From Skin Cells to Ovarian Follicles?

Generating oocytes from cells derived from skin in vitro may provide a valuable modelfor identifying factors involved in germ cell formation and oocyte differentiation. In addition, the“oocytes” produced could potentially be useful for therapeutic cloning, and thus offer newpossibilities for tissue therapy. We recently reported the differentiation of cells derived fromporcine fetal skin into cells resembling germ cells and oocytes. A subpopulation of these cellsexpressed germ cell markers and formed aggregate like oocyte-cumulus complexes that secretedovarian steroid hormones and responded to gonadotropin stimulation. Some of these aggregatesextruded large oocyte-like cells that expressed markers appropriate to oocytes. We now showfurther evidence of germ cell marker expression during differentiation. We have also comparedthe oocyte-like cells with natural oocytes for their expression levels of Oct4, growthdifferentiation factor-9b (GDF9b), the deleted in azoospermia -like (DAZL) gene, vasa, zonapellucida (ZP), and the meiosis marker synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3), and haverevealed interesting similarities and differences.     

Induction of oocyte-like cells from mouse embryonic stem cells by co-culture with ovarian granulosa cells

Abstract In vitro derivation of oocytes from embryonic stem (ES) cells has the potential to be an important tool for studying oogenesis as well as advancing the field of therapeutic cloning by providing an alternative source of oocytes. Here, we demonstrate a novel, two-step method for inducing mouse ES cells to differentiate into oocyte-like cells using mouse ovarian granulosa cells. First, primordial germ cells (PGCs) were differentiated within the embryonic body (EB) cells around day 4 as defined by the expression of PGC-specific markers and were distinguished from undifferentiated ES cells. Second, day 4 EB cells were co-cultured with ovarian granulosa cells. After 10 days, these cells formed germ cell colonies as indicated by the expression of the two germ cell markers Mvh and SCP3. These cells also expressed the oocyte-specific genes Fig α, GDF-9 , and ZP1-3 but not any testis-specific genes by RT-PCR analysis. EB cultured alone or cultured in granulosa cell-conditioned medium did not express any of these oocyte-specific markers. In addition, EB co-cultured with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells or cultured in CHO cell-conditioned medium did not express all of these oocyte-specific markers. Immunocytochemistry analysis using Mvh and GDF-9 antibodies confirmed that some Mvh and GDF-9 double-positive oocyte-like cells were generated within the germ cell colonies. Our results demonstrate that granulosa cells were effective in inducing the differentiation of ES cell-derived PGCs into oocyte-like cells through direct cell-to-cell contacts. Our method offers a novel in vitro system for studying oogenesis; in particular, for studying the interactions between PGCs and granulosa cells.     

In vitro and in vivo germ line potential of stem cells derived from newborn mouse skin

We previously reported that fetal porcine skin-derived stem cells were capable of differentiation into oocyte-like cells (OLCs). Here we report that newborn mice skin-derived stem cells are also capable of differentiating into early OLCs. Using stem cells from mice that are transgenic for Oct4 germline distal enhancer-GFP, germ cells resulting from their differentiation are expected to be GFP(+). After differentiation, some GFP(+) OLCs reached 40-45 μM and expressed oocyte markers. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that ～ 0.3% of the freshly isolated skin cells were GFP(+). The GFP-positive cells increased to ～ 7% after differentiation, suggesting that the GFP(+) cells could be of in vivo origin, but are more likely induced upon being cultured in vitro. To study the in vivo germ cell potential of skin-derived cells, they were aggregated with newborn ovarian cells, and transplanted under the kidney capsule of ovariectomized mice. GFP(+) oocytes were identified within a subpopulation of follicles in the resulting growth. Our finding that early oocytes can be differentiated from mice skin-derived cells in defined medium may offer a new in vitro model to study germ cell formation and oogenesis.     

Bone morphogenetic protein 15 induces differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human follicular fluid to oocyte-like cell

Follicular fluid (FF) is essential for developing ovarian follicles. Besides the oocytes, FF has abundant undifferentiated somatic cells containing stem cell properties, which are discarded in daily medical procedures. Earlier studies have shown that FF cells could differentiate into primordial germ cells via forming embryoid bodies, which produced oocyte-like cells (OLC). This study aimed at isolating mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from FF and evaluating the impacts of bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) on the differentiation of these cells into OLCs. Human FF-derived cells were collected from 78 women in the assisted fertilization program and cultured in human recombinant BMP15 medium for 21 days. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry staining characterized MSCs and OLCs. MSCs expressed germline stem cell (GSC) markers, such as OCT4 and Nanog. In the control group, after 15 days, OLCs were formed and expressed zona pellucida markers (ZP2 and ZP3), and reached 20–30 µm in diameter. Ten days after induction with BMP15, round cells developed, and the size of OLCs reached 115 µm. A decrease ranged from 0.04 to 4.5 in the expression of pluripotency and oocyte-specific markers observed in the cells cultured in a BMP15-supplemented medium. FF-derived MSCs have an innate potency to differentiate into OLCs, and BMP15 is effective in promoting the differentiation of these cells, which may give an in vitro model to examine germ cell development.     

人卵母细胞样细胞体内分化模型的建立

赋予抗TNF-α 单链抗体片段 (TNF-scFv) 对炎症组织的特异性,用一段来自人清蛋白 (HSA) 的柔性连接肽在基因水平上连接TNF-scFv和抗B型纤维连接蛋白 (B-FN) 的额外域B (ED-B) 的scFv L19,构建了抗TNF-α/抗ED-B单链双特异抗体BsDb,其中B-FN为炎症组织中特异表达的抗原。BsDb在毕赤酵母中获得了分泌表达,表达产物经鉴定和纯化制备后,进行了功能分析。结果表明,BsDb保留了其亲本抗体TNF-scFv和L19对抗原的免疫反应性,能够同时结合TNF-α和ED-B,并中和TNF-α的生理作用。而且,BsDb对抗原的亲和力及中和能力与大肠杆菌包涵体来源的亲本抗体相比显著增强。在小鼠佐剂型关节炎 (AIA) 模型中,BsDb能选择性地积累和保留于小鼠的炎症关节,并快速从血浆中清除。说明BsDb兼备炎症组织的特异性和正常组织的低毒性,在类风湿关节炎及其他慢性炎症性疾病的治疗上具有较大潜力。     

人卵母细胞样细胞体内分化模型的建立

干细胞通过诱导培养,在体外能够分化为卵母细胞样细胞 (Oocyte-like cell, OLC),将其置于体内环境能够有效地改善OLC的质量和发育能力。通过检测猪卵泡液中激素和Bmp 15蛋白的含量,选取了中等卵泡的卵泡液对人羊水干细胞进行体外诱导培养,10 d后,经实时定量PCR检测发现,早期生殖细胞样细胞团高表达生殖基因oct4和重新甲基化转移酶基因dnmt3b。将这些细胞团用猪卵泡膜包裹后形成移植物,移植到小鼠肾被膜下。1个月后取出移植物,发现移植物内的细胞在形态上,不仅与正常的卵母细胞极为相似,而且还表达生殖细胞和卵母细胞特异标记基因 (oct4、nanog、stella、ifitm3、dazl、nanos3、bmp15和gdf9)。证明技术体系能够有效改善OLC的形成和发育能力。     

Differentiation of Newborn Mouse Skin Derived Stem Cells into Germ-like Cells In vitro

Studying germ cell formation and differentiation has traditionally been very difficult due to low cell numbers and their location deep within developing embryos. The availability of a "closed" in vitro based system could prove invaluable for our understanding of gametogenesis. The formation of oocyte-like cells (OLCs) from somatic stem cells, isolated from newborn mouse skin, has been demonstrated and can be visualized in this video protocol. The resulting OLCs express various markers consistent with oocytes such as Oct4 , Vasa , Bmp15, and Scp3. However, they remain unable to undergo maturation or fertilization due to a failure to complete meiosis. This protocol will provide a system that is useful for studying the early stage formation and differentiation of germ cells into more mature gametes. During early differentiation the number of cells expressing Oct4 (potential germ-like cells) reaches ~5%, however currently the formation of OLCs remains relatively inefficient. The protocol is relatively straight forward though special care should be taken to ensure the starting cell population is healthy and at an early passage.     

Induction of cells expressing vascular endothelium markers from undifferentiated Xenopus presumptive ectoderm by co-treatment with activin and angiopoietin-2

Activin is a potent inducer of mesoderm in amphibian embryos. We previously reported that low concentrations of activin could induce the formation of blood cells from Xenopus explants (animal caps). Both hematopoietic and vascular endothelial cell lineages are believed to share a common precursor, termed hemangioblasts. In this study, we tried to induce differentiation of vascular endothelial cells in aggregates derived from Xenopus animal caps. Aggregates formed from cells that were co-treated with activin and angiopoietin-2 expressed the vascular endothelial markers, X-msr, Xtie2 and Xegfl7. However, none of these aggregates expressed the hematopoietic marker genes, globin alpha T3, alpha T5, alpha A or GATA-1. We used microarray analysis to compare the gene expression profiles of aggregates treated with activin alone or with activin and angiopoietin. The combination, but not activin alone, induced expression of vascular-related genes such as Xl-fli and VEGF. These results demonstrate that treatment of dissociated animal cap cells with activin and angiopoietin-2 can induce differentiation of endothelial cells, and provides a promising model system for the in vitro study of blood vessel induction in vertebrates.     

Noggin Over-Expressing Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts and MS5 Stromal Cells Enhance Directed Differentiation of Dopaminergic Neurons from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Directed methods for differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into dopaminergic (DA) precursor cells using stromal cells co-culture systems are already well established. However, not all of the hESCs differentiate into DA precursors using these methods. HSF6, H1, H7, and H9 cells differentiate well into DA precursors, but CHA13 and CHA15 cells hardly differentiate. To overcome this problem, we modified the differentiation system to include a co-culturing step that exposes the cells to noggin early in the differentiation process. This was done using γ-irradiated noggin-overexpressing CF1-mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF-noggin) and MS5 stromal cells (MS5-noggin and MS5-sonic hedgehog). After directed differentiation, RT-PCR analyses revealed that engrailed-1 (En-1), Lmx1b, and Nurr1, which are midbrain DA markers, were expressed regardless of differentiation stage. Moreover, tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) and an A9 midbrain-specific DA marker (Girk2) were expressed during differentiation, whereas levels of Oct3/4, an undifferentiated marker, decreased. Immunocytochemical analyses revealed that protein levels of the neuronal markers TH and TuJ1 increased during the final differentiation stage. These results demonstrate that early noggin exposure may play a specific role in the directed differentiation of DA cells from human embryonic stem cells.     

Generation of human embryonic stem cell-derived mesoderm and cardiac cells using size-specified aggregates in an oxygen-controlled bioreactor

The ability to generate human pluripotent stem cell-derived cell types at sufficiently high numbers and in a reproducible manner is fundamental for clinical and biopharmaceutical applications. Current experimental methods for the differentiation of pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) rely on the generation of heterogeneous aggregates of cells, also called "embryoid bodies" (EBs), in small scale static culture. These protocols are typically (1) not scalable, (2) result in a wide range of EB sizes and (3) expose cells to fluctuations in physicochemical parameters. With the goal of establishing a robust bioprocess we first screened different scalable suspension systems for their ability to support the growth and differentiation of hESCs. Next homogeneity of initial cell aggregates was improved by employing a micro-printing strategy to generate large numbers of size-specified hESC aggregates. Finally, these technologies were integrated into a fully controlled bioreactor system and the impact of oxygen concentration was investigated. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of stirred bioreactor culture, aggregate size-control and hypoxia (4% oxygen tension) on both cell growth and cell differentiation towards cardiomyocytes. QRT-PCR data for markers such as Brachyury, LIM domain homeobox gene Isl-1, Troponin T and Myosin Light Chain 2v, as well as immunohistochemistry and functional analysis by response to chronotropic agents, documented the impact of these parameters on cardiac differentiation. This study provides an important foundation towards the robust generation of clinically relevant numbers of hESC derived cells.     

Stepwise aggregation, compaction, and differentiation of uncompacted F9 cells

To study the relationship between compaction and differentiation in aggregates of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells, a subline was developed which grows mostly uncompacted in monolayer culture in medium containing a low concentration of calcium (about 0.05 mM). When these cells were trysinized and cultured in suspension in the same medium, they formed loose, open aggregates, which failed to differentiate into embryoid bodies after exposure to 10 nM retinoic acid, confirming the requirement of compaction for differentiation. If, after culture for 3 days, the uncompacted F9 aggregates were exposed to additional calcium (4 nM), all compacted within an hour. The number of days necessary for aggregates to acquire this ability to compact rapidly was reduced if the monolayer of cells from which the aggregates were derived had been exposed to additional calcium to cause compaction for several days prior to trypsinization and aggregation. Next, treatment of the compacted F9 aggregates with 10 nM retinoic acid was followed by differentiation into embryoid bodies. The number of days required for this was also reduced if the aggregates were formed from previously compacted cells, presumably because compaction of the aggregates occurred sooner. The acceleration in compaction and differentiation in aggregates formed from previously compacted cells suggests that some of the proteins important for compaction, which are synthesized in a monolayer of compacted cells, persist through trypsinization and are carried over from monolayer to aggregates. Alternatively, an inhibitor of compaction is decreased in the compacted monolayer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Molecular characterization of the follicle defects in the growth differentiation factor 9-deficient ovary.

Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9), a secreted member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, is expressed at high levels in the mammalian oocyte beginning at the type 3a primary follicle stage. We have previously demonstrated that GDF-9-deficient female mice are infertile because of an early block in folliculogenesis at the type 3b primary follicle stage. To address the molecular defects that result from the absence of GDF-9, we have analyzed the expression of several important ovarian marker genes. The major findings of our studies are as follows: 1) There are no detectable signals around GDF-9-deficient follicles for several theca cell layer markers [i.e. 17alpha-hydroxylase, LH receptor (LHR), and c-kit, the receptor for kit ligand]. This demonstrates that in the absence of GDF-9, the follicles are incompetent to emit a signal that recruits theca cell precursors to surround the follicle; 2) The primary follicles of GDF-9-deficient mice demonstrate an up-regulation of kit ligand and inhibin-alpha. This suggests that these two important secreted growth factors, expressed in the granulosa cells, may be directly regulated in a paracrine fashion by GDF-9. Up-regulation of kit ligand, via signaling through c-kit on the oocyte, may be directly involved in the increased size of GDF-9-deficient oocytes and the eventual demise of the oocyte; 3) After loss of the oocyte, the cells of the GDF-9-deficient follicles remain in a steroidogenic cluster that histologically resembles small corpora lutea. However, at the molecular level, these cells are positive for both luteal markers (e.g. LHR and P-450 side chain cleavage) and nonluteal markers (e.g. inhibin alpha and P-450 aromatase). This demonstrates that initially the presence of the oocyte prevents the expression of luteinized markers, but that the absence of GDF-9 at an early timepoint alters the differentiation program of the granulosa cells; and 4) As demonstrated by staining with either proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) or Ki-67 and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) labeling, the granulosa cells of GDF-9-deficient type 3b primary follicles fail to proliferate but also fail to undergo cell death. This suggests that granulosa cells of type 3b follicles require GDF-9 for continued growth and also to become competent to undergo apoptosis, possibly through a differentiation event Thus, these studies have enlightened us as to the paracrine roles of GDF-9 as well as the normal steps of granulosa cell and theca cell growth and differentiation within ovarian follicles.