kli ES cells. These studies suggest that the signalling pathway involving diffusible LIF can be bypassed for maintaining the pluripotency in culture, and indicate a considerable heterogeneity in growth factor dependence and differentiation of different ES cells.     

Neuron-like differentiation and selective ablation of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells containing suicide gene with Oct-4 promoter

In vivo transplantation of undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells can produce teratomas with uncontrolled cell proliferation. Although ES cells may be attractive candidates for human cell-replacement therapy in the future, the major limitation of its application to the therapy is teratoma formation. In the present study, ES cells containing herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) transgene for a suicide gene expression under the control of the Oct-4 promoter was used for ablation of undifferentiated ES cells, which may produce teratomas, using three-dimensional cell culture system allowing a multilayer cell construct. Selective ablation of undifferentiated ES cells expressing HSV-tk gene under the control of Oct-4 promoter was achieved by ganciclovir treatment. Surviving ES cells after ganciclovir treatment expressed several neuron-associated markers such as synaptophysin, beta-tubulin, vesicular glutamate transporter 1, syntaxin, protein kinase C and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) but not Oct-4. Coexpression of synaptophysin as a marker of neuronal synapse and GFAP as that of glial fibers in the surviving ES cells revealed finely structured neuronal network. Furthermore, decrease of Ki-67 proliferative index was detected in the surviving ES cells. In conclusion, selective ablation of undifferentiated ES cells by a suicide gene decreases proliferative activity and induces neuron-like differentiation in ES cells.     

Derivation of melanocytes from embryonic stem cells in culture.

We report that embryonic stem (ES) cells were efficiently induced to differentiate to melanocytes in vitro. When undifferentiated ES cells were cocultured with a bone marrow-derived stromal cell line, a very small but significant number of melanocytes were reproducibly generated. This process was greatly enhanced by addition of dexamethasone to the culture and strictly depended on steel factor, the ligand for the c-Kit receptor tyrosine kinase. Expression of c-Kit on the precursor cells was confirmed by using SCL/tal-1-/- ES cells, which are defective for producing hematopoietic cells, which were thus ruled out as possible sources of nonmelanogenic c-Kit-expressing cells. The morphology, reactivity to growth factors, and expression of melanogenic markers of the cells generated all indicated unequivocally that these cells were melanocytes. This culture system may provide a potent tool for the study of development and function of melanocytes.     

转录因子Oct-4、Nanog与胚胎干细胞的自我更新

胚胎干细胞自我更新分子机制是胚胎干细胞研究的前沿及热点课题。除外源性信号如LIF、BMP、Wnt能维持胚胎干细胞的未分化状态外,转录因子Oct-4和Nanog特异性表达于全能胚胎干细胞,并与其它转录因子如Sox2一起构成调控网络,共同调控与胚胎干细胞多能性相关的一系列重要分子,是保持胚胎干细胞自我更新和多潜能性的关键分子。     

心脏特异的转录因子在胚胎干细胞分化为心肌细胞中的作用

胚胎干细胞在没有白血病抑制因子(leukemia inhibitory factor,LIF)的条件下培养时可以分化成心肌细胞,这些细胞表达一些收缩蛋白,如肌浆球蛋白重链(myosin heavy chain,MHC)和肌球蛋白轻链-2V(ventricular myosin light chain,MLC2V)。很多研究者进一步从转录因子的角度研究了控制心脏发育的转录因子在胚胎干细胞向心肌细胞分化过程中的表达,结果表明心脏转录因子GATA4、肌细胞增强因子2C(myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C,MEF2C)和NKx2.5控制着心脏相关基因的表达,它们在心脏发生进程中发挥重要的转录调控作用。研究同时发现多条信号通路参与了心肌细胞分化的调节。此外,纯化胚胎干细胞源性心肌细胞用于治疗心肌梗塞亦是一个关键问题。然而,胚胎细胞向心肌细胞分化的分子机理还有待进一步研究。     

Notch signaling is inactive but inducible in human embryonic stem cells

The NOTCH signaling pathway performs a wide range of critical functions in a number of different cell types during development and differentiation. The role of NOTCH signals in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has not been tested. We measured the activity of canonical NOTCH signaling in undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells and tested the requirement for NOTCH activity in hESC self-renewal or differentiation by growing hESCs in the presence of gamma-secretase inhibitors. Our results suggest that NOTCH signaling is not required for the propagation of undifferentiated human ES cells but instead is required for the maintenance of the differentiating cell types that accumulate in human ES cell cultures. Our studies suggest that NOTCH signaling is not required in human embryonic differentiation until the formation of extraembryonic, germ layer, or tissue-specific stem cells and progenitors.     

Lymphoid enhancer factor 1-mediated Wnt signaling promotes the initiation of trophoblast lineage differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into all three embryonic germ layers but rarely into trophectoderm (TE) lineages that contribute to the placenta, although TE differentiation can be initiated by genetic manipulation of key genes involved in TE development. We demonstrate that Wnt signaling can initiate TE lineage differentiation by triggering an appropriate cue, caudal-related homeobox 2 (Cdx2). Overexpression and RNA interference knockdown studies indicate that Cdx2 induction in response to Wnt3a is mediated by lymphoid enhancer factor 1, whose expression is regulated by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and bone morphogenetic protein. Removal of LIF, along with addition of Wnt3a, stimulated Cdx2 expression and induced formation of trophoblast stem (TS) cells. These TS cells were able to differentiate into cells with characteristics of spongiotrophoblast and trophoblast giant cells. This is, to our knowledge, the first evidence that TE lineage differentiation can be induced by Wnt signaling in mouse ES cells.     

小鼠胚胎干细胞的体外培养及诱导分化成酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元

探索小鼠胚胎干细胞 (ES)在体外培养及向酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元诱导分化的可能性。将小鼠胚胎干细胞在含有白血病抑制因子 (LIF)的ES培养基中扩增 ,并通过以下几个步骤 :胚胎体的形成、巢蛋白 (Nestin)阳性细胞的筛选、Nestin阳性细胞的体外扩增及撤除碱性成纤维细胞生长因子等后观察向酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元的分化。结果表明小鼠胚胎干细胞在含有LIF的特定培养基中能够稳定传代并保持不分化状态 ,经过无血清培养基的筛选和培养 ,在SonicHedgehog(SHH)及成纤维细胞生长因子 (fibroblastgrowthfactor 8,FGF8)等细胞因子的作用下能定向分化成酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元。这种方法有望为帕金森病等神经变性病的细胞移植治疗提供充足的细胞来源。     

Thermal stability of fibroblast growth factor protein is a determinant factor in regulating self-renewal, differentiation, and reprogramming in human pluripotent stem cells

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)/Nodal, and Insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathways are sufficient to maintain human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells in a proliferative, undifferentiated state. Here, we show that only a few FGF family members (FGF2, FGF4, FGF6, and FGF9) are able to sustain strong extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and NANOG expression levels in human ESCs. Surprisingly, FGF1, which is reported to target the same set of receptors as FGF2, fails to sustain ERK phosphorylation and NANOG expression under standard culture conditions. We find that the failure of FGF1 to sustain ES is due to thermal instability of the wild-type protein, not receptor specificity, and that a mutated thermal-stable FGF1 sustains human ESCs and supports both differentiation and reprogramming protocols.     

Basic fibroblast growth factor activates ERK and induces c-fos in human embryonic stem cell line MizhES1

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells can be maintained in a proliferative undifferentiated state in vitro by growing them on feeder layers of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells along with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF/FGF-2). To understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the requirement of bFGF in human ES cells, we investigated expression of FGF receptors and intracellular signaling events in response to bFGF in human ES cell line MizhES1. On the basis of the results of RT-PCR, clear expression of FGF receptors FGFR1, FGR2, and FGFR3 was noticed. Because MAPK, PI3K, and PKC pathways are well-known pathways triggered by bFGF in other cells, these pathways were investigated after stimulation with bFGF. bFGF did not induce activation of PI3K or PKC, but induced activation of ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase). To monitor the consequences of ERK activation, we examined expression of the immediate early gene c-fos, one downstream target of the MEK1/ERK pathway. mRNA and protein levels of the c-fos gene were increased by bFGF. Induction of c-Fos was dependent on MEKl. Therefore, it is likely that bFGF contributes to maintenance of human ES cells, at least in part, through the MEK1/ERK pathway.