In vitro neuronal differentiation of cultured human embryonic germ cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005 Feb 11;327(2):548-56
Date
01/05/2005Pubmed ID
15629148DOI
10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.11.168Scopus ID
2-s2.0-11144261666 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 24 CitationsAbstract
Human embryonic germ (hEG) cells, which have been advanced as one of the most important sources of pluripotent stem cells [the other one being human embryonic stem cells], can be propagated in vitro indefinitely in the primitive undifferentiated state while being capable of developing into all three germ layer derivatives, hence have become anticipated developing novel strategies of tissue regeneration and transplantation in the treatment of degenerative diseases. In the experiments here, we derived hEG cells from cultured human primordial germ cells (PGCs) of 6- to 9-week-post-fertilization embryos. They satisfied the criteria previously used to define hEG cells, including the expression of markers characteristic of pluripotent cells-abundant alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, stage specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-1(+), SSEA-3(-), SSEA-4(+), TRA-1-60(+), TRA-1-81(+), Oct-4(+), and hTERT(+), the retention of normal karyotypes, and possessing pluripotency by forming embryoid bodies (EBs) in vitro. Furthermore, these derived cells tended to neurally differentiate in vitro, especially under high-density culture conditions. We successfully isolated neural progenitor cells from differentiating hEG cultures and about 10% cells induced by 2microM all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) or 0.1mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP)/1mM forskolin to mature neurons expressing microtubule-associated protein 2ab (MAP2ab), synaptophysin, beta-tubulin III, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but no glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and choline acetyl transferase (ChAT). The data suggested that hEG cells may provide a potential source of cells for use in transplantation therapy for neurological degenerative diseases.
Author List
Pan Y, Chen X, Wang S, Yang S, Bai X, Chi X, Li K, Liu B, Li LAuthor
Xiaowen Bai PhD Associate Professor in the Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
BiomarkersCell Differentiation
Cell Shape
Cells, Cultured
Down-Regulation
Embryo, Mammalian
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Germ Cells
Humans
Intermediate Filament Proteins
Karyotyping
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Nestin
Neurons
Pluripotent Stem Cells
RNA, Messenger