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Transplantation of mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons into the striatum, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra, and behavioral recovery in hemiparkinsonian rats.

Usefulness of the in vitro and in vivo generation of neural precursors from embryonic stem (ES) cells has been widely discussed, but functional recovery in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate a transplantation strategy for PD by assessing whether double-transplants in the striatum (ST) and substantia nigra (SN), or ST and subthalamic nucleus (STN) induce functional recovery in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. Methamphetamine-induced rotation was significantly reduced by transplantation of mouse ES cell-derived neurons into the ST, but not the STN or SN alone. Double-transplantation was also effective at recovering rotational behavior. Although immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was almost completely lost in the ipsilateral striatum in hemiparkinsonian rats, TH immunoreactivity was detected in transplanted cells and sprouting fibers in the ST, STN and SN. These results suggest that both the involvement of ST as a place of transplantation and the number of ES cell-derived neurons are essential factors for efficacy on hemiparkinsonian behaviors.

Animals↗

Pharmacological characteristics of rotational behavior in hemiparkinsonian rats transplanted with mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have many of the characteristics of an optimal cell source for cell-replacement therapy. Although the usefulness of the in vitro generation of dopamine (DA)-neural precursors from ES cells has been widely discussed, functional recovery in animal models of Parkinson's disease is not fully understood. In 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats, apomorphine markedly induced contralateral rotation. Apomorphine-induced rotation was significantly reduced by transplantation of neuron-like cells that had differentiated from mouse ES cells using nicotinamide, but not L-lysine. In addition, methamphetamine-induced ipsilateral rotation was significantly reduced. On the other hand, picrotoxin did not inhibit apomorphine-induced rotational asymmetry. Fluoxetine alone and fenfluramine alone induced slight contralateral rotation and rotation in both directions, respectively, and these effects were similar in transplanted rats. Although immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was almost completely lost in the ipsilateral striatum in hemiparkinsonian rats, TH immunoreactivity was detected in transplanted cells and sprouting fibers. In contrast, immunoreactivities for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin (5-HT) neurons were not changed. These results suggest that improvement of rotational behavior may be induced predominantly by transplantation of nicotinamide-treated ES cell-derived DA neurons, rather than by changes in the activities of GABA or 5-HT neural systems, in hemiparkinsonian rats.

Animals↗

Cre-loxP-mediated gene replacement: a mouse strain producing humanized antibodies.

BACKGROUND: The bacteriophage-derived Cre-loxP recombination system operates efficiently in mammalian cells. This system is particularly useful in gene-targeting experiments in the mouse, and has already been used to generate 'clean' deletions of target genes in the germ line, as well as to inactivate target genes in a conditional manner (based on regulated expression of the Cre recombinase). In principle, Cre-loxP-mediated recombination should also allow gene replacement, and thus the introduction of virtually any kind of mutation into the genome. RESULTS: We used the Cre-loxP system, in mouse embryonic stem cells, to replace the mouse gene C gamma 1, which encodes the constant region of the heavy chain of IgG1 antibodies, with its human counterpart. The mutation was transmitted through the mouse germ line, and the resulting mutant mice were crossed with mice expressing kappa light chains with a human, instead of a mouse, constant region. Mice homozygous for both mutations produce humanized, kappa-chain-bearing IgG1 antibodies at the same level and efficiency as wild-type mice produce murine IgG1 antibodies. These animals should enable the ex vivo production of humanized, chimeric monoclonal antibodies specific for any antigen to which the mouse can respond. CONCLUSIONS: Cre-loxP-mediated gene replacement is a simple and efficient general method of targeted mutagenesis in the mouse.

Animals↗

A novel putative transmembrane protein, IZP6, is expressed in neural cells during embryogenesis.

Gene trapping in mouse embryonic stem cells is an efficient method for identifying new genes and examining their functions. This method has been used in an effort to identify some novel genes involved in mouse development. In the present paper, one such gene named IZP6 is reported. Expression of the IZP6 gene, as monitored by beta-galactosidase expression in heterozygous mice, was detected in a developmentally regulated fashion: the expression pattern has two phases during the embryogenesis. In the first phase, from embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) until E14.5, the reporter gene is mainly expressed in the forebrain. In the second phase, from E15.5 until birth, expression in the forebrain becomes weaker but is still observed in the olfactory bulb and the skin around the eyes, nose, limbs and tail. Thus, IZP6 gene expression changes from the central nervous system (the first phase) to the peripheral tissues (the second phase) during development. The IZP6 gene encodes a protein of 228 amino acids. Analysis of the secondary structure of the IZP6 protein revealed four hydrophobic regions, indicating that the IZP6 protein is a four transmembrane region protein. These results suggest that IZP6 is a transmembrane protein related to neurogenesis in the mouse.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The scramblases VMP1 and TMEM41B are required for primitive endoderm specification by targeting WNT signaling.

The ER-resident proteins VMP1 and TMEM41B share a conserved DedA domain, which confers lipid scramblase activity. Loss of either gene results in embryonic lethality in mice and defects in autophagy and lipid droplet metabolism. To investigate their role in pluripotency and lineage specification, we generated Vmp1 and Tmem41b mutations in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We observed that ESCs carrying mutations in Vmp1 and Tmem41b show robust self-renewal and an unperturbed pluripotent expression profile but accumulate LC3-positive autophagosomes and lipid droplets consistent with defects in autophagy and lipid metabolism. ESCs carrying combined mutations in Vmp1 and Tmem41b can differentiate into a wide range of embryonic cell types. However, differentiation into primitive endoderm-like cells in culture is impaired, and the establishment of extra-embryonic endoderm stem (XEN) cells is delayed. Mechanistically, we show the deregulation of genes that are associated with WNT signaling. This is further confirmed by cell surface proteome profiling, which identified a significant reduction of the WNT-receptor FZD2 at the plasma membrane in Vmp1 and Tmem41b double mutant ESCs. Importantly, we show that transgenic expression of Fzd2 rescues XEN differentiation. Our findings identify the role of the lipid scramblases VMP1 and TMEM41B in WNT signaling during extra-embryonic endoderm development and characterize their distinct and overlapping functions.

Animals↗

Growth inhibitors promote differentiation of insulin-producing tissue from embryonic stem cells.

The use of embryonic stem cells for cell-replacement therapy in diseases like diabetes mellitus requires methods to control the development of multipotent cells. We report that treatment of mouse embryonic stem cells with inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, an essential intracellular signaling regulator, produced cells that resembled pancreatic beta cells in several ways. These cells aggregated in structures similar, but not identical, to pancreatic islets of Langerhans, produced insulin at levels far greater than previously reported, and displayed glucose-dependent insulin release in vitro. Transplantation of these cell aggregates increased circulating insulin levels, reduced weight loss, improved glycemic control, and completely rescued survival in mice with diabetes mellitus. Graft removal resulted in rapid relapse and death. Graft analysis revealed that transplanted insulin-producing cells remained differentiated, enlarged, and did not form detectable tumors. These results provide evidence that embryonic stem cells can serve as the source of insulin-producing replacement tissue in an experimental model of diabetes mellitus. Strategies for producing cells that can replace islet functions described here can be adapted for similar uses with human cells.

Androstadienes↗

Appearance of nuclear protease activity after embryonal carcinoma cells undergo differentiation.

Proteolytic systems are involved via multiple mechanisms in the regulation of gene expression, including tightly controlled metabolism of transcription factors. In this study, we demonstrate that differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma cells to parietal endoderm-like cells is accompanied by the appearance of nuclear protease activity. Interestingly, this nuclear-associated protease activity is not observed in the visceral endoderm-like cell line, PSA-5E, or in the differentiated cells derived from both mouse embryonic stem cells and the human embryonal carcinoma cell line NT2/D1. We also determined that this differentiation-associated nuclear protease activity causes proteolysis of a wide range of different transcription factors, including ATF-1, Sp1, NF-YA and B, and octamer-binding proteins Oct-1 and Oct-3. Based on the effects of specific inhibitors, the nuclear protease(s) can be classified as a cysteine protease; however, lack of inhibition by calpastatin and EGTA distinguishes this protease activity from the calpain family of proteases. Given the properties of the differentiation-associated nuclear protease(s), we discuss the possibility that this protease(s) plays a role in the metabolism of transcription factors during the differentiation of specific embryonic cells.

Animals↗

Beta-adrenoceptor subtype dependence of chronotropy in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCM) have potential both as an experimental model for investigating cardiac physiology and as a source for tissue repair. For both reasons it is important to characterise the responses of these cells, and one of the key modulators of contraction is the beta-adrenergic system. We therefore undertook a detailed study of the response of the spontaneous beating rate of ESCM to beta-adrenoceptor (betaAR) stimulation. Embryoid bodies (EBs) were generated from murine ES line E14Tg2a by the hanging drop method, followed by plating. Spontaneously beating areas were seen starting from 9-14 days after differentiation: the experiments described here were performed on EBs between developmental day 19 and 48. Beating cell layers were seeded with charcoal to allow tracking of movement by a video-edge detection system. Experiments were performed in physiological medium containing 1 mM Ca2+ at 37 degrees C. Isoprenaline (Iso) increased beating rate with an EC50 value of 52 nM. Iso (0.3 microM) increased basal rate from 67 +/- 7 beats per minute (bpm) to 138 +/- 18 bpm, P < 0.001, n = 22. At earlier developmental time points the response to Iso was not maintained through 5 min exposure; this spontaneous desensitisation only being observed before day 36. A repeat application of Iso after a wash period of 20 min produced reproducible effects on beating rate. Subtype dependence of the betaAR response was determined by comparing an initial response with a second in the presence of selective beta1- or beta2AR antagonists. In the presence of the specific beta1AR-blocker CGP 20712A (300 nM) the increase in rate with Iso was reduced from 207 +/- 42% of basal to 128 +/- 13%, P < 0.01. With the beta2AR-blocker ICI 118,551 (50 nM) there was no significant change in Iso response. Exposure to the muscarinic agonist, carbachol (10 microM), inhibited the increase in frequency mediated by isoprenaline, but had mixed stimulatory and inhibitory effects on basal rate. This study extends the characterisation of ESCM as a preparation for studying receptor pharmacology, and indicates that the beta1AR is the predominant subtype mediating increases in contraction rate in murine ESCM.

Animals↗

Ultrastructural analysis of mouse embryonic stem cell-derived chondrocytes.

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells cultivated as cellular aggregates, so called embryoid bodies (EBs), differentiate spontaneously into different cell types of all three germ layers in vitro resembling processes of cellular differentiation during embryonic development. Regarding chondrogenic differentiation, murine ES cells differentiate into progenitor cells, which form pre-cartilaginous condensations in the EB-outgrowths and express marker molecules characteristic for mesenchymal cell types such as Sox5 and Sox6. Later, mature chondrocytes appear which express collagen type II, and the collagen fibers show a typical morphology as demonstrated by electron-microscopical analysis. These mature chondrogenic cells are organized in cartilage nodules and produce large amounts of extracellular proteoglycans as revealed by staining with cupromeronic blue. Finally, cells organized in nodules express collagen type X, indicating the hypertrophic stage. In conclusion, differentiation of murine ES cells into chondrocytes proceeds from the undifferentiated stem cell via progenitor cells up to mature chondrogenic cells, which then undergo hypertrophy. Furthermore, because the ES-cell-derived chondrocytes did not express elastin, a marker for elastic cartilage tissue, we suggest the cartilage nodules to resemble hyaline cartilage tissue.

Animals↗

TNF family molecule LIGHT regulates chemokine CCL27 expression on mouse embryonic stem cell-derived dendritic cells through NF-kappaB activation.

Cytokine LIGHT is a type II transmembrane protein belonging to the TNF family that was originally identified as a weak inducer of apoptosis. It plays a role in inducing maturation of dendritic cells, such as upregulating CD80, CD86 expression on dendritic cells. However, whether LIGHT induces CC chemokine expression in DC and promotes their migration remains unknown. In this study, we found that esDC express CCR7 and CCR10 (the receptor of CCL27) upon the LIGHT stimulation. LIGHT also upregulates CCL27, but not CCL19 and CCL21 expression in esDC. The esDC migration potential has been increased in LIGHT activated DCs compared with control cells. LIGHT activated DCs autocrine CCL27 which regulate their migration as Blockage of CCL27 on esDC using neutralizing antibody reduces migration potential. In signaling study, we identified that LIGHT activated NF-kappaB in esDC and inhibition of NF-kappaB activation by specific inhibitor can partly attenuate the effect of LIGHT in regulation of CCL27 expression. Moreover, Shp-2 is required in LIGHT activated NF-kappaB because Knockdown of Shp-2 affects the NF-kappaB activation induced by LIGHT and consequently influences LIGHT mediated CCL27 expression. TRAF6 is critical in DC maturation in recent reports; however, knockdown of TRAF6 expression using siRNA did not alter CCL27 expression in LIGHT matured DCs. Our study demonstrates that LIGHT stimulation enhances CCL27 expression through activation of NF-kappaB in DCs.

Animals↗

Development of G protein-mediated Ca2+ channel regulation in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons.

Besides other mechanisms, the influx of Ca2+ into embryonic neurons controls growth and differentiation processes. To study the expression and regulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels during early neurogenesis, we measured whole-cell Ca2+ currents (I(Ca)) in neurons developing from pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Various receptor agonists, including somatostatin and baclofen, reversibly inhibited I(Ca) in embryonic stem cell-derived neurons. The effects of somatostatin and baclofen were abolished by pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin and mimicked by intracellular infusion of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), suggesting the involvement of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins in I(Ca) inhibition. Investigations at different stages of neuronal differentiation showed that somatostatin efficiently suppressed L- and N-type Ca2+ channels in immature as well as mature neurons. In contrast, inhibition of L- and N-type channels by baclofen was rarely observed at the early stage. In terminally differentiated neurons, responses to baclofen were as prominent as those to somatostatin but were confined to N-type Ca2+ channels. The stage-dependent sensitivity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels to somatostatin and baclofen was not due to differential expression of G alpha(o) isoforms, as revealed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence microscopy. These findings demonstrate that specific neurotransmitters such as somatostatin regulate voltage-gated Ca2+ channels via G proteins during the early stages of neurogenesis, thus providing a mechanism for the epigenetic control of neuronal differentiation.

Animals↗

[Construction of a retroviral vector carrying human growth hormone gene and its introduction and expression in 3T3 and ES cells].

In order to study the expression of growth hormone gene in heterologous cells, the retroviral vector pINS was used to construct the recombinant plasmid carrying the human growth hormone gene (hGH), and then it was introduced into mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3 and mouse embryonic stem cell line CCE. Levels of accumulation of hGH secreted into medium was quantified by a radioimmunoassay. Expression level of hGH gene varied considerably from one clone to another. Several 3T3 clones expressing hGH gene at high level were obtained, such as GHSNC 20, in which hGH concentration in medium was 3784ng/ml, Integration of exogenous gene was stable. Southern blot result showed that such kind of difference was not related to the number of integrated copies of the foreign gene. The expression of ES clones transfected with pINS-GH was undetectable, and integration of the foreign gene was unstable. Southern blot result showed that hGH gene really integrated into the cellular genome, and no rearrangement of foreign gene is found at present.

3T3 Cells↗

Early neuronal and glial determination from mouse E10.5 telencephalon embryonic stem cells: an in vitro study.

We report here a novel in vitro model for differentiating neuronal and glial cells from mouse embryonic day 10 telencephalon stem cells. At this developmental stage, the telencephalon consists of a single layer of neuroepithelial stem cells. We used various markers of proliferation and differentiation (Ki-67, nestin, BrdU, Tuj-1 and GFAP) to follow proliferative progenitors and to identify neuronal and glial derivatives. Neuronal derivatives were obtained from nestin+ progenitors. GFAP+ astrocytic derivatives were detected after only 72 h of culture. Both neuronal and glial derivatives were generated close to nestin-positive aggregates. In addition, we were able to manipulate neuronal determination of telencephalon stem cells by gene transient transfection as demonstrated by RP42 gene overexpression. These observations suggest that this in vitro model is of potential use for studying early steps in neuronal or glial determination from embryonic stem cells, an issue of key importance for adult brain cell therapy approaches.

Animals↗

Differential expression of glucose transporter isoforms during embryonic stem cell differentiation.

In mouse blastocysts six facilitative glucose transporter isoforms (GLUT)1-4, 8 and 9 are expressed. We have used the mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell line D3 and spontaneously differentiating embryoid bodies (EB) to investigate GLUT expression and the influence of glucose during differentiation of early embryonic cells. Both ES cells and EBs (2d-20d) expressed GLUT1, 3, and 8, whereas the isoforms 2 and 4 were detectable exclusively in EBs. Differentiation-associated expression of GLUT was analyzed by double staining with stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA-1), cytokeratins (CK18, 19), nestin, and desmin. Similar to trophoblast cells in mouse blastocysts the outer cell layer of endoderm-like cells showed a high GLUT3 expression in early EBs. In 20-day-old EBs no GLUT3 protein and only minor GLUT3 mRNA amounts could be detected. A minimal glucose concentration of 5 mM applied during 2 and 8 days of EB culture resulted in up-regulated GLUT4, Oct-4 and SSEA-1 levels and a delay in EB differentiation. We conclude that GLUT expression depends on cellular differentiation and that the expression is modulated by glucose concentration. The developmental and glucose-dependent regulation of GLUT strongly suggests a functional role of glucose and glucose transporters in ES cell differentiation and embryonic development.

Animals↗

Testicular cell conditioned medium supports differentiation of embryonic stem cells into ovarian structures containing oocytes.

Previous reports and the current study have found that germ cell precursor cells appear in embryoid bodies (EBs) formed from mouse embryonic stem cells as identified by positive expression of specific germ cell markers such as Oct-3/4, Mvh, c-kit, Stella, and DAZL. We hypothesized that if exposed to appropriate growth factors, the germ cell precursor cells within the EBs would differentiate into gametes. The source for growth factors used in the present study is conditioned medium collected from testicular cell cultures prepared from the testes of newborn males. Testes at this stage of development contain most growth factors required for the transformation of germ stem cells into differentiated gametes. When EBs were cultured in the conditioned medium, they developed into ovarian structures, which contained putative oocytes. The oocytes were surrounded by one to two layers of flattened cells and did not have a visible zona pellucida. However, oocyte-specific markers such as Fig-alpha and ZP3 were found expressed by the ovarian structures. The production of oocytes using this method is repeatable and reliable and may be applicable to other mammalian species, including the human.

Animals↗

Hepatic precursors derived from murine embryonic stem cells contribute to regeneration of injured liver.

We established an efficient system for differentiation, expansion and isolation of hepatic progenitor cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and evaluated their capacity to repopulate injured liver. Using mouse ES cells transfected with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene regulated by albumin (ALB) enhancer/promoter, we found that a serum-free chemically defined medium supports formation of embryoid bodies (EBs) and differentiation of hepatic lineage cells in the absence of exogenous growth factors or feeder cell layers. The first GFP+ cells expressing ALB were detected in close proximity to "beating" myocytes after 7 days of EB cultures. GFP+ cells increased in number, acquired hepatocyte-like morphology and hepatocyte-specific markers (i.e., ALB, AAT, TO, and G6P), and by 28 days represented more than 30% of cells isolated from EB outgrowths. The FACS-purified GFP+ cells developed into functional hepatocytes without evidence of cell fusion and participated in the repairing of diseased liver when transplanted into MUP-uPA/SCID mice. The ES cell-derived hepatocytes were responsive to normal growth regulation and proliferated at the same rate as the host hepatocytes after an additional growth stimulus from CCl(4)-induced liver injury. The transplanted GFP+ cells also differentiated into biliary epithelial cells. In conclusion, a highly enriched population of committed hepatocyte precursors can be generated from ES cells in vitro for effective cell replacement therapy.

Albumins↗

Telomere directed fragmentation of mammalian chromosomes.

Cloned human telomeric DNA can integrate into mammalian chromosomes and seed the formation of new telomeres. This process occurs efficiently in three established human cell lines and in a mouse embryonic stem cell line. The newly seeded telomeres appear to be healed by telomerase. The seeding of new telomeres by cloned telomeric DNA is either undetectable or very inefficient in non-tumourigenic mouse or human somatic cell lines. The cytogenetic consequences of the seeding of new telomeres include large chromosome truncations but most of the telomere seeding events occur close to the pre-existing ends of natural chromosomes.

Animals↗

Stem Cell Differentiation Disperses Transcriptional Clusters via a Conserved Surface-Condensate Trajectory.

Stem cells exhibit exceptionally prominent transcriptional clusters, which dissolve with progressing differentiation. Although these clusters are assigned central roles in embryonic gene regulation, their formation and loss during differentiation remain poorly understood. This study reveals that these prominent clusters disperse along a conserved trajectory in mouse embryonic stem cells, fruit fly testes, and zebrafish embryos. Imaging and lattice simulations show that these clusters form via surface condensation on H3K27ac-marked super-enhancer regions, which act as genomic scaffolds. Upon differentiation, partial loss of these active epigenetic marks and transcription-driven unfolding lead to dispersal of the prominent clusters. The block copolymer-based lattice simulations explain this process as a conserved trajectory through a three-dimensional state space, governed by surface condensation principles that extend beyond canonical liquid-liquid phase separation. This work marks surface condensation as a biophysical mechanism for the dynamic organization of stem cell-specific transcriptional hubs and demonstrates evolutionary conservation in several organisms. By uncovering a conserved biophysical mechanism for transcriptional organization in development, our work illustrates how polymer properties can contribute to the control of cell identity and&#xa0;fate.

Animals↗