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Assembly of three-dimensional polymeric constructs containing cells/biomolecules using carbon dioxide.

Using low-pressure carbon dioxide (CO2), we demonstrated a novel and versatile approach to assembling polymeric constructs in the presence of cells and/or biomolecules in an aqueous environment. By regulating the CO2 pressure, the assembly was completed at biologically permissive temperatures with excellent preservation of the original structures. We further demonstrated that mammalian cells can survive the CO2-assisted bioassembly process (37 degrees C, 1.38 MPa, approximately 1 h). Human mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow (hMSCs) exhibited the same cell morphology and proliferation potential as the untreated control. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) maintained ES-specific Oct-4 gene expression and differentiation potential after CO2 treatment as well. This method highlights the ability to construct multiple biodegradable polymeric scaffolds with well-defined architecture, on which various types of cells were grown, into a predesigned three-dimensional complex. In addition, protein and DNA bioactivity can be preserved in the context of a CO2-assisted assembly. This CO2-assisted bioassembly method provides for a manufacturing platform that, thus far, has been lacking in the fields of tissue engineering, cell-based biochips, cell therapy, and drug delivery.

Carbon Dioxide↗

Stem cells and regenerative medicine for diabetes mellitus.

A profound knowledge of the development and differentiation of pancreatic tissues, especially islets of Langerhans, is necessary for developing regenerative therapy for severe diabetes mellitus. A recent developmental study showed that PTF-1a is expressed in almost all parts of pancreatic tissues, in addition to PDX-1, a well-known transcription factor that is essential for pancreas development. Another study suggested that alpha cells and beta cells individually, but not sequentially, differentiated from neurogenin-3--expressing precursor cells. Under strong induction of pancreas regeneration, it is likely that pancreatic duct cells dedifferentiate to grow, express PDX-1, and re-differentiate toward other cell types including islet cells. Duct epithelium-like cells can be cultivated from crude pancreatic exocrine cells and can be induced to differentiate toward islet-like cell clusters under some culture conditions. These cell clusters made from murine pancreas have been shown to control hyperglycemia when transplanted into diabetic mice. Liver-derived oval cells and their putative precursor H-CFU-C have been shown to differentiate toward pancreatic cells. Furthermore, extrapancreatic cells contained in bone marrow and amniotic membrane are reported to become insulin-producing cells. However, their exact characterization and relationship between these cell types remain to be elucidated. Our recent study has shown that islet-like cell clusters can be differentiated from mouse embryonic stem cells. Transplantation of these clusters could ameliorate hyperglycemia of STZ-induced diabetic mice without forming teratomas. Interestingly, these cells expressed several genes specific to exocrine pancreatic tissue in addition to islet-related genes, suggesting that stable and efficient differentiation toward certain tissues can only be achieved through a process mimicking normal development of the tissue. Perhaps recent developments in these fields may rapidly lead to an established regenerative therapy for diabetes mellitus.

Animals↗

Directed differentiation of neural and sensory tissues from embryonic stem cells in vitro.

We have recently identified a stromal cell-derived inducing activity (SDIA), which induces differentiation of neural cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Particularly, midbrain TH+ dopaminergic neurons are generated efficiently in this system. These dopaminergic neurons are transplantable and survive well in the 6-OHDA-treated mouse striatum. SDIA induces co-cultured ES cells to differentiate into rostral central nervous system (CNS) tissues containing both ventral and dorsal cells. While early exposure of SDIA-treated ES cells to BMP4 suppresses neural differentiation and promotes epidermogenesis, late BMP4 exposure after the 4th day of co-culture causes differentiation of neural crest cells and dorsal-most CNS cells, with autonomic system and sensory lineages induced preferentially by high and low BMP4 concentrations, respectively. In contrast, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) suppresses differentiation of neural crest lineages and promotes that of ventral CNS tissues such as motor neurons and HNF3beta+ floor plate cells with axonal guidance activities. Thus, SDIA-treated ES cells generate naïve precursors that have the competence of differentiating into the "full" dorsal-ventral range of neuroectodermal derivatives in response to patterning signals. I also discuss the role of SDIA and the mode of rostral-caudal specification of neuralized ES cells. In addition, I would like to discuss them in the light of control of in vitro neural production for the use in regenerative medicine for parkinsonism and retinal degeneration.

Animals↗

TATA-dependent enhancer stimulation of promoter activity in mice is developmentally acquired.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (tk) promoter activity depends on four transcription factor binding sites, one of which is a TATA box sequence, and the presence of either a cis-acting enhancer sequence or a transactivator protein. Studies presented here show that this TATA box was required for promoter activity only after cells began to differentiate and then only when promoter activity was stimulated by either an enhancer or a transactivator. When the HSV tk promoter was utilized by mouse embryos from the one-cell to eight-cell stage of development or by undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells, disruption of the HSV tk TATA box by site-specific mutations did not reduce promoter activity. This was true even when HSV tk promoter activity was stimulated strongly by either the embryo-responsive polyomavirus F101 enhancer or its natural transactivator, the HSV ICP4 gene product. However, stimulated expression was dependent on a distal Sp1 DNA binding site. Similarly, disruption of the TATA box did not reduce tk promoter activity in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts or in immortalized 3T3 mouse fibroblasts; in fact, promoter activity was increased up to 2.6-fold. However, in these differentiated cells, stimulation of the HSV tk promoter by either the F101 enhancer or ICP4 protein required the TATA box. HSV tk promoter activity also was dependent on its TATA box in the mouse oocyte, a terminally differentiated cell with an endogenous transactivating activity. These results reveal that the need for a TATA box is developmentally acquired and depends on at least two parameters: the differentiated state of the cell and stimulation of the promoter by either an enhancer or a transactivator.

3T3 Cells↗

Selective migration of neuralized embryonic stem cells to stem cell factor and media conditioned by glioma cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells can be induced in vitro to become neural progenitors. Upon transplantation, neural progenitors migrate toward areas of damage and inflammation in the CNS. We tested whether undifferentiated and neuralized mouse ES cells migrate toward media conditioned by glioma cell lines (C6, U87 & N1321) or Stem Cell Factor (SCF). RESULTS: Cell migration assays revealed selective migration by neuralized ES cells to conditioned media as well as to synthetic SCF. Migration of undifferentiated ES cells was extensive, but not significantly different from that of controls (Unconditioned Medium). RT-PCR analysis revealed that all the three tumor cell lines tested synthesized SCF and that both undifferentiated and neuralized ES cells expressed c-kit, the receptor for SCF. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that undifferentiated ES cells are highly mobile and that neural progenitors derived from ES cells are selectively attracted toward factors produced by gliomas. Given that the glioma cell lines synthesize SCF, SCF may be one of several factors that contribute to the selective migration observed.

Journal Article↗

Gene targeting for inflammatory cell adhesion molecules.

Using gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells, it is possible to introduce diverse mutations into specific genes. Using these methods, various laboratories have reported mutations for a variety of inflammatory cell adhesion molecules including CD18, alpha 5 integrin, ICAM-1, P-selectin, and L-selectin; preliminary reports of other mutations are also available. Mutations in CD18 and ICAM-1 cause impaired inflammatory and immune responses, mutations in P-selectin and L-selectin cause decreased leukocyte rolling and emigration, and a mutation in alpha 5 integrin causes embryonic lethality. Gene targeting complements other approaches for analyzing the function of inflammatory cell adhesion molecules.

Animals↗

Production of insulin-like growth factor-II (MSA) by endoderm-like cells derived from embryonal carcinoma cells: possible mediator of embryonic cell growth.

The present study was carried out to determine if an insulin-like growth factor (IGF) type activity might be produced by embryonal carcinoma-derived cells. The cell line used to condition growth medium for the isolation of secreted growth factors was a newly established Dif 5 cell type. Dif 5 cells are a differentiated endoderm-like cell type derived from F9 embryonal carcinoma cells (which possess properties similar to mouse embryonic stem cells) following extensive exposure to retinoic acid. When growth medium conditioned by Dif 5 cells is chromatographed on Sephadex G-75 in 1 M acetic acid two peaks of activity are observed which compete for specific [125I]iodo multiplication stimulating activity (MSA) binding to PYS cells. MSA is the rat homologue of human IGF-II. The high molecular weight fraction (Mr approximately 60K) apparently corresponds to IGF-binding protein as determined by its ability to bind [125I]iodo-MSA. The low molecular weight fraction (Mr approximately 8K) is biologically active as this fraction stimulates [3H]thymidine incorporation into serum-starved chick embryo fibroblasts. Radioimmunoassay data indicate that the IGF-like activity produced by Dif 5 cells is more closely related to IGF-II than to IGF-I. Undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma stem cell lines (F9, Nulli, and PCC4) produced little of this MSA-like activity, while PYS-2 (parietal endoderm-like) cells produced about 16 ng MSA/10(6) cells/24 hr as determined by radioimmunoassay. Dif 5 and PSA-5E (visceral endoderm-like) cells, are found to secrete significant amounts of MSA into the growth medium (30-50 ng MSA/10(6) cells/24 hr). These findings offer further support to a proposal that MSA (IGF-II) produced by endoderm cells, particularly visceral endoderm, may serve as an early embryonic growth factor.

Animals↗

Dynamics of DNA methylation pattern.

Methylation patterns are the result of de novo methylation, demethylation, and the maintenance of existing methylation. Although the existence and identity of an active demethylase remain in doubt, recent evidence suggests that protein binding can specify sites of demethylation through a replication-dependent pathway. By using a stable episomal system in human cells, plus the Drosophila system, and mouse embryonic stem cells, we are beginning to understand the function and targets of de novo methyltransferases in murine and human cells.

Animals↗

Cell therapy: in search of pluripotency.

Cell replacement as a route to treat cellular disease and injury is currently limited by the availability of suitable donor cell populations, but recent results with mouse embryonic stem cells suggest that isolated human pluripotent cells could provide a source of cells for transplantation and gene therapy.

Animals↗

Restoration of beta1A integrins is required for lysophosphatidic acid-induced migration of beta1-null mouse fibroblastic cells.

Cells lacking the beta1 integrin subunit or expressing beta1A with certain cytoplasmic mutations have poor directed cell migration to platelet-derived growth factor or epidermal growth factor, ligands of receptor tyrosine kinases (Sakai, T., Zhang, Q., Fässler, R., and Mosher, D. F. (1998) J. Cell Biol. 141, 527-538). We investigated the effect of expression of beta1A integrins on lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced migration of fibroblastic cells derived from beta1-null mouse embryonic stem cells. These cells expressed edg-2, a G-protein-linked receptor for LPA, as well as the related edg-1 receptor. Cells expressing wild type beta1A demonstrated enhanced cell migration across filters coated with gelatin or adhesive proteins in response to LPA, whereas beta1-deficient cells lacked LPA-induced cell migratory ability. Checkerboard analyses indicated that LPA causes both chemotaxis and chemokinesis of beta1-replete cells. Cells expressing beta1A with mutations of prolines or tyrosines in conserved cytoplasmic NPXY motifs, threonine in the inter-motif sequence, or a critical aspartic acid in the extracellular domain had low migratory responses to LPA. These findings indicate that active beta1A integrin is required for cell migration induced by LPA and that the cytoplasmic domain of ligated beta1A interacts with pathways that are common to both receptor tyrosine kinase and G-protein-linked receptor signaling.

Animals↗

Regulation of cell death in mitotic neural progenitor cells by asymmetric distribution of prostate apoptosis response 4 (PAR-4) and simultaneous elevation of endogenous ceramide.

Cell death and survival of neural progenitor (NP) cells are determined by signals that are largely unknown. We have analyzed pro-apoptotic signaling in individual NP cells that have been derived from mouse embryonic stem cells. NP formation was concomitant with elevated apoptosis and increased expression of ceramide and prostate apoptosis response 4 (PAR-4). Morpholino oligonucleotide-mediated antisense knockdown of PAR-4 or inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis reduced stem cell apoptosis, whereas PAR-4 overexpression and treatment with ceramide analogs elevated apoptosis. Apoptotic cells also stained for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (a nuclear mitosis marker protein), but not for nestin (a marker for NP cells). In mitotic cells, asymmetric distribution of PAR-4 and nestin resulted in one nestin(-)/PAR-4(+) daughter cell, in which ceramide elevation induced apoptosis. The other cell was nestin(+), but PAR-4(-), and was not apoptotic. Asymmetric distribution of PAR-4 and simultaneous elevation of endogenous ceramide provides a possible mechanism underlying asymmetric differentiation and apoptosis of neuronal stem cells in the developing brain.

Animals↗

Differential effects of an erythropoietin receptor gene disruption on primitive and definitive erythropoiesis.

Although the hormone erythropoietin (Epo) and its receptor (EpoR) are known to play important roles in the regulation of erythropoiesis, several questions remain concerning the developmental role of Epo/EpoR signaling. As the functions of Epo have been defined primarily through studies of definitive erythroid cells, its importance for primitive, embryonic erythropoiesis remains uncertain, as does the significance of EpoR expression in several nonerythroid cell types. To address these questions, mouse embryonic stem cells and embryos lacking a functional EpoR gene were produced by gene targeting. The effects of the mutation were examined in embryos developing in vivo, in chimeric adult mice produced with homozygous mutant embryonic stem cells, and in hemopoietic cells cultured in vitro. No defects were apparent in nonerythroid cell lineages in which the EpoR normally is expressed, including megakaryocytes and endothelial cells. In the mutant yolk sac, primitive erythrocytes were produced in normal numbers, they underwent terminal differentiation, and expressed near normal levels of embryonic globins, although they were reduced in size and their proliferation was severely retarded after E9.5. In contrast, in the fetal liver, definitive erythropoiesis beyond the late progenitor (CFU-E) stage was drastically inhibited by the EpoR mutation, and virtually no definitive erythrocytes were produced in vivo, leading to embryonic death by E13.5. Thus, our results suggest a fundamental difference in the molecular mechanisms stimulating primitive and definitive erythropoiesis. It was also observed that a few mutant definitive erythroid cells could terminally differentiate when cultured with additional cytokines, demonstrating that although Epo/EpoR signaling is important for definitive erythroid cell survival and proliferation, it is not an obligatory step in differentiation.

Animals↗

Transgenic mice for the establishment of histidinol-resistant embryonic fibroblast feeder layers.

Gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells generates mutations by replacing an endogenous chromosomal region with a copy disrupted by a selectable genetic marker. The most commonly used selectable marker is the bacterial neo(r) gene, which confers resistance in mammalian cells to the antibiotic G418. Use of an alternative selectable marker, the Salmonella typhimurium gene hisD, should provide expanded applications for gene targeting. The hisD gene encodes the protein histidinol dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the conversion of histidinol to the amino acid histidine. Histidinol is toxic to mammalian cells, while histidine is an essential mammalian amino acid. Consequently, growth selection in cultures with media containing histidinol in place of histidine occurs by both histidine starvation and histidinol poisoning. The hisD selection is being tested for potential use in gene targeting experiments with mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Currently, most successful gene targeting experiments use primary embryonic fibroblast feeder layers, which assist in the maintenance of the pluripotential state of the embryonic stem cells. To support ES cell stability under histidinol selection, mice transgenic for the S. typhimurium hisD gene have been produced and used to generate embryonic fibroblast feeder cells. The transgenic embryonic fibroblasts survive under a wide range of histidinol-containing growth conditions and support growth of ES cell cultures.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

TGF-beta2 allows pluripotent human embryonic stem cell proliferation on E6/E7 immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

In this study we report observations that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) capable of supporting expansion of pluripotent, human embryonic stem cells (hESC) fail to support after immortalization using E6/E7 oncogenes in serum conditions; however this can be reversed following addition of exogenous TGF-beta2. Microarray analysis of immortalized and non-immortalized MEF revealed differential gene expression of several TGF-beta related genes. By supplementing TGF-beta2 into E6/E7 immortalized MEF cultures, this enabled proliferation of undifferentiated, pluripotent hESC as demonstrated by marker expression (Oct-4, SSEA-4, alkaline phosphatase) and teratoma formation representing three germ layers following hESC injection into immuno-deficient mice. Subsequent investigation using quantitative real-time PCR highlighted differential gene expression of several extracellular matrix related transcripts in primary and immortal (+/-TGF-beta2) feeder cells including the induction of osteopontin following addition of TGF-beta2. Our results demonstrate that TGF-beta2 and its related genes in MEF play a role in the support of pluripotent hESC expansion.

Animals↗

Transplanted embryonic stem cells survive, differentiate and promote recovery in injured rat spinal cord.

Transplantation approaches using cellular bridges, fetal central nervous system cells, fibroblasts expressing neurotrophin-3 (ref. 6), hybridoma cells expressing inhibitory protein-blocking antibodies, or olfactory nerves ensheathing glial cells transplanted into the acutely injured spinal cord have produced axonal regrowth or functional benefits. Transplants of rat or cat fetal spinal cord tissue into the chronically injured cord survive and integrate with the host cord, and may be associated with some functional improvements. In addition, rats transplanted with fetal spinal cord cells have shown improvements in some gait parameters, and the delayed transplantation of fetal raphe cells can enhance reflexes. We transplanted neural differentiated mouse embryonic stem cells into a rat spinal cord 9 days after traumatic injury. Histological analysis 2-5 weeks later showed that transplant-derived cells survived and differentiated into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons, and migrated as far as 8 mm away from the lesion edge. Furthermore, gait analysis demonstrated that transplanted rats showed hindlimb weight support and partial hindlimb coordination not found in 'sham-operated' controls or control rats transplanted with adult mouse neocortical cells.

Animals↗

Ribo-ITP enables identification of translons from limited input samples.

In the last decade, an unexpectedly large number of translated regions (translons) have been discovered using ribosome profiling and proteomics. Translons can act as regulatory elements or encode functional micropeptides. However, identification of translons has been limited to cell lines or large organs due to high input requirements for conventional ribosome profiling and mass spectrometry. Here, we address this input limitation using Ribo-ITP on difficult-to-collect samples such as microdissected hippocampal tissues and single preimplantation embryos to identify thousands of translons. To test the translational capacity of the identified translons, we engineer a translon-dependent GFP reporter system and detect expression of translons initiating at ATG and near-cognate start codons in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We identify distinct expression patterns of translons using a comparative analysis of more than a thousand ribosome profiling datasets across a wide range of cell types. Further, using a machine learning model, we predict that specific upstream translons in synaptically enriched mRNAs regulate translation efficiency of the annotated coding region. Taken together, we present a proof-of-concept study to identify non-canonical translation events from low input samples which can be applied to cell and tissue types inaccessible to conventional methods.

Animals↗

Spermine deficiency resulting from targeted disruption of the spermine synthase gene in embryonic stem cells leads to enhanced sensitivity to antiproliferative drugs.

Polyamines are known to be essential for normal cell growth and differentiation. However, despite numerous studies, specific cellular functions of polyamines in general and individual polyamines in particular have remained only tentative, because of a lack of appropriate cell lines in which genes of polyamine-synthesizing enzymes have been disrupted by gene targeting. With the use of homologous recombination technique, we disrupted the gene encoding spermine synthase in mouse embryonic stem cells. The spermine synthase gene is located on X chromosome in mouse and, because the cells used in this study were of XY karyotype, a single targeting event was sufficient to result in null genotype. The targeted cells did not have any measurable spermine synthase activity and were totally devoid of the polyamine spermine. Spermine deficiency led to a substantial increase in spermidine content, but the total polyamine content was nearly unchanged. Despite the lack of spermine, these cells displayed a growth rate that was nearly similar to that of the parental cells and showed no overt morphological changes. However, the spermine-deficient cells were significantly more sensitive to the growth inhibition exerted by 2-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase. Similarly, methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), an inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, and diethylnorspermine, a polyamine analog, although exerting cytostatic growth inhibition on wild-type cells, were clearly cytotoxic to the spermine-deficient cells. The spermine-deficient cells were also much more sensitive to etoposide-induced DNA damage than their wild-type counterparts.

Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase↗

Signaling by Kit protein-tyrosine kinase--the stem cell factor receptor.

Signaling by stem cell factor and Kit, its receptor, plays important roles in gametogenesis, hematopoiesis, mast cell development and function, and melanogenesis. Moreover, human and mouse embryonic stem cells express Kit transcripts. Stem cell factor exists as both a soluble and a membrane-bound glycoprotein while Kit is a receptor protein-tyrosine kinase. The complete absence of stem cell factor or Kit is lethal. Deficiencies of either produce defects in red and white blood cell production, hypopigmentation, and sterility. Gain-of-function mutations of Kit are associated with several human neoplasms including acute myelogenous leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and mastocytomas. Kit consists of an extracellular domain, a transmembrane segment, a juxtamembrane segment, and a protein kinase domain that contains an insert of about 80 amino acid residues. Binding of stem cell factor to Kit results in receptor dimerization and activation of protein kinase activity. The activated receptor becomes autophosphorylated at tyrosine residues that serve as docking sites for signal transduction molecules containing SH2 domains. The adaptor protein APS, Src family kinases, and Shp2 tyrosyl phosphatase bind to phosphotyrosine 568. Shp1 tyrosyl phosphatase and the adaptor protein Shc bind to phosphotyrosine 570. C-terminal Src kinase homologous kinase and the adaptor Shc bind to both phosphotyrosines 568 and 570. These residues occur in the juxtamembrane segment of Kit. Three residues in the kinase insert domain are phosphorylated and attract the adaptor protein Grb2 (Tyr703), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (Tyr721), and phospholipase Cgamma (Tyr730). Phosphotyrosine 900 in the distal kinase domain binds phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase which in turn binds the adaptor protein Crk. Phosphotyrosine 936, also in the distal kinase domain, binds the adaptor proteins APS, Grb2, and Grb7. Kit has the potential to participate in multiple signal transduction pathways as a result of interaction with several enzymes and adaptor proteins.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗