牛精原干细胞体外分化潜能的分析

家畜精原干细胞操作的核心技术是精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)的长期培养。至今家畜精原干细胞的长期培养方法还没有完善。其中的一个原因是缺乏简便有效的家畜精原干细胞生物活性鉴定手段。该研究的目的是建立一种牛精原干细胞生理潜能的体外分析方法,用于体外培养的牛精原干细胞的生物活性鉴定。首先培养牛精原干细胞,进而用干细胞因子(stem cell factor,SCF)对体外长期培养的牛精原干细胞进行诱导分化。在诱导分化过程中对细胞进行显微观察,并且用免疫荧光染色法鉴定分化的细胞。观察结果显示,经过诱导培养8 d后,牛精原干细胞形态发生了明显改变;细胞的运动行为显示出精母细胞特有的特征。免疫荧光染色结果显示,分化的细胞表达精母细胞的标记基因Scp3。上述结果例证了体外培养的牛精原干细胞具有分化为精母细胞的潜能。该研究建立了牛SSCs体外诱导分化的分析方法,用于鉴定体外培养的牛SSCs的生理潜能。但是体外诱导培养条件不能满足牛SSCs减数分裂的全部要求,导致出现一些不完全符合精母细胞特征的现象。诱导分化培养液尚需改进。     

Stella基因真核表达载体的构建及其对小鼠胚胎干细胞多能性的影响

构建Stella基因真核表达质粒,转染小鼠胚胎干细胞(Embryonic stem cells,ESC)并初步探讨Stella对减数分裂起始相关基因(Stra8)及胚胎干细胞多能性的影响。通过RT-PCR扩增目的基因,并连接至真核表达载体pEGFP-C1,利用重组质粒转染小鼠胚胎干细胞。对转染细胞进行荧光检测,确认Stella的表达,并利用免疫荧光及PCR检测转染细胞基因表达情况。酶切鉴定及测序分析表明成功构建含Stella基因的重组真核表达质粒,过表达Stella对ES细胞的增殖和形态学特征、进入减数分裂阶段的相关基因及其多能性基因的表达影响并不显著。故此得出结论:Stella在小鼠胚胎干细胞中能够正确表达,但对ES细胞的分化、Stra8基因的表达及其多能性基因的表达并无显著影响。     

人诱导多能干细胞与人胚胎干细胞分化过程中Oct4/Nanog 基因 表达的比较

目的:比较通过慢病毒方法获得的人诱导多能性干细胞(iPSCs)与人胚胎干细胞(hESCs)分化过程中全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达变化。方法:收集分化不同时间点的拟胚体(EBs),检测三胚层分化基因以及全能性基因Oct4/Nanog的表达,并通过畸胎瘤组织切片的荧光染色分析Oct4的表达。结果:iPSCs获得的EB中内外三胚层分化基因表达的出现明显晚于hESCs来源的EB。不同于hESCs,iPSCs悬浮培养获得的EBs在体外培养18天未见内源性Oct4、Nanog基因表达的下调。未分化的iPSCs注射严重联合免疫缺陷(SCID)小鼠培养10周后获得的畸胎瘤中仍存在Oct4阳性的细胞,但iPS-#2中明显少于iPS-#5。结论:通过慢病毒方法获得的iPSCs虽然具有向三胚层分化的能力,但在分化过程中仍维持较高水平的全能性基因Oct4、Nanog的表达。     

哺乳动物精原干细胞的分子标记及调控

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)是一群生活在睾丸特殊微环境中并能自我更新和具有多向分化潜能的细胞,是精子发生的基础。近年来,通过对SSCs表面的α6-和β1-整合素、CD9、GFRA1等主要标记分子,以及对GDNF、Plzf、泛素、LIF等决定SSCs自我更新和分化的多种细胞因子和基因的研究发现,目前在SSCs的分离、鉴定和生物学特性方面已获得新的成果。本文简述了目前哺乳动物SSCs主要的标记分子及自我更新与分化的调控机理,以期为该领域及其他干细胞研究提供一定的借鉴。     

哺乳动物精原干细胞体外分离培养研究进展

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)作为成体干细胞的一种,具有高度自我更新和分化潜能。近几年研究发现,SSCs的体外培养是表观遗传基础研究、精子发生机制深入探索以及治疗雄性不育的基础条件。本文根据国内外SSCs相关研究,对哺乳动物SSCs的生物学特性、体外分离培养和鉴定等作一综述,以期为哺乳动物SSCs和其他干细胞的长期体外培养以及建系提供一定的借鉴。     

人类胚胎干细胞系H9培养和分化中细胞异质性的发现

目的:在人类胚胎干细胞系H9培养和分化过程中探讨该细胞系的异质性。方法:对人类胚胎干细胞系H9进行体外未分化培养和诱导分化,鉴定其多潜能性和分化状态;在诱导其向拟胚体细胞的分化过程中,检测多潜能相关基因及分化特异基因的表达情况。结果:发现多潜能相关基因(Oct4、SOX2和Nanog)和种系特异性基因(Cdx2、Bachurary、SOX1、Fgf5和AFP)并不限于分别在未分化细胞和分化细胞中表达。结论:提示H9细胞系在培养过程中的非基因异质性现象,为进一步认识胚胎干细胞的自我更新和多潜能性提供了有意义的参考。     

小鼠雄性生殖干细胞转录组分析揭示成熟精原干细胞特征

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells, SSCs)是成年动物睾丸中的成体干细胞,具有自我更新与分化的能力。小鼠(Mus musculus)精原干细胞来源于胚胎期的原始生殖细胞(primodial germ cells, PGCs),小鼠出生前原始生殖细胞处于有丝分裂静止状态,出生后恢复增殖并由曲细精管中央迁移至管壁基质,建立稳定的精原干细胞克隆。成熟小鼠的精原干细胞周期性地启动精子发生以维持雄性动物长期稳定的生殖能力。精原干细胞在其建立和成熟后是否具有特征上的差异目前尚不清楚。本研究在前期建立的不同年龄小鼠精原干细胞(表达多能性基因Pou5f1编码的OCT4)转录组数据基础上,对小鼠新生期(出生后3天)、幼年期(出生后7天)和成熟期(2～3月龄)精原干细胞的基因表达差异进行了生物信息学分析,包括差异表达基因(differentially expression genes,DEGs)的筛选、DEGs编码的蛋白相互作用网络(protein-protein interaction,PPI)的建立、功能聚类富集(Gene Ontology,GO)和通路分析(Kyoto...     

山羊精原干细胞的鉴定及培养体系优化的研究

该研究优化了山羊精原干细胞(goat spermatogonial stem cells,g SSCs)培养体系,使山羊精原干细胞能在体外长期培养,维持自我更新的能力并保持未分化状态。取3~5月龄山羊睾丸,采用两步酶消法结合差速贴壁方法得到山羊精原干细胞悬液,分别通过形态学观察、碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,AKP)染色、特异基因表达及蛋白质水平的分析对培养的细胞进行鉴定;并以山羊睾丸支持细胞(goat sertoli cells,g SCs)、小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞(mouse embryonic fibroblasts,MEFs)和层黏连蛋白(laminin,L)为饲养层,观察饲养层对山羊精原干细胞体外增殖的影响。结果表明,山羊精原干细胞体外增殖形成克隆簇,AKP染色呈阳性。经RT-PCR检测,Oct-4、C-myc、Cyclin D1、Ngn3和TERT等干细胞特异基因均有表达。细胞免疫组化结果显示,Oct-4、SSEA-1、α6-integrin、Vasa和Thy-1蛋白质呈阳性。克隆簇统计显示,在山羊睾丸支持细胞上形成的山羊精原干细胞(goat spermatogonial stem cells,g SSCs)克隆数与其他两组比较差异显著(P0.05)。山羊睾丸支持细胞饲养层上的精原干细胞可在体外传3~4代,培养时间为2个月。结果证明,通过两步酶消法和差速贴壁法可以分离获得山羊精原干细胞,且山羊睾丸支持细胞能够促进g SSCs的增殖。     

人骨髓间充质干细胞向血管内皮细胞诱导分化的研究

目的:分析人骨髓间充质干细胞(hMSCs)和脐静脉内皮细胞(hUVECs)的基因表达差异,探讨体外基因转染诱导内皮分化的可行性以及作为血管组织工程种子细胞来源的应用前景。方法:分别从人骨髓和脐静脉分离间充质干细胞(hMSCs)和内皮细胞(hUVECs),扩增培养后进行流式细胞仪、免疫细胞化学,免疫荧光鉴定和超微结构观察。通过BiostarH-40S表达谱芯片分析,选择两者的差异表达基因,导入hMSCs,经RT-PCR、ELISA鉴定该基因的转染和表达,并分析hMSCs的内皮分化程度。结果:hMSCs表达内皮细胞的多种特异性mRNA,经VEGFl65基因瞬时转染后RT-PCR有明显条带,ELISA定量检测VEGF165蛋白表达为(707.9±11.3)ng/L,同时CD44表达明显下调38.80%,CD31则明显上调达56.82%,FI-1,FVⅢAg和CD34的表达也有不同程度升高。结论:hMSCs具有内皮分化潜能,体外基因转染诱导hMSCs产生功能性内皮细胞和组织工程化血管具有广阔前景。     

精原干细胞的生物学特性

精原干细胞(spermatogonialstemcells,SSCs)是雄性生殖系干细胞,位于睾丸曲细精管基膜上,既具有自我更新潜能,又具有定向分化潜能,是自然状态下出生后动物体内在整个生命期间进行自我更新并能将基因传递至子代的唯一成体干细胞。自SSCs移植技术建立以来,有关其分离、鉴定、培养、冻存、转基因操作及移植等方面均已取得长足进步,使人们对其生物学特性有了更深入的了解。根据最近的相关进展,系统评述了SSCs的相关生物学特性,以期为该领域及其他干细胞研究提供借鉴。     

Effects of different Sertoli cell types on the maintenance of adult spermatogonial stem cells in vitro

Spermatongonial stem cells (SSCs) are unique testis cells that are able to proliferate, differentiate, and transmit genetic information to the next generation. However, the effect of different Sertoli cell types on the expression of specific SSC genes is not yet well understood. In this study, we compare the in vitro effect of adult Sertoli cells, embryonic Sertoli cells, and TM4 (a Sertoli cell line) as feeder layers on the expression of SSC genes. SSCs were isolated from the testis of adult male mice and purified by differential plating. Following enrichment, SSCs were cultivated for 1 and 2 wk in the presence of various feeders. The expression of SSC-specific genes (Mvh, ZBTB, and c-kit) was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our results revealed that expression of the specific SSC genes was significantly higher in the embryonic Sertoli cells after 1 and 2 wk compared to the adult Sertoli cells and the TM4 group. Our finding suggest that co-culturing of SSCs with embryonic Sertoli cells is helpful for in vitro cultivation of SSCs and might improve the self-renewal of these stem cells.     

Generation of rabbit pluripotent stem cell lines

Pluripotent stem cells have the capacity to divide indefinitely and to differentiate into all somatic cells and tissue lines. They can be genetically manipulated in vitro by knocking genes in or out, and therefore serve as an excellent tool for gene function studies and for the generation of models for some human diseases. Since 1981, when the first mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line was generated, many attempts have been made to generate pluripotent stem cell lines from other species. Comparative characterization of ESCs from different species would help us to understand differences and similarities in the signaling pathways involved in the maintenance of pluripotency and the initiation of differentiation, and would reveal whether the fundamental mechanism controlling self-renewal of pluripotent cells is conserved across different species. This report gives an overview of research into embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells in the rabbit, an important nonrodent species with considerable merits as an animal model for specific diseases. A number of putative rabbit ESC and induced pluripotent stem cell lines have been described. All of them expressed stem cell-associated markers and maintained apparent pluripotency during multiple passages in vitro, but none have been convincingly proven to be fully pluripotent in vivo. Moreover, as in other domestic species, the markers currently used to characterize the putative rabbit ESCs are suboptimal because recent studies have revealed that they are not always specific to the pluripotent inner cell mass. Future validation of rabbit pluripotent stem cells would benefit greatly from a validated panel of molecular markers specific to pluripotent cells of the developing rabbit embryos. Using rabbit-specific pluripotency genes may improve the efficiency of somatic cell reprogramming for generating induced pluripotent stem cells and thereby overcome some of the challenges limiting the potential of this technology.     

Replacement of mouse embryonic fibroblasts with bone marrow stromal cells for use in establishing and maintaining embryonic stem cells in mice

We have investigated the use of BMSC (bone marrow stromal cell) as a feeder cell for improving culture efficiency of ESC (embryonic stem cell). B6CBAF1 blastocysts or ESC stored after their establishment were seeded on to a feeder layer of either SCA-1+/CD45-/CD11b- BMSC or MEF (mouse embryonic fibroblast). Feeder cell activity in promoting ESC establishment from the blastocysts and in supporting ESC maintenance did not differ significantly between BMSC and MEF feeders. However, the highest efficiency of colony formation after culturing of inner cell mass cells of blastocysts was observed with the BMSC line that secreted the largest amount of LIF (leukaemia inhibitory factor). Exogenous LIF was essential for the ESC establishment on BMSC feeder, but not for ESC maintenance. Neither change in stem cell-specific gene expression nor increase in stem cell aneuploidy was detected after the use of BMSC feeder. We conclude that BMSC can be utilized as the feeder of ESC, which improves culture efficiency.     

Mouse 3T3 fibroblasts under the influence of fibroblasts isolated from stroma of human basal cell carcinoma acquire properties of multipotent stem cells

Background information. Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells can participate in the formation of a microenvironment stimulating the aggressive behaviour of cancer cells. Moreover, cells exhibiting pluripotent ESC (embryonic stem cell) markers (Nanog and Oct4) have been observed in many tumours. Here, we investigate the role of cancer‐associated fibroblasts in the formation of stem cell supporting properties of tumour stroma. We test the influence of fibroblasts isolated from basal cell carcinoma on mouse 3T3 fibroblasts, focusing on the expression of stem cell markers and plasticity in vitro by means of microarrays, qRT‐PCR (quantitative real‐time PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Results. We demonstrate the biological activity of the cancer stromal fibroblasts by influencing the 3T3 fibroblasts to express markers such as Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 and to show differentiation potential similar to mesenchymal stem cells. The role of growth factors such as IGF2 (insulin‐like growth factor 2), FGF7 (fibroblast growth factor 7), LEP (leptin), NGF (nerve growth factor) and TGFβ (transforming growth factor β), produced by the stromal fibroblasts, is established to participate in their bioactivity. Uninduced 3T3 do not express the stem cell markers and show minimal differentiation potential. Conclusions. Our observations indicate the pro‐stem cell activity of cancer‐associated fibroblasts and underline the role of epithelial—mesenchymal interaction in tumour biology.     

HIF1α induced switch from bivalent to exclusively glycolytic metabolism during ESC-to-EpiSC/hESC transition

The function of metabolic state in stemness is poorly understood. Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) and epiblast stem cells (EpiSC) are at distinct pluripotent states representing the inner cell mass (ICM) and epiblast embryos. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are similar to EpiSC stage. We now show a dramatic metabolic difference between these two stages. EpiSC/hESC are highly glycolytic, while ESC are bivalent in their energy production, dynamically switching from glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration on demand. Despite having a more developed and expanding mitochondrial content, EpiSC/hESC have low mitochondrial respiratory capacity due to low cytochrome c oxidase (COX) expression. Similarly, in vivo epiblasts suppress COX levels. These data reveal EpiSC/hESC functional similarity to the glycolytic phenotype in cancer (Warburg effect). We further show that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) is sufficient to drive ESC to a glycolytic Activin/Nodal-dependent EpiSC-like stage. This metabolic switch during early stem-cell development may be deterministic.